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Petite Dressing

Dress for your Body Type and Height

Last Updated on September 27, 2020 By Chi

Wedding Dresses for Pear Shape: Must Read Guide

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Are you a bride with pear body type? If you are looking for the best wedding dresses for the pear shape (also known as the spoon shape), I got some tips for you!

Before I get into how you can find the best wedding gown for the pear body shape, I want to first tell you when it comes to finding that ideal wedding dress for the most important day in your life, it is not as easy or glamorous as some might have imaged. 

Well, it could even be a bit stressful and even difficult.

Wedding gowns are very complicated garment, which has so many design details and thus it is not easy for anyone to easily find the dreamed one.

Therefore, learning about what to look for that is specifically flattering for the pear body type when you are going to the bridal shops will save you a ton of time.  Understanding your body shape and know what works and what doesn’t will definitely help you make the right decision for your big day.

Before we get into the best wedding dresses for the pear shape, I suggest you watch my video on how to dress the pear shaped body overall.

Table of Contents

  • Strengths and Weaknesses of the Pear Shaped Bride
  • Best Wedding Dresses for the Pear Shaped
  • If you are petite with pear shape
  • Everything else you need to know about the pear

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Pear Shaped Bride

Now, let’s first take a look at your body type.

If you have a pear body type, here is the most distinctive 3 features:

  • Your shoulders are narrower than you hips and thighs
  • Your thighs are prominent, even when you are thin. You may have saddle bag thighs.
  • You carry weight on your butt and thighs. Additionally, when you gain weight, you first notice it on your butt and thighs.

How many of these apply to you?

Your best assets

A lot of pear shaped women have a small waistline, and firm abs. So, whatever you wear, your waist should be highlighted!

Your weaknesses

For a more balanced body, the pear shaped women should focus on making your narrow shoulders appear broader, and draw attention away from the butt and thighs.

Best Wedding Dresses for the Pear Shaped

The perfect dress for a bride of pear body type will accentuate her tiny waist and slender upper body, by cinching in under the bust while skimming over the tummy, hips and bottom.

Balance is important, therefore you want to either make your top half seem bigger or your bottom half seem smaller. 

Wedding dresses that flatter the top portion are ideal. Highlight your smaller top half with a detailed top to draw the eye up. A little bit of sparkle or embellishment on the bodice, or capes are great options. However you should avoid wearing a gown with larger area beads from head to toe which will make you look heavy and awkward.

Off the shoulder wedding gown

A low neckline is flattering to pear shaped brides.  Since you have a smaller shoulder and fuller hip; you also need to choose a wide neckline to balance your body proportion.

Off-the-shoulder neckline creates a horizontal line at your shoulder, which makes your shoulders appear broader and balance it out with your hips.

wedding gown for petite brides

Deep V neck wedding gown

A wedding gown with low and open V neckline is ideal because it draws attention away from your bottom upwards to your bare neck, shoulders and cleavage. 

TADASHI SHOJI Lace Mermaid Wedding Dress, Main, color, IVORY/ PETAL
Tadashi Shoji $648
Long Sheath Wedding Dress - Galina Signature
Galina Signature (Petite) $799
JENNY BY JENNY YOO Blythe Plunging Crepe Gown, Main, color, IVORY1
Jenny Yoo $1200

The best example of pear body type bride is probably Kim Kardashian, who has had 3 well known weddings and many widely talked about wedding dresses.  (Read more about Kim’s wedding gowns at Wedding Dresses Inspiration by Short Female Celebrities.)

My personal favorite of her wedding dresses is the mermaid shape deep V neck wedding dress.

A line wedding gown

In terms of silhouette, A line design line is very flattering to petite pear body type brides. The cut is narrow at the top and extends out along the body in the shape of an A.  It is flattering for all body types, which is why it’s one of the most popular skirt sihouettes. 

A line style wedding gown with a slim top and wider bottom which opens to the skirt area with a higher waist is idea for a pear shaped bride.  The reason is they are figure hugging on top and billow out beautifully on bottom.

wedding dresses for short brides

The A-formation from the natural waist to the floor highlights the narrowness of the midsection and floating away from the hips and thighs.

Just make sure the waist band is quite high and avoid styles that seem to ‘cut off’ around the lower tummy area.

WILLOWBY Asa Sleeveless V-Neck Lace & Tulle Wedding Dress, Main, color, IVORY/SUNKISS
Willowby $1580
TADASHI SHOJI Beaded Lace Wedding Dress, Main, color, IVORY/ PETAL
Tadashi Shoji $998
JOANNA AUGUST Floyd V-Neck Long Sleeve Gown, Main, color, WHITE
Joanna August $1200

If you are petite with pear shape

If you are petite with a pear shape, all the above I have said about the pear shaped body type still applies to you. In addition, you also need to focus on elongating.

Petite pear body type brides look the best in long and flowing skirts.  This again camouflages the heavy bottom while making your body seem longer and slimmer.  

Vertical details

Use vertical lines to your advantage.  In other occasions, pear shaped women are often advised to pick darker color for their bottom in order to balance it out.

Well, for your wedding gown, that is most likely not going to be an option, but vertical folds can achieve the same purpose.  You could use actual folds or have embroidered vertical lines as part of the skirt’s design.

Empire waist

Designs such as empire waist is most ideal for the pear body type petite brides.  

Empire style is defined by the raised waistline which sits just below the bust from which the rest of the dress flows down to the hem. Skimming over the hips and tummy area, this silhouette is  perfect for pear-shaped brides. 

The high waist line followed by the skirt of the gown will create the perfect illusion of length and perfectly camouflage the heavy bottom of the pear shape.  The waist line design is essential no matter what kind of wedding dress you are getting for your big day. 

wedding gown for petite brides

In order to emphasize your waistline, you can also wear jeweled belt and ribbon on the fitted waistline makes you look slimmer and shaped.

For the petite pear body type bride, ruching is one of those miracles of design that flatters you. It makes curve-less girls look curvier and curvier girls look svelte. I recommend this style for petite pear shapes because the key is to flatter a wider hip by wearing a fuller skirt yet without overwhelming a short frame. At the same time, it creates the illusion of the length that will make you look taller.

Everything else you need to know about the pear

  • The Ultimate Styling Guide for the Pear Shape
  • Bathing Suit for each body type: ultimate guide
  • How to choose swimsuits for the pear
  • Best shorts for big thighs
  • Dresses for pear shaped body: what works and what to avoid
Hello there! My name is Chi Li, 5'2", founder of PETITE DRESSING, the clothing line for women 5'4" & under. Are you petite and have you been frustrated with what to wear?
This is an issue few truly understand and even fewer brands truly address.
Being petite myself, I have been writing about fashion for short women since 2016 and my brand petitedressing.com has touched the lives of millions.
My styling concepts for petite women not only focus on the perfect fit but also on flattering & elongating the petite frame for a lean silhouette, optimizing the proportions.
Shop my clothing line here.

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