Rectangle body shape women come in different height, and it is quite possible you happen to be a petite woman with a rectangle figure. Because your body naturally goes straight up and down, it is important to find the right styles that can create the illusion fo curves while elongating your legs at the same time. In this detailed guide, we’ll help you understand your body features thoroughly and then walk you through the best styles to flatter your shape.
Characteristics
How do you know you’re a petite rectangle-shaped woman?
- An athletic build with a flat bum
- Overall short appearance
- Little to no curves
- Small bust
- No natural waist definition
- Bust and shoulders have the same width as your hip
The goal here is to wear clothing styles that elongate your overall body frame visually and create the illusion of curves so that you can achieve an hourglass-like silhouette. All the styles in this list work great for the petite rectangle body frame.
Color blocking dresses
The concept of color blocking may not be a popular trend in the fashion world but that doesn’t make this any less effective for creating a beautiful structure on your petite rectangle body shape.
Color blocking with dresses is perfect for visually placing lines around parts of your body that will create more balance in your body proportions. The concept of color blocking involves the use of contrasting colors on a single dress with the goal of creating a striking visual contrast.
This is one of the best ways to make a vibrant and bold fashion statement with your dresses as a petite rectangle shape woman. A great option is to color block with colors that are opposite on the color wheel as this will naturally create the appearance of a narrow waist.
The emphasis on both halves of your body enhance the illusion of curves and the right colors will definitely make you stand out.
Wrap dresses
There’s a lot to love about wrap dresses especially if you’re a petite woman that wants to create the illusion of an elongated frame. This works great for the straight silhouette of the rectangle body shape as wrap dresses have a waist cinching effect on the body.
Therefore, you can easily use this dress style to transform your rectangle body shape by introducing exciting features that play up your best assets. Wrap dresses are very effective for adding curves to the body, with more volume on the bottom half of your shape.
This is all thanks to the wrap style around the waist that helps to create a defined waistline, a feature that’s naturally missing on petite women with a rectangle body shape. This wrap can be tied at the front or side, depending on your preferences.
Tying this to the front can help to conceal volume around your midsection while the wrap dress will restructure your overall appearance.
Flare jeans
Flare jeans can visibly create the illusion of curves on petite women with a rectangle body shape and this is possible because it adds more volume to the lower half of the body. The flared style from the knee to the ankle is the perfect structure to transform the straight silhouette that typically comes with this body shape.
This is an effective way to balance out your body proportions without going over the top. When paired with the right top, such as one with a v-neckline, this will easily draw the eyes away from the shapeless vertical line of the rectangle body shape and tilt more towards a curvier outlook.
A huge advantage of this for petite women is that the flared style visually elongates the legs. This means that with the eyes drawn downwards more, this will make the legs appear longer than they are, further enhancing your curves.
Bootcut jeans
Similar to the effect of flare jeans on the rectangle body shape, bootcut jeans can encourage the illusion of curves on this body silhouette. The flare on this style of jeans is less exaggerated than those found in flare jeans, but the effects are just as amazing.
This slight flare helps to create the appearance of a more defined waistline which balances the overall body proportions. Creating this on a rectangle-shaped woman has an amazing result because this body type naturally doesn’t have sufficient curves.
You can easily create a more feminine outlook that contributes a lot to elongating the legs. Overall, this is super flattering for petite women with this body type, as a taller and leaner appearance gives a subtle sexy vibe.
Be sure to choose bootcut jeans that sit comfortably on your natural waistline while having a snug fit around your hips.
Mid-rise jeans
Mid-rise jeans are a style of jeans that sit comfortably around the natural waistline, which contributes a lot to balancing both your upper and lower body.
The rise of your jeans is super important because it plays a huge role in balancing body proportions and creating a lengthening effect. Therefore, if you have a naturally petite body, the mid-rise jeans is the ideal choice to make you feel as comfortable and confident as possible.
Of course, this contributes to the overall structure of your rectangle body shape. Mid-rise styles for your flared or bootcut jeans will enhance your slim silhouette and visually add curves at the right places.
This does nothing to destroy your lower body definition, but you’ll instead stand out beautifully. Mid-rise jeans are perfect for an elongation effect on your body.
A-line skirts
A-line skirts work so beautifully on the rectangle body shape due to the flare style that adds an interesting silhouette to the body. It’s always a great idea to have a stylish skirt in your wardrobe for when you feel like showing off your amazing slender legs or wearing something different from the usual.
