211 | Feminine Winter Looks for Women with Wide Shoulders

Summary

Episode 211: Feminine Winter Looks for Women with Wide Shoulders
HER Style Podcast | Shopping, Color Palettes, Fashion, Wardrobe, Outfits, Clothing
Host: Heather Riggs – Stylist, Image Consultant & Color Analyst for Women
Release Date: January 16, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 211 of the HER Style Podcast, host Heather Riggs, a seasoned image consultant and color specialist with over 17 years of experience, delves into feminine winter fashion tailored specifically for women with an inverted triangle body shape—characterized by broader shoulders compared to the hips and waist. This episode is part of the Q&A Thursday series, where Heather addresses listener questions, providing actionable style advice to help women build confident, personalized wardrobes.

Addressing Debbie’s Query: Balancing Wide Shoulders in Winter

The episode kicks off with Heather responding to a listener named Debbie, who identifies as tall with wide shoulders and a defined waist. Debbie seeks guidance on achieving a feminine winter look that balances her broad shoulders.

Heather's Response:
Heather acknowledges the challenges Debbie faces and emphasizes the importance of creating visual balance through strategic clothing choices. She highlights that body shapes, such as the inverted triangle, remain relatively constant despite weight fluctuations, making it essential to focus on optical illusions through fashion rather than physical alterations.

Notable Quote:
At [02:15], Heather says, “Wherever you appear to be disproportionately wide or broad, you're going to want to visually break up or minimize that space. Conversely, wherever your body is narrower, you're going to want to add some weight to that area.”

Key Strategies for Feminine Winter Styling

Heather outlines several strategies to help women with inverted triangle shapes embrace their bodies while maintaining a feminine aesthetic:

1. Silhouette Selection:

   • Upper Body:

     • Keep it Simple: Opt for minimal embellishments and streamlined fabrics to avoid adding bulk to the shoulders.
     • Necklines: Choose V-necks, scoop necks, U-necks, or raglan sleeves to create diagonal lines that break up shoulder width.
       Quote: At [05:30], Heather advises, “Opt for necklines that help to break up that width across your shoulders, such as V-necks and asymmetric necklines.”

   • Lower Body:

     • Add Fullness: Incorporate flared skirts, tiered designs, and wide-leg pants to balance out broad shoulders.
     • Colors and Patterns: Use lighter colors and horizontal patterns on the lower half to add visual weight and draw the eye downward.
       Quote: At [08:10], she mentions, “Look for patterns that help to draw the eye out with horizontal through lines, which can visually add weight to your lower half.”

2. Layering Techniques:

   • Simple Outer Layers: Choose open cardigans or jackets with vertical or diagonal lines to avoid emphasizing shoulder width.
   • Interesting Layers Below: Incorporate ruffles, tiered skirts, and textured fabrics to add dimension and femininity.

3. Accessorizing Thoughtfully:

   • Scarves and Belts: Tie a silk scarf around the waist or use a high-waisted belt to accentuate the narrow waist and divert attention from the shoulders.
   • Shoes and Accessories: Invest in pretty boots or embellished footwear to enhance the feminine aspect of the outfit, even in winter essentials like snow boots or sneakers.
     Quote: At [14:20], Heather suggests, “Find the prettiest options that you can look for beautiful colors and fun embellishments, even if it's for cold weather wear.”

4. Emphasizing the Waist:

   • Peplum Tops and Wrap Dresses: These styles highlight the waist while adding flair to the lower body, creating a balanced silhouette.
   • Layering with Cropped Sweaters: Pairing cropped sweaters with skirts or dresses can emphasize the waist and elongate the legs.

Practical Outfit Ideas

Heather provides specific outfit combinations to inspire listeners:

• Full Skirt with Fitted Cardigan:
  A full, tiered skirt paired with a fitted cardigan highlights the waist while keeping the upper body understated.

• Wrap Dress with Lighter Tights and Boots:
  Utilizing a wrap dress introduces diagonal lines and pairing it with lighter tights and boots draws attention downward, balancing the silhouette.

• Peplum Tops with High-Waisted Belts:
  These outfits emphasize the waist and add visual interest to the lower half, maintaining femininity and balance.

Quote: At [12:45], Heather remarks, “Emphasize that enviable waistline of yours with peplum tops or a high-waisted belt to draw attention to your narrowness and create balance.”

