The inverted triangle shaped women have beautiful wide shoulders, a feature known for many super models. Meanwhile, because your hips are narrower compared with your top half, you may also come across as “top heavy“. In this detailed guide, we’ll help you fully understand your body features and why certain styles work the best for your shape while some styles are best to be avoided.
Characteristics
As an inverted triangle body shape, you’ve got:
- Very prominent broad shoulders. This is probably one of the first things people notice about your figure because of how distinctive it is.
- A toned, athletic figure. Think of volleyball players or swimmers, you’ve got very toned muscles similar to their frames!
- Lean arms and legs. You usually don’t gain too much weight in your limbs so you maintain slender arms and legs despite gaining weight.
- A top-heavy figure. Whenever you gain extra weight, you carry it in your upper half, specifically from your waist and above.
- Probably a flat and less plump rear, too. Your buttocks lack volume and structure so they tend to look less pronounced in comparison to curvier body shapes like apple and hourglass figures.
- Very little to almost no waist definition. Your waist and hips are quite symmetrical in terms of width so the curved line that connects them isn’t too noticeable.
- Relatively narrow hips. Your hips are naturally narrow, but this gets further emphasized because of the fact that you’ve got very broad shoulders that often overwhelm the entirety of your figure.
DO’s
V-Neck Shirts
You better load up on the classic V-neck shirts for your inverted triangle wardrobe because this basic piece can effectively work around the natural imbalance in your figure. The adjoining diagonal lines that form a V shape perfectly frame your decolletage and therefore showcase your modelesque upper half.
The way V-necklines dip in the center also helps downplay the broadness of your shoulders. This will help you achieve a slimmer upper half that looks more proportionate with your less prominent lower body.
Tops with Thick Straps
If you’re looking for the perfect summer top but don’t want to go for the unflattering effect of spaghetti straps or off-the-shoulder tops, you can still rock a sleeveless outfit by going for those with thicker straps. You can enjoy the comfy and breezy fit of a sleeveless top while still subtly neutralizing the appearance of your overpowering broad shoulders with the help of thick straps.
Thicker straps provide proper support to your bust and your potentially heavier upper half without giving too much coverage. At the same time, they also break up the strong, sharp-edged horizontal line that makes your shoulders look too overpowering.
Just remember to choose thick straps that don’t have bulky details such as shoulder ribbon ties or ruffles as this may only add unnecessary volume to your already heavy upper half. Try to look for those that are more simple and minimal.
Peplum Blouses
Dainty and feminine – peplum blouses are the epitome of grace and their silhouette also features curves that can really help you bring more shape to your angular inverted triangle frame. It has a well-tailored bodice and a waistline seam that can effectively cinch the waist, while the flared overskirt is a preppy detail that adds an oomph of volume to your narrow hips.
These distinct details can masterfully sculpt your curves, allowing you to achieve the highly-coveted hourglass curves. To help downplay the broad appearance of your shoulders, you may also consider going for neutral dark colors to efficiently slim your upper half down to a scale that’s in proportion with your smaller lower half.
Fit and Flare Dresses
A Fit and flare dress is an absolute wardrobe must-have for inverted triangle body shapes because of how it can effortlessly flatter your figure by gracefully embracing your upper body and gently flaring out from the waist to add lower body dimension
This dress silhouette perfectly nips in the waist to bring your midsection its much-needed curved indentation. From the cinched waist, it also introduces a graceful flow of fabric that flares out to the hem helps balance out your uneven top and bottom proportions.
Belted Dresses
For inverted triangle body shapes who struggle with the lack of waist definition, belts can be a very useful clothing detail to give your waist a nice, snug cinch. Your waist is the narrowest point of your upper body and by wearing a well-fitted belted dress, you can give your frame a more pleasing balance that’s symmetrically proportionate from top to bottom.
When choosing a belted dress, make sure that you go for the right thickness and as much as possible, avoid belts that are too thick because they may end up taking too much space in your upper half. Additionally, it’s ideal to prefer belts that don’t have notches so that you are in full control of the level of the dress’ fit.
Flowy Pleated Skirts
Flowy skirts are always a perfect wardrobe piece, especially for the summer! For inverted triangle shapes, wearing flowy pleated skirts is not just stylish and comfy, but can also be visually beneficial as well in terms of bringing more depth to your lower body.
Pleats introduce volume to the skirt with its fabric folds that create more space in the hip area, as well as snugly cinch your waistline. This also effortlessly makes your lower body look more symmetrical to your stronger upper half features.
