STYLE GUIDES · BODY SHAPE
Hourglass body shape.
Your bust and hips measure within about 5% of each other and your waist is at least a quarter smaller. Sometimes called a figure eight.
Updated · By the Delve to Life editors · Editorial standards
THE QUICK ANSWER
A seam or tie at the natural waist follows a line the body already makes, so the cut does the least work.
IF YOU WANT TO TRY ONE DRESS FIRST
If you want to try one dress first, start with a wrap dress. The tie sits at the natural waist, the line your proportions already make, and you can adjust it through the day.
Body-shape names are a shorthand for proportion, not a rule about what anyone is allowed to wear. Everything below describes what a cut does to the line of an outfit, so you can choose the effect you want rather than follow a prescription.
How to tell if you are an hourglass
Your bust and hips measure within about 5% of each other and your waist is at least a quarter smaller. If you are close to the line between two shapes, read both pages — the advice overlaps more than it conflicts. Not sure? Use the body shape calculator: type your measurements and it compares them for you. No tape measure? Take the six-question quiz instead.
Dresses that suit an hourglass shape
All four are seamed or tied at the natural waist, tracing the shape rather than adding one.
Skirts that suit an hourglass shape
A skirt that follows the hip and releases below the knee carries the existing line downward.
Pants that suit an hourglass shape
A high, fitted waistband sits where the waist already narrows and the leg continues from the hip.
Necklines that suit an hourglass shape
An open neckline keeps the upper body uninterrupted, so the waist stays the focus of the line.
Dresses that are less easy on an hourglass shape
Nothing is off limits, but a few cuts work against the line rather than with it. A dress with lots of volume from the bust and no waist hangs from the widest point; a dropped waist puts the seam on the hip; a stiff, straight shift skims past the waist entirely.
If you like those styles, a belt at the natural waist brings the line back. Without one they give a straighter look, which is a valid choice in its own right.
If your tummy is fuller
An hourglass with a fuller tummy still has bust and hips close in size; the waist is simply less defined at the front. A wrap dress lets you tie it at the narrowest point you have, which may be a little higher than the natural waist.
Ruching or gathers at the waist, instead of a smooth tight band, add texture there, and a fabric with some weight and a little ease tends to fall past the middle rather than follow it.
A waist you can place yourself, or a seam with some ease in it.
Questions people ask
What dresses suit an hourglass figure?
Wrap, sheath, corset and bodycon dresses, because each is seamed or tied at the natural waist and follows the line that is already there. A dress with no waist seam will read straighter - which is a fine choice if that is the effect you want.
Should an hourglass shape wear a belt?
A belt at the narrowest point repeats the line the body makes, so it reinforces it. Worn lower, on the hip, it does the opposite and reads straighter.
What dresses are less easy on an hourglass figure?
Shapeless styles with volume from the bust, a dropped waist and stiff straight shifts. They aren't wrong; they give a straighter look. A belt at the natural waist brings the line back.
How do I dress an hourglass figure with a tummy?
Choose a wrap dress tied at your narrowest point, ruching or gathers at the waist instead of a tight smooth band, and fabric with some weight.
One last thing worth saying plainly: none of this is a rule. These are the predictable effects of a cut, and knowing them makes shopping faster. If a style that isn't listed for your proportions is the one you like, that is reason enough to wear it.
Not sure what a style is called? Tap through the pictures and we'll name it.
Describe it with pictures