To find the most flattering wedding guest styles for the pear, it is important to understand the pear carries weight in the bottom half and thus needs the right styles that can balance its natural figure. In this detailed guide, we’ll first take a close look at your body features, and walk you through the most flattering wedding guest dress styles for your unique body type.
Characteristics of the pear shape
Most women with a pear body shape have the following major characteristics:
- Rounder bottom that shows a full backside
- The waist is well-defined and small
- The bust is slimmer compared to the width of the waist
- Wider hips and narrow shoulders tend to come across as “bottom heavy”
- Hips and thighs being the widest part of the body
An interesting fact is that you can have these features and still be a slim pear shape. However, the rules of styling as a wedding guest with a pear shape are quite similar. Your choices should be able to minimize the width of your hips and thighs such that you have a more balanced body proportion.
Also, the right wedding guest dress style can effortlessly create the illusion of a balanced hourglass figure with your curves being more prominent. What are the perfect wedding guest dress styles for your pear shape? Here’s a look at the top choices.
Dresses with puffy sleeves
Top on the list of wedding guest dress styles for the pear shape are dresses with puffy sleeves. These are perfect for adding more volume to your upper body.
It’s no secret that the pear shape usually comes with narrower shoulders compared to the width of your hips. Therefore, you need to wear dresses that will flatter your narrow sloped shoulders such that they look broader in proportion with your lower body.
Dresses with puffy sleeves will draw attention away from your heavier bottom and transfer this focus upwards. This is all you need to create the perfect balance for your pear shape.
The good news is that dresses with puffy sleeves are very trendy in today’s fashion world and there are a million and one ways to style this to reflect your unique styling preferences. The puffy sleeves can be long or short, depending on how much of your arm you would like to show off.
Embroidered dresses
Any dress with details around the upper part is a win for pear shape women. Use this to your advantage by wearing a dress with more embroidery at the top half of your body.
Embroidered dresses have always stood out since time immemorial and wearing this as a wedding guest will make you look absolutely amazing without overshadowing the bride of the day.
As a pear shape woman, this interesting detail at the top half of your dress will bring a great deal of balance to your body shape. There are several ways to use embroidery to beautify your dress.
A top choice is to emphasize this around your neckline since the goal is to add more volume to your shoulders. This embroidery can also be in bright colors to ensure that they draw attention upwards.
A-line dresses
One of the most classic wedding guest dress styles for the pear shape is the A-line dress which is a huge life-saver for this body type. One amazing reason why the A-line dress is super flattering for this body type is that the silhouette accentuates the narrow waistline common with the pear shape.
It also accentuates the shoulders which means that you can be sure the result will be a fantastic feminine figure that tilts more towards the hourglass shape. This gorgeous silhouette gently skims over your thighs and hips without adding more volume to these areas.
Rather, it flatters your shape such that you can show off your best assets without worrying about emphasizing areas of weakness.
Dresses with an asymmetrical neckline
Distract onlookers from your wider hips and thighs by wearing dresses with an asymmetrical neckline. This refers to dresses that have uneven designs around the shoulder, especially one-shoulder dress styles.
This style of dress is one of the best choices for wedding guests with a pear shape because it seamlessly adds volume to your upper body. Also, many dresses in this style are perfect for concealing tummy bulges.
This is a worthy alternative to figure-hugging wedding guest dress styles like the bodycon dress that draws attention to bumps and bulges around the body. Wearing a dress with an asymmetrical neckline almost guarantees that you’ll have more balance with your body shape while your wider hips look less prominent.
You can choose styles with floral designs as these busy prints will add more visual interest while further beautifying the dress.
V-neck midi dresses
The midi dress is one style of dress that looks and feels like it was made specifically for pear-shaped women. This dress is usually long, hitting around the ankles and this length is what works to your advantage.
The longer length of this wedding guest dress style helps to elongate the body, such that you look taller and slimmer than you actually are. This is a great way to enhance your body frame effortlessly and look breathtaking while at it.
Interestingly, many other body types struggle with pulling this off comfortably. However, here are a few tips to help you slay like a queen. Wear the v-neck midi dress to show off your slender neck and add volume to your shoulders.
Avoid midi dresses with baggy skirts as this will emphasize the width of your hips; a look that will do nothing to flatter your pear shape.
Blazer dresses
Over the last few years, there has been a rise in the prevalence of blazer dresses, a style of dress with a blazer-like top and bottom that flares out in a skirt style. The blazer dress usually has a wide collar which is great for women with a pear shape as this extra detail around your shoulders adds more volume to this area.
More volume around your shoulders is a huge plus as this balances with your bottom-heavy body. Another amazing feature is the skirt bottom with a natural flare that doesn’t draw so much attention to your hips.
