You no longer have to wonder what dresses look good on broad shoulders. Here are the styles to wear!
Before I learned what styles flattered my body, I used to take anything and everything into the fitting room.
Then I’d leave frustrated and on the verge of tears.
But now that I know what to look for, I don’t waste my time trying on styles that I know won’t look the best on me.
Here’s what I look for when shopping for dresses for my broad shoulders.
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Table of Contents
- Read This First
- Who This Post Is For
- The Best Dresses for Broad Shoulders
- Dress Styles To Avoid
- Shop Dresses for Wide Shoulders
Read This First
The best dress for your body is the one that makes you feel your best. You want to wear whatever makes you feel confident and beautiful. If you feel great in a dress even though it has details you might normally avoid, then you need to wear the dress!
With that being said, I’ve found that I look the best when I follow these guidelines.
Who This Post Is For
This blog post is written for women who have smaller bottom halves (hips, butt, and legs) and larger upper bodies (waist, chest, and shoulders). These styling tips are for inverted triangles, apple shapes, and rectangles who want to minimize how wide their shoulders look.
The Best Dresses for Broad Shoulders
Look for these styles and details when shopping for dresses for wide shoulders.
1. A-Line Dresses
The A-line dress is slim through the shoulders, bust, and smallest part of the waist, before flaring over the stomach and hips. This dress style adds volume to a woman’s bottom half, which balances her broad shoulders. It can also help create the illusion of curves with a more full skirt.
Great A-line styles include tie-waist dresses, cinch waist dresses, and belted shirt dresses. You can even add a belt to create definition at the waist. If you have a larger stomach, make sure your belt matches or is similar in color to your dress so it doesn’t draw attention to your stomach.
2. Shift Dresses
Shift dresses are great for broad shoulders because they fall straight down from the shoulders and follow the natural shape of your body.
Your shift dress should be a Goldilocks fit: not too tight, but not too loose. If it’s too oversized, it’ll look sloppy.
3. V-Necks
V-necks are the best neckline for broad shoulders because they create a vertical line in the middle of your body. This draws the eye inward and down.
Contrasting details on the neckline, like a different color or a ruffle, also help bring the eye toward the center of your body.
4. Simple Sleeves and Shoulders
Because your shoulders are broad, you want to keep the sleeves and shoulders simple. Many current trends, like shoulder pads and puffy sleeves, can make your shoulders appear wider.
5. Tiered Skirts
The horizontal lines of tiered skirts balance broad shoulders by adding volume to your lower body.
6. Full Skirts
Just like tiered dresses, dresses with full skirts and a slim top balance the shape of your body.
7. Vertical Lines
Vertical lines elongate the body and make broad shoulders less noticeable because they draw the eye up and down rather than side to side. Look for details like pleats, vertical patterns, and a column of buttons (like on a shirt dress).
Dress Styles To Avoid If You Have Wide Shoulders
Sheath and bodycon dresses are form-fitting and don’t add shape to your body.
Blouson dresses are fitted through the skirt and have a blousy top. They add bulk to your shoulders and upper body, which doesn’t balance your shape.
Strapless, boatneck, and off-the-shoulder necklines create wide, horizontal lines, which emphasize your broad shoulders.
Spaghetti straps are thin and showcase your shoulders rather than minimize them.
Shop Dresses for Broad Shoulders
Final Thoughts
My daughter starts cotillion soon, and I want some new dresses to wear to her classes.
And I can’t wait to go shopping.
RELATED ARTICLES:
- The Best Hairstyles for Broad Shoulders
- This Is the Best Neckline for Broad Shoulders
- How To Dress Broad Shoulders and Be More Confident in Your Body
This post is about dresses for broad shoulders.
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