Rectangle body shapes are often referred to as a straight, athletic frame with very little presence of feminine curves. You visually have a boxy silhouette as your shoulders, waistline, and hips are pretty much symmetrical in terms of width.
All body shapes are beautiful, but not everything will look equally good on you! Here are the fashion pieces you should basically avoid if you’re a rectangle-shaped girl.
Wide-Fit Crop Tops
Crop tops have been the hottest trend, especially in the athleisure scene in recent years and there’s no doubt that they are quite stylish. However, there are certain crop top silhouettes that can only further emphasize your lack of curves and definition – wide-fit crop tops.
Wide-fit crop tops feature a loose and relaxed fit that typically has a boxy silhouette. Apart from its wider cut, it also tends to be shorter in length so they hang loosely and hit just right at the midriff area.
This can be an unflattering look for rectangle body shapes because wide-fit crop tops don’t have the ability to visually tweak your figure into having more pronounced curves. Instead, its wide, straight, and boxy structure will only add an unnecessary amount of volume to your upper body and completely drown your rectangle figure even more.
Double-Breasted Coats
The overlapping front panels of double-breasted coats, as well as its double horizontal rows of buttons, can instantly emphasize the blunt, straight lines that are naturally present in your rectangle body shape. They are also often bulkier in comparison to single-breasted coats that usually have a more streamlined look, which results in additional bulk to your torso.
Due to its structure, double-breasted coats also visually widen out your upper body because of the button placements so it makes your torso look relatively larger than your hips and legs. This makes you look top-heavy and imbalanced.
So instead of venturing into the world of double-breasted coats, just opt for single-breasted or wrap coats that offer a more flattering silhouette. Since they offer clean, minimal seams, as well as a subtle waist cinch, they can work around your straight figure and give you the illusion of curves.
Shift Dresses
A Shift dress is quite well-known for its neat lines, streamlined silhouette, and overall simplicity. While it’s a great choice for those who love minimalist wardrobe pieces, shift dresses are unfortunately not visually pleasing for rectangle-shaped beauties out there!
Shift dresses feature a structure where the fabric falls straight down from the shoulders to the hem without a distinguishable waist cinch. This boxy cut and lack of waist definition results in further enhancing your squarish lines and therefore completely eliminating the chance to bring out your curves.
As a rectangle-shaped woman, you may wish to highlight your feminine curves so instead of going for shift dresses, look for those that cinch the waist and gently add volume to your hips. A great example of a dress silhouette that offers such a visual effect is a fit-and-flare dress.
Tunic Tops
The length of tunic tops is one of the most problematic aspects of this particular style when it comes to flattering rectangle body shapes. Its extended length that falls below the hips (or sometimes even mid-thigh) creates the illusion of having a longer torso compared to your lower body, resulting in imbalanced proportions.
They are also often flowy, as they just hang straight from the shoulders up to the hemline without cinching the waist. This further contributes to the lack of curves that your rectangle-shaped body has and can even sometimes drown your figure overall.
The goal in choosing tops for your rectangular body shape should be focused on bringing curves and definition to your body. So instead of tunic tops, go for tops that nip in the waist or have interesting soft prints or patterns that can help create the illusion of curves.
Boxy jackets
As you can already tell at this point, any garment that has a boxy silhouette is a huge no-no for your rectangle figure for obvious reasons. Your athletic body shape is beautiful and wearing body jackets can instantly overwhelm your figure and make your silhouette look a lot straighter.
Boxy jackets typically hang loose with no waist definition so not only do they saturate the defining lines on your figure, but they also make layering more challenging. Since they are boxy and bulky to start with, styling them with layers of clothes will drown your rectangle body figure even more and this can result in an unflattering balance to your frame.
Instead of wearing boxy jackets that offer no shape, look for ones that provide more structure and tailored fit. Jackets that provide a snug fit on your figure can help bring more shape to your frame and this shaping effect can be achieved with the help of a belt, princess seams, or curved darts by the waist area.
Wide Belts
Most women would think that wide belts can easily give your midsection a nice curve, however, I have personally experienced how this is an absolute misconception! If you have little to no waist definition, wearing wide belts only emphasizes that because of how their size and thickness draw too much attention.
Wide belts are typically attention-grabbing so the eyes would naturally stare at your waist and make your undefined waist look even more obvious. In addition to this, the wideness of the belt can also create a blocky or boxy appearance that reinforces the edgy straight lines rectangle body shapes would want to blur out.
Cinching your waist is quite important for a body shape that lacks waist definition and this can still be done with the proper choice of belt. Look for belts that are no wider or thicker than 2 inches because this width is considered the safe measurement that will allow you to define your waist without overwhelming your torso.
