Having broad shoulders can make you look athletic, but may also make you come across as top heavy. The key to flattering your shape is to opt for styles that add volume to the bottom of your body and create an overall balanced silhouette.
Let’s dive right in!
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BEST NECKLINES
Choosing the right neckline is crucial, to dress a woman with broader shoulders. Your necklines have a direct impact on how wide your shoulders look.
The right neckline can divide your shoulders and create an illusion of a narrower shoulder, while the wrong ones do exactly the opposite. Here is the list of the most flattering necklines for your shape.
Scoop neck
The scoop neck, with its graceful curve, not only softens the broad shoulder line but also subtly showcases your eye-pleasing collarbone. I’ve always noted that this dual effect draws attention to the upper chest area, which beautifully establishes an elegant focal point.Â
Additionally, the neckline’s gentle slope accentuates the neck’s length, and this, I know, contributes to an overall elongated and slenderizing effect on your upper body.
V neck
Beyond just looking leaner and taller, you’ll see how the V-neck can strategically make your shoulders seem more balanced by drawing the eyes downward.Â
As I’ve mentioned above, the right neckline can make your shoulder look narrower. Fortunately, the cool lines of the V shape add the most ideal balance, giving an overall symmetrical feel.
Furthermore, V-neck tops or dresses don’t just slim things down; they also bring a touch of sophistication to whatever you’re wearing!
Asymmetric
Did you ever notice how an asymmetric neckline adds this awesome dynamic vibe? It’s indeed a style hack, shifting attention away from shoulder width and making things interesting!
The dynamic lines draw the eyes along a captivating journey, promoting a sense of movement and balance. Whether through an asymmetric top or dress, I believe this style will effectively enhance your entire body’s natural curvature.
Halter
I recommend trying the halter neckline – with its emphasis on the neck and shoulders, it indeed contributes to a more sculpted and defined upper body.! It beautifully showcases the shoulders while providing a supportive and flattering fit.
The best part is that the halter style often has this nifty narrowing effect around the neck, making your shoulders look effortlessly slim and more attractive.
What to avoid
Now that we have briefly talked about the most flattering necklines for you, let’s talk about those that are not. Of course, I’m not totally saying that you have to completely hide the prominence of your shoulder, but the following necklines may seem to be too overwhelming for your figure overall.
Off the shoulder
Here’s my gentle reminder to those broad-shouldered ladies – please steer clear of off-the-shoulder necklines as this style tends to expose the shoulders excessively, potentially amplifying their width.
The horizontal exposure of the shoulders in this design may lead to an imbalance in proportions, making it less than ideal for those seeking a more streamlined appearance. Trust me, this isn’t the look that you should be going for!
Boat neck
In my take, if you’ve got broader shoulders, I’d say it’s best to skip boat necks. Those wide, horizontal lines tend to go head-to-head with your natural shoulder width, throwing off the whole balance.
From what I’ve always noticed, these boat necks have a way of making your shoulders overly stand out, and that’s not the ultimate goal when you’re aiming for a balanced and symmetrical look.
TOPS
Since your shoulders are broad, they make your top half look wide, and therefore they can make you come across as top heavy. The key to finding the right tops for your figure is to draw attention away from your shoulders and focus elsewhere. In the meantime, you should stay away from any designs that make your shoulders look even wider.
Wear peplum tops
To make your upper body look more proportionate, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the benefit of wearing peplum tops. That flared magic around the waist not only adds a feminine touch but slyly shifts the spotlight away from those shoulders.
Aside from that, the silhouette crafts this enchanting hourglass figure, celebrating your curves while keeping everything perfectly balanced.
Wear raglan sleeves
When it comes to a blend of comfort and style, I know tops with raglan sleeves will be perfect for ladies with broad shoulders. That diagonal seam from the neckline to the underarm is pure genius – it softens up the shoulder line, pulling off this relaxed yet polished vibe.
This top is not just about comfort; this design also works its magic by visually breaking up the broader shoulder width, creating a perfectly balanced and laid-back look
Avoid voluminous sleeves
Another tip I’ve got here for you is to go easy on sleeves with too much volume. Keep in mind that all that extra fabric around the arms can make your upper body look heavier, especially those shoulders.
Thus, I’d suggest avoiding tops with voluminous sleeves to achieve a more streamlined look. It’s one of those little changes that can make a real impact when it comes to balancing your silhouette, so give it a try!
Avoid shoulder details
Those tops with shoulder details may look interesting and eye-catching, but I’ve seen that those extra embellishments or details tend to draw attention right where we might not want it, messing with the overall balance. So, I’d recommend passing on tops with too much going on around the shoulders.
I find that sticking to tops without those unnecessary features keeps things looking cleaner and more streamlined, which is exactly what we’re aiming for to ideally downplay those broader shoulders.
Avoid padded shoulders
Here’s another friendly advice I have for you – never go for tops with padded shoulders. Those extra pads can add some bulk to the upper body, maybe even make those shoulders appear a lot broader than we’d like.
