The chubby hourglass shaped women have generous curves, especially in your full bust and voluptuous hips. Even though you have the most envied hourglass figure, your curvy shape can also make it challenging for you to find the right dresses. In this detailed guide, we will walk you through the most flattering dress styles for your unique shape.
Structured V-Neck Dresses
Your chubby hourglass frame has a lot of great features to take pride in, and that includes your beautiful decolletage. Thanks to your balanced, well-rounded shoulders and shapely full bust, your neckline attracts significant attention that also helps shift the eyes from your less flattering features.
To make sure your decolletage is fully enhanced, go for V-neck dresses that feature a structured fit. The V-shaped neckline will open up just the right amount of space on your upper half to showcase your shapely cleavage while the structured fit of the dress will give your chubby frame a more forgiving fit without looking too loose.
A structured fit involves the use of strategically placed seams and darts that help bring out your curvy shape and camouflage the areas where extra bulk may be present. The combination of the V-neckline and dress structure can help you achieve balance within your chubby hourglass frame.
Satin Wrap Style Dress
The figure-flattering features of a wrap-style dress and the sophistication of the satin fabric are two amazing factors that make a great combination in terms of accentuating your hourglass silhouette. Wrap-style dresses give your waistline a proper cinch to make sure that the transition curves along your waist are very apparent, especially because being a chubby hourglass could also mean that your waist definition may not be too noticeable because of the extra weight you have in your midsection.
Apart from cinching your waist, wrap dresses also have a forgiving fit by giving more room to accommodate your body. The adjustable waist tie lets you have better control over how tight or loose you want your dress to have.
Of course, you are free to choose any type of fabric that’s most comfortable for you and you will get the same flattering visual effect. But there’s something really gorgeous about the sheen in satin fabrics as they receive light in a way that efficiently camouflages the bulges you may have in your chubby hourglass figure.
Sweetheart Neck Fit and Flare Dresses
Sweetheart necklines can have a very delightful effect on your figure as they are shaped in a way that flatters the fullness of your breasts and traces your cleavage. Not only does this perfectly highlight one of your figure’s best features, but it also opens up enough space on your upper half to create the illusion of slimness and length.
Your chubby hourglass figure can also greatly benefit from the silhouette of fit and flare dresses because of how the fitted bodice hugs your upper body with such a tailored fit that highlights your upper half prominence. Meanwhile, the distinct waist seam cinches the waist and creates a flare wherein the fabric widens down to the hem.
This flared silhouette gently skims over your hips to further accentuate your curves while also concealing your belly bulge. This dress silhouette will tone your visual weight down by giving you a leaner and taller appearance.
Open Neckline Form-Fitting Dresses
You have the highly coveted hourglass curves that many women adore but because of your chubbier stature, these curves may not be as apparent as they should be. This is where you’ll find form-fitting dresses very helpful in accentuating your curves and addressing your areas of concern.
Note that form-fitting dresses don’t necessarily mean that they have to be tight or clingy. What this means is that it features a tailored fit in a way that it has seams that are strategically placed so that they conform to the curves of your body well.
Form-fitting dresses should also have a forgiving fabric material that has enough stretch to accommodate your curves, but without clinging too tightly, especially on areas that carry more weight. Choose a form-fitting dress that has an open neckline such as a V-shape, scoop, sweetheart, or neck to fully enhance the best features of your hourglass shape.
Tailored Waist-Tie Dress
Just like the style concept of wrap dresses, tailored waist-tie dresses also feature adjustability with their detachable or built-in waist-tie belt. Belts are very helpful for hourglass figures because it further accentuates your already-defined waistline, and for those who carry a little bit more weight, the adjustability of waist-tie dresses provides a more forgiving fit.
In addition to these style benefits, the waist tie also creates a visually slimming effect as it makes the line separating your upper and lower body seamlessly blend. When choosing this particular style of dress, it’ll be more beneficial for your chubby figure to go for those that have a tailored fit as this can work around the curves you want to highlight and the bulky areas you’d want to neutralize.
Cotton Ruched Dress
Dresses that feature the ruching technique are deemed very flattering for chubby hourglass women due to the fact that this sewing technique of gathering fabric creates a strategic texture that perfectly camouflages bulges and bumps. As it covers up the appearance of extra bulk, especially around the midsection area, the way these ruched seams pinch the fabric nips in the waist for additional definition.
Cotton is a very good fabric choice especially if you’re going for the ruched style as it allows the seams to run seamlessly in a more consistent manner. Cotton is also very comfortable because of its breathability and versatility, so you can definitely wear your cotton-ruched dress pretty much anywhere!
Color Blocking Dresses
Using bold and contrasting colors that are strategically placed all throughout the dress has always been an effective styling technique to visually tweak your overall silhouette. For chubby hourglass figures, the key is to go for color-blocking sections in which darker colors cover your heavier regions and lighter colors for areas you would like to enhance.
