If you are a petite woman with an hourglass body type, you have unique features. You have a full bust, curvy hips, and a waist significantly smaller than your butt, the typical traits of the hourglass. Meanwhile, because your frame is shorter, the curvy shape can also make it challenging for you to find the right clothing styles.
The key to dress a short hourglass woman is to create vertical lines to elongate your short figure, while accentuating your best assets at the same time. In this detailed guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know about the most flattering styles for your unique shape.
Below are the best clothes for a petite hourglass body shape.
Below are the best outfits for a petite hourglass body shape.
TOPS
Wrap Style
You definitely have hourglass curves to show but it can sometimes be a bit more challenging to bring out these distinct hourglass features when you are petite. Having a short stature could also mean that there’s not much space in your body to accommodate your prominent hourglass features and therefore making you look heavy instead or curvy.
This is where you can find stretchy wrap-style tops very helpful because of their structure, open neckline, and form-fitting fabric. Wrap-style tops typically come in V-shaped necklines because of how the fabric overlap creates this neckline cut, and this helps create an open space to your upper half to beautifully showcase your decolletage.
It also cinches at the waist with the help of its adjustable self-tie to create a more elongated frame. This results in a more defined hourglass curve, especially when the wrap top is made from breathable, stretchy fabric.
Plunging V-neck Shirts
Just like what wrap tops offer, plunging V-neck tops are obviously very flattering for petite hourglass shapes because it helps extend the visual length of your frame. The V-shaped plunge not only showcases your collarbone and well-pronounced breasts but also draws the eyes upward to elongate the neck.
This visual effect of elongating the neck adds to the overall visual height of your frame, which can of course be very beneficial in making your petite figure appear taller and leaner. Going for short-sleeved shirts can also contribute to this elongating effect as it exposes more skin on your upper body.
Structured Belted Top
Being short can sometimes mean that the distinctive hourglass waist definition may not look as apparent because of your short height, leaving a relatively smaller space for the transition curves from the waist to the hips to run. Cinching your well-defined waist with a belt can enhance the clear and flawless division between these two distinct hourglass features you have.
It’s also ideal to go for belted tops that come in structured fabrics because of how these types of fabric materials are able to properly hold shape. These tops with a more consistent and tailored shape can prevent your top from drooping, and therefore maintain its frame-lengthening effect.
Peplum Tops
This pretty much shares the same style concept of structured belted tops because of how it allows you to perfectly cinch your narrow waist. But here’s another interesting feature this silhouette has – it has a flared overskirt to really bring out your hourglass curves!
This subtle flare of fabric adds a more pleasing sense of balance to your figure by having your narrow waist as the focal point of your look. If you’d like to further elevate your look and height, look for vertical patterns for they can draw the eyes up and down.
JEANS
Curvy Fit
The gaping in jeans is a common issue most hourglass body shapes face and this can even be trickier for those with a petite frame. This is the issue that Curvy fit jeans address because they are specifically designed to accommodate a smaller waist and fuller hips and thighs.
This strategic structure won’t gap at the waist and will provide a more even fit for your hourglass figure, therefore enhancing your natural curves even more.
More importantly, curvy-fit jeans also often have a higher rise, wherein the waistband sits at or just above the natural waist. This high-rise design visually elongates the length of your legs, giving you a taller and more symmetrical appearance.
Wide-Leg
The leg shape and overall structure of wide-leg jeans are also deemed very flattering for petite hourglass body shapes because of how they subtly balance and elongate your petite frame. Wide-leg jeans that come in mid-rise or high-rise also effectively give your notable narrow waistline a snug cinch.
The wider cut of these jeans adds just the right amount of volume to the lower half of your body to create the illusion of length. This design detail complements your natural curves by emphasizing your defined waistline while extending the optical length of your legs.
Bootcut
Bootcut jeans are known for their slight flare, which is less dramatic in comparison to retro-style flared or bell-bottom jeans. The leg shape of bootcut jeans gently widens out from the knee down, which results in a visually elongating effect that makes your legs appear longer and more proportionate.
The additional length it gives helps petite girls like us to appear taller and creates a well-balanced silhouette that complements your covetable hourglass curves. Not only do they elongate your legs, but bootcut jeans also provide a more spacious room for your hips and thighs, accommodating the curvier aspects of your hourglass figure without adding unnecessary bulk.
Slim Fit Straight Leg
These are the newer version of the straight-leg jeans because they are snug and form-fitting throughout the legs. They are a hybrid of the traditional straight-leg and skinny jeans, the best of both worlds.
They create a streamlined and elongated look that’s also quite minimal, making this pair of casual skinny jeans easy to style. This sleek design effectively lengthens your legs visually and therefore gives your petite stature a generous boost of height.
The rise of the waistband is quite important for petite ladies and with this said, many slim-fit jeans come in high-waisted styles, which sit at or above the natural waistline. It’s ideal to opt for a high-rise design for your tighter-fitting jeans because they elongate the lower body.
PANTS
Sailor
Now, let’s talk about why sailor pants are going to be your next go-to flattering and lengthening wardrobe piece! Sailor pants tick all the boxes to give your petite hourglass body shape a more balanced silhouette – waist cinch, high-rise, vertical details, and wider leg room.
The high-waisted design of sailor pants helps give you the illusion of having longer legs, which of course, visually makes you look taller and leaner. It also has button embellishments that run vertically on the front panels, which draw your eyes vertically in an unbroken visual line.