This is a great choice for pear-shaped ladies as the result is always very flattering for both halves of their body. Look out for blazer dresses with padded shoulders and in black as this will help you camouflage any tummy bulges around your midsection.
A combination of these will broaden your shoulders and flatter your silhouette.
Off-the-shoulder tiered dresses
A tiered dress is a top choice in this list of wedding guest dress styles for the pear shape because it gives off a comfortable and elegant vibe on the wearer. The tier represents several layers on the dress moving progressively from the waistline to the ankles.
This style is the perfect camouflage for a muffin top that could make you feel self-conscious about your bigger midsection. Wearing this in a darker color will also help to create the illusion of a slimmer silhouette, which is great for minimizing your hips.
This slimmer silhouette helps to balance both halves of your body, so they appear more proportionate and hourglass-like. The off-shoulder style is also perfect for showing off your narrow shoulders and giving them more definition.
So, if you don’t mind revealing your arms and neck, you’ll definitely love how the off-shoulder tiered dress gives you a classic outlook that’s perfect for every pear-shaped wedding guest.
Vertical striped dresses
Vertical stripes on your dresses are a great way to elongate the body silhouette and create the illusion of a slimmer outlook. Wearing this as a wedding guest is sure to give you that elegant way to make your body appear taller and more balanced.
Of course, this will also draw attention away from your prominent thighs and hips, and that’s great for your figure. Since you have a smaller upper body compared to your lower body, vertical stripes will make your bust and shoulders look more proportionate to your hips.
This works because vertical stripes guide the eye up and down rather than moving from side to side. Therefore, this creates a natural slimming effect and a more streamlined look that makes you look amazing.
Apart from the effect on your upper body, a vertical striped dress will make your legs look longer, leading to a more visually pleasing silhouette. This is great if you have a petite figure with shorter legs and you’re looking to create a more balanced overall appearance.
Vertical striped dresses come in different styles and colors. It’s best to go for bolder stripes in bright colors that will add more volume to your upper body. Nothing inspires confidence more than a beautiful v-neck vertical striped dress.
Chiffon long-sleeve wrap dresses
Whether it’s an outdoor or spring wedding, a long-sleeve chiffon wrap dress presents the perfect opportunity to slay in a dress specifically tailored for your pear body shape. This is preferable in a long sleeve style with a stylish cuff around the wrist to make your shoulders and arms more prominent.
The wrap dress is, of course, a uniquely versatile style that allows you to adjust to whatever fit you believe works for you best. Most wrap dresses have a deep v-neckline which helps to show off your slender neck and draw more attention upwards. Meanwhile, chiffon fabric is quite breathable and lightweight.
A combo like this is one of the best wedding guest dress styles to help you define your narrow waist, create a more slender silhouette and add more definition to your narrow sloping shoulders on your upper body.
Floral wrap dresses
A wrap floral dress with a long hemline will create a Cinderella-like look that transforms your pear shape into an adorable feminine silhouette. It’s super easy to have a soft spot for floral dresses due to that subtle feminine elegance they exude when worn on most styles of dresses.
With a wrap floral dress, the floral patterns bring your dress to life in ways that flatter your overall figure. Wrap dresses are easily adjustable and that makes it an effective way to accentuate your small waist.
This means that you can easily cinch your waist to create the illusion of more defined curves and an hourglass-like silhouette. You can wear a wrap floral dress with v-neckline or off-shoulder neckline to draw more attention upwards and create the illusion of broader shoulders.
Be sure to accessorize as stylishly as possible, especially with statement necklaces.
Satin fit and flare dresses
The fit and flare dress hugs the body around the bodice and flares gently towards your knee, creating the perfect feminine silhouette for the pear shape. The satin material has a unique breezy and stylish look that hugs the body without being tight-fitting around your curves.
A combination like this will have you looking incredible as a wedding guest. The satin fit and flare wedding guest dress also creates a waist-cinching effect for pear shape women that will like to make their waist appear smaller.
The direct advantage of this is that the smaller your waist appears, the more your hips curve outwards. Ultimately, this creates an hourglass-like figure with a feminine silhouette wrapped in an elegant little package.
Avoid billowy dresses
A common error is to wear baggy dresses or dresses with voluminous skirts in an attempt to hide tummy bulges or make the hips less noticeable. However, the result is quite the opposite.
These styles of dresses will add more volume to the lower part of the body which will add more imbalance to your overall structure. Baggy dresses are not flattering for the pear body shape because they will create a silhouette that makes your body rounder and shapeless.
Rather than baggy dresses, look out for styles that are fitted at the top but flare at the bottom into a stylish skirt that minimizes the width of your hips. Similar to the effect of baggy dresses on the pear body, bodycon dresses are the other extreme that make your tummy bulge and body bumps look more obvious.
You need wedding guest dress styles that do just enough to complement your body while drawing attention to your top half.