Find the Perfect Party Dress

Know Your Body Shape

The most important thing when looking for a dress is to ‘Know Your Body Shape’. Once you work out whether you have an Apple, Pear, Hourglass, Boyish or Top Heavy figure, just follow a few simple rules and you’ll soon find the ideal dress for this party season.

Which one of these shapes sounds like you?

Celebrity Body Shapes

Apple: Elizabeth Hurley / Slim Apple: Angelina Jolie
Pear: Lily Allen, Eva Mendes, Rihanna
Hourglass: Charlotte Church, Scarlett Johansson, Dita Von Teese, Salma Hayek
Boyish: Keira Knightley, Cameron Diaz, Trinny Woodall, GwynnethPaltrow
Top Heavy: Renee Zellweger, Demi Moore

It doesn’t have to be black.

Although this is the Little Black Dress Guide to party dressing, we don’t want you thinking that you have to wear black, why not break the mould, be daring and wear colour with confidence?

Red: Wearing a red dress really makes a statement. Red looks gorgeous on most women whether dark, brunette, blonde or red-head? Wearing red is all about self-confidence.

Navy: A classic alternative to black. A navy dress is softer than black, it is sophisticated and classy, working particularly well with sparkles and diamonds.

Gold/Silver: Dare to be different and choose a metallic hue. Blondes look fabulous in gold, with brunettes shimmering in silver. Come on girls, it’s time to shine!

Purple: A deep purple gown has a touch of Hollywood glamour. Suiting almost any skin tone and hair colour, find yourself a purple dress and stand out from the crowd.

Grey: A beautiful grey dress oozes style and class. Blondes look great in dove grey but make sure it’s not too pale.

Green: If you want to try something really different, why not try Emerald or Jade green? Stunning, especially if you have green eyes?

Pink: A daring choice and one that needs to be considered carefully. Too pink and you’ll end up looking like Barbie! Dusky pink has the potential to look beautiful or you could really make an entrance in a deep and daring cerise. 

APPLE

All you Apples out there might be feeling like you are destined never to find the right style when it comes to party dresses, especially if you are carrying a few more pounds around the tummy area than you’d like.
Fear not, you have a bust and legs to die for and you need to draw attention to these assets but remember not to overexpose them!
The golden rule of party dressing:
It’s either cleavage or legs, but never both.

• Use your dress to make a waist.
• Wrap dresses fit nicely over a fuller bust and a side tie will take attention away from your stomach.
• A-line dresses work well, especially with a structured waistband.
Underwear: Body control underwear can help Apples define a waist
Accessories: Drop ear-rings emphasise a slim neck and chunky bangles draw attention away from the stomach. The bigger the bangle, the thinner your wrists appear. Wide belts can add even more definition to the midriff.
 
PEAR

You pretty Pears possess the classic feminine silhouette, although you may sometimes feel a little bit ‘bottom heavy’.
Your aim is to show off your slim top half while your bottom half fades into the background. 
• Strapless dresses are ideal for pear shapes: a strapless maxi with a nipped in waist and flared skirt is perfect. 
• Embellished spaghetti straps dripping with sequins and crystals look fantastic, the more eye-catching the better.
• Halternecks work well as they really help balance out the body. Try to find one with embellishment down the front and a plunging neckline.
• Waisted dresses look good, especially 1950s style prom dresses with a cinched-in waist.
Underwear: A padded push up bra is a Pear’s best friend.
Accessories: Big necklaces draw the attention to the top half of the body as do statement ear-rings. Small clutch – be careful as you hold your bag at your widest part, your hips, so you don’t want people focussing here.

HOURGLASS

You lucky Hourglasses. You are curvy, womanly, with the ideal female figure, made famous by screen sirens such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor.
Wear your figure hugging, curve conscious clothes with confidence. You have an amazing figure and a tiny waist – this should be the focus of your dress.
• Puff or cap sleeves work really well for hourglass figures, making your waist appear even smaller.
• Choose a dress with a tulip or pencil style skirt
• For those who could do with toning up the wobbly bits, use draping detail, especially if it drapes to the waist.
Underwear: Support underwear helps create a smooth silhouette and a flatter stomach.
Accessories: Less is definitely more for Hourglass girls, keep accessories to a minimum and keep your bag small.

 
BOYISH

You boyish girls have a slender, athletic figure but sometimes suffer from being too ‘straight up and down’. This lack of curves can be easily rectified with a bit of clever dressing. It’s all about feminising your figure and creating volume in all the right places.
• Frills, pleats and ruffles are great for creating the illusion of curves.
• Draping creates volume if used cleverly. A cowl neckline that drapes over the bust works really well.
• Stay away from bold prints; keep any pattern to a minimum.
• Given your great legs, you can wear short dresses. Look for a dress with a cinched-in waist.
Underwear:  A push up bra and bum lifter underwear helps create curves.
Accessories: Wear chunky statement necklaces to detract from a small bust. A bigger clutch bag can give volume at the hips.

TOP HEAVY / INVERTED TRIANGLE

If you are Top Heavy, you need to focus on the lower half of your body and add volume at your hips to balance out your body. You have a wonderful flat stomach, small hips and great legs – emphasise these assets.
• Classic tailoring works well for Top Heavy girls. Think Roland Mouret. 
• Asymmetric dresses look great on top heavy girls, especially with draping to the hip.
• If you’ve got good boobs, a wrap dress can look fantastic.
• Tulip skirts add volume at the hips, whilst still showing off your legs.
Underwear: Steer clear of padded or push-up bras but invest in some great bum lifter underwear.
Accessories: Top Heavy figures can pull off big, bulky bangles and belts but should avoid ear-rings. Necklaces only work if they are worn long to the navel. Shoes are important for Top Heavy girls, attracting attention to your thinnest part … your gorgeous ankles and slim legs. A large clutch bag balances out the body.