Sandy's Motherhood Blog: Food, Fun, Fashion: How to Dress YOUR Body

Nobody looks great in everything. Not even Marilyn Monroe, not even Elizabeth Taylor (remember the muumuu and turban era?), not even Angelina Jolie, not even whomever you consider to be the most gorgeous human being who ever lived. Remember that famous story where a reporter claimed that Marilyn Monroe was only beautiful because of her fabulous clothes, so she did a photoshoot wearing a potato sack?

Please notice that the potato sack has been carefully tailored for her figure. Which means that you, too, could look great in a potato sack, as long as you have it properly tailored and styled for your figure type!

My point here is that you can't dress well unless you know what styles and cuts look good on your figure. And the first step is figuring out your figure type. Here are the five basic types:

Left to right: Round, rectangle, hourglass, triangle, inverted triangle

Here is a description of each type, along with some celebrity examples to help you picture each one.

Round ("apple"): Carries extra weight at the belly, without a well-defined waist. Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, and Amy Schumer are examples of a round body type.

Rectangle ("athletic" or "straight"): Little definition between bust, waist, and hip size. Jennifer Garner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Ann Hathaway have this body type.

Hourglass ("curvy"): Generous bust and hips but well-defined waist. Christina Hendricks, Sofia Vergara, and Scarlet Johansson have hourglass figures.

Triangle ("pear-shaped"): Generous hips, not especially large-busted relative to hip size, usually with a well-defined waist. Similar to hourglass, but slightly bottom-heavy. Beyonce, Meghan Trainor, and Jennifer Lopez have triangle figures.

Inverted triangle: Larger bust and/or broader shoulders with narrower hips. May or may not have a defined waist, but noticeably top-heavy. Sherri Shepherd, Renee Zellweger, and Demi Moore all have inverted triangle figures.

Now that you know your figure type (for the record, I'm an apple who used to be a rectangle), what does that mean for how to choose your clothes? Let's go through each type with general tips, specific do's and don't's, and some examples of celebrities dressing casually but still flatteringly for their particular figure.

Round

When dressing a round figure, you want to camouflage your belly, creating the illusion of a nipped-in waist. Clothes that are narrowest just below the bust ("empire waist") rather than at the natural waist and that skim the belly rather than clinging are most flattering for you. Straight-legged, relaxed fit, and high-waisted pants work for you. Wrap dresses and fuller skirts will help balance your figure and create the illusion of curves. Tunic or empire-waist tops will skim your widest part. Avoid tucked-in shirts and tops with the hem right at your middle.

This crisp, slightly flared tunic top ($45 from Chico's) creates a graceful line that skims your midsection. Pair it with some cropped dark-wash skinny jeans ($40 from The Loft) for a look that can go from casual Friday to Friday night out.

This empire-waist dress ($50 from The Loft) floats out from the body, giving you curves by creating a narrow "waist" above your natural waist and adding volume in the shirred bodice and ruffled skirt. And this pencil skirt ($79 at Nordstrom) sits much higher than the natural waistline, which is emphasized with the wide belt, making it flattering when worn with either a tucked-in shirt, as shown, or a looser, figure-skimming top (like the tunic top, above).

Look at the difference between an untucked shirt and a tucked shirt with the same pants, blouse, and fitted jacket. The untucked is much more flattering, right? The longer vertical length of the lighter color elongates her body and emphasizes the tailored curves of the jacket. The slight flare of the shirt also serves to minimize a round tummy.

Some Examples of "Round" Celebrity Style:

Octavia Spencer in dark wash skinny jeans and loose-fitting bright pink top; also in a vivid green wrap dress with asymmetrical neckline

Oprah Winfrey in wide-legged white slacks with a loose-fitting rust tunic top with cowl neckline; also in a black pencil skirt with untucked tailored white blouse. Note the flattering contrast between top and bottom in each outfit, and that the colors meet at the hip level, not the waist.

Rectangle

Similar to a round figure, you want to create the illusion of curves with a rectangle figure. Unlike a round figure, however, a rectangle figure is flattered by a strong contrast between the colors on the upper and lower body with a defined demarcation at the waist, such as a contrasting belt. Straight-legged, relaxed fit, and high-waisted pants will flatter you. Fitted sheath, fit and flare, wrap, and A-line style dresses will help accentuate the curves you have and create the illusion of a curvier figure. Gathers at the waist and belted styles are also especially flattering. Bright- or light-colored tops with dark-wash jeans work well on you; structured tops and blazers add the illusion of curves. Avoid tucked-in shirts. A dark belt with lighter-wash jeans and a lighter-colored top (or the reverse) is also flattering.

