How to Dress a Petite Hourglass Figure

Co-authored by Elle Monus and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: January 4, 2023 References

If you have an hourglass figure, you probably have a larger bust, a shapely waist, and curvy hips. On a petite frame, the hourglass figure looks effortlessly chic and stylish, but it can be hard to not get lost in fabric or patterns when picking an outfit. Look for styles that cinch in at the waist while elongating your legs at the same time, and play around with different colors and outfits to find looks that you love.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Finding Flattering Fits and Colors

1
Tuck in longer shirts to create a nice contrast. Aim to contrast between your upper and lower body by tucking in shirts that are longer than waist-length. Try not to choose shirts that are too long, or they could create odd-looking lumps in your lower half.^{[1]
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Tip: Button-downs and blouses often have just enough fabric at the bottom to be tucked into a pair of pants or a skirt.
2
Wear darker colors on the bottom to elongate your legs. Since you are petite, you can draw the eye upward and away from your legs by wearing charcoal, navy, or black bottoms. Try contrasting your darker bottoms with a light top to make people’s gaze settle up towards your face.
- Pair a charcoal skirt with a cream or tan blouse to create a work-ready outfit.
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3
Use vertical stripes to appear taller. Dresses, shirts, and skirts with vertical stripes all elongate your body and make your legs appear longer. Wear vertical striped shirts or blouses with dark pants or a vertical striped sundress in the summer to emphasize your frame.
- Avoid horizontal stripes. These can make your body look wider and appear shorter.
4
Define your waist with a belt.^{[2]
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Elle Monus
Image Consultant
Expert Interview. 7 September 2021.} Since your body type slopes in at the waist, you can emphasize this by adding a belt to draw the eye towards your middle. Throw on a thick or thin belt with pants, skirts, and dresses to complement your figure.
- Large leather belts look great with light wash jeans, while skinny belts add a nice touch to formal skirts and dresses.
5
Avoid shapeless or baggy clothing. T-shirt dresses, oversized sweaters, or large hoodies can make your frame seem even smaller than it is. Try to stay away from large, baggy clothing that hides your figure.^{[3]
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- If you’d like to try the oversized look, consider adding a belt or a drawstring to whatever you are wearing to emphasize your waist and define your figure.
6
Elongate your legs with bell-bottom pants. Jeans and pants that flare outward make your legs look longer since it adds more fabric to your bottom half. Put on a fitted shirt with some flared pants to create a contrasting look that emphasizes your curves.
- Pair some dark wash bell-bottom jeans, a white crop top, and black ballet flats for an outfit you can go out to lunch in.
7
Throw on a bomber jacket to keep your arms warm. Bomber jackets look great on petite hourglass figures since they stop right at the waist. Put on a bomber jacket with some jeans and a fitted T-shirt for a simple outfit you can wear as the weather cools down.
- Add a thick belt to your jeans to draw attention to your waist.
- Throw a bomber jacket over a skirt or a dress to add a touch of masculinity to your look.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Creating Casual Outfits

1
Choose crop tops to emphasize your curves. If you have an hourglass figure, you probably have nice, defined curves already. Emphasize these by choosing cropped shirts, tank tops, and long sleeves. These emphasize your waist while playing up your curves.^{[4]
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- Choose fitted crop tops that define your waist rather than ones that create a straight line from your torso down to your legs.
2
Tuck a fitted T-shirt into a mini skirt to emphasize your legs. Mini skirts are great for showing off your legs, plus they make you seem taller by showing off more skin. Put on a scoop-neck T-shirt, a fitted mini skirt, and some sneakers to emphasize your figure and your legs.^{[5]
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- Try pairing a black mini skirt with a white T-shirt and white sneakers for a balanced look.
3
Pair a wrap blouse with some light wash jeans for a casual day out. A wrap blouse that ties at the side of your waist does wonders in emphasizing your upper body curves. The detail of the wrap blouse also draws people’s eyes upwards, making you appear taller.^{[6]
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- A blue wrap blouse with a small pattern looks great with some skinny jeans and a pair of black sandals.
Tip: Accessorize with an oversized hat to emphasize your upper body even more.
4
Wear booties to elongate your legs. Chunky sneakers can add weight to the bottom of your figure, making you appear shorter than you actually are. Try to wear ankle booties with a small heel to elongate your figure and tie your outfits together.^{[7]
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- Booties can pair with maxi skirts and dresses or be added to a pair of jeans and a fitted shirt.
5
Choose high top sneakers to seem taller. Since high top sneakers cover your ankles, they create a smooth transition between your legs and your feet. This can make your legs appear longer and less petite.^{[8]
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- High top sneakers go great with skinny jeans or wide-legged gouchous.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Dressing Professionally

