Nowhere is this rule more important than for the oval body shape.

If you wear a large sweater or top, then you need to wear a tight silhouette line on the bottom such as leggings or tight jeans. Your top will look best if it hits right at the indent pivot between your waist and your hip. If you wear a full skirt or baggy pants, then you need to wear a small silhouette line on the top such as a body-hugging sweater or leotard look.

Everyone can wear the classic basic oval lines albeit modified for a good fit. This is because of the non-extreme properties of medium classic lines. Oval bodies shapes must stay within the oval clothing lines because other lines don't fit or flatter their shapes. However, the circle, square and triangle can wear modified oval lines as well as their own clothing lines. The following oval lines are applicable to all body shapes:

Blouses, Tops, Dresses Fitted blouses that fall gently over the waistband. Easy leotard blouse looks. Fine-ribbed, lightly body-hugging sweaters. Body-fitting vests to "hip-dip" length. Light oval ruffle effects. One piece dresses. Diagonal darts in bodice. Sleeves Always, set-in sleeves. Small oval shoulder pads. Short sleeves to above elbow. Fitted long sleeves. Flowing Bishop lines. Strapless preferred to sleeveless. Skirts and Pants No darts. Simple sewn down darts. 2" waistbands. Low slung waistlines preferred. Medium and long A-line skirts. Short straight skirts under jackets. Low slung Levi's. Pant legs slightly tapered. Bathing suit, angled leg up to "dip".   Jackets and Coats Fitted, body forming. Keep coat  and jacket waistlines at the waist. Jacket, vests, tops, sweaters need to hit just below dip in hip. Contoured underarm gore panel. Gore running from shoulder down over breast. A-line coats, short and long. Simple coachman. Belts and Waistbands 2" band width fits oval curve of body and gives stability for stomach. Flexible belts that mold into waistline. Skirts dresses and pants with drop oval waistlines. Shoes Classic pumps, medium heels. Simple closed-in toe sandals with strap around heel. Classic boots with medium heels.

Oval Body Basic Line
This body shape needs a skimming fitted look. It can be body-hugging but not clinging or skimpy. It is a fact that oval body types have a hard time finding this silhouette line in both ready to wear and patterns for sewing, but it is vital to creatively adapt an oval slimming outside line wherever possible. Keep sides fitted; can have fullness in the middle of the body, front and back, but no blouson on the sides; important to keep fullness off sides for a sleek classic look. The natural slope of the oval shoulder line is an asset, and necklines that expose the shoulders are especially good. Use fabrics and stitching of the finest quality because these details are noticeable in simple lines. Avoid stiff, crisp materials — fabrics should be soft enough to flow over oval curves.

Sleeves
Set-in fitted sleeves are a must because they give definition to the shoulder angle. Long sleeves are best — even thin-fabric long sleeves in the summertime. Make sure that long sleeves do not completely cover wrists so that the curve of the wrist is shown. Can wear a small oval shoulder pad which suggests a puff, but absolutely no large shoulder pads unless you are looking for a “costume” look. No dolman or raglan sleeves because they exaggerate the slope of the shoulders. Cap or short sleeves cut the arm wrong, however longer short sleeves to the elbow are fine. Sleeveless styles are the worst; actually, strapless dresses which do not draw attention to the arms are more flattering than sleeveless dresses which give an unflattering line. A great sleeve silhouette is a narrow long sleeve with five button closures, or a long Bishop sleeve that is gathered at the wristband (this provides a long oval curve), even a medium puff sleeve hitting above the elbow gives a nice contrast to the waistline.

Blouses, Tops and Dresses
The idea is to reveal the waist, even though the oval waist is not extremely small, it appears to be small because of the oval curves above and below it. Slim-fitted blouses that fall gently over the waist-band are especially good on oval body types. Diagonal French bodice side and center darts give a nice slim bodice fit. Leotard looks are necessary even though they tend to be too skimpy, however they do provide a slim top for baggy pant looks; the advantage is that leotards stay tucked in and smooth and do not blouson out; the disadvantage is that they can be too tight unless you are trim yourself. Avoid blouses with front plackets, top-stitching, front buttons or broad set-in yokes. Keep necklines simple; use oval, jewel or plain mock-turtlenecks to achieve classic looks. Wear fine-ribbed body-slinking sweaters with simple lines. No drop-shoulder cardigan sweaters because they produce awkward lines on oval bodies. Graceful simple oval ruffle effects add feminine lines. One piece dresses are classic and simple. Avoid two-piece busy lines and overlays such as sweaters over blouses that add bulk and take away from a slim line. Body-fitting vests that flow over the oval curve gracefully is one overlay clothing article that can work; another exception would be sheer overtops that reveal a slim body line underneath. No not wear heavy fabrics that add bulk.

Skirts and Pants
No darts are best, but can have simple sewn-down contour darts. Avoid pleats and gathers that add fullness (unless fabric is silk or soft enough for pleats to fall sleekly down over the oval body form). The suggested 2” waist-band fits securely into the curve of the oval waist. Medium and long A-line skirts and dresses are best because they extend the hip-line and cover hip curve; however, avoid bias cut A-lines that tend to hug in-and-out curves and thigh bumps. Medium length straight skirts are good — long straight skirts make the silhouette too straight. Shorter, above-the-knee straight skirts are good with 3/4 length A-line coat jackets. Skirts, dresses and pants with drop-oval waist-lines fit the oval figure. Levi’s with low-slung waists, resting on the hipbone, are better than high waist styles; in pants, a high waist accentuates the stomach and hips too much. No cuffs or bulky pockets on slacks; better to keep the uncluttered simple classic look. Pant legs are best slightly tapered to about 8" across, or the simple A-line medium flare is all right. No extreme tapered legs or straight pant legs that actually look baggy on an oval body type. A soft A-line pant leg works here as well. Be sure pants are not "high-water" because it would break up the long flowing line. Shorts are better if they are the high-cut sports style, and bathing suits are best in one piece with high cut legs; it is better to expose the complete thigh rather than have a lower line that cuts the thigh area in two, drawing unflattering attention to the indent between hipbone and leg.

Jackets and Coats
Always form fitting jackets. Avoid straight box styles because they cover the curve of the oval waist. Avoid peplums because they exaggerate the oval hip curves. Contoured underarm gore panels are good because they help give a fitted look — this underarm gore is good for every body type. IMPORTANT: Jacket length for the oval body comes down to, and covers, the natural indent between the hip bone and the leg; the jacket hemline hits the convex curve at this point and is a most flattering sleek look for the oval figure. Longer 3/4 A-line jackets are excellent if worn with a short skirt. Avoid short-waisted Princess styles because the Princess gore line allows too much fullness in the breast area and causes a short-waisted "little girl" look on oval body shapes. A gore line running from the shoulder straight down over the breast point is all right. This is the best category for fitted A-line coats and longer coachman length sophisticated coats. Keep waistlines at the waist in jackets and coats.

Belts and Waistbands
The 2” belt and band width is most important to keep a graceful curve; a 1” belt pinches in and causes the tummy to push out. 3” stiff belts cover-up the oval curve and are uncomfortable because the belt presses against the oval rib cage and the prominent hipbone — however, wide belts that are flexible and soft enough to mold into the waistline are the best. Contoured belts are stiff but can work if they sit down on the hips and create an oval drop waist line.

Accessories
Simple, genuine, singular and of fine quality are important in this category. Avoid plastic or cheap materials. You will find that shoulder straps on purses and bags are not compatible with this body type because of the slope of the shoulders — the purse strap tends to slide off this type shoulder and becomes uncomfortable. Medium size purses with elongated oval shapes are best. Simple, genuine, singular and of fine quality is most important in jewelry pieces and belt buckles.

Shoes
Classic pumps with medium heels are a must for this category. Sandals are more classic with closed-in toe and simple strap around the heel. Boots should be simple with medium heels and are best if the line is curved in with slimmer ankle lines — straight-leg boots cover up the curve of the ankle and disturb the graceful curve of the oval line.