Body Type
Style Guide

⧗ Hourglass

Bust and hips roughly equal, defined waist

Your proportions are already balanced — the goal is to emphasise, not balance. Fitted silhouettes at the waist work best. Avoid boxy shapes that hide the definition that is the frame's main asset.

• Fitted or wrap tops that follow the waist — not boxy, not oversized.
• A-line, pencil, or full skirts all work. The waist band placement matters more than the skirt shape.
• For sarees: avoid a heavily pleated front drape. Keep the fabric close at the waist to maintain the definition.

Avoid: Boxy, unfitted tops that hide the waist. High-waisted wide belts that visually shorten the torso.

🍐 Pear

Hips wider than shoulders

The strategy is to add visual width at the shoulder to balance the hip. Embellishment, structure, and statement sleeves on the upper body redirect the eye upward.

• Boat necks, off-shoulder, and cold-shoulder tops add width to the shoulder line.
• A-line kurtas and anarkalis that flare from the chest, not the hip, elongate and balance.
• For sarees: drape the pallu across the opposite shoulder, and wear a structured blouse with sleeve detail.

Avoid: Horizontal stripes below the waist. Gathered or puffed hip-level detailing. Heavy embroidery at the hip.

🍎 Apple

Broader shoulders and bust, less defined waist

The goal is creating a visual waist. V-necklines draw the eye downward and in. Empire waists set the visual "waist" above the natural one. Avoid anything that adds bulk at the mid-section.

• V-neck, sweetheart, and wrap blouses — any neckline that creates an inward angle at the chest.
• Empire-waist kurtas and anarkalis define a waist above the natural one, which flatters this frame.
• For sarees: a V-neck or deep round-neck blouse with the pallu draped to fall forward creates a vertical centre line.

Avoid: High-neck or bateau necklines. Anything with a wide waistband. Full, gathered fabric at the torso.

✦ Petite

Under 5'4" — proportions, not size

Petite styling is about creating the illusion of height and elongation. High waists, vertical lines, and monochromatic colour coordination from top to bottom are the most effective tools.

• High-waisted silhouettes raise the visual waist line, which lengthens the leg line proportionally.
• Monochromatic or tonal dressing top-to-bottom removes the horizontal visual break at the waist.
• For sarees: fewer pleats, shorter blouse, and 3–4 inch heels. Avoid border-heavy drapes that add horizontal weight at the hem.

Avoid: Midi lengths that cut the leg at the widest point. Wide palazzo trousers without heels. Oversized silhouettes that overwhelm the frame.

◈ Plus-Size

Dressing for volume and proportion

Plus-size styling is about proportion and visual flow, not concealment. The most effective looks use vertical emphasis, consistent colour, and silhouettes that are fitted at the shoulder and flow from there.

• Monochromatic colour coordinates from top to bottom is the single most effective elongating trick.
• Vertical embroidery, pintucks, and vertical stripe details lengthen and slim.
• For sarees: tissue, georgette, and chiffon drape close to the body without adding bulk. Avoid heavy silk sarees with stiff falls.

Avoid: Horizontal stripes anywhere. Heavily gathered skirts that add volume at the hip. Cropped tops without high-waisted bottoms.