Inverted Triangle Body Shape: A Comprehensive Guide

II. Styling the Inverted Triangle

The inverted triangle body shape is heavier on the top due to the wide shoulder line.

The goal for dressing this shape is to balance the broader shoulders, chest and back with the narrower lower body to create a balanced silhouette.

This is achieved by choosing clothes that add curves to the hips and bottom while creating a more defined waist and de-emphasising the upper body.

Soften the shoulder line

Reduce the wide appearance of your shoulders by playing them down and balancing them out with the narrower hips.

• Soften the broad shoulder line with soft, draping, and weighty fabrics
• Avoid wide necklines that broaden the shoulders and other strong shoulder details (eg shoulder pads)
• Steer clear of patterns on your tops and scarves around your neck and shoulders
• Keep your upper body clean and uncluttered

Create curves around your hips

Add volume and interest to your hips and bottom to make them look curvier and your shoulders smaller.

• Create the illusion of a waist with waist details
• Select clothes that add volume to the lower body to widen the hips
• Draw attention to your legs by wearing lighter, brighter colours or adding details
• Keep away from skinny and tight trousers as well as narrowing hemlines that visually reduce the lower body

III. Tops

Necklines

The right neckline for the inverted triangle body shape plays down the wide shoulders and/or bust.‍

Necklines should be slim and long to reduce the width of the upper body visually. Deep and narrow scoop, U-or V-necklines are great.

‍Asymmetric styles help break up the chest vertically. And if you have a small bust, halter necks can help elongate your silhouette.

‍Avoid wide and low necklines - such as off-shoulder, bateau, square, and Sabrina styles, that would add to the width of the shoulder line.

A selection of flattering necklines:

Sleeves

Like necklines, sleeves should make the upper body appear slimmer. If the sleeve is short, opt for tight-fitted, tapered sleeves to avoid adding weight to your shoulders. Dropped shoulder points, shoulder slits and cut-outs make the shoulders appear slimmer.

For long sleeves, the opposite is true: to add volume around your hips, opt for soft sleeves that flare- such as raglans, kimono, or dolman sleeves.

Choose wide straps over thin straps as the latter will make the shoulders look wider and bigger.

‍Avoid heavy detailing like buttons around the shoulders. Puff sleeves also draw the eye to the wide shoulders.

A selection of flattering sleeve styles:

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Shirts, T-Shirts & Other Tops

Shirts for the inverted triangle body shape should emphasise the waist and play down the upper body and broad shoulders. Simple straight lines, wrap-style tops, splits on the waist or layering on the hips are great.

To add volume to the hip area, look for shirts that flare from the waist to the hips to give the illusion of shape. Tops should extend past the hip line to take away attention from the shoulders.

Opt for shirts in darker colours than your bottoms and keep shirts collar-less or with very small collars to play down the upper body.

‍Avoid cropped shirts that end at the waist and details or embellishments around the upper body and shoulder area.

A selection of great shirt & top styles:

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Knitwear

Since knitwear tends to add volume to the upper body (especially chunkier, heavier styles), the best options for the inverted triangle body is straight-cut and slim-fitting jumpers with a fine gauge.

Avoid horizontal stripes and thick, chunky knitwear that adds bulk to the shoulders. And steer clear of details and embellishments around the décolletage, neckline and shoulders.

Jackets

Jackets for the inverted triangle shape should de-emphasise the shoulders and upper body whilst highlighting the waist.

‍The best options are either straight cuts or styles with waist definition and that flare out at the waist. Nipped or belted jackets with deconstructed, fluid lines flatter the silhouette.

‍Pockets or other details below the waist are great to add interest and volume to the hips. Opt for single-breasted jackets as double-breasted jackets would add too much volume to the upper body.

Jackets should extend beyond the hip line to balance out the wide shoulders. They are best in a darker colour for a slimming effect on the upper body.

‍Avoid double-breasted buttoning, big collars, shoulder pads and embellishments like epaulettes as they make your broad shoulders appear even broader. And steer clear of structured and tailored jackets as well as cropped jackets with slim-fitting bottoms.

A selection of flattering jacket styles:

Coats

Coats for the inverted triangle body shape should add volume around the hips and create a waist at the same time. To create volume around the hips and lower body, coats should flare at the hip line.