Baggy Pants
The right fit can absolutely add sophistication and elegance to your look, and while baggy pants may look quite edgy especially if you’re into street-style fashion, they are not the most flattering option for rectangle body shapes. Baggy pants are also structured to have a loose, boxy fit so wearing them when you already don’t have much curves can intensify the shapelessness of your figure.
In addition to the fact that baggy pants just look plain boxy, the bagginess will also create horizontal creases that will contradict the soft visual lines you are trying to produce. These horizontal creases will make you look wider and shorter, leading to an imbalanced frame.
So toss your baggy pants right into the storage, or maybe have them altered into a more snug and streamlined fit. Some examples of flattering leg shapes for pants are bootcut and flare pants as these two feature a gradual flare that gently widens out towards the hem, adding more dimension and curves to your lower body!
Straight-Fit Long Coats
Long coats that feature a straight cut or silhouette won’t have the ability to create more depth and shape to flatter your rectangle body shape. The first problem here is the straight cut, wherein the absence of strategic side seams and waist cinch will further accentuate your straight and undefined figure.
Secondly, the extra length of the coat paired with its straight cut will immediately intensify the blunt straight lines on your rectangle body figure that you may want to downplay. This can make you look more shapeless and layering clothes with your straight-fit long coat may even make you look bulkier and wider.
If you’re really keen on donning an elegant long coat for your rectangle figure, you still surely can do that! The key is to choose a long coat that cinches your waist (such as a wrap coat or belted coat), as this can help define your waist and create the illusion of an hourglass figure.
Oversized Boyfriend Blazers
Here’s another type of outerwear that can look very relaxed and stylish, but can horribly overwhelm your rectangle body shape! Many women love the effortlessly chic vibe that oversized boyfriend blazers give, however, your rectangle body shape already has masculine features that can be further enhanced if you go for this particular “boyfriend” silhouette.
Wearing an oversized boyfriend blazer will not only drown your athletic figure but will also completely erase the chance of giving your frame a curvier appearance. Their slouchy, oversized nature can make you look more top-heavy and this can be quite unflattering in a way that they can make your lower body less prominent.
If you are looking for a blazer that offers a relaxed fit but at the same time gives your waist its much-needed curved indentation, you have to try schoolboy blazers or single-breasted blazers! Their vertical button placement and curved darts on the sides of the waist will help you achieve a nice subtle curve without feeling too restricted.
Trapeze-style Dresses
Just as the name suggests, this type of loose and swingy dress features a silhouette that is similar to a trapeze, which can be definitely comfy but also shapeless and unflattering for rectangle body shapes. This particular style hangs loosely from the shoulders down to the hem with no snug seams and waist definition, so obviously, it can further enhance the lack of curves and definition rectangle-shaped women naturally possess.
In addition to its shapeless silhouette, trapeze-style dresses often have a voluminous and unstructured fit that can instantly exaggerate the absence of your waist definition, resulting in a wider and bulkier appearance. They are also supposed to skim over a prominent bust line for more enhancement, but for rectangle shapes that often have a flat bust line, this can only make this area of concern more apparent.
The best alternative for trapeze-style dresses, if you’re looking for a flowy and relaxed fit, would be A-Line dresses. They are pretty much similar in terms of silhouette, but A-Line dresses typically offer a cinched waist (either through seams, darts, or a self-tie belt) that gives more definition to straight frames such as rectangle body shapes.
Drop Waist Dresses
Drop waist dresses feature a horizontal seam that sits lower than your natural waistline and they typically don’t cinch at the waist. Its boxy silhouette and uneven upper and lower body cut won’t be very helpful for rectangle shapes who are looking into balancing and adding curves to their frame.
A great style alternative to drop waist dresses would be ruched dresses. Opt for ruching seams that go vertically on both sides of your waist to give you more prominent-looking curves!
Dark-colored Jeggings
Another concern that many rectangle body shapes have is their flatter buttocks. This can also be further enhanced by going for tight-fitting jeggings, most particularly if they are in darker colors like black.
Don’t get me wrong, rectangle figures have beautifully shaped legs and there’s nothing wrong with showcasing them in tight-fitting bottoms such as skinny jeans or jeggings. However, if you go for these styles without distinct pocket details and wear them in darker colors, you may end up looking more flat on the bottom as these specific details will influence the slimness and shape of your lower body.
Again, you can still definitely rock skinny jeans and jeggings but try to look for those with pocket details at the back to make it seem like you have a perkier rear. Pairing them with flattering tops, such as peplum tops, can also help enhance the curve transition from your torso to your hips and buttocks.
