The apple-shaped women have generous curves and slender legs, but are typically frustrated with extra weight in the midsection. It is critical for the apple to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your body shape, and find the right styles to create a more balanced silhouette. This comprehensive guide will first take a deep dive to help you understand your body features, and then walk you through the most clothing styles for your shape.
Characteristics
- Broader shoulders that are often the same width as your hips
- Fullness around your midsection and waistline, making it the widest part of this body type
- The Bust area is a sizeable asset
- Nicely shaped and mostly slim legs
- Waistline is not clearly defined
- Weight gain is noticed first around the midsection
Celebrity examples
Below are examples of celebrities with apple body shapes.
- Angelina Jolie
- Rosie O’Donnell
- Elizabeth Hurley
- Tyra Banks
- Catherine Zeta-Jones
Below are the best clothes for apple shapes.
Below are the best outfits for apple shapes.
Tops
Ruched tops
Need to minimize attention on your midsection and make your tummy bulge appear smaller? Ruched tops can help you achieve this and more. It’s no surprise that this is one of the most recommended styles of tops for the apple body shape. The ruching around the midsection area is largely responsible for this positive effect on your body frame.
Ruching is designed to disguise bulky bellies, which gives your clothes a more flattering fit and makes it more difficult to notice any irregularity in your figure. So, if you easily want to highlight your feminine silhouette and give your body frame a more balanced appearance, you should definitely wear simple yet stylish ruched tops.
Bold printed tops
Another amazing top for your Apple figure is one with a bold print. The major advantage of bold prints on your tops is that it gives your overall body frame more structure which adds to your feminine outlook. It’s important to choose tops with bigger prints rather than smaller ones so that you don’t have an uneven look.
Smaller prints on your top will be a contrast to your apple shape as it gives your upper body more bulk. Therefore, you’ll look bigger than you are, thereby throwing your body off-balance.
Wrap tops
It’s so difficult not to fall in love with wrap tops which are largely considered one of the most versatile styles out there. The beauty is that wrap tops work for almost every body type, especially the apple shape. It is uniquely designed to deliver a flattering fit for your figure and its features are subtle yet elegant.
To make this look even more amazing on you, be sure to wear wrap tops that are tied at the side not the front. This ensures that there is no extra bulk around your tummy area, so your silhouette stays beautiful as the wrap style flows seamlessly across your upper body to accentuate your figure.
Jeans
Jeans with Back Pockets
Add more volume to your butt by wearing jeans with back pockets. This works great for apple-shaped women that don’t mind a heavier backside. However, the position of the pocket matters a lot as if not done right, it can make your butt look smaller and flatter instead.
Look out for jeans with pockets that have buttons or flaps. These tend to add more shape and volume to your backside. Your pockets should also be positioned lower and wide apart as these will give your butt a curvier and wider outlook. However, high pockets on high-rise jeans will be less flattering for your apple figure as they tend to make the butt look flat and long.
Straight-leg Jeans
Create a long and unbroken line on your figure with straight-leg jeans and you’ll witness firsthand the magic it does to your overall body frame. This style of jeans has a straight cut which forms a sleek uniform width from your thigh to your ankle. It’s one of the most seamless ways to create a more balanced silhouette as the vertical line is unbroken.
For the apple shape, wearing straight-leg jeans will also help to elongate your legs so you can give the illusion of being taller. Overall, the effects of straight-leg jeans on your apple-shaped body including balancing your body proportions and visually elongating your legs.
Flared Leg Jeans
Another way to create the illusion of having longer legs and have a more flattering apple shape silhouette is with flared leg jeans. You don’t have to go the extra mile to achieve a sophisticated look when you can simply shop for this style of jeans that will help you rock a slimmer silhouette perfectly.
Flared leg jeans are known for giving you more waist definition, so your apple shape looks even better and more elegant when paired with the right top, including v-neck tops and ruched tops.
