Also referred to as the V-shape (or the downward triangle), the apple body shape make up for around 14% of women according to a research conducted by researchers at the North Carolina State University. This article will show you how to determine if you have an apple shaped body. We will also share tips on appropriate dressing and diet for this body shape.
Apple Body Shape Meaning
You have probably heard about apple body shape and wondered what it means. Well, an individual is described as having this body type if they have broader upper body and a narrower lower half. In other words, apples have broader shoulders and abdomen with narrower hips and slim thighs. The apple bodied individuals tend to mainly store fat in their waist, abdomen and chest areas.
Apple Shaped Body Celebrities
They are all over the TV, tabloids, magazines and internet and getting their photo for inspiration is not a gigantic task. And they look amazing in most of their photos, simply because their designers understand what they need. Here are some of the apple shaped body celebrities.
- Jennifer Hudson
- Angelina Jolie
- Oprah Winfrey
- Rosie O’Donnell
- Drew Barrymore
- Tyra Banks
- Catherine Zeta-Jones
- Jessica Simpson
- Liz Hurley
- Jessica Biel
More Celebrities
Dresses for Apple Shape– Clothes, Jeans for Women
Understanding your body shape is one thing and knowing how to dress it for that glamorous, all-balanced look that shouts beauty and style is another thing. So, let us take a close look at the options available for apple body shape, the focus of this article.
How to Dress an Apple Shape – Your Goal
As we have already mentioned, an apple body shape is characterized by a relatively larger bust, wide shoulders and abdomen, less defined waist, and narrower hips. The overall goals of dresses for apple shape should be to make the upper half of the body appear slimmer for a more balanced overall look.
In other words, you will want to downplay the chest, shoulders and the abdomen. You will also want to draw attention away from your mid section and diverting it towards the hips and thighs.
Best Clothes for Apple Shaped Women – Jackets and Tops options
A great way to focus the attention away from your belly is to wear belted jackets which make the abdomen appear smaller. You should however avoid very thick belts as this can be counterproductive.
The jacket should ideally fall to the middle section of the thigh as opposed to the widest part of your hips which would make the hips appear broader. You should also avoid wearing jackets and coats with shoulders gathers, pleats and pads as this can make the shoulders appear even wider.
As for blouses and tops, your best bet is darker colored tops that don’t cling onto your shape. Having smaller designs will also help to make the upper half appear slimmer as opposed to bold patterns and large checks.
Apple Shaped Body Clothing – Skirts, dresses and Trousers
The hips and thighs are your best features and wearing appropriate skirts and trousers will help you draw attention to them while shifting the attention away from the belly area. Short skirts and dresses do a great job at this.
You should however stay away from perfectly straight skirts and pants as well as skirts with very tight bottoms since these can make the top part appear too big. An ideal dress should fit well and just skim (not cling on) your waistline. This helps to divert attention from the middle area.
Jeans for Apple Shaped Body
Apple shaped body women tend to store fat in the middle section and need a pair of jeans that draw little attention to that area. A medium-rise jeans with the waistband positioned right on your belly button or a little below it is your best bet. It should snugly fit you on the waist. A straight leg pair of denim is advisable but you should avoid very skinny, tight fitting jeans as well as the high-waist ones as they don’t do your apple figure any good.
Apple Shape Diet
Otherwise known as android body type in medical terms, the apple shape is attributed to higher levels of androgen hormone in the body. This means that excess fat that is not broken down to provide energy is stored in the breast, waist and back areas deep inside the body (in contrast to the pear shape for which fat is stored just beneath the skin around the hips, thighs and buttocks).
An ideal apple shaped body diet should feature lots of complex carbohydrates. Apple body shapes are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes which can be avoided 90 percent of the times by controlling your weight while avoiding dips and spikes in blood sugar levels.
Dieticians recommend a diet comprised of lots of complex carbohydrates from foods such as brown rice, whole grains, oatmeal, whole wheat, rye, barley, pumpernickel, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, and buckwheat. These are all digested slowly which prevent rapid spikes in blood sugar levels. Fruits are also rich in complex carbohydrates but you should limit your intake of sweet fruits such as pineapple, grapes, watermelon and bananas.
An ideal apple shape diet should be low in sugary drinks and refined carbohydrates such as packaged pasta, pastries, muffins, crackers, cookies, and cakes as well as sweet carbonated drinks, ice cream, and any sucrose or fructose syrups as these can lead to spikes of blood sugar.
It is also recommended that you get moderate quantities of quality proteins such as skinless chicken breast, seafood, fish, free range eggs, lean meat, cottage cheese, low-fat yoghurt, peas, beans, and lentils.
Although apple shaped individuals have a higher risk of developing heart disease, you should not stay away from fats altogether. Instead choose health fat sources such as avocadoes, nuts, canola oils, olive oil, pumpkin seeds, almonds, sardines, salmon, fish oil supplements, and flaxseeds. You should however avoid high intake of saturated fats such as those found in fatty meat and full-fat dairy products.
A general guideline for apple body shape diet is 50 percent complex carbohydrates, 30 percent proteins, and 20 percent health fats with extra supplements of multivitamins (especially vitamin D and folic acid), omega-3 fatty acids, and psyllium fiber.
Exercises for Apple Shaped Body
Despite the plethora of diseases and medical conditions associated with the visceral fat in apple shaped individuals, this type of body has the advantage of being able to lose fat (and weight) relatively easily compared to the pear body type. Alternate strength training and cardio workouts (e.g. brisk walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes) 3 times weekly make a good combo for people with this shape.
Further Suggested on Body Type or Shape
- What Is My Body Shape and What Are the Different Shapes for Women Bodies
- Pear Shaped Body Celebrities, Diets, Dresses, Meaning and Best Clothes to Wear
- Hourglass Shaped Body Dresses, Clothes, Shaper, Celebrities with Hourglass Body Figure
- Inverted Triangle Body Celebrities, Clothes, Dresses and Diet
- Rectangle Body Meaning, Dress, Swimsuits, Jeans and Celebrities Whose Bodies Are Rectangular
- Shapes of Bodies Including Shapes Triangle, Vase, Straight Lollipop, Cello and Cornet
- Curvy Body types, dresses, clothes and Workouts for Women with Curvy Bodies
