When you think you’re looking great it can make you feel fantastic, be more confidant at work, and make your life that bit more interesting. Making sure that you style yourself well is a more important than ever confidence booster. Styling yourself involves two main things; firstly thinking about the season and items that are hot and on trend, and secondly making sure you choose items of clothing that show off your body shape.

The apple shape is a figure that many women have and it is nothing to be ashamed of. You’re considered to be apple shaped if you carry most of your weight around your middle. To help you look good and keep in style here are a few tips on how to style an apple shaped figure.

Nip in the waist

One of the main troubles with an apple shape is the lack of a defined waistline. Apple shapes can look quite bulky and stocky, with all the weight around the stomach creating quite a square body shape. To create a nipped in waistline apple shapes should look for clothes with belts or wide waistbands. A wrap around dress is a great choice, as the ties of the dress will pull you in at the waist. A belted jacket is another good option for apple shapes, as is a full skirt with a thick belt or waistband.

Avoid bulky clothes

It can be tempting to try and balance out the size of your waist by emphasising your shoulders; however, this can make you look even more bulky. Shoulder pads and embellished shoulder detailing can just add weight to your top half making apple shapes look even more square and boxy. Similarly, avoid lots of detailing around the middle of your body. Pockets and trims around the stomach and chest will add bulk, as will thick fabrics such as fur or chord.

Jackets

Tailored jackets are a great for apple shapes. The tailoring ensures that you’re pulled in at the waist, whilst the V-neck front of the jacket is flattering for apple shapes with larger busts. Avoid jackets with pockets or any extra detailing on the front. Also avoid jackets with shoulder pads or jackets with epilates, as these will add bulk.

Stripes

Wearing stripes can be exceedingly slimming; however, it’s really easy to accidentally draw attention to your worst areas. Horizontal stripes are a bad idea for apple shapes as it can make your widest points look wider. Vertical stripes can work well, so combine a beautiful blue striped top with a jacket for an on trend outfit perfect for your body shape.

Frills

Frills are another one to watch out for as they can draw attention to your worst areas. Steer clear of frills on the front of a top, as they can accentuate your waist and make you look larger. Frills at the bottom of a skirt or dress; however, can help to balance out your waist and the bulkiest parts of your body.