Beyonce Knowles (left) and Salma Hayek (right) are the classic examples of having the perfect hourglass figures.

So, if you don’t have the right assets, does it mean you cannot achieve the ultimate female body form?  Absolutely not.  You just need to know a few tricks to balance your body and you will look fabulous and sexy in any outfit that you wear.  You do not need to be a size 2 to look smoking hot.  It all comes down to how you wear your clothes and the confidence that comes with it.

Flatter Your Body Shape is a series discussing ways to enhance your body type.  Each post will talk about one specific body shape and how you can flatter your figures by using some simple tricks.

The pear shape is the most popular body type in America – smaller bust in comparison to your hip.  In order to balance out your lower half, you need to increase your bust.  This doesn’t mean you have to make an appointment with a plastic surgeon to make it happen.  There are ways to enhance your bust without making physical changes to your body.

Kelly Clarkson (left) and Alicia Keys (right) are embracing their pear shape bodies.

Yesterday I had a fitting with a model for an upcoming photo shoot.  She has a smaller chest but a fuller hip – the classic pear shape.  When I told her that it will look better if we enhance her bust by stuffing, she gave me a funny look and thought I was crazy especially the part where I said that we can use paper towels to do the trick.  But once we tried it, she was surprised how natural it looked by simply using paper towels!

You can purchase gel inserts at the stores like Target or Nordstrom but you can always use paper towels or cotton clothes.  Just mold them into the right shapes so they will sit right on the sides inside your bras so they will push your breasts towards the center.  Don’t put them directly in the front of your breasts or directly underneath.  They should sit on the sides.  The shape should resemble a large curved flower petal and not like a tennis ball.  The thickness of the shape depends on how much you need to enhance.  Ideally, you can get to a C cup and still look natural.  Try it next time in front of the mirror while wearing your favorite outfit until the final result looks right.

Left:  Beautiful You Breast Enhancers at Target $12.99

Right:  Push Up Gel Pads at Nordstrom $38

Another option is to wear clothes that have more details at the chest and neckline area.  Ruffles, bows, flowers, and beadings create interests and the illusion that your bust is larger.  So do deep scoop, V-neck, and halter necklines.  Empire top is also a very figure flattering silhouette.  If you cover up too much of your chest, it will only make it more noticeable that your bust is small.  A little cleavage goes a long way.

Try these tops.  Left:  DVF Ruffle Top, ShopBop.com; right:  Free People Empire V Top, ShopBop.com, $88

Because your hip is wider than your bust, one common mistake that women make is to wear tightly fitted bottoms.  Avoid skirts, shorts, pants, and jeans that are clingy and tight.  They will only exaggerate the broadness of your hip.  Your best friends should be straight leg and boot cut pants and jeans as well as full and A-line skirts.  You may wear skinny jeans and pencil skirts if you can wear tops or add gel inserts that will enhance your bust so you’re drawing everyone’s eyes towards the top and deemphasize your bottom.

Left: Beaded scoop neckline along with a flowy full skirt is the best combination for your pear shape - 3.1 Phillip Lim Spring 2010.

Right:  Pencil skirt works if you are wearing a fuller top.  In this case, America Ferrera is doing everything right by wearing a dress with full circle sleeves so they draw your eyes upward and offset her bottom half.  The V-neckline and empire waist elongate her body and makes her bust look fuller and more feminine.  She looks absolutely stunning!

Color is another very important factor when it comes to flattering your pear figure.  Darker shades do make your body look more slimming but if you wear one dark shade, like black, head to toe, it actually makes you look dull.  Instead, you should try wearing a lighter color top and a darker color bottom to create the best combination.  So, if you are wearing a LBD (little black dress,) you can wear a light blue jacket or cardigan to contrast.  The black skirt will slim your bottom half while the light blue jacket or cardigan diverges your audience’s eyes to the top especially if you pair your outfit with a fun statement necklace.  Sneaky, isn’t it?

Pair a little black dress with a light color jacket so your audience’s eyes will go upward while the darker color skirt slims your hip.

To further create an hourglass figure, add a 1.5” – 2” belt at the waist whenever possible.  Your belt will create a nice horizontal line and make your waist look smaller. The best way to do this is to create a color contrast.  So, if you are wearing a light color top, try pairing that with a darker shade belt and vice versa.  Not only are belts useful to flatter your figure, they are a low budget way to spice up your wardrobe.  Belts are no longer just functional like they used to be, but they are accessories like your jewelries now.  You can get multiple styles and colors to match your outfits.  You can belt your tunics, button down shirts, dresses, and even jackets and sweaters!

Use a 1.5″ or 2″ belt contrasting belt to create the perfect hourglass figure – Crinkle shirtdress, Banana Republic.

Featured – from Left:  Halle Berry, Amy Adams, and Cameron Diaz

The Perfect Bra

You don’t think about it but what you wear inside is sometimes more important than what you wear outside.  The right bra can really take you the distance.  Lift up the twins and create a sexy cleavage.  Push-up bras are my favorites because if you don’t have the cleavage, you can always fake it.  Depending on the dress itself, the bra that you use will need to work well with the neckline of the dress.  You don’t want the bra to peek out.  If you are not sure, take the dress with you so when you shop for the bra and try them on together.

Left:  Jennifer Aniston – Perfect cleavage with the right support

Right: Versatile and sexy; try the Plunge Multi-way Bra with Gel-Curve, Victoria’s Secret, $50 – 53

The Perfect Body Shaper

Every woman should own at least one good body shaper.  For most occasions, you can use body shapers like Spanx.  They will offer you enough support along with smooth lines when you wear your evening or cocktail dress.  But if you plan to use it for your wedding, you should purchase one that is strapless with bonings.  A shaper with bonings will ensure that it doesn’t roll down your body.  A nude color is better than white because some times white undergarments can show throw white or light color dresses.  Shapers come in many different styles.  Some only support your torso while others support your glute and thighs.  Everyone should at least have a full body shaper that combines the bra and torso support in one.  A good body shaper can be pricy but it is well worth the money.  You can wear it under any dresses and it is not something that you need to purchase often.

Beyonce Knowles has the perfect body support – smooth lines and a flat tummy.

Left:  SPANX “Hi-Rise” Body Smoother, Nordstrom, $68

Right:  If you want the best support, try a strapless body shaper with boning.  Jezebel Caress Bustier, Ella Park Bridal, $56.99

The Perfect Heels

Once you have the perfect dress, the perfect bra, and the perfect body shaper, you should also have the perfect heels.  Depending on your comfort level, you should always have a pair of heels that will work for all type of dresses.  From my experience, a 2.5” to 3” black or nude heels are the best but any neutral color heels are great investments too.  They will elongate your legs and force you to stand up tall.  Whenever I wear heels, I will get a boost of confidence to anything that I wear.  If you are not used to wearing heels, start with 2” and slowly work up to 3”.  Although 4” plus heels look very alluring, they are usually not comfortable and can cause problems for your feet.  I am guilty of owning a few 4” plus heels but I only take them out for a walk once in a while.  Well, it’s hard to resist their charm.

Left:  Taylor Swift and Lisa Rinna wearing the perfect sexy high heels.

Right:  Try the 3″ peep toe pumps –  Pippa Patent Peep Toes, J.Crew, $198