The hourglass is the most coveted body shape, but finding the right pants can be a challenge because of your generous curves. Below is a detailed guide to help you fully understand your body, and choose the pants most suitable for your figure.
Main Considerations
The hourglass figure is undoubtedly one of the most alluring body shapes out there as it possesses a naturally flattering balance from top to bottom. This gorgeous figure has a distinct smaller waistline that seamlessly curves to wide, voluptuous hips.
Curvy, Wider Hips
Your hourglass figure boasts more prominent hips as they possess a wider and curvier shape. This means you need to go for a pair of pants that features enough room to accommodate your wider hips, all while maintaining the natural shape of the rest of your lower body.
Accentuated Waist
An hourglass body shape’s relatively smaller waist is one of your best assets, which is why this should always be highlighted. The right waistband rise and fit of your pants will play a significant role in keeping your waist properly defined and enhanced.
Well-proportioned Legs
Another great feature that your hourglass body shape has are your well-proportioned and shapely legs that go in complete balance with your hips and waist. With this mentioned, you have to find pants that will emphasize the appearance of your legs and prevent structures that will overwhelm them.
These features can all be well-emphasized by choosing the right pair of pants to flatter your figure. If you’re wondering what specific factors you need to take note of in order to make sure you shop for the right pants, then this post will cover it all for you.
FIT
When it comes to wearing pants, your hourglass figure will need some contouring in order to prevent your curves from being overwhelmed by the fabric. This particular body shape is naturally proportioned, but due to the obvious size difference between your narrow waist and wide hips, you’re more prone to an unflattering waist gap.
This is why you need to look for a pair of pants that feature a contoured waistband. A contoured waistband typically sits just right at your natural waistline while giving it a snug fit for significant enhancement.
In addition to the waistband’s fit, you also need to opt for pants that fit well through the hips without being too tight or too loose. This will help give your hips a more flawless, prominent curve that is nicely in proportion with your waist.
LEG SHAPE
There are a wide variety of pants styles that offer different leg shapes. While many of these can be quite trendy, not everything can perfectly flatter hourglass shapes so it’s quite essential to look for leg shapes that both accommodate your wider hips and enhance your well-shaped legs.
Bootcut
Bootcut pants provide an amazing balance to your silhouette with a slight flare from knee to ankle. That subtle bit of flare helps your stunning curves become more prominent, resulting in a very flattering fit.
The fitted nature of bootcut pants around the hips and thighs is very beneficial in making your seamlessly graceful curves pop out. The slight flare also draws attention downwards to give you a taller or more balanced overall frame.
Pants with bootcut leg shapes make a great fashion option if you’re looking into bringing more dimension to your lower body without looking too dramatic. The subtlety of the leg shape makes this particular pants style a good option for those who love minimal ensembles.
Straight-leg
If you’re looking for a universally flattering pants leg shape that can take you to a number of different occasions, a pair of straight-leg pants should absolutely be your go-to! The straight cut of this type of pants provides enough space to house your wide hips and well-shaped legs in a way that they won’t get overwhelmed with fabric.
Other than the fact that straight-leg pants offer a timeless and classic style that transcends trends, their neat cut creates a streamlined silhouette that gives your ensemble a more cohesive and polished look.
Straight-leg pants also draw a continuous vertical line on your frame to keep your legs elongated and your curves enhanced. It has the ability to bring emphasis to your best features without the extra bulk of excess fabric.
Flare
If you love the curvy silhouette of bootcut pants but would like to make them more unique and dramatic, pants with flare leg shapes are definitely worth a try.
Flare pants efficiently work to accentuate your natural curves while creating balance while adding a touch of retro elegance to your overall look. The flared shape of the pants gives a visual counterpoint to your wider hips to flatter your curvy hips and enhance the narrowness of your waist.
The dramatic flare attracts attention so it enhances the beauty of your voluptuous curves even more. Other than its curve-enhancing features, the wide flare that goes from the thigh downwards visually lengthens your legs to give you the appearance of a taller figure.
Palazzo
Palazzo pants are wide-leg trousers that have a flowy structure and draping fit, which makes their voluminous silhouette from the waist down quite a gorgeous choice for hourglass body types. It also has a straight cut from the hips to the ankles that nicely accommodates your wide hips without overpowering your small waist and shapely legs.
The striking leg shape of palazzo pants creates a sense of movement and verticality that maintains the natural balance of your hourglass shape. Since the shape of the pants is relatively wider, it elongates your frame for a leaner and taller appearance.
This is also a good option if you’re not a fan of form-fitting bottoms. The wide shape and streamlined silhouette of palazzo pants can be a comfortable and versatile choice, which makes it much easier to style and pair with your other wardrobe pieces.
