Shoulder style secrets: How to dress narrow shoulders like a fashion pro
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Let the fashion juices flow with these tricks & tips for dressing narrow shoulders!
We all crave that ideal shoulder length that is almost equal to your hip width. But how many of us actually have this hourglass figure where our shoulders match the width of our hips?
Does that make us less beautiful?
Not at all!
There are so many women out there with petite, pear shaped body or some other body type who have this trait of narrow shoulders. Are you one of them? Since you are here, I would assume your answer to be a Yes.
As I have always said, choosing the right fashion that actually compliments your body type can always keep you ahead of others. There are so many fashion hacks and styling techniques that create the illusion of the body type we want. You just need to know what goes with your body type and what does not. The same applies to your narrow shoulders as well.
Your girl is once again here with an elaborate fashion guide. I will walk you through the nitty gritty of styling a body with narrow shoulders. In the next few minutes, you will get to learn about the different aspects of styling your narrow shoulders.
Sounds exciting enough?
Waste no more time and start scrolling to jump into the juicy details.
Styling Issues You Face Because of Having Narrow Shoulders!
We won’t be able to solve your problems if you are not aware of the problems in the first place. Let’s first understand the challenges of having narrow shoulders:
- No matter what size you wear, your tops just seem to be hanging onto your body.
- Your dresses and tops seem way too droopy.
- Bra straps refuse to stay at their place.
- Fabric will keep bunching near your shoulder, leading to an unkempt look.
- It seems impossible to wear Raglan sleeves.
- You look shorter because of your narrow shoulder.
- You look bottom-heavy.
- Unnecessary attention gets diverted to your midriff area.
What Can Be Done to Solve Your Narrow Shoulder Styling Issues?
- Create an illusion of wider shoulders.
- Garner attention towards your chest area.
- Make your bottom look less bulky.
- Strike a balance between your upper and lower torso.
17 Fashion Hacks on How to Style Narrow Shoulders!
1. Love those puff-sleeved tops and dresses? It’s time to add them to your closet!
If you just love those puff-sleeved dresses and tops, then I would say there’s absolutely no reason why you are not spending your money on these beauties!
Coz’ puff sleeves can add a much-needed boost to your narrow shoulders. You can easily go with the trend and manage to look fashionable by wearing outfits with puff sleeves.
These sleeves create the visual illusion of having wide shoulders. They do not make your body structure look droopy.
If you have been hesitant about whether or not voluminous sleeves will look flattering on you, take this as a sign, lady!
2. Look sweet and sexy with those off-the-shoulder tops!
To divert the attention away from your wide hips, the best and most stylish thing that you can do is to wear an off-the-shoulder top or dress. The neckline, in this case, rests around your arms while your shoulders seem naked. This not only shifts the focus to your shoulders but also makes them look broader than they actually are.
I have always emphasized horizontal stripes to make things look wider. The off-the-shoulder design is doing just that! It creates a horizontal line around your shoulders and arms, thereby creating a misconception of wider shoulders.
Now your upper torso will look balanced as compared to your lower torso, and that’s all we want!
3. Cap sleeves at your rescue!
Cap sleeves fit right onto your shoulders and then gradually taper down near your arms. The design got its name because of the small umbrella or cap-like structure that covers your shoulder and does not lay flat on your arms.
Cap-sleeved tops and dresses are a great choice for your narrow shoulders as they create the impression of having fuller, broader shoulders. This style, too, helps you strike the right balance between your shoulders and hip area.
4. Square necklines look more than perfect on your body type.
A square neckline looks quite flattering on your sloping shoulders.
The sharpness of this neckline widens the area near your chest. And this, in turn, make your shoulders look wider. So, get yourself tops and dresses with square necklines.
Other such styles that can suit your narrow shoulders really well are – scoop necks, boat necks, collared necks and V necks.
5. Say Yes to structured jackets.
You must add a few good-quality structured jackets to your wardrobe. Be it a blazer or a jacket made out of sturdy fabric, ensure that your jacket manages to hold up its shape. What you need is the look and feel of a professional suit.
The uptight appearance of these jackets defines your shoulders and makes them look broader than usual. In short, opt for structured jackets to avoid looking droopy.
6. Flutter sleeves can do the magic for you!
Want to add that much-desired feminine charm and elegance to your attire?
Worried about your narrow shoulders?
Here’s the hack of the year!
Wear flutter sleeves that add extra volume to your shoulder area.
The detailing they add to your shoulder is all you require to create that well-proportionate look.
