If you are hourglass shape...

[ElleintheWoods]

... where do you shop?

It seems either my body shape has changed or the shape of modern designs, but especially with clothes that zip up, I am struggling to zip them all the way up.

My chest and hips are exactly the same size, with a smaller waist proportional to the hips. However, taking a closer look at sizing charts, sizing is more geared towards a pear shape, e.g. M&S size 8 is 32-25.5-35.5. Scrutinising more charts, they all seem to assume a smaller chest size. In my head I have quite average boobs... I wonder where people with implants shop!

I could buy clothes according to my chest size, but then my bottom half would be swimming in it. I mostly wear fitted dresses and other dresses, I'm not big on trousers or separates as they're harder work IMO.

Not sure how I prevously managed, perhaps more wrap dresses and soft materials! I also seem to get on well with Reiss and Hobbs sizing/ cuts.

If you know any brands that offer fitter dresses for an hourglass shape, I'd be interested in tips!

I find this too and am slightly more pear than hour glass. But still find it’s the boobs that don’t fit (when in theory it should be even easier for me?!)

I think a tailor is your best option, or don’t bother with zippers. Although I have considered a minimiser bra but never tried one.

I don’t think any brands are really designed for an hourglass. I’m larger than you- 39-28-41 but find it very hard to get any clothes to fit properly. I don’t think size guides are accurate anyway. I have found a tailor the only way to go but it’s very frustrating.

@Gymbunny2025 I can just about zip up what I like to think as 'my size' when I breathe in, but bought something from Nobody's Child recently I really liked, and it just totally made my boobs disappear, no way I could have fitted a bra under it. it's just not a great eeling having your chest squeezed to a pont where you can barely breathe, right?

@Overtheatlantic some dresses i try have that minimizer effect on me... But I actually quite like having some shape up there, quite like my curves... How did you go about finding a tailor? So if you love something, do you just buy according to chest size and have it taken in? Or also have bespoke pieces made?

@TealReader what's the tailor costs like? Imagine it's only worth it for more expensive items, as if it's a 40 pound dress, the tailoring will cost more?

Agree that size guides aren't accurate and also, I used to wear softer clothing with more stretch, but I'm now trying to move away from artificial materials etc, so coming across that challenge more and more, so started digging deeper and found the measurement relationship a little surprising. LK Bennett for example seems to hate my body shape, same with Nobody's Child, those are some I find more extreme in terms of not fitting, even though I love their clothes.

I’m a slim hourglass shape, boobs 28F….TBH for me it’s not so much the brand that I can rely on as the cut. Recent success with Abercrombie, Me and Em, Mint Velvet but they all have a scoop or square neckline.

Also Things with a side zip that goes up through the armpit are usually a no. Zip on the back or a partial side zip seem to be fine.

Just thinking about brands (of dresses) im wearing atm. Anthropologie, Sézane, Zara, M&S. All are a bit looser or if fitted have a little stretch in the fabric. I did have to return a dress that zipped up earlier in the year. It fitted perfectly except my chest. I was gutted.

I think even worse than dresses are shirts or blouses. I don’t wear them at all. I hate that button gape look.

Ha ha agree side zip much worse than back zip! Wonder why?!

I think it’s the fashions lately - I’m struggling to find anything that fits or looks good.

Nobody’s Child is so tiny round the bust I’ve given up trying. I’ve never found anything to suit me in M&S or Next either.

Brands that used to work for me were Oasis and Dorothy Perkins, but both online and not as good quality as they used to be.

White Stuff has been good for some cotton jersey summer dresses in an hourglass shape lately but I do feel a little frumpy/older than I am in them. Search Megan dress on their website.

Boden has some good cotton jersey dresses for hourglass, but a bit pricey for jersey and I find I need to size up.

John Lewis And/Or can be good, and sometimes Hush.

I've got some lovely things from Pepperberry (the Bravissimo clothing line - I was very sad when they discontinued it). Might be worth a try on Vinted? Otherwise, I find Hobbs normally fit well.

Oh yes don't get me started on the blouses!! I didn't used to realised I had a button gape as initially when you put them on they look ok... Then as you sit down or worse, pose for a random snap or something, you realise people have had a full view of your bra all day long! I've got a couple that work for me if only shoulders are on show for an easy Zoom look from Tommy Hilfiger, but they're so baggy around to waist I don't tend to wear them outside.

