Dress silhouettes, drawn line by line
A visual guide to fashion silhouettes: fourteen dress shapes and eight trouser shapes, all on one figure with one pen, so the only thing that changes is the outline. Hover over or tap a drawing to see it backlit, then compare any two below.
Compare two silhouettes
Choose two shapes and they are drawn over each other on the same figure: the first as a solid line, the second dashed. Filter the catalogue below by body shape or occasion, then pick from it.
A-line
Dress, knee length
Fitted through the bodice, then widening steadily from the waist to the hem, like a capital A.
Often suggested for Pear, Hourglass, Apple, Rectangle
Occasions Work, Everyday, Wedding guest, Warm weather
Sheath
Dress, knee length
Follows the body closely from bust to hips, shaped with darts or seams, usually ending near the knee.
Often suggested for Hourglass, Rectangle
Occasions Work, Wedding guest, Evening
Catalogue
Showing all 14 dress silhouettes.
A-line
Fitted through the bodice, then widening steadily from the waist to the hem, like a capital A.
Sheath
Follows the body closely from bust to hips, shaped with darts or seams, usually ending near the knee.
Shift
Hangs straight from the shoulders to the hem with no waist shaping, often short and with a high neckline.
Empire
A seam sits high, just under the bust, and the skirt falls loosely from there.
Fit-and-flare
A fitted bodice to the natural waist, then a full skirt that flares out right from the waist seam.
Trumpet
Fitted through the hips, then flaring gradually from mid-thigh to the floor.
Mermaid
Fitted to the knee or just below, then flaring sharply into a fuller hem.
Ball gown
A fitted bodice with a very full, floor-length skirt that stands away from the body from the waist down.
Wrap
One front panel crosses over the other and ties at the waist, forming a V neckline.
Trapeze
Narrow at the shoulders and widening like a triangle straight from the armholes to the hem, with no waist.
Column
A long, narrow, straight line from bust to floor, with little shaping and no flare.
Slip
A thin-strapped dress, often cut on the bias, that skims the body instead of gripping it.
Peplum
A fitted dress with a short flared tier, the peplum, at the waist over a narrow skirt.
Drop waist
The waist seam sits low, around the hips, with a loose bodice above and a short skirt or pleats below.
Straight leg
The same width from the knee to the hem, so the leg falls in one straight line from the hip.
Cigarette
Slim and straight, usually cropped at or just above the ankle.
Tapered
Roomy at the hip and thigh, often pleated, narrowing gradually to a slim ankle.
Wide leg
Widening from the hip and staying wide all the way down, usually to the floor.
Bootcut
Slim through the thigh and knee, with a slight flare from the knee to the hem.
Flare
Fitted through the hip and thigh to the knee, then flaring out widely to the hem.
Barrel
A curved leg that bows out around the knee and narrows again at the ankle, also called a horseshoe leg.
Culottes
Wide, cropped legs that end between the knee and mid-calf, so they move like a skirt.
No silhouette in this catalogue matches both filters.
Body-shape and occasion tags follow common styling rules of thumb. Anyone can wear any silhouette.
Same woman, four silhouettes
One photo, four dresses in the same cobalt crepe, so the shape is the only difference. Each lightbox shows the silhouette first. Hover over or tap it to switch on the lights.
AI try-on example. One photo of the same woman, dressed in four dress product photos with FitInView's try-on. Only the silhouette changes.
How to read a silhouette
A silhouette is the outline a garment makes around the body, the shape you would see if the person stood in front of a bright window. Fabric, color and detail come second. Most fashion silhouettes can be described by asking one question: where does the width sit?
At the shoulders
Trapeze and shift dresses hang from the shoulders. Nothing pulls in at the waist, so the shape is set by the shoulder line and the hem.
At the waist
Wrap, fit-and-flare and A-line dresses fit closely at the waist. Whatever happens below, the eye reads a defined middle.
At the hips
Peplums, drop waists and full skirts add or mark width at the hip line, which changes how wide the waist looks by contrast.
At the hem
Trumpet and mermaid gowns stay close until the thigh or knee, then put all the width at the bottom. Wide-leg and flared trousers do the same.
That one question explains most styling advice about the best silhouette for your body: a common rule of thumb is to put width where you would like more and keep the line close where you would like less. It also explains why an A-line and a fitted sheath can be cut from the same fabric and look like two different dresses.
Elsewhere in the exhibition
- Types of dress silhouettes All fourteen dress shapes, how to recognize each one on a rack, and what it tends to suit.
- Trouser and pant leg shapes Straight, cigarette, tapered, wide-leg, bootcut, flare, barrel and culottes, with the same person in four of them.
- Silhouettes for your body shape Hourglass, pear, apple, rectangle and inverted triangle: which flattering clothing shapes are usually suggested, and why.
- A-line vs sheath The two most common dress shapes, overlaid on one figure, with when to choose each.
- A short history of the silhouette From the dropped waists of the 1920s to today's wide legs, in broad strokes.
Questions about silhouettes
What are the main types of dress silhouettes?
The shapes you will meet most often are A-line, sheath, shift, empire, fit-and-flare, wrap and trapeze for everyday dresses, plus trumpet, mermaid, column, slip and ball gown for evening and bridal. Peplum and drop waist are variations defined by a detail at the waist or hip. Every one of them is drawn and compared above.
What is the difference between A-line and fitted?
A fitted (sheath) dress follows the body from bust to hips. An A-line is fitted only to the waist and then widens steadily to the hem, so it skims the hips and thighs. Overlay the two in the comparison above to see exactly where they part.
Which silhouette is the most flattering?
There is no single answer, but A-line and wrap dresses are the shapes most often suggested as a safe start, because they define the waist and skim the rest. Body-shape advice is a rule of thumb: the best way to judge is to see the shape on yourself.
How can I see a silhouette on my own body before buying?
Try it in a fitting room, or use a virtual try-on: upload a photo of yourself and a photo or shop link of the dress, and FitInView shows you wearing it. Your first try-on is included with a free account.