Casual wear for an hourglass figure

bedlamaticable

I've got a very hourglass shaped body. I'm size 10 with a very large chest (34G), small waist, and wide hips/bum.
I find dressing (somewhat) formally isn't much of a problem. For work I would wear pencil skirts, pencil dresses, skater dresses or wrap dresses and the like.

It's casual wear that frustrates me. I don't find skinny jeans at all flattering (it doesnt help that I'm 5'2" and have short stumpy legs!) and would tend to go for bootcut jeans or a skater skirt but I'm looking for some more ideas of casual outfits for college wear where I'd like to be comfy and not feel over-dressed.
If anyone has any tips or outfit ideas I'd be delighted to hear them!
Thanks!

Dial Hard

I'd have similar proportions to you but I'm a bit taller - 5' 7".

Anyway, outside of work I live in leggings and chunky knits. I sometimes add a thick belt around the waist if I want to add a bit of definition. Biker boots for comfort, knee-highs if you want to be a bit dressier, and Bob's yer uncle

bedlamaticable

Dial Hard wrote: »

I'd have similar proportions to you but I'm a bit taller - 5' 7".

Anyway, outside of work I live in leggings and chunky knits. I sometimes add a thick belt around the waist if I want to add a bit of definition. Biker boots for comfort, knee-highs if you want to be a bit dressier, and Bob's yer uncle

You have the blessing of longer legs you see I dont like to emphasis my thighs as I feel they're my worst feature, would love to get away with leggings or skinny jeans. I find chunky knits can be nice but I have to be careful they aren't too chunky otherwise they hang from my boobs making me look huge!
Major height jealousy here

Dial Hard

bedlamaticable wrote: »

I dont like to emphasis my thighs as I feel they're my worst feature, would love to get away with leggings or skinny jeans. I find chunky knits can be nice but I have to be careful they aren't too chunky otherwise they hang from my boobs making me look huge!

I read an article before on how to minimise bigger thighs and the key is where your tops bisect them - basically, everyone tends to have a slight bulge either on the outer or inner thigh where they're at their widest and you should buy tops that skim just under that point.

Also, if you don't want to go *too* chunky with the knits (even just cause they can be too warm sometimes), a good option is to layer vests & long sleeved t-shirts with boyfriend cardigans.

Faith

For a short hour glass figure, I'd think you'd need jeans that are wide at the foot to balance out your proportions - at least boot cut, or wider. My best friend has very similar proportions to you, including height, and she wears flared jeans and vest tops or fitted t-shirts with scarves a lot when she's dressing down. She wears cardigans as opposed to jumpers to stop her boobs making her too bigger than she is. She occasionally wears skinny jeans, but usually with knee high boots and long line tops. Casual shirts are also a good idea. There's also plenty of casual dresses around that are perfect for hourglass figures and aren't work formal.

Design78

I’m similar enough shape to you, for casual I go with waterfall cardigans with V neck tops under or tunic tops with leggings / skinny jeans.
Also my work and casual wardrobe are very similar in shape only more casual fabrics and I add scarfs /chunky jewellery ect for the weekend.
I also find flat knee high boots great for dressing down an outfit.

rainbow kirby

Design78 wrote: »

I’m similar enough shape to you, for casual I go with waterfall cardigans with V neck tops under or tunic tops with leggings / skinny jeans.
Also my work and casual wardrobe are very similar in shape only more casual fabrics and I add scarfs /chunky jewellery ect for the weekend.
I also find flat knee high boots great for dressing down an outfit.

Slightly shorter than Dial Hard and with a similar shape (size 10/12, 32FF) and I'd agree with pretty much all of these. I rarely ever wear things that are really baggy either, they hide my shape way too much and make me look a bit fat.

fits

Same here. 5'4, large chest, small waist, big thighs. I have given up skinny jeans recently after realising they look completely ridiculous on me. I am trying to stop wearing jeans that hang on the hips as well. High waisted are better. I prefer straight leg to boot cut.
To add to all this I have narrow shoulders... and I am contemplating shoulder pads to balance me out a bit.

Yeah its not so easy really.

fiddlechic

I'm a size 14, but am a HH cup - so probably a bit proportionate as "thicker" everywhere. I used to wear long loose cardigans and tunics and bootcut jeans. But now I realise that only baggy tops go with skinny jeans, and even still, not so baggy best.
The loose cut tops just make me look so dowdy. I find I've to be careful with the size of a belt and what I wear under it.

I used to only wear V neck jumpers, but started wearing round neck recently particularly with a blazer - I find the 1 button blazers in Zara suit me so well, in a variety of colours, look casual but classy.
Camis under fitted cardigans great and comfy.

Bootcut jeans definitely give you the longer legs, and I really like not your daughter jeans - or any high waisted jeans, particularly levi's curve. I've tried the river island higher waisted ones and topshop - but just not enough lyrca I think to pull it off like the not your daughter ones. They're a great buy in Arnott's sale - usually 30-50% off.