When we think of hourglass body shapes, we easily associate them with the ideal feminine curvy body shape, right? Well, if you’ve got hourglass curves, you’re absolutely blessed!
But even hourglass body shapes come in different types and that’s what I would like to guide you through in this article.
Full Hourglass Body Shape
The full hourglass shape is what most of us are familiar with, which features very well-balanced proportions and voluptuous curves. Here are the distinctive traits that will tell you if you’ve got a full hourglass body shape.
- Well-balanced shoulders and hips.
- Full bust size and shapely breasts.
- Gently sloped shoulder edges.
- Narrow and well-defined waistline.
- Slender arms and legs.
Top Hourglass Body Shape
There are variations of the hourglass figure, which can be characterized by minor differences in terms of proportions. One variation is the top hourglass body shape in which you have all the typical hourglass features, but with your upper half being slightly broader.
- A fuller bust size that’s at least a cup C.
- Shoulders and bust line that’s slightly more prominent than the hips and thighs.
- Narrow and curvy waistline.
- Full hips that are slightly narrower than your broad shoulders.
- Lean arms and shapely legs.
Bottom Hourglass Body Shape
The bottom hourglass shape is the opposite of the top hourglass shape as it also features the typical hourglass features but with the lower body (hips and thighs) being slightly more prominent. Here are the factors for you to tell if you’re a bottom hourglass girl.
- Wider hips and thicker thighs.
- Slender and shapely legs.
- Shoulders that are slightly narrower compared to the hips.
- A bust size that ranges from cup A to B (smaller bust but not flat-chested).
- Slim arms.
Top Hourglass vs Full Hourglass
As I have mentioned earlier, the two don’t really have drastic differences so there may be times when you’ll find it hard to determine whether you’re a top or full hourglass. That’s totally understandable but let me tell you a quick tip on how to know which one your body shape is.
Look in the mirror and take a good look at the width of your shoulders and hips. And if you’d want to be more accurate, take a measuring tape to measure the widths of them both!
Now, if the width of your shoulders and hips are nearly the same, or with just a few centimeters of difference, then you most likely have a full hourglass body shape. If you have a full hourglass figure, you should also have a fuller bust size that’s at least a cup B.
On the other hand, if you find your shoulders may be broader than your hips and your bust size seems to be bigger in comparison with the scale of your hips, you are most likely a top hourglass girl.
Bottom Hourglass vs Full Hourglass
On how to determine if you’re a bottom hourglass shape, it’s the same measuring process as how I discussed earlier for determining full vs. top hourglass figures. But this time, it’s going to be obviously the opposite as you will know that you’re a bottom hourglass shape if your hips are relatively wider than your shoulders.
Also, if you look in the mirror and notice that the size of your bust is not as “full” or “big” compared to the fullness of your hips and thighs, then this is also a sign that you’re a bottom hourglass beauty.
How to Style Full Hourglass Body Type
Cinch your waist
One of the most distinctive assets of the hourglass body shape is its very defined and narrow waistline. You can absolutely accentuate your voluptuous curves because of how your waist becomes a defining point for the curves in your upper body and lower body.
With this said, it’s so important to always cinch your waist and keep your waistline as distinct as possible! You can do this by choosing clothes with strategic seams and nippings at the waist or by going for a classic belt.
Wear open necklines
Being a full hourglass beauty means that you’ve got a gorgeous decolletage to flaunt! And what more iconic way is there to make this happen than wearing tops or dresses that come in open necklines?
It can be a scoop neck, sweetheart neck, square neck, or the classic V-neck – whatever your choice is, make sure you opt for the right neckline shape that flatters your proportions. If you’re opting for a deeper cut, just make sure that you go for the right fit so the open neckline won’t give an awkward fit.
Wear streamlined bottoms
This is also very important for hourglass girls because you’ve got a curvaceous lower body that shouldn’t be hidden behind so much fabric! Look for bottoms, particularly jeans or pants, that feature a tailored fit to make sure that your curves are being highlighted.
Streamlined bottoms involve a fitted fabric that naturally hugs your curves and neat seams that trace your body line without the extra bulk.
Opt for bodycon dresses
Not everyone can easily pull off bodycon dresses, I’ll tell you that! So if you’ve got a full hourglass figure, you shouldn’t let this chance slide because your figure is one of the best body shapes that can flaunt a sexy bodycon!
Bodycon dresses are designed to cling closely to your figure and since you’ve got every curve to show off, then here’s a really effective way to rock it.
How to Style Top Hourglass Body Type
Go for peplum silhouettes
The peplum silhouette works its magic by reshaping your figure in order to achieve balanced proportions. Remember, you have all hourglass curves to flaunt, all you need is to let your less pronounced lower half catch up a bit with your more prominent upper half.
Peplum tops and dresses feature a fitted bodice that can be very helpful for accentuating your upper half prominence. Then its flared overskirt does the job of adding a subtle amount of volume to your hips so that they will look more proportionate with your broader shoulders and bigger bust.
Define your waist
Of course, just like the full hourglass figure, your well-defined waist is your body shape’s superstar! Keep your narrow and curvy waistline accentuated by going for clothes that nicely cinch the waist.
Opt for voluminous skirts
Since your top half is way more pronounced compared to your lower body, then going for voluminous skirts like those that come in flared or tulip silhouette, should be very helpful for you to bring balance between your upper and lower body.
What I just want to briefly remind you about is that when choosing voluminous skirts, try your best not to go overboard. It shouldn’t look too bulky, otherwise, it may hide your natural lower body curves.
Avoid tight tops
Super tight tops are a no-no because this will only further accentuate the imbalance between your upper and lower body. One of the major downsides of tight-fitting tops is that they might make you look top-heavy, even if the size difference between your upper and lower body isn’t even that huge!
You can still perfectly show off your curvaceous upper body by going for tops that have a more tailored fit.
Avoid tops with horizontal details
Your upper body is already broad and pronounced, so the last thing you’ll ever want is to give it more width and volume. That’s exactly what tops with horizontal details do!
When you wear this type of top, you are drawing the eyes from side to side, and this visually extends you horizontally. This will make your upper body even broader and therefore overwhelming.
How to Dress Bottom Hourglass Body Type
Wear dark-washed jeans
For my bottom hourglass girls out there, what you’d want to downplay is your larger bottom half. One of the most classic ways to remove some visual weight from your body is to wear dark colors, hence wearing dark-washed jeans.
This will tone down the fullness of your hips and thighs to balance out your less pronounced upper half.
Wear structured blazers
As someone who carries more weight and width in the lower half, you’d want to bring more structure to your upper body. You can effectively do this with the help of structured blazers.
Structured blazers usually have very neat seams that trace the shoulder line. This gives the illusion of broader shoulders which can then catch up with the fullness of your lower half.
Avoid baggy pants
We know how a wider and thicker bottom half can be a bit intimidating, but hiding it beneath the frumpy nature of baggy jeans will just make things worse! Baggy pants are full of volume so not only will they drown your gorgeous curves, but they can also make you look shorter!
If you love the comfort and spaciousness of baggy pants, go for streamlined wide-leg pants instead.
