Trapezoid

What works and what to avoid

Trapezoid (V) — the chest is noticeably wider than the waist, the taper is moderate, ready-to-wear fits without alterations. The trapezoid is balanced; what harms it is extremes, not volume as such: heavy shoulder pads artificially exaggerate the V, an overly narrow bottom heightens the contrast with the shoulders, excessive width changes the character of the silhouette. Moderate volume on the bottom is fine. A single-breasted jacket with a soft Neapolitan shoulder without padding, buttoned with one button. Straight or slightly tapered trousers with a mid rise. A tucked-in top and a belt work, because the waist is real.

Tips

• A trapezoid build is already balanced — what hurts it is extremes, not volume as such. Heavy shoulder pads artificially exaggerate the V, an overly narrow leg sharpens the contrast with the shoulders, and excessive width changes the character of the silhouette. Moderate volume below is fine.
• A soft, unpadded Neapolitan shoulder and a single-breasted, one-button jacket: the taper does the work, the construction just has to stay out of its way.