Does anyone else have this 'violin hips' body shape? How do you dress?

[Thisrabbitthatrabbit]

I have 'violin hips' so the only clothes that are really flattering are dresses that flare out a bit. Anything tight fitting and I look terrible. With jeans if I wear regular (not high waisted jeans) the they sit in the 'dip' and give me a muffin top look. High waisted and they have a baggy bit where the dip is.

Is anyone else this shape? What do you do?

(I've attached a picture which best shows what I mean)

Yes, I do and I HATE IT. I spend far too many hours trying to find things that don't accentuate the shape more but so far have not succeeded. With dresses, I have to go super tight with Spanx to slim it down or the dress just falls weird, and jeans have to be high waisted (usually with a belt) to hide the big bits at the side.

I've seriously considered surgery to smooth the shape out! I've been everything from a size 8 to an 18 and the shape still sticks :( It doesn't help that I have massive boobs (32hh) and a tiny waist either, I just look all lumpy :(

I am slightly that way though I prefer to say hour glass! Embrace your curves! I suit either very straight up and down clothes (which show the curves) or things fitted at the waist or ribcage where I'm smallest with a flare (think 1950s shape). You're younger and slimmer than me. I have the same issues with trousers as you and in order to fit my hips they tend to be too big on the waist with that gap and too big on the thighs. But I've found a few makes which fit me perfectly. They are Next, River Island and some of ASOS own.

Just to clarify the picture is just from google. It's not me.

Lonely Spanx work for me a little if I fold down the top to create and really tight section, I've considered wearing them everyday before. I'm going to try a belt and see if it helps. Its such an uncommon body shape that it's just not catered for.

Chat I'll try those brands thank you! I always think if I saw hour glass people will think I mean the dip is just my waist. Maybe I'll go with double hour glass

Lonely I meant to add, I've also thought about surgery but when I researched a lot of plastic surgeons where calling it a deformity which it isn't. It felt a bit unethical and I if I ever have a daughter I don't want her to feel that having surgery to 'fix' her body shape is normal IYSWIM.

Gosh, I didn't realise this was a thing! But the curves themselves look very feminine and rather nice (I hope it's ok to say this as another woman). Would it be an idea to seek out a personal shopper or 2 for advice re clothes?

Yes! And it HATE it. Always trying to hide it .

Omg. I did not realise this was a thing. I am 40 and that could be a photo of me! I've got a really small waist and a really big bum - I never understood why I went in out in out...
I just thought I was a weird shape. 😳

Me too! The only trousers that work are ones that fall straight down from your hip. Winser Miracle trousers are my best friend (although spendy). Tunics or long jumpers over jeans. A line skirts. Dresses/Tunics from Lily and Me also a fave in this house

I didn't know there was a name for! Mine are just like that. I kind of assumed everyone's were 😳 I've been an 8 and a 16 and they are always like that.

I don't mind it much to be honest. I never wear trousers, just don't suit me, figured it was just cause they're not my style. Also always struggled with muffin top and gaping in jeans even when at my skinniest.

The best jeans to fit me are the new look high waisted skinnies. They are all I buy now. I have recently become a convert to short skirts. I couldn't wear them in summer (no tights!☺️) but in winter they sit perfectly on me and are really flattering.

Off to google violin hip pictures ...

I am like this, although a bit fatter. Would love a thread with links for good clothes for this shape. Jeanswise I do well with Next cigarette shape, M&S boyfriend shape, Boden slim leg and my overall favourite but can't get in the uk...Calvin Klein skinny curvy jeans. A line skirts to the knee or just above. Sometime shift dresses work if shaped a bit at the waist and generous in the hip. Dresses from Onjenu are great for smarter wear. I wear Spanx for clingy dresses and they do improve things but always a relief to take them off at the end of the evening!

This is an interesting article. If you scroll waaaay down it has dressing tips and exercise tips.

I do! New look high waisted skinnies were my absolute saviours I have 5 pairs! Watch out though as some of them are wierd and stretchy and tight. I can get away with a ruched dress for a posh night out.
I'm now eyeing the winser trousers but they look a bit wide?
I did actually have liposuction to harvest fat for a breast reconstruction. I asked the surgeon to take it off my hips instead of the usual tummy area. it was actually brilliant, made a real difference but 5 years the lumpy hips are pretty much back.

Flash heart, I also had a dud pair of the new look jeans. Same size as I always wear but all round much tighter and couldn't get feet through ends

Another one with the same issue. I always thought it was called high hips and related to having a short torso, rather than a long one.

Lots of tips on Google for how to dress high hips/short waist.

I think that having several different names for it is part of the problem. If you're pear/apple/hourglass then you can just google and it's all under that name. With this shape all the advice is separated between all the different names, making it much harder to find.

This is me!! I really didn't realise this was a thing, I always thought it's because my arse and thighs are getting larger but even when I was exercising regularly I still had this, it just looked more apparent. Question for others, as a child/teen I had a boyish figure. Straight up and down with no curves, then I had kids and I got hips and this violin shape...have others always been like this or was it after kids?

Holy shit! My exact body. Literally no idea this was a thing. Spent an hour trawling through articles about 'hip dips' last night. I've read all the way from 'oh the shame' and 'how to dress?' through to 'women are more than their hip dips'.

I've always felt that a bit of weight loss would sort mine out. In the meantime, jeans are fine but for occasional dress wear I wear body shaping tights to even out the line.

We need an awareness campaign

Mine became apparent after puberty but before DC. I used the think it was because I'd worn my jeans too tight, then I realised my mum had it too.

Yep. I do. Neither of my dsis's do. Find it really frustrating.

Following with interest as this is me and struggling to find work trousers that I like. I've been like this since after puberty but it has become more pronounced since having my DS.

believe it or not Lisa Snowden has that shape. I do too and I spotted it on her when I was a young teen and admired that she could still be a model with that shape

weight loss may help a bit but ultimately it's a body quirk. Fat transfer surgery is possible to infill the gap I think and preferable/easier recovery than lipo

I'm not gonna do it though just sticking with flarey dresses etc.

Just found this thread through googling 'violin hips' from another thread! Who knew????
Is it not just naked muffin top though? As in, the dip hip bit is caused by the excess belly/muffin top rather than some separate issue?
Short of wearing Spanx every day, what can be done? I really really struggle with tops due to this; any suggestions? I tend to go for tunic shapes and longer line jersey but for every 10 I try maybe 1 looks ok.

thenewaveragebear1983

it might be a bit of that in the pic to demonstrate but certainly for me I've always had this shape, even as a size 6 with barely any fat on me, there is a section in the middle of my vilion hipped hspe that literally holds no fat whatsoever making it dip in.

the only solutions i know of are to have the two protruding areas lipo'd or to have fat transferred to the dip.

Me too loobey. I'm a size 10 who exercises 5x a week. Relatively toned, not overweight. I have always been this shape. I didn't realise it was a problem / flaw /source of angst until I read the other thread. Baffling.

Sorry, lubey