By nature, fashion is transient. From season to season, different styles, patterns, colour palettes and accessories become popular, and as quickly as they come they are soon gone and relegated to the back of our cupboards to await their comeback or to mature to ‘vintage’ status. But the thing about trends is that the style of the moment is unlikely to fit all body shapes. As women, our body types are as varied as our feelings. Which is why – regardless of what trend is popular – it’s important for women to shop for their body shape. Shopping and dressing for your body shape is about making the most of your best assets and hiding the bits you don’t love so much.

Clothes that fit you well and compliment your figure will never go out of fashion, so be a smart shopper and pick clothes based on your body shape. There are even websites that allow you to shop by body shape, with handpicked items for your shape. Which body shape are you? Use this guide to learn which styles and clothes suit you and shop accordingly. You’ll feel body beautiful in no time!

Voluptuous bottom – Round bottoms are sexy, just think Beyonce. Sometimes it is more flattering to actually show it off with tighter fitting clothing and other times you need clever tailoring and hiding techniques to balance out your curves. There are ways of dressing a a voluptuous bottom to make you feel more confident with your curves. Draw the eye up by wearing tops that feature eye catching details, add a statement necklace and wear solid, slimming colours on your bottom.

Buying jeans can be particularly difficult for those with a larger derriere. Jeans with a bootleg or flare at the bottom will flatter and visually lengthen the leg and make your bottom appear smaller. JAG has a range of jean styles and cuts to accommodate your curves in sizes and shapes to flatter every body.and bottom. Avoid heavily embellished back pockets and look for styles in dark denim washes. If you have a short waist, go for a trouser style jean with a flat front and a mid to low rise waist to elongate your look.

Big hips – Certain styles are perfect to balance out your hips or make them vanish completely! Flattering shapes are A-line skirts, long line tailored jackets and flared pants .These will draw attention away from imbalanced curves.Think ‘streamline’ and avoid big belts, elastic waists, clingy fabrics, side pockets, bunches and ruffles that will only add to the width of your hips. Charlie Brown has a stunning range of styles that feature beautifully cut pieces to flatter in all the right places. Whether you’re a Size 8 or an 18, create killer curves by balancing out your hips

A tummy – The key to dressing a tummy is to hide it! Most of us battle with some form of a muffin top and it’s easy to emphasise other areas of your body and not your mid section with clever dressing. Don’t wear skin-tight clothing that clings to your mid section. Rather, try floaty blouses and emphasise other areas of your body (such as your killer legs!) . Use jewellery to draw attention to your upper body and face, and avoid stretchy fabrics in pants that won’t “hold” your stomach. Look for dresses that feature contrast panel work over the stomach in a dark colour, or wrap dresses can also flatter those with a heavy mid-section.

No waist – Since the days of the corset, a narrow waist has helped women feel feminine. If you’re waist-less, fear not, as there are a number of clothing styles that will help create the illusion of a waist. High waisted skirts and belts that cinch you in at the waist will help create definition of a waist.. Paired with a structured jacket highlighting your shoulders, you’ll achieve the all-feminine hourglass figure.

Short legs – For the vertically challenged, high waisted pants and skirts will help create the illusion that your legs start higher than they do. Wear trouser hems to the ground to maximise leg extension, avoid cropped pants and use tone on tone colour to create length. Wearing a top that finishes just below your crutch fools the eyes into not knowing where the legs begin.Cropped jackets layered over tailored pants allow your legs to appear longer , then finish your outfit with a great set of heels to give you instant height.

Cankles – Cankles are a body hybrid that instils women with fear. The meeting of the calf and the ankle with no distinguishable separation can be mortifying, but there are ways to mask cankles. The most obvious solution is to wear boots. Knee-length boots will create a solid line from calf to toe and eliminate any trace of a cankle. Shorter skirts teamed with a nude coloured heel will visually lengthen the leg, or go for floor skimming pants to direct attention away from the area.

Long body – If you’ve got a long torso and limbs, chances are you’ll be slim and slightly angular. Clothes that flow and are even oversized will add curves and fullness to your figure. Look for dresses with some shape in them before you put them on, tailoring details like princess seams or piping, ruffles or pockets on the hips. Layering is also a great way to add volume and to create the illusion of curves. Metalicus specialises in stretchy “one size” fabrications that are perfect for layering.

Big arms – Affectionately referred to as tuckshop arms in Australia…. flatter big arms with flowing and full length sleeves. Look for tops with a V-neckline , avoid t-shirts and singlets,( they will just define how large your arms are), and instead go for 3/4 sleeves as these make your arms appear more elegant as the sleeve covers the top half but leaves the wrist exposed.If you are going for short sleeves, try cap sleeves instead of t-shirts as they don’t hug your arms. .

Petite – The most important dressing tip for petite figures is to buy clothes that are in proportion
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