How to Minimise Broad Shoulders? Enhance Your V-Shaped Figure!

Do you have slightly broad shoulders and are wondering how to dress? Would you like to know which types of clothing could soften your silhouette and enhance your appearance?

I will help you.

As a fashion enthusiast, I try to pay attention to the details that enhance the figures of certain models, celebrities, or even the people around me!

It is quite common for women with broad shoulders to seek ways to soften their appearance, aiming for a more balanced silhouette. That’s why I’m offering you this guide dedicated to this topic, so you can learn how to enhance your physique.

If you have broad shoulders, it’s easy to soften their appearance by balancing your silhouette with flared clothing such as a peplum top, a fitted dress that cinches at the waist, or a short skater skirt. To enhance your V-shaped silhouette, you might also consider a top or dress with an asymmetrical neckline. Finally, don't forget to wear accessories to draw attention to your waist and bust: a belt, bracelets, or a long necklace...

Would you like to know more? Continue reading to discover:

• What body shape do broad shoulders correspond to,
• Which clothes to avoid when trying to create a more streamlined silhouette,
• Simple shopping tips to choose clothes that flatter you,
• Perfect styles of women's tops for those with broad shoulders,
• What type of dress, skirt, or even swimsuit to choose to enhance your figure.

How to Tell if You Have Broad Shoulders?

The width of your shoulders does not necessarily depend on your weight: it is influenced by your body shape. You can be slim and athletic, with broad shoulders, or slightly curvy with rather narrow shoulders.

To determine whether you have broad shoulders, start by observing yourself in a mirror. People with a strong shoulder build have what is known as a V-shape physique: this means their shoulders are squared, their waist is narrow, and their legs tend to be quite slim.

This is not a flaw! This type of body shape is actually quite common among athletic women who take care of their bodies and stay active every day. However, it is perfectly normal to want to reduce the width of your shoulders in order to wear certain smart outfits or simply to feel good in your own skin on a daily basis.

Some stars regarded as beauty icons have this type of silhouette:

• Kendall Jenner,
• Jennifer Lawrence,
• Angelina Jolie,
• Cameron Diaz,
• Amal Clooney…

👉 Feel free to follow them on social media to get inspiration from their outfits!

Cameron Diaz / Angelina Jolie / Kendall Jenner

What clothes should you avoid at all costs if you have broad shoulders?

Do you want to accentuate your neckline and slim down your figure? Here’s a short list of clothing items that tend to have the opposite effect:

• Tops with shoulder pads or embellishments (such as lace, embroidery, or beads) on the shoulders,
• Tops with exposed shoulders or a Bardot neckline,
• Form-fitting long dresses,
• Blazers and jackets with reinforced shoulder pads,

👉 Do you want to wear a jacket or top with reinforced shoulders, or are you required to? If so, don’t hesitate to pair it with a flared skirt or trousers that will draw attention downwards and help to balance out the width of your shoulders.

5 Tips for Toning Your Shoulders

Knowing how to enhance your silhouette doesn't necessarily require you to be a stylist or a fashion expert. The key, once you've determined your body type, is to understand the details that can flatter it.

To help you out, I've put together a list of five key points to keep in mind while shopping, to help you find clothes that will make you feel beautiful:

🔸 Opt for tops with wide straps: this will help prevent excessive exposure of skin between your neck and shoulders, while naturally enhancing the appearance of your shoulders.

🔸 V-neck or wide round necklines are ideal for showcasing your bust: they will delicately enhance your figure.

🔸 The clothing styles that will suit you best are generally those that are flared. Whether it's a t-shirt, a skirt, or a dress, don't hesitate to choose items that widen towards the bottom.

🔸 A lovely long necklace will be perfect for completing an outfit and drawing attention to the lower part of your body. In winter, you might choose to go for a long, open scarf.

🔸 Finally, by pairing a dark top with light bottoms, you'll create the illusion of narrower shoulders. This works with black and white, but also quite simply with a pastel top and jeans, for example. Following the same logic, it’s better to choose plain tops and patterned bottoms (preferably horizontal patterns, if possible).

What type of top to wear when you have broad shoulders?

Some styles of tops are perfect for accentuating a V-shaped silhouette. These include:

• Asymmetrical tops, featuring one shoulder bare,
• Peplum tops, which flare out at the waist with ruffles,
• Kimono jackets, worn loosely to accentuate your neckline while balancing your silhouette.

Which skirt or dress should you wear to create a slimmer silhouette?

When you have broad shoulders, you may tend to think that skirts and dresses aren’t designed for you, as your athletic figure can be difficult to pair with such clothing. It is true that a tight-fitting maxi dress or a pencil skirt might accentuate the V shape of your physique.

However, there are dress and skirt styles that, through their cut, can balance out the width of your shoulders and give you a very feminine look. Consider the following:

• The flared skater skirt, perfect for accentuating your waist and giving your silhouette an hourglass shape, which is very sensual,
• The bohemian flared dress, fitted at the waist, which creates the same effect as the skater skirt.

👗 To discover more examples of unique outfits that enhance your figure, you can now visit our online boutique dedicated to bohemian fashion. You'll find flowy and flared garments, perfect for showcasing your shape. Plus, delivery is free!

Long Bohemian Dress

To draw attention to your waist, you can also tie a scarf around it or opt for a thick wide belt, which will give you a very chic style by structuring your outfit. If your arms or shoulders are bare, another simple trick is to wear multiple bracelets to naturally draw the eye towards your hips and balance your look.

👉 Do you prefer trousers? In that case, opt for a straight-cut jean, such as a bootcut, or a boyfriend style, which is very trendy. Unlike slim-fit styles and other body-hugging trousers, these are perfect for softening your silhouette by echoing its width at the lower half of your body, helping to ensure that your shoulders don't appear too prominent.

What type of swimsuit should you wear to enhance your V-shaped figure?

Fitted and minimal, a swimsuit is a garment that should be chosen carefully to flatter your figure. If you have broad shoulders, it's best to opt for styles such as:

• A peplum swimsuit, which, like the top of the same name, flares out and enhances your hips,
• A bralette, whose cut is perfect for slimming your shoulders,
• An asymmetrical bikini that beautifully highlights your décolletage.

👙 When wearing a bikini, it's preferable to choose a short-style bottom, which flatters V-shaped body types.

I hope this article has helped you discover some tips and outfit ideas to help you feel beautiful and comfortable in your clothes. Self-confidence is often the key component in overcoming those little insecurities that can hold us back in life!

If you would like to learn more about the asymmetrical dresses and tops mentioned several times in this article, I invite you to check out this article I have written about them, which will help you determine if they might be right for you!