The rectangle-shaped women are known for having a straight up and down body, thus it is quite common if you happen to have smaller chests. It is important to find the right clothing styles that can create the illusion of curves, in order to balance out your natural straight body. In this detailed guide, you’ll learn everything about your body traits and how to dress accordingly. Let’s dive right in!
Characteristics
The rectangle shape has:
- A straight silhouette without curves
- Long and slender legs
- Uniform hips, chest and shoulders
- Proportionate hips and shoulders
- Small bust
However, since this is a silhouette that has no curves, the focus is on visually breaking the body into two halves by creating waist definition and the illusion of curves.
It’s all about adding volume equally to the upper and lower body by emphasizing your best assets. These styles will also help to add fullness to the chest area.
One shoulder tops
As earlier mentioned, a straight silhouette is a typical feature of the rectangle body shape and you have to wear styles that help to de-emphasize this straightness on your overall body frame.
You can’t go wrong with a stylish one-shoulder top that introduces an asymmetrical look to your body structure. This new symmetry with its unique neckline is renowned for flattering the figure of rectangle shape women with small bust.
This is because the one-shoulder style breaks up the width of your body specifically around your shoulders, effectively adding a much-needed structure that eliminates the natural straightness of your body shape.
Through this, you can appear more feminine and even achieve a curvier outlook. One-shoulder tops help to draw more attention to your shoulder line, and this elevates your entire appearance. You can wear this in bold prints to add more volume to your upper body.
Wrap tops
You shouldn’t be surprised to see that wrap tops made it to the list of flattering styles for rectangle shape with small bust as it projects a soft yet feminine design for your square shape.
This is a universally flattering style for almost all body types, and even better for the rectangle body shape. First, let’s start with the natural V-neckline which is self-elevating.
This means that it helps to downplay your straight silhouette, making your straight up and down structure not so obvious. Instead, this neckline wraps your body in a way that gives your structure more depth and curves.
This is the ultimate recipe to balance your narrow top half without compromising your comfort. Of course, it helps you appear more feminine as well. The goal of wrap tops is to create a focal point around your waist, creating a more defined waistline that makes your rectangle shape look so much better.
Dresses with puff sleeves
This style of dress remains one of the best designs for the rectangle body shape with small bust. Dresses with puff sleeves are all about adding more volume around your shoulder area.
This helps to restructure your shape by strategically transforming the line around your shoulders and collarbone. With more attention drawn to this area, this easily complements your overall rectangle body shape such that your narrow silhouette appears nonexistent.
Since your rectangle shape also has a certain angularity around your top half, you can easily use dresses with puff sleeves to minimize this on your figure.
Be sure to choose puff sleeves that are not extremely fitted on your arms as this will only draw more attention to your straight silhouette instead. Opt for more relaxed sleeve styles to achieve a flattering and stunning look for any occasion.
Belted tops
Belted tops come strongly recommended for rectangle-shaped women that will like to naturally alter the straight silhouette of their shape to achieve a softer look. With belted tops, the focus is on creating a unique waistline that easily transforms your shape.
Of course, it’s no secret that several styles of clothing can be accessorized with belts. However, on tops for your body shape, it has an even more profound effect. Wearing a belted top helps to create the illusion of curves on your rectangle shape.
This comes with a gentle design that projects a feminine feel you’ll love. While some tops naturally come with the belts, others will require you to add them to transform your look. Look out for belts that are not bulky or the same color as your top.
You need to use a medium-sized belt to create a contrast with your top or dress to ensure that it’s easily noticeable. When the belt is noticeable, this effectively divides your body into two halves while cinching your waist.
X-line dresses
The X-shape of this style of dress is specifically all about adding volume equally to both halves of your body. Remember that your straight silhouette is uniform and this is common with all rectangle body shapes, whether you have a small or big bust.
The easiest way to style this body shape is to create a visual break alongside a curvy outlook around your waistline. This automatically defines your waist while emphasizing your narrow shoulders.
It’s an amazing way to balance your body shape, adding more length and curves to your satisfaction. Most X-line dresses have a full hem that also adds more volume to your bottom half.
It’s important to add volume to both halves equally to ensure a uniform effect on your rectangle body shape. You’ll get this result with an X-line dress as every part is intricately designed to align with your rectangle shape and flatter your body.
