The plus size hourglass has generous curves, and retains the typical features for the hourglass figure, i.e. slender waist relative to the curvy hips. Almost every woman with this body type struggles with finding the perfect clothing styles that look good on her body without sacrificing comfort and personal preferences. Here’s a detailed guide to help you fully understand the features of your body, and take you through the best styles for you and convenient ways to make them work.
Characteristics
What are the typical features of plus-size hourglass women?
- Well-defined waistline: Typically, most hourglass women have a well-defined waistline since their waist is usually smaller compared to the dimension of their hips and busts. This is what creates the hourglass silhouette that earned this body type its name. Since plus-size women usually have fuller figures, a plus-size hourglass woman would have this waistline on a body with larger overall measurements.
- Wider hips and bust: On hourglass-shaped women, the hips are relatively wider to create a curvy appearance while the bust is larger to complement the wide hips. On a plus-size woman, this will include more prominent curves distributed around the lower half of the body.
- Rounded shoulders on a balanced silhouette: It’s important to talk about the typical rounded shoulders in plus-size hourglass women as these align with the curves of the hips and bust area. These all contribute to the balanced and symmetrical body proportions found in most women with this body type.
These features are important to know as these are what you would consider when choosing the right tops, dresses, skirts, pants, jeans, and outerwear that complement your body type and leave you feeling comfortable all day.
Below are the best clothes for a Plus-size hourglass body shape.
Below are the best outfits for a Plus-size hourglass body shape.
Tops
The plus size hourglass shape usually comes with a little muffin top, which means you have to consider this when choosing suitable tops for your body shape.
What to look for
- Anything waist cinching will look more flattering on you on otherwise.
- Overall, be sure to look out for tops with open necklines like scoop necks or v-neckline as these will complement your curves and draw attention to your collarbone, a win for the plus size hourglass body.
Wrap
One of the best styles for your body type is the wrap top, especially one with subtle floral patterns that hide your extra belly and flatter your curves. Wrap tops are perfect for highlighting the feminine silhouette, and that’s the top reason why it works for the plus-size hourglass figure. The amazing thing about wrap tops is that you will always have a variety of styles to choose from, whether you prefer fitted styles that sit firmly on your waist or loose-fitting ones that still have a firm fit around your hips.
Asymmetric hem
If wrap tops are not your style, you can check out asymmetric tops that draw attention away from the midsection. Be sure to choose tops that are not too long as they can over-elongate your torso visually and that’s not flattering.
Off the shoulder
Meanwhile, it’s easy to fall in love with off-the-shoulder tops and the good news is that this is another great top for the hourglass figure. This is an amazing way to show off your shoulders and pair this with your favorite pair of high-waist pants.
What to avoid
Remember to stay away from crop tops and tight-fitting tops as this will only create a muffin top and make your body proportions unbalanced.
Jeans
Yes, plus size hourglass women can look breathtakingly beautiful in jeans and here are some suggestions to help you make the best choices.
What to look for
- High waist: the lovely thing about this style of jeans is that they offer a lot of support and coverage for plus size hourglass women with a little muffin top.
- The right leg shape: go with the leg shape that doesn’t cling to your bottom half in order to create a more balanced silhouette for your curvy figure.
Below are the best denim styles to flatter your shape.
Straight leg
This straight-leg style doesn’t cling to your thighs as well, so you will look sophisticated with the right pair of shoes.
Boot cut
You should also check out bootcut jeans, which offer a flattering fit for plus size hourglass women. They also have a lengthening effect on the legs similar to what you would get with straight-leg jeans. However, they have an even better feature of being incredibly versatile and comfortable since they have a looser fit on your calf.
Mom jeans
Here’s one more jeans recommendation for hourglass women who are plus size: mom jeans. You will easily love them as they are stylish and super comfortable, so you can look your best without breaking the bank. This also comes in a high-waist style that has a relaxed and flattering fit on your feminine silhouette.
What to Avoid
There are a few jeans styles to avoid as a plus size woman. These include low-rise, skinny, baggy and ripped jeans. Low-rise jeans will emphasize your muffin top, and you really don’t want to get caught with a wardrobe malfunction.
For your body shape, it’s best to stay away with these styles:
- Baggy jeans don’t give the flattering effect that fitted jeans will have on your body frame.
- Skinny jeans would be too tight and restrictive on your body, increasing the chances of experiencing rips due to strain on the fabric.
- Of course, it goes without saying that overly ripped jeans don’t give a professional outlook, plus they emphasize tummy bulges as well.
Pants
There are lots of stylish pants that will complement your body type as a plus size hourglass woman.
What to look for
- Like the jeans, high waist anything will always look more flattering on your shape
- Any pants with tummy control feature will be heaven sent to make you appear slimmer
- Pants with more space in the leg shape offers more balance for your figure
Palazzo
A popular one is the high-waist palazzo pant which is appealing to this body type because its waistline is higher than your natural waist. This means that it provides an instant elongation effect on your legs that make you look visually taller. So, if you’re a bit on the short side and don’t mind the extra inches, high-waist palazzo pants are the way to go.
Dark colored
Another style of pants to check out is wide-legged dark-colored pants that have a naturally slimming effect on your body. This is great for your plus size frame as you will look taller and slimmer. It’s best to choose wide-legged dark-colored pants with no pattern or designs on them. However, if you must choose pants that are not plain, a better option is pants with vertical stripes.
