Advice for Picking a Dress for an Hourglass Woman

Christina Hendricks dresses her hourglass figure perfectly on and off the "Mad Men" set.

Women with hourglass figures are the envy of many women, due to their ultra feminine curves and balanced proportions. Straighter figures are often given advice for how to fake an hourglass shape, but women with the real deal know first hand how tricky dressing their curves can be. When you have an ample upper and lower half, you want your clothes to draw people's attention to your narrowest part, which for hourglass shapes is the waist.

Wrap Dress

Gale King's low-cut wrap dress enhances her small waist.

A wrap dress is designed to tie around the middle of your waist, which flatters a curvy woman's narrow waist. Look for a wrap dress with a V-neck or other low-cut neck line. A dress that falls just above the knee is flattering for hourglass shapes, but you can't go wrong with skirt styles. A-line skirts continue the emphasis on your tiny waist, while pencil skirts play up your appealing curves. As with any other dress, darker colors and muted patterns make a slimmer and more streamlined silhouette.

Monochromatic

Queen Latifa's solid white dress enlongates her body.

Ladies with hourglass figures should avoid wearing a different color on the top than the bottom, as the look will visually cut them in half and make them appear shorter. Instead, stick with solid color dresses in bold colors to look tall and lean. Dresses with thicker straps or long-sleeved dresses can hide a supportive bra, which also helps to streamline the overall look.

Top It Off

Katy Perry's bold blazer nips in at the waist to accentuate her figure.

Layering the right style of jacket over your dress won't just keep out the chill but can help enhance your figure. For a casual dress you want to add a bit of edge to, choose a shrunken leather motorcycle jacket that hits you right at your waist. If you're dressing more professionally or are attending a more formal event, look for a blazer with tailor seaming that also nips in at your waist.

Accessories

Scarlett Johansson adds height and balance to her frame with a bold high heel.

Wearing your dress with high heels not only makes a statement but nixes any chance of you looking short or squat in your perfect dress. Flats can emphasize the size of the hips, so look for a heel that's at least 2 inches tall. A more substantial shoe, like a wedge, platform or cone heel, will balance out a full bust and hips while adding slimming height. Further accentuate your hourglass figure by adding a skinny belt around your true waist. You can even add a belt over the top of a jacket to cinch in your middle. Look for belts in bright, fun colors, or belts with special details to add interest and depth to your outfit.

References

• Real Simple: Dress for Your Shape: The Hourglass
• Oprah: Holiday Party Dresses for Every Size and Shape
• InStyle: Styling Tips for Hourglass Figures
• Seventeen: Your Shape: Hourglass