Having a rectangle body means your body goes straight up and down, lacking natural waist definition. Therefore, it is important to find the right clothes that can complement your shape and create a more balanced silhouette. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the most flattering casual clothes for your body shape.
TOPS
One-shoulder Tops
The rectangle body shape definitely channels its own charm and beauty with its athletic features. But if you would like to bring more shape and curves to this rather straight rectangle frame, one thing to do is by going for asymmetrical necklines such as the one-shoulder style.
One-shoulder tops can be a fun casual piece if you are looking into breaking up the harsh straight lines that usually cause your figure to look shapeless. The diagonal or curved line one-shoulder tops create, gives your upper half a sense of shape and dimension for a more balanced overall look.
Flowy Wrap Tops
Flowy fabrics are generally very ideal for rectangle body shapes because the way they drape creates a sense of movement that gives the illusion of curves. In addition to the visual benefits of flowy fabrics, having them in a wrap-top style can also help accentuate your curves.
Since your rectangle figure naturally lacks waist definition, the waist tie in wrap tops can give you your much-needed cinch to make the transition curves on your midsection more apparent. This will give your frame the similar upper and lower body ratio of hourglass shapes.
Tops with Flounce Fabric Details
Rectangle body shapes typically have shoulders that are similar in width to the hips, and may also have a flat or smaller bust line. Due to the absence of these curves on your upper half, you may find subtle flounces of fabric helpful in adding a sufficient amount of volume to your top.
But remember that your rectangle body shape is more or less even in terms of size from shoulders to hips, so if you go overboard with your flounce fabric details for your top, it may end up overwhelming your lower body. It’s preferable to stick to subtle ruffles that are strategically placed only on the areas that need a boost of volume.
Flutter Sleeves
As your rectangle figure leans towards the athletic and masculine side, you may want to incorporate a subtle feminine touch into your ensemble. You can absolutely do so without looking too overdone and dramatic with the help of flutter sleeves!
The drapey movement of the sleeves brings attention to your upper body, which is an effective way of distracting the eyes from focusing on your less flattering features such as your undefined waist. Flutter sleeves can also add just the right amount of volume to boost the lack of shape and broadness of your shoulders, resulting in a more balanced upper and lower body ratio.
SWEATERS
Cashmere V-Neck Sweater
For the colder seasons, your rectangle body shape would be so glad to cozy up with a cashmere V-Neck sweater. The first style benefit here is the cashmere fabric material because it’s not too chunky or bulky, but instead very lightweight and warm.
Cashmere also skims through your body more freely, not too loose nor too tight, so it’s very ideal for rectangle shapes who don’t want to enhance the straightness in their silhouette too much. In addition to this, V necklines open up enough space on your upper half to give way to your beautiful decolletage.
Large, Interesting Knitted Patterns
Here is another way to bring more visual interest and curves to your rectangle body shape – through large knit patterns! It’s not difficult to find sweaters that have large and interesting prints so I’m pretty sure you can easily find one that matches your personal preference.
Having eye-catching large and interesting patterns on your sweater will effectively draw attention away from your undefined waist and hips. These patterns will cause a visual distraction that will make your figure look more dimensional and prominent.
Drapey Cardigan Sweater
If you are on the hunt for something just to cut the chilly breeze, drapey sweater cardigans aren’t just your quick cozy option but also a clothing piece that can work wonders in making your frame look more shapely.
The way this type of cardigan drapes creates a cascading or asymmetrical flow on both sides of the hem, which breaks the monotony of rectangle figures. So instead of having the eyes solely focused on your undefined midsection, the attention will be shifted to the draping hems of the cardigan sweater.
JEANS
Vintage Style Flare
Flare jeans can be a very good and classic casual wear choice for rectangle-shaped women due to their flared pant silhouette wherein you can visibly see the distinct curve that graces the jeans. Not only does this look very stylishly retro, but also visually flattering for rectangle body shapes.
The flare of the jeans where the seams widen out on the sides from the knee (or sometimes higher) to the hem, perfectly adds shape to your rectangle figure. When paired with the right top, you can instantly achieve a more curvaceous overall proportion from top to bottom.
Slim Fit
Along with your athletic rectangle figure come gorgeous slender legs that will surely look amazing in slim-fit jeans! Wearing slim-fit jeans is a perfect way to accentuate one of your rectangle figure’s best assets which are your slim and very toned legs.
Slim-fit jeans feature a structured silhouette that is not too clingy and not too loose, so they skim flawlessly through the natural shape of your legs. Slim-fit jeans can work with pretty much any casual ensemble you choose, but they can especially look good with tops with voluminous details for a more flattering upper and lower body proportion.
Flowy Wide Leg
Since your rectangle figure lacks natural curves and definition, you will find flowy wide-leg pants to be visually advantageous as they add a significant amount of volume to your lower body. Its wide-leg structure gives just the right amount of width that consistently runs from the waistband to the hem of the pants.
