Do you know your body shape? That’s the first step to knowing how to dress your body in the most flattering way. It may seem silly, but knowing your body shape and how to dress it makes shopping and getting dressed SO much easier. Today we’re tackling dresses for the inverted triangle body shape. But if you don’t know your body shape, make sure you check out this post first! So what is an inverted triangle body shape? To put it simply, it means your shoulders and bust are bigger than your hips and butt. Remember that every body is different and you can be an inverted triangle that also leans towards another body shape (like an hourglass, rectangle, or circle). The tips and dresses below work best for women with a true inverted triangle body shape. Choosing the right dresses can help you show off your best assets and silhouette in the most flattering way. So let’s dive in…
If you’re looking for tips on dressing a triangle body shape, check out this post instead!
10 Dresses for Inverted Triangle Body Shape
Veronica Beard Halter Neck Dress
This first dress is one Erin recently picked up and absolutely loves. And…it’s perfect for an inverted triangle body shape! The dress has a halter neckline, which helps soften the shoulder line. The vertical striped seersucker pattern is elongating and flattering throughout the body. And the fit-and-flare silhouette creates more volume around the waist and hips, which is a key styling tip for this body shape.
Disclaimer: Erin is NOT an inverted triangle body shape. She’s a rectangle body shape. But with her years of experience dressing women of all shapes and sizes, she knows her stuff and what works for the different body types. Just trust us…these dresses are great for the inverted body shape!
Spanx Black Wrap Dress
Next up is a dress style that’s universally flattering on all body shapes! Erin’s wearing a wrap-style dress by Spanx that’s a great addition to any woman’s wardrobe. The wrap front is super slimming and creates a waist, the v-neckline is elongating and softens the shoulders, and the slightly flared bottom creates volume at the hip area.
You’ll find more specific tips for dressing an inverted triangle body shape later on in the post but the big 3 to keep in mind that you’ll see throughout this post are #1) soften the shoulders, #2) add waist definition, and #3) add volume around the hips to balance out the upper body.
For even more details on this dress, make sure you check out this post next.
Spanx Black Shift Dress
Simple, straight, shift dresses are another great silhouette for inverted triangles. They skim the body and create a more streamlined, long line through the body. This shift dress is one that would work perfectly because of the flattering v-neckline and slimming straight silhouette. It also has wider straps, which actually make the shoulder look slimmer. Tiny, thin straps will have the opposite effect, making your shoulder look even wider.
Spanx Strapless Black Jumpsuit
We know this isn’t technically a dress, but we wanted to touch on strapless pieces. Strapless tops and dresses on an inverted triangle can be tricky because the neckline is straight across, which can make your shoulder and chest look wider. BUT if you balance it out with some volume on your bottom half and create some waist definition…it works! For example, this strapless jumpsuit has wide legs and Erin added a belt to cinch and define the waist.
Zella Racerback Midi Dress
We love this activewear dress by Zella! It’s super flattering and one of those easy pieces you can throw on during busy days running errands, for kids’ sporting events, and so much more. Another reason we love it?? It’s incredibly flattering. See how the straps kind of cheat in at the shoulder? That’s one of those small details that may not seem important but is actually a big difference-maker and SO helpful at softening broader shoulders. That combined with the flattering flared midi skirt makes this a great option for women with an inverted triangle body type.
Staud Wells Dress
Square necklines can be a bit controversial. Typically, you want to avoid wide necklines, but some sites say that a square neckline can actually make the upper body look slimmer. Based on our research we’ve come to the conclusion that it really just depends on the specific woman’s body and the dress itself. The Staud dress Erin’s wearing is one of her absolute favorites (she has it in 4 colors) so we wanted to share it as an option in case you love square necks too! This dress has thicker straps so you can wear a regular bra and a flattering A-line silhouette.
Staud Ahoy Dress
Next up is a halter dress by Staud that Erin took on a trip to Italy. The halter neckline softens the shoulders, the slightly flared silhouette works perfectly for an inverted triangle, and the white horizontal stripes on the bottom of the dress draw attention to the lower half. If you have an inverted triangle body shape, one of your goals should be to draw the eye down and away from your upper body. That’s why wearing prints or bright colors on your bottom half (not your top half) is such a great option!
Me+Em Black Asymmetrical Dress
An asymmetrical neckline helps break up the chest and shoulder vertically which creates the illusion of a smaller chest and slimmer shoulders. This black dress is a great example and you can see that Erin’s upper body looks slimmer than it does in other dresses we’ve featured. The asymmetrical detail combined with the A-line skirt creates the perfect, flattering dress!
Theory Pleated Skirt Dress
The last dress detail to look for is pleats…or any skirt detail that adds volume. This can include regular pleats, box pleats, prints, embellishments, tulip skirts, peplums, draping, etc. The dress Erin’s wearing has a beautiful pleated skirt that draws the eye down and adds more volume. The neckline of this exact dress isn’t the most flattering for an inverted triangle. But you can look for dresses with pleated skirts and a V, U, or scoop neckline too.
How To Dress Inverted Triangle Body Shape
#1) Choose Strategic Neckline
We’ve discussed throughout this post that choosing the right neckline is so important for helping to soften your shoulders and create the look of a smaller chest. Some of the best necklines for an inverted triangle body shape include V-necks, U-necks, scoop necks, necklines with draping fabrics, halter necks, and asymmetrical necks. Square necks are controversial but doable with the right dress. Opt for thicker straps over thinner straps. And it would be best if you avoided wide necklines like boat necks, portrait necks, and off-the-shoulder necklines.
#2) Pay Attention to Sleeves
Choosing the right sleeves is equally as important. As much as Erin loves a puff shoulder, it’s not a great choice for inverted triangle shapes if you’re trying to soften the shoulders. Puff shoulders, shoulder pads, strong shoulders, and embellishments around the shoulders will make your shoulders look larger, which isn’t the goal! Sleeves and details that work include shoulder slits, cutouts, dropped shoulders, wide straps, dolman sleeves, kimono sleeves, raglan sleeves, and looser-fitting sleeves. By the way, all of these rules apply to tops for the inverted triangle body shape too!
#3) Add Volume to Your Lower Body
Adding volume to your lower body creates that balance we’re seeking. Consider fit-and-flare and A-line silhouettes to create lots of volume. Avoid a super-fitted or tight silhouette. The same goes for wearing other bottoms like skirts, jeans, and pants. Avoid fitted skirts, skinny jeans, and tapered pants.
Another way to add volume to your lower half is with prints and colors. Wearing prints on your bottom half with balance the body and draw the eye down. You can try vertical stripes on your upper body but it’s best to stick to solid, dark colors on your top half.
#4) Add Waist Definition
Last but not least…add waist definition! Dresses with waist-defining panels, ruching, twisting, wrap-fronts, or other waist-defining details are flattering on ALL body shapes! You can also add a belt to pretty much any dress to cinch the waist and get the look you want.
So, do you know your body shape? Or are you still struggling with the idea? Leave a comment and let us know how we can help!
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