Best Style Tips to Balance a Straight Figure

By the Tellar Style Team  |  Body Shape Guides  |  Tellar Fashion Hub

If you have a straight figure — roughly equal bust, waist and hip measurements with little natural curve — you can wear almost everything beautifully, and I say that with complete sincerity. I have a fairly straight frame myself and spent years in boxy basics wondering why nothing felt quite right on me. Spoiler: it wasn't my body. It was my wardrobe choices. Once I understood a few key tricks, the whole game changed.

A straight or rectangle body shape simply means the waist isn't dramatically smaller than the hips and bust. The goal of dressing it isn't to "fix" anything — it's to add visual dimension and create a silhouette that feels intentional and flattering to you. Here's exactly how to do it.

Create a Waist Where You Want One

The single most effective thing you can do is define your waist. Your body doesn't have to do it naturally — clothes can do it for you. A belt cinched over a flowy blouse or a structured midi dress is genuinely transformative. I once threw a wide tan belt over a straight shift dress I'd written off, and suddenly I had a waist. That dress has been in rotation ever since.

• Zara — consistently brilliant for belted wrap dresses and co-ords that nip in at the waist. Their tailoring section is particularly good for straight figures.

• Whistles — elegant, waist-defining silhouettes in quality fabrics. Their wrap and shirt dresses are a straight-figure staple.

• Me&Em — a brand worth knowing well. Their tailored trousers with structured blazers are cut to create waist definition even without a belt.

Go for Volume — But Place It Strategically

Ruffles, pleats, peplums, flared skirts — these are your best friends. Adding volume at the hip or bust creates the illusion of curves. A full A-line or midi skirt with a tucked-in fitted top is genuinely one of the most flattering combinations for a straight figure, and it's also just a really lovely, timeless look.

• Phase Eight — their midi skirts and occasion dresses with flared skirts are made for this. Beautiful fabrics and cuts that work brilliantly on straight frames.

• Mint Velvet — floaty, layered pieces with movement and texture. Particularly good for adding visual hip volume without feeling overdressed.

• Mango — their peplum tops and voluminous skirt styles are affordable and very on-trend. The denim maxi skirt has been everywhere for good reason.

• Never Fully Dressed (independent brand) — a brilliantly fun London-based label known for their printed wrap and midi skirts. Incredible for adding hip volume and personality simultaneously. Worth every penny.

The Power of Layering and Texture

Layering adds visual depth and dimension to a straight figure. Think a boxy cropped jacket over a floaty dress, or a chunky knit layered over a silk slip skirt. Mixing textures — leather with linen, knitwear with satin — breaks up the eye and adds visual complexity that reads as curves on the body.

• Cos — masters of interesting textures and architectural layering. Their oversized knitwear over tailored trousers is a formula that genuinely works.

• Reiss — for investment layering pieces. Their structured blazers and longline coats create silhouette drama in the best way.

• All Saints — brilliant for texture mixing. Their leather and suede pieces layered over dresses add edge and dimension.

Necklines That Work Hard For You

A sweetheart, square, or scoop neckline adds the illusion of a fuller bust — helpful if your chest is one of the flatter areas on a straight frame. V-necks elongate and draw the eye inward, creating a natural focal point. Avoid crew necks and high necks if you're trying to add dimension up top — they tend to flatten everything further.

• Hobbs — consistently good sweetheart and square-neck dresses in gorgeous prints and classic colours. Reliable sizing and beautifully cut.

• LK Bennett — elegant, feminine necklines done really well. Their occasion pieces with ruched bodices are particularly flattering.

Trousers and Jeans: Think Wide and High

Wide-leg and flared trousers are a straight figure's best trouser option — full stop. They add volume at the hip and thigh, creating the illusion of curves. Always pair them with something tucked in or cropped on top to maintain that waist definition we talked about earlier. High-waisted styles help enormously too. I've barely worn skinny jeans since discovering a good pair of wide-leg jeans — genuinely a revelation.

• ASOS — a fantastic range of wide-leg and flared styles at every price point. The ASOS Design curve-hem flare jeans are particularly popular.

• Paige — premium denim brand with exceptional wide-leg and flared cuts. Worth the investment for the fit and quality.

• Boden — their wide-leg linen trousers for summer and cord styles for winter are brilliant, with great colour options and consistent sizing.

• Handsom (independent brand) — a small London-based womenswear label making beautifully tailored wide-leg trousers and co-ords. Quietly brilliant and increasingly stocked by discerning boutiques.

Prints and Colour Blocking

Bold prints, colour blocking, and horizontal stripes all add visual width and dimension — use them deliberately. A colour-blocked dress that's darker at the centre and lighter at the sides, for instance, creates the illusion of an hourglass. Bold florals or geometric prints draw the eye and add interest in a way that plain fabrics simply can't replicate.

• Anthropologie — stunning bold prints and textured fabrics. Their floral midi dresses are practically made for a straight figure.

• Monsoon — excellent for vibrant prints, particularly in their occasionwear range. Great value for money.

Find Your Perfect Fit Across Every Brand — with Tellar

One thing I hear constantly from women with straight figures is that sizing feels inconsistent — something that fits at the waist is too loose at the hip, or vice versa. Sound familiar? That's exactly why Tellar.co.uk exists.

Tellar is the UK's leading independent sizing tool — completely free, no downloads, no sign-up — and it matches your exact measurements to the right size across 1,500+ brands instantly. Measure once (bust, waist, hips), and use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand, from COS and Reiss to Zara and Paige. No more guessing. No more returns.

For further reading, check out the Ultimate Clothing Sizing Guide and browse the Ultimate Guide to Dresses — both packed with independent, stylist-written advice.

The Tellar Fashion Hub is a free library of honest, unbiased fashion content written by real stylists — no brand sponsorship, no agenda, just genuinely useful advice. Think of it as your personal stylist on call, 24/7.

→ Visit Tellar.co.uk

The Bottom Line

A straight figure is genuinely one of the most versatile body shapes to dress — it's a clean canvas. The key is to create the dimension you want through smart fabric choices, waist definition, strategic volume, and bold prints. Once you've got those principles down, getting dressed becomes a pleasure rather than a puzzle. And once you've found the pieces that work? Make sure you're buying the right size in every brand — that's where Tellar comes in.

For more style guides and body shape advice, visit the Ultimate Guide to Jackets and explore the full Tellar Fashion Hub.