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Style Help for an Hourglass Figure

I've never been a fashionable person and don't know what looks good on me so I need help.

I have an hourglass figure (42, 32, 43 size 14), which I find to be a pain when buying and trying on clothes, and need some help to wade through all of the clothes that do not look good on me. Clothes nowadays aren't made for my body type and whenever I look online for some advice (it's fairly sparse because my body type is rare) I read the same things; mostly fitted "going out" dresses and formal clothing but I want something more casual that won't make me look frumpy.

The only clothes that I wear at the moment are trousers/jeans and a shirt/blouse mostly because I have no idea what to wear; if I were to take advice from what I've already read I would look too "over done".

I'm not really into trends unless they can look good on me, don't like animal prints and have no idea what goes with what. Basically; I'm ignorant. Send help.

(edited 6 years ago)

Any help at all?

My advice: Embrace your shape.

Your figure has plenty of attributes which many find attractive (big boobs etc) and you can bring these attributes out even more by focusing on items of clothing which emphasize the waist or by using accessories (various belts etc) that bring the waist etc.

I get that finding clothes for a curvier body is tough, however ASOS & Boohoo.com may be your friend for its sheer quantity of clothing and diverse ranges.

Some tips:

1. Go for clothing that has a higher waist line (above the belly button) which is either made out of a stretchy material or is free-flowing below the waist line. So for example, a skater skirt like this:
http://www.asos.com/asos/asos-cotton-mini-skater-skirt-with-pockets/prd/9073120?clr=green&SearchQuery=skater%20skirt&gridcolumn=4&gridrow=3&gridsize=4&pge=1&pgesize=72&totalstyles=333

And high waist skinny jeans jeans like this: http://www.boohoo.com/holly-5-button-ultra-high-waist-skinny-jeans/DZZ49305.html

If your bum is quite large and you are medium height+, then when it comes to short skirts & dresses, opting for clothing made for taller people can be quite handy in giving your curves the coverage they might need.

2. Alternatively another option is to bring the waist in on loose fitting clothing by using your own accessories. For example, a casual loose smock dress like this:
http://www.asos.com/asos/asos-ultimate-cotton-smock-dress/prd/9118874?clr=white&SearchQuery=smock%20dress&gridcolumn=4&gridrow=1&gridsize=4&pge=1&pgesize=72&totalstyles=827

Brought in at the waist with a corset belt like this:
http://www.asos.com/retro-luxe-london/retro-luxe-london-leather-corset-waist-belt-in-pink/prd/8010401?clr=lightpink&SearchQuery=corset%20belt&gridcolumn=2&gridrow=17&gridsize=4&pge=1&pgesize=72&totalstyles=76

Or denim bralet like this:
http://www.asos.com/asos/asos-design-denim-belted-corset/prd/8495905?clr=midwashblue&SearchQuery=corset%20belt&gridcolumn=3&gridrow=1&gridsize=4&pge=1&pgesize=72&totalstyles=76

...Suddenly becomes an easy-to-fit outfit which will bring out the waist assets in any hourglass figure!

3. If you don't know what goes with what, then keep things simple: avoid large doses of big bolshy prints, loud colours and intense patterns in your "clothing essentials". Although these things can look great (and its good to have a bit of colour in even the most toned-down wardrobe, even if it's just via accessories!), the more you move towards loud colour schemes etc, the harder things can become to mix and match.

Some tips for getting it right:

a. Pretty much everything (every colours, pattern etc) goes with blue denim jeans. Pick a style you like and invest in it!

b. Always have a decent plain white tee and a black tee. If you're top-heavy (big boobs or broad shoulders etc), then opt for shirts/tops which either have scoop neck or v-neck necklines (and avoid broad boxy shape tops in general).

c. Avoid looking "over-done" by keeping makeup as natural as possible or by just focusing on one aspect of your face (eyes, lips or eyebrows) rather than the whole lot.

d. Invest in a decent blouse: blouses can be extremely useful as they can be items which can be very easily dressed up (combined with a smart skirt or trousers) or down (combined with denim jeans or denim skirt etc). Blouses with floral prints, ruffles, lace-up, cinched waists an ties etc are all very on-point at the moment.

e. Invest in some decent trainers which are toned down in style so that they can be mixed with almost anything. Trainers are something you should definitely try on in store and not skimp the price on (a lot of fashion clothes retailers sell very poor quality shoes, so go to a proper shoe store for shoe shopping). The comfiest & best made trainers are often ones which are designed for running. Plimsolls, slip-on trainers, running trainers and sock trainers are all very on-trend.

f. For smarter shoes, you really can't go wrong with Clarks as a brand; all their shoes are very good quality and are great for dressing up or down. I have a pair of little black ankle boots from the and I've found that these little booties are fantastic for pretty much everything (can be worn with jeans, legging, skirts, on nights out, down to the shops or to business meetings and more! Ever since I started buying shoes form Clarks, they have always proven to be the best made, most long-term stylish and comfortable to wear).

g. Consider your own natural colour scheme (of buying colours in mind which compliment your skin tone and hair colour etc). Develop your own style which is based on you (and not simply whats in fashion). Don't pressure buy into fashion trends; trends come and go so quickly these days, that if you try to buy into them all, not only will your wallet become drained, but you'll end up losing your own sense of style (and end up with a lot of things which don't actually compliment you very well). Its important to figure out your own style and to use fashion trends to find things that compliment it (rather than trying to create a style that is purely based on fashion trends).

h. If you do want to invest in loud prints & colours but are worried about finding things that match them, then opting for dresses is an easy option (as then there's no worry of mixing top with bottom halves), like this skater dress (which IMO would suit your figure well):
http://www.asos.com/asos/asos-skater-sundress-with-button-front-and-tie-knot-in-hawaiian-print/prd/9095633?clr=redhawaiian&SearchQuery=skater&gridcolumn=3&gridrow=11&gridsize=4&pge=1&pgesize=72&totalstyles=291

i. Maxi skirts are a good wardrobe essential. The sweeping style maxi skirts can be very elegant or casual and are great for hourglass frames. They are best mixed with cropped tops or tops which are tucked in, like this:

http://www.boohoo.com/sophia-floor-sweeping-jersey-maxi-skirt/DZZ52301.html?color=151

j. For big boob fitting: ASOS have an extensive "Fuller Bust" range which covers more than just bra's and bikini tops.

etc.