The End of the Hourglass Figure

I do not have an hourglass figure and I'm not overweight. I am definitely a "rectangle" with little hips, a little bust, and a little waist. The fashion industry definitely needs to get with it and start making clothes with different proportions...I know the Gap now has 3 different cuts to its jeans...straighter, normal, or curvier. It really improves the way the jeans fit and look.

And on the other hand, I'm one of the 8% who have the hourglass figure and STILL have a hard time finding clothes that fit, because the waist of pants and skirts and bottom half of tops are too big.

If only we all could afford personally tailored clothes, then we'd be happy.

I agree with tulip. To get pants/skirts to fit the hips, they are HUGE in the waist!! I always wonder if they think women are square! However, my hips are way bigger than my bust.

All of these labels seem to take over our identity if we let them. We're obsessed with obtaining the dictated ideal from society.

I am encouraged that more and more women are going for a healthy look rather than some Hollywood anorexic ideal. I do not think the ideal body type should be some strange combination of genetics and starvation. Hopefully a 'fit' look will become the ideal and goal.

Dr. Smith

http://www.antiagingatlanta.com

It is ridiculous that the industry just chooses to ignore research and place blame. It has nothing to do with size, the fashion industry has consistently ignored reality and played on the whims of designers.

It seems that this will always be a problem, I always have a hard time finding clothes to fit. I got a big bum and small waist. One thing I find to be funny is that Jennifer Lopez came out with a line of clothing to cater to the more curvier ladies like herself, but yet the sizes only go up to 13?? Don't know too many girls with hourglass figures that can wear 13's. Also it doesn't set good examples for our younger crowd, they think it is ok to look like wafer thin models. The designers need to wake up and realize just what kind of example they are setting for our young girls growing up today. And just how fat they can make someone feel for being healthy.Shame on them.

It just shows how stupid the fashion designers can be. People, esp. women, come in all shapes and sizes. I have a strange figure type- I wear a size 5-6 pants but need to buy Med-Large shirts so they'll fit over my shoulders...people used to joke I was built like a man! My shoulders are wider than my hips. It's silly to try to make a standardized "model" of clothing, because everyone is built different;y.

Well, I didn't know that I am an hourglass (there is a 10.5 inch difference between my bust and waist), but I am not sure that this study is correct. When we gain weight our base shape (the shape that our genetics determines) can change because out weight can be distributed different. So if at a normal weight you are an hourglass but put on too much weight in your stomach then your shape would not necessarily be hour glass anymore. There really is not "cookie cutter" shape. As normal this study and fashion still consider women on a too generalized basis.

Finally!!! I have resorted to ordering my jeans from target*made to order, just so I can get a pair that fit in the waist and the hips, as my hips are only 6" bigger than my waist. Most jeans both pinch my waist and are huge in the rear. I am soo sick of hearing women complain about a little extra room in the waist, just tuck in the shirt and be comfortable. Hopefully more jean manufacturers will pay attention to this.

I have to say, I'm an hourglass. And I wear a size 12. It's all genetic. My mum is quite large, but she is also an hourglass shape. The problem with pants not designed for this shape isn't "extra waist room". It's that the waist sticks out in the back. It looks awful and it's actually quite uncomfortable. I have to wear low-rise jeans because they don't come up to the waist, and so I don't get that problem. To everyone who's complaining: yes I can see your point. But you don't have to put up with it. Shop somewhere else. A lot of places have different cuts of pants, even pants with wider and narrower thighs, as well as waist to hip ratios. If you don't find something in 99 stores, look in one more. Surely 1 in 100 stores will have something. and so what if you have to pay a bit more? you don't need that many pairs of pants. Or wear skirts. they are way more likely to fit properly. There are ways around this, but I don't believe whining will fix anything. You got what you got and that's that. If you fit most clothes you're lucky there. If you don't, well just be glad you got the sexy bod!

I'm supposed to be an hourglass according to this study, but my "bust" measuring is actually my back measurement - I have wide shoulders and back. So tops usually don't fit, cause if they are big enough to fit my shoulders, they become too low-cut because I don't have an actual bust to fill them up.

I buy t-shirts. Occasionally a skirt or dress, or a pair of jeans (I try on about 50 to find one that fits). Pants don't ever fit, so I stopped trying. I make the rest of my clothes myself, mostly using vintage designs. It makes sense: since I don't have the shape that the clothes nowadays are designed to flatter, why not just wear stuff that was designed to flatter my shape, years ago, when it was the ideal?

Cathy, for the "back gap" on jeans, I started adding elastic to the inside of the band, just 1" of it. It won't make the jeans look elastic waist, it will just encourage them to stay put (I still wear a belt though).

Theresa, most hourglasses also have a short torso, so we look pretty bad when we tuck anything in. So that is not a solution.

