Winter will be here before you know it, so I wanted to get a head start at giving you all my suggestions on the best styles I feel would look best for your body shape! These particular styles are more casual, so I do plan on creating another post with dressier coats. I feel that every woman should have a casual winter coat and a dressier. One of my fashion pet peeves is when women wear casual parkas or puffy coats with a fancy dress. If you've done it, don't feel bad! Now you know that it's best to opt for a dressier piece to pair with your dressier look. For now, here are my suggestions for casual coats :)
For the pear shape, I always stress the importance of creating volume and dimension up top, so there is no difference when it comes to coats! I suggest opting for styles that pass the fullest part of your hips, to avoid making them appear larger. As you notice, all three of these coats have waist belts or a waist draw string. Since you have a naturally defined waist, you don't want to hide that under your coat! Remember, you will be wearing this piece a lot, depending on where you live, so you want to select something that will flatter and enhance your natural shape. You may have also noticed that two out of the three coats have horizontal pockets on the bust, which help add some visual dimension to the bust area. The other style that does not have the pockets, has a puffy bust as it is, so it's not necessary to have pockets, and it will still accomplish the same effect.
For all you apple shapes, it's important to pay close attention to pocket, button, zipper, and pattern placement, all of which can make you appear larger than you are. The coat in the middle features vertical zippers, with a slight slant. This prevents your bust from appearing even larger under so much material, which is important. Remember, you will be wearing sweaters with thicker fabrics and if you're busty as it is, all the fabric can make your top half look extremely large in comparison to your slender legs.
Just like the pear shape, I also suggest waist belts for you because they help balance out your upper body by adding the flare on the bottom portion of your coat, it visually adds hips! However, the coat to the right does not have a waist belt and I feel it still works. The pattern around the stomach area is rather flattering because the lines aren't horizontal, which would otherwise add more visual width to the area. Instead, it features a linear pattern in a slanted position, visually slimming the area. It also features the same pattern around the bust, another area you don't want to add visual width when a waist belt is not present. The jacket on the right does have a horizontal pattern on the bust, but notice how close together they are in comparison to the bottom portion of the coat?! This helps in making the bust appear smaller and the hips larger, perfect for all my apple shapes!
For all my rectangular and hourglass shapes, it's very important to maintain your balance. I generally suggest a lot of detail and such for the rectangular shapes, however when it comes to coats when you'll have extra fabric underneath, I don't think it's necessary. Instead, select sleek style coats that aren't over the top in details, but perhaps in color and those that create an emphasis on the waistline, for both shapes. With a coat that has a belt, you instantly balance out your frame and create visual curves, rectangulars, it's that easy!
So I hope you all found this post to be helpful! If you have any questions or requests, please don't hesitate to leave them in the comments section. Thanks so much for stopping by!
