Pears...rejoice in your glorious hips and strong lower body curves.
The female body is hugely diverse. Amongst the many various body shapes that walk this earth is the pear shape.
Here, we’ll be looking at the pear-shaped body, offering some tips on how to dress to impress as a pear.
Let’s start by illustrating the key characteristics of the pear shape:
- Shoulders are always narrower than the hips when it comes to the pear shape
- Shoulders may also be quite sharply sloped and low
- Compact top half and bust
- Large hips mean a defined waist
- Plenty of lower body curves
- Full or strong legs
- Tend to put on weight around the hips and thighs first, followed by lower stomach
If your top half is also pretty pronounced then you’ll be leaning towards more of an hourglass figure. Your waist is generally more defined than the apple shape, but the apple shape also has a fuller bust combined with a fuller waist. Pears are narrower in the upper body.
If your body appears to be relatively straight and angular, then you might have a rectangular body. An XL bust combined with slim hips indicates an inverted triangle figure.
Pears are pretty easy to identify overall. The wide, curvy hips that taper off at the stomach and bust are the giveaway!
Famous Pear Body Types
Want to search for some celeb pear body types and quickly check out what they’re wearing? Here are some famous celebrity pear body shapes:
- Jennifer Lopez
- Beyonce
- Kim Kardashian - her hips are just too wide to be an hourglass!
- Rachel Bilson
- Beyonce
- Rihanna
You’ll certainly notice how some of these celebs use their powerful hip and bottom curves to good effect. Whilst Beyonce and Kim Kardashian are not petite pears, their super-wide hips still form the quintessential pear-like body curves.
Below is Beyonce's powerful pear shape. Her extra-wide pull her figure from an hourglass to a pear.
Those hips don’t lie!
The Main Ingredients of the Pear Body Shape
The pear shape has a challenge on its hands - do you want to emphasise the lower body for a bottom-heavy curvaceous figure or try and balance out your wide hips with more upper-body volume?
There’s nothing wrong with bottom-heavy body types - curves never go out of fashion anyway!
The main object of dressing the pear body shape is to add volume to the top half, accentuate the waist and let those curvy hips speak for themselves.
Here are some strategies for balancing out the pear shape:
- Bright upper body colours can balance out your wide hips
- Fitted, tight gripping clothes around the waist can accentuate your curves
- Don’t hide the waist, use slim belts to accentuate it
- Structured shoulders widen your upper body
- Fitted bottoms and looser tops can balance the body
- Defining the Curves of a Pear Body
- Beyonce and Kim Kardashian define how curvaceous the pear can be in their hips and waistline
Defining these curves can bring out the lower body and place that in focus. On the other hand, balancing out these curves with a fuller upper body can help equalise an outfit and make it look less bottom-heavy.
For pears with considerably smaller busts than hips, adding weight to the upper body is a good strategy.
Here’s how to define the curves of a pear-shaped body by adding volume to the top half:
- Want to pull more volume into your upper body? Use a good push-up bra and low necklines
- Keep clothes tighter around your curves and waist. Open tops can help widen the upper body
- Fitted and tailored jackets with wide shoulders can balance the chest with the hips
- If you want to reduce your hip size, keep things minimal and uncluttered, e.g. no large pockets
Tops for the Pear Body Shape
Necklines
Necklines for the pear shape should try and expand the chest and bust area.
Wide and short necklines can do the trick here. Narrow collars will generally slim the bust rather than expand it. Off-shoulder necklines have the same effect.
Square, bateau and Sabrina necklines are all great choices for widening the chest area to compensate for wide hips.
Big collars and rufflers are super choices for pear-shapes, adding immediate volume to the upper body.
Sleeves
Wider sleeves follow broadly the same principles of wide neck tops in that they add volume to the upper body.
Flutter, bell and batwing sleeves are 3 options that achieve precisely this, expanding the upper body to balance it out with the hips.
Anything that builds impact and volume around the shoulders is great, so shoulder pads, puffy shoulders and cap sleeves are all excellent choices.
When it comes to long sleeves, you might want to opt for tighter fitted sleeves if you want to emphasise both your top and bottom half. Minimal, plain sleeves can keep things focussed through the centre of your body.
T-Shirts and Shirts for the Pear Shape
Various types of fitted and nipped tops are excellent for the pear shape as they can accentuate the waistline.
Stripes and patterns have the capability of widening the upper body whilst also drawing attention to curves. Embellishments around the neckline add to this effect.
Cropped or otherwise short tops are good for dividing the top and bottom half with an accentuated waist in between the two. Longer tops will just draw attention to the hips, which is fine if you love your curves there but won’t have the same balancing effect as shorter tops.
Tucking in is a great shout for keeping the curve of your hips on show whilst adding volume above the waist.
Fitted shirts with pockets can also look super-smart on the pear body type.
Knitwear for the Pear Body Type
Knitwear for pear body shapes follows the same principles as shirts and t-shirts. Lower cuts ensure the waist is well separated from the hips. Jumpers and cardigans that hang loosely off the shoulders are a great choice here and can really define your upper body.
Stripes again are a good choice, both widening the upper body whilst accentuating your curves.
Shorter is better than too long, baggy jumpers that extend too low on the body, e.g. across the hips, may remove any definition from your upper body.