Dana, that is true - when I'm overweight I'm a Spoon, not an Hourglass. Shapes do change with weight.

i have an hour glass figure and i love it but it can be hard to find jeans that suit me perfectly.

I have a size 8 hourglass figure which I am pround of except I am only 5'2 and I just came home from trying on jeans (nothing fit of course) I have found that easy riders lucky brand jeans fit well(I couldnt find a short length). I have yet to find a place that sells j-lo jeans. I have had three kids and have been blessed with strech marks,yuck, so the low cut jeans are out for me. If anyone has found a good fitting pair of jeans please share the info.

i have a size 6-8 (depends on the brand) hourglass shape. I've discovered, no jeans ever fit and am no fan of the low rise either.. but stretch jeans (usually the right size work well). they fit correctly on the waist and don't make anything stick out either.

The more hourglass shaped women complain, the more I think that they are taking what they have for granted.
I'm a pear.
I'm 5'2.
I weigh 97 pounds but I'm still fat looking because I'm pear shaped. My pants are 6 and my tops are small. The My hips down are for taller, longer women. My waist up is for a 12 year old.

And you guys think you have it bad? Ridiculous.
I don't even BUY pants anymore. I just wear huge parachute pants and layer upon layer on my body.

Don't take what you have for granted.

Kira, you are also taking what you have for granted. You're very slim, and I'm sure most of us complaining would like to weigh as little as you do.

I agree it can be very difficult to find clothing that fits! I avoid the Juniors sections in Department stores like the plague. I have small shoulders and small hips but a bigger waist and thighs. I wear a size 2 in skirts usually, but a 6 or 8 in pants. Talk about being weird shaped :-)! But I have found that Gap usually always has the best fits! I've got stretch marks too from having 2 kids, but I still go for the low rise - I just find longer shirts or wear a long tank top under my shirt.
I have a friend who is totally hour-glassed shaped and she says Paper, Cloth, & Denimn Jeans are the best because they don't stick out in the back. They are kind of pricey, but you can get 'em pretty cheap on Ebay. Hope that helps!

The problem with only finding Jeans that fit in the rear (or hips)is..yes it's so big in the waist that when you sit down...your panties hang out for everyone to see. So I end up wearing long shirts to cover this problem.

I find that although i am a comfortable size 12/10, hourglass shaped, i have a long torso, which makes it hard to find clothes that go over my shoulders (i'm stocky in the shoulder and back) and that actually go all the way down to my waist. I normally wear baggy jeans and fitted tops that show a small part of my stomach (luckily, flat) so it makes it easier to disguise the length of my body.

I am 5'2. I wear a 5/6 in most pants and small/medium in shirts. I weight 128 pounds. I have a curvy, hourglass shape. Is this the ideal shape and size for my height? I use to weigh a lot more.

I am tall, 6'0", but wear a size two(i know i'm pretty skinny) the problem is that i'm pear shaped kind of. My hips are about ten inches bigger then my waist, and my bust is only twelve inches bigger. All my weight (123 lbs.) is stuck in my thighs! It is imposible to look for pants that are 1) long enough 2)small enough 3) and slihgtly stretchy or big in the thighs! *gives an exasperated sight*

I'm a size-8 hourglass, with a 13/14-inch difference (depends on the time of the month lol). It's kind of awkward for me, considering that I always have to take in the waist on my shirts and can never find a decent dress. However, I am never ashamed of my figure and feel blessed to have a body that I am comfortable in.

My denim pick for hourglass-figured is DKNY jeans. They come in a lot of styles (high and low waists), they are pretty affordable, and they are fashionable.

I'm about 5'6" and a size 4 hourglass. I watch what I eat and work out 5 times a week, I love my body but I still struggle to find jeans that fit off the rack. If you buy your jeans at a nicer department store you can get them altered. Now I find a pair that has a cute wash and fits well in my hips and thighs and just get it taken in in the waist.

I HAVE A PEAR SHAPE BODY AND IM NOT NO WHERE NEAR FAT BUT IM NOT IN SHAPE EITHER AND ALL IM LOOKING FOR IS SOMETHING EASY THAT WORKS AND DONT COST MONEY TO HELP ME GET THERE BUT EVERY THING THAT DOES WORK COST ALOT OF MONEY OR DONT WORK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT GOSH ALL MOST OF US PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR IS A EASY WAY TO GET THE PERFECT BODY WE WANT AND FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ashley, what works is: exercise, including weight training and cardio; eating more fruits and vegetables, and no junk. And patience. It doesn't cost a lot of money, and it does work. It is not fast though. The only fast thing out there is massive life-threatening plastic surgery.

The hardest part is being a 20 something professional and trying to find something appropriate, reasonably priced and fits well. If you're 5'3", and 16, there's a lot out there. I'm a size 6-8 hourglass and find that Ann Taylor/Loft and Banana Republic work the best for my figure. AND I don't need a home equity loan to finance my jeans. Just remember ladies, stay away from the tapered legs, and you'll find the jeans a lot more flattering.

