Dressing for an hourglass without looking fat

[SummerWinter]

What are your top tips? I have a good hip/waist/bust ratio but a mum-tum and find it really hard to dress as tight clothes that flatter the waist also tend to cling to my belly. Am about a size 12 .

How do others with a similar figure dress? Am looking at advice for both corporate and casual clothes

I have big boobs and curvy bum and tend to wear a lot of straight column dresses in one solid colour. I have to really hunt these days to find ones with no ruffles or that aren't A line but they are out there.

I’m a size 12 hourglass and I’ve realised I can only wear things that go in at the waist, I love boxy clothes on other people but I can’t pull them off.
Also I can’t wear anything shorter than knee length or with a high neck... scoop neck/ v neck/ shirts work best.

It’s not easy to find things at the minute with current trends

I am an hourglass, here are a few things I do -

Tuck in tops
Wear A-line skirts
Wear lower neck lines or wear a long necklace to create the illusion with a higher neckline

I have an hourglass figure, possibly more leaning to pear shaped, but small waist and a bit of a tummy, and love this style dress.

H&M do loads of them, i wear them to work with tights , but works with trainers as well for a more casual look!

Hmm not sure if the photo attached... Can anyone see it?

Yes I can, looks great!

Its really flattering for a bit of a tummy, nips in at the waist but skims over any wobbly bits!

Agree about things going in at the waist and A line skirts. I have to avoid boxy and column clothes - they hide my waist and make me look like a sack of potatoes.

The clothes I get most compliments for are at least 10 years old! Dresses with a low waist, high waist trousers, fitted tops... I like the dress in the picture but I think it's too short for me (chunky legs are a whole other thread!).

Im a size 14 with a bit of a belly but also a 13 inch difference between my waist and my hips. I pretty much only wear 1950s style clothes. Circle skirts, shirtwaister dresses, underskirts, the lot. I have long given up on trousers, unless it's just trackie bottoms for the gym.

Tipsey what do you mean by column dresses?

I've only recently realised that block colours do look a little better.

All good tips!

It's things for the upper half I struggle with the most - sweaters, cardigans etc. Or any blazer type things that aren't black. What do you wear that works?

I'm an shape and have v large boobs but a small back and waist - I find wrap tops work well for me, providing i wear something underneath to cover my big cleavage. I tend to wear a light cami underneath, or a white or black sloggi bra over my normal supportive bra.

Sorry thas supposed to say an hourglass shape!

I'm an hourglass and I like fitted clothes, but not too tight as these are uncomfortable/unflattering. Anything that's shapeless or just hangs makes me look fat and dumpy, so I avoid. I also avoid mini-skirts, short shorts or anything that shows my thighs. If you have a tummy as well you may find that underwear or tops with 'tummy control' are helpful.

Basically, I accentuate the parts I like - for instance I have good arms and chest and slim waist - and cover the bits that I don't.

Im a 12/14 hourglass-i find i still have to take in jeans and trousers on waist if a fixed waistband as my waist is so much smaller proportionately to my bum/boobs&shoulders!. Anything i can sinch in top-wise works,wrapovers,tie waists,little fitted cardi's etc..Absolutely cannot do anything floaty, boxy, A-line or general loose shapes..used to frustrate the hell out of me shopping for clothes but accepted it as got older and love it now.

I do find winter harder than summer in terms of getting the layers right

Dresses with tie belts at the waist

Ditto winter. I give up in winter and wear a succession of black trousers, vest tops and crew neck cardigans in various hues for work. And look a complete mess at weekends. In summer it’s easier, winter is a disaster for me.

Pangur where do you find shirtwaister dresses?! I have three nice cotton ones that I wear in rotation, but have struggled to find any for couple of years.

A private school near me have them as uniform up to the age of 18 and if it wasn't completely ridiculous I'd be very tempted to buy one!

I love shirtwaister dresses but can’t find many although did see that Joanie has a few but generally I find those vintage style company clothes are all cut way too long, and in cheap and not very nice fabrics (haven’t bought from there yet though)

I'm an hour glass and I basically cover my upper arms (big), show off my waist (slim) and the lower halves of my legs.

Today I'm wearing a black and white polka dot skater dress with a white belt, for example.

I have slim-ish hips though, I'm not a Mad Men hourglass. Chunky inner thighs tho, so I tend to wear skirts a lot.

Jasper Conran at Debenhams has done some lovely shirtwaister dresses since last year. I have 3 in different colours and they are lovely. They have belts and a full skirt with short sleeves and are also cotton. I'm living in them for work at the moment. Worth checking out the sales/online.

Yes, mine are high street rather than vintage brands — one is Dickens and Jones, one was Oasis and the third was in Marks and Spencer's Classics range!

My favourite dress is from LK Bennett (from a charity shop) - it’s heavy jersey and wonderfully comfortable and flattering. I find a pencil shape but with stretch works best for me. I don’t worry about a bit of tum - i think it’s sexy and feminine and in the right dress everyone is looking at your boobs, waist and hips anyway

But yes tops at the moment are a complete bloody nightmare, so boxy! I sometimes wear a loose crop top over a long vest top to show off my waist without flashing my C-section scar to the nation

As far as cardigans go I wear cropped cardigans, Boden do nice ones in lots of different colours.