How To Dress Broad Shoulders: Spilling 19 Biggest Styling Secrets!

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Let’s turn your broad shoulders into a fashion statement!

Although we have reached Mars and beyond, society still judges women based on their body structure.

Prominent Bust? Oh, you look voluptuous! Small bust? You are not feminine enough! Big hips? You look enticing. Small hips? You are not attractive enough.

Broad shoulders? You are too manly! Small shoulders? Maybe you should work out more! Small waist? You are too thin. Waist with love handles? You are fat!

I mean, just look at their words – contradictory AF! They will never be satisfied, no matter what we wear, eat, or do!

So, here I am repeating once again for ya’ll beauties that you, my dear, are queens of your own world. Pay no heed to naysayers and embrace your body type with open arms.

To slay it in style, you just need the knowledge of your body type, and voila, you can style yourself just like those red-carpet celebs.

And whose gonna guide you with your problem areas, you ask? Your girl has got your back!

And I am here to help you with fashion hacks and tips that these Hollywood A-listers follow so that your wide shoulders become your biggest asset. But first, gather all the high-standard attitude you can, because that’s the first step!

Don’t believe me? Celebs like Cameron Diaz, Priyanka Chopra and Meghan Markle have wide shoulders. They walk chin-high with their broader shoulders like there’s no tomorrow! Such is their grace and confidence!

Wanna know more? Start reading!

How to Know If You Have Wide Shoulders?

Before you start with the styling tips, let’s first understand whether or not you have broad shoulders. Here’s how to find out!

Babe, you have wide shoulders if:

Your shoulders look broader than your waist and lower body.
Your hips are smaller as compared to your shoulders.
You have a V-shaped body structure.
Your waistline is not well-defined as compared to your shoulder blades.

10 Stunning Outfit Ideas That Go Well With Your Broad Shoulders

Now that you are sure about your broad shoulders, let’s work on fashion styling that looks flattering on your body type and accentuates your best assets. Here we go!

1. Cowl neck tops and dresses

There’s something extraordinarily elegant about cowl necklines! Apart from the fact that they divert the attention away from your shoulders towards your bust, cowl neck tops and dresses add to this luxe vibe as well.

Wearing such tops and dresses will create an optical illusion, and your shoulders will look narrower and more balanced.

And did I mention that cowl necklines add to your sex appeal, that too, without any skin show?

2. Dresses with an A-line silhouette

If you have broad shoulders, then the A-line dress style is the best choice for you. Because it looks well-fitted near the bust and waist and gradually flares out, just like the English alphabet A, giving a lot of volume to the bottom half and magically creating the right balance between your upper and lower torso.

Also, what I love the most about this silhouette is that it lets you flaunt your appealing curves.

3. Asymmetrical neckline

Tops and dresses with asymmetrical necklines will look so flattering on you. It simply creates a visual illusion because of which the focus is diverted away from your broader shoulders. Also, this neckline looks super luxe and elegant. Besides, the unpredictability of the design creates a sort of balanced look for your body frame.

4. Tops and dresses with kimono sleeves

So, a kimono is basically the traditional attire of the Japanese people. These dresses are loose-fitted, much like our very own ponchos.

Tops and dresses with kimono sleeves can conceal your wide shoulders and create this billowed look. The focus diverts away from your shoulders instantly because of the stunning pattern of the kimono sleeves.

5. V neck dresses

Next time you go shopping, do not forget to hoard tops and dresses with v-neckline. They look amazingly well on an inverted triangle body shape as the neckline draws your attention vertically down towards the bust area. It narrows down your shoulders and creates the much-needed balanced look.

Also, V-necklines are great for flaunting your cleavage in an elegant manner. Other than V, you can also opt for scoop necklines that basically do the same thing.

6. Peplum tops and dresses

Make peplum tops and dresses your BFFs. The flares at the waistline or the pleats near the ribs create a visual appeal. Because of this, your prominent shoulders get overshadowed, creating balance between the upper and lower half of the body. The lower torso garners all the attention, thereby creating an illusion of structured shoulders and a perfectly proportioned body frame.

I personally love the girly vibe of these peplum tops/dresses and have quite a few in my collection. Go grab yours now!

7. Halter neck tops and dresses

Contrary to popular belief, certain styles like halter necklines can actually look sophisticated and elegant on broad shoulders. The design of the halter neckline is such that it divides your shoulders symmetrically and creates an illusion of a narrow shoulder area.

