The apple is a curvy body shape, which comes with its unique assets and weaknesses. We’ll take a deep dive to understand your unique body features, and then guide you to find the most flattering sweaters accordingly.
MAIN CONSIDERATION
You have to understand the features of your beautiful apple-shaped body in order to know how exactly to work around your assets and areas of concern. Sweaters can be quite tricky because they are usually thick and they tend to look oversized, which can easily make you look shapeless.
So when choosing the right sweater, here are the areas of your body that you need to consider.
Prominent Bust Line
Your bust tends to be one of the prominent features because they are often larger and fuller compared to your hips and waist. Your breasts tend to have more volume and projection as well as a softly rounded contour, which contributes to a curvier and more voluptuous appearance.
Broad and Rounded Shoulders
Your apple-shaped figure features broad and rounded shoulders that create a visually prominent upper body. The shoulder width extends beyond the natural frame of your narrow hips so you tend to look top-heavy.
This is why you should go for sweaters that have neat seams and details to prevent bulkiness on your upper half.
Undefined Waist
Your waist has little to almost no definition so this lack of curve tends to make your figure look straight and shapeless. It’s almost symmetrical to the width of your narrow hips which significantly influences your overall body proportions.
Fuller Midsection Area
Apart from the lack of waist definition, you also have a higher tendency to gain weight around your midsection area. This is the reason why you may have the appearance of a stomach bulge or a muffin top, contributing to your heavier-looking upper body.
FIT
Waist-defining
Sweaters don’t usually come in waist-defining structures, but you can find some that feature waist details such as a waist tie or belt. Knitted wrap sweaters and belted sweaters are some great examples that offer waist definition.
Since your natural figure lacks waistline definition, these sweater details can help cinch your waist and create an obvious curve to make you look more balanced.
Draped
A softly draped fit features loose, flowing fabric that falls gracefully and creates a relaxed and effortless look. Draped sweaters are designed to have an intentionally relaxed fit brought by light flowy fabric that drops gently.
This will involve varying layers of fabric so it’s important to note that when you’re opting for this type of loose fit, it’s advisable that you go for thinner and flowier fabrics, not thick and chunky knit.
Open (Cardigan Sweaters)
This features a fit wherein there are no buttons or a front closure and is worn open. Examples of this fit are sweater cardigans which have a structure that allows the fabric to drape and flow freely, hence enhancing your curves while concealing your problem areas such as your midsection.
This is a great sweater option if you’re looking into layering your clothes without creating too much bulk.
SLEEVES
Bracelet-length
Sleeves that hit right at your wrist are the perfect length that provides enough coverage and warmth without looking too overwhelming on your figure. As this length still exposes a small portion of your arm, your apple body shape isn’t too overpowered with fabric.
This also evens out the attention on your upper body to prevent the eyes from focusing too much on the midsection area.
Three-fourths
If you’re looking for shorter sleeves to flatter your apple figure, three-fourth sweaters can be an ideal choice for they help balance the proportions by creating a flattering visual line that can slim you down.
This type of sleeve typically exposes the portion from your elbow to your wrist, which opens up more space on your upper body and prevents you from looking too cramped and top-heavy.
Fitted
Fitted sleeves also help neutralize the weight that you carry on your upper body as they provide coverage without adding unnecessary bulk. It’s a great way to keep the attention on your shoulders and prominent bust instead of your thicker midsection area.
NECKLINE
Going for open necklines will always be a good choice for apple-shaped body types. Wider necklines draw the eyes upwards, steering the attention away from the lack of definition of your figure from the waist down.
Scoop
A scoop neckline helps create balance by widening the neckline and drawing attention to the upper chest and collarbone area. This helps to visually broaden the upper body and offset the wider midsection, creating a more proportional look.
Scoop neckline sweaters also work very well for layering. You can showcase a shirt or blouse underneath to create interesting style layers without bulking up your figure.
Square
Square neckline sweaters are a great option for apple-shaped body types because this particular neckline cut draws attention to the shoulders, collarbone, and bust line. This effect shifts the focus away from your wider midsection while also helping slim down your frame.
The square shape also provides structure and definition to the upper body to give your figure a better sense of balance, which apple shapes often lack.
V-Neck
This features a sharp dip that’s perfect when it comes to enhancing an apple-shaped woman’s more prominent features, which are typically on the upper half region of the body. It helps draw attention to your decolletage and enhances the appearance of your shapely bust line.
V-shaped necklines also help create the illusion of balance by making you look leaner.
