Fit Club: Finding Clothes for Your Body Type
1/19As a surfer for Billabong, high school junior Courtney Conlogue spends weekends in a wet suit. But dressing for dry land requires a bit more finesse. "You don't see many athletic girls in magazines," she says. Instead, she turns to fellow riders for cues: "I've noticed they don't wear supertight clothing that clings to their muscles." Trouser-style jeans, breezy button-downs, and earthy-glam platforms deliver the comfort Courtney craves while playing up her feminine side. "I never wear dresses because I run around too much," she explains. "Some people complain about having a buff body, but they should be excited because you have to earn it. You just have to make it work!" Mission accomplished.
2/19Courtney's surf style
3/19Billabong Shirt, $40. billabong.com.
4/19Jessica Simpson Footwear Boot, $159. jessicasimpsoncollection.com.
5/19Judi Rosen New York Jeans, $210. judirosenny.com.
6/19Current/Elliott Vest, $399. currentelliott.com.
7/19"I love to experiment with trends," enthuses college junior Media Brecher, who at five feet ten is inching into model territory. Yet even within the bounds of experimentation, she sticks to fresh spins on old standbys. "I gravitate toward streamlined looks," she says, such as "skinny jeans that emphasize my long legs" (her favorite feature) and "a structured jacket to give me shape." Fall's tie-dye drainpipes and a strong-shouldered blazer or hardware-heavy vest are perfect ways to test out the trends while playing up Media's lanky frame. For those dubious there's anything this willowy coed can't pull off, she insists it's no tall tale: "I stay away from the whole bohemian thing. I drown in it!"
8/19Celebrity Muse: Taylor Momsen
9/19Madewell Jeans, $60. madewell1937.com.
10/19Bebe Shoe, $149. bebe.com.
11/19For high school junior Miranda Kalvaria, dressing her shapely figure is a cinch. "I use a lot of belts," she says. "Boxy tops don't hang well on me." Celebrity stylist Leslie Fremar concurs: "Accentuate your waist—it's usually your smallest part." She also recommends solid pieces, such as a crisp white shirt. Button-downs may not seem like the easiest look for busty girls to pull off, but Fremar says a bra fitting at a lingerie store helps: "The key is proper support, and many girls wear the wrong size." To round out the look, Miranda pulls on her favorite jeans "dark, stretchy, and not too low," a style Fremar describes as "slimming." "Lots of girls hide their curves, but you can show them off without looking tasteless," Miranda says.
12/19Celebrity Muse: America Ferrera
13/19Torrid Shirt, $44. torrid.com. Ann Taylor Loft Belt, $50. anntaylorloft.com.
14/19"I spend a lot of time at the tailor," says five feet two high school freshman Kate Yoder. When it comes to jeans, she's found that—even hemmed—they can be a drag on her tiny frame. "For small girls, the style needs to be very specific: either a little long, to wear over heels and elongate the leg, or cropped to wear with flats," advises stylist Kate Young, who works with pixie-esque actress Natalie Portman. "Voluminous fits, like boyfriend jeans, are difficult to pull off without a lot of leg." And Young recommends keeping that tailor on speed dial: "You can even get the sleeves of your dresses taken in. A tailor is essential to keep you from being swallowed up by your clothes."
15/19J. Brand Cotton and Lycra Jeans, $178. jbrandjeans.com.
16/19Celebrity Muse: Natalie Portman
17/19Saint James T-Shirt, $60. (800) 681-2631.
18/19Paige Premium Denim Jeans, $189. paigeusa.com.
19/19D&G Flat, $370. (800) 979-3038.
