Hourglass figures - how to dress for your shape

The key to looking great is first knowing how to dress for your particular body shape. Every girl should know how to best work their assets by drawing attention to the right curves.

Ask yourself, does it suit you to cinch a belt in at the empire line or is it better at your waist or even your hip? What about your cleavage? Does it spill over in a badly fitted bra or does it look bony and boyish when over exposed?

Lets be honest about our shape. Ladies, you need to recognise the type of figure you are (start with a tape measure - compare shoulder, waist and hips) because once we are enlightened about our shape, being stylish becomes second nature.

There are a chosen few among us regular girls, who look great irrespective of what they wear, but sadly most of us should give certain styles, cuts, fabrics, patterns, textures and even some accessories a wide berth. Yes, even wrongly placed accessories can be unforgiving, focusing attention on wobbly bits and generously shaped curves.

At CHIC in the City we've drawn up a list of helpful Dos and Don’ts about dressing for your body shape. We'll start our five part series on dressing for the Hourglass shape. But if this is not you, just stay tuned, as we'll be talking about how best to accentuate four more body shapes over the coming weeks...

Hourglass or 8 frame.

If you are hourglass shape you'll have a wider bust and thighs and a fabulous slimmer waist. Your figure embraces feminine curves and is considered to be an epitome of female beauty; think Renaissance. Typical hourglass celebrities include Salma Hayek, Kim Cattrall and Jessica Simpson.

Dos

• Show off your assets: your pins, your small waist, your great behind and cleavage but tastefully (not all at once!)
• Wear dresses as they accentuate your waistline
• Invest in a supportive bra that will lift the bust
• Wear V neck style tops for extra emphasis on your neckline
• Colour and patterns look great, but best to go for more muted colours
• Wear flaired, puffy and three quarter sleeves as they are slimming
• Go for pencil knee length skirts as opposed to ruffled maxis
• Tailored skinny or flared leg pants
• Mid or High waisted pants accentuate your thin waist
• You have a classic shape so keep it simple and accessorise with less

Don’ts

• Hide your curves with loose/baggy tops, large tees, smocks, caftans you’ll look like a tent!
• Wear heavy knits as they’ll make you appear chunky
• High neck lines will only accentuate the bust so avoid them better to wear round necks
• Wear too much colour/pattern around the bust
• Wear bra’s that are too small as they make you seem even larger (you know who you are!)
• Avoid too much layering as this will make you look bigger than you actually are
• Avoid tight clothing and bra padding
• Details and patterns below the waist are a no go!

Now over to you...do you have any other style tips for dressing the hourglass figure? Please send us a line, we welcome all ideas and especially your own personal experiences of how to best dress this classically feminine shape.