PRINTS AND PATTERNS
Plain or Minimal Patterns
Minimalist details on sweaters will always be a safe style option for apple shapes. Since you tend to be heavier on your upper body, you’d like to minimize the attention as much as possible and just let neckline structures showcase your prominent upper half assets.
Avoid bulky patterns as they will only add unnecessary volume to your upper body and make you look much wider and heavier. Some sweaters may have crocheted attachments or dramatic patchwork, and while they are quite cute and trendy to look at, they are not really the best for your apple body shape.
Cable Knit Patterns
This particular knit usually features a vertical pattern, which helps draw the eyes up and down to create a straight, unbroken visual line. Not only do cable knits have a charming and cozy look, but they also help elongate and tone your visual weight down by giving your upper body a sense of verticality.
FABRIC
The right fabric will not just help to keep you warm and cozy, but will also play a very important role in keeping the shape of your upper body streamlined and structured. Since most sweaters tend to provide warmth through the thickness of their fabric material, it’s important to opt for fabrics that are warm but not bulky.
Lightweight Knit
Lightweight knits in sweaters refer to the type of fabrics that are thin, breathable, and have a lighter overall weight. These are usually made from fine yarns and are ideal for transitional seasons or layering without causing additional bulk to your figure.
This particular fabric material tends to have a more fluid and drapey quality, which gently skims over the body rather than clinging tightly to the midsection. As a result, your frame boasts a smoother silhouette that doesn’t accentuate the roundness of your apple figure.
Cashmere
If you’re looking for top-tier quality fabric that can give you the warmth and coziness you need without being heavy, cashmere is your way to go! Sweaters made from cashmere usually feature a bit of stretch, which makes them more versatile and form-flattering.
Cotton
Cotton has minimal clinging so it’s less likely to have a restrictive fit on your apple body shape. This prevents the sweater from emphasizing your heavier midsection and efficiently helps create a smoother and more flattering look.
It is also widely known as a lightweight fabric, which makes it suitable for year-round wear. Cotton sweaters can be easily layered without adding excessive bulk so you can freely create versatile and well-balanced outfits without worries about looking too top-heavy.
STYLES TO AVOID
Batwing
The last thing you would want for your apple-shaped body is additional volume and attention directed toward your upper body. Batwing sweaters typically have oversized, loose-fitting sleeves that are cut wide at the shoulder with deep-looking armholes.
This type of sleeves and structure creates a significant amount of volume around the arms and upper body. Due to this structure, batwing sweaters can definitely add extra bulk to the already fuller midsection of your apple body shape, making you appear larger and less proportionate.
Turtleneck
Turtleneck sweaters are generally not considered the most flattering option for your apple figure because of the additional volume this particular neckline creates around the neck and upper body. This can make your apple body shape look relatively rounder and less balanced.
In addition to this, turtlenecks tend to visually shorten the neck and therefore further accentuate the roundness of your apple shape. This can disrupt the desired elongated and streamlined silhouette as it creates a sense of bulkiness around the neck and chest area.
Crop
Crop sweaters don’t have the proper length to work around the assets and imperfections of your apple-shaped body. they tend to emphasize the midsection by drawing the eyes to the wider and bulkier region of your midsection.
This visual effect leads the eyes to think that your upper body is way bigger and unbalanced than your lower body. They also cause a visual interruption in the line of the body which makes the proportions appear unflattering.
The exposed midriff can draw attention to the area that apple shapes often prefer to downplay and therefore steal attention away from your more notable features such as your shoulders and bust line.
Bodycon/Tight-Fitting
Tight-fitting sweaters feature certain types of fabrics that cling too closely to the body. Because there’s not enough room to accommodate the prominent areas of your body, they become too restricted and unnecessarily emphasized.
One of an apple-shaped woman’s major concerns is her thicker and heavier midsection and undefined waistline. When you wear sweaters that are too tight, this problematic size imbalance can be more apparent and highlighted.
In case you are one of those apple-shaped ladies who struggle with the appearance of midsection bulges or love handles, bodycon sweaters will sit on these areas. This might end up making you feel more conscious and uncomfortable.
Chunky Knit
The bulky and thick nature of chunky knits will overwhelm your apple body frame and make your upper body appear too swamped or lost in the excessive fabric. This will end up masking your natural body shape and proportions.
Additionally, chunky knit sweaters will make you lose your shape and definition because they typically have a boxy and oversized silhouette. They significantly lack waist definition and structure, which is something quite important for apple-shaped women who typically want to highlight their curves or create the illusion of a more defined waistline.
This thicker and heavier type of fabric may be warm and cozy, but it can significantly add bulk to your body and make things worse for apple body shapes who tend to carry more weight around the midsection.