8. Fit and flare dresses

Fit and flare dresses are a great choice for broad-shouldered ladies because of their unique silhouette and fitted look near the bust and waist, which gradually flares till the hemline creating a well-proportioned look. The flares below the waist compliment your broad shoulders.

9 dressing tips to Follow If You Have broad Shoulder:

1. Avoid shoulder pads strictly

How to Dress Broad Shoulders: Spilling 19 Biggest Styling Secrets

Tops, jackets, blazers and dresses with padded shoulders can be a HUGE turn-off for your body type. They highlight your already broader shoulders and create a disproportionate look. So, as a basic rule of thumb, avoid padded shoulders at all costs.

2. Say NO to shoulder details

Tops and dresses with shoulder details are a big No. The purpose of those details is to garner attention to your shoulders. And you definitely do not want that,

3. Forget spaghetti tops

Tops with spaghetti straps can completely sabotage your fashion game if you are a wide-shouldered hottie. Instead of spaghetti tops, I suggest you go for tank tops with thick straps. Just like halter necklines, wide-strapped tank tops cut your shoulders in halves and create an illusion of narrow shoulders.

4. Steer clear of baggy dresses for broad shoulders

Baggy dresses add volume to your already broad upper body. Also, they create this imbalanced look which you absolutely do not want. So instead of wearing baggy dresses, opt for fit and flare ones and dresses with an A-line silhouette.

5. Avoid voluminous sleeves on the shoulder

As said, the main goal is to take attention away from the upper body and add volume to the lower torso. So when dressing broad shoulders, voluminous sleeves like ruffles, puffy sleeves or any such dramatic sleeve style is a BIG no-no.

Instead, raglan sleeves, long sleeves, cap sleeves or Dolman patterns work amazingly well to minimize broad shoulders.

If you are too keen to add ruffles or volume to your outfits, below your waistline.

5. Ditch any horizontal stripes

No matter how much you love them, horizontal stripes are the major culprit for making things look bigger than they are. So you must always keep them away from the features you want to disguise, like belly bulges or broad shoulders, as in this case.

6. Balance out strapless necklines with flared bottoms

In an ideal scenario, you should probably avoid any neckline that highlights your shoulder area. But that is too damn sexy to avoid, isn’t it?

So whenever you want to wear such tops or dresses for broad shoulders, just make sure you balance it out with flared, bootcut jeans, wide leg pants or A line skirts, or anything that adds volume to your bottom half. It’ll create a balanced silhouette and give off a sweet hourglass figure illusion.

Another way to make this work is to wear patterned pants to distract the eye from upper body and bring attention to your lower torso.

7. Define your waistline

Cinch in your waist so that your waistline looks more well-defined. It’s because having a narrow waist draws all the attention to your mid-riff and creates a visual illusion of an hourglass body type. Wrap dresses, belted dresses, wide belts, etc., are a great way to draw attention away from your broad shoulders.

8. Mix and match dark tops with light bottoms

To get that slimming effect, I would suggest you put on dark-colored tops. For instance, a black top paired with a light-colored bottom will make your upper half look narrower. Experiment with this dark-light color combination until you crack the best color combo which works for you.

9. Flaunt long necklaces that reach beyond your bust

Accessories play a significant role in impacting your overall appearance. If you can just get your accessories to play right, no one can stop you from looking like a diva.

For instance, get yourself a long necklace that hangs beyond your bust area. This creates a vertical illusion and the attention shifts from your shoulders to your bust & midriff.

10. Opt for shrugs, cardigans & jackets for that slimming, elongated effect

Layering is yet another technique that elegantly balances out your wide shoulders. In summer, you can flaunt those lightweight shrugs to conceal your broad shoulders.

On the other hand, make your winters cozier and snuggly by layering your tops and dresses with jackets and cardigans. They will not just keep you warm but also help overshadow the prominence of your broad shoulders.

How to dress broad shoulders In a Nutshell

Darling! Your body is the most beautiful gift that you have got from the Almighty. It cannot be flawed in any way. You, my dear, are simply gorgeous. And your size, complexion, height, etc. do not matter.

Next time you set out on a shopping spree, keep this article handy. And shop smartly, keeping in mind the sleeves, necklines, silhouettes, patterns and colors. This will save you from those relentless trial room woes.

If you still have some queries, drop your comments below. I will become your personal stylist and solve your doubts as soon as possible.

Until next time! xo

How to Dress Broad Shoulders: Spilling 19 Biggest Styling Secrets

Let’s turn your broad shoulders into a fashion statement!

How to Know If You Have Wide Shoulders?