Hourglass Casual help please

[floffel]

I’m a 5ft 3in hourglass and am clueless when it comes to dressing casually.

Would this cardigan work with these jeans?

Cardigan - www.johnlewis.com/mint-velvet-ribbed-biker-cardigan-dark-grey/p4761681?size=12

Jeans - www.johnlewis.com/levi's-721-high-rise-skinny-jeans/black/p4161200?size=w30-l30

Thanks in advance

@floffel because it's gaped like an hour glass rather than a shift shape .. I have a dress like that and it's great .. you don't know until you try it .. I wear polo necks and high necks .. you don't have to wear a v ..

@floffel, not sure how it would tbh. We need to emphasise waist mostly. Re shirts i like mandarin collars so no fuss around the neck.

Short hourglass needs 50s cut turned up jeans with belted in waist & a shorter more cropped cardigan, again with a retro feel too it.

I'm sorry, but unless you are exceptionally slim & leggy for a petite size, those jeans & that cardigan are really completely wrong for your body shape. You need to emphasise your curves to give a more flattering & less dumpy looking silhouette

Update - the hush top arrived - nice shape but I ordered a medium and it’s mahooooosive

That’s a shame OP. It’s not to everyone’s taste but I have fesses similar to the polka dot Zara one & use belts to give me definition - such a quick outfit but still looks put together.

You’re all right - I’m going to stick with dresses and just accept that much as I want to, I just don’t have the body shape for casual throw on jeans/T-shirt/shirt style

So ........... any more day dress recommendations?

I think that dress would look fab on an hourglass, not every top needs to be v or scoop neck just fitted. Think St Joan of Mad Men (my ultimate style crush)

Also, for some reason and it may be all in my head if you have a high/round neck top, at the back they often have button fastenings at the neck and then a gap underneath. If you wear the top/dress back to front, showing that bit of flesh between your neck and cleavage can also be really flattering, you can either have the buttons done up so it's like a keyhole style or undo the buttons, tuck the material into the dress and make it a V neck. I've been doing this with all the midi dresses that are around at the moment (I prefer jersey material and the ones that are fitted to the waist and then flare slightly from the hips) and no one's noticed they're back to front at least no one's commented to my face . I wear them with a biker or fitted blazer and trainers or boots.

Clever, Marmalade !

I'd order that Warehouse dress to see what it looked like on me. Jumper dresses, in a fairly fine knit, could work, OP?

You’re right @MarmaladeTeepee - she does look stunning. I just have to accept it. I need to work up to it

How about this style?

Love that dress floffel!

floffel that's pretty much the shape of all my work dresses - different colours, fabric and sleeve length but always a fitted shape.

Imogen Lamport's Inside Out Style blog divides hourglasses into two different types - might be worth a look. Will find link ...

X shape here insideoutstyleblog.com/2008/09/body-shapes-explained-x-shape-hourglass.html

8 shape here insideoutstyleblog.com/2015/05/body-shape-bible-understanding-how-to-dress-8-shape-bodies.html

@floffel - that Bravissimo shirt proves my point!

I feel like I should be wearing black trousers and handing out canapés at a posh do. (Please don’t think I’m knocking catering staff - I served my time and earnt my student dosh that way..)

Slightly too thin, slightly polyester looking, slightly too fitted. Urgh!

@BatshitCrazyWoman - I like that blog. Thanks for posting.

You can totally wear jeans and a casual top. Also depends how much you care about looks etc, I can’t be arsed following rules every day!

Thanks @BatshitCrazyWoman for the links - v interesting. Where do you get your work dresses from typically?

Update - the hush top is going back and the warehouse dress has been ordered

I get my dresses all over the place! John Lewis are a good start (I like Damsel in a Dress). Off the top of my head I have dresses from TM Lewin (when they did women's clothes), Precis, Roman Originals (have to avoid the flowery polyester), Warehouse, Anna Field (from Zalando), Debenhams ....

I like the look of this Damsel in a Dress dress but it’s 100% polyester - seems an awful lot of money for polyester

Yeah, almost everything is polyester now, and expensive!

If you can physically get to the shops, it’ll probably take you much less time to find the key things you’re after than shopping online, which can be very hit and miss unless ordering from retailers you already know fit and look good on you.

Retail outlets even better, cost wise!

You’re right @Loopytiles - I hate shopping in actual shops but suppose it would be an investment - think I will take a day off in the week after next payday and head to John Lewis .......................

It’s a pain, for sure, but so is missing deliveries, returning stuff etc. If on a budget it can be useful to list the key needed or desired items (I use Pinterest for this) and seek your top priorities and buy then or wait for sales.

I normally go for viscose dresses - stretchy works best for me because my waist is much smaller than my bust and hips. Damsel in a Dress do some - it's just a matter of looking (and I feel your pain with the ordering/delivery/return shenanigans!!). Next sometimes have good dresses (that aren't polyester).

I think that at 5’ 3” this cardigan may just swamp you? Plus these sellers always show their clothes on the model that suits the items best and these jeans are shown on a very slim, straight up and down - almost boyish - figure and you are a lovely curvy hourglass.
I would accentuate you’re hips and small waist with jeans made for an hourglass and team it with a loose camisole and PVU leather look, short waisted biker jacket??
I’m 5ft 7.5 inches tall with a distinctly lumpy figure and am always very jealous of dainty feminine curvy girls!! Go knock ‘em dead!