Step One: Silhouette
When searching for the ideal prom dress, the first step is deciding what style dress is most flattering to your body type. You will need to discover what silhouette is best for your size and shape and what type cut will flatter your body. How exactly do you figure this out? Simple, keep reading! See if you are tall & thin, pear shaped, petite, hourglass, full-figured, athletic, apple shaped, broad shouldered, large or small busted. SellMyPromDress’s Shape Guide will help you discover your shape and what to wear to complement it.
Tall & Thin Petite Hourglass Figure
Full-Figured Pear Shaped Apple Shaped
Athletic Broad Shouldered Big Busted
Small Busted
Tall & Thin
If you are 5’6” or taller, slender throughout your whole body with no visible curves or an average size bust and your hips are about the same width as you shoulders, you would be described as a tall and thin body type. The perfect dress selections for the tall and thin body type are empire, A-line, sheath and ball gown styles.
Recommendations: Choose and empire waist dress style to make the bust appear more ample. To attain a very feminine hourglass look, add interesting features such as ribbon, darts, shirring or a belt at the waist. An A-line or ball gown are fantastic styles to fill out a slender form. If you would like to define your shape more clearly, wearing a patterned or very detailed type dress will sharpen your shape.
For tall and thin body builds, a sheath dress is a very elegant and graceful type dress to call attention to your slender silhouette and subtle curves. For those with long legs that deserve to be shown off, a dress with an open leg slit is a great selection. Tall, thin ladies look very well in cutout backs and plunging or open necklines.
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Petite
You are considered petite if you are 5’3” or shorter with a trim, small body frame. You have an average or smaller sized bust; subtle would be the word used to describe your curves. For a petite body type the best choices for a dress are A-line, empire and Sheath.
Recommendations: Expose your legs to make your body appear longer. Look taller instantly by putting on a short skirted dress. Try various hemline styles such as ruffles, handkerchief, asymmetrical or hi/low. A column style sheath dress is perfect for creating the illusion of a longer body.
For petite ladies with a short waist, A-line or empire style dresses detract attention from the waist and make the body appear longer. Experiment with various necklines such as halter, sweetheart or V-shapes to find the style most flattering to you.
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Hour Glass Figure
If you have an hour glass figure you may be tall or short but will certainly have a curvaceous figure with an average to large bust, small waist in proportion to your hips and shoulders. You most likely have a round bottom with curvaceous hips. An hour glass figure looks very nice in a ball gown, sheath or A-line style dress.
Recommendations: To really show off your curvaceous form wear a form fit sheath dress. Whether very simply designed or very decorative a sheath dress definitely will highlight your body. If your hips are a little larger than you like, wearing a ball gown or A-line style will “hide the wide” and pull attention upwards away from the problem area. To further draw attention away from the hip area wear a full skirted, strapless ball gown with a tight waist and a decorated neckline.
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Full – Figured
A full figured lady can be short or tall. She will be large framed and her body will be heavy overall, large busted and noticeably curvy. The optimum dress selections for this body build are A-line, ball gown and empire.
Recommendations: Try for a style that is slimming and does not grip on every curve. A great style for you would be an A-line that is slimming to the waist and flows smoothly across the loser body. A narrow waist ball gown or a fitted two piece dress is very effective for hiding a full bottom.
An empire gown is another great selection for the fuller figured ladies. Empire gowns focus attention on the bust area and effectively flow over and cover the lower areas. The top should be a halter top, thick strapped, V, round or sweetheart neckline for the best full figured look.
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Pear Shaped
No matter what height you are, pear shaped bodies are disproportionately large bottomed in comparison to the upper body size. Your thighs, hips and bottom are wider than your shoulders and upper body area. The most flattering dress styles for the pear shaped body are empire, A-line and ball gown.
Recommendations: Strive to accent your upper body and draw attention from the problem hip area. Choose a dress that flows over the lower body with a flattering tight bodice. The best type bodice for the pear figure is strapless. Other flattering type bodices are strapless bustier or halter top with rounded neckline on either empire, A-line or ball gown styled dresses.
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Apple Shape
Apple shape body types may be tall or short. This body style is defined by the mid-section of the body being heavier or wider than the remainder of the body. This results in a thick waist or tummy heavy appearance. A-line and empire style dresses are the most flattering style for the apple shaped body.
Recommendations: The optimal dress style for the apple shape is the empire design. Empire designed dresses have high waist lines (the waist is directly below the bust line) to focus attention on the bodice area and away from width of the mid-section. Empire styles also add an illusion of length to your silhouette. A-line dresses are a good alternative to the empire design for apple shapes. For the most slimming effect possible, choose an A-line with a boned bodice.
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Athletic
The distinguishing characteristic of the athletic body type is that the body is basically straight without visible curves. You may be short or tall with toned legs, wide shoulder and a large frame. For the athletic type empire and ball gowns are the best selection.
Recommendations: To add definition and enhance the shapeliness of your silhouette wear an empire gown. To add to your feminine form wear a ball gown. A ball gown is sure to redefine your look with a form fit bodice and full skirt that highlight your waist.
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Broad Shouldered
Broad shouldered body types have shoulders that are wider than their hips and mid-section; they may be any height. The best dress selection for this body type are sheath, ball gown, A-line and empires styles.
Recommendations: For those with broad shoulders the best dress to wear is one that exposes your shoulders. You only make your shoulders appear larger if you attempt to cover them so choose a dress in a strapless or halter style with a narrow bodice for the finest look. These style bodices are very flattering and show your shoulders to their best advantage. They give the illusion of a slimmer midsection and a resultant Hour Glass silhouette.
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Big Busted
Big busted ladies come in all sizes; the defining characteristic of the big busted body type is that they are a C cup or larger bust. A-line or ball gown styles are perfect for the big busted body type.
Recommendations: Whether you select an A-line or ball gown, it should have a very supportive corset style bodice. A strap style bodice will be extra supportive and hold the bodice in place on either style dress. A great alternative to the corset style bodice is a halter style that may be easily be adjusted to provide the support you need. For those who prefer to keep their cleavage to themselves, a full cover V-neck is very flattering to the neckline and does not show much cleavage. Another good tip for refocusing attention from your bust is to choose a dress with a highly detailed hemline.
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Small Busted
If you are an A cup or smaller you are considered small busted. Small busted ladies may be tall or short; small busted is not height contingent. For small busted body types the best choices are empire, ball gown and A-line.
Recommendations: Although ball gowns or A-lines styles look good on a small busted figure, be aware that a strapless bodice must fit tightly or the dress may inadvertently slip down. A good way to enhance your bust line is to choose a dress with a highly detailed bodice. Details including ornate beadwork, embroidery, ruffles or gatherings project the illusion of a fuller bust. With an embellished bodice to highlight the bust, an empire dress is a fabulous choice for the smaller busted.
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Knowing your body type and what style of dress to select for your type markedly increases your chances of finding the perfect prom dress to make for a most memorable occasion.
