If you have an hourglass body shape, you have the most coveted figure considered ideal by both male and female. All body shapes are beautiful, but the hourglass is known for having the most balanced figure. When choosing the best clothing for your shape, you should follow below principals.
STYLING PRINCIPALS

To best accentuate the assets of the hourglass, you look the best when you
- Cinch your waist
- Avoid anything loosely fitted
- Avoid anything that lacks support for your full bust
- Opt for the wrap style for both tops and dresses
- Stay away from excessive girly details
Celebrity examples
- Nicki Minaj
- Beyonce
- Elizabeth Hurley
- Kim Kardashian
- Sofia Vergara
Below are the best clothes for hourglass shapes.
Below are the best outfits for hourglass shapes.
Now let’s go over the wardrobe essentials under each category that are most flattering to the hourglass shape.
TOPS
Belted Tops
If your silhouette mirrors the timeless elegance of an hourglass, heed the call of belted tops. They prove their worth by sculpting the waist, a key feature to emphasize in your selection of clothing. Not just an accessory, belts evolve to be pivotal elements, their role in shaping your attire a testament to their indispensable nature.
When selecting tops adorned with belts, one must navigate through a labyrinth of choices with an informed mind, always mindful of the belt’s size. For those blessed with the symmetrical curvature of an hourglass figure, the optimal belt width dancing around the waist is narrow, a mere whisper of fabric against your dress, yet boldly pronounced in a hue that challenges the color of your attire.
Allow the belted top to be the unsung hero in your wardrobe, quietly asserting itself as the muse for your hourglass figure. Its flattering nature is not to be underestimated, as it weaves magic around your form.
Empire Waist Tops
The empire waistline creates a visual break between the bust and hips, resulting in a balanced proportion. It provides a gentle flare below the waist, allowing the fabric to gracefully skim over the hips, maintaining the hourglass shape. This balanced proportion enhances the overall symmetry of the figure and highlights the desired hourglass silhouette.
Empire waist tops come in a variety of styles, including blouses, dresses, and tunics, offering versatility in terms of neckline, sleeve length, and fabric choice. This versatility allows individuals with an hourglass shape to choose from a range of options that best suit their personal style and occasion.
Wrap Tops
Including the wrap top as an essential element in your wardrobe is paramount, as it possesses an inherent ability to enhance your allure in an extraordinary manner.
Characterized by a v-neckline, this design skillfully directs focus toward the chest region, while ensuring optimal comfort throughout. It impeccably accentuates your feminine attributes without compromising on ease of wear.
Embrace this versatile top design as it not only celebrates your unique shape but also affords you boundless opportunities to express your personal style with effortless grace in your day-to-day ensembles.
Peplum Tops
Embrace the exquisite silhouette of peplum tops, renowned for their ability to gracefully accommodate various body shapes. When adorned with a peplum top, you effortlessly exude an aura of elegance and sophistication, suitable for any occasion.
These tops are designed to flatter your gracious curves while discreetly concealing any unevenness around the waist area. The inherent style of peplum tops offers a simple yet effective means to boost your confidence, as they define the waistline and accentuate your alluring curves.
If you possess an hourglass body type, revel in the beauty of your shape and adorn it with the captivating peplum top. To ensure a well-defined appearance, pay attention to the positioning of the peplum flare—it should gracefully hit the waistline, neither above nor below it, ensuring a harmonious and captivating effect.
JEANS
Straight Leg Jeans
A prominent denim trend in recent times has been the rise of straight-leg jeans. The good news is that they are an ideal choice for those with an hourglass figure.
Given that the hourglass shape is often associated with a well-rounded silhouette, straight-leg jeans offer a perfect balance of volume that harmonizes beautifully with your figure.
Furthermore, straight-leg jeans have the added advantage of creating the illusion of longer legs. The straight line created down the leg contributes to an elongating effect, which can be particularly advantageous for petite hourglass figures.
Therefore, embracing straight-leg jeans in your denim collection not only complements your shape but also imparts an elegant touch. These jeans provide a flattering and elongating effect, making them a valuable addition to your wardrobe.
Dark Wash Jeans
Dark wash jeans have a slimming effect on the body, which is particularly beneficial for accentuating the hourglass shape. The darker color creates a visually streamlined appearance, minimizing any perceived imperfections or areas of concern. This enhances the curves and creates a flattering silhouette.
Dark wash jeans draw attention to the well-defined waistline, which is a key feature of an hourglass figure. The contrast between the darker denim and the waistline helps accentuate and highlight this narrowest part of the body. This emphasis on the waist further enhances the hourglass shape and creates an attractive and feminine look.
