Women with broad shoulders and comparatively narrow hips have a body shape that resembles the letter “V”—wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. This article will show you how to flatter the V-shape with fashion and how to visually balance out broad shoulders.
Different clothing sizes for top and bottom
If you have a V-shaped body and therefore
- a larger bust as well as
- prominent shoulders,
- your upper body size will usually be different from that of your pants and skirts.
You’ll need to bear this in mind when buying outfits.
With a few more styling tricks you can make sure your style is well suited to your figure from the stomach down and is not too big. Tops should ideally be slightly fitted at the waist and have a figure-hugging shape. At the bottom, however, volume is the order of the day, as tight pants and skirts only make the V-shape even more pointed.
DO!
- V-neck and narrow lapel
- Flared skirts and dresses
- Vertical lines and flowing fabrics for the upper body
- Horizontal lines for the lower body
- Decorative elements in the hip area like a belt, rivets, or embroidery
- Dark colors for the upper body
- Light or striking colors on the hips and legs
- Pants that sit on the hips
- Dresses with a low waist in a ’20s style
DON’T!
- Boat neckline
- Tight pants and skirts
- Puff sleeves and decorative elements on the upper body
- Boxy-cut tops
- Striking colors on the upper body
Balance out your proportions with a flared skirt
If you’ve got a V-shaped body, you can make your broad shoulders look less masculine by emphasizing your feminine side with flared skirts or A-line dresses. Thanks to the A-shape, the shoulders are not the center of attention, and the gaze is no longer automatically drawn to the upper body. This trick works best with short, knee-length, and at most calf-length skirts or dresses.
Voluminous clothing on the lower body is generally a good idea if you have broad shoulders. With Marlene pants or culottes you can visually balance out broad shoulders in a trendy way even when wearing pants. The waistband of all your pants should sit more on the hips and thus not accentuate your waist. This would slim your lower body and thus emphasize the V-shape even more.
Sweater
- stand-up collar
- front diagonal ribbed designs
- drop shoulders and long rib knit folded cuff sleeves
- rib knit hem
- soft stretch acrylic blend knit
- Size-adjusted length approx. 26¾’ – 30′
Skirt
- fixed waist with invisible back zipper
- front and back seam details
- on-seam pockets
- flared hem
- soft supple polyester faux leather
- Size-adjusted length approx. 25¼’ – 26¾’
Figure Shaping Stretch Tights – look slimmer in minutes. Figure shaping panty area especially for large sizes.
Ankle boots
- Echtes Veloursleder
- Elastische Einsätze
- Innenzipper
- Schafthöhe ca. 12 cm
- Weite H
A V-neck draws attention to the middle of the body
If you don’t like wearing dresses or skirts, a V-neck allows you to distract from your broad shoulders towards the middle of your upper body. The same effect can be achieved with a narrow lapel or vertical lines running mainly down the middle of sweaters or shirts. Large round necklines are also ideal—but make sure to avoid boat necklines. These make the broad shoulder line visually even wider.
Tee
- organic cotton
- adjustable tassel tie round notch neck
- long sleeves with woven embroidered flounce hem
- woven embroidered hem
- Size-adjusted length approx. 28¼’ – 30′
Jeggings with an ultra-comfortable all elastic waist and practical belt loops. A perfect alternative to regular jeans. Thanks to the high stretch content these pants provide an effortless fit for every day wear. 2 back patch pockets and a back yoke for improved fit. Fit: jean leggings. Style: Sienna.
Which jacket suits a V-shaped body?
When it comes to jackets and coats, styles that focus on the hips rather than the upper body are better. This works particularly well with jackets and coats which
- have an A-line style,
- have decorative elements like pockets in the hip area,
- are collarless, have an open stand-up collar or a narrow lapel,
- highlight your waist (blazers),
- have a single-row design (double rows create a visually wider look).
