Triangular Body (Pear) and Inverted Triangle

Compensation strategies for wide hips (Triangle)

The Triangle silhouette is defined by narrow shoulders and prominent hips.

The strategic objective is to visually widen the upper body to match the width of the hips.

To do this, we use elements that add structure and volume to the shoulders and bust: shoulder pads, puffed sleeves, horizontal necklines (boat or bardot), wide lapels on jackets and bold prints on blouses.

The lower part should be treated as a "visual silent block": straight-cut or bootcut pants that fall from the widest part of the hip without tightening at the ankles (avoiding the "funnel" effect of skinny jeans), A-line skirts that slide smoothly over the curves without adding extra volume (avoid boards or pleats that open at the high hip), and dark or neutral colors.

The length of jackets is critical: they should never end just at the widest part of the hip, but above (waist) or below (mid-thigh).

Inverted Triangle upper torso softening

In this morphology, the shoulders and back dominate over narrow hips. The mission is to "clean up" the upper part and "fill out" the lower part.

At the top, avoid shoulder pads, closed halter necks, very thin straps and horizontal necklines that widen the back.

The ideal are deep V-necklines or vertical lines that fragment the width of the chest, raglan sleeves that soften the shoulder junction and top garments in dark, plain colors.

Below, we have license to add as much volume as possible: cargo pants with side pockets, pleated skirts, balloon cuts, light colors, vibrant prints and rigid fabrics that create a hip shape where there is none.

Wide-leg pants (palazzo or wide leg) are great for balancing the broad shoulders. The goal is to draw the eye down the legs and anchor it there.

Key garments and proportion errors

For the Triangle body, the most common mistake is to wear long, fitted tops that cover the hips, creating a horizontal band right at the widest area.

The key garment is the structured blazer with shoulder pads that ends at the high waist.

For the Inverted Triangle, the common mistake is to wear tight black leggings with wide sweatshirts on top; this creates an unstable "ice cream cone" effect.

The key garment is the flared flared skirt or pleated pants with volume at the hips, combined with a dark V-neck top.

Summary

The Triangle silhouette features wide hips and narrow shoulders. The goal is to visually widen the upper body with shoulder pads or horizontal necklines, keeping the lower part in dark colors and straight cuts.

The Inverted Triangle has dominant shoulders over narrow hips. The strategy seeks to "clean up" the torso with V-necklines and add volume below with pleated skirts, pockets or wide pants.

For the Triangle, the key garment is the structured blazer at the waist. For the Inverted, flared skirts or palazzo pants that balance the broad shoulders work best.