Pants
Pleated pants
Contrary to what many people think, pleated pants work like magic on the apple body shape. It offers both comfort and elegance, as the pleats at the front of your pants are perfect for disguising tummy bulges that typically come with an apple shape. The pleats don’t have to be excessive as the most important thing is the placement.
Pleated pants can be both formal and informal wear, as they help to reduce attention on any imbalance on the apple figure. The extra details they add to pants also gives a visually elongated look on your legs with a more feminine silhouette.
High-waist pants
High-waist pants rank at the top for comfort on most women and that’s one reason why they work amazingly well for the apple shape. This style of pants is effective at minimizing attention on your midsection area without compromising your comfort. Since they typically sit above your natural waistline, this is perfect for hiding tummy bulges.
So, it’s a good decision for apple-shaped women to have a few of this in their wardrobe. Another amazing benefit of high-waist pants is that they also have a slimming effect on your hips and legs. They flow seamlessly with your body shape and help to create more balance on your frame.
Dark colored pants
Apart from the natural slimming effect of dark colored pants, this is perfect for apple-shaped women that would love to benefit from the unique detailing on this style of pants. Whether high-waist style or pleated, dark colored pants are a must-have as they are excellent at flattering your apple body figure.
This works by concealing tummy bulges and slimming down any volume around your midsection area. So, if you’re a little on the big side, you can visually slim down your silhouette with a perfect pair of dark colored pants.
Dresses
Empire waist dress
Typically, an empire waist dress has a waistband that is positioned right under the bust area which is the narrowest point on your apple shape. So, this works by drawing attention to this narrow part of your frame so that you have a more defined waistline alongside a curvier silhouette.
These type of dresses tend to draw the eyes upward and this minimizes attention on your middle. Apart from this, they are great at visually elongating your legs, which gives you a flattering outlook that makes your apple shape stand out beautifully.
Shift dress
For women who love minimalist dress styles, shift dresses come in handy. This is a simple and fun style that works perfectly for the apple shape. Shift dresses are known for seam lines that run from the shoulders to the hemline, and this is what creates a unique figure on your body.
However, apart from the simple design which is a huge selling point of shift dresses, the flowy and soft fabric molds seamlessly and comfortably with your body type which is effective for creating a feminine silhouette that stands out.
A-line dress
A-line dresses create a balanced shape on women who have an apple-shaped body and that’s one of many reasons to rock this to various events. The A-line silhouette is largely responsible for this as the flare from your waist which takes the A shape has a flowy look that works for the apple shape.
While the fitted part highlights your upper body and draws attention to the flattering parts, the flared style complements this to create more waist definition while skimming over your tummy bulge.
Skirts
Asymmetrical hem skirt
This style of skirt has an uneven hemline but it doesn’t look as complicated as you may think. Asymmetrical hem skirts are great for visually creating a lengthening and slimming effect on the apple shape. This works perfectly because it aligns with the apple shape and conceals any area that is not so flattering for your body type.
Apart from this, asymmetrical hem skirts have only vertical lines that highlight the flattering aspects of your legs. With this, there are no horizontal lines on your body to create a widening effect on your body frame.
A-line skirts
Here’s another amazing skirt that flows seamlessly across your apple figure without clinging on your midsection or creating an irregular shape. Since this is not a tight-fitting skirt and the style naturally flares at the lower half of your body, this is perfect for creating a more defined waistline that gives the illusion of a curvy silhouette.
This is also a structured skirt and this structure helps to create a more feminine outlook that you’ll definitely appreciate. So, if you want to visually elongate your legs and give your upper body a more flattering feel, you should try out A-line skirts.
Mini skirts
Yes, this may seem like a bad idea at first glance but best believe that this is one of the best style of skirts for your lovely apple shape. A major feature of your body type is your nicely shaped legs and you shouldn’t be ashamed to show them off. So, feel free to stick closely to mini skirts as they are fantastic for your figure.