DETAIL
There are certain details such as pleats and darts that efficiently give your lower body a flattering fit. These particular details on pants create a flattering silhouette that gently hugs your curves and extends your leg length.
Just remember to be quite mindful of the type of details and where exactly they are placed in order to ensure that your lower body isn’t being overwhelmed. For instance, you need to avoid noticeable buttons placed on your wide hips (such as sailor pants) because this will only make your hips look wider and therefore cause imbalance to your figure.
This goes the same with bulky pockets or dramatic embroidery because these prominent details can disrupt your proportions. Always remember that the goal should be to create neat, flattering visual lines that bring the best out of your features.
RISE
High-rise/High-Waisted
Going for pants with a high rise is the best way to bring significant definition to your small waist. By drawing focus to your waist, high-rise pants accentuate and highlight the curves of your hourglass body shape, creating a defined and cinched-in waistline
Moreover, high-rise pants give additional support and control around the midsection. As the waistband is placed higher than the natural waistline, it can help smooth and flatten your tummy area to create a streamlined appearance.
Mid-rise/Mid-Waist
Mid-rise pants typically share the same flattering effect as pants with high waistbands. This particular waistband sits in between the belly button and hips which means it still covers and provides support for the tummy area.
So who will benefit from mid-rise pants more? This is actually an ideal choice for hourglass women who have shorter torsos as it doesn’t take up so much space on the upper body, unlike high-rise pants.
FABRIC
The right fabric will not just give you your desired comfort, but also the best shape you’d like your pants to have. For hourglass shapes, you can look great both with structured and flowy fabrics.
Structured
Fabrics that are firmer and slightly stiffer can be quite flattering for hourglass shapes. This is because it provides you with a tailored fit in which the pants aren’t too loose nor too tight.
Some examples of structured fabrics that work best with pants are cotton twill, linen, and stretched wool blends. As these types of fabrics offer better shape and support, they can also help smooth out bulges and retain a structured shape to elongate your figure.
Flowy
If you’d like something more comfortable and airy, your hourglass figure is also going to be happy with flowy fabrics. This is because they typically hang straight from the waistband to the hem to instantly give your lower body more depth and verticality.
Soft and flowy fabrics drape smoothly over your legs which creates a sense of movement that attracts attention. Some examples of flowy fabrics that work well with pants are cotton satin, polyester crepe, and rayon.
COLOR
Dark and neutral colors work best with hourglass shapes because these shades are not just versatile, but also visually helpful in enhancing the natural curves of your lower body.
Dark colors like black, dark brown, and navy blue feature slimming abilities that tone down your visual weight. Other neutral colors, on the other hand, are quite versatile and universally flattering for many different body shapes, including hourglass figures.
STYLES TO AVOID
It’s not always easy to pinpoint which pants styles fit and which ones don’t, especially when you don’t have the means to physically try them on! Well worry no more, I have already listed these particular pants styles that every hourglass body shape should avoid.
Slouchy Pants
Hourglass body shapes should generally avoid slouchy pants because their dropped crotch and excess fabric around the hips, thighs, and legs, blur out your every best feature! Remember that the best thing about your hourglass figure is your shape, so the last thing you’d want to wear would be pants that offer no shape at all.
Slouchy pants may look comfy or trendy, but it gives your lower body the illusion of a wider and heavier silhouette. The horizontal creasings caused by its bagginess can be a very unflattering look on your wide hips.
They often hang loosely from the hips and can create a boxy or shapeless appearance. This absolutely contradicts your personal goal of bringing your well-defined waistline and curves into the spotlight!
Pants with Hip Embellishments
Just like what I have mentioned earlier under the topic “Detail”, any relatively bulky embellishment is a huge no-no for hourglass shapes. There are certain details that are minimal and those are okay, but heavy-looking hip embellishments like buttons or protruding pockets will significantly broaden your hips even more.
Pants with heavy embellishments, such as beading, sequins, or large decorative elements, can potentially draw excessive attention to the lower body and divert the eyes from noticing your great features.
Pants with Horizontal Details
While vertical lines are obviously helpful for hourglass body shapes, horizontal details in pants will be one of the worst fashion choices you might ever make. Pants with horizontal details across the hips or thighs can also interrupt the seamless flow of your curves.
They also give an unflattering illusion by emphasizing certain areas or creating a perception of irregularities. Obviously, wide horizontal stripes across the hips will give the appearance of widening the area further, while contrasting horizontal color-blocking can make certain parts of the lower body look bigger or less proportionate.
