The hourglass is known as the most coveted body shape because of its feminine curves, but dressing the hourglass figure is not as easy as most may think because of your prominent curves. In the meantime, if you also have short legs, it can add another layer of complication, because, well, your shorter frame needs to accommodate all that ins and outs of the hourglass figure. We’ll talk about everything you need to know on how to flatter an hourglass with shorter legs, but first, let’s take a deep dive to fully understand your body characteritics.
Appearance
- Proportionate shoulders and hips – Hourglass beauties are blessed with a very well-balanced shoulder and hip ratio. The width of these two are nearly similar so your figure instantly looks symmetrical from head to toe.
- Full and voluptuous bust – One of your figure’s defining points is your ample bust size. Apart from their generous size (you’re most likely at least a B-cup), they are also quite shapely and curvy.
- Defined and curvy waistline – You’ve got a very narrow waist and proportionately wide hips, which makes the curves in your waist very obvious and defined.
- Short but shapely legs – You’re most likely petite, which means you’re not really that tall. While your legs are quite shapely, your stature may also cause you short legs.
- Curvaceous bum – Because you carry a nice amount of volume in your hips and thighs, this also constitutes the appearance of your perky bum.
Below are the best clothes for an hourglass body shape with short legs.
Below are the best outfits for an hourglass body shape with short legs.
TOPS
Ribbed Crop Tops
Ribbed crop tops establish a visual break at your waist, naturally accentuating your gorgeous hourglass body type, specifically your very curvy waist. This effect also elongates your torso, which makes you appear taller – a super fantastic bonus if you have shorter legs!
The vertical lines in ribbed fabric direct the gaze upward to effectively give the impression of added height. This visual technique does a fantastic job of making your legs seem elongated, which is a great advantage for those with shorter legs.
Hourglass beauties are also one of the lucky ones who can flaunt the snug embrace of ribbed crop tops as this style showcases your nicely balanced curves, underlining your small waist and curvaceous hips. This outcome elevates your overall hourglass figure and redirects attention to your remarkable proportions.
Sleeveless V-Neck Tops
Hourglass-shaped ladies with shorter legs should add an array of sleeveless V-neck tops in their closets as the neckline of these tops gracefully lures the eye upward and gives the illusion of a lengthened upper body. This additional stature artfully enhances your naturally balanced proportions even more, while also granting you the impression of extended legs.
With your voluptuous bust, the sleeveless V-neck top truly brings out the best of this splendid asset. Its cut and style offer you the perfect canvas to flaunt your natural appeal, pulling off a sensual and feminine touch to your silhouette.
Hourglass figures boast a defined waistline, and the sleeveless V-neck top effortlessly complements this aspect. The structural fit of the top gracefully gives prominence to your slender midsection, sculpting an even sexier hourglass shape.
Flowy Off-the-Shoulder Tops
Flowy off-the-shoulder tops primarily help hourglass figures with short legs by widening the shoulder line, producing a perfectly balanced and visually prominent upper body. This balanced semblance plays a clever trick by showing more skin and it also plays an effect of making your legs appear longer and more elegant.
Moreover, these tops carry a delightful and feminine allure. Those exposed shoulders effortlessly draw the eye to your decolletage, which of course adds a dash of sensuality while diverting attention away from your shorter legs.
Hourglass figures shine when their sexy waist takes the spotlight, so find off-the-shoulder tops that feature a cinched waistband and a flowy fabric to make sure your curves are perfectly showcased! The graceful flow of these tops also allows the fabric to drape in a way that delivers the visual trick of extra height.
JEANS
Curvy-Fit Tapered Jeans
Curvy-fit tapered jeans are tailor-made to seamlessly conform to your curves. The snug fit along the hips and thighs beautifully foregrounds your shapely features to ensure that your highly-coveted hourglass curves are accentuated.
