How to Style for an Hourglass Body Shape

Hey there! Today we're going over how to dress and understand the Hourglass Body Shape better! If you are not sure what your body type is, you can take this quiz to help you find out! We'll be publishing blogs soon about the rest of the body shapes, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled if you're looking for something other than an hourglass body shape. The other body types we look into are Apple, Rectangle, Pear, and Strawberry.

The body characteristics of an Hourglass Body Shape is that your shoulder width and hip width are the same with a smaller, defined waistline. You are likely to have a bigger bust or booty, and this can be categorized as “curvy”. These are just guidelines to help you feel more confident in how you dress rather than rules!

Here's a few Style Tips:

• Focus on the waist!
  A big part of the Hourglass Body Shape is the waist. There are so many things we can do to make the waist stand out.

• Follow your body's natural silhouette.
  Your body is curvy so show it off! Simple clothing can avoid cluttering the silhouette. Avoid loose clothing that hides your figure. We want these tips to help you feel confident in showing off your natural silhouette.

• Keep your body balanced with your outfits.
  Use your outfit to balance out your hips, shoulders, bust, and waist. This can deliver the most flattering results.

Skirts: The main goal of the skirt is to continue to show off the defined waist. A great skirt choice would be a pencil skirt because it hugs on your body so it maintains the natural silhouette of the hourglass shape. Big skirts are also flattering because if it is fitting at your waist then it will make it look even smaller because of the volume of the bottom of the skirt. A good option is high waisted skirts that go right around the smallest area of your waist to accentuate that look.

Accessories: For necklaces the best fit are ones that hug your neck, like chokers, or necklaces that fall in a V shape. Belts are a good accessory because they can help you accentuate your waistline. Avoid putting your belt on your hips because it can create the bottom to look bigger and unbalance your outfit. It is best for your purses to hit at the waistline. Shoulder bags or cross body bags are flattering to go with your wardrobe. To distract from your curves, you can get a bag that has lots of detail or is very structured.

Jumpsuits: It is the same with jumpsuits as it is with others that we want to maintain the natural hourglass shape. To do this wear a belted jumpsuit or wrap jumpsuit. A flattering choice is a jumpsuit that cinches at the waist but is straight leg. Avoid embellishments at the hips or shoulders to avoid cluttering them.

Jackets: For the Hourglass Body Shape, jackets are a great addition to your wardrobe. You want the silhouette of the jacket to match the silhouette of your body. Single buttons are best because more than that can result in cluttering of the waist. A jacket with a tie is also flattering on your body shape. If you are wanting to accentuate your hips and appear more curvy, get a jacket that stops right above the hips.

Dresses: Dresses that accentuate the waist are the best option for the Hourglass Body Shape. This can include A-line dresses, wrap dresses, or belted dresses. Steer clear of loose or baggy fitting dresses because they will hide your curves and make you appear heavier than you are. Show off your curves! A dress with a fuller skirt will look nice and make your waist look smaller. It is recommended that the length should be no shorter than the knee length of a fuller dress. This way your outfit won’t appear unbalanced.

Tops: The best necklines for an Hourglass Body Shape are slightly rounded styles. V necks are also flattering for the Hourglass Body. Remember we want to follow the natural silhouette of the body and fitted sleeves will help us achieve that. Avoid loose or big sleeves. Other shirts that work for you are fitted shirts because it shows off your waist or wrap tops have the same effect. Avoid big ruffles because it will unbalance your figure and make you look top heavy. To make you look thinner and not accentuate your hips, wear shirts that stop right at your hip bone.

Sweaters: Our sweaters are like our tops, a form fitting sweater would look nice and would maintain the natural silhouette. Lightweight fabrics can help highlight your figure rather than distract from it. Avoid big and loose sweaters that distract from your body shape. Remember these are just guidelines— if you are confident in a bigger sweater, still wear it!

Jeans: Jeans can always be difficult to find. The most flattering for the Hourglass Body Shape is skinny jeans or straight jeans to make your legs look longer. Low rise bootcut jeans will show off your body shape and the natural silhouette. If you are doing a wider leg, make sure the width doesn’t go further than the width of your shoulders. Darker wash jeans will give you an instant slimming effect, if that is what you are going for.

Shoes: Heels are made for you! A kitten heel or pumps with medium height will help you elongate your legs. Pointy toed shoes with wide bottoms also help lengthen your legs. Try to avoid boots above the knee or calf length. To keep the body balanced, if you are wearing a top heavy outfit, wear some chunkier shoes like platforms or wedges. Anything with a little heel is so flattering for your body!

Shorts: High waisted shorts will make your waistline look smaller. Belted shorts at the waistline can also have that same effect. Avoid low waisted shorts and highly embellished shorts that will make your outfit unbalanced. Opt for a flare leg short rather than a straight leg to show off your curves.

Coats: Wear coats that follow your natural silhouette. They are there to add to your outfit, not hide or take away from your outfit. A few types of coats that will do this for you are A-line coats or trench coats. Avoid straight coats because they hide your body shape. Keep your coats simple because we don’t want to clutter the frame and make your outfit unbalanced. A simple belt would look nice right on the waistline.

Thank you for reading! We're here to help you feel more prepared to pick out an outfit if you are not sure how to best style your body type. I hope that you have learned a few things about your body type. Wear what makes you feel confident and remember you are beautiful. Go try out the tips!

When you try out the tips given in this blog, send us a picture of your outfit on our Instagram! We would love to see what you can do with the advice we gave you!

Outfit Inspo! A great outfit for your body type would be to wear a belted jumpsuit with straight legs with a long sleeve Halftee underneath! This would be great paired with a chunky shoe, for example, Doc Martens and to tie it all together would be some chunky hoop earrings.