LOOKING good is about getting to know yourself.

You have to understand your body shape in order to know which bits to emphasise and which to downplay.

Apples

Apples are the new British norm. With wider waists than our mothers' generation, you are likely to have a square torso with slim hips, and most likely to have a fuller waistline. The main issue with this is that you can end up looking boxy and unfeminine.

However, it is not all despair, your best feature is doubtlessly great legs, and therefore your lower half should be emphasised, while fooling the eye into believing you are curvier than you really are with slim fitting trousers and wrap-over or flared skirts.

6 Look for hipster trousers and skirts that sit lower on the waist and pair with longer cut tops that won't ride up.

6 Create length and a smaller middle by adding height in heels and accessorizing with long necklaces to add vertical length.

6 Stick to fitted deep v-cut, simple tops with clean open necklines.

6 Rely on wrap-over tops as the basis of your wardrobe and update classics with pretty detailing such as elegant boat or scooped necklines.

6 For formalwear, straight-cut shirts with darting or side vents that taper at the waist and gently flare out are the most flattering.

Kew, in Cheltenham, has a wide range of wrap-over styles, one of the prettiest being its brown silk jacquard print top with long sleeves (£45). Skirts-wise, M&S has a Russian influenced softly draped thick checked skirt in autumnal colours with lace trim on the hem (£39.50) that will give the illusion of shapely curves.

Pears

Pear-shaped ladies have a classically feminine body type, rounded hips and bums with slender waists and busts.

Make the most of your derriere with this season's favourite, the tulip skirt, the wrap dress. This flatters curves and emphasises a petite torso, the perfect solution for different size top and bottoms.

An ample bottom can be camouflaged by using the right trousers. The failsafe way to ensure that your rear looks slimmer is with a hipster style that visually cuts the appearance of your bottom in half.

6 Wear soft flowing non-clingy materials on you bottom and maximise your bust with streamlined tops and shirts.

6 Use eye-catching accessories to draw the eye upwards away from your bottom half through funky necklaces, scarves and earrings.

Avoid A-line skirts that balloon over bums and hang shapelessly, rather choose slim fitted skirts that cling in all the right places.

Wallis has produced a wonderful copycat version of Diane Von Furstenberg's printed wrap dresses with its black and white leaf dress, available for £40.

Hourglass

The main concern for curvy women is that without structure, their shape can look larger than it is. This is usually down to forgetting the one and only rule for hourglass ladies, always show off your waist.

Avoid square or boxy jackets that do nothing for your bust-line and go for wide, open necklines that break up the chest. These styles have the action of separating the bust, preventing it from looking like one unit.

As with enhancing curves for apples, hourglass shapes benefit from the wonders of the wrap crossover style top.

The Dressing Room, in Great Malvern, stocks Passport, a tailored range that hugs and accentuates a feminine shape. Its grey tweed fitted jacket (£129) is a real investment piece that will see you through season after season.

Best buys:

6 Tailored nipped-in jackets that define your waistline.

6 Slim-fit boot-cut trousers that elongate legs and bums.

6 Wrap tops and cardigans.