Why do some women in business always look so smart and chic, even though they haven’t got model mass either? Quite simple, they know their body shape! They choose their office outfits carefully, matching their body shape and know how to enhance their qualities with a few tricks. Because a suitable office outfit often is not a question of size, but rather a question of your body shape.
Basically, you should know one thing about body shapes: the body’s physical structure is in the genes. It can be optimised by a lot of sports or diets, but not changed. Your physical body structure is completely independent of weight, your look and way of life. Each body shape has its advantages which we need to underline.

Today we introduce office styling tips for body shape V, also known as “apple”.
Your body shape is a V when your shoulders and upper body is wider than your hips and legs. The most important feature are wider shoulders, in combination with slim hips and long legs. Often the arms are long and narrow, too. The V-type is generally more athletic than feminine. There are two options given here. The first V-option is the curvy one, with a rather large bust. The second option shows a smaller bust, this is the sporty V-type.
If you are unsure whether you belong to the V-type, it is easy to measure: In case your shoulders are at least 5% wider than your hips, you are clearly a V-type.
So, you are a V-body shape. There are lots of tricks to help you to even out your body shape by choosing flattering clothes and thereby create a positive appearance in your business environment.
Follow our office styling tips for body shape V here
The red dress here shows an optimal cut. The A-line directs the focus on the slender legs.
Dresses and Skirts
If you are a V-type and like to wear dresses in the office, pay attention to the following: Long vertical lines in the upper half of the body visually stretch the body, making the shoulders look slimmer. Best choice is unicoloured dresses. A unicoloured dress creates a continuous line and balances the dominant shoulders. The A-line cut is also recommendable for skirts, it flatters your legs and balances the body. Don’t go for too much of a pencil cut, that would stress the V-shape even more. A pencil shirt only works in case it comes with a peplum around the hips.
Trousers
Whereas trousers may well be flashy. The optical focus should be set on your legs. This is the good news for you V-types: your slim legs and hips are your big plus. Always try to call attention to your amazing legs, that should be your priority. In case you are a smaller woman, the Marlene cut (wide and long legs) is your ideal cut, like Alexandra wears here. If you are taller, let’s say over 1,73 m, you should go for the trendy Culotte trousers, even with flats. As for skirts and dresses, the trick is the wider cut, this way your board shoulders appear slim. In case you have long slender legs, you might as well try skinny trousers, however, you should choose a perfect top with it.
The plaid Marlene pants stretches the legs and balances the shoulders well.
The black dress has a good neckline for V-types and the loose fit at the bottom visually compensates for the shoulders.
Cut-outs
A décolleté can also help to let your upper body appear more feminine and to distract attention from board shoulders. Of course, a deep décolleté is not such a good idea for the office. Therefore you have to go for the golden middle course.
A V-Neck is a good choice. It doesn’t have to be a classical V, a round or cornered cut-out also works well. As long as it opens facedown and makes your upper body narrower. Wide cut-outs or a waterfall cleavage are not recommendable for the V-type.
Materials
The appropriate use of materials can also make the upper body appear narrower. Therefore, we recommend soft and flowing materials for blouses, jackets and tops. The classical silk blouse should become your loyal companion for your office outfits. It is an all-time classic anyway and gently hugs your body without being too voluminous. Alexandra wears a soft and plain green silk blouse here to demonstrate the effect. By the way, you are more than welcome to wear lots of colour!
Soft and thin knitwear is a great and easy friend for your office outfit as well. It always looks classy in business and is also a good traveller since it is robust and almost crease-free. In general, the same rule applies for all tops: a straight, plain and simple cut at best unicoloured.
The blue blouse with flared cuffs scores twice: color and shape!
This longblazer is very suitable for V-types. It’s best to combine it with a wide pair of trousers!
Here is what you should avoid at best
First and foremost, you should avoid shoulder pads, of course, they will make your upper body appear even wider. However, many blazer have integrated shoulder pads. Make sure they can be removed after you bought the jacket. In general, we truly recommend to avoid heavy and bulky materials for any tops you might wear. The same applies for shapeless cuts and big belts. They seem to enlarge the difference between your body halfs even more. A classical turtle neck is a no-go for the V-type, it stresses board shoulders. Another no-go are short boxy jackets or tops, because they also create a stouter body, after all.
Prominent V-types
Prominent examples of this body shape are e.g., Charlene of Monaco, Jennifer Hudson or Veronika Ferres. Swimmer Franziska van Almsick is a V-type, too, through to her career. Further, Hillary Duffy and Catherine Zeta-Jones. They all are women with broad shoulders, but still with a very feminine appearance. They all follow the tricks for V-shape bodies and choose their clothes according to their body shape. This way they optimise their silhouette and you can do that, too!

Dear V’s, these are our tips for your body shape. If you follow the rules, you will soon realise how your office outfits will transform positively.
Do you have further tips for the V-Type wardrobe? We very gladly receive all your ideas and suggestions on info@styles4work.com!