Man, I'm reading all ya'lls comments and I'm thinking most of you guys are lucky. Nobody I know has my PROBLEM. I'm short (5', round hourglass, biiiig bust & hips. My hourglass is starting to turn into an apple). I can not find a style that looks good on me. Yeah, I know-I just need to go on a serious diet and exercise program. But in the meantime, I'm stuck wearing t-shirts & bootcut jeans. I look sick in dresses & skirts. (sigh) I have such good memories of my youth when I could wear that stuff. Anyway, I'm a grandma and I have given up on finding clothes that fit and look good on me. Good thing I work in the medical field--at least my scrubs fit! I just wish designers would think of people like me who don't make a fortune but would still like to look nice. I think it's important to look nice no matter what size we are. I guess I need to get serious about a diet cause I don't think designers will ever change.

Izzy, try the What Not to Wear book, by Trinny Woodall and Susanna Constantine. They are really helpful and have pictures of what to wear for apples, etc.

I am reading all of your comments and have taken some comfort in knowing I am not the only one who has problems finding clothes. I wish designers would get a clue!

Personally, my problem is that I'm a true pear-shape. I am EXTREMELY small up top, with very small shoulders and a small waist with larger hips and thighs, which is where I carry all of my weight. Most people say I'm lucky because I'm so thin, (size 2-4 depending on brand and 5'7), but unless you have tried to find pants and tops that fit those sizes, you cannot begin to understand how disconcerting it is. Ann Taylor is about the only place I can find tops that fit and then they still have to be extra-small and mainly only pull-overs, no button downs or any of the real pretty ones. Pants...to date I have not found a brand that fits well on me. If they fit in the waist, they don't fit in the hips or thighs or visa versa. I have to wear most of my pants real low cut, but they are supposed to be worn slightly below the natural waist, which is where I want to wear them. I am almost 50 years old and like to be stylish and somewhat hip, but still not look like a teeny-bopper. Oh yea, the other problem..I have no backside, so everythings sags there! The only type of pants that I found to fit somewhat decent are jeans from The Limited. The stretch in them helps, but also does just that and stretches out as the day goes on, which means by the end of the day I am pulling them up constantly. And no, their dress pants don't fit for some reason. Any ideas????

i have an hourglass figure but it is hard to find jeans to fot properly because my hips are wide so tha size of the jeans are big and they dont fit tightly around my legs coz my legs are small lol

I'm thin, and people call me annorexic like 'hollywood stars' but.. well i'm not i'm just naturally thin. People are sterotyped into anorexic if they are thin and a famous star.

I too have to deal with this clothing dilemna, but spending any amount of time describing my waist, bust and bum to you is not going to get me anywhere. Ladies, we all know that we live in a diverse world with diverse people who have diverse body shapes. This is no news flash. Designers know this! They too are people with diverse body shapes. I think the bottom line here is that designers will either design their clothes to fit their perception of an "ideal" body shape or design clothes that would fit their own personal body type. In either case, they are entitled to do this!

Designers don't have to change how they design to accomodate our various body shapes. It's unrealistic! We are too diverse! We are fortunate to have our clothes divided into the following categories: petite, women's, ladies, plus size, juniors, etc. If we don't like a particular designer because of "how" their clothes fit our body then we just have to find another designer. It's as simple as that. Or how about this? If we're really as passionate as some of us seem to be about this clothing dilemna, then perhaps the best solution is to design or make our own clothes. Sure, that would cost us a lot of money and a lot of time, but if we're not happy we must do something constructive about it! Right? If that's too extreme then we'll just have to buy the clothes we really like, but buy them slightly oversized and have them altered. Men do it with their designer suits all of the time, don't they? Yes, I believe they do. Instead of complaining they buy a few quality pieces (as much as they can afford) and then they have them altered to fit well. Can't afford to have your clothes professionally altered? Learn to do it yourself or pay a skilled family member to do it for less.

Voila! Problem solved.

Ladies, we have to stop comparing and complaining about our bodies! We have to stop insulting the fashion industry, designers and retailers! Expecting them to meet ALL of our needs is wasted energy. Let's just put that energy into having the healthiest bodies we can have through exercise and healthy eating habits! And when it comes to our clothes, well, we just have to be solution oriented!

We can all look good!

i am an hourglass figure and pretty thin and just shy of 6ft. i think its important that people pay attention to the stores that cater to their build. in my opinion, the gap, and its other brands are mad for rectangular bodies. i personally stick to italian and french lines,---and oddly enogh, jcrew sice they cut he wasits smaller, provide extra room in the bust,and room in the hips.. also i wear low rise jeans.. cuz i knwo the higher won't fit my waist. they are tons of stores that cater to women with proprtionally thicker waists. like most of the american lines, try antik denim vs diesel... and look into dresses by people like marc jacobs, diane furstenberg, or just the local department store and TRY THINGS ON. and sometiems you have to get things taiolred.. its just how it is.

