The apple shaped women typically have generous curves in the upper body, so it is quite common that you have big arms. To flatter your body type, it is important to wear clothes that highlight your curves without making your arms and waist look bigger than they already are. Let’s first understand your unique body features, and then take a deep dive on everything you need to know on how to look your best.
Appearance
The apple body type has:
- Well-balanced hips and shoulders
- No defined waistline
- Full bust
- Great shoulders
- More weight around the midsection
- Slender legs
These are the typical apple body features but they could also be accompanied by big arms. The goal is to wear styles that help to create the illusion of a more slender waistline while also hiding any tummy bulges.
Of course, drawing attention to your full bust is a huge plus as it accentuates your feminine curves. Alongside this, you need to wear styles that draw attention away from your big arms or visually make them look smaller.
Off-the-shoulder tops
You’re an apple-shaped woman with big arms, and would like to minimize this as much as possible. Here’s a great place to start: off-the-shoulder tops. The secret here is that this style of top draws more attention to your chest area and away from your midsection.
However, it also draws attention away from your big arms, so that’s a huge win. Off-the-shoulder tops cover your upper arms but still show just enough skin to be flattering to your overall silhouette.
One of your best assets is your slender neck and it’s okay to reveal as much of this as possible. So, if you’re comfortably showing off a little skin which draws focus away from your big arms, then you should definitely shop for more stylish off-the-shoulder tops.
Wide leg pants
Another way to counter your big arms and reduce attention on them is to add more volume to your lower body. Do this stylishly with wide leg pants that do a great job of balancing the heavier upper half of your body.
All you need is a pair of nicely-fitted wide leg pants. This style of pants helps to accentuate the amazing shape of your legs and further make them visually longer. With more attention on your lower half, especially your shapely legs, you can enjoy a more elongated look where there’s little to no focus on your big arms.
Remember that nicely-fitted wide leg pants means that these are not too tight or too loose around your hips. Since your hips are narrow, they will help to give more balance to this are and your less prominent bottoms.
Of course, you should completely avoid baggy or overly structured fabric. Flowy styles will fit your body type more.
Pleated pants
Another way to draw focus away from your big arms as a woman with an apple body shape is to wear pleated pants. The good news is that these are trendy and edgy enough to turn heads everywhere you go.
So, choose this smart casual style to achieve a sophisticated look for diverse occasions. These pleats are usually subtle around the waistline and there’s a specific reason why they have to be around this position on the body.
Since most apple body types come with extra weight around the midsection, you can use pleated pants to stylishly conceal this. Automatically, this helps to visually create the illusion of longer legs and a flatter tummy.
Pair this with classic button-down shirt for maximum results. However, while pleats are great on pants, they don’t have the same effect when they are placed around the arms. This will instead add more volume to that area, making your arms look bigger.
Tops with bell sleeves
Another way to conceal big arms on your apple body shape is to wear tops with wide sleeves that conceal their exact size. The goal here is to hide the exact size of your arms without sacrificing your overall sense of style.
When wearing tops with wide sleeves, the secret to getting the best results is to pay attention to where the cuff ends. This shouldn’t be around the widest part of your upper arm as it will emphasize this area.
A three-quarter length is just fine, and the loose cut flatters your arms. However, be sure to avoid wide sleeves with flounces or puffy styles that end around the widest part of your upper arm as well.
Wearing tops with wide sleeves gives your big arms just enough room to exist without drawing attention to its exact size.
Dresses with trumpet sleeves
Another style of sleeves that’s flattering for the apple shape with big arms are trumpet sleeves. Typically, trumpet sleeves start out a little fitted before moving into a wide flare towards the wrist.
The goal of trumpet sleeves is to play around the slimmer areas of your arm and conceal the bigger areas. This works like magic to flatter your bigger arms and draw attention to other parts of your body.
Wearing this on a wrap dress that’s flattering for the apple body type is a huge win. This will help to conceal any tummy bulges that will make your overall figure look awkward while also reducing volume on your upper body.
With this, you can create a curvier and feminine outlook that makes you stand out beautifully.
Peplum tops with lace fabrics
A peplum top is one of the best styles for the apple body type because it has a flattering flounce that’s the highlight of this outfit. The flounce at the bottom of the top is perfect for hiding tummy bulges as it is long enough to conceal your midsection.
However, while covering this area, it also has a flattering effect on your overall upper body, especially when it comes to reducing volume around this area. To get the perfect fit, try different lengths and feel free to incorporate your personal style.
While peplum tops are great for the apple body type, you can take it up a notch if you have big arms. Lace fabrics are a great choice here. You can opt for lace or sheer fabric for your peplum tops, while ensuring that the long sleeves are not too tight.
Also, the sleeves don’t have to cover your entire arm but the lightweight fabric has to fall loosely around your big arms to make them look more feminine.
High-waist jeans
Balancing your lower body has a ripple effect on the volume of your upper body, especially if you have big arms. Therefore, it’s a great idea to wear high-waist jeans that help to reduce extra bulk around your midsection.
With volume reduced around this area, this gives a better outlook of your upper body. High-waist jeans can also help to project a curvier silhouette, especially since the apple body type doesn’t have a well-defined waistline.
Rather than high-waist jeans, you can also opt for tailored high-waist pants with their sleek and sophisticated fit. These are great for semi-formal occasions as they have a snug fit around your lower body with a more stylish outlook from the flowy fabric.
However, rather than opting for a front zipper, it’s best to go for a side enclosure with a concealed zip line.
Coats with minimal collar details
As much as you don’t want to drown your shoulders and bust in collar details, this also has a great effect on how your big arms look. With excessive collar details on your coats, there’s more volume around this area that emphasizes the exact size of your arms and could make them look less-flattering.
For the apple body shape, your shoulders and bust are a huge asset. You should be able to accentuate them without drawing attention to minor flaws. Therefore, if you must wear a coat, especially during colder days or to spice up your outfit, it’s best to go for minimal and neatly structured collar designs.
Doing this will create a balanced visual effect around your upper body, especially around your shoulders and bust. This will also accentuate your shoulders without adding more volume to your arms.
This is the opposite of the effect of heavily embellished collars as those will give a top-heavy appearance.
Empire line coats
This is definitely a stylish coat that deserves a spot on this list. As an apple shape woman with big arms, empire waistcoats can be your best friend, especially if you’re looking for a flattering fit that skims your midsection.
Use this to showcase your bust area without adding more volume to your big arms. The length of your empire waist coat matters as you wouldn’t want to abruptly cut off your silhouette.
Go for lengths that are past your hips as these help to project the illusion of longer legs. Apart from this, this length will hide tummy bulges that could throw your silhouette off-balance. Remember that the fit matters.
Go for a size that sits firmly on your body without being too big as this could make you look pregnant.