PANTS
Flare Leg Pants
Flare leg pants are a type of trousers that maintain a fitted silhouette at the waist, hips, and thighs, while gradually flaring out from the knees to the ankles. When pairing these pants with an hourglass shape, one simple rule to follow is to ensure that the rest of your outfit remains well-fitted.
This rule aims to achieve a balanced overall figure, particularly because fit and flare pants have a relaxed fit that you should appreciate. Additionally, these pants have the potential to create the illusion of added height for women with hourglass figures.
While the flare pants are a fantastic choice, it’s important to avoid an excessively wide flare. Opting for a flare that is too wide can lead to a fashion statement that is unflattering for the hourglass frame, as it may create an imbalance and give the appearance of a heavier lower body.
By adhering to this guideline, you can confidently embrace fit and flare pants, accentuating your hourglass shape while maintaining a stylish and proportionate appearance.
Wide Leg Pants
Embrace the sartorial elegance of wide-legged trousers, specifically tailored for those adorned with the balanced proportions of an hourglass physique. These garments offer a fusion of comfort and sophistication, amplifying your natural silhouette while ensuring you captivate at any event.
Wide-leg trousers, while generously proportioned, subtly divert attention from the lower torso, yet simultaneously maintain the graceful symmetry of your form.
These garments, crafted with a versatile silhouette, gracefully envelop your hips, ensuring not an ounce of discomfort disrupts your statuesque figure.
For those blessed with an hourglass physique, wide-leg trousers should be a cherished entry into your fashion repertoire. Their unique structure expertly harmonizes your upper and lower body, providing you the freedom to infuse your personal style into their expansive canvas.
DRESSES
Fitted Sundresses
Opt for fitted sun dresses that gracefully rest above your natural waistline, allowing your figure to exude its optimal definition. Among the various styles available, consider the A-line dress, which boasts a subtle flare that remains tastefully understated.
Fitted dresses possess impeccable structuring, enabling them to accentuate your waistline while artfully diminishing any excess volume in your upper body.
A well-fitted dress should ideally align with the slimmest part of your torso, while gracefully elongating the lower portion. It is worth noting that most hourglass body shapes tend to have a shorter waist, thus the waistline of the dress should be positioned slightly higher than your natural waistline, enhancing the overall proportion and visual harmony of the ensemble.
Bodycon Dresses
Body con dresses can be a remarkable choice for those blessed with hourglass figures.
First and foremost, these dresses offer a splendid opportunity to showcase your naturally balanced body shape in a truly stunning manner. It’s important to note that “body-con” doesn’t imply sacrificing comfort or mobility. Quite the contrary! In essence, a body con dress simply signifies a form-fitting style that closely contours to your body.
Rest assured that wearing a body con dress doesn’t equate to compromising your ability to breathe or move freely. The emphasis lies in the dress gracefully accentuating your curves, highlighting your beautiful figure with a touch of allure.
A line Dresses
A-line dresses feature a fitted top that gracefully flares out at the hips, creating a flattering silhouette. While they may not possess the same level of overt sensuality as body con dresses, A-line dresses still accentuate your curves beautifully. They have the ability to showcase your full chest and emphasize your slender waist.
The gentle flare of the A-line design offers a touch of elegance and sophistication, allowing your natural curves to be showcased tastefully. These dresses strike a balance between accentuating your figure and maintaining a refined aesthetic. By opting for A-line dresses, you can confidently highlight your feminine attributes while exuding grace and charm.
COATS
Belted Coats
Unquestionably, the cinched elegance of a belted coat offers unparalleled waist definition for all body shapes, the symmetrical allure of an hourglass figure being no exception. The belted coat’s defining characteristic lies not just in its waist sculpting prowess, but also in its adjustable comfort, tailored to the wearer’s preference.
In the midst of winter’s chill, a belted coat offers an infusion of style and sophistication. It should indeed be a treasured component of your winter wardrobe, particularly for those graced with an hourglass shape. These coats, while accentuating your waist, also tastefully highlight your curves, ensuring an impeccable fit.
The structure of this coat is specifically designed to compliment your figure, devoid of any restrictive elements that might hinder your comfort.
Fit and Flare Coats
The artfully crafted fit and flare coat stands as a sterling recommendation for those donning the symmetrical harmony of an hourglass silhouette. Meticulously designed to enhance your figure, this coat finds its signature in defining and celebrating your waistline.
Its unique pattern, cinching just above your natural waist before transitioning into a graceful flare over the hips, creates an optical illusion of elongation. This flare, while artfully masking any areas of concern, still complements and maintains the natural symmetry of your frame.