In addition to this, curvy-fit jeans often feature a higher rise, which implies that they sit at or above your natural waist. This is a wonderful advantage as it spotlights your narrow waist, making it the star of the show.
The tapered leg style narrows down towards the ankle, creating a streamlined and balanced effect. This not only complements your shorter legs but also ascertains a more proportional figure.
High-rise Jeans
The high waistline and perfect rise of these jeans instantly give the illusion of longer legs, which is what hourglass ladies with shorter legs would really want for their frame. This little trick visually elongates your upper body, doing double duty by enhancing your figure and creating a more well-balanced look, where your legs seem longer and better aligned with the rest of your body.
High-rise jeans sit at or above your natural waist, beautifully highlighting your slim midsection and giving you a comfortable fit around the midsection, hips, and thighs. This creates an even sexier hourglass silhouette and refined ensemble that’s impossible to miss.
Dark-washed Wide-Leg Jeans
Dark-washed wide-leg jeans, mainly due to their deep wash, offer an effective slimming and elongating impact. They bring attention downwards, cleverly creating the perception of longer legs.
The wide-leg style steps in, providing a balanced and proportionate look and further enhancing the optical illusion of lengthier legs. It incorporates some volume into the lower half, creating a pleasing symmetry with your well-defined waist and full bust.
PANTS
Pants with Pinstripes
Pants with pinstripes skillfully craft a sophisticated, strategically designed vertical line that visibly elongates shorter legs and they make a great style pair to plain tops as well! The pinstripes’ visually stretching effect is quite ideal for harmonizing your proportions and pulling off the impression of longer, more toned legs.
What’s even great about pinstriped pants is that they are very subtle, in contrast with pants that have heavy vertical prints. This makes them look quite minimalist and classy, with short hourglass girls flaunting them effortlessly on any occasion.
Neutral-colored Sailor Pants
The high waist and the button detailing on neutral-colored sailor pants draw the eyes upward and pull off a long-legged impression. This attribute is especially advantageous for shorter hourglass-shaped ladies to enhance the lower half beautifully.
Sailor pants frequently boast a broad, nautically-inspired waistband adorned with decorative buttons. This design detail cinches the waist, putting your hourglass silhouette (specifically your waist) in the spotlight and ensuring your proportions are just right.
Neutral colors allow the focus to shift to your body shape rather than the color of your entire clothing. For an hourglass figure, this can properly play up your well-balanced proportions and highlight your curves.
Retro-style Flared Trousers
Retro-style flared trousers are a divine choice for hourglass ladies with short legs as the flare at the bottom visually lengthens the legs. This flared design also directs attention downward, yielding longer-looking and more slender legs, which is a game-changer for short-legged hourglass beauties.
The substantial hemline of these trousers serves to balance the proportions, effectively harmonizing the curvaceous aspects of the hips and bust with the remainder of the figure. This contributes to an overall sense of proportion, highlighting and enhancing the hourglass figure by facilitating a smooth transition from shoulder to hip.
Furthermore, the high-waisted design frequently featured in retro-style flared trousers, plays a pivotal role in underlining the narrow waist. This deliberate emphasis enhances the inherent hourglass shape by drawing attention to the slender midsection.
DRESSES
Form-fitting Dresses with Slit
Form-fitting dresses bring a solid wow factor for hourglass beauties out there, and with a slit to accompany them? Truly fascinating! The form-fitting design accentuates your generous bust size, cinches at your narrow waist, and skims over your hips and bum, fully enhancing your natural body shape.
The slit of this form-fitting dress creates a vertical line that makes your legs appear extended. Whether it’s a discreet slit that offers a subtle glimpse of your leg or a daring thigh-high opening, it’s all about embracing a style that fosters confidence and the illusion of added height.
When choosing dresses with a side slit, it strategically emphasizes your narrow waist and creates a symmetrical balance. This detail brings attention to your well-defined curves.
