If you have the pear body type, you have a smaller top and wider hips and thighs, which makes you look bottom-heavy. It is important to use the right neckline to balance your natural body shape and create a flattering silhouette most suitable for your shape. Before we look at which necklines look the best on you, we’ll first take a closer look at your body features.
Characteristics
The pear body shape typically has more weight around the hip line and not your shoulders or bust. This is accompanied by narrow shoulders and a high waist, that makes it difficult to find something that works for both halves of your body.
The major characteristics of this body type are thicker thighs, non-prominent bust, naturally defined waist and the widest part of your body is your hips and thighs.
One of the best ways to embrace your pear body is to choose necklines that fit your natural silhouette while showing off your unique sense of style.
Here’s a look at nine incredible necklines that work for the pear body type and two necklines to avoid if you want to create a flattering silhouette.
V-necklines
The V-neckline is perfect for creating balance with this body type as it visually widens your upper body while drawing attention away from your fuller hips and thighs. The V-neckline is a stylish neckline style that appeals to the pear body type.
Most pear-shaped women have narrower shoulders compared to their hips, usually accompanied by fuller hips and thighs.
Your narrower shoulders on wider hips create an uneven balance, but this can easily be transformed into a more balanced and proportionate look with a v-neckline that draws the eyes upward.
There’s also an elongation effect on your neck thanks to the v-shape, so this helps to slim down your overall body structure.
Scoop necklines
This style of neckline has a soft and rounded curve that gives an incredibly feminine outlook, perfect for the pear body shape.
Although scoop necklines work for a wide variety of body shapes, you could say it fits best with this body type due to how it adds a touch of elegance to the collarbone and neck area. This versatile neckline balances the upper body by making sure your shoulders appear broader.
To make this work best for your body type, you should opt for slightly wider scoops that help to add that necessary touch of sophistication to your neck area. This is a timeless style that will always be flattering for the pear body type.
Sweetheart necklines
Another incredibly flattering and feminine style for women with a pear body shape is the sweetheart neckline which looks very romantic and unique. It looks a lot like the top of a heart shape and this is what works in your favor.
Due to the shape and style of the sweetheart neckline, it’s super easy to use this on a top or dress to enhance and accentuate your bust. The curve of the sweetheart neckline helps to flatter your collarbone such that your bust appears more prominent and fuller.
This works in your favor because a fuller bust encourages a hourglass silhouette, while also balancing your upper and lower body. It’s incredibly versatile, so feel free to incorporate it in as many dress styles as possible.
Square necklines
What’s not to love about the square neckline, especially if you are a woman with a pear body shape? The magic of this neckline lies in how it creates a clean and structured look, thanks to the horizontal line that moves across your chest.
This simple yet classic neckline helps to frame your shoulders and collarbone which enhances a slightly vintage style that works great with your body shape. However, the biggest effect is how it draws attention to your upper body, flattering your narrow shoulders and encouraging the illusion of broader shoulders.
This is perfect for creating a more balanced silhouette effortlessly. This neckline is too beautiful to leave bare. So, feel free to spruce it up with some accessories including pendants and statement necklaces that make the style truly yours.
Boat necklines
You may know this neckline as the bateau or Sabrina neckline. A universal fact about the boat neckline is that this wide neckline which extends freely across both shoulders is the perfect complement for pear-shaped women that typically have fully hips and narrower shoulders.
This horizontal neckline follows the natural curve of the collarbone, creating an elegant outlook that accentuates the width of your shoulders. With the successful illusion of a broader upper body created through a boat neckline, you can easily balance out your body proportions.
However, to make this look even better on your pear body type, look out for boat necklines that include a few details around your shoulder. Wearing those with sleeves will also help to draw more attention away from your fuller hips.
Cowl necklines
The appeal of cowl necklines for the pear body type lies in how it balances the body figure and frames the face due to the volume it creates around the collarbone. The cowl neckline is very different from the others, especially as it usually features loose fabric in an elegant fold close to the neckline.
This is a super fashionable choice for any pear-shaped woman that would love to add more attractiveness and attention to their upper body. It’s effective at balancing out body proportions, especially when the drape is not too bulky.
Choosing a bulky fabric will instead create heaviness around your upper body, rather than a flattering volume. Therefore, a cowl neckline can help you enhance your upper body without excessive volume around this area.
A moderate drape of your cowl neckline on a top or dress with a fitted silhouette is perfect for the pear body type as it highlights your natural curves as well.
Off-the-shoulder necklines
If you don’t mind showing off your lovely shoulders, you should definitely consider off-the-shoulder necklines as a top choice for flattering your pear body. Off-the-shoulder necklines are perfect for broadening your shoulders visually, and they work great with almost every top, dress or jumpsuit that highlights your beautiful curves.
The off-the-shoulder neckline can also incorporate a few stylish ruffles to add more volume to your neckline area. In this case, volume on your upper body works in your favor because it makes your figure more proportionate with your wider lower half.
Queen Anne necklines
The Queen Anne neckline is a typical high neckline style that features a semi-circular look. Sometimes, this can be combined with a sweetheart-shaped cut at the center.
It’s very common to see this neckline on an evening gown or wedding dress due to how beautiful it turns out, especially for a woman with a pear body shape. This high and rounded neckline is perfect for drawing attention to your neck and shoulders, thereby creating a balanced look that works great with your wide hips and narrow shoulders.
With this, you can easily create a more proportionate and feminine silhouette since it visually broadens your shoulders. Also, if you’re big on coverage for your upper body without exposing so much skin, this is an easy choice that exudes a great deal of femininity and elegance. You can’t go wrong with the sophisticated Queen Anne neckline.
Turtleneck Necklines
Similar to the high and rounded style of the Queen Anne neckline, the turtleneck neckline is another similar style that flatters the pear body type. However, the major difference is the folded collar that’s usually close-fitting, and provides a great deal of warmth when worn.
The turtleneck creates vertical lines that are great for elongating your neck and creating a slimming effect on your overall body figure. With more visual interest on your upper body, there’s less attention on your wider hips which makes them appear smaller than they actually are.
Turtlenecks have been around forever and there’s a huge chance that they are not going anywhere. This timeless and classic style will definitely be an interesting addition to your wardrobe as a pear-shaped woman.
Also, you can easily layer your turtleneck tops with blazers and cardigans that make your outfit more interesting.
Avoid deep plunging necklines
Deep plunging necklines like the deep v-neck are not great choices for the pear body type because they tend to make the upper body appear narrower.
Since you already have shoulders that look narrower compared to your lower body, you can imagine how this would further shrink your upper body visually. This is the opposite of the effect you should create on your pear body shape and that’s a top reason to completely avoid deep plunging necklines.
These necklines draw attention downwards and throw your entire body silhouette off balance. For the pear body shape, necklines that work best are those that draw the focus upwards and add more volume to this area.
When there’s more volume on the lower half, your hips will appear larger and this will give a wider silhouette.
Avoid spaghetti straps
Spaghetti straps are another neckline style to completely avoid if you’re a pear-shaped woman. This is because they are not easily noticeable around your shoulders and will definitely not add volume to this part of the body.
Instead, this will further shrink your collarbone and neck area visually, with more volume directed downwards. Therefore, it’s best to avoid spaghetti straps as a pear-shaped woman that wants to create a flattering and feminine silhouette.
