Is there an ideal body type?
The Ancient Greeks believed that athletic types were the most beautiful kind and for centuries we copied their models. We turned stone and marble into the precious shapes of athletes and heroes, always emphasizing the beauty of their firm muscles and the fascinating geometry of their frozen bodies. Many of us have admired these heroic figures in awe, recognizing the sublime and vigorous proportions of the youthful bodies that make these sculptures. Yet, sometimes, instead of being moved by the masterful portrayal of these bodies, we feel uneasy.
Our appearance doesn’t match the standards of beauty that these sculptures convey. In contrast to them, it seems as if our bodies were built by another set of artistic hands. Our arms may feel too flabby, our stomachs too loose, or our legs too scrawny. Nonetheless, this is just a matter of perception. As viewers, we love ancient sculptures because their proportions please our eye, but this doesn’t mean they’re natural or real. We must learn from art that caring about proportion is what gives us the ultimate appeal. Knowing this, even though we’ll never look as beautiful as the classical sculpture of an athlete, we can feel just as powerful and imposing.
Rectangle
The perks of having a rectangular body is that they’re naturally proportionate, but to make the most of it, you need to be more aware of your choice of clothes. One great option is wearing more than one layer on your upper half. Jackets will make you look more broad-shouldered, and will also add an air of confidence to your look. Also, stick with skinny trousers. Simply put, make your upper half look broader and your lower part slimmer.
Rhombus
Lucky for you, you can pull off wearing some slightly oversized clothes (such as large sweaters), printed shirts, or slim fit pants any day of the week. When dressing up for an occasion, choose narrow suits, for they’ll make you look leaner and more elegant.
Inverted triangle
The inverted triangle is the most athletic body type in the book, having broad shoulders and a defined waist. Still, you can have the most muscular build in the planet and throw it all to waste if don’t know how to pick your style. Instead of making you look wide, crewneck shirts and horizontal lines can give you a strong look. Choose your shirts wisely and make sure they’re well tailored. You can even pull off skinny jeans, as long as they’re not too tight. When it comes to suits, you can go for double breasted suits to emphasize your figure.
Triangle
It’s not a disadvantage to have a triangle body type. You just need to know how to make the most of it. Since your shoulders are smaller than your abdomen, you must focus on adding more volume to them so you can reach balance. Naturally, avoid slim fit shirts and narrow necklines. Use vertical lines to appear taller and slimmer. When it comes to color, you can stick to darker palettes. Wear straight fit jeans, since skinny will only make your waist look wider. When dressing up, two-buttoned single-breasted suits are your safest bets.
Highlight your best features by dressing according to your own body shape!
You may be interested in checking out the looks that only men with a bad boy spirit can pull off and the style of these ten rockstars that every man should be inspired by.
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References
Complex
NY Times
