Medium Width | Body Matrix Categories
Medium wide body types have some width in their bone structure. This is my guide for if you might be in the medium-width category and how to dress for this feature
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Features
Width appears in the bone structure. To be medium width means you are not narrow nor wide, but appear moderate in your width. You can be wide or narrow at any weight. These are some features to look out for:
shoulders which are neither broad nor narrow (you don’t struggle with jackets your size being too small or too big)
ribcage is neither very narrow nor broad
balanced look - neither lithe nor muscular at a low weight
often apple, hourglass or rectangle shaped (but not always)
Key style words
When thinking about the lines which work best for your silhouette, these are some key words to keep in mind:
moderate
balanced
medium
slightly open
slightly fitted
mid-weight
slightly loose
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How to Style
You don’t have to include ALL of the following elements in an outfit to honour your medium width, but one to three details will help to create this impression. There are also lots of other elements I could include, but I think this is a good starting point!
Slightly open necklines
Slightly open necklines which are placed centrally between neck and shoulders are best for the width in your shoulders. Very wide necklines (like a Bardot neckline) would overwhelm your frame, and very narrow necklines (like a crew neck) can feel restrictive. This can include an round neck, boat neck, open shirt, one shoulder tops
Slightly loose/tight fabrics
A trick that people with medium width can use is to combine opposites. So, you can wear a tight neckline with a loose fabric or an open leg with a fitted tee. Otherwise, you are looking for fabrics which are moderate in weight, so they are neither heavy nor light, not floaty nor stiff - somewhere in the middle creating a balanced look.
Slightly open/fitted hems
Sleeves, hems, legs should be somewhere between flared and cinched for the best looks for types with medium width. This means they don’t get overwhelmed by very flared or open shapes, and they don’t feel restricted by shapes which are too tight. When looking for jeans you might opt for a straight or boot cut as opposed to a flared or skinny jean. Medium types can use opposites so a light fabric with a flared skirt for instance, rather than, say, a voluminous, heavy, flared skirt.
Mid-weight footwear
Finding shoes which have a little weight, that feel solid without being chunky is the best way to ground your outfit in a way which honours your width. Shoes should be neither very narrow and pointed nor very wide and chunky, but balanced and probably classic looking.
Celebrities with Medium Width
Amy Winehouse
Anne Hathaway
Beyonce Knowles
Catherine, Princess of Wales (Kate Middleton)
Charlize Theron
Chrissy Teigan
Dakota Johnson
Dianna Agron
Emilia Clarke
Emma Stone
Ginnifer Goodwin
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jennifer Aniston
Jordin Sparks
Katy Perry
Kate Winslet
Kelly Osbourne
Kristen Stewart
Kirsten Dunst
Lady Gaga
Lisa Kudrow
Lupita Nyong’o
Maisie Williams
Mayim Bialik
Oprah Winfrey
Phillipa Soo
Quinta Brunson
Reese Witherspoon
Regina King
Rosamund Pike
Ruth Negga
Sabrina Carpenter
Sofia Vergara
Zoë Kravitz
This is really interesting! I've been struggling to figure out if I'm MSR or NSR, and based on the necklines you showed here, I'm leaning towards medium width because I find that they are really flattering on me.
Moreover, I really resonate with what you said here: "Medium types can use opposites so a light fabric with a flared skirt for instance, rather than, say, a voluminous, heavy, flared skirt."
I love flared skirts and bell sleeves, especially in the warmer months, and I had bought a velvet flared skirt for the winter, but it doesn't work on me! Like you said, it's too 'heavy'. I couldn't really figure out what about it wasn't working, because the silhouette is usually flattering on me, and now I can see that it's the fabric! So this was very helpful, thank you.
I tend to forget that fabric can play a huge role in how well something suits me, and only focus on the silhouette. I need to keep in mind that fabric is an important element, and a silhouette that leans towards 'width' can be balanced out by a lighter fabric—and vice-versa?
In my other comment, I said that I've been struggling to figure out if I'm MSR or NSR, but I'm leaning towards medium width.
However, like I said, I'm still not 100% sure. There are a few things about me that seem to contradict both the narrow and medium clothing recommendations. I won't get into them here, but I wanted to ask, is there anything that might help distinguish one from the other?
While it was really easy for me to determine that I certainly don't have width, both in your system and in Kibbe's, because I don't fit the description and the clothing recommendations for wide types really don't work for me, I always find it hard to determine whether I'm 'narrow' or not.
I've been going with 'medium' due to my indecision, thinking that if I don't seem to be 'obviously narrow' (in my estimation) and all I can confidently say is that I'm 'definitely not wide', I must be medium, but I'm not super convinced of that determination.
So if there are any distinguishing characteristics that one could look at to help differentiate between medium and narrow types, I think it would be incredibly helpful!