I’m 5’2 and I have a petite clothing line which gave me firsthand experience in styling my fellow petite ladies in all shapes and sizes – including pear shapes, of course!
As a short pear shaped woman, your figure is beautiful, but, like all body shapes, it is important to emphasize your assets and distract from the part you don’t want others to focus on.
It’s not always easy to choose the right fit, hence this comprehensive style guide that I’ve put together, especially for you, based on the feedback from thousands of my petite customers.
Table of Contents
Styling Goal
- Maintain a balanced body proportion by choosing structures that neutralize your frame ratio. Pear shapes have a natural frame imbalance as the upper half of the body (shoulders and bust) is way smaller than the lower part (hips and thighs).
- Opt for elongating patterns, prints, and structures to elevate your height.
- Always go for the right fit and avoid very tight-fitting clothes. Clothes that cling too much to the skin will only emphasize the imbalance on your frame.
TOPS
Flowy Off-the-Shoulder Tops
Since your shoulders naturally lack prominence, then they would need something to make them stand out. That is what off-the-shoulder tops can do as they not only enhance your shoulder line and accentuate your collarbones, but also create the illusion of a longer and more slender neck.
This fashion-forward trend is particularly advantageous for petite women with narrow shoulders and a small bust as it helps to balance out their proportions resulting in a more balanced silhouette.
Sabrina Neckline
This neckline style draws attention upward, creating the illusion of a longer neck and a more proportionate upper body. It also balances out the width of the hips as the boatneck cut emphasizes the shoulders, creating a broader frame that helps to achieve a balanced overall look.
Moreover, this neckline has the added benefit of elongating the neck, making it an ideal choice for women looking to add some height to their appearance.
Tailored Tops with Shoulder Pads
Tops with shoulder pads are flattering for petite pear shapes because they visually balance the upper body by making the shoulders look sharper and more prominent. Shoulder pads add volume to the shoulders, creating a broader frame that helps to balance out the proportion between your upper half and wide hips and thighs.
By adding volume to the shoulders, tops with shoulder pads create a more defined shoulder line that helps to create a balanced overall look.
DRESSES
Structured X-Line Dresses
An X-Line dress features a fitted bodice that flatters the waist and hips and a flared skirt that creates movement and flow. This silhouette has an equally balanced shoulder and hemline which makes it great for petite pear shapes.
This figure-flattering style is a great choice for petite pear-shaped women because the fitted bodice accentuates the waistline, creating the illusion of an hourglass figure that balances out wider hips and thighs. The sharpness of its seams also contributes to the way the dress visually elongates your frame!
Classic Wrap Dresses
For short women with a pear-shaped figure, a wrap dress can be a game-changer when it comes to enhancing your best features. This can absolutely be very flattering as it creates a pleasing ratio between the upper and lower body, making you look taller, slimmer, and more proportionate.
The wrap dress features a cinched waist and flared A-line shape, which is particularly flattering for the lower body. This design helps create a well-proportioned figure by balancing out wider hips and thighs with a flattering silhouette.
Chiffon Empire Waist Dresses
A chiffon empire dress is flattering for petite pear-shaped bodies because of its design, fabric texture, and construction. The empire dress features a high waistline that sits just below the bust, creating a lengthening effect for the legs and torso.
This design helps to elongate the frame and make petite women appear taller. Additionally, the dress’ empire waistline helps to draw attention to the smallest part of the body, which is usually just below the bust for petite women with pear-shaped figures and therefore distracts attention from your wide hips and thick thighs.
JACKETS and BLAZERS
Schoolboy Blazer
This type of blazer features a classic, streamlined silhouette that makes it very flattering on petite pear-shaped ladies. It usually ends just right above the hips so it doesn’t add volume to your wide hips and thick thighs.
In addition to this, its streamlined seams create a bespoke-like fit which is very important in bringing balance to a petite pear-shaped girl’s figure. The overall design and single-button detail also elongates the body to make you appear taller.
Long Cardigans
One of the best things you can do to bring balance to your pear-shaped figure is to keep the invisible visual line from your shoulders to the hem continuous. This is what long cardigans can offer, as long as they are past your thigh level.
It’s much better to choose cardigans that have a little more structure such as autumn knits or thick cotton. This way, they won’t look too slouchy for your figure.
Cropped Denim Jackets
A cropped denim jacket is a must-have in any petite pear-shaped woman’s wardrobe because its versatility, flattering silhouette, and timeless style make it a true fashion staple for petite pear-shaped ladies! This is a great way to highlight your waistline, creating the illusion of an hourglass figure.
The short length of the jacket draws the eye upwards to minimize the attention on your wide hips and big thighs. Plus, the fitted silhouette of the jacket helps to accentuate your curves, adding a touch of edge to your outfit.
