The Complete Dress Guide for Pear Shaped Body: Must-Haves and What to Avoid - Petite Dressing (2024)

The pear body shape (sometimes also known as the spoon shape) is known for having narrower shoulders and wider hips. In other words, pear shape carries weight and tends to be bottom heavy.

Here is the most flattering dresses that can perfectly balance out your pear shaped body.

Table of Contents

Dresses with an Interesting Top

Focusing on the top is a great concept to keep in mind, no matter what you’re wearing, when you have a pear shaped body.

The reason you want to bring focus to your top half is that it creates the illusion of balance to your shape. This means in order to create more balance to your body, with dresses, you want to try dresses that have interesting details on the top half.

The Complete Dress Guide for Pear Shaped Body: Must-Haves and What to Avoid - Petite Dressing (2)

Puffy sleeve dresses

Puffy sleeves are very on trend, which is great news for women with a pear shaped body.

Since pear-shaped women tend to have narrow sloped shoulders compared with their hips, puffy sleeves are very flattering for your shape.

Not only puffy sleeves can broaden your shoulders, but also they can draw more attention upwards, and away from the heavier bottom, providing a perfect balance for your shape.

Off-the-shoulder dresses

Choosing the right neckline is especially important for pear-shaped women.

Off-the-shoulder is one of the most flattering necklines for women with a narrow top and wider bottom, because it forms a horizontal line right at your shoulder, creating the illusion of broader shoulders which in turn balance with your wider hips.

So, if you have a pear body shape, dresses with this kind of neckline are a must have in your closet.

Blazer dresses

This is a new type of dress that combines a blazer like top and a skirt bottom, and it has been very popular in the last couple of seasons.

This is a great option for pear-shaped ladies, as the blazer top of this kind of dress provides a structure, which is very flattering for your narrow top.

Make sure to choose a blazer dress with padded shoulders, as this will double the effect of broadening your shoulders and flatter your shape.

Deep V-neck dresses

A deep v-neckline dress is a great way to balance the smaller top of the pear shape because it creates space in your top half.

Since the wide opening of this neckline draw attention to your face, this can effectively balance out the narrow shoulders of the pear shaped body.

Embroidery top dresses

Choose a dress with embroidery top to draw attention to your top half is a great way to style the pear shaped ladies.

Go with any interesting stitches or embellishments to highlight your top half, and this will provide a wonderful balance to your body shape.

Asymmetric neckline dresses

Any neckline with asymmetries, such as one-shoulder, or uneven-shoulder designs, is also great options when it comes to choosing the best dresses for the pear shape.

The reason is unique neckline design is meant to draw attention to your top half, which is one of the best ways to distract from the wider hips and thighs area and therefore balance out your shape.

A-Line Dresses

A line dress is one of the most classic dress silhouettes around. While this silhouette is flattering on many body shapes, it’s an especially gorgeous choice for our pear-shaped women.

Why is it so flattering for you? A few reasons!

For starters, an a-line silhouette accentuates the narrow waist and shoulders that are common for pear-shaped bodies.

Additionally, the a-line silhouette generally skims the hip and thigh area so it doesn’t add volume but rather flatters it instead. Both are major winning points when you’re pear-shaped!

The Complete Dress Guide for Pear Shaped Body: Must-Haves and What to Avoid - Petite Dressing (6)

Wrap Dresses

This style of dress is incredibly flattering when you’re pear-shaped. We’ve noticed many women are a bit afraid of the wrap dress in fear that it won’t be flattering but let’s walk through this quickly.

First things first, a wrap dress is amazing for pear-shaped bodies because how it subtly highlights your narrow waistline.

In case you aren’t familiar, a wrap dress is well…wrapped around the waist. It’s typically not SUPER defined, which makes it a great subtle touch to enhance your body shape.

The Complete Dress Guide for Pear Shaped Body: Must-Haves and What to Avoid - Petite Dressing (7)

The other reason we love wrap dressed for pear-shaped bodies is because of the overall fit of this silhouette. Most of the time wrap dresses fit close to the body without being bodycon style, so you don’t have to worry about feeling like your body is fully on display it’s just flattered perfectly with the fabric that naturally skims the body.

Finally, the reason I like wrap dresses is that you will often see them with a deep v-neckline. This deep v-neck is perfect for a pear-shaped body. It brings just enough attention to the top half to complement the rest of the dress’s attributes.

Midi Dresses

The Complete Dress Guide for Pear Shaped Body: Must-Haves and What to Avoid - Petite Dressing (8)

I probably don’t have to tell you that midi-length skirts and dresses have become extremely popular. While the midi length can be tricky to wear for many women, it can be a great option when you’re pear-shaped. The longer length of a midi elongates the body half of the body and it visually enhances your shape incredibly.

Of course, when you do try midi-length dresses just make sure you’re keeping the other style tips in mind. EX: a skirt that’s too voluminous! As long as you consider all of the tips together, you may be surprised at just how much you like wearing a midi dress and how it flatters your body shape.

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Even though I am a big believer that women of all body shapes should dress the way that truly makes them happy, i do have to say it is important to always be selective. The reason is simple. Not all the dresses are going to look equally flattering on you.

Here’s several types of dresses that are least flattering to the pear shaped ladies.

Avoid Body con dresses

Body con dresses are those dresses designed to be clinging to your body from top to bottom. While this type if dresses is very on trend, especially in today’s pop culture, it is not the most flattering dresses if you have a pear body shape.

