Having a rectangle body shape means that you have a well-toned, athletic figure. But along your lean and toned figures comes the fact that you don’t really have many curves present in your frame.
Basically, a rectangle body shape has a straight silhouette in which the shoulders, bust, waist, and hips share almost the same width. There are very little to almost no distinct curves that define the transitions between these areas so you look rather boxy and undefined.
Don’t let your lack of curves disappoint you because you do have an amazing, toned body shape! With just a few fashion tweaks and tricks, you can definitely give your rectangle figure its chance to shine.
Add Volume on the Bust Line
Rectangle body figures usually have a smaller bust line and they are quite similar in size with your shoulders, midsection, and hips. This often means that you may have a flat bust, but that’s not always the case because some rectangle figures can have average-sized breasts, although not very curvy.
So because there’s the absence of curves and definition on your bust area, it will be very helpful to give it a subtle boost of volume. One of the most effective styling tricks you can do is to opt for tops or dresses that feature a flouncy fabric detail that runs along the bust line.
This additional volume will help create the illusion of curves and define your bust line from the rest of your body figure. Just be mindful of the number of details or ruffles you would want your top or dress to have because you wouldn’t want to go overboard, otherwise, you might end up overwhelming your figure.
Cinch your Waist
For rectangle body shapes who lack waist definition, cinching your waist can be a very good option to give your boxy figure more noticeable curves. Doing so will create a clear distinction between your upper and lower body and therefore break the harsh straight lines on your silhouette.
You can have your waist effectively cinched through a number of ways such as the placement of strategic seams, darts, or belts. There are also other types of clothing structures that feature waist-enhancing details, such as peplum silhouettes or fabric flounces, to ensure that certain areas of your rectangle figure are seamlessly defined.
This particular styling technique will efficiently help in visually narrowing the waist to give your figure a more pronounced curve. This clear transition on your midsection towards your hips will definitely give you a more proportionate look overall.
Wear Flare or Bootcut Pants
One of the key goals in bringing the best out of your rectangle body shape is to incorporate clothing structures that mimic curvy shapes to give your frame better depth and definition. Since your hips and rear are not too prominent, you will find jeans or pants with gradual flares to be very beneficial, style-wise.
Both flare and bootcut pants typically share the same silhouette, with flared ones being comparatively wider and more dramatic. The gradual flare of both flare and bootcut pants starts from the knee level and softly widens out downwards to the hem, creating curvy lines on the sides of your legs.
With the combination of the curved lines of the leg shape and the snug fit on the midsection, flare and bootcut pants have the excellent ability to highlight your flat and lean midsection while also bringing more shape to your lower body. Not only do these two add dimension to your straight frame, but they also help visually elongate your legs for a taller and more balanced figure.
Experiment with Interesting Prints
Prints and patterns can play a very strategic visual role in making your frame look more curvaceous and dynamic, rather than being boxy and bluntly straight. Asymmetrical designs, wavy geometrical prints, bold patterns, and intricate details can instantly add depth to your frame by breaking up the visual monotony that most rectangle body shapes naturally possess.
While you absolutely have the complete freedom of experimenting with your choice of prints and patterns, it still all goes down to the scale of the prints/patterns and the areas where they are strategically placed. Ideally, these types of designs and details should grace the areas of your body where curves are more likely absent such as the bust line, the waist, and the hips.
Embedding interesting prints and patterns on your clothing pieces also effectively allows you to choose a focal point and highlight that particular area that you want to stand out. This is because bold and fun prints and patterns can easily draw attention to the area where they are placed so you can showcase the features you want to bring out and subtly conceal your problem areas.
Wear Puff Sleeves
Since your shoulder line width is pretty much the same as your waist and hips, you may want to add more prominence to your shoulders to give your frame a more balanced and dimensional look. Giving your shoulders a bit of a volume boost will help create the illusion of broader shoulders and this visual effect can break the monotonous straight lines that you have in your rectangle-shaped body frame. As puff sleeves also have a rounder top and side shape, they can be very helpful in creating the appearance of more curves on the upper body.
Wearing tops or dresses that feature puff sleeves also allows you to have the opportunity to draw the eyes away from your areas of concern, particularly the parts where you relatively lack curves and definition. As they add significant structure and volume to your upper body, your overall frame gets generously enhanced without the worries of giving your body unnecessary bulk.
Avoid Baggy Clothing
I know how wearing baggy clothes can be so tempting, considering how comfortable and effortless they are to wear! But for rectangle body shapes struggling with the absence of natural curves in their bodies, baggy clothing is totally one of your biggest fashion enemies.
