Being overweight can be frustrating at times, especially if you happen to have a spoon shape, which naturally has a wider bottom. You can still look stunning, and the key is to have a wardrobe strategically put together that focuses on highlighting your assets and camouflaging your weaknesses. That means you need to say no to certain styles, which is the focus of this article. But first, let me help you fully understand your body’s unique traits.
Traits
- Narrow and droopy-looking shoulders – A spoon body shape has a relatively less pronounced upper half as your shoulders are way narrower compared to your wider hips. They tend to look slouchy too because of the less pronounced edges.
- Smaller bust size – This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re flat-chested, but your bust size is smaller in comparison with the curvier scale of your lower body.
- Well-defined waistline – Because of the obvious difference between your narrower upper half and wider hips, your narrow waistline is distinctively curved and defined.
- Slender arms – You barely gain weight in the upper portion of your body so your arms are quite lean.
- Wider hips and thicker thighs – This is the widest part of your frame and also the most prominent. Because of this, your hips and thighs tend to overwhelm your less pronounced upper half.
- You may also carry extra weight in your midsection – Even if you gain most of your weight from your hips below, it may still be possible that you have a stomach bulge as well.
- Tends to gain weight in the lower half – When you gain weight, you carry most of it in your lower half, hence the appearance of thicker thighs and most probably chubbier legs too.
Because of the above, you need to be quite selective with your wardrobe and avoid styles that do not flatter your shape. Here are the items you should stay away from:
High-neck Tops
Remember that you are dealing with a less pronounced upper half so high-neck tops won’t be any close to being helpful for your frame. High-neck tops cover the neck and often extend upwards towards the collarbone, so this “cramped” look can emphasize the imbalance in your frame even more and that’s just a fashion nightmare in the making!
Another major drawback of high-neck tops for spoon-shaped women is that they may visually shorten the neck, making it appear less elongated. This can disrupt the natural flow of your proportions and make your shoulders look even slouchier, drawing attention away from the upper body and emphasizing the hips instead.
Additionally, high-neck tops can sometimes make the bust appear smaller than it actually is to begin with, contributing to an uneven distribution of attention across the body. So instead of high-neck tops, opt for tops that come in open necklines such as scoop, V-neck, or square neck.
Tight-fitting Tops
Wearing anything tight-fitting won’t give your body shape the chance to tweak its appearance and this can be problematic if you’re dealing with obvious concerns such as a smaller upper body and a wider lower half. By wearing a tight-fitting top, you are only drawing more attention to your wider hips and thicker thighs, resulting in a more apparent bottom-heavy frame.
More than just the style aspect, tight-fitting tops can sometimes be a bit uncomfortable because of how they tend to restrict your movements. So instead of going for those snug, body-clinging tops, consider trying tops that strike a balance – something more tailored or flowy that enhances your curves without making any area feel too emphasized.
Bodycon Dresses
Just like how tight-fitting tops aren’t too friendly for your beautiful spoon-shaped body, bodycon dresses have the same unflattering effect. They cling too close to the body so this will fully emphasize the drastic size imbalance between your narrower upper half and wider bottom half.
Another thing I want to mention is that these dresses may not provide the illusion of a fuller bust (which your spoon-shaped body would need), as their tight fit tends to emphasize the natural proportions rather than create a more balanced look for you. So no to bodycon dresses, but I have a more suitable alternative for you, which is the A-line dress.
Running a clothing line made me realize how this style gracefully creates a gentle, flowing silhouette that complements your curves without overemphasizing them. The A-line shape is known for its ability to highlight your waist (which is your best asset, by the way), while offering a bit more room around your wider hips, providing a flattering and comfortable fit.
Spaghetti Strap Tops
I know, I know – I told you about how open necklines are great for spoon-shaped women so you may think that exposing tops such as the spaghetti strap can also qualify as a chic option. Unfortunately, as this exposes too much of your smaller and narrower upper half, this means that you are making your less pronounced upper half even more apparent.
Since they almost leave your upper half bare, your narrower shoulders and smaller bust will be put under the spotlight and this contrast will highlight your bottom-heavy figure. A better style option is to go for those with structured shoulders and tailored sleeves such as tops with shoulder pads or shirts with neckline details.
Turtleneck Tops
Turtleneck tops are very cozy and stylish, I have to agree with that. However, if you’re a girl with a spoon-shaped body, wearing a turtleneck top will only visually shorten and compress your smaller upper body even further.
As they fully cover up your entire neckline, your narrow shoulders, and smaller chest won’t have the structure and support they’ll need to look more pronounced. This will only highlight the fact that your bottom half is way bigger and more prominent compared to your upper body.
To counteract this imbalance but still provide the warmth your body needs, go for layered pieces instead. A Sabrina neckline will be a better option and you can just layer over a nice structured jacket to make your upper body more in balance with your wider hips and thicker thighs.
Tops with Vertical Stripes
The goal is to bring more volume and depth to your narrower upper body and wearing tops with vertical stripes does the exact opposite of that! Vertical stripes or any vertical patterns for that matter, are visually slimming so when you wear it on your spoon-shaped figure, you will only make your upper body look even smaller and narrower.
This visual effect will also emphasize that your hips and thighs are way wider in comparison to your upper half, further indicating that there’s an imbalance in your frame. So an easy and obvious style alternative is to look for tops that feature horizontal patterns and prints as this will help balance out the broadness of your hips and thighs.
Wide and Bulky Belts
You must have already noticed by now how curvy and defined your waist is and that’s definitely something you always have to show off! Cinching your waist is a fabulous idea, but doing this using a wide belt is not really as helpful as you think.
Wide belts occupy too much space in your midsection and there are times when they can even appear bulky. Wearing a wide belt will blur out your waist definition instead of highlighting it so it’s wiser to steer away from them.
But of course, you can wear belts! Just make sure you go for those that aren’t too skinny nor too thick, ideally around 1 to 1.5 inches wide.
Pants with Pocket Details
The placement and size of pocket details can play a huge role in how the hips are perceived so this is why you wouldn’t want them anywhere near the area you want to downplay in the first place. Pocket details can draw a lot of attention and since spoon-shaped women typically have curvier hips, adding extra visual emphasis to this region can create the perception of additional width, making you look more bottom-heavy than you already are.
So when choosing pants, try to keep things minimal by going for those that don’t have many embellishments. Flat-front and dark-colored pants can be better alternatives as they are slimming and visually flattering.
Baggy Pants
Spoon-shaped ladies carry the majority of their weight in their hips and thighs so the last thing you’d ever want for your bottom-heavy figure is more volume, right? Baggy pants may seem to be a cool street-style piece to amp up your casual ensembles, but because of how much volume they carry, baggy pants can overwhelm your figure immensely.
So stay away from baggy pants and opt for those that are more streamlined such as the classic straight-leg or pleated pants. Such designs can accommodate your wider hips and thighs without adding unnecessary volume to your frame.
Tulip Skirts
Tulip skirts are totally girly and dainty but they can lead the eyes to the hips and may make them appear even wider. This visual effect can throw off the overall silhouette of your spoon-shaped body type.
So for a more flattering alternative, A-line skirts are a great choice because their shape, which gently flares out from the waist down, strategically conceals the extra weight you carry in your bottom half and highlights your curvy waistline instead. A well-fitted A-line skirt can enhance your naturally voluptuous curves in a subtle and flattering way, making it more in balance with your narrower shoulders and smaller bust.
