Some would argue that there is no typical black woman’s shape and arguably, this is true; after all – every woman is an individual.  However, I would be very surprised if there were not several of you black women out there who have far too often been annoyed by the jeans that fit beautifully at the hips but could fit another woman in around the waist line! Or found that the dress/skirt that appears shin-height at the front has miraculously become knee-length at the back! Very many of us have had to experience these frustrating moments when purchasing our clothes and on many occasions, we simply make do with a poor-fit rather than paying extortionate rates for a tailored design.

The main challenge for pear shaped figures is to attempt to create a balance between the upper and lower body. With pear shapes, because of the fact that most of the weight lies in the lower half of the body, unless you get the right fitting clothes and balance out your body, you can end up looking out of proportion and highlighting errors which you may not want to emphasise.

But now, you’re getting married – and if any occasion warranted pushing the boat out a little, this certainly does! I’m no Trinny or Susannah, but with my humble knowledge of the human physique, I would say many black women tend to have what is more commonly known in the world of “Body-Shape Science” (if there is such a thing) as the pear shape.

So, in wedding dress terms, what exactly does this mean in terms of choosing the most flattering design?

Well, pear shaped women tend to have hips that are slightly wider than their shoulders.  Often in the woman of Afro-Caribbean origin, it is a little more than slightly! The majority of their weight tends to lie in the lower half of the body, on the hips, thighs, calves and buttocks. It is common for them to have a well defined waist, a small to medium bust size, narrow shoulders and a slender neck and face.  Other signs of the pear shape are that the legs and lower body are longer than upper body.

The main challenge for pear shaped figures is to attempt to create a balance between the upper and lower body. With pear shapes, because of the fact that most of the weight lies in the lower half of the body, unless you get the right fitting clothes and balance out your body, you can end up looking out of proportion and highlighting errors which you may not want to emphasise.

TOP TIPS
1.  Detail:  A great tip is to try and choose a design with attention-grabbing detail in the top half of the dress.  So go for the diamantes, the heavy brocaded lace, the ruffled silk, rhinestones, beading and the like.  All of this will attract the eyes to the neckline and bust, taking the emphasis away from the hips and thighs.

2. The Cut – top-half: Fitted tops can help to emphasise your waist, while wide straps fool the eye into seeing wider shoulders which brings your body more into proportion. Wider and lower necklines are also perfect for the pear-shaped figure as they emphasise the bust-line and draw attention to the top half of your body

3. The Cut – bottom-half: As we are trying to draw attention away from the hips and thighs, it would be sensible to avoid figure hugging or bias cut dresses as these will definitely emphasise the wrong areas of your figure. Instead, try going for a-line designs that just skim the hips, such as the princess style or classic ball gown where the hips can be disguised completely.

However, you may want to do the very opposite and celebrate your entire God-given assets – in which case…ignore everything I’ve just said! Happy hunting! Tasha