1
Put on a high-waisted pencil skirt to look sophisticated. Wear a dark-colored pencil skirt, a fitted blouse, and some heels for an easy look to take to work.^{[9]
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Elle Monus
Image Consultant
Expert Interview. 7 September 2021.} This outfit elongates your legs while also calling attention to your curves and slimming your waist.^{[10]
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- Put on some simple jewelry, like a necklace and a few bracelets, to make this outfit pop.
2
Wear a pant-suit with a structured blazer for a professional outfit. Put on a pair of fitted work pants, a tucked-in blouse, and a structured blazer for a look that you can wear to a more professional workplace. Make sure that each piece fits you well so that your petite frame doesn’t get lost in fabric.^{[11]
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- You can also tuck a button-down into your pants instead of a blouse.
- Wear some black pants, a light blue blouse, and a black blazer with some low heels for an understated professional look.
Tip: You can get your clothes professionally tailored to your body to make sure that they fit you well.
3
Emphasize your figure with a wrap dress. Wrap dresses are made to look like they are wrapped around your body while putting emphasis on your waist. Put on a wrap dress, a pair of tights, and some high heels for an easy, professional-looking outfit.^{[12]
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- You can throw on a structured blazer to keep your arms warm if it’s cold out.
4
Add some style to your outfit with flared work pants. Put on a light-colored blouse, some black flared work pants, and some chunky heels for a fashion-forward, professional outfit. Emphasize your waist with a skinny brown belt and throw on a blazer to make this look office-ready.^{[13]
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- This outfit is great for a more business-casual office setting.
5
Put on some slim heels for an office-appropriate outfit. No matter what you are wearing, throwing on some skinny heels makes your outfit more professional and ready for the workday. Use some thin heels to elongate your legs and make them appear taller.^{[14]
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- You can pair heels with work slacks, dresses, or pencil skirts.
6
Elevate your outfit with some simple jewelry. A thin necklace or a small pair of earrings can go a long way in adding a touch of flair to your outfit. Keep your jewelry understated and simple if you are dressing professionally.^{[15]
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- Gold jewelry goes great with warm tones, like yellow and orange, while silver jewelry pairs well with cool tones, like blue or purple.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Finding Outfits for Parties and Events

1
Put on a sundress with some knee-high boots for a flowy outfit. Adding tall boots to a sundress creates a figure-hugging look that elongates your legs. Pair a floral dress with black or navy boots to draw attention upwards towards your waist and make you seem taller.^{[16]
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- Boots with a tall heel will elongate your legs even more.
2
Choose a jumpsuit with a tie on the waist for a fashion-forward look. Jumpsuits that are shapeless have a tendency to hide your figure. Find a jumpsuit that has a defined waist with a tie on it to show off your curves and define your upper and lower body.^{[17]
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- Pair your jumpsuit with chunky heels and a large clutch to wear it to parties and formal events.
Tip: Make sure your jumpsuit isn’t too long so that you don’t get lost in fabric.
3
Add a peplum top to a long skirt to define your figure. Peplum tops have a defined waist with extra fabric flared out at the bottom. This style does wonders to accentuate your hips and your waist. Throw on a midi skirt and a peplum top to emphasize your figure.^{[18]
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- Wear a red peplum top, a denim skirt, and some thin heels for a chic look.
4
Show off your curves with a bodycon dress and heels. The hourglass figure is known for its defined waist, larger bust, and curvy hips. Show off your body type by wearing a form-fitting bodycon dress and some skinny heels. Light-colored dresses are great for weddings and parties, while dark-colored ones look good on a night out.^{[19]
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- Wear some simple earrings and a necklace to complete this look.
5
Wear mermaid-style dresses for formal events. The mermaid style is a dress that hugs your figure from your shoulders to your ankles, then flares out at the base in a pool of fabric. These dresses look great on the curves of an hourglass figure, and elongate your legs to make you look taller.
- Put on a dark red mermaid-dress, black heels, and a black clutch for a black tie event.
6
Elevate your look with some chunky heels. Shoes with a thick heel pair well with maxi dresses and wide-legged pants. They help to balance out your lower half while also elongating your body and making you appear taller.^{[20]
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- Chunky heels are also easier to walk in, so they are great for times when you’ll be on your feet a lot.
7
Go for a bold look with some chunky jewelry. A statement necklace and a few large bangles can elevate an outfit from understated to bold. Throw on some jewelry to decorate a plain bodycon dress or a jumpsuit and really make your outfit pop.^{[21]
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- A blue bodycon dress with a gold necklace and some blue bracelets works great for a night out.
- Wear a jumpsuit with some large earrings and a necklace for a fashion-forward look.