Due to its loose and baggy nature, it can instantly drown your rectangle figure out and just further enhance the shapelessness of your frame. Wearing baggy clothes can harbor tough challenges especially if you are looking into subduing your athletic edges and manly features because they offer no body-shaping details.
In addition to this, baggy clothes don’t have a waist cinch, which will only accentuate the fact that you don’t have that coveted feminine curve that distinguishes the transition from your bust to the waist and to the hips. They also tend to create horizontal creases or folds, resulting in a heavier and wider appearance.
The last thing you would ever want for your rectangle body shape is to intensify the blunt straight lines that significantly contribute to your boxy figure. So instead of wearing baggy clothing, go for wardrobe pieces that offer a tailored, snug fit in order to properly shape up your figure without overwhelming your body’s best features with excessive fabric.
Avoid Crop Tops
Crop tops can potentially make your rectangle body shape appear less defined because of how their short length allows exposure of the majority of your midsection and therefore having all the attention towards your undefined waist.
Their length alone (which typically hits right at the midriff) is already enough to prove that crop tops should be the type of wardrobe piece that you should avoid. This reason gets more intensified when you opt for crop tops that have a wider fit because this will only make the top look more squarish and shapeless.
In addition to this, wearing crop tops may shorten your torso even further and this tends to be a problem for rectangle-shaped ladies who are also struggling with a short torso or petite figure. Instead of opting for crop tops, look for tops that offer a more flattering length as well as a slightly fitted structure enough to give your frame a nice, snug, waist cinch.
Avoid Chunky belts
Chunky or wide belts should not have any space in a rectangle-shaped woman’s wardrobe because of how unflattering these can be! Since you have little to almost no waist definition, wearing a chunky belt will only have the eyes look at this area and make your undefined waist even more noticeable.
They also add a significant amount of unnecessary volume, which can make your midsection area look wider and heavier instead of slimming it down and bringing it curves. The bulky nature of chunky belts will absolutely disrupt the balance in your silhouette and therefore make your upper and lower body look uneven in proportion.
Cinching your waist is quite important for rectangle figures and so if you have to do it with the help of a belt, go for those that aren’t too wide. Ideally, belts that are no thicker or wider than 2 inches should be enough to give you a nice waist cinch without overwhelming your figure.
Favor A-line Silhouette
A-Line silhouettes will always be a safe space for most body shapes because of their universally flattering structure. For rectangle figures who are very much in need of waist definition, the fitted bodice and waist cinch of A-Line silhouettes can give you the illusion of curves similar to the hourglass body shape.
The elements of this silhouette, may it be for dresses or skirts, can greatly influence the balance within your frame. It is because the gradual flare of this silhouette gives just the right amount of volume to create a more distinct shape for your lower body.
It also steers the gaze away from the straight lines that are naturally present in your visual frame. If you opt for A-Line skirts or dresses made from flowy fabrics, it’ll further enhance the visual effect of having curves due to the fact that it creates a sense of movement that breaks the monotony of a rectangle-shaped body’s boxy silhouette.
Use color blocking
This styling technique is one fun and creative way to give your rectangle figure a bit of tweak. Color-blocking in clothes involves the strategic placement of colors all throughout the garment to visually tweak the shape of your body.
For rectangle figures, this can be especially helpful if you go for darker colors on the sides of the torso to slim your frame down and create the illusion of very defined side curves along your waistline. This optical illusion can be enhanced better if you also incorporate contrasting lighter colors on the areas you would like to highlight such as your flat tummy or well-toned torso.
Wear Pants or Jeans with Pocket Details
Rectangle body shapes tend to have a flat bum on top of the lack of definition in your hips. You may feel like pocket details aren’t much, but they can totally make a difference in how your bottom half would look like.
Pocket details like embroidery, rivets, flap pockets, or even simple embellishments can help add some volume to the areas where they are placed. You don’t really have to opt for dramatic details as the goal is to subtly create the illusion of curves and not fully drown your frame.
Wear X-Line Dresses
For some reason, I feel like X-Line dresses are a bit underrated. However, this particular silhouette is highly flattering, especially for those who are looking into giving their figure more depth and shape – such as your rectangle beauties!
This silhouette features a very distinct cinch at the waist while the shoulders and skirt hem are nicely extended to a certain width that looks beautifully symmetrical. This will help create the illusion of curves and prominence to your rectangle figure with very little effort!