Cargo Pants
If you’re up for a look that’s more laid-back and street-style, then it’s about time you add more cargo pants to your inverted triangle wardrobe! The cargo detailing, which is in the form of utilitarian flap pockets, can give your narrow hips and thighs the right amount of volume they need to create a well-balanced overall look.
When choosing a pair of cargo pants to go with your top-heavy figure, try to look for ones that come in lighter colors. This way, you’ll be able to visually expand the appearance of your lower body.
DON’Ts
Shoulder Pads
Shoulder pads are a definite “don’t” for women with an inverted triangle body shape because of the fact that they add more bulk to your upper body. They may exude a vintage charm, but this may only overemphasize the very area you’d want to downplay.
Remember, your shoulders are already prominent and they are gorgeous on their own! There’s absolutely no need to overdo styling them because they already attract enough attention to begin with.
Off-the-Shoulder Neckline
I must say that the shoulders of inverted triangle body shapes are definitely alluring on their own and you don’t really have to hide them all the time! However, if you expose too much of it, such as wearing clothes with off-the-shoulder necklines, you might undermine the appearance of your smaller lower body.
Off-the-shoulder clothing can disrupt your overall proportions by highlighting your top-heavy figure even more, plus the horizontal line that this neckline draws may widen out your shoulders even more. If you really want to show off your athletic shoulders and toned arms, you can go for one-shoulder necklines instead.
Tops with Extreme Ruffles
Extreme ruffles may be a fashion statement, but for inverted triangle body shapes, they are waving a massive fashion red flag as these oversized embellishments add unwanted volume to your upper body, making the shoulders appear even broader. This will make your overall frame look severely imbalanced and it will also affect how you showcase some of your best features, such as your lean legs.
Extreme ruffles can disrupt your balance by attracting too much attention, not leaving anything for the rest of your body. If you love the sweet touch of ruffles in your clothing, have them strategically placed where you lack volume, such as your narrow hips or lower leg.
Puff Sleeves
Well, it’s hard to deny that puff sleeves are very charming and they are actually quite trendy in recent years. However, for someone who already has very broad and prominent shoulders, the last thing you’d want is to add more bulk in your upper half.
The voluminous nature of puff sleeves can give your upper half a highly unnecessary amount of bulk that can make your upper half even more overwhelming. As a result, you are creating a stark imbalance between your wider upper half and relatively narrower lower body.
Double-Breasted Coats
When it comes to fashion choices for women with inverted triangle body shapes, it’s advisable to avoid double-breasted coats since their silhouette and structure are not really too friendly with your top-heavy figure. The overlapping front and extra buttons of these coats will definitely add bulk to your upper body, which will obviously accentuate the broadness of your shoulders.
They also tend to look quite boxy and shapeless, which is something that you have to avoid especially because you’re already struggling with the lack of curves in your figure.
Bodycon Dresses
Bodycon dresses may not be the most ideal choice for your inverted triangle body shape because of how these snug-fitting dresses emphasize your already top-heavy appearance. As it clings to every curve and corner of your figure, the immense size difference between your top and bottom will look even more obvious.
They will most likely exaggerate the angular and overwhelming aspects of your body, which will significantly undermine the balanced and curvaceous look you might be aiming for.
Tapered Jeans
Tapered jeans may trigger a styling issue for women with inverted triangle body shapes as these jeans are tight and they also significantly narrow down towards your ankles. This tapering will only enhance the fact that you have a relatively less prominent lower body compared to the strong features of your upper half, causing you to look more imbalanced.
Because of how close they cling to your hips, thighs, and legs, you will most likely direct all the gaze to the larger part of your body, which is your shoulders and bust. This will make the drastic size difference between your top half and bottom half even more noticeable.
Oversized Baggy Clothing
Sometimes, with the hopes of adding more volume to your less pronounced lower body, some inverted triangle beauties resort to wearing oversized baggy clothing. Well, they may feel comfortable but their overly bulky design – whether it’s a top, bottom, or a dress – won’t sit very well on your athletic frame.
Wearing baggy clothing can further emphasize your top-heavy figure and this will also make you miss the opportunity of bringing definition to your waist. As a result, you may struggle with a shapeless and boxy figure even more!
Cropped Jackets
They are totally trendy – there’s no doubt about that! However, for someone who has a waist and hips that are almost similar in terms of width, this may only highlight your lack of lower body prominence.
Cropped jackets hang around your waist or maybe even slightly above it, and this particular cut can only put your upper half in the center of attention. While your prominent upper half deserves attention as well, a cropped jacket may overemphasize its largeness and completely overwhelm your narrow lower body.
This can even get worse if you go for cropped jackets that are bulky by nature, such as puffer jackets! So always be mindful about the length and the structure of your chosen jacket style.