By sitting at or just above your natural waistline, they visually elongate your lower body to add some serious height to your petite frame. It also accentuates your narrow waist, highlighting that coveted hourglass shape you’ve got going on!
Retro Style Flared Pants
If you’d like to flaunt a funky, retro-style ensemble that flatters your petite hourglass figure, go ahead and try wearing flared pants! It usually comes in a high-waisted structure which effectively emphasizes the narrowest part of your hourglass figure and showcases the waistline to relevantly bring out your distinct hourglass curves.
Additionally, flared pants come in a wider cut from the knee down, which is an effect that’s very helpful in giving an elongating effect on the legs. This added length will enhance your overall proportions and shift the attention away from the fact that you are short and petite.
Pleated Dress Pants
Pleats are vertical folds placed along the waistband to add some depth to the pants. Because of this subtle detail, it naturally adds a sense of verticality that contributes to elevating your visual height.
Dress pants are often tailored and sleek in nature and their straight-cut leg shape can give your lower body a more consistent fit from hips to ankles. This will further extend your visual length and give your upper and lower body more harmonious proportions.
DRESSES
Tailored Fit and Flare
Fit and flare dresses are tailored to have a fitted bodice to showcase your prominent upper body, most especially your narrow waistline. By highlighting your body’s defining point, you are making the distinction between your upper and lower body more apparent and hence, giving you a more elongated appearance.
The fitted bodice and flared skirt of the dress create an elongating effect, but you can only maximize this effect if you choose the proper length. You can for shorter lengths such as mini dresses or longer lengths such as maxi dresses, as long as they expose just the right amount of skin to give you a more visually open and flattering silhouette.
Form-fitting Midi Dress
Anything that is fitted or clingy can be quite ideal for hourglass body shapes because of how having your dress conform to your body effectively brings out your curves. To add to its elongating effect, you may also go for the midi length, which is a dress length that hit slightly below the knee up to the mid-calf.
When it comes to choosing a form-fitting dress, make sure that you opt for those that don’t feature too many bulky details, or better yet, those that come in plain colors. This is to prevent additional bulk from disrupting your frame.
Flowy Maxi
It’s a common misconception that maxi dresses are not quite petite-friendly, but that is totally far from the truth because, with the right maxi length and design, you can definitely do wonders for your petite figure. The long length of maxi dresses creates a continuous flow of vertical visual lines that makes your petite frame look leaner and taller.
To make sure you choose the right maxi dress, look for those that hit just right above the ankle. Otherwise, a maxi dress that’s too long, such as a floor-length dress, will overwhelm your short figure and may even make you look shorter than you actually are.
SKIRTS
Flounce Hem Skirts
This particular skirt style accentuates the waist, showcases the curves, and adds a touch of elegance thanks to its flouncy hem.
It also makes you look taller because of the fitted design that highlights your well-defined waistline, therefore creating a longer and elongated appearance for your short legs. Additionally, the flounce hem considerably adds movement and interest to the lower part of the skirt, which leads the gaze downward for a more elongating silhouette.
Structured A-Line
A-Line skirts are definitely universally flattering and to be honest, I personally feel like it’s always a foolproof style option for most body shapes, including petite hourglass figures. The A-Line silhouette and structured fabric subtly add volume to your lower half to make the size difference between your narrow waist and wider hips look more noticeable.
This results in a balanced and proportionate look that complements your hourglass curves without overwhelming your petite frame.
Mermaid
The flare of the mermaid skirt can visually elongate your legs to make your petite frame appear taller and more statuesque. This elongating effect can be further enhanced when you opt for the right length that allows the skirt to flow in a continuous vertical line, ideally, those that gently swoop gently at ankle level.
Also, the fitted design of this skirt hugs your narrow waist to showcase its narrowness and curve. Such balanced visuals can also help lengthen your frame even more.
OUTERWEAR
Belted Jacket
Belted jackets often come in various styles and lengths, but for your hourglass body shape and petite height, you need to look for those that come in structured fabric to ensure that the shape of the garment remains flattering. The belt also needs to be of proper width, ideally just around 1 inch thick for petites – just enough to cinch the waist and not overwhelm your short stature.
The belt accent in this particular jacket design cinches at the waist to create a more pronounced and defined waistline. This helps lengthen the appearance of your legs for a taller and more elongated overall appearance.
Single-Breasted Jacket
Your petite frame will greatly benefit from the simplicity of single-breasted jackets. The single row of buttons at the front of this jacket draws the eyes vertically, resulting in the illusion of height. This design detail visually elongates the torso and legs to give you a more proportionate silhouette.
Apart from its figure-lengthening effects, single-breasted jackets also flatter your hourglass curves in a way that its fitted waist accentuates your gorgeously slim waist. This effectively brings out the natural curves of your figure, which are often lost in your petite frame.
Wrap Coat
The distinctive feature of a wrap coat is that it allows you to cinch the coat at the waist with the ability to adjust it according to the level of tightness and comfort you wish. This tie belt can effectively highlight the slimness of your waist and effectively emphasize your defined waistline, which is one of your most desirable hourglass assets!
As someone who’s petite, you should choose a wrap coat that falls just above or at the knee as this can visually lengthen the legs and create a taller appearance. This proper length, along with the wrap structure typically has a clean and tailored look, which prevents unnecessary bulk that might overwhelm your petite frame.
