An hourglass figure has bust and hip of similar size with a clearly narrower waist. In the FFIT system, bust and hip are within 3.6 inches (9.1 cm) of each other, and the waist is at least 9 inches (22.9 cm) smaller than the bust or 10 inches (25.4 cm) smaller than the hip.

The good news is that the outline already has its own shape, so clothes only need to follow it. The frustration is that most ready-to-wear is cut for a smaller waist difference, which is why so many things fit at the bust and hip and hang loose at the waist. Both facts shape the advice below.

The principle: follow the waist

The waist is the narrowest point of an hourglass outline, and nearly everything that works does so by acknowledging it. Clothes that hang straight from the bust ignore the waist and make the whole outline look wider than it is.

Tops

  • Wrap tops and faux-wrap tops follow the waist and open the neckline at the same time.
  • Fitted knits in fabrics with some stretch show the shape without clinging.
  • Shirts tucked in or knotted at the waist. An untucked straight shirt hangs from the bust; tucking it shows where the waist is.
  • V-necks and scoop necks balance the bust and lengthen the torso.

Skip boxy, cropped tops that end above the waist and stand away from the body — they add width and hide the waist at once.

Bottoms

  • High-rise everything. A high waistband sits at the narrowest point and makes the most of it.
  • Straight and bootcut trousers and jeans balance the hip without exaggerating it.
  • Pencil skirts and A-line skirts both work; the pencil follows the curve, the A-line skims it.

Low-rise bottoms sit below the waist and lose the outline’s best feature.

Dresses

Wrap dresses, belted dresses and fit-and-flare silhouettes are the classics for a reason. A sheath with waist seams works too. Straight shifts and column dresses are the one shape to treat carefully: on an hourglass they read as a loss of shape rather than as minimalism. Add a belt and they work again.

Outerwear

Belted trench coats and wrap coats are the easiest win. A jacket with a defined waist seam or waist shaping is far better than a boxy one. If you love an oversized coat, wear it open over something fitted, so the waist still shows.

Fabrics that help

The ideal hourglass fabric has a little recovery — enough stretch to follow the curve and spring back without pulling at the bust:

  • Ponte and other double knits hold shape and smooth the line.
  • Crepe drapes well and skims the curve.
  • Stretch wool for tailoring.

Very stiff fabrics can’t follow the curve, so they stand away from the waist. Very thin, clingy jersey can show every seam and dip. The middle ground works best.

Things to skip

  • Shift dresses and straight tunics without a belt.
  • Stiff peplums and heavy gathers at the hip, which add volume where the outline is already full.
  • Boxy jackets and oversized shirts worn closed.
  • High, closed necklines in heavy fabrics, which widen the upper body.

Fit and alterations

This is where an hourglass gets the most value from a tailor. The rule is simple: buy for the bust and the hip, then take in the waist.

  • Taking in side seams or the back darts of a dress or jacket is inexpensive and almost always possible.
  • Letting out a bust, on the other hand, is often impossible because there isn’t enough seam allowance.
  • For trousers and skirts, a waistband take-in at the center back keeps the side seams straight.

If shirts gape between the buttons at the bust, size up for the bust and have the waist and sleeves taken in, or look for shirts with princess seams, which are shaped through the bust and waist to begin with.

Hourglass or something close to it?

A few inches change the answer. With a fuller bust you may be a top hourglass; with fuller hips, a bottom hourglass or a spoon. Each has its own rules. The body shape calculator shows exactly which rule your measurements meet.