Definition
To define the bottom hourglass, you should first understand what a “full” hourglass body shape is.
- Shoulder and hips equal width
- Waist much smaller compared with hips
- Have a full bust (typically C+ cup)
- Gain weight evenly
Because human body shapes have so many different variations, it is very common that some women won’t find themselves strictly fit into a typical “full” hourglass definition, but do have certain features of the hourglass, especially in the bottom half.
Characteristics
The bottom hourglass has the same features as a typical “full” hourglass body, from the waist down. That includes:
- You have a slender waist
- Your hips are curvy and full
- Your waist is significantly smaller than your hips, typically at least 25% smaller in terms of the measurements
Now, since you are a bottom hourglass, your top half may not fit into the typical hourglass profile, it’s possible you may have one of these features from other body types
- Your shoulders are sloping and narrow
- Your hips are wider than your shoulders, instead of equal shoulder and hip width like the “full hourglass”
- Smaller bust, instead of a full bust like the typical hourglass
- Carry weight in your tummy (a feature of the apple shape)
In other words, you could have a tendency of leaning towards a pear body shape, even though your bottom half is similar to the hourglass figure.
TOPS
Puff Sleeves
Because bottom hourglass body shapes typically have narrower shoulders in comparison to the width of their hips, your shoulder line will definitely need a bit of boost. Wearing tops that feature puff sleeves is one subtle but very efficient way to add some volume to your narrow and sloped shoulders.
This additional volume is needed in order for your narrower shoulders to catch up with the width and visual weight of your hourglass hips. By wearing puff sleeves, you are bringing your shoulder line and hips into a more balanced proportion.
Blouses with Shoulder Pads
Going for shoulder pads shares the same styling concept as wearing tops with puff sleeves. They are only slightly different in a way that blouses with shoulder pads bring more edge and depending on the thickness of the shoulder pads you’d like to wear, you can achieve broader and sharper-looking shoulders.
It’s also not difficult to fall in love with the vintage vibe of shoulder pads so you will surely find ones to fit your personal taste and your bottom hourglass shape as well. Just remember that the goal is to make your shoulders look proportionate with your hips, so try not to go overboard with the shoulder pads otherwise you might end up overwhelming your entire frame.
Sweetheart Neck
Generally, open necklines are quite advantageous for bottom hourglass girls out there, although you will find sweetheart necklines particularly flattering. Unlike full hourglass figures, bottom hourglass shapes tend to have smaller breasts and so this results in the lack of prominence for the upper body.
Sweetheart neck tops open up just the right amount of space on your upper half to showcase your decolletage and what’s particularly pleasing about this is the heart-shaped cut that dips gently at the center. As it resembles the topmost part of a heart, the curves naturally trace along the top of your breasts and with the right push-up bra, you can have this neckline highlight your cleavage.
Bustier Tops
Additional bust lift, accentuated shoulders, and perfectly cinched midsection – yes, bustier tops instantly address three of your bottom hourglass body shape concerns! Firstly, as you can already tell from its self-descriptive name, bustier tops feature pads and structured panels that provide support and additional lift to your smaller bust.
Secondly, this particular top style has thin straps which bare a significant portion of your upper half, including the entirety of your shoulder line. Lastly, bustier tops often have a tight bodice and boning structure that can further accentuate your waist definition, while also camouflaging the bulk or extra weight you may have in your tummy.
JEANS
High-rise with Tummy Control
Bottom hourglass body shapes also mean that you tend to gain more weight on your midsection, which also means that you are more prone to developing a muffin top or a belly bulge. This is where high-rise jeans that feature a tummy-control fabric can be very helpful in keeping your silhouette balanced and streamlined.
The high-rise style helps accentuate your distinct waistline to keep the clear and natural divide between your upper and lower body perfectly enhanced. Meanwhile, tummy control jeans feature a supportive waistband and reinforced midsection panels to efficiently hold your midsection area and prevent bulges from appearing.
Dark Wash
Your hips are wider than your shoulders and you may also be prone to gaining more weight on your midsection area, so this is why dark wash jeans are a must-have for your bottom hourglass body shape. Dark-washed denims feature a slimming effect that can be helpful in camouflaging the bulk in your midsection to give you a smoother and more cohesive overall look.
In addition to this, dark wash jeans can also be helpful in downplaying the size of your hips, as they are relatively wider and thicker compared to your shoulders. It will not totally blur out your curvy hips, but the dark wash will take off some visual weight from your lower body to make it look more proportional to your less pronounced upper body.
Mom Jeans
Many of us adore the relaxed fit and effortlessly casual vibe of mom jeans and lucky for bottom hourglass girls out there, this particular style flatters your figure all too well! Mom jeans typically feature a supportive high waistband, which can be very helpful for bottom hourglass shapes who are trying to camouflage their heavier midsection area.
They often feature a wider room around the hip, crotch, and leg area to accommodate your wider hips and thighs. The fit is structured and relaxed so it gives more balance to your silhouette without adding extra weight.
Bootcut
The leg shape of bootcut jeans wherein it slightly flares from below the knee down to the ankle, is deemed very flattering on bottom hourglass shapes because of the natural curvy shape of your lower body. As the bottom flare creates the illusion of a curve, it balances out your wider hips to make them look more proportional to your upper body.
