Pear-shape, voluptuous and petite

Pear-shaped

You: You have a small waist and wide hips and bottom

Do: There are lots of styles you can choose if you are a classic pear-shape a Basque waist or strapless ball gown will balance your shape. An off-the-shoulder neckline will make your top look in more proportion to your bottom.

Don’ts: A column style dress can be unflattering and a plain, V-neck might not be attention grabbing enough.

Voluptuous

You: you’re wide and curvy all over

Do: Try dress with structured bodices because they are great at pulling you in and creating a balanced silhouette. Play with length too, you might find that a three-quarter or very long dress is perfect for you

Don’t: Be careful with slinky, close fitted fabrics such as silk and bias or column dresses as they can add inches

Petite

You: You’re short and you have a small frame

Do: There are loads of styles for you – the key thing is to keep things simple and watch the length. Sometimes a floor-length gown can drown a petite frame. Strapless styles are good on small frames too.

Don’t: Beware of the meringue! You want to look like you’re wearing a dress rather than the dress wearing you. What’s more lots of elaborate embellishments will also look a bit OTT on a petite woman.