Additional Style Enhancements

Beyond clothing, Heather emphasizes the importance of hair and makeup in completing a feminine look:

• Polished Makeup:
  Soft curls, luminous highlighter, and rosy tones in blush and lips enhance femininity and create a finished appearance.
  Quote: At [15:30], she advises, “Play up your cheeks with luminous highlighter or pretty pink blush tones to make you glow and look approachable.”

• Hair Accessories:
  Utilizing headbands, clips, or other accessories can draw attention upward, complementing the overall balanced look.

Heather’s Personal Notes and Episode Recommendations

Towards the end of the episode, Heather shares a personal update about taking a mini-vacation from the podcast schedule. She recommends several past episodes that listeners might find beneficial:

1. Episode 45: "Why Growing Your Confidence is a Selfless Choice"
   Focuses on prioritizing self-care and its impact on personal confidence and relationships.

2. Episode 49: "Six Risk-Free Ways to Add More Color into Your Closet"
   Offers strategies for integrating more colors into one’s wardrobe without feeling overwhelmed.

3. Episode 77: "Handling Conflicting Style Advice"
   Provides guidance on filtering through various fashion tips to find what truly works for the individual.

Quote: At [16:00], Heather shares, “Trust your own intuition and decide what feels good for you and your wardrobe, because at the end of the day, you are the one that's getting dressed in it and wearing your clothes.”

Conclusion

Heather wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to explore past episodes for more in-depth fashion advice and to stay connected through various platforms. She emphasizes the importance of personal style and confidence, reassuring women that with the right strategies, they can build a wardrobe that not only suits their body shape but also reflects their unique femininity.

Final Quote: At [16:49], Heather concludes, “If you want to stop copying everyone else's style and start dialing in your own swoon worthy signature look, head over to take my free 5-minute personal style quiz.”

Key Takeaways

• Understand Your Body Shape: Recognize the characteristics of an inverted triangle shape to make informed styling choices.
• Create Visual Balance: Use clothing and accessories to balance broader shoulders with the lower body.
• Emphasize the Waist: Highlighting the waist can create a flattering silhouette.
• Layer Thoughtfully: Opt for simple upper layers and more detailed lower layers to maintain balance and femininity.
• Polish Your Look: Attention to makeup and hair completes a cohesive and stylish appearance.
• Trust Your Intuition: Personal style is subjective; prioritize what makes you feel confident and comfortable.

Next Steps

Listeners are encouraged to:

• Take the Free 5-Minute Personal Style Quiz: herstylellc.com/quiz
• Join HER Style Collective: herstylellc.com/collective
• Submit Questions for Future Episodes: herstylellc.com/podcast
• Connect on Instagram: Follow Heather at @eatherigstyle for more personalized support and style inspiration.

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This episode of the HER Style Podcast serves as a comprehensive guide for women with inverted triangle shapes seeking to enhance their winter wardrobe with feminine and balanced fashion choices. Heather Riggs’s expert advice, combined with practical outfit ideas and personal insights, empowers listeners to embrace their unique body shapes with confidence and style.

Transcript

[A]

Hey friend, Today's Q and A Thursday episode is going to be short and sweet, but we are talking all about feminine winter styles for inverted triangle shapes that will flatter your figure and balance out your beautifully broad shoulders. From the best silhouettes to cozy layering tips, I'm sharing tons of practical ideas to keep you feeling warm and stylish all season long.

[B]

Welcome to her Style podcast where we're all about empowering you to show up and get dressed every day with confidence. I'm your host, Heather Riggs, a 15 year and counting certified image consultant and color specialist ready to build a wardrobe and a personal style you love. Let's get started.

[A]