Wow. This is awesom!! I never knew so many people had trouble finding cloths. Its easy to think your the only one.

I am an hourglass or pear, my but actually might be smaller than my hips. I have about a 29 inch waist and 42 or more size hips. It is terror. I have found lower rise pants work very very well and can fit good, but then its the shirts that are the problem.
They have to be very long, but then they can't be too long otherwise they really highlight my hips. But if they stop at the hips then when I bend over...

A tighter fit also make me look very dissporportional. Any idea's about what style looks good on figures like me? I'm pretty clueless. What sort of shirts, or pants?

i am an hour glass figure, i am (since i had my baby girl)a size 16-18 in the pants and can never find them long enough. or if i do i find the crutch is down to my knees! i cant figure it out! i dont own 1 pair of pants that havent been altered in one way or another by me and in the end they sill look strange! any ideas girls?

I think it is cute that the designer quoted tells people they should make an effort to fit into the "structure" of clothes settled by the industry. If the shoe companies want to make pointy shoes, then we should make an effort to have pointy toes, eh? Here is a good reason to learn to sew.

I'm approximately 5'2, 95 lb (and a rectangle-ish...32-23-33 on a good day, but sometimes my waist is closer to 24") and have just been "sized out" of at least two major retailers. When will this whole vanity sizing stop??!! According to catalog charts, I'm a US size 2 or 2P(petite), but often, 0s are too large. I really hope the fashion industry addresses this problem.

Nobody asks WHY THE F*** the hourglass figure has disappeared and most women have the "rectangular figure".

First of all, you have to realize THIS IS JUST HAPPENING IN THE USA and to some extent in OTHER SO-CALLED ANGLO SAXON ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES LIKE THE UK.

If you go to countries in Central Europe, it's obviously NOT happening, young women there still virtually all have beautiful hourglass figures... they ALL wear jeans on the streets, and they ALL have freakin' hourglass figures.

The non-hourglass figure is PURELY an American phenomenon (and exists in the USA even among Hispanics, for instance) and is PURELY due to our disgusting diet of greasy fast food.

Take away the disgusting, greasy fast food and soda pop -- I MEAN ALL OF IT -- and the beautiful hourglass figure will come back in full force.

But American women will NEVER, I mean N-E-V-E-R give up disgusting, greasy fast food, carbohydrates, fries, and soda pop.

WHY?

Because it's too f*cking convenient in our society, that's why.

American capitalist culture has turned our lifestyle into such a fast-paced race to keep up and make money to pay off our disgusting, materialistic credit card bills, working at our slavish jobs for Corporate America, that THE ONLY F*CKING THING PEOPLE HAVE TIME FOR IN AMERICA IS F*CKING FAST FOOD!

I guarantee it, though, if you get rid of ALL the f*cking fast food, the hourglass figure will come back.

The rectangular figure is disgusting and I would NEVER date a woman, much less marry a woman, who has a rectangular figure. It's disgusting and unfeminine.

Wanna get a desireable hourglass figure?

GIVE UP ALL THE F*CKING FAST FOOD, FRENCH FRIES, CARBS AND SODA POP!!!!

WORD!!!

Hey, Joe, watch it there bud. I don't eat fast food or crap or anything and it has nothing to do with my body shape. I have slim hips and a small bustline because I am petite. My waist is definitely smaller than my chest and hips are, but there's a limit when you're petite...I have internal organs that have to go somewhere, you know. If I were taller, I'd probably not have as much of a problem. But I will say this: Body shape is dependant on genetics, body weight is not. Diet has nothing to do with one's individual proportions. And I'm guessing that since you'd never date a "rectangular" girl, that you are not "apple-shaped" in the least, right? You're ripped right? Cuz otherwise you have no right to be so goddam picky.

Wow Joe, chill out.

As someone who has an hourglass figure, I'd like to know what YOUR figure is, that you can be so judgmental and discerning. Will a relationship with you include a warranty - guaranteeing that you will maintain a healthy body throughout the course of the relationship? Will the "lucky" lady that snags you be allowed to back out once you get a little soft around the middle?

Of course, that assumes that you are currently perfect. After all, how else could you afford to be so "enlightened?"

It's pigs like you that give men a bad name. In spite of the focus of this blog, people are more than their weights and body shapes. Writing off a whole category of women simply because they are not of the "correct" proportions will most likely leave you pursuing hollow relationships with women that are just as shallow as you appear to be. A fitting punishment for being such a moron.

Get a life and find something better to do with your time than judge people based on their dimensions.

-D