They will make your tummy bulge less noticeable and draw attention to your flattering legs instead. With this, you can confidently rock an amazing skirt style all summer and visually elongate your legs.
Sweaters
Draped Sweaters
The beautiful thing about draped sweaters is that they are designed to naturally reveal your subtle curves or even create them stylishly. That means that it will highlight the curviest part of your body which is usually in your top half. It’s best to wear open sweaters with this draped style as they have the most flattering effect. However, the length also matters. Therefore, for draped sweaters, keep the length below your hipline. This ensures that it flows naturally over your hips and torso, while elongating your body frame.
Loose-fitting Sweaters
A major tip for apple-shaped women is to avoid clingy sweaters as these will make you look top-heavy while highlighting the unflattering aspects of your torso. Instead of tight-fitting sweaters, opt for a looser fit that won’t make your midriff appear wider. This also includes avoiding sweaters with extra details like horizontal stripes that can also contribute to a top-heavy outlook.
Coats & Jackets
Peplum Coat
Even with an apple shape, nothing is completely set in stone and you can redefine how you want your figure to appear as long as you wear the right coat. This is possible with a peplum coat which can help you balance your upper and lower body, giving your body structure a more defined appearance.
Another huge advantage of a peplum coat for the apple shape is that it can create the illusion of a smaller waist and accentuate your slim legs which as mentioned earlier is one of your best assets. So, it fits around the upper part of your body where it covers your tummy bulge and create a vertical line downwards that flatters your shape.
Wrap coat
An even more fantastic coat for the apple shape is the wrap coat which is known for its unique effect on this body type. This coat isn’t just great for winter but also perfect for boosting your overall look to give your cloth more flair. One unique thing about the wrap coat is that every part of the coat has its effect on the body. The tie helps to conceal your tummy bulge but this only works when this is tied to the side so that it won’t add any extra volume to your midsection area.
Single-breasted Coat
As opposed to the double-breasted coat that adds bulk to a person’s frame, the single-breasted coat is perfect for minimizing the volume in your upper body so you can have a more feminine silhouette. This means that it leaves out unnecessary details and horizontal lines that can alter your natural body shape and disrupt your figure. With this, there’s less attention on your insecurities as the single-breasted coat highlights the more flattering parts of your body.
Shoes
Wedge shoes
If you’re an apple-shaped woman that would benefit a lot from extra inches to your height, you should definitely consider wearing wedge shoes. This style of shoe has an elevated heel that will make you appear taller as they elongate your legs. However, you have to give this shoe extra points for comfort as they provide a lot more support and stability than stilettos.
So, if you don’t feel that confident moving around in stilettos, you can easily replace them with wedge shoes that inspire more confidence as you go about your daily activities. Even better, they are incredibly versatile which means that they work with the flowy dress for formal gatherings and a pair of jeans for more casual occasions.
Over-the-knee boots
Make your outfit look more sophisticated and elegant with over-the-knee boots that flatter your apple shape. Sure, this might seem a little too extravagant for a lot of people but this style of shoes complements almost any outfit. You can wear this with your shift dress or a pair of jeans and you would look absolutely amazing. The advantage here is that it creates the illusion of being taller since it draws attention more to your shapely legs, especially the slimmer part. This is great for short women with apple shape. To make this work even better, you should get this in black which has its natural slimming effect as well and this won’t be picky with outfits.
Pointy toe shoes
Stilettos also work great for apple-shaped women. However, the style to look out for is pointy toe shoes, including pumps and stilettos, which help to create the illusion of being slimmer and taller. This helps to balance your overall body proportions since it aligns your upper and lower body to create a chic outlook. Making your legs appear longer draws attention downwards and this is possible with the right pair of pointy toe shoes.
This ultimate guide for apple-shaped women offers you the right start for an unforgettably positive shopping experience. Now, you know what to look out for and the best choices for your next wardrobe update.
