Spring dresses for hourglasses

[Bluebirdpies]

Following from the apple thread I wondered if anyone has seen any good dresses for hourglasses?

The sun is shining and I want a bit more colour in my life.

I bought this and it's surprisingly flattering and very summery. Plus you can tie the waist tighter if you need a bigger size to fit your chest.

That's really pretty happy horse. I live red too. Do the horizontal stripes flatter the boobs? Scared I'd lOok enormous!

I am an hourglass (sort of - although if waist keeps expanding at the rate it is will defo be an apple!) and have despaired at what is out there for summer, I make a lot of clothes, only simple stuff, and am currently trying to make my own pattern for a nice summery dress, might have it done by autumn! That one is lovely, never sure about higher necklines though, always thought v or scoop necks were better?

I have this fabric which sounds odd as ikea fabric but is a largish print on cotton, will be lovely. Just now looking for inpsiration for my pattern.

Meant to say, will post stuf here as I find...(and nick ideas)

The stripes do seem to flatter and I don't think my boobs look outlandishly big in it.

I wouldn't normally go for higher necklines but I've tried a couple of things on and have been surprised. I think if the dress has a belted waist - which a lot do at the moment - and the top half fits well then you can get away with it.

Dressipi keeps suggesting skating dresses for me which would just give me a hideously matron-like shelf. So I'm marking my place!

Monsoon has a great selection of dresses for hourglass shapes - look for a wrap style or anything with a v neck or scooped neck, something which nips in at the waist and then flares gently out. Frills and flounces over the bust are best avoided as is any kind of smocking, volume or high neck. Shapes which skim the hourglass figure are the most flattering or else there is the danger of the "matron" look!

I would disagree that Monsoon is good for hourglasses. I always like the look of their clothes but they never look as good on me as on my friend who although a larger size than me is more apple shape. I think it may depend on exactly how exaggerated your hourglass is, my waist for example is 10 inches smaller than my bust and hips, almost impossible to find a high street dress that fits AND flatters. The high neck of the dress happyhorse suggested would be very matronly on me but agree that stripes can look slimming. After trying on all the new in dresses at Pepperberry last week, my least favourite dress and the last to try was the one I loved on and ended up buying! this one

I tried this one on and it was v. flattering. Suggested I had curves, rather than excess poundage and the neckline is lovely.