The hourglass-shaped women are blessed with beautiful curves and a slender waist. Even though this is the most coveted body shape, your generous curves can also make it harder to find the right styles, especially when it comes to jackets. In this guide, we’ll first help you understand your body features and then walk you through the most flattering jackets for your figure.
MAIN CONSIDERATIONS
Jackets can give your simple ensembles an entirely leveled-up transformation so what you need to do is make sure you choose the ones that perfectly suit your hourglass shape the best. To make sure you shop for the right jackets to bring out your figure’s natural beauty, you need to know which features should be taken into consideration.
Full and Well-Pronounced Bust
An hourglass shape is characterized by a full and well-pronounced bust line that adds to the remarkable curves of the overall frame. Jackets are going to be worn either open or buttoned up, so you need to be very mindful of the size to make sure your generous bust size is properly accommodated.
Slightly Rounded Shoulders
Your shoulders are gently curved and round on the edges, which significantly softens your entire look to give way to your natural curves. Their charm is that they don’t grab too much attention, which therefore allows your other more prominent features to be recognized.
With this said, it’s important to find jackets that will keep the shoulders polished and streamlined by not going for bulky shoulder details.
Defined and Small Waist
Another feature in which hourglass figures are widely known is their defined and small waist. This is considered your central feature and it is noticeably narrower compared to your bust and hips, resulting in a distinct and feminine curve.
This should always be defined so jackets that accentuate your small waistline (such as those with cinched or belted designs) will help highlight and emphasize this beautiful feature.
FIT
Tailored
The fitting of jackets can be quite tricky because the line between snug and baggy is very thin, so it’s easier to commit a fitting mishap. However, if you look for jackets with tailored seams and structure, it’s easier to accentuate the curves and proportions of your hourglass figure.
A tailored fit has a close-fitting nature that ensures that it follows the natural contours of your hourglass body to efficiently emphasize your narrow waistline and curvy bust and hips. The precise tailoring and careful construction of the jacket give a minimal and versatile look that gives you more freedom to style it with many other wardrobe pieces.
Fitted at the Waist
Maintaining the narrow and defined shape of the waist is very important for hourglass body types as this area is one of your figure’s most notable features. When it comes to wearing jackets, this is not always very easy to do because of the fact that most jackets have bigger or wider silhouettes.
However, this doesn’t mean that finding a jacket that’s fitted at the waist is impossible. Look for waist details such as side front/back seams, or belts as these can subtly cinch your waist without the unnecessary bulk.
STRUCTURE
Single-Breasted
Single-breasted jackets offer a streamlined front detail that creates a clean and elegant look that complements the curves of your hourglass shape. The vertical button placement of the buttons of the jacket draws the eye up and down, creating a polished and balanced proportion.
In addition to this simple style benefit, the lapels of single-breasted jackets help create a flattering V-shaped neckline to further accentuate your bust and elongate your torso.
Peplum
Peplum jackets are designed with a flared fabric panel at the waistline – a design element that efficiently draws attention to your narrow waist. Its flared detail creates a visually pleasing hourglass silhouette as it accentuates the curves both at the top and bottom of the body.
One thing to remember when choosing a peplum jacket for your hourglass shape is to look for ones that don’t have a very dramatic flare, otherwise, you might end up adding more volume to your hips. A slight flare should be enough to draw the eyes to your waist.
Moto Jackets
Moto jackets are not just super edgy and badass, but they are also very visually flattering on hourglass body shapes. One of its most notable features is its close and tailored fit in which the structured design of the jacket gives the upper body a snug hug, accentuating the natural curves at the bust, waist, and hips.
Its unique asymmetrical zipper detail adds visual interest and dynamic lines to the garment. Moreover, this particular design detail draws the eye along the diagonal, creating a sense of vertical elongation.
SLEEVES
Three-Fourths
Three-fourth sleeves help maintain a balanced look by drawing attention to the upper body without overshadowing your remarkable assets. The sleeves end at a flattering point on the arms which gives your overall frame a sense of proportion.
The length of the three-fourth sleeves draws the gaze to the waistline by leaving the lower arms exposed. These sleeves create a visual line that directs the eye towards the waist to accentuate its narrowness.
Bracelet-Length
If you’d like to have more coverage, then go for bracelet-length sleeves instead of full-length sleeves that extend too long.
Bracelet-length sleeves can visually elongate the arms while also keeping your look minimal and streamlined. This particular length hits just at the right spot to prevent steering the attention away from your hourglass features.
COLORS AND PRINTS
Neutral Colors
Neutral colors create a visually balanced and neat canvas that highlights your best features. Not only do they exude a timeless appeal, but are also quite helpful in maintaining your proportions.
