Best Dress Shapes for an Apple Figure: 5 Picks That Work

An apple shape means your bust and shoulders are the widest part of you, your waist is soft rather than sharply indented, your hips are comparatively narrow, and your legs are often your best feature. Dressing it is not about covering up — it is about choosing a silhouette that does its work above or below the middle, so nothing cuts across the fullest part of your tummy.

The three shapes that do this best are the wrap, the empire line and the bias cut. A wrap lets you set the waist yourself; an empire seam sits high, under the bust, and falls away; a bias cut skips the waist seam altogether. A fuller skirt on a fitted bodice can also work well, because the volume below balances a fuller top half.

• Want one dress that does everything? Go for a wrap — our overall pick is the Diane von Furstenberg New Julian.
• Want the middle completely unbothered? An empire line, such as the Whistles pick, is the most forgiving.
• Want something for evenings? A bias-cut midi skims rather than sculpts.
• Want easy everyday jersey? Boden's wraps are the practical option.
• Want waist definition without a tight band? A fitted bodice with a full skirt, like the Reformation Juliette.

Each of these is a real, current style from a label that reliably stocks it. They are listed in the order we would try them, but the right one for you depends on where you want the waist to sit and how much structure you like.

Most dress-buying advice for apple shapes fails because it lists shapes without saying what to check once the dress is on. These are the factors that change the result, ranked by how much difference they make.

Two practical points before you order. First, buy for your bust and shoulders — those are the hardest things to alter — and have the waist taken in if the rest fits. Second, always look at the back view as well as the front: an apple figure often carries fullness across the upper back, and a dress that pulls there will look tight even if the front is fine.

Fabric. You want drape with a bit of weight: crepe, viscose jersey, bias-cut satin, fluid wool. Stiff poplin, heavy pleats, thick ribbed knits and thin clingy jersey all work against you, either by standing away from the body in a box or by sticking to every curve.

Neckline. V-necks, surplices and scoops are your friends. They break up the expanse of the bust and create a vertical line. Halter necks and high tight crews tend to make the bust and shoulders look heavier.

Length. Midi, just below the knee, or knee-length are the safest. A hem that stops at the widest part of the calf works against you, and a maxi with a lot of volume can swamp the frame. If you like your legs, a shorter hem is a legitimate choice — apple shapes frequently have excellent legs, and showing them moves attention downwards.

Prints and colour. There is no rule that apple shapes must wear dark clothes. A small-to-medium print with a dark ground is the easiest to wear, because it breaks up the surface without drawing the eye to any one area. Large-scale prints placed across the middle are harder to carry off than the same print placed high on the body.

• Add a third piece. A long open blazer, a duster coat or an unbuttoned shirt creates two vertical lines down the body and neatens the middle instantly.
• Keep jewellery high. A pendant, a short chain or a statement earring pulls the eye to the neckline rather than the waist.
• Get the bra right. Most apple-shape fit problems above the waist are bra problems: check the band, not just the cup, and try the dress on with the bra you will actually wear.
• Choose shoes that lengthen the leg. A pointed toe or a low block heel with a bit of a vamp does more for a midi dress than anything else.
• Have it altered. Taking in a waist or shortening a hem is usually cheap and turns a nearly-right dress into the one you reach for.