Do you have thick thighs and heavy hips?  Is your waist well-defined but your stomach a little flabby?  Does your upper body appear smaller in proportion than the rest of you and are your hips generally wider than your shoulders?   If this is you, then you have a pear-shaped figure.   Unfortunately, no amount of dieting or exercise will change your basic body shape or the fact that weight generally goes onto your hips and thighs but off your torso!

To dress and look your best you have to aim to balance your top and bottom halves by accentuating your bust and minimizing your bottom and hips.  Any floral pattern or horizontal stripes are great to draw attention to your top half but you should always wear plain colours below your waist.

Jackets should be tailored to finish either above or below the widest point of your hips and bottom.  Buy your jackets to fit your shoulders not your hips, after all, you can always leave the bottom button undone!  Detailing on collars and pockets is recommended as are double-breasted jackets.

Tops should not be too fitted but should be patterned or have a horizontal stripe.  Fabrics which would flatter you include light fabrics worn layered, or medium to heavyweight fabrics with texture that add volume.  Layering with looser jackets and blouses helps to draw the eye upwards.

Skirts need to have simple lines that are either cut on the bias or have panelling to help cover your full curves.  Avoid very short skirts since they will make your hips look much wider than they are.  They will also make your legs look too short.  Tapered skirts are a good choice or ones that hang straight since these will minimize the width on your bottom half.

Trousers should be plain, flat-fronted with side zip, bootleg or flared to balance out your big thighs.  They should not be straight-legged.

Fabric colour should be medium to dark with no pattern.  The most suitable fabrics are light to medium weight with minimum texture that are soft, fluid and drape easily like wool crepe or jersey.

Coats should have square shoulders or wide collars to add width to your top half.

And remember, you can also have great fun with your accessories including eye-catching scarves, interesting jewellery and stunning shoes.    You are aiming to make your face and top half the main focus of attention so you should always ensure that your make-up is applied as well as you can in the right colours for you.  This will bring sparkle to your eyes and a healthy glow to your skin all of which enhance your best features and detract from those below!

If you require further advice then try visiting an image consultant for a full colour analysis and style consultation.