It’s time for the gorgeous column’s turn! I think our wonderful column-shaped women are lucky – you can wear clothes that really show off your athletic shape or you can dress with the illusion that you have a bangin’ hourglass body too! You are the chameleon of the body shapes bunch! But first…. what makes you a column?
THE COLUMN.
How to identify a column:
1. Your shoulders, waist and hips are about the same width apart
2. You don’t have much of a defined waist
3. You have long, lean limbs
4. You have a small to medium bust
Sound like you? These lovely ladies in Hollywood have that statuesque column body……
Pink, Stacy Keibler and Cameron Diaz are your typical Column shapes
Ok – now that we have identified ourselves and a column, here is how to best get dressed for your shape!
My top 4 tips for dressing a Column Shape:
1. Define your waist.
Wait…. what? But you don’t have a waist – EXACTLY! Wear clothes that give you some great waist definition and you will give yourself some more luscious curves! Because you don’t have to worry about minimising a large bust, or skimming over large hips (lucky you) basically anything goes -I love seeing columns rocking the frocks!
Want to give yourself a more feminine shape? Â A belt, a peplum or just the cut of the dress will give you the curves you are craving!
Here are few of my fave frocks for the column…..
1. Hi There by Karen Walker Lily Dress NZ$250 (click here to buy) 2. Asos peplum dress AU$68 (click here to buy) 3. Sacha Drake Maddison dress in raspberry AU$339 (click here to buy)
2. Skinnies are you new best friend
Jeans, leggings (but not as pants!), ponte pants, skirts – anything that shows off you super-slim legs! Most of us can’t really wear a skinny jean without a heel (heels elongate and extend of legs… making them look longer and skinnier) but you don’t need that so make the most of the skinnies!
1. Boohoo.com star printed jeans NZ$60 (click here to buy). 2. Seed Heritage jeggings AU$79.95 (click here to buy) 3. Portmans floral pants AU$79.95 (click here to buy)
If you still want to give yourself some curves – use the top half to do that. A fitted blazer or a peplum top will give you some more shape but still show off your fabbo pins!
3. Work the layers
Unless done perfectly, layers can make most of us look bulky and bigger than we are (think things hanging off big boob or larger than life hips…. not a good look). But as a statuesque column shape, your body is made for layering! Layers will add definition and curves to your shape by drawing the eye to different areas of your body – so here are some key layering peices for you!
1. Witchery cardigan AU$99.95 (click here to buy) 2. Country Road striped singlet AU$64.90 (click here to buy) 3. CottonOn scarf AU$14.95 (click here to buy) 4. Coloured jeans from Witchery AU$99.95 (click here to buy)
4. Be foxy in flats!
TOTES jealous on this one! You can rock a flat on almost any occasion. Because you have nice, slender limbs, you don’t need to wear a heel to lengthen and elongate your body. Think Alexa Chung and Kiera Knightly – these girls are the pioneers of fancy flats. I love a flat shoe with a short shift dress or a cute pair of statement shorts (yes, they are the summer version of statement pants).
There are so many cool flats out there for summer so you have plenty to choose from!
1. Asos t-bar flats NZ$37.55 (click here to buy) 2. Walnut Melbourne flats from The Iconic AU$23.97 (click here to buy) 3. Seed Heritage glitter loafers AU$49.95 on sale (click here to buy)
So there you have it lovely columns – basically the word on the street is anything goes – you lucky little duckies – so make sure that you have fun with your shape!!
Still need some help with what to wear? Did you know that if you live in Auckland, you can book me for a personal styling session to suit your needs – click here to find out more
Or if your not in Auckland, why not sign up to StyleMail: The Pear Edition, my digital styling sessions delivered directly to your inbox twice a month? CLICK HERE to find out more and sign up now!
