Hate Pear Shape Body

About Women's Body Types

A female's body has three major points of emphasis:

• Chest: Fullest part of the bust
• Waist: Smallest circumference around the abdomen
• Hips: Largest circumference of the hips and bottom

Any time a woman needs to calculate a clothing size, it's these three areas that need to be measured. It's also the way a female's shape is characterized. For decades, women's bodies have been stereotyped into one of four categories, each one putting a positive and negative spin on one of these three inflection points. The four common shapes are:

• Bananas: Straight up and down with no predominant curves at the bust, waist or hips
• Pear (also known as bell shape): Shape looks more like an inverted triangle with the waist and hips being predominantly larger than the bust
• Apple: Opposite of a pear-shaped body, women with this body type often have more fat deposited in the shoulders, arms, bust and upper abdomen
• Hourglass: Circumference of bust and hips are equal while the waist tends to be smaller. Many women strive for this body type.

Why Women Hate Pear Shape Body Types

Even if full-figured women are comfortable in their own skin, there are many reasons why they hate pear shape body styles. For starters, shopping for clothing that fits well, especially pants and dresses, can be quite difficult. With pants, they need to find a pair that fits the wider hips while not leaving a loose or gaping waist. The same goes for dresses. A woman wants a dress that fits well in the bust, waist and hips. Those with pear-shaped bodies may find it frustrating to look for dresses that fit all three inflection points.

Another reason plus size women despise having a pear-shaped body is because they know that the majority of their fat is deposited in the hips and bottom -- two areas of the body that they want to show off, but not that much! They also know that no matter how much they diet and exercise, they will still have a pear-shaped body; a smaller pear-shaped body, but still one nonetheless.

Dressing Your Pear-Shaped Body

So you may not want to accept the pear-shaped body you have been given, but there are ways of dressing so you can camouflage your imperfections while highlighting your assets. Here's how:

• Choose tops that will draw eyes away from your hips and up toward your chest and shoulders, such as those with scoop necks. Also select tops that will highlight a cinched waist. Make sure the shirts are the correct size, as ones that are too small or too big will make you look larger.
• When selecting jackets, make sure they hit above or at your waist so as not to accentuate your hips. Also make sure the jacket has wider shoulders to add balance to your shape.
• Many of today's styles of pants, shorts and skirts have natural waistlines, which can work well with this body type. They can make your waist look smaller, your torso longer and actually fit better than high-waisted pants. Make sure they aren't too tight (or too loose either). If you are looking for skirts, stick with an A-line style.

A Good Read

If you have a pear-shaped body, realize you are not alone. Just ask Colleen, a 28-year-old plus-sized woman who blogs about her experience with her body type in The Pretty Pear: Your Curves Will Never Go Out of Style. She doesn't only talk about full-figured clothes, but also about all the ups and downs that come with a living a plus size lifestyle. It's a good read. Take a few minutes and peruse it.