Casual wear for an hourglass figure?

[Unwind]

I have disproportionately large hips and breasts - so I can't find anything in the shops to fit (I know there's Bravissimo, but I've not been impressed so far).

Anyone got any suggestions? At the moment I live in badly fitting jeans and jumpers.

I have that figure and I'm going through a phase of wearing tunics/shortish dresses which tie at the waist over skinny or bootcut jeans.

but I don't think of it as disproportionately large hip and breasts - I think of it as a slim waist (because it still looks like that relatively even when I am in fact a bit overweight.)

If you are a 14/16 middle (I say that because I am and they only have a 16 left online) try top I ordered it and when I tried it on it looked amazing. Unfortunately for me the material irritated me and I had to return it. I would say though that it looked so fantastic that I considered just putting up with the irritation.

that should say this top not top!

I like to wear a soft stretchy pencil skirt and leggings from American Apparel. Casual skirts over tights and leggings generally work well for me. I don't struggle with tops, it is the bottom half I find tricky.

According to the Trinny and Susannah book hourglasses have a bit more difficulty with casual wear and tend to have to dress smarter because of it.

They recommend wide wool trousers to balance the hips and very close fitting tops - Phase Eight is great for me with my hourglass figure as is Boden (sorry!) dresses.

that's interesting, I've never had a Boden dress that fits properly.

which Trinny and Susannah book is it? I have three - everything I know about clothes I have learnt from their books - maybe I should get that one too....

do you have a flat tummy? If so simple jersey dresses with no frills and flat shoes

The one on body shapes - I got it for £1 in Poundland last week - there's only about 6 pages on each body type.

The also recommend wedge heels with peep toe to lengthen the leg. Deep V necks obviously and are critical of matronly necks.

Jeans to be boot legs - someone recommended the new Ultimate Boot Leg jeans on the Next site last week.

Oh and no blouses, no pussy bows, no flounces around norks.

yes it's a bit of a flaw in the concept of the book isn't it?!
you would have to buy it for your whole class at school or something to get value from it at full price.

Thank you, this is a revelation.

I love simple jersey dresses, but manage to look slutty in most, as have long legs as well. Any dress which is vaguely fitted around the waist gives me lots of cleavage, or has an unflattering matronly neckline.

Maybe wide trousers or casual skirts with tight tops are the way forward? I find pencil skirts restrictive for chasing a toddler and I've been thinking that the fuller skirts are a bit too dramatic?

I love bootcut jeans, but it is very hard to find some that fit well around the waist, and are also long enough. I have tried next, but don't remember seeing ultimate boot cut, but will have another look.

Mychildren - I love that top, but it is not in my size.

Think much of this depends on the flatness of your stomach. If you have lots of rolls you may need ruching or other frills/pleats/anything to conceal rolls on a fitted top. Otherwise a pair of jeans that fit and a close fitting top (doesnt need to be tight, just show that you have a figure not a blob). PLus cardi. easy casual

I think as long as the top fits you are ok. Baggy T shirts however make you look as wide as your widest bit - not good.

For more dressy casual have a look at pics of marilyn monroe and choose something. That kind of trouser shape looks amazing if you have a nice waist and lovely curvy hips/bum. Often I find that with such a va va voom figure its better not to go so much for patterns but let the shapes of the clothes do the work

I've found the Boden Chelsea dress really good as it has a turnover 'ruchy' belt - Trinny and Susannah make a good point about it not being about having a flat stomache instead that in proportion it's so much smaller than bust/hips. They too recommend a bit of drape or ruche around the tummy but still to draw attention to it

Unwind - always vest/camisoles under deep V dresses, I have lots - if I didn't wear camisoles there would be 8 inches of cleavage on me (36J norks). With the vest I get 2/3 inches of cleavage and a 'sheerness' from the camisole.

When I buy boden dresses there is usually vests that are an exact match.

Ultimate boot cuts

If you have really long legs and dresses look slutty consider leggings underneath ? - I don't look great in them because of being short but you may look great in them .

Trinny wears those leggings that end just below the knee as she has ageing saggy knees.

i find the best way to avoid looking too girly or tarty in dresses that fit/flatter my norks is to wear good jeans underneath if i want to look a bit more casual, and smarter trousers/leggings if i need to feel smarter. dh thinks i look like a mental case for wearing all my clothes at once but i think i look okay.

i've got massive norks but a small frame so have to wear vests/thin tops under everything as have rarely found a v-neck dress that doesn't go down below my bra.

cath kidston dresses seem to work quite well as they are jersey but fitted - the basic forties tea-dress shape was really popular a few years ago often works well on the traditionally built.

Def think jersey dresses or tunics over leggings are the way to go.

Also knitted dresses or tunics work well in the colder weather. I have a few from Mint Velvet and Boden which are really quite smart so I dont feel too casual in them. Love them with knee high boots in winter and ballet flats in spring/summer

Thanks all for the comments on this really useful thread! I was having a crisis and needed some advice on where to shop. THanks for the reminder about jersey dresses, will look to see if I can find them - they're a classic aren't they? I mean the thread is two years old which is aeons in fashion terms... The only thing I know for sure when it comes to my shape is to go to DottyP for jeans and trousers. I am totally hourglass and get my best fit from them always. Sadly not Next (and I live very near one so vv frustrating :-) I think they cut everything including bootcut for pear shapes...

I tend to wear:

Summer

• a White Company jersey dress with a camisole underneath and sandals or flip flops or Converse
• a midi or just over the knee tube skirt with a fitted-ish t-shirt
• cropped skinnies and a fitted-ish top

Autumn -

• skinnies, fitted-ish top and biker jacket
• mini skirt or dress and opaques
• narrow bootcuts (only with heels), fitted top, biker

Oh - zombie thread.