Staying away from padded shoulders is a strategic move, in my honest observation, to keep things looking sexy and flattering. It’s all about rocking a perfectly balanced silhouette, and avoiding the padding is a simple yet effective step.
Caution with statement tops
Statement tops are fun, but if your goal is to balance your shape, it’s best to draw attention to your bottom instead of your top.
It is not that you cannot wear a statement neckline, but in general, ALWAYS have the majority of the focus of your outfit on the bottom half of your body.
BOTTOMS
The key to choosing your bottoms is to look for voluminous pieces because these can balance out the volume of your top half as a result of your broad shoulders.
Wear wide-leg pants
You can always revolutionize your style with wide-leg pants as it is a tried and true solution for harmonizing with broad shoulders. The flowing silhouette works wonders, bringing in a sense of proportion that creates visual balance and elongates your overall appearance.
Added sophistication isn’t the only reason why I would suggest wearing wide-leg pants. One other major reason is that these pants can strategically draw attention downward, which subtly directs the concentration away from your upper body.
Wear mermaid skirts
I believe mermaid skirts are purposefully crafted for women with broader shoulders as they feature a fitted structure through the hips and thighs. They snug up through the hips and thighs, giving your curves the spotlight and creating this killer hourglass shape.
The deliberate flare at the hem serves as a strategic diversion that casually pulls a little bit of attention away from the shoulders and adds this classy, elongated vibe. This style not only complements broader shoulders but also orchestrates a balanced and visually appealing ensemble.
Wear straight-leg fit
The streamlined silhouette of bottoms with a straight-leg fit, extending from hip to ankle, functions as an optical anchor. This intentional linearity not only accommodates broader shoulders but also leads to a vertical emphasis, elongating the overall appearance.
Here’s the beauty of this bottom type that I have to point up – no excess fabric around the legs. A straight-leg fit bottom is all about that sleek, perfectly fitted style, letting your shoulders take center stage without any visual interference.
Wear white denim
Whether it’s in the form of pants or skirts, the radiant canvas of white denim crafts a purposeful visual contrast. This dance of light and color adeptly minimizes the focus on broader shoulders, resulting in a sophisticated and modern aesthetic.
This unique approach positions white denim as a vital tool in equally dividing your upper and lower body proportions. Bottoms in white denim not only celebrate individual flair but also harmonize seamlessly with the exquisite beauty of broader shoulders.
Avoid skinny jeans
In my book, avoiding skinny jeans means you’re keeping things proportional and not shining too much light on those broader shoulders.
Remember, the slim and tapered vibe of these jeans can kind of shift the spotlight to the lower body, creating a bit of an imbalanced look. Wearing skinny jeans will never complement your broad shoulders and will throw off your proportions.
Avoid pencil skirt
To those blessed broad-shouldered ladies, I highly suggest avoiding pencil skirts. The narrow, straight cut disproportionately accentuates the width of the upper body, disrupting the desired balance.
From what I’ve observed, this style has a knack for outlining the shoulders too much, which leads to a visual imbalance that might not be the most flattering. Plus, the silhouette of a pencil skirt can sometimes emphasize the broadness of the shoulders, compromising the overall aesthetic.
Avoid cigarette pants
You might want to skip cigarette pants for a couple of good reasons. The slim and straight cut of these pants has a way of unintentionally putting the spotlight on the upper body, resulting in a negative play with proportions.
Moreover, cigarette pants tend to unduly emphasize the width of the shoulders, kind of messing with the desired silhouette.
BEST DRESSES
Fit and flare
Fit and flare dresses are perfect for broad shoulders because the voluminous skirt detail adds a great amount of balance to flatter your figure. The way it has snug-fitting bodice and A-Line flared skirt just gives your frame that nice, flattering proportion you’d want to tone down your shoulders.
Bringing some of the attention down to the bottom half of the dress is what does the trick here!
Just like the peplum tops I mentioned above. Another reason I suggest fit and flare for broad shoulders is that the necklines are often low key and the waist area is defined – all ideal for figure flatter to your body shape.
A Line dresses
What makes A-line dresses so brilliant is their knack for playing with visual focus while exuding structural elegance. I have always perceived how the subtle flare from shoulders to hem creates a purposeful silhouette that beautifully softens the shoulder line.
The intentional curvature constantly works like magic. It aids in fostering an hourglass illusion that helps keep your entire silhouette well-balanced.
Wrap dresses
The cinched waist in wrap dresses, crafted through the wrapping mechanism, serves as an intentional focal point. I’ve consistently noticed that this precise convergence skillfully spotlights the narrowest part of the torso, resulting in a highly captivating hourglass effect.
The strategic wrap design adeptly shifts the visual emphasis, skillfully drawing attention away from broader shoulders and toward the cinched waistline.
Avoid spaghetti straps
If you want to achieve a more balanced look and make your broad shoulders less of a focus for your outfit, then you should stay away from the spaghetti straps.
One of the most common mistakes I often see is that women with broad shoulders wear dresses with really tiny straps. That is not at all flattering on them.
The reason is the thin spaghetti straps will form a sharp contrast with your shoulders, which of course make them even more obvious!
