One body type commonly seen in both men and women is called an "apple" body type.
This means that an individual has a larger stomach area than the rest of their body, giving their torso a round, apple-like appearance.
The reasons for someone developing this type of body can be anything from genetics, the slowing of one's metabolism as one ages and of course a lack of fitness.
Regardless of the cause of this body type, those afflicted often have trouble finding clothes that hid or de-emphasize their midsection.
Wearing clothes that are fitted around one's stomach will cause an emphasis of the size of the stomach, so it is necessary to draw the eyes of the beholder either upwards towards the more slender arms, neck and face, or downwards towards the more shapely legs.
To draw one's eyes upwards empire waists are extremely effective.
A color block empire dress where the upper portion is a light color and the lower skirt portion is a darker, sliming color, is especially effective.
Another way to draw the eye upwards is to wear an accent piece like a stunning necklace or hair piece.
If you opt for a necklace, make sure it doesn't drape below your bust, as this will don't draw eyes upwards enough.
An "A" line skirt or dress will also draw the eyes away from one's midsection.
When looking at suits, straight cut suits look better than more fitted, tailored suits.
Use the suit jacket to draw the eyes upwards or downwards.
Draw the eyes downward by wearing a slightly longer jacket that hits the underside of your backside or longer.
To draw your eyes upwards the suit jacket should have a smaller ventral front, or the "V" shape formed when the jacket is closed.
A note about ventral fronts, if your job requires you to frequently make presentations, speeches, or other actions where your attire matters, a small ventral front can actually make you appear colder and less open.
If possible try leaving your suit jacket open and hanging to your sides to minimize the unconscious psychological effect of the small ventral opening.
When purchasing pants, opt for either bootcut or regular, straight leg pants, as these are the most flattering.
If possible try and fit your pants so the waist band is not directly over your midsection, which emphasizes the largest part on an "apple" body type.
If there's one tip all "apple" body types should know, it's to avoid anything fitted around their midsection, as this will emphasize the largest part of their body.