This floral fit-and-flare dress ($25 from Old Navy) features a slightly high waist as well as a wrap detail at the base of the bodice, which - along with the overall silhouette - helps to create curves and the illusion of a narrow waist. Or opt for this belted button-front A-line skirt ($31 from Walmart) paired with this ivory split-neck puff-sleeved blouse ($35 from Old Navy) that can be worn either tucked or untucked, thanks to the belt on the skirt.

These high-waisted, ankle-length, light wash jeans ($40 from Nordstrom Rack) have angled seaming at the waist that creates the illusion of narrowing. Pair them with a fitted tank or tee and this black tailored cropped blazer ($54 from Macy's) to look even curvier.

Some Examples of "Rectangle" Celebrity Style:

Ann Hathaway in high-waisted, belted jeans, with a tailored jacket; also in an a-line, slightly-bloused dress with wide belt.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus in flared, dark wash jeans with an untucked, tailored white button-down shirt and cropped leather jacket (notice how the straight horizontal hem of the jacket creates a waistline against the white shirt); also in a black-and-white print dress with narrow black belt and full, ruffled skirt.

Hourglass

Although often considered the most enviable figure, the hourglass can also be the most difficult to fit, with gapping shirt buttons, and pants and skirts that never fit in both the waist and hips. Straight-legged, bootcut or flared pants are best for your figure. Skirts and dresses with fitted waists will look great on those curves, including fitted sheaths, belted styles and full skirts. Tucked-in and fitted/tailored tops are best on you. Avoid baggy and empire-waist tops, which will make you look bulky.

This short-sleeve sheath dress ($36 from JC Penney) is perfect to set off your curves. Or pair this full, stretch skirt ($35 from JC Penney) with a snug-fitting floral print tee ($23 from Old Navy) for a more casual, relaxed look.

Or go even more casual in these curvy high-waisted dark-wash ankle jeans ($20 from Express) and a neatly tailored dress shirt ($33 from Sears), tucked in, with a great belt ($23 from Old Navy).

Some Examples of "Hourglass" Celebrity Style:

Christina Hendricks in a fitted black wrap top with belt and black cropped jeans; and in a form-fitting green belted jersey dress.

Kendall Jenner in a long, fitted and flared floral halter dress; and in mid-rise, wide-legged tan trousers with a dark belt and a cropped white tee under a fitted charcoal gray cropped tank.

Triangle

A triangle figure is widest at the hip, so clothing should draw attention up, with brighter or lighter colors and more detail in the shirt, with darker, more basic pants and skirts. Bootcut or flare pants, or slim cuts worn with looser, longer tops are most flattering on you, along with full or A-line skirts and wrap dresses. Figure-hugging and wrapped tops and tailored blazers will bring the eye up and draw attention to your narrow waist; lighter-colored tops with dark wash jeans are also great on you.

This ruffled floral wrap fit-and-flare dress ($42 from JC Penney) will flatter your curves and minimize your hips. Or pair this full skirt in a dark floral ($30 from Kohl's) with a pink sleeveless v-neck blouse ($18 from NY & Co.) and a scalloped ivory shrug ($28 from Kohl's).

Or pair some dark wash curvy skinny ankle jeans ($20 from Express) with a plain tee and a great, colorful scarf ($22 from Macy's) and matching fedora ($15 from Walmart) to bring the eye upwards.

Some Examples of "Hourglass" Celebrity Style:

Beyonce in an off-the-shoulder ivory lace romper with bloused top (note the hat!); and in low-rise black capri skinny jeans with a bloused, cowl-necked tunic.

Jennifer Lopez in high-rise white tapered pants with a bright, multi-colored striped bloused top; and in paper-bag waist, wide-legged cropped jeans, a white tee, and a loose-fitting denim jacket.

Inverted Triangle

An inverted triangle figure is widest at the shoulders or bust, so clothing should draw attention down, with brighter colors and more detail in the pants or skirt and a more basic top. Bootcut or flared pants are your best choice. V-neck and scoop necklines, full or A-line skirts, and details at the hemline are most flattering on your figure. Simple tops with a deep v-neck or scoop neckline are flattering, but avoid excessive accessories and embellishments on top (large jewelry, neckline details, puffy sleeves or shoulder pads, etc.).

These vivid pink flared ankle pants ($49 from J. Crew) will bring attention to your lower half, especially when paired with a pair of super cute pink suede slingbacks ($30 from Old Navy) and a less eye-catching (but still cute!) gray ribbed scoop-neck t-shirt ($17 from Old Navy).