Ask Caryn – January 2011
Definition of Pear Shaped
Hi
Could you please confirm whether pear shaped is ‘if your bottom / hips are wider than your breasts or shoulders’? I think I am pear shaped because I am narrower at my bustline than my hips – but my shoulders are definitely wider than my hips.
This is where i get confused, I often wear a 6-8 on top and 8-10 on the bottom – this depends on the fabric and shop. My problem is that most advise for pear shaped is to cover up the bottom half and accentuate the top – yet I am not large.
Your clarification would be helpful.
Kind regards
Zowie
Hello Zowie
Thanks for getting in touch. You have a pear shape if your full bust line is proportionally narrower that your full hip line. If you are pear shaped then you typically have narrow shoulders but this is not always the case. Each defined ‘shape’ is a guideline but all of our bodies are beautifully individual.
A pear shape is also often characterized by a slim torso and a narrow rib cage and a small waist Because you are pear shaped it certainly does not mean you are curvy and so when dressing it is more about giving your shape the balance it needs. You don’t need to cover up your bottom half but if you want to wear anything that draws attention to or accentuates your shape then think about balancing out your top half. You could think about investing in our standard and pear shape ebook which will show you how to do this.
I hope this helps.
