Pear shaped (narrow shoulders and heavier bottom) Nilima now weighs 60 kgs and loves getting into long, flowing gowns whenever occasions allow her to.[break]
“It took me a while to come to terms with my present body but I loved dressing up no matter what size I was,” shared Nilima, attired in a loose white dress. “Dancing and swimming helped me lose my baby weight,” says the dance enthusiast, “But there are parts that I would like to work on, like my mid-riff.”
However, she is a good example that looking good and stylish is not about how much you weigh or what you wear. It’s about how you wear and carry yourself.
Back in September 2009 during one of the fashion shows in the capital, the mother of two effortlessly donned a red dress, which hit above the knee, and had dramatic shoulders. To tone down her upper legs, she had teamed the dress with black leggings. And there were very few people who could match her style.
“Generally, there are two kinds of people—the ones who dare to wear anything they like and the ones who search for dresses that they appear good in,” she observes. She, on the other hand, falls in both categories. “What I wear depends on my mood,” says the 33-year-old.
“She dares to wear and is open to experimenting,” elaborates one of her staff at the store.
Apart from being able to step out of the comfort zone and experiment with her looks, Nilima also hits the right notes. For her, a person will only be able to carry particular apparel, if he or she is comfortable in it. She adds, “And sometimes we should also defy the so-called fashion rules to explore what our sense of style is.”
After not being able to find clothes (mainly gowns) that fell under her requirement, the graduate in fashion designing decided to open her own store two years back. Apart from high-end Indian wears, her nine- month-old store is an assortment of interesting jewelries and plus-size apparels. And she is often found helping her costumers select clothes.
“While studying fashion, I didn’t like sketching but the concept of styling appealed to me. And studying fashion helped me discover my interest,” shares Nilima. Apart from styling, Nilima is preparing to take out a self-titled album and plans to work in movies too.
For this style edition, we caught with the stylish lady for some do’s and don’t´s for her body type.
DOs
- Many people are indifferent to basics and there lies the problem. Firstly, it’s necessary for everyone to find what their figure type is. And for this, there is no other sincere friend like a mirror.
- As pear shaped people have heavy lower bodice, slender neck and small shoulders, they should focus on cuts which define their bust and waist-line. For instance, cap or layered sleeves help accentuate shoulders and creates illusion. This eventually narrows the waist. Empire waistline and A-line dresses help enhance such body type.
- Play with accessory but don’t overdo it. If you have a heavy build and are pear shaped, avoid small accessories. It will just make you look big.
- This body type appears shorter than their actual height; therefore, one should avoid big prints as they make one look shorter. So, opt for smaller prints and vertical stripes.
Don’ts
- Avoid billowy clothes for lower bodice; it will just exaggerate that part, which this body type doesn’t require at all. However, we can afford to wear ruffles and frills to add volume to torso.
- Avoid skin-tight clothes and stiff textiles and opt for fabrics like chiffon and georgette that are drapeable and are body friendly.
- Avoid gladiators, be it heels or flats, which exceed ankle, because it make the length of the lower leg appear shorter. It’s wise to wear slender block heels rather than pencil or pointed heels for people of this body type.
- Embroideries on the hemlines of half-sleeved tops help accentuate upper body but embroideries or details on hemlines of full sleeved is a big no as it draws attention to the lower body.
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