I'm an hourglass. On the one hand, it means that I 'get away' with a few more lbs as people always seem to think I am lighter than I actually am. The fact that I go in at the waist helps. It certainly makes it easier to find clothes to wear that I like. I carry a lot of weight around my bum and thighs, and have a big bust. I recently came to 'crunch' time when I did start getting thicker around the waist and started to lose the hourglass shape. Enough was enough.
When I lose weight, it always seems to go off my waist first. I end up with a 'hollow back' with my trousers gaping around the waist, yet it takes a while to be able to go down a size as my bum and hips are still too large.