There's a lady at my work (we dress quite smart) that regularly wonders why I choose to wear dresses as it seems hard work to her! Whenever she asks, I tell her I find separates such hard work. If I'm wearing separates, it'll be a pencil skirt with a wrap top, and just buy different sizes. Trousers are usually reserved for a casual Friday when I can get away with a fitted less formal top.

Will give Sezane and Anthropologie a go, thanks!

Agree with Hobbs, they have more silk-based designs as well which aren't as rigid to zip/ tend to leave a few extra inches in the overall design.

What kind of material do you go for/ what kind of bottom half?

I don't mind getting a larger size if it's a belted skater dress for example, or a more rigid, kilt-like skirt, ie quite a thick material.

Im larger than you but also perfect hourglass with I think 11 inches difference between bust and waist.

I have to buy everything with stretch. I look very overweight if tops don't go in under my bust to my waist. On the bottom half it's got to fit to the hips no matter what the leg shape - but everything is elasticated or draw string waist at the moment so they look awful.

I do buy wrap shirts, Kettlewell have a nice one and monsoon often have cotton ones in the summer.

Only thing I can recommend is levi rib cage jeans, you need to try various sizes but the waist is much smaller than the hips.

A notch neck blouse tucked in to trousers or jeans works well for me.

I have one button up blouse with a hidden button on the inside that stops gaping. But no idea how to find another one of these!

Hourglass is less about boobs and more about shoulders and hip proportions.

Anyway, I have a similar body type to you - my main issue is how clothes fit around the waist and and hips- baggy tight in all the wrong places. Combination of broad shoulder and boobs is also difficult.

i prefer longer and slightly looser on the bottom as it looks less pre-Covid style somehow but have had more structured above knee or knee length dresses-Ted Baker used to be good. Most of my summer dresses are cotton or linen, sometimes with a bit of elastane like this one here

Most my clothes I got from a Charity shops.
I don't like shopping & you find all sorts of 'interesting' items for good price.
I use belts a lot.
I often joke that I'm "under fat" because trousers come up too short for my size waist/hips.
I don't find dresses practical but I suppose Next was good for dresses once upon a time.

Historically I was 38-28-38. In recent yrs had to buy 14-16 tops and 8-10 trousers. You would have thought someone symmetrical like me would be same size top & bottom... but no... not at all. That's how much the cuts are very pear shaped are nowadays.

I agree with pp that boden is good for jersey fabric dresses. I have a couple for summer and a couple for winter for work. I size down to a 6 which fits my waist and no zips to worry about!

I don’t think I have the cleavage for wrap dresses which is annoying as they’re a good option. They just come down far too low on me if that makes sense?

Me too! I use a safety pin to make them more 'appropriate' though as they're so easy otherwise. The right kind of bra makes a difference also. I find that I need a bra that creates more cleavage/shape with a wrap top, as it looks a bit odd/ flat otherwise.

Tailoring doesn’t work out too bad as I always see the same person and I am trying to buy less and buy better these days. I don’t find wrap dresses really work for me as I’m short bodied and the v’s are often too deep.

@lljkk yes I ws also under the impression that sizing charts were more hourglass friendly. When I was a teen, chest maybe 1-2 inches smaller than hips, I actaully found myself buying a larger size for my bottom half sometimes, so I don't know what has happened since the 2000s!

@Wasvular yes shoulders as well. It's not even so much my boobs that make the top half larger, but I have always done upper body focused sports, so I have some structural size there as well. Not loving dresses baggy arond the waist and then fitting more or less right around hips and chest. Thus avoid certain cuts/ styles completely.

Just stumbled across this and found it quite good, actually: https://theconceptwardrobe.com/build-a-wardrobe/hourglass-body-shape

@Toodles89 thans for the jeans tip, had never heard of this model!

@foxpillow couldn't you just sew it on to others, looking at the exact location where it sits on that magic blouse!

@TealReader how did you find them? All I can see around my area is dry cleaners, and I'm not sure if they'd measure you etc.

I live pretty rurally so I asked around and was directed to this person. I call up to her every few months with a pile of things to shorten/take in the waists. I’ve lost weight so been seeing her more lately!

Came back to say Scamp and Dude zip up dresses work too but not cheap!