Bottom Hourglass Body Shape
Hip-dominant · defined waist
The hip measures clearly larger than the bust and the waist is still well defined. The widest point is low and the taper above it is steep.
How this class is defined → The hip exceeds the bust by 3.6 in or more and the waist by at least 9 in, with the high hip staying under 1.193 times the waist — above that it drafts as a spoon.
Check it against your own measurements
The calculator opens with a measurement set that drafts to bottom hourglass. Replace the figures with your own to see whether you land in the same class.
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How to dress the proportion
- Shoulder
A structured shoulder, a boat neck or a wider collar balances the hip by widening the top of the outline.
- Bottom
Choose bottoms with a smooth fall from the hip — straight, bootcut, A-line. Stiff pleats at the hip add volume where there is already width.
- Waist
Fitted waists stay in your favour. The taper is the proportion’s best feature.
- Avoid
Low-rise and drop-yoke bottoms cut across the widest point and shorten the leg line.
Tailor's noteSkirts and trousers bought to the hip will gap at the waist. Ask for a waistband take-in with the excess taken out at the centre back seam — it keeps the side seams hanging straight.
Common questions
How is a bottom hourglass different from a pear?
The waist. Both have a hip larger than the bust, but a bottom hourglass has at least 9 in between hip and waist. A pear has less, so the taper is gentler.
What separates a bottom hourglass from a spoon?
The high hip measurement, taken about 3 in below the waist. If it exceeds 1.193 times the waist the width starts high and the class is spoon; below that it is a bottom hourglass.
Why does every skirt gap at my back waist?
Because the hip-to-waist difference is larger than the pattern assumes. A centre-back take-in fixes it without disturbing the side seams, and it is a quick alteration.