7. Get rid of jackets that do not come with shoulder pads.
Go for jackets that come with natural shoulder pads. Jackets with padded shoulders instantly give a boost to your naturally sloping shoulders. However, steer clear of extreme shoulder pads that exaggerate your shoulders way too much.
8. Add horizontal details to your upper torso.
Want a balanced look with just your tops on? Try horizontal detailing on your outfit.
Look for horizontal lining, stripes and patterns on your tops/dresses. They add volume to your upper body and also create an illusion of an hourglass body type by striking the right balance with your lower torso.
9. Flaunt your shoulders
Babe! It’s time you start flaunting your bare shoulders to the world. When you show off your shoulders, they get all the attention and look wider than they actually are.
Your bare shoulders garner all the attention and shifts focus away from your hips.
Try experimenting with strapless tops and dresses, halter tops, cold shoulders and sleeveless outfits.
10. Avoid shapeless or asymmetric jackets and blazers.
Shapeless and asymmetric jackets and blazers can completely ruin your look. They do not hold up their shape because of flimsy fabric and shapeless silhouette. They cling to your body and bring focus to your narrow or sloped shoulders.
Avoid any shapeless jacket that is made of extremely lightweight fabric.
11. Wear pieces that come with shoulder accents.
Invest in dresses and tops that come with shoulder accents. These accents look quite unique and define your shoulders in the most aesthetic way possible.
So basically, these accents can be in the form of sequins, bows, and so on. The purpose of adding these accents to your top is to add a dimension to your shoulders.
12. Get rid of skinny shoulder straps.
If you have narrow shoulders, then babe, know that skinny straps are not your thing!
Wearing thin straps will highlight your sloping shoulders, thereby ruining the overall balance of your upper and lower torso.
Alternatively, you can go for dresses and tops with wide straps. These wider straps create a visual illusion of broad shoulders.
13. Steer clear of sloppy shoulder designs.
There are certain sleeves and shoulder patterns that can completely sabotage your fashion game. For instance, raglan sleeves, dolman sleeves, relaxed fit tops as well as drop shoulder tops are a few such styles that you must avoid at all costs as they are meant to minimize broad shoulders.
Of course, you can wear whatever you want to! However, we are discussing the best options for you, and these are definitely not the best ones.
Each of these sloppy designs will make you look droopy. So look for tops and dresses with well-defined seams which sit right on your shoulder.
14. Customize your existing outfits to cater to your narrow shoulder requirements.
Befriend a local, experienced tailor and get all your existing outfits customized as per your shoulder length. Your aim should be to make every outfit sit tight on your shoulder. Any outfit which seems loose on your shoulder needs to be altered. The right fit can create magic and make your shoulders seem broader.
15. Get yourself bras with a center pull mechanism!
Are you fed up with pushing your bra straps in? Do the straps keep sliding down all day?
Then most probably, you need new bras with the center pull system.
So, basically, these bras with a center pull system place the straps closer to your neck. Now check your regular bras. They have their straps at the edges of your shoulders.
Center-pull straps do not slide down, even if you have narrow shoulders. In fact, they offer ample support to your breasts by staying in the right place throughout the day.
16. Go light on top and dark at the bottom!
We need to make your lower half look slimmer. And the easiest trick to ace this look is to wear dark-colored bottoms. And to add volume to your top half, do the opposite. Wear light-colored tops so that your upper torso looks fuller and wider.
This is perhaps one of the easiest fashion tactics to gain an overall balanced look throughout your body shape.
17. Avoid skirts that are too fluffy.
Darling, you need to add volume to your shoulders and not to your bottom. No matter how much you love those fluffy, Barbie-style skirts, you, my dear, has to let go of them.
They will make your hip look bulky and heavy. And further affect the balance between your upper and lower torso.
So, I would recommend you go for fitted skirts that hug your curves, for example, pencil skirts.
Bottom Line on How to Dress Narrow Shoulders!
Babe! Having narrow or sloping shoulders is in no way the end of the world! In fact, it is easier to style narrow shoulders when compared to wide-shouldered body types.
Just follow the styling tips and hacks mentioned above, and you will look no less than a diva.
As I have always said, styling is 1% about trends and 99% about knowledge of your body type. You already know the pain points of styling narrower shoulders as well as the styling objectives to get that balanced look. Also, I have shared 17 hacks and tips to help you accomplish this balance in style.
Follow them and let me know about your fashion 2.0 experience!
I am all ears for you, my divas!
Will be back soon with another banger content piece.
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