Does it ever seem like all the most popular styles of tops look great on mannequins in the store but not so great when you're looking at them on yourself in the mirror? Not all clothes are made for all body types. Popular styles tend to go in cycles, so it's occasionally going to happen that the trendy tops of the moment don't suit your particular shape. But that doesn't mean that you can't still dress stylishly. The best way to look fashionable is to choose clothes that suit your body type and look great on you, regardless of whether or not they're currently trendy. You can always find clothes to fit your body type; you may just need to look a little harder if the styles that flatter you aren't the ones that are trendy right now. First, however, you need to know how to choose the styles that suit your body the best.

Find Your Body Type

The first step in dressing for your body type is to figure out what your body type is. Every body is different, of course, but most people fall into one of a few specific categories. There's the inverted triangle, which is when your bust and shoulders are broad and your waist is narrow. There's the banana shape, which is when your waist is only marginally narrower than your bust or hips. Pear-shaped women have larger hips and a smaller bust, and hourglass-shaped women have roughly proportionate hips and bust with a narrow waist.

Research suggests that the banana is the most common shape and that the hourglass is the least common. You can find your shape by taking your hip, waist, and bust measurements with a measuring tape. Use a calculator to determine what those measurements are telling you about your body shape.

Choose Tops That Maximize Your Assets

No body shape is perfect. Each one has its flaws. However, there's also no wrong body type to have—they all have positives as well. Your goals is to choose the tops that maximize your positive features and minimize any flaws.

For example, if you're banana shaped, you want to look for tops that will make your waist look narrower and your bust look larger. Try a top with ruffles or flounces around the bust—this will help your bust look larger and make your waist seem smaller by comparison. Or you might choose a jacket that cinches at the bottom to help give your waist a narrower appearance. If you're an apple shape, on the other hand, you'd be better off choosing a flowing top to de-emphasize your waist.

If you're pear shaped, you want the eye to focus on your upper body, so look for embroidered, jeweled, or otherwise decorated tops that draw the eye to your upper body. If you're hourglass shaped, highlight your curves with cropped tops or belted jackets.

Make Sure Your Bottoms Match Your Tops

Choosing the right top is only one step. If you don't choose a bottom piece that matches well with your top and suits your body type, the positive effect of choosing the right top will be decreased. Remember, just because a pair of pants or a skirt fits doesn't mean that it's necessarily right for your shape.

Banana-shaped women should look for tapered pants to help top off the illusion of a narrower waist. Skirts should be form fitting so that they hug any curves you do have. Apple-shaped women should look for pants that sit low on the hips to avoid any stomach bulge. If you're not a fan of hip huggers, try a high-waisted circle-skirt instead. The waistband will wrap around the smallest part of your torso, and the flare of the skirt will hide a stomach bulge.

Pear-shaped women should look to elongate their figures. A-line skirts are perfect for narrowing the waist and camouflaging the hips. Boot-cut jeans do a good job of balancing your hips, as the volume at the hem draws the eye away from them. If you have an hourglass shape, opt for belted pants or a pencil skirt to play up your curves and play down your thighs.

Knowing which styles suit your body best can make shopping much easier. Instead of shopping the trends, shop for your body type. That way, you'll always look your best. Check out stores like Simple Addiction and start shopping!