This A-line skirt which takes on an A-like shape has a great flare that helps to add more volume to the hip area. More volume around this part of the body means that you can easily create the illusion of curves, thereby leading to a more feminine outlook.
Of course, this style is perfect for elongating your legs without the need to wear heels that pinch your feet uncomfortably. Balance out your straight shape with a flattering A-line skirt in a monochromatic color.
Belted skirts
Wearing belts on any clothing styles as a woman with a naturally straight silhouette will always have an elegant effect on your body. This is not any different for petite women with a rectangle body shape.
The biggest advantage of belted skirts for this body type is that it helps to create waist definition, which is crucial for encouraging the illusion of curves. Naturally, the rectangle body type lacks waist definition and this is largely responsible for the overall straight silhouette.
However, with a belted skirt, you can easily turn things around to enhance a more flattering silhouette on your body frame. Stick with moderately sized belts to avoid creating a counter positive effect.
Flounce skirts
Every skirt style that adds a dramatic effect to the lower half of your body is a huge win. Flounce skirts have this impressive feature due to the exaggerated frill sewn around the bottom of the skirt.
Overall, this is an example of an A-line skirt style and the combination of bottom ruffles gives your lower half more interesting volume. An amazing way to make this work is to stick to knee-length styles in solid colors.
This could be a deep brown or black skirt with a belt that highlights your waistline and encourages the illusion of curves. Since you will be able to show off your beautiful legs, flounce skirts are perfect for elongating your overall body frame.
You can complete this look with a slightly heeled open-toe shoe.
Peplum coats
This coat style is ideal for adding more volume to the upper half of your body which enhances the illusion of curves. Peplum coats on the petite rectangle body shape is incredibly flattering as it provides the curves that are naturally lacking in this body type.
This style of coat has a naturally snug fit around the waistline before flaring around the hips to create volume on this area. This is great for encouraging a feminine silhouette.
The overall design of peplum coats is specific towards making the lower half of your body more structured, thereby encouraging an overall more balanced silhouette.
Thanks to the visual vertical line this coat creates, you can easily achieve an elongated frame, making you appear taller than you actually are. A huge plus is how comfortable the coat feels as it flows freely over your body frame.
Wrap coats
Wrap coats are a universally flattering style for almost every body type and the good news is that the rectangle body shape is on this prestigious list.
You can easily create a flattering and feminine silhouette with wrap coats due to how they snug beautifully on the upper body frame such that you can have curves. To easily create an elongated outlook on your body frame, stick to wrap coats in solid, neutral colors like grey, brown and black.
This will help to enhance your streamlined look, so you will always stand out elegantly. Wrap coats can be used to spice up any outfit. Imagine a flare jeans, v-neck top and a wrap coat to complete your look.
This is the perfect ensemble for a casual fun outing with friends or any other relaxed setting. Be sure to choose wrap coats that nip at your waistline and fit snugly around your shoulders to get the desired result.
Avoid baggy jeans
Sure, baggy jeans are cool and are making a comeback into the 21st century fashion world. However, they are not a great fit for all body types, especially petite women with a rectangle body shape.
A drawback of baggy jeans on this body type is that they are difficult to style properly and they can overwhelm the petite body frame. For a body type that naturally has an undefined waistline, baggy jeans will make this more obvious and conceal any little curves you may have.
All the effects that you would want to create when you wear jeans, including a defined waistline and the illusion of curves, are not possible with baggy jeans on your petite body.
Therefore, this is not a figure enhancing jeans that will be flattering on your overall body structure. Rather than hide your best assets and create an unbalanced silhouette, it’s best to avoid baggy jeans.
Avoid bodycon dresses
As tempting as it is to wear dresses that have a tight fit on the body, forcing the illusion of curves, this is not a great idea. Wearing bodycon dresses will emphasize the rectangle shape of the body, making your shape appear unstructured and unflattering.
This is not a good look as the straight silhouette will be the ultimate highlight of your look, without any sexy or classy curves. Bodycon dresses are too close to the figure and will not add any volume to your upper or lower body.
Therefore, if you don’t want to spend an entire day feeling self-conscious in a dress that further slims down your shape, it’s best to completely avoid bodycon dresses.