The flowy nature of the pants also brings more definition as it creates a sense of motion with your every move, and this creates the optical illusion of added volume and shape. Try matching your flowy wide-leg pants with one-shoulder tops or even plain V-neck shirts.
DRESSES
Deep V-Neck
One of your rectangle figure’s best features is your modelesque decolletage area, which can be fully showcased and enhanced by wearing dresses that have a deep V neckline. V-necks visually elongate your figure and having them in a deeper cut will create a focal point of your upper half to steer the eyes away from less flattering areas such as your undefined waist and hips.
As the V neckline dips right at the center of your figure, it also helps give your frame a symmetrical division that can neutralize the squareness of your figure. Try opting for deep V-neck dresses that come in fit and flare or A-Line silhouettes to further enhance the femininity of your frame.
Color-blocking
To effectively create the illusion of curves, especially on your waist area, strategically placing colors on certain areas of your figure can be very effective. Basically, go for darker colors for areas you’d like to downplay and lighter colors for areas you’d like to amplify.
For rectangle figures who look at waist definition, go for dresses that feature dark colors on the sides of your midsection to narrow your waist down and create the illusion of curves. This curved transition between your torso and hips can be even more enhanced if you go for a contrasting light shade, particularly on the bust and hip areas.
Flowy A-Line
Just like what I have previously mentioned about flowy fabrics, they can be very beneficial if you’re trying to visually create illusion and volume because of their dynamic nature. It’s the same with flowy A-Line dresses, but the effect becomes more apparent because of the dress’ A-Line silhouette.
The A-Line silhouette is one of the most flattering styles for rectangle body shapes because of how it cinches the waist and how the flare adds volume to the hips. This structure gives your straight-looking proportions a shape similar to the hourglass figure.
Puff Sleeve Dress
As your shoulders tend to be narrow and less prominent, your shoulder line may look droopy and undefined, especially because they share almost the same width as your midsection and hips. To break this visual monotony, you may try on puff sleeves dresses as they can help give your shoulders that much-needed enhancement.
What’s great about puff sleeves is that their scale is not too overwhelming so your figure gets that subtle volume boost without drowning out your best features. This effect also balances the frame in a way that can draw enough attention to detract from your less flattering features.
JACKETS
Leather Moto Style
Leather moto jackets are super edgy and lucky you, they can be extremely flattering on rectangle body shapes who lack natural frame definition! Leather moto jackets feature details that efficiently enhance your upper body such as zippers, pockets, and wide lapels.
These details may seem like a lot, but having them placed all over the jackets creates a healthy dose of distraction to camouflage your lack of waist definition and shapeless frame. The wide lapels also attract attention while visually broadening your upper half to make it look more in-depth and more prominent.
Structured Denim Jacket
Structured denim jackets feature defined seams and tailored cuts that can give your body more shape. The design elements of denim jackets can greatly vary so for rectangle body shapes, look for details such as pockets, darts, or side seams that can visually produce more depth and curves within your straight figure.
They are also very versatile so layering them over your favorite casual pieces is effortless! Just play around with your proportions in a way that you’re adding more shape and not bulk on your upper body.
Single Breasted
Single-breasted jackets or blazers are relatively simpler and more minimal compared to the first two I mentioned. But just like the prior jacket styles, single-breasted jackets can also help bring better definition to your figure, especially because the buttons that can be fastened at the center effectively cinch the waist.
This particular waist cinches that it does significantly indents the sides of your waist to achieve a curvier appearance. For your casual ensembles, you can simply layer it on your favorite V-neck or scoop neck shirt and slim fit jeans!
SHOES
Low heeled Mules
Mules or slip-in shoes are not just comfortable and easy to wear, but can also create a fashion statement for rectangle body shapes looking into incorporating more shape in their figure. Mules that come in low heels can give your frame that subtle volume boost without overwhelming the slender appearance of your legs.
If you opt for mules that feature a round toe, oval toe, or open toe, it will be much easier to create a sense of shape and curvature on your rectangle frame. This is because the roundness in these elements helps break up the harsh straight lines that contribute to the shapelessness of your figure.
Chunky Trainers
Here’s a really stylish shoe option that has also been making rounds in the fashion world in recent years – chunky trainers! These types of trainers typically have a chunky, rounded sole that effectively creates the optical illusion of curves and depth.
Since you have a very straight figure in which the size of your body from top to bottom is consistent in terms of width, incorporating a good amount of “chunk” or volume can be tremendously helpful.
Platform Sandals
Just like the volumizing effect of chunky trainers, platform sandals can also give your rectangle frame a better sense of depth and shape by adding volume to your lower body. Platform sandals usually come in thick, elevated soles that have a consistent height from front to back.
This additional volume adds to your visual weight to prevent looking too straight and monotonous in terms of frame proportions. Paired with a structured upper body ensemble, you can instantly achieve a more flattering upper and lower body ratio.