Details around the hip area are also excellent to add interest and volume to the hips.

‍Belted and nipped coats will give the illusion of a defined waist. Opt for darker coloured coats for a slimming effect.

‍Avoid details and embellishments on and around the shoulders - such as shoulder pads, big lapels, and double-breasted coats. If you opt for a trench coat, make sure it comes without epaulettes, which would draw attention to your shoulders. And steer clear of big collars that would add volume to your upper body.

A selection of great coat styles:

IV. Bottoms

Trousers

Any style that will accentuate and add volume to the bottom and leg line is great for the inverted triangle.

Baggy trousers, turn-ups, combat, palazzo, flares, culottes, wide legs, and harem pants are great examples.

Opt for trousers in bright or light colours to draw attention to your legs. And add lots of details - such as pockets, embellishments on the back or front pockets, patterns and prints, to add volume to the hips.

If you want to wear more slim-fitted trousers, opt for straight and cigarette-style trousers - they balance out your silhouette better than skinny fits.

A selection of flattering trouser styles:

Jeans

Jeans should add dimension to the bottom and hips to make the shoulders look narrower.

Any style flaring from the knee is great - such as bootleg, wide, boyfriend style, and baggy jeans to give the illusion of shape. Slim and straight fits are also okay as long as they have some sort of detail.

Jeans with details around the hip, bottom and thigh areas, such as back pockets, front pockets, various washes, rips, distress and embellishments, are excellent to draw the eye downward. Opt for jeans in lighter colours than your tops to further draw attention away from your shoulders.

‍Avoid skinny jeans, simple styles and darker colours that take attention away from your lower body.

A selection of flattering jean styles:

Skirts

Skirts should add volume to the hips and balance out the shoulders. Any type of skirt style that flares from the hips and/or adds visual width to the hips is best for an inverted triangle body shape. Straight, full, A-line, ballerina, bias-cut or tulip skirts are great. Tiered, volume or dropped waistlines also work well.

‍Details such as panels, box pleats or vertical lines at the top ending in a full skirt are good to add dimension and interest to the hip area.

Another way to draw attention to your lower body is by choosing skirts in bright colours, horizontal stripes and patterns. They should be lighter or brighter than your top.

Skirt lengths can be extreme, from very short and flared to long and flowing.

Avoid tight-fitted skirts that hug the hips and visually pull them in.

A selection of flattering skirt styles:

Dresses

The right dress for the inverted triangle body adds volume at the hips to balance your shoulders. To achieve this, look for dresses that flare from the waist or hips. Simple, straight lines, shift dresses and A-line styles are great.

‍Details on the lower part of the dress, such as patterns and pleats and lighter colours, will draw the eye downwards and away from the shoulders.

If you opt for nipped or belted dresses, you can also add some definition to your waist.

‍Strapless dresses are a great way of showing off your shoulders. But make sure you balance them out by adding volume to the hips.

‍Avoid dresses that emphasise the shoulder area and upper body - either through the wrong neckline or through details on the upper body. And steer clear of dresses fitted at the bottom, which don't add any volume to the hips.

A selection of flattering dress styles:

Shorts

Shorts for the inverted triangle body shape should add volume to the lower body and hips.

Great styles are wide, baggy and printed shorts. These will balance with the body's broader shoulders.

Shorts should have pleats and fuller legs to add width to the hips. Short jeans are great, especially if the legs are rolled up.

‍Avoid small and tight-fitted shorts in darker colours that would de-emphasise the hips and bottoms and make you look top-heavy.

A selection of great short styles:

Jumpsuits & Playsuits

Jumpsuits and playsuits are your best friends if you are an inverted triangle because your broad shoulders let the garments fall nicely down your silhouette. The only thing you need to make sure is to balance out the wide shoulders with the lower body.

‍This can be achieved by drawing the eye downwards and away from the shoulders. A deep V-neck, for instance, flatters the décolletage and minimises the bust. A defined waist and wider leg, on the other hand, will balance your silhouette, and details around the waist, such as a belt, will draw it in visually.

A pattern, details or a lighter colour on the lower body will also help take attention away from the upper body.

‍Avoid ruffles, embellishments and details on the upper body. And steer clear of tight-fitted trousers to avoid drawing attention to the broader shoulders.

A selection of flattering jumpsuit and playsuit styles: