Munich  - Summer is a time for dresses, but finding the right one is difficult for a lot of women, especially women with broad shoulders.

The light and overlapping styles in fashion now are not easy for broad-shouldered women to manage. Dresses with overlapping shoulder pieces or short and wide flat sleeves and wrap-around dresses cut like a kimono make broad shoulders look more narrow, said style consultant Georg Stiels of Munich.

These styles make the shoulders look rounder and the silhouette appears more balanced and slender.

Dresses with a plunging V-neck also draw attention away from wide shoulders. Wrap-around dresses, which are now available in all price categories, are optimal for this design, Stiels said. But the pattern should not be too angular - a large floral print is best.

Dresses with a halter neck are also recommended for concealing broad shoulders because crossed straps break up the surface of the back.

Women with broad shoulders should avoid bustier dresses that by comparison can be fetching when worn by women with small shoulders. The empire style also should be avoided because optically it shortens the upper torso and makes the shoulders appear proportionally even broader, said Stiels.

Blouses, jackets and pullovers with raglan sleeves or with armholes cut off straight do not combine well with dresses worn by broad-shouldered women. And submarine necklines and tight collared necklines basically are not good choices for women with broad shoulders. (dpa)