Opt for bootcut jeans that also feature a high-rise waistband to ensure that your waist is properly defined. Apart from the flattering effect of the bootcut leg shape, going for a high waist will also draw attention to your waist, fully enhancing your hourglass curves.
PANTS
Pleated Dress Pants
Pleated dress pants feature a structure that is accommodating for the hips and tummy, and this is all thanks to the pleats that are placed in the front. The extra fabric created by the proper placement of pleats also gives your frame a sense of balance and so as a result, your upper and lower body proportions look more streamlined and symmetrical.
In addition to this, pleats add an elegant and graceful drape to the pants, which subtly softens your overall appearance by reducing the focus on your heavier midsection. Its flowy nature doesn’t cling too close to your body so it gives a more forgiving fit for your wide hips and midsection.
High-Waisted Flare Trousers
This particular style of pants checks three of the most important factors when it comes to styling bottom hourglass figures – accentuating the waist, camouflaging the extra weight in your tummy area, and bringing a more harmonious balance between your narrower upper half and wider bottom half. The high placement of the waistband wherein it sits just slightly higher than your natural waistline efficiently highlights the narrowest point of your figure and therefore making you look more symmetrical overall.
The high-waisted style of this type of pants also provides proper support to hold your midsection and therefore prevent the appearance of a muffin top. In addition to this, the flare silhouette adds some depth to your lower leg which helps balance your wider hips in order to not overwhelm your upper body.
Straight-Leg
Straight-leg pants create a balanced silhouette because of the consistent width they have from the hips to the ankles, which helps visually even out the proportions of a bottom hourglass body.
The most flattering thing about these pants is that they have a more uniform and streamlined leg shape that doesn’t taper or flare excessively, so they are much easier to pull off with a number of different style ensembles. In addition to this, straight-leg pants are also quite minimal in nature so they don’t draw a lot of attention, specifically on the midsection where you may potentially have a belly bulge.
DRESSES
Wrap Style
I’ll never get tired of recommending wrap-style dresses for everyone because their universally flattering silhouette simply does wonders for every body shape, including bottom hourglass ladies out there. Wrap-style dresses are specifically designed to cinch at the waist and then wrap across the body to accentuate your decolletage and waist.
Additionally, since bottom hourglass shapes tend to have that extra weight in their midsection, the draping of the wrap dress can be strategically flattering as the fabric gently skims over the midsection to conceal any potential bulge that is present.
Ruched Dress
Another gorgeous dress to help you address your heavier midsection or tummy bulge is the stylish ruched dress. It features ruched seams wherein pleats of fabric are gathered to create texture and these textured and gathered sections effectively camouflage the appearance of your tummy, drawing attention away from where your perceived flaws are at.
They also often have detailing around the waist to effectively enhance and emphasize your bottom hourglass figure’s well-defined waistline. The ruching draws the eye to the waist and therefore highlights your curves and creates a more shapely silhouette.
The key to choosing the right ruched dress is to go for ruching seams that are strategically placed on the sides of your waist or at the center. This will create texture in the right areas where visual enhancement is needed.
Flowy Fit and Flare
Fit and flare dresses feature a silhouette that flatters bottom hourglass body shapes in a way that its structured bodice helps add prominence to your less pronounced upper half. On the other hand, the snug waist seam accentuates the waist and the flared skirt part of the dress strategically goes over your wider hips.
This effect helps slightly tone down the wide appearance of your hips to balance out your narrower shoulders and smaller bust line. The flared silhouette of this dress also helps cover up the bulges you may have around your belly area.
SKIRTS
A-Line
Bottom hourglass shapes tend to look bottom-heavy because how the upper body is relatively less pronounced, therefore causing a visual imbalance. So when choosing skirts, it’s ideal to go for those that don’t cling too tightly to prevent highlighting the obvious size discrepancy between your top and bottom half.
One skirt style that can do this for you is the A-Line skirt because of its roomy silhouette that softly subdues the thickness of your hips and thighs to achieve better balance. Apart from this, A-Line skirts gradually widen from the waist to the hem so this efficiently conceals the tummy bulge by providing extra fabric coverage around the midsection without hugging it too tightly.
Asymmetrical
Skirts that have asymmetrical hemlines do an exceptional job in terms of diverting and dividing visual attention. The uneven hemline distracts the eyes from solely fixating on your heavier tummy area and shifts the focus to the unique design element of the skirt instead.
OUTERWEAR
Tailored Coats with Wide Lapels
Wide lapels on a tailored coat effectively produce the illusion of broader shoulders. For those with narrow shoulders like bottom hourglass frames, this helps to balance out the upper body to catch up with the width of your lower half.
Additionally, coats that feature a tailored fit can naturally enhance the appearance of your shoulder line, bust, and waistline. This results in a pleasingly symmetrical silhouette.
Peplum Blazer
The design of peplum blazers nips in the waist and then flares out into a short skirt that effectively accentuates the hourglass figure’s defining feature – the waist.
Also, the flared peplum detail of the blazer skims seamlessly over the midsection to give coverage and conceal the extra weight you carry in your midsection.