The reason is that this silhouette emphasizes every lump and bump of your body, making a pear-shaped body look even more “pear shaped”, without providing any balance.

Besides, since the dress clings to your bottom, they tend to be the least forgiving when you do gain weight in your hips and thighs, a typical pear feature.

Avoid Voluminous dresses

I want to point it out that you should avoid dresses with really voluminous skirts, which sometimes people get confused with an a-line silhouette.

To clarify, you don’t want an a-line that has a very voluminous skirt portion to it. Of course, there are plenty of other dress styles that can come with voluminous skirts to them. Unfortunately, these styles aren’t the best option when you’re pear-shaped.

When selecting a dress that has a very voluminous or detailed skirt portion it often adds too much to that area of your body and will cause you to look less balanced.

Avoid Loose top dresses

Be cautious of dresses that are extremely blousy or loose fitting around the top half.

While you want to add balance to your hips, selecting a dress that’s too loose or shapeless at the top half can hide too much of your body and cause you to appear bigger than you are.

The Complete Dress Guide for Pear Shaped Body: Must-Haves and What to Avoid - Petite Dressing (2024)

FAQs

What should I wear if I am short and pear shaped? ›

Although the first instinct may be covering up the hips and legs, working with your curves is much more flattering. The ideal shorts styles for the pear shape are simple and tailored. High-waisted options are your best friends since they also show off the smaller waist.

Can you be petite and pear shaped? ›

Yes, some clothing items that are particularly flattering for petite pear-shaped women include A-line skirts and dresses, wrap dresses, bootcut pants or jeans, and tops with interesting details or patterns around the shoulders. These choices help balance the proportions of your upper and lower body.

What is the most flattering dress shape for a pear shape? ›

In terms of best dresses to suit your body shape, A-line or fit and flare skirts are the most flattering pear shaped dresses, they skim past your hips and won't cling to the widest part of your body. Wrap dresses can also be great dresses for pear shapes, as they cinch you in at the waist creating a slim silhouette.

How to dress pear shape with belly fat? ›

Dressing A Pear Shaped Body
  1. Avoid: Shoes that cut off at the ankle. ...
  2. Avoid: Patterned Pants. ...
  3. Avoid: Shift Dresses. ...
  4. Up For Discussion: Light Pants. ...
  5. Avoid: Super Loose Tops & Super Skinny Jeans. ...
  6. GOOD: Waist Defining Tops. ...
  7. GOOD: Straight, Bootcut, Boyfriend, Trouser, and Flare Pants. ...
  8. GOOD: Leg Elongating Shoes.

Can pear shape wear cardigans? ›

Because pear figures often have a naturally defined waist, emphasizing an hourglass silhouette is crucial. You can do so with plenty of blazers and cardigans! If you're looking to update your spring wardrobe, check out our favorites in each category below!

What neckline is best for a pear shape? ›

Necklines like v-neck, cowl neck, turtle, square neck, boat neck and round neck are all great choices for your Pear shape. Cross over top styles usually flop open due to the smaller bust size and a v-neck will instantly create a better look.

What body size is considered petite? ›

What Height Is Considered Petite? Petite sizes are designed for women 5'4” and under, regardless of their size. In the petite category, sizes range from extra-small to plus-size. They also have a “P” label to illustrate a smaller and proportioned fit.

What type of pants should pear shape wear? ›

Go for flared or bootcut pants.

Choose pants that are bootcut or flared at the bottom to balance out the volume of your hips. High- or mid-rise styles will flatter your body the most. Wide-leg pants are another great option. Stylists recommend avoiding skinny or cigarette-style pants for pear-shaped figures.

How can I look thinner in pear shape? ›

A line skirts and dresses, slightly flared trousers or tops with quirky patterns and sophisticated cuts are ideal for creating a more balanced look between your slender upper body and your wider lower body. You can create a great look that accentuates your chic sides and can make your lower body appear slimmer.

Do guys like pear body shape? ›

Psychologist Dr Aric Sigman says the vast majority of men do not find female body-fat, or the "pear-shape", unattractive.

What celebrities have a pear body shape? ›

Some examples of real-life pear body shapes can be taken from Celebrities such as Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, and Rihanna. Just remember, even if you have a pear-shaped body, that does not mean your body needs to look a certain way.

What is the best fabric for a pear shaped body? ›

Pear Body Type

You can choose to wear medium-weight fabrics such as viscose or matte jersey for tops as they will draw attention to the upper part of your body. To make your lower body look slimmer and elongated, you can opt for polyester blends or dark cotton skirts or trousers.

Do maxi dresses suit pear shapes? ›

Historically, this has meant shopping a variety of different maxi options, including tube dresses, due to their construction and often the way their waists fall on your body. But there are plenty of other options out there as well that aren't just flattering to a pear shape, but that look fantastic on us.

How do you slim down a pear shaped body? ›

Regular cardio and toning exercises are key to managing a pear shape. Cardio will help you burn fat all over. You can also add regular resistance training—the kind where you're moving your body against the resistance of your own body weight, gravity, bands or weights. That will help you firm up your muscles.

Should pear shape wear shorts? ›

Avoid shorts with a lot of fabric: Look for styles that don't have too much fabric or a flowy, loose silhouette—they'll overwhelm your petite and pear shaped frame. Stick with darker colored shorts: Dark-colored bottoms will draw the eye upwards. Pair them with a bright top, which will work to balance your pear shape.

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