Alright, today's Q and A Thursday question came in from our sweet friend Debbie. She sent me an email not too long ago and said, hey Heather, thank you so much for your podcast. It's helped me a lot. I'm tall, have wide shoulders, but also some waist. What would you recommend to balance out the shoulders and dress feminine in winter? Thanks so much Debbie. Debbie, thank you so much for sending this question. I love making sure I'm covering exactly what you want to hear right on the podcast. So I appreciate you taking the time to send me your requests for these weekly Q and A Thursday episodes and I'm going to give you some really practical tips to balance your body shape and of course make sure that you are finding some really great feminine options for you for this cold, dreary winter season. I know we're mid January right now, there is snow coming down on a lot of places. Of course my thoughts and prayers are with all of our friends in LA right now. I know it's been such a terrifying time for all of you, so definitely thinking of you and here if you need absolutely anything through this season. But no matter what the weather is where you live, this can be a difficult time of year to get dressed, especially if you are in a particularly cold climate. If you do have to think about lots of layering pieces this time of year, practical things like snow boots and mittens and the whole nine yards, especially if it feels hard to fit that in with your signature style. So we're going to talk about how to dress really femininely in these cold winter months, but also doing it in a way that is going to work really beautifully for your body's shape. So first let's talk about what it means to have an inverted triangle shape, which is the way that it sounds. Debbie is describing her inherent body shape and that basically means that your shoulders are going to be slightly wider than your waist, hips, and thighs. P.S. friend, this is not a problem. I would personally choose to flaunt this if I were you because I have the opposite body type. My shoulders are actually very narrow, so I have a triangle shape. My hips are wider than my shoulders and waist and all of those things. So my point is, the grass is always greener, right? You might want to embrace your body shape and just flaunt your beautiful, broad shoulders, but it's completely up to you. And if you feel like it's more important to create some good, optimal balance between your upper and lower halves, then I want to give you a few really great, easy ways that you can do that when you're dressing with your body's natural shape in mind. And please remember, friend, this doesn't really change very much with any significant weight gain or loss. Using myself as an example, again, whether my weight fluctuates up or down, my hips are generally always going to look wider than the narrowness of my shoulders. So it's not necessarily something we can control from a physical standpoint, but you can control the way that it reads with your outfits. So wherever you appear to be disproportionately wide or broad, you're going to want to visually break up or minimize that space. On the other hand, wherever your body is narrower, visually, you're going to want to add some weight to that area. Again, for me, this is through my shoulders. For Debbie, it's the opposite, and she's likely reading a little bit narrower through her hips. So that's where we're going to want to add some extra details like embellishments, texture, all of those things. This is just a very good general rule, so we don't need to over complicate it. It Debbie is going to keep things really simple and streamlined on her upper half, especially across her shoulders. I'm going to do that at my hips, and then we'll both add some interest and weight. Again, think textures, embellishments, maybe a bolder print to draw the eye there. You could also opt for lighter colors, which can, as a generalization, make things appear a little bit larger as well in the opposite areas. So again, for me, that would be at my shoulders. I want to add that visual weight and interest. For Debbie, it's probably going to be more on her lower half to create that really nice balance through her whole body. To get even more specific, Debbie, here's some options of what this could look like for you, especially this time of year. As I said, again, just to reiterate you're going to want to keep things simpler up top, so think minimal embellishments. You're going to want to add weight elsewhere and keep your fabrics a bit more fitted and flat through your upper body. Then on the opposite, you're going to want to add fullness to your lower half. So again, you could wear lighter colors on your lower half. You could add some texture and embellishments. Think ruffles, tiered skirts, things like that that really play into that feminine side of your style as well. You could also look for eye catching details, maybe opt for some horizontal prints. And that doesn't necessarily mean that you need to do stripes in your lower half, either in a pant, a skirt, or the lower half of a dress, unless that suits you. But you could also look for patterns that draw the eye out with horizontal through lines. For example, maybe you're going to find a floral print that kind of runs in horizontal rows, right? So anything that's going to help to draw the eye out across your lower half will visually add some weight and then by default, make your shoulders look a little bit narrower or in proportion with your body's overall silhouette. I'm going to give you a few quick tips for inverted triangle shapes. Just again, as a generalization, these may or may not work for your personal preferences and your specific body, but you want to think about opting for neck lines that are going to help to break up that width across your shoulders. And so diagonal lines can really help you to do this optically. A few good neckline suggestions for you would be asymmetric necklines. You could do V necks. Scoop necks will also help to minimize that width across your upper body as well. Or same with U necklines. And then raglan sleeves are also another great option because again, they're going