Know Which Shape Is Best For You

Know which shape is best for you.

By David Cobell

Whether you are the Bride or the Hostess of a Black Tie affair, understanding which shapes flatter your figure is the most important information that you can have. To love a particular detail of a gown that does not show off your shape to its best is a common mistake a lot of the women I encounter around the country make. I spend as much time teaching clients how to look at themselves critically and honestly as I do helping them make choices about color or texture. My first piece of advice is to not sweat the details; lets just look at silhouette. Once we know if a drop torso or perhaps a natural waist gown best suits you, we can look at necklines or fabric choices after that.

Let me explain the different shapes that we work with at Robert Legere. As I explain each bodice shape you can click on that description in our "Look Book" for an example.

Drop Torso — This bodice moves from the neckline over the waist to a point on the hip where it meets the skirt. This should not be the widest point of your hip. At this point the size and shape of the skirt is up to you. What you’ll find is that the small of the waist is emphasized and your torso should have a slim and flattering silhouette. Some times a shorter woman has trouble with this style because of the proportion of the upper bodice with the skirt. Be careful to pay attention to the over all sense of balance. The drop torso is the most flattering bodice to most shapes.

Natural Waist — A terrific shape for women who are petite or shorter. It is very flattering to a fuller figure as well. This bodice meets the skirt at the natural waist, the smallest point of you torso. Adding a full ball skirt or an A line skirt can make your legs look longer and your overall silhouette as long and lean as possible. This is a shape seen on the most glamorous women in film and fashion of the 40’s and 50’s.

Princess Line — With this gown there is no point at which the bodice and skirt meet. It is just a long continuous line from the neckline to the hem. The Princess seams on the front of the gown move over the bust line and down to the hem regardless of the overall shape of the gown. A classic shape that can flatter most anyone’s figure. Be careful of the fit with this shape in mid section. If the gown is "grabbing" your tummy it might not be right.

Sheath — Although a sheath is generally a straighter shape it is far from just a long tube of fabric. The well-cut sheath is a very flattering gown. You’d be surprised at how great this can be on a variety of figures. Very body conscious in the upper torso but with enough fabric in the skirt it can show off your waist and upper torso and not over emphasize the hips (a common complaint about sheaths). Be sure that there is enough fabric in the skirt so the gown does not come back into yourbody at the knees.

Now that you have a sense of our different shapes to add a scoop neck with a short sleeve or to change a halter into a strapless gown is really the simplest of changes. You can have the lace or the beadwork that makes the gown singularly yours once you've discovered the perfect bodice.

Good luck with your search for the perfect gown. Remember not to be to hard on yourself for not being a size 4 and don’t let anyone talk you into something that your heart says is not right. Be sure to send me an e-mail if you have any questions about choosing your gown!