Chunky knits are a superb choice as they build that fullness in the upper body that can balance out your wide hips.
Jackets for the Pear Body Shape
You might have guessed that the general aim of a jacket for a pear shape is to bring volume to the bust and chest.
Trend Advice: Few jackets add more volume to the upper body than the puffer jacket, and they're very much in-trend right now according to Vogue.
Fitted and smart jackets or more casual blazers are superb for doing exactly that. Some retro styles with shoulder pads can accentuate the effect even more.
Below is a smart-casual jacket with a wide A-line. It accentuates the shoulder line whilst the mid-rise trousers accentuate lower body curves.
Pockets and pocket details are another way that jackets can bring out your upper body, balancing that with your hips.
By wearing a baggy jacket and tighter-fitting trousers or leggings, you can show off your lower body curves whilst keeping the focus of your outfit towards the top of your body.
Coats for the Pear Shape
Most coats are fair game for the pear shape. Belted coats and jackets provide the opportunity to accentuate the waist.
Bust-enhancing coats include thick trench coats and double-breasted coats. Wide, pointed shoulders are also great for expanding the chest.
In terms of length, somewhere above the thigh is fine. Shorter coats can be good when paired with tighter trousers which will accentuate your lower-body curves.
Puffer jackets will work the pear shape too.
Overly straight or boxy coats could make your pear shape more pronounced. Combine overly straight coats with a belt.
Bottoms for the Pear Body Type
Getting the general idea of dressing for the pear body type on your top half?
Let’s move onto the bottom half:
Trousers for the Pear Body Type
Trousers for the pear can really vary depending on what you want to do.
If you’ve got great hips and enjoy some bold curves there then you won’t want to take the emphasis off these.
The more you want to accentuate those hips, the tighter you go.
If you want to instead minimise your hips, you can opt for relaxed-fitting trousers with reasonably high waists. These will keep the emphasis on your waist rather than your hips.
Darker colours will again have the effect of minimising the hips. Dark trousers and bright tops will place your top half in focus. If you want to strut your hips then do the opposite - bright, tighter trousers will do the trick.
Jeans for the Pear Body Type
It’s a similar story with jeans.
The tighter the jeans, the more your curves will pop out. If that’s what you want to do then tighter fitted jeans with minimal pockets will work for you the best.
Bright denim and rips can further accentuate your lower body curves.
Trend Advice: Ultra-ripped jeans and flares are well-in trend right now according to Vogue.
If, however, you want to remove emphasis from your hips then relaxed fitted jeans are optimal.
Remember, darker colours on your bottoms and brighter up top will shift emphasis northwards.
Skirts for the Pear Body Type
If you want to keep your hips big and bold then tight-fitting skirts that pull around the legs are best. You’ll see Kim Kardashian wearing a lot of that sort of thing and they really make her hips pop out big time!
If you instead want to minimise your hips then the general aim is to wear a skirt that is wider at the bottom than at the top. Looser skirts that just skim the hips and then go straight down to a flowing, wide hem will shield your hips.
Panelled and A-line skirts are excellent if you want to lengthen your overall figure and take the emphasis off the hips.
Mid or high-waisted skirts really work the pear shape as they help accentuate the waistline.
Dresses for the Pear Body Type
Dresses provide a fantastic opportunity to highlight the waistline when worn with a belt.
If you want to deemphasise your hips then choose dresses that widen the lower they go. Ruffles around the chest will help define the upper body.
The dress below has full, voluminous sleeves and a pattern that balances the body.
A-line or X-line dresses can really balance out a pear-shaped figure.
If, however, you want to bring out the hips and show off your lower body curves then keep the dress tight around this area.
Any dress you choose should have a defined waist. This will help accentuate your upper body and lower body curves.
Shorts for the Pear Body Type
High-waisted shorts show off the waist whereas tighter fitted styles can show off your lower body curves.
Knee-length shorts can elongate your figure but you might find them counterproductive if you’re quite short.
Similar applies with shorts as with trousers - brighter colours bring out the hips. Darker colours conceal them.
Strong, full thighs can be a serious asset - Beyonce proves that. If you want to show off your thighs in short-shorts then that’s completely fine!
At the same time, elegant and simple tailored shorts that fit loose on the hips can offer a more balanced look.
Jumpsuits and Playsuits for the Pear Body Type
Jumpsuits are an excellent choice for the pear body type. They can add significant volume to the upper body.
Below is a great jumpsuit that adds upper body volume whilst retaining lower body curves.
Brighter upper-bodied jumpsuits with darker bottom halves will have that effect.
If you want to minimise the hips then loose-fitting jumpsuits are best. Strapless necklines widen the chest considerably.
Accessories for the Pear Body Shape
Accessories… they’re obviously important for every body type!
But, for the pear body shape, accessories can work wonders for your upper body.
Larger, statement necklaces can build volume and really bring out the enhancing qualities of wide necklines.
Equipping any outfit with a bold, patterned bag like this black rose bag from Gorjus London will embolden your curves and body.
Summary: Pear Body Shape
The pear body type has strong lower body curves. Balancing out the upper body is a good strategy.
By building volume up top, the pear can bring emphasis to both the top and bottom of their body.
The pear shouldn't be afraid to flaunt those strong hip curves - don’t hide them away!