to create that diagonal break through your shoulder line as well. And then if you're thinking about ideal hemlines for your lower half, again, in general, I would probably recommend that you opt for full skirts, fit and flare options. Layered hemlines are going to be really flattering for you. Again, because we're looking to add some more visual weight and texture there. And then in terms of jeans, I highly recommend that you consider trying boyfriend silhouettes, boot cut, wide leg and flare styles as well. These can all be very flattering for inverted triangle shapes in particular. So let's talk about a few other ways that you can help to create better illusions of balance through your upper and lower half. Of course, as we mentioned, you want to create some nice narrowing effects through your shoulders. So you could try off season, opt for wider strapped tank tops. This is really going to cut through your shoulder line from a vertical standpoint. We just talked about using diagonal lines to break up that space. But you could also do a wide strap tank which is going to kind of cut right through your shoulder there and make it look a little bit more narrow in comparison for the winter months right now. However, I would recommend that you do keep things a little bit simpler up top. So think minimal embellishments. Add that visual weight elsewhere in your outfit. Keep your fabrics up top a little bit more fitted and flat and of course streamlined. And then you're going to want to add some fullness to your lower half. So you might want to try lighter colors on the bottom which are going to make things appear a little bit larger or draw the eye there at least. You can also add lots of texture and embellishments and play into your feminine style. You could do ruffled or tiered skirts, things that have a little bit more fluidity and movement. Again, just to add some nice weight and interest there on your lower half. Keep everything in a really great balance. So look for some eye catching details in your bottoms. Maybe opt for horizontal prints which again will help to draw the eye out. So you don't necessarily have to wear stripes unless that suits you. But look for any patterns that help to draw the eye out with a horizontal through line. This could even look like a floral print that kind of runs in horizontal rows if that sense. So some outfit ideas that could work really beautifully for you this time of year, Debbie, are going to be maybe a full skirt with a tighter fitted cardigan. This is going to help to show off that beautiful waistline that you have. Play into your feminine preferences and of course keep everything simple on the top and a little bit more visually interesting on the bottom. You can also try maybe a wrap dress which is going to be great because you're going to be using those diagonal lines again on the upper half to kind of break up that space through your shoulders. And maybe you want to pair it with lighter colored tights and boots again to Dr. Draw the eye down, add some nice visual interest on your lower half and create a really flattering balance. Wrap dresses are pretty universally flattering across the board, so you can't really go wrong there. And then of course, you definitely want to make sure that you are emphasizing that enviable waistline of yours. I am a big fan of peplum tops. I think they are so feminine you can find tons of different styles and make it work for you no matter your personal preferences. But what's going to be great about that is that you can keep it really simple up top again by your shoulders. Just do a normal straight sleeve, nothing crazy. Don't try to avoid any ruffles or puff sleeves, things like that. Again, keep it really simple and classic. And then the peplum is going to be great because it's going to highlight that beautiful waist and again add a little bit of visual interest below the waist to help create optimal balance through your figure. You could also try wearing a high waisted belt as long as you're not short waisted because we don't want to cut into your proportions on your upper half either. So do think about that as well when you're putting outfits together. But you could wear a high waisted belt as long as you're not short waisted to draw emphasis to the narrowness of your waist. And I also think it would look really cute to try a cropped sweater over a dress or a skirt. You could wear ankle boots if you have tall long legs. You could break that up a little bit and opt for some midi length skirts and dress hemlines paired with some cute booties. Or you could opt for knee high boots if you want to draw the eye up and enhance the overall length of your legs. So really play around with some different combinations and see what works well for you. But I think focusing on layering in some interesting ways on your lower half would be incredibly flattering. A couple of other things that might be fun to do to play into again your feminine side and also to create really great balance in your outfit might be to tie a silk scarf around your waist or your handbag. Anything that's on the lower half of your body. Again to add some extra extra weight and interest there. You could focus on really pretty shoes this time of year, friend. Even if you have to wear boots every day or if you are running around and sneakers are the only thing that really feels appropriate for you, find the prettiest options that you can look for beautiful colors. Look for some fun embellishments or details or things that really can play into that feminine aspect to your personal style. Just because it's for cold weather wear doesn't mean that you can't have fun and still look for pretty options. So go to google and type in pretty hiking boots, pretty snow boots or pink sneakers or whatever it is that you want that fits with that style profile that you have. I would highly encourage you to focus on some Beautiful shoes and accessories all year long that you could wear with everything. Another thing that you could really do to play up your feminine side is pay attention to your hair and makeup. I think people often underestimate how finished your look can really become once you