Plunging V-Neck Dresses
Plunging V-neck dresses adore your hourglass figure as the V-neckline gracefully puts the focus on your busty chest, whereas the dress gently embraces your waist and hips, emphasizing the distinctive symmetry of your body. This plunging dress style celebrates your curves while also beautifully showcasing your well-defined waist.
Furthermore, these plunging V-neck dresses knock off the visual trick of longer legs. The V-neck design strategically brings attention to your decolletage, elongating your upper body and making your legs seem a lot taller.
Tailored Sheath Dresses
Tailored sheath dresses emphasize clean lines and a structured silhouette. They elegantly exhibit your eye-catching hourglass curves, resulting in a sleek and effortlessly lengthened appearance.
In addition to this, these dresses offer a snug fit around the waist, which highlights your slim midsection. Your well-defined hourglass shape takes center stage, drawing admiration.
It is recommended to opt for sheath dresses with strategic seams and darts that further enhance your curves as they celebrate your hourglass shape and make it the focal point of your outfit. Plus, to elongate your legs, opt for a sheath dress that ends above the knee.
Maxi Halter Dresses
Maxi halter dresses work exceptionally well for hourglass figures with shorter legs, thanks to their longer length that effectively elongates your overall silhouette. This uninterrupted vertical line accentuates your hourglass shape.
The halter neckline elegantly frames your shoulders, drawing the eye to your well-proportioned upper body. Just remember that the key to choosing the right maxi dress for someone who has shorter legs is to find ones that hit just right at the ankle and just avoid floor-length maxi dresses!
SKIRTS
Button-down A-Line Skirts
Hourglass ladies who have shorter legs may find button-down A-line skirts a blessing as the A-line design gracefully flares out from the waist, visually establishing a vertical line that effectively extends the appearance of the legs. This subtle flaring lends the illusion of increased height, which is, of course, a significant perk for short-legged hourglass ladies.
Button-down A-line skirts typically sit at your natural waist or slightly above, providing a cinched semblance. This effectively accentuates your slim waist and highlights your hourglass figure, achieving a well-balanced silhouette.
Fitted Trumpet Skirts
The fitted design of trumpet skirts gracefully flares out at the hemline, creating a captivating silhouette. Just like mermaid skirts, the subtle flaring effect adds volume to the lower region of the skirt, which harmoniously balances your proportions and provides an optical extension to your legs.
Trumpet skirts usually sit snugly at your waist and then gently flare out, mid-thigh beautifully accentuating your narrow waist. This design profoundly highlights your slender waist, showcasing your inherent hourglass figure while amplifying the exquisite balance of your physique.
Cotton Wrap Skirts
Hourglass women with short legs can definitely flaunt cotton wrap skirts as their design allows you to customize the fit, cinching the skirt snugly at your narrow waist. This accentuates your hourglass silhouette beautifully.
The wrap effect draws attention away from the length of your legs and creates a focal point on your waist and bust line instead. You can choose the length of your cotton wrap skirt to suit your preferences – opt for a slightly shorter style to make your legs appear longer, or go for a longer one for a flowing look.
OUTERWEAR
Belted Blazers
As an hourglass-shaped lady with short legs, you would want to look taller when wearing outerwear. Fortunately, the vertical line created by the belted blazer’s lapels and the belt visually elongates your upper body, making your legs appear longer.
Belted blazers, with their waist-cinching feature, draw attention to your already trim midsection. This amplifies the definition of your hourglass figure, resulting in a striking and well-defined silhouette.
Princess Seam Coats
Princess seam coats are exquisite examples of fine tailoring, delicately embracing your hourglass contours. Their precisely tailored fit elegantly accentuates your curvy waist, showcasing the ideal harmony of your figure.
The vertical seams on these coats ingeniously craft a visual elongation, guiding the gaze both upward and downward, concurrently creating the illusion of longer legs. The understated flair in the design also imparts volume to the lower part of the coat, effectively balancing your proportions.
