How to Dress a Body Building Muscular Female Shape with Broad Shoulders

I am a body building muscular shaped female. I wear a size 2. I have wide shoulders and lats, but a tiny waist. I’m 105 pounds, 5ft3in and I am 60 years old. So even though I could wear miniskirts and such with my figure, I want to stay appropriately dressed. What style advice can you offer if any? BTW button down shirts and blouses never fit correctly. Thanks for any advice you can give me. ~ Dottie

If you have a muscular shape, broad shoulders and a tiny waist, and (probably) narrow hips, your goal in dressing up is to create a balanced curved by making your shoulders appear narrower and your hips curvier.

It may seem challenging especially if there are tops that don´t fit well on you, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, dressing up a boyish muscular shape is easy.

Table of Contents

Dresses

Go for belted styles, like shirt dresses and wrap dresses. Create curves with bias cuts, draping and ruching.
wrap dresses for muscular female shape with broad shoulders
Get the Look: 1) Adrianna Papell Dress with Twist Knot, 2) VELVET BY GRAHAM Dress, 3) Michael Stars Dress

Wrap Dresses. The V-neckline that you get from wrap dresses will emphasize the oval shape of your face and make your neck appear longer. This helps in making your broad shoulders look narrow.

The wrap style of the dress gives you an illusion of fuller curve while ruching (which you see in the middle dress above) adds width to your narrow hips. A twisted knot is a great alternative to belted wrap dress.

bias cut dresses for marcular broad shoulder female shape

Bias Cut Dresses. With bias cut the fabric is cut diagonally so it can drape and skim the body. Slip dresses with spaghetti straps will especially look great on you. Because they´re slinky and romantic, bias cut dresses add feminine flair to your boyish built.

Shirt Dresses. If you have problem looking for tops that fit, choose shirt dresses that fit right on your shoulders, then gather them at the waist with a wide belt or waistband. This will flare out the skirt of your shirt dress to balance the width on your top. Check out this Tie-Waist Shirtdress from Banana Republic.

Pants

pants for mascular boyish shape
Get the Look: 1) Calvin Klein Tapered Pant, 2) Artka Pencil Casual Pants, 3) Banana Republic Straight Leg, 4) NY Deal Harem Pants

Look for flat-front trousers that are straight from waist to hem. Avoid pants that are too tight on top if you have narrow hips as this will make your hips look unattractive. A slight flare at the hems works for you. To create curves, try pleats or tapered pants. A wider belt at the waist also creates curve.

Jeans

jeans for boyish shape with mascular frame
Get the Look: 1) Joe’s Skinny Jeans, 2) GUESS Blue Mellow Wash, 3) KUT from the Kloth Boyfriend Jean

When it comes to jeans, opt for low-rise, straight leg styles with a fitted behind. You can also look chic in slouchy boyfriend styles worn with feminine shoes. Or you can try low-rise skinny jeans; they will flatter your toned figure. You would want to avoid fitted high waist jeans since they would feature your tiny waist and emphasize your broad shoulders and lats. Tuck in your top to create curve.

Skirts

You´re lucky, you can wear any skirts … except too full skirts because they will highlight your broad shoulders. If your hips are narrow, look for pleating details, as well as slanted or patch pockets. Show off your waist with belts and thicker waistbands.

Tops

tops for boyish muscular broad shoulders
From Top Left: 1) Chaus Wrap Top, 2) Tank Tunic Blouse Top, 3) Calvin Klein Short Sleeve Top, 4) Lovaru Elegant Shirt Blouse, 5) Cap Sleeve Split VNeck Top

For your tops, go for fitted shirts with seams and details that highlight your figure. You can enhance the bust with breast pockets and gathers. Choose slim V-necks and cap-sleeve styles, or tops with details on the waist to highlight your waist area.

Remember to team dark tops with light bottoms in order to slim down your top and add width to your bottom.