A good cocktail dress is a must-have, but buying one you love is no small task. No dress its every body the same, and cocktail dresses — being more form-fitting than a casual maxi dress — can be less forgiving.
Before you start shopping, it helps to know your body shape and the design conventions that look best on you.
Read next: The Budget Fashionista guide to dresses
Determining your body shape
First, measure yourself at your shoulders, bust, waist, and hips. You’ll use these numbers to figure out your body type. Here’s how it breaks down:
- If your shoulders and bust are wider than your hips — by about 5% or more — you have an inverted triangle shape.
- If your shoulders, bust and hips are within 5% of one another, you have a rectangle shape.
- If your waist is smaller than your shoulders, bust and hips by about 25%, you have an hourglass shape.
- If your shoulders, bust and waist are all smaller than your hips, you have a pear shape.
- If your shoulders are wider than your hips, you have a large bust and your waist is not well-defined, you may have an apple shape.
Read next: How to dress for a cocktail party
Inverted triangle shape
If you have an inverted triangle shaped body, you are working with a larger bust, broad shoulders plus narrow hips and slender legs. To balance these proportions out, look for dresses with streamlined top halves, defined waists, and volume at the bottom half.
In other words, the top portion of your cocktail dress should be form-fitting, with minimal embellishments and simple necklines. The skirt portion of the dress can have pleats, tiers, or embellishments to appear fuller.
Rectangular body shape
Your rectangular-shaped body is the more athletic, slender type. Despite the boxy-sounding name, this shape lends to thin legs, narrow hips, narrow shoulders, and a small bust — in other words, you don’t have a lot of curves.
Flattering styles for you are the dresses that add the illusion of curves. Look for belted dresses featuring ruching on the top and bottom halves.
The hourglass shape
The hourglass shape is the most balanced body for a woman. You have average-to-larger bust and hips, paired with a small waist.
With this body type, you don’t really have a feature to hide as much as you just want to flaunt what you’ve got. Bodycon and bandage dresses are your best friends. Consider a belt too, which will further accentuate your tiny waist.
You can also go for the classic pinup-style dresses that cinch at the waist and flare out at the bottom near the skirt. Look for clearly defined waistlines and hemlines that end above the knee.
Read next: How to revive and repurpose your little black dress
The pear shape
A pear-shaped body — aka the triangle body — carries weight in the lower half. You can balance that out by drawing attention to your slender shoulders and collarbones.
To do this, design aspects such as halter tops or sleeveless or strapless dresses are ideal. You can also use a plunging neckline and a statement necklace.
A second strategy is to accentuate your waist with a cinched dress or belt.
Apple shape
Apple shapes are most flattered by pieces that elongate the torso, add definition to the waist and draw attention to your legs. Achieve that balance with wrap-style dresses. Use an outer layer, like a blazer, to add structure to your top half.
Inspiration from your shape
Shopping is more fun when you understand your proportions and the style conventions that make the most of your shape. You’ll be more drawn to styles that look great on you and you’ll feel more confident in your clothes. And let’s be honest: Cocktail parties are way more interesting when you’re not second-guessing your outfit choices.