Brightly colored tops
Attracting more attention to your upper body is a huge win for the rectangle body shape, especially if you want to create more fullness around your chest area.
The magic of brightly colored tops is in how they are able to visually make your eyes create the illusion of width around the top half of your body. This means that you can easily add volume with brighter colors like yellow, red and even light green.
Investing in these colors for your top will create an eye-catching effect that complements your body structure and elevates your rectangle body shape. However, while it’s a good idea to wear bright colors on your upper body, you should practice color blocking by wearing darker colors on your lower body with this.
This is a strategic way to flatter both your upper and lower half, without overusing the bright colors on your outfit. It’s a great way to achieve balance on your body frame.
V-neckline tops
Your choice of neckline is just as important as the entire style of the top as this is what determines the silhouette you will create. V-neckline tops are stylish and definitely worth wearing as a rectangle shape woman with a small bust.
This is because they add more dimension to your straight figure, easily breaking up your silhouette to create a curvier frame. If you want to pull off a feminine structure without breaking a sweat, this can be your go-to style.
The V-neckline is a plunging style that gives more definition to your collarbones and shoulders. Therefore, it draws more attention to your bust and chest area, effectively creating volume around this area for a feminine outlook.
Another amazing effect of the V-neckline top is that it visually elongates your overall figure. So, if you’re looking to pull off a slender and elegant look, this is a great choice.
Peplum tops
What’s another incredible way to add more definition to your waistline and accentuate your best assets? The answer is to wear peplum tops. Peplum tops do one great job effectively: add more volume to your upper half.
With more volume on your upper body, your rectangle shape won’t be a regular straight silhouette anymore. Starting from your slender arms to your neck and collarbone, this entire area gets a major uplift that encourages fullness around your chest area.
All you need to complement this is the right skirt or pants to add as much volume as you need to the lower half of your body as well. However, there’s an important point you should never forget.
To ensure that you don’t make your silhouette appear unbalanced, the flounce of your skirt should be moderate over your waistline. Opt for a relaxed fit that’s both comfortable and stylish. With this, you can create the illusion of curves around your hips.
Avoid crop tops
Crop tops don’t complement the rectangle body shape. Instead, they further emphasize your straight silhouette which is not a great look to encourage. When looking out for a top for your unique body shape with a small bust, you need to choose a style without a straight bottom hemline.
A little curve outwards will do wonders for your waistline as it helps to create a more defined waist for a curvier silhouette. However, crop tops won’t help you achieve this as they make it obvious that you have no natural waist definition.
They are too short on your torso, drawing attention to your rectangle shape without doing anything to enhance them. Since this is a complete opposite of your styling goal, it’s best for rectangle shape women with a small bust to avoid crop tops.
No matter the neckline that accompanies the crop top, the short length will eliminate the gains from a flattering neckline choice.
Avoid boxy dresses
Boxy dresses typically have a wide hemline and a loose fit that portrays a baggy look on the body frame. There are several reasons why this is not a good idea on a straight silhouette. To create a flattering outlook, you need a dress that adds definition to your waistline and boxy dresses don’t help you achieve this.
Instead, they overemphasize your straight rectangle shape and make you appear bottom heavy. Of course, this won’t tilt towards a feminine outlook but will instead draw more attention to the lack of curves on your overall structure.
Some body types are able to successfully rock boxy dresses but the rectangle body shape is not on that list. The baggy style will completely conceal your small bust and project a shapeless form.
Therefore, it’s best to avoid boxy dresses. Nothing about this dress can give you the illusion of curves you need for a flattering silhouette as it has a squarish cut.
Avoid tops with shoulder pads
Shoulder pads and puff sleeves are not the same thing. However, some women believe that both can have the same positive effect on a rectangle body shape with small bust.
The reality is that while dresses with puff sleeves add necessary volume to your upper half, tops with shoulders pads emphasize your straight silhouette and make your rectangle body shape more prominent.
Shoulder pads are known to sharpen the shoulders and will only add volume to your shoulder line in a way that creates an uneven body structure. Rather than choose styles that are unflattering to your shoulders, look out for tops that soften your shoulders.
Tops with shoulder pads will make you appear top-heavy as there is no corresponding positive effect on your lower half. Instead, you’ll have an unstructured and shapeless look that’s nothing close to a feminine silhouette with curves.