PANTS
High-Waisted Wide-Leg
High-waisted wide-leg pants are a great choice for petite pear-shaped women because they have several flattering features that complement the distinct characteristics of this figure.
The high-waisted design helps to elongate the legs and create the illusion of a taller frame, which can be especially helpful for petite women. Additionally, the high-waisted style cinches in at the smallest part of the waist, which helps to accentuate this area and create an hourglass silhouette.
Meanwhile, its wide-leg structure helps to balance out wider hips and thighs by creating a more voluminous shape in the lower half of the body. This helps to create a more proportionate look overall and draws attention away from any areas of concern.
Structured Bootcut
Bootcut pants can be a super fabulous choice for women who want to create a balanced look for their pear-shaped bodies. These pants are designed to fit snugly around the hips and thighs before flaring out slightly at the bottom.
By adding definition to the legs, bootcut pants draw attention away from wider hips and create a more proportionate silhouette. However, it’s important to choose a pair with a relaxed fit to avoid highlighting the heavier area of the body.
Tailored Straight-Leg
One of the key reasons why tailored straight-leg pants are flattering for pear-shaped women is that they create a streamlined look that elongates the legs and makes the body appear more proportionate. This is particularly important for petite women who want to add some height to their frame and balance out their curves.
When it comes to styling tailored straight-leg pants, it’s important to choose a pair that fits well and doesn’t bunch up around the hips or thighs. Opt for a mid-rise or high-rise waistline to create a smooth and flattering silhouette and I’m sure that pair of pants will always be your quick go-to!
SKIRTS
Streamlined A-Line Skirts
From the descriptive name itself, the A-shaped silhouette of this skirt efficiently tones down the broadness of the hips and thighs. This way, the upper body is not completely overwhelmed by such imbalance.
Since it flares out to the hem, it visibly makes the waist look smaller. This effect is also an efficient way to give your frame the illusion of an hourglass figure, as well as elongate the appearance of your legs.
Paneled Skirts
Paneled skirts are made up of several panels of fabric sewn together to create a full, flared silhouette. This type of skirt is particularly flattering for petite pear-shaped women because the flared silhouette helps to balance out wider hips and thighs.
The panels of fabric in a paneled skirt can also be strategically placed to further accentuate the waistline and create an hourglass shape. This can be achieved by adding panels that are narrower at the waist and wider at the hips, which creates the illusion of a smaller waist.
SWIMSUITS
High-rise Bikini Bottoms
High-waisted bikini bottoms provide more coverage on the tummy area and therefore minimize the attention around the hips and thighs (which is a usual concern for pear-shaped women). The added coverage helps to smooth out your love handles and create a more streamlined look.
Additionally, high-waisted bikini bottoms sit at the narrowest part of the waist, which is often the smallest part of the body. This helps to accentuate the waistline and create an hourglass shape.
Push-Up Bikini Top
Women with pear-shaped bodies tend to have smaller and less-defined busts. This is where push-up bikini tops come in very helpful to give that extra lift.
A push-up bikini top is designed to give the illusion of a fuller bust and it works by pushing the breasts upwards and together, creating cleavage and enhancing the appearance of the bust. By adding volume to the bust, balances out the proportions of the body, making the hips and bust appear more evenly matched.
COAT
Trench Coats
Trench coats feature very distinct details most particularly on the upper part of this wardrobe piece. They are double-breasted, which can help add definition to the bustline, and they also have iconic epaulets to sharpen the appearance of your shoulders.
A trench coat’s structure and design also help balance out the proportions of a petite pear-shaped woman’s body by nipping in the waist. The coat’s belted waist cinches in at the smallest part of the waist, creating an hourglass shape and emphasizing the waistline.
A-Line Coats
A-line coats can be a flattering choice for short women with pear-shaped bodies due to their design and cut. Its A-shaped structure is absolutely flattering for pear-shaped women because it emphasizes the upper body and gradually skims over the hips and thighs, creating a more balanced look.
Additionally, A-line coats are typically designed with minimal embellishments, making them a classic and timeless piece. This makes it more streamlined as it doesn’t add any unnecessary volume to your frame.
Princess Seam Coats
Its design of neat seams that run vertically from the shoulder to the hemline, creates a fitted and tapered silhouette that can be quite flattering for petite pear shapes. The seams are placed on the front and back of the coat, creating a smooth and seamless appearance.
The princess seams on a coat create a streamlined and fitted silhouette that can help elongate the body as these seams create a flattering shape that contours the body, emphasizing the waistline and creating a balanced look.
The coat’s structure can also help to minimize the appearance of wider hips and camouflage thick thighs. This can be especially helpful for pear-shaped women who want to create a more balanced silhouette.
