Styling the Triangle Shaped Body this Fall

Hello gals! Today I have our second installment in my fall mini-series about styling the unique body shapes or silhouettes this fall. Today we’re styling the triangle shaped body. If you missed Tuesday’s post, Styling the Oval Shaped Body this Fall, you might want to check it out for background at least.

The Game Plan

Tuesday I invited readers to describe their body shape, lifestyle, color preferences, style essence and specific styling needs in the comments section if they’d like me to help them style their body for fall. I was so pleased that I had takers in every category. Yay!

But keep in mind that body shape is just part of the equation. Your body shape is your silhouette. It’s based on your skeletal structure, not your weight. And it’s measured by the diameter of your shoulders, waist and hips, not your circumference. Does that make sense to you?

Where the goal is to create a visually pleasing female body silhouette, body shape simply tells us:

• where to add detail or interest to your outfit
• where to keep plain with no detail or interest
• where to have horizontal lines to emphasize or broaden
• where to use vertical lines to slenderize

But when calculating an outfit you also really need to take into consideration body proportions and unique body variations, such as bust size, arm size, calf size, bootie size, etc. For more information on styling for those variables please see last year’s style series.

However, for today, I’m sharing several great fall outfits that will generally work well for a gal with a triangle or pear or A shape body, depending on what categories you like to use (shapes, fruit or letters).

The Client

I’m basing today’s client on a couple of reader responses I received. These gals, like all triangle shaped women, have more narrow shoulders, defined waist and broader hips. Both of my clients happen to be petite, so I’m taking that into consideration as I select clothes for them, too. In fact, I’ve tried to select clothing that comes in petite sizes.

I’m not aware of any particular body variations for either, so I’m not addressing those. But one client shared that she prefers jewel tones and no pastels, so that’s what I selected. I’m sharing outfits for business casual, easy casual and church.

The Cheat Sheet

When you shop, I suggest you carry a cheat sheet with you at all times. In fact, I have cheat sheets for each of the body shapes and proportions in my Subscriber Freebies for those of you who are email subscribers. (Not a subscriber? Sign up today!) The password is in the emails.

But here are the “rules” I used when shopping for my “triangle shaped client:”

• avoid horizontal detail across the hip area, including distressing, zippers, front pockets, whiskering, embroidery, etc.
• utilize more detail around the face and shoulders
• add detail above the waistline
• utilize horizontals at the shoulders and waistline
• keep plain below the waist
• use and accentuate vertical lines below the waist
• the best skirt is flared or A-line, following the shape of the body
• but if petite, keep the length of the skirt no longer than knee length and minimize volume in the skirt
• end tops at the hip bone (unless body proportions dictate otherwise)
• best pants are slender bootcut, bootcut or full trouser cut
• use darker wash and colors for pants
• utilize the column of color on the outside of the outfit (more on that later)
• no cargo pants
• no long tops – they accentuate the hips
• no cardigans with low front pockets or wide horizontal bands across the hips or thighs
• no jackets that end at the thigh
• if petite, no cuffs on pants and keep the volume minimal

Style Bulletin Boards for the A or Triangle Shape Body

Let’s look at some of the types of outfits my clients could wear. All of these items are appropriate for the A or triangle shaped body. But remember, take your body proportions into consideration as well. That could change things.

All of these are shoppable bulletin boards! Just shop through the captions or the shopping widgets below them. These are affiliate links, so if you purchase anything through them I potentially earn a small commission, but at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting what I do here!

Notice these jeans have no whiskering across the front and they’re a nice dark wash black. These are ideal if you are wider in the hip area. And the bootleg cut will actually balance out your hips. I suggest wearing shoes in the same color as your pants for a longer leg, especially with bootcut jeans. And if possible, wear heels. (So make sure your jeans are hemmed to within no more than 1″ from the ground with your shoes on.)

MISTAKE: I made a little mistake on the graphic above. The jeans info says not to tuck the shirt in, but you actually can. I suggest a partial tuck.

The open collars of the shirt and the moto jacket will help broaden the shoulders to balance your hips. And a pretty statement necklace will draw the gaze up. “If they’re staring into your eyes, they won’t be looking at your thighs!”

This combination works for so many reason. This pullover sweater will magically minimize hips and broaden shoulders. It’s a real winner! I’ve included some great premium denim because it’s on sale. But I’ve also included more economical choices in the shopping widget below. The common denominator is that they have no or minimal whiskering across the front, they’re dark wash and they’re bootcut.

The outfit above works because of where everything begins and ends. The wide band at the bottom of the cardigan could be a no-no if it hits at the hips. But it should hit right at the waist. And the triangle shaped body has a defined waist, so it’s okay and even preferable to accentuate it. The skirt works because it hits around the knee and is an a-line, following the shape of the body.

If you need a camisole under the button up cardigan, you could check out this one. I have several and they work well for me.

These bootleg corduroys are a nice alternative to jeans for the more casual office. And this beautiful faux wrap blouse is significantly reduced right now. I ordered this shirt yesterday, in fact. It will work especially well if you have a long torso, but hopefully it will hit just at the hip bone.

This lambskin leather jacket is also on sale and would make a great investment piece for the woman with a triangle shape because it broadens the shoulders while hitting right at the hip bones.

My client mentioned that she likes to wear cardigans, but you have to be very careful with cardigans because they tend to hug those hips if they’re too long. So you’ll need to opt for the more traditional length. Look for chunky knits like this one to add volume up top, balancing the hips.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post. I’ll be posting similar posts for the H or rectangle shape, the V or inverted triangle and the X or hourglass shape. Let me know if you have any questions. And remember, if some of these tips don’t seem to work for you it may be because you have a body proportions or variations that overrule them.

In the long run, where what you feel good in. Take pictures of yourself in front of the mirror and go back and look at them later. That’s one of the best ways to determine how something really fits your body.

Have a lovely day!

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Blessed for My Day

When King Belshazzar became disturbed about the writing on the wall, the queen pointed out to him a man who could provide insight and wisdom – Daniel. She knew that Daniel was a man who possessed an unusual spirit, and that he demonstrated understanding and wisdom.

But did you know that if you are a follower of Jesus you have that same spirit within you? The Holy Spirit provides understanding and wisdom…if we seek it from Him. Let’s ask God today to help us be women of great understanding and wisdom. Let’s seek to demonstrate “an excellent spirit, knowledge and understanding” as we mix with those around us. And to God be all the glory.

There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel. ~ Daniel 5:11-12a