Love & Style Always
Cait xoxo
I’m confused. I feel like I fit the column bodyshape criterias EXEPCT for the waist thing, I have a sligthly defined waist. I don’t have a flat bottom, and my boobs are a b/c cup. My hips and shoulders are about the same width. I do have long legs though, so I’m probably not a pear or hourglass? I feel like a column with a waist
Hey Marthe – a column with a waist is pretty much an Hourglass – you don’t have to be SUPER curvy to be an hourglass, it’s all about shoulder to waist to hip ratio. Also I have SUPER long legs and I’m a typical hourglass so leg length doesn’t really come into it at all.
I hope that helps explain it a little more?
Cheers
Cait
According to the size chart for the uniforms for my work, I am an Australian size 9 for my bust (85.5 cm), size 13 for my waist (78cm), and size 5! for my hips (86 cm). I am 21 and fairly skinny.
This is for a dress and I really have no idea about what size to go with! There is a pencil skirt and shirt option as well.
Hey Ness,
thanks for the comment – size charts can be so confusing hey! (and mostly they are wrong anyway!) Sounds like you are a column shape – does your body tend to go straight through? rather than come in at the waist?
For the dress, I’d stick to maybe an Aussie size 12, it doesn’t matter if its too big for your hips, it will just hang down, but it needs to fit your waist and bust well. Or, like you said, the skirt and top might be a better option – again go for a 12 in the top, and 8 in the skirt?
i hope that helps?
Cait x
Thanks very much for your advice on the column shape! I’ve been reading many sites on dressing for a column (rectangle, straight) body shape, as I figure that’s me with my waist and hips being almost the same size (maybe when I lose those couple inches off my tummy it’ll help to define the waist!) So I have always figured I’m prob a column, but my shoulders are slightly broader than my hips, and I have quite a big bum (I know it, and I’ve been told it many times!) as well as I’ve got very developed, athletic muscular legs (that makes it hard to find pants that fit cuz when the waist should be right, the quads are too big!!) I live in Canada, so obv I’m not able to have a personal styling session, but is there any more info you would recommend on ready about how to dress for different/mixed shapes? Since an eating disorder played a large part of the last 15 years of my life, I’m having to “relearn” how to dress myself with the body I have, not the bone rack I had. Any suggested reading or advice would be most welcome! thanks!
Hey Amy – thanks so much for your comment.
It sounds like, yes, you are a column – this just means the ratio of your shoulders to waist to hips isn’t much different (Apples can have big or little boobs and bums!)
Give this post a read to start with:
http://chasingcait.com/2012/11/body-shape-basics-the-column/
Without knowing exactly what you look like, my best advice would be just to look for things that give the illusion that you have more of a waist – dresses with a waist band are always good, or rouching around the tummy. Also, with pants – look for those harem, or draped-style pants that are quite popular right now – they often are made from stretch fabric and are roomy over the thigh area so should fit you well!
I hope that helps a little?
Let me know if you have any more questions
Cheers
Cait x
Hi there,
I have small bust and big tummy. I think I’m a column. Do the fitted dress in 50s/60s style suit me?
Hi Gav, I would generally try and avoid that style of dress as it will draw attention to your tummy. Look for shapes more like this kind of thing:
http://www.sachadrake.com/SHOP_ONLINE/DRESSES/SDSU13UL01HF/ULYSSIA-KNEE-LENGTH-DRESS.html
This style of dress will skim over your tummy without drawing attention to it. Alternatively, look for dresses that are fitted, but with rouching down the centre to give your tummy some camouflage, without cutting you across the middle – here is an example of that:
http://www.jacquie.com.au/shop/en/jacquie/dresses/dresses/gather-dress
I hope that is useful
Cheers
Cait x
hi i am size 34, my height is 1.57,with a tummy,m am column shaped,please advice me on what to wear
Hey Elizabeth – here are my tips on dressing for a column: DRESSING FOR A COLUMN. Without seeing you, and knowing what your colouring, personality, budget and lifestyle are like, it’s hard to suggest specific things, but hopefully this post will point you in the right direction 🙂