Vertical prints
. Those with subtle vertical details help you look simple yet stylish. Still, you shouldn’t wear pants that are too short, especially those that stop before your ankles, as they visually cut off your legs and make you look shorter. You should also avoid loud prints as they would make your pants look too busy and overwhelm your body frame.
What to avoid
Not all pants will look equally flattering on you and here’s some you should use caution or even stay away from
- Horizontal stripes: they have a widening effect that will make your hips appear wider, vertical stripes are known to have the opposite effect
- Cling leg shapes: anything too tight on your thighs and legs will simple look out of balance on your curvy figure
Dresses
Your dress options are also not limited. For the hourglass woman who is plus size, don’t be surprised to know that you can rock lots of cute dresses that will flatter and complement your unique body shape.
What to look for
In general, please look for these elements:
- A line silhouette
- Waist definition: a must for your body shape. Anything lacking waist definition will not do justice to your curves
Wrap
Let’s start with wrap dresses that always look fabulous on plus-size hourglass women. The beautiful thing about wrap dresses is that most of them come with a belted design which is perfect for enhancing your waistline and showcasing your natural curves. It adds more to the image of a perfect hourglass body shape as belted wrap dresses add waist definition.
Also, you most likely have a bigger bust, and wrap dresses can give you enough flexibility and freedom to stay comfortable all day in this dress.
A line
You can also wear A-line dresses that have a natural flare at the bottom half of the dress. This flare makes it easy to accommodate your big hips and thighs. So, since this dress style doesn’t cling to your hips and thighs, they won’t be too visible underneath the dress and this helps to create a balanced silhouette.
Vertical Patterns
Vertical patterns and stripes are not just great for pants; you can rock them on dresses too. No matter your weight and height, this is a stylish choice for any season. For plus-size hourglass women, you’ll look taller in this style of dress since it draws the eyes upwards instead of sideways.
What to Avoid
To make sure you always stand out, avoid bodycon dresses which are figure-hugging styles that don’t flatter the bumps on your body. You should also stay away from dresses that are too long as they don’t create a flattering waistline.
Skirts
Up next are the best selection of skirts for plus size women with hourglass body shape.
What to look for
- The right length is critical. You should opt for the hemline that is not excessively short in order to create a more balanced look
- Skirts that hug your curves without being overly tight is idea
Mid-length
Top on our list is the mid-length flare skirt that’s perfect for balancing your curves and encouraging a flattering effect on your hourglass body shape. That’s the beauty of flared skirts. The wide hemline contributes a lot to the visual balance on your curvy figure, so your well-defined waistline stands out as naturally as possible. The best option is to go for mid-length styles as this is just the right length to show off a bit of your legs without making you look short.
A line
You can also rock A-line skirts as much as you want, especially when they are the right length. The proper length is right below the knee as this is flattering for your plus size body type which gives a more balanced overall silhouette. Some great fabric choices for this style of skirt are cotton and linen, since these are light enough and don’t add unnecessary bulkiness to your body frame. You can accessorize this with a belt in the same color as your skirt, but remember to avoid excessive ruffles.
Pencil
Contrary to what many people think, black pencil skirts can also look amazing on plus-size hourglass women. The secret to pulling this off successfully is to wear the right top and accessories that complement the outfit perfectly.
What to avoid
This means staying away from anything baggy that don’t accentuate your waistline.
A great pair of shoes also matters in this scenario, so be sure to stay away from shoes with too many straps around your ankle.
Outerwear
Jackets, blazers, and coats qualify as outerwear, and these serve as amazing ways to make your outfit pop. Still, the wrong choice can have a drastic effect, since it’s not completely about covering yourself up during colder weather conditions.
What to look for
- Outerwear that offers waist definition is heaven-sent for your body shape.
- Opt for a leaner silhouette to balance your full bust and avoid anything that widens you
Belted
A flattering choice is the belted wool coat which has a waist-cinching effect that draws attention to your well-defined waistline. Also, this is not a structured coat so you have the freedom to adjust it to the comfortable fit that you desire.
Wrap
Meanwhile, you should also check out wrap coats, which just like wrap dresses and wrap tops, create the illusion of being taller. A perfect combo would be high-waisted pants, v-neck tops and a cozy wrap coat made from soft materials.
Single breasted
With single-breasted coats, it’s easy to create a flattering silhouette on your plus size hourglass body without drawing attention to your bigger bust area.
A line
Another coat style you will love is the A-line coat which comes in a fit and flare style that visually elongates your body. This style of coat is also incredibly comfy, so you can wear them all day without feeling uncomfortable.
What to avoid
While shopping for coats, be sure to avoid double-breasted styles and opt for single-breasted coats instead.
Also, as tempting as it may sound to put on oversized coats, you should completely avoid them. Oversized coats are not great for plus size women as they will make them appear either top or bottom-heavy. This means completely throwing off your body proportions, making you appear uneven. They also create a boxy silhouette that hides your natural curves which you should instead highlight. With your natural assets hidden, the result is a shapeless and unflattering silhouette that makes you look compact and shorter than you are.
This guide has covered everything you need to know about shopping for clothes that will emphasize your natural assets and give you that confidence you need to attend diverse events looking like a million bucks. So, it’s time to get out your shopping bags and choose the ones that appeal to your sense of style.