just spend a few minutes working on a polished makeup, look and hairstyle just to finish everything off. So if you do really love those soft feminine attributes, maybe you want to play up your cheeks a little bit with some luminous highlighter or some pretty pink or coral blush tones. You could do a matching lip and maybe opt for some really beautiful rosy tones again that are going to bring out your best, that are going to make you just glow and look really feminine and soft and approachable. You could also try some nice touchable hairstyles, think maybe some soft curls or loose braids. You could try hair accessories as well, which will really help to draw the eye up and away from the the broad shoulders that you seem a little bit self conscious of. So maybe you could do some headbands or hair clips or some other fun hair accessories just to add even more interest around your face. Debbie, I hope this has given you a few ideas to start with. If you want to stay warmer again, I would keep your coats and blazers and jackets and things like that a little bit simpler on your upper half. Anyt that you can layer across your shoulders is going to be really fantastic. You can use vertical or diagonal lines to help break up that space. So maybe you want to layer with open cardigans or an open jacket again, keeping things simple and then opting for some fuller silhouettes through your lower half. That's going to be a really foolproof general outfit combination for you to try. All right friends, I hope this was helpful for you. If you are an inverted triangle shape and you want some great ways to balance your body and still feel feminine and celebrate your personal style all year long. I just want to give you a heads up. I am taking a mini vacation from the podcast next week. I have not missed an episode in I don't even know how long. I'm overdue for a little break so I'm gonna rest up a little bit. I'm gonna plan some incredible episodes for you coming up for the end of the month and beyond. Right? So I'm happy to point you to a few of my favorite episodes that I recommend going back and re listening to. Or you could check them out for the first time. If you're new to her style podcast, welcome here. There's so much, much content for you to explore. So I definitely recommend that you scroll through and see what titles pop out for you and really resonate with the challenges that you're facing right now. There's tons of practical tips waiting for you here, but there were a couple of episodes that I was surprised really have been kind of flying under the radar, so there are some that you maybe have missed. They are related to a lot of questions that came up at our Wardrobe Revamp boot camp recently, and so I think they'll be a really great accompaniment for you while I'm away next week from the podcast. So I definitely recommend that you put these on your queue next and dive in. The first one is episode number 45. We're going way back and it's all about why growing your confidence is a selfless choice. Friends, this is really important to listen to, especially if you're someone who is busy caring for everyone else. You put yourself last. You don't really think that you're worthy of focusing on your wardrobe or your outer appearance in any way. I think this will really be a nice shift for you and a new perspective on why it is so important to care for yourself and it does impact those around you. Another episode maybe everybody was taking a vacation this week. Episode number 49. We've got two right around the same time. It's six risk free ways to add more color into your closet. I talked with so many women the other week who were really feeling confused and limited around what colors to bring into their wardrobe, how to start branching out into different colors and trying new things in ways that they can feel confident about. Right? Because it can feel a little scary or intimidating sometimes if you're afraid of wearing the wrong color or if you don't want to make any mistakes. This is a really helpful episode to get you thinking outside the box and bringing some more options and life into your closet. Again, if color is something that you really want to focus on in the year ahead. And the last episode that I think would be great for you to check out is number 77. It's called hearing Conflicting style Advice. Here's how to quiet the noise. Friends, there are so many experts out there and I think everybody has really wonderful intentions and really great content. I certainly don't need to be the only style person that you listen to out there, but I want you to be more discerning and filtering out the right information for you so that you don't get overwhelmed by all of the different conflicting advice that's out there. So I hope that that is a helpful episode to you as well. I hope it empowers you to make better informed decisions about what you bring into your wardrobe, whether it's from me or maybe someone else resonates with you even more. It's important that you learn to trust your own intuition and decide what feels good for you and your wardrobe, because at the end of the day, you are the one that's getting dressed in it and wearing your clothes, not me. So I'm happy to help you in feeling your best, but at the end of the day, you've got to do what feels right for you. So I hope that those episodes give you some good food for thought next week. While I'm taking a little break, I will be back on Monday, January 27th with with all new content for you. I can't wait to see you then.

[B]

Thank you for listening to today's episode. If you want to stop copying everyone else's style and start dialing in your own swoon worthy signature look, head over to take my free 5 minute personal style quiz which you can find at the link in the show notes. If you've enjoyed our time together, please be sure to rate, review and subscribe to her style podcast so you never miss an episode. Finally, I invite you to make this.

[A]

A two way conversation and send me.

[B]

A DM over on Instagram eatherigstyle to let me know how I can best support you on your style journey. I'm always here for you in style and service. Until next time.