Can we talk about dresses for a second?

I LOVE dresses.

One piece, zero "does this top even go with these pants" math, and you're dressed. That's the whole appeal. A dress is the closest thing to an outfit that gets dressed FOR you. (pun intended 😅)

But here's what makes a dress its own puzzle: it has to fit your bust, your waist, AND your hips, all off one number on the tag. So when a dress fits your hips but drowns you up top, that's not you failing at dresses. That's one piece of fabric being asked to do three jobs at once.

The good news? Once you know what to look for, you skip the guessing and go straight to the dresses that actually work on you.

So let's get you there.

How to use this email (so it takes 2 minutes, not 20):

Find your shape below. Read ONLY your section (you have my full permission to skip the rest 😄). Each one gives you the exact words to type into a search bar, plus what to skip so you stop wasting time and mental energy on returns.

Pear Shape

Hips wider than shoulders. You're one size on top, another on the bottom, and the dress only comes in one number. So it fits your hips and gapes up top, or fits up top and won't zip past your hips.

Look for a skirt that flares from the waist so it skims your hips instead of gripping them. A fitted top plus a flared skirt is your easiest win.

• ​This Quince fit and flare is the one my mother in law owns (she's 5'9" and it's gorgeous on her)
• ​This embroidered jersey midi from Talbots is a softer, comfier take
• ​This A line dress from J.Jill skims beautifully in an easy cotton
• PACT makes lovely fit and flares too, browse them all here (affordable and sustainable, which I love)

❌ Skip: straight cuts and dropped waists.

🔎 Search: fit and flare dress, A line dress, tie waist dress

Apple Shape

Fullness through the middle. Here's the trap: thin, clingy fabric announces your middle, so you size up... and now you're swimming in fabric and feeling like a shapeless version of yourself.

Look for a waist that either sits up high (empire) or that you can control (wrap), in fabrics that drape and float instead of clinging.

Remember the fit and flare I mentioned for pears? My mother in law is an apple, and it flatters her precisely because the skirt flares away from her middle. Style this dress with a blazer and you're 💃🏻.

• ​This J.Jill A-line tank maxi does the same job
• ​This striped maxi from Nordstrom drapes and moves (vertical stripes are your best friend)
• ​This organic cotton gauze tiered maxi from Quince literally floats past the middle (gauze is a great fabric for you)

❌ Skip: thin clingy knits.

🔎 Search: empire waist dress, faux wrap dress, gauze dress

Hourglass Shape

Waist noticeably smaller than shoulders and hips, whatever size any of them are.

Your issue is geometry, not size. Anything cut straight turns your curves into a box, and fitted pieces tend to fit one measurement and miss the other two. The dress just needs to acknowledge that your waist exists.

Look for wrap and tie waist styles that follow your waist instead of bridging over it, in fabric with a little give.

• ​This faux wrap from Nordstrom ties exactly where you want it
• ​This open back fit and flare from PACT nips in at the waist
• ​This European linen fit and flare from Quince hugs the waist then skims out

❌ Skip: boxy shift dresses.

🔎 Search: wrap dress, tie waist dress, fit and flare dress

Rectangle Shape

Bust, waist and hips all close in measurement. Dresses technically fit you everywhere. And still hang like... nothing. That's because the fabric falls straight with no waist to catch on, so the dress has to CREATE one.

Look for a built in waist: a tie, a belt, smocking, or a wrap.

• ​This side tie midi from Quince lets you cinch exactly where you want
• ​This smocked maxi from Talbots builds in shape through the stretch panel
• ​This buttoned wrap from J.Jill crosses on the diagonal to carve out a waist where there wasn't one (it also comes in Petite and Tall)

❌ Skip: column shapes with no waist detail.

🔎 Search: belted dress, smocked waist dress, tiered dress

Inverted triangle

Shoulders wider than hips. Fits your shoulders? The skirt swims. Fits your hips? It pulls across your back. The goal is to keep the shoulder line simple and add a little volume down low.

Look for a clean neckline up top (V neck, scoop, or halter) and a fuller skirt below to even things out.

• ​This cotton tank dress from Quince is close to perfect: simple straps, full skirt, and the fitted knit top skims without adding bulk
• ​This green striped button up from Boden uses a V neck and vertical stripes to narrow the top half
• ​This merino halter from Unbound Merino draws the eye to the center of the chest while the tie waist and drapey skirt balance you out (bonus: merino packs tiny for travel)

❌ Skip: puff sleeves, flutter sleeves, ruffled necklines, anything that adds width at the shoulder.

🔎 Search: V neck dress, scoop neck dress, full skirt midi dress

If you missed last week's emails: we covered no-tuck tops in this email, and we covered pants in this one. (both emails are designed to help you shop for your body shape)

Now, those are just my picks, and I know they might not be your style.

The magic is in the search bar. Type the words that match YOUR shape and browse until something clicks. Here's where I'd start, and why:

• ​J.Jill dresses: soft, drapey natural fabrics and easy A-line shapes that skim. True to size.
• ​PACT dresses: affordable, sustainable, organic cotton. Great fit and flares that are gentle on your wallet.
• ​Quince dresses: lovely silk, Tencel, and linen at fair prices, with detailed reviews to read before you buy.
• ​Talbots dresses: classic cuts and generous sizing (Petite and Tall included), with structure that holds a waist.
• ​Nordstrom dresses: everything in one place (I filtered to casual and travel styles under $200).
• ​Unbound Merino dresses: travel merino that packs to nothing, resists odors & wrinkles, and drapes beautifully. My carry-on brain loves it.

✈️ If you're looking just for travel dresses, check out this guide I made for you. Download it and keep it with you!!

Remember this is all for guidance, not written in stone. Knowing this just gives you better chances of finding something that fits. But in the end, wear what you like and what makes you feel good.

And if you order something and it doesn't fit? That's normal. Please be kind to yourself.

Finding what works for your shape isn't something you learn in a day. It takes experimenting, like a scientist.

Here's what I mean.

When a dress doesn't work, you can be a prosecutor or a scientist.

👩‍⚖️ A prosecutor says "ugh, dresses never look good on me, I give up" and closes the case against herself.

👩‍🔬 A scientist asks a better question: "okay, that one gaped at the chest and swam at the waist. So next time I'll size for my waist and try a wrap I can adjust up top."

Same dress, same mirror, same woman. One answer sends you home defeated and makes you feel like 💩. The other hands you a clue for next time.

Every "no" is data.

Ask what specifically didn't work, the waist placement, the fabric, the length, and you'll get it right more and more over time. That's not failure. That's the experiment working.

Hope this was useful! Thanks so much for reading my super long emails. I write them with a lot of love and picture you on the other side every single time.

Discovering what works is not easy. But the effort is worth it.

I want you to show up in your life feeling 🔥. And getting dressed in a way that makes you feel confident is a HUGE part of it.

XO,

Aimara

>>> PS: if you are an hourglass or pear shape and love Quince, here's everything I own from them! If we have similar styles, I basically already created a capsule wardrobe for you!