You may also opt for dresses that have darker colors on the sides and lighter colors on the center to achieve a slimmer figure. This also creates a vertical color block pattern that can draw the eyes up and down to give you a visually elongated frame.
A-Line Dresses with Short Sleeves
Of course, how can we ever miss A-Line dresses when it comes to flattering an hourglass body shape? This dress silhouette can also be extremely helpful for chubby hourglass ladies who are looking to minimize the visual weight they have within their stature.
The A-Line silhouette softly runs through your frame, giving a complimentary fit for your defined waist and wider hips. This particular dress design helps create a proportional appearance by giving enough room for the heavier regions of your body such as your midsection and thighs.
Long sleeves are usually quite overwhelming especially if you carry a bit of extra weight as it can potentially drown your figure and make you look visually cramped. So by wearing short sleeves with your A-Line dresses, you’re exposing more skin and opening up more space on your body, creating a more elongated and leaner appearance.
Dark-colored Sheath Dress
A Sheath dress can also be deemed very flattering for chubby hourglass body shapes because of its fitted and streamlined nature. It has neatly placed seams that trace your natural curves without clinging too tightly hence, still giving your chubbier stature a more forgiving and comfortable fit.
By how it gently conforms to your body, you are allowing your natural curves to be significantly accentuated. To further help you slim your frame down, you may also opt to wear darker colors like black, deep burgundy, or navy blue for your sheath dress as these colors absorb light and help camouflage any bulges that may come with your chubby figure.
Scoop-Neck Peplum Dress
Open necklines such as the classic scoop neck help draw attention upwards to showcase decolletage and elongate your neck. This particular neckline resembles a soft “U” shape that also visually flatters your neckline and depending on how deep the cut goes, you are also flaunting your shapely cleavage.
For the dress silhouette, the peplum style can give your hourglass frame further enhancement because of how it cinches the waist with its snug waist seam. Attached to this waist seam is a flared overskirt or ruffle that gently flares out to balance the hips and make the waist look narrower than it actually is.
The flared overskirt can also help conceal your muffin top, which usually comes along with women who are chubby. You may also look for peplum dresses that come in midi or knee length, as these are flattering lengths that will prevent you from looking stumpy.
Avoid Boxy Silhouettes
I know how loose, boxy dresses may seem to be very comfortable to wear and in fact, many women who are heavier, tend to resort to boxy silhouettes in hopes of concealing their belly and other thicker areas. However, wearing boxy dresses can only make things worse for your figure because it will not just cover the parts you’d want to hide, but also your beautiful features that need to shine!
With their loose, oversized nature, dresses with boxy silhouettes won’t conform to your natural hourglass curves and this can make you look stumpier and shapeless. Opt for form-fitting dresses instead that feature strategic seams and darts that can help show off your natural curves.
Avoid Turtleneck Dresses
Turtleneck dresses may seem cozy, especially in colder months, but they are not the most flattering for chubby hourglass body shapes. Wearing a turtleneck dress or any other dress with a high neckline can visually shorten your neck and disrupt your hourglass proportions.
Since it makes your upper half look cramped, it can also potentially add more bulk to your figure, which is something chubbier ladies would want to downplay. So as a style alternative, go for dresses that have open necklines and if you’re feeling a bit cold, you can always experiment with your layers or accessorize with cozy scarves instead.
Avoid Light-Colored Bodycon
Bodycon dresses in general are quite ideal for women who have hourglass body shapes, although this can be a little bit trickier if you are a chubby hourglass-shaped girl. Despite being chubby, you definitely have those hourglass curves to show off but if you wear a light-colored bodycon dress, you are highlighting both your curves and your apparent love handles.
Light colors don’t really have the ability to subdue light, so they will magnify even the area you’d like to downplay. To add to that, bodycon dresses are quite tight-fitting, so the protruding bulges that you may have in your chubby stature will create shadows that overwhelm your hourglass curves.
Avoid Dresses with Wide Belts
As I have mentioned earlier in this article, belts can actually be very helpful in bringing definition to hourglass women’s waistlines. However, since we are working on an hourglass frame that leans toward the heavier side, the width of the belt is a crucial factor in making or breaking your overall look.
Wider belts, typically those that are more than 2 inches wide, can visually divide the body in a way that is not well-balanced. As a chubby woman, you’d like your frame to be constantly elongated to give you a leaner frame, but a wide belt can significantly cut you in half, making you look shorter and heavier.
So when choosing belts, look for those that aren’t too thin nor too wide, ideally around 1 to 1.5 inches thick. This width is just the right measurement to perfectly cinch your waist without causing any tummy spills or drastic horizontal breaks.