Of course, this shouldn’t really stop you from exploring your color options. However, wearing pastel or very bright-colored jackets may grab too much attention and therefore steal the spotlight from your notable curves.
Minimal Prints
Opting for jackets with minimal prints and simple designs will keep the focus on your body shape itself rather than being distracted by busy patterns or prints. Without the visual interruption of bold and busy patterns, the eye moves smoothly along the contours of your hourglass figure to further accentuate your highly-coveted silhouette.
DETAILS
Belt
A belt serves as a valuable accessory for your figure as it plays a crucial role in defining and accentuating the waist. There are certain styles of jackets that feature a belt to cinch the waist to make your narrow waist look more defined and shaped.
You just have to remember not to go for belts that are too thick, otherwise, it will cause a horizontal break on your frame. Ideally, belts that are no thicker than 2 inches should be able to keep your vertical visual line uninterrupted.
Streamlined Seams
Seams that neatly trace the contours of your hourglass figure also help maintain your body’s symmetry. If you’d like to keep things minimal by opting out of noticeable details, going for strategically placed seams should do the trick for you.
Seams that are strategically sewn along your figure’s flattering lines, will help accentuate and elongate your figure even further. They also help smooth out any potential flaws or bulges that your body may have.
FABRIC
Leather
Leather is a firm and structured fabric material that can hold its shape very well. This characteristic is what provides additional structure to the jacket to define and enhance your hourglass features with edginess.
The stiffness of the leather fabric, paired with streamlined details, can maintain the shape of the hourglass silhouette by creating a more pronounced waistline and highlighting the curves in a flattering way. Thanks to their tailored cuts and fitted silhouettes, they will be able to trace your figure’s contours without creating too much bulk.
Cotton Twill
Cotton twill is a great choice for blazers and lightweight jackets because they provide edge and structure while still keeping the fit breathable and comfortable. Cotton twill has a slightly stiff texture, which makes it ideal for blazers and jackets as it helps maintain their shape, creating a polished and put-together look.
With the right tailoring, it can help sculpt your figure and bring the best out of your hourglass features.
Tweed
The thick texture of the tweed adds to the overall structure of the jacket, giving it a distinct and noticeable appearance. Its unique attribute also explains why more and more designer brands are embracing this fabric.
They are often crafted using various combinations of yarn that create a visually dynamic and stylish jacket that possesses creativity and a touch of edginess. Depending on the color combinations and the strategic detailing, tweed can flatter your hourglass body shape without bulky and overwhelming details.
Denim
Just like leather, denim is also a sturdy and structured type of fabric that has a distinctive shape. This is a great alternative to leather because they are more comfortable and more casual.
A denim jacket that features a tailored fit can efficiently accentuate the waistline, highlight the curves, and create a balanced and feminine hourglass silhouette. Apart from its visually flattering benefits, denim jackets will always have that timeless and versatile appeal that allows you to easily pull it off together with your other wardrobe pieces.
STYLES TO AVOID
Double-Breasted
Remember that you’re working with a figure that features a fuller bust. With this mentioned, the last thing your bust line will ever want is additional bulk and volume – something double-breasted jackets have.
Double-breasted jackets feature large button details that are placed side to side, creating a horizontal visual line. This significantly adds width and weight to your bust area and therefore makes you look top-heavy and imbalanced.
Puffer Jacket
Puffer jackets, as the name suggests, often lack waist definition and structure due to their puffy structure. They usually have a boxy and oversized fit that will instantly disrupt the definition of your narrow waistline, as well as your curvaceous bust.
Without accentuating the waist, puffer jackets may potentially give a more rectangular or shapeless appearance that can really overshadow your body shape.
Oversized Cropped Jackets
Oversized cropped jackets typically have a loose and boxy fit, which can conceal the narrow waistline. The absence of waist definition will hide your notable curves in an instant, and may even potentially make you look wider and heavier.
The combination of an oversized fit and cropped length are not a very wise combo when it comes to flattering hourglass figures because these two can disrupt the natural presence of your balanced silhouette. The excess fabric and exaggerated volume it has can overwhelm your curves and make the upper body appear larger or broader than it actually is.
Shackets
Shackets, which are a fashion hybrid between a shirt and a jacket, might be a trendy and fashion-forward style option. However, they may not be the most flattering choice for hourglass body shapes because of their boxy silhouette.
The loose and unstructured silhouette of shackets can conceal the curves and proportions of your gorgeous hourglass silhouette, which will obviously result in a less defined and balanced appearance. In addition to this, the angular and boxy shape of shackets can add unnecessary volume or bulk to your figure.