A fit and flare coat, worn with poise, redirects the gaze of onlookers away from focusing solely on curves.
Instead of fostering self-consciousness about your figure, a fit and flare coat encourages a liberating appreciation of your natural assets.
A Line Coats
The beauty of the A-line coat lies in its simplicity; free of any design complications, it secures its position among the most figure-enhancing styles for your hourglass shape.
Let’s not overlook its uncanny ability to lend a lengthening effect to your feminine frame. Ingeniously designed to flatter, this coat not only refines your waistline but also structures your silhouette, all without the slightest hint of constriction.
So, why not embrace the classic charm of an A-line coat? It’s a simple way to inject a sophisticated flair into your wardrobe, while celebrating the natural harmony of your shape. This advice, woven in the warm tones of the English language, nudges you towards celebrating your individuality and embracing your hourglass figure with confidence.
SKIRTS
Mermaid Skirts
Welcome the simple elegance of mermaid skirts into your wardrobe, ideal for enhancing your balanced hourglass figure. These skirts harmonize with the breadth of your hips, flowing into a fuller lower section that defines your waist and imparts a sense of leggy elongation.
Not only are mermaid skirts beautifully simplistic, but they also exude versatility and a timeless fashion appeal. Perfect for capturing that summery essence, this skirt has an effortless knack for elevating your aesthetic, ensuring you stand out splendidly at any occasion.
Pencil Skirts
Embrace a style that gracefully conforms to your natural curves, as it is undeniably the most desirable. Pencil skirts, renowned for their impeccable tailoring, splendidly emphasize your curves while defining your waistline.
For a truly flattering outcome, pencil skirts achieve their utmost allure when their length gracefully grazes just above or slightly below the knee.
Distinguished by their timeless appeal, pencil skirts seamlessly harmonize with the elegant S shape of your body, effortlessly eradicating any trace of unflattering horizontal lines across your silhouette.
Moreover, this skirt silhouette masterfully imparts the illusion of elongation, further enhancing the captivating allure of your hourglass figure.
High Waisted Skirts
Opt for high-waisted skirts, which exude a remarkable allure by elongating your legs and accentuating your waistline, capturing additional admiration. To harmonize fuller tops and jackets, consider incorporating a flounce at the hemline.
When coupled with a top that bestows volume to your bust and shoulders, while simultaneously highlighting your waist, the high-waisted skirt presents an ensemble that engenders a strikingly dramatic hourglass effect.
SHOES
Rounded Toe Shoes
Consider trying the rounded heel instead of the pointed heel on your hourglass physique. They possess a more distinct contour that complements your body shape with finesse.
The rounded-toe heels ought to be among your top choices as they are impeccably tailored for your silhouette. Furthermore, they provide stability and comfort, instilling confidence whenever adorning them.
To maintain your chic demeanor, it is advised to adhere to footwear designs characterized by rounded features, while abstaining from donning pointed-toe heels, as they do not enhance your figure as effectively.
Nude Pumps
Nude pumps are shoes that are usually close to the skin tone of anyone that wears them and that’s what makes them special. The fact that the color is close to your skin tone adds to the illusion of length, as it makes you appear taller.
This shoe style is also incredibly versatile, which means that it is not picky with outfits. You can wear this on high-waist jeans or skirts, and you’ll look amazing. However, it’s important to choose a comfortable pair that’s appropriate for the occasion.
Factors to consider include how high the heel should be and if you want the nude pumps to have a few designs. I recommend going for plain nude pumps which makes it easy to wear on different outfits. Go for those with pointed toes, as they help in creating a sleek silhouette on petite women with an hourglass figure.
Black Ankle Boots
Black is universally recognized for its slimming effect on the wearer. This makes it particularly advantageous for women with a short hourglass shape when it comes to selecting dresses, skirts, and especially shoes. Among my top choices for petite women are black ankle boots.
Black ankle boots often feature a small heel, which can effectively add a few inches of height. As a result, if you are a shorter woman with an hourglass figure, wearing these boots can create the illusion of elongation and height. Whenever I seek to effortlessly enhance my stature, these boots become my go-to choice.
Additionally, black ankle boots have a slimming effect on the calves and ankles, creating a streamlined appearance for your feet. Pairing them with a fit-and-flare dress for semi-formal occasions or high-waisted shorts for casual events can result in an amazing overall look. By incorporating black ankle boots into your outfits, you can enhance your hourglass shape, balance your body proportions, and exude a stylish confidence.