Self-image is the mental picture that a person has about his/her selves. A female needs to have a clear picture of herself to help her dress confidently. The major component that promotes confident dressing is knowing about one’s body shape.
A female figure is the cumulative product of a woman’s skeletal structure and the quantity and distribution of muscle and fat in the body. The body shape is also a physical trait and thus ranges in a wide variety of normality. Female figures are typically narrower at the waist than at the bust and hips. The ratio of their circumferences is used to define basic body shapes. One size never fits all when it comes to fashion.
A dress that would look flawless on a particular person/body type can turn out to be a complete disaster for another. Therefore, understanding your body and dressing accordingly helps to promote confidence.
The most common female body shapes are:-
- Rectangle figure
- Pear figure
- Apple figure
- Athletic or wedge figure
- Hourglass figure
Rectangle Figure:
The rectangular body shape is characterised by an equal bust, waist, and hip dimensions, so the rectangular shape is often referred to as a ruler or straight shape. It is also called an athletic body type because it is often slim and tall. They are especially muscular and have no curves.
Pear figure:
The pear’s body shape is heavy on the lower side and is out of balance with the upper body. The key to shaping this figure is to draw attention to the waist, which is defined as the torso, rather than the wider waist.
Apple figure:
The apple-shaped body is often associated with an oversized shape. The apple-shaped body has maximum shoulder, chest and hip measurements, and the hips are slightly smaller or the same size.
Athletic or wedge figure:
This body shape features a broad chest and wide shoulders which are large in proportion to a narrow waist and hips. It is also known as an inverted triangle.
Hourglass figure:
In hourglass figures, shoulders and hips are similar in proportion and set off by a tiny waist.
Impact of the ageing process and hormones on female bodies
The ageing process has also an inevitable impact on a female’s body shape. The female sex hormone (Estrogen) levels will affect the distribution in her body. Before puberty females have a similar waist-hip ratio as males. At puberty, Estrogen starts to release, which promotes breast development and a wider pelvis, and until menopause women’s Estrogen levels will cause her body to store excess fat in the buttocks, hips and thighs.
During and after pregnancy, a woman experiences several body shape changes. After menopause, the reduced production of estrogen by the ovaries, there is a tendency for fat to redistribute from a female’s buttocks, hips, and thighs to her waist or abdomen.
Select clothes according to human skin tones
Human skin colour ranges in variety from the darkest brown to the lightest hues. It is the result of genetics, genetic makeup and exposure to the sun. All colours (clothing or accessories) are not suitable for all skin shades, thus it is important to dress accordingly.
Indian skin tones are very different from European skin tones. They have more peach and red shades whereas Indians have shades of brown. It is very recently, that the make-up industry has started to cater to the needs of Indian women by offering products’ colour palettes specific to their skin colour.
For clothing, which is a very pivotal industry, very few brands have catered to the specific requirements of women, considering their body shape.
There is a growing market and demand for fashion according to Indian body types and skin tones. Learn more about the Indian fashion standards, body types, skin tones and Indian fabrics, tastes, designs, textures, and fabrics at the Faculty of Fashion & Design, SGT University, Gurugram, which ranks among the top colleges for fashion & design courses in India.
Faculty of Fashion & Design, SGT University – Best fashion designing college in Delhi NCR
The Faculty of Fashion & Design, SGT University, Gurugram is one of the top colleges for fashion and designing in Delhi NCR. The faculty offers Bachelor of Design, Master of Design and MBA in Fashion Management courses. The courses are designed in consultation with industry partners and focus on hands-on practical exposure.
The Faculty of Fashion & Design also has an in-house fashion brand – #Designforlife, where students can create and showcase their clothing and lifestyle products. State-of-the-art, in-house laboratories like Computer-Aided Lab, Illustration Lab, Fashion Photography Lab, etc., provides unmatched exposure and training for the students.