It's one of the most Googled body shape questions of the summer, but the answers you’ll find on most style guides barely scratch the surface. With over 20 years of styling experience, here’s what our founder Anna Berkeley has to say.
Every summer, the same question gets searched millions of times: how do you find a dress that's flattering around the midsection without it looking like a maternity style? It's a completely legitimate concern, and one that the fashion industry has historically done a poor job of addressing. The good news is that the right summer dress absolutely exists for every body. The less good news is that finding it requires knowing exactly what to look for, but that’s where Think Shape can help.
The neckline is where it all begins.
Most women focus on the body of a dress when they're dressing for their midsection. But the neckline is actually where the most important work happens. Certain necklines draw the eye upward and create a visual line that changes the entire proportion of the outfit, elongating the body and shifting attention before anyone even registers the midsection. Others do the opposite, anchoring the gaze exactly where you'd rather it didn't linger.
Which necklines work best depends on your specific proportions - not just your dress size, and not just the general shape of your body.
Find out which necklines are mapped to your specific shape in the Think Shape app.
GET YOUR NECKLINE GUIDE
Panels: the detail that does more than you think
Seaming and panelling are among the most powerful tools in a dress designer's toolkit, and among the most overlooked by shoppers. The right panel in the right place can create the illusion of structure, shape, and the wrong one can add bulk exactly where you don't want it.
It sounds simple. In practice, knowing which panels to look for, and which to avoid, requires understanding how fabric and structure interact with your individual body map.
DISCOVER YOUR DRESS FORMULA
Skim, Don’t Cling
The advice to choose fabric that skims rather than clings is almost universally given, but also universally vague. What does skimming actually mean in practice? Which fabrics skim on your body type? How much ease is the right amount? The answers vary considerably depending on your specific proportions, and getting it wrong, in either direction, can undermine even the most carefully chosen silhouette.
Fabric weight, drape, and composition all play a role. And what skims beautifully on one midsection can cling or balloon on another.
Your Think Shape body map includes fabric guidances specific to your proportions and shape.
GET YOUR FABRIC GUIDE
Keep the Midsection Clean
Less is almost always more around the midsection. Pleats, gathering, embellishment, and fussy detail tend to draw attention and add visual weight - the opposite of what most women are looking for. A clean, unfussy midsection lets the dress do its job quietly and effectively.
But "clean" can translate differently to a silhouette. A dress that reads as simple and elegant on one frame can look flat and shapeless on another. Understanding which version of simplicity works for your body is the difference between a dress that flatters and one that merely fits.
Use our body scan to work out which styles and silhouettes work for your unique shape.
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So what’s the best summer dress for me?
The honest answer is that it depends entirely on your specific body map - your proportions and how different fabrics and structures interact with your frame. General rules are a starting point, but they're not a solution.
The women who consistently look well-dressed have usually, consciously or not, figured out their own specific formula. Think Shape makes that process considerably faster.
A quick body scan maps your unique proportions and gives you specific guidance on the necklines, fabrics, structures, and silhouettes that will genuinely work for you, so you can shop with confidence rather than crossed fingers.