How to Select Fabric, Texture, Print & Patterns to Complement Your Body

When it comes to creating a look that complements your body and illuminates your signature style, it’s important to understand the style elements and details of a garment. Understanding aspects of a garment’s style like fabric, texture, prints and patterns, as well as their combination, can help you recognize:

• When an outfit looks pulled together.
• What specific look is best for your body.
• How to show off your best features.

In this post we’ll help you understand how to select the perfect garment fabric, textures, prints and patterns to make sure you feel and look fabulous!

The Ultimate Guidelines to Fabric Textures & Patterns

Fabric can be smooth, dull, shinny, rough, delicate, scratchy, rough, soft, etc. There are two main ways to understand a fabric’s texture:

• How does the garment feel?
• How does the garment appear to feel?

When selecting a garment texture for your body, here’s what you can expect:

Increase Size

If a garment is fuzzy, loopy or shaggy it is considered thick and bulky. It will add weight.

Conceal Body Features

Stiff, crisp textures can stand away from the body giving more size, but they can also conceal features that are not desirable to you.

Reveal Features

Clingy, soft, and silky fabric will illuminate the body’s silhouette.

Decrease Size

Flat and smooth textures help to decrease areas that have more weight and size.

Add Weight

Shiny texture reflects light. This is a great texture for emphasizing body curves, or adding weight and size.

Decrease Size

Dull and mute surfaces will absorb light and decrease size.

When it comes to choosing a pattern there are four main genres: naturalistic, stylized, geometric, or abstract. Let’s take a look at your body shape and determine which one is right for you.

Get Clear On Your Body Shape

Determining and understanding your unique body shape is the primary step to creating good style. Clothing elements and details must be arranged in a combination that enhances, illuminates, and works with your particular body shape.

Ask yourself: what is my silhouette?

• Oval/Apple
• Triangular/Pear
• Inverted Triangular
• Hourglass
• Rectangle
• Diamond

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?The Best Fabric, Prints & Patterns for Apple Shapes

?Apple body types are more rounded. A nice slimming effect can be found by opting for subtle prints, vertical stripes, and tiny polka dots or flowers. However, overly busy prints and horizontal stripes can give the impression of more mass.

When it comes to fabric, remember that shiny and clingy fabrics can draw attention to problem areas. Fabrics like satin, spandex, chiffon, and rayon will typically lack stretchiness.?

?On the other hand, fabrics that skim your body and give you plenty of room are cotton, wool, and viscose.

The Best Fabric, Prints, & Patterns for Pear Shapes

Wearing bold prints and patterns on the upper half and smaller patterns on the lower half, will help to create balance for this body shape. However, an all-over print should be avoided as it will draw attention to the lower half of the body and throw the eye off balance.?

Pear body shapes have a smaller upper body, and a curvy bottom. Overly heavy fabrics like leather, chunky knits and wool will add bulk to a lower area, so remember to wear them only on the upper region. In general, jersey, cotton, polyester, and viscose will work well for this body type as these fabrics flatter the pear shape.?

The Best Fabric, Prints, & Patterns for Hourglass Shapes

While an hourglass body shape is curvy, it also has the benefit of naturally having balance. Therefore, it’s up to you which body parts you most want to enhance. Mostly all prints and patterns work for this shape, but keep in mind that busier patterns add more bulk and give the appearance of a larger mass.

Hourglass body shapes do best with form fitting fabrics. The key here is to highlight the curves, so spandex, matte jersey, leather, and cotton will almost always do the trick. Fabrics that are heavy or bulky can overwhelm the upper half and should be used sparingly.?

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The Best Fabric, Prints, & Patterns for Rectangle Shapes

?The rectangle body shape is a classically boyish figure. The goal here is to create curves! Prints and patterns should make the body appear curvier. Bold prints and patterns without curves won’t break up the silhouette and are a great option.?

For fabrics, bulky materials like wool, leather, or heavy fabric don’t hug the body very well and will not create curves. However, materials that skim the outline of the body like silk, spandex, or cotton will outline the shape and give the appearance of curves. The goal is to create a waistline, curvy rear, hips and thighs. The rule of thumb? The tighter the better!

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