A Balancing Act – The Hourglass Figure Compiled by Lynn Cook

Thinking about an hourglass shape conjures up thoughts of the curvaceous femme fatale, the hippy, busty woman of the fi fties – the shape we once vied for yet one that modern time negates. Current fashion dictates reed-thin silhouettes that defy the laws of sustenance, leaving our poor hourglass ladies out in the cold as far as fi gure-balancing garments are concerned. Using modern themes and fashion-conscious silhouettes this article takes a look at how our hourglass sewers can survive the current designer trends with simple planning and a few minor pattern adjustments.

Determining your shape Before we begin dissecting the hourglass fi gure. You can analyse your body by using the measuring techniques and diagrams described below.

Measuring the Body While in your underwear, measure in inches across the width of your shoulders, waist and hipline (or thighs if wider than hips), do not measure the circumference of these body parts. To simplify measuring the waist, tie a ribbon or twill tape at the exact location of this body part. See diagram 1. Once you have these three separate measurements in inches, divide each by 2.5. This will give you a smaller number that is in centimetres. These three smaller numbers can now be used to plot your life-size body onto a standard sheet of paper. See measurement chart.

To plot your fi gure onto paper, mark a centre line on the page. At the top of this line, draw in a horizontal line centred to the vertical line. Draw in two more horizontal lines 3cm (1 1 / 8 in) apart. Starting with the shoulder width, centre the measurement on the top line, marking a point at each end. Do the same for the waist measurement on the middle line, and hip measurement on the bottom line. A great shoulder and neckline, combined with a wrap dress, is a stunning way to show off your curves.

Diagram 1 –Tie at Waist Diagram 2 –Subtle Hourglass Diagram 3 –Severe Hourglass

Shoulders 6.2cm Shoulders 6.4cm

Shoulders: 15in

15÷2.5=6cm

Waist: 13½in

13.5÷2.5=5.4cm

Hipline: 15½in

15.5÷2.5=6.2cm

Draw a vertical line down from your shoulder width then compare the waist and hipline width to the shoulder width. You should be able to see if your hips are wider or smaller than your shoulders. Join the points to show your waistline curve in relationship to your shoulder and hip width. If you are an hourglass shape, you will fi nd that there is a strong visual curve between the three main body parts. Some individuals will have a subtle hourglass curve while others will have a severe hourglass curve. See diagrams 2 and 3.

NOTE: While all the information in this article will be helpful to both these fi gure types, the severe hourglass will be examined in more detail – as always the extreme of any fi gure type needs the greatest amount of assistance.

Waist 4.8cm Waist 4.4cm

Hips 6.2cm

Styling guidelines for the hourglass curve The severe hourglass will have a very strong waistline curve, is often shortwaisted and long-hipped with a fuller than standard bust-cup. When an individual has a very small waist, this can make the hipline appear much larger than it actually is because the human eye naturally seeks the smallest body part, comparing it to the largest. The larger part becomes exaggerated due to the illusionary comparison of the human eye. The longer hipline and short waist can give the impression of a shorter leg length and the fuller bust can soften the shoulder line. When styling designs for this fi gure type, these illusionary effects must be taken into consideration.

The best way to balance a severe hourglass curve is to soften the fashion lines between the bust, waist and hipline. This can be done in several ways, depending upon other body characteristics and current fashion trends. Popular fashion garments like the wrap top, the wrap dress and sarong skirt provide soft waistline fullness, which gently blends the upper torso with the lower torso. When using ‘soft subtle fullness’ at the waist, it is important to avoid dramatic fullness on the hipline as this will only serve to emphasise this curve. Select a design with a sleek hipline silhouette to help elongate the fi gure for a better balancing act. The choice of fabric will ultimately Hips 6.6cm

determine the degree of success of these styles; however the blending of the curves is important and achievable by using soft, subtle fabrics that hang in fl uid lines, such as crepe-like knits, slinky knits, soft georgettes, challis and rayon. Polyester fabric that is very soft can work beautifully since it is made from micro-denier yarns giving the fabric fl uid drape. Wearing fabric volume at the waist and a good strong shoulder line will balance the overall look. Check the shoulder shape of all designs, looking for a structured fi nish or bolster with a beautifully shaped shoulder pad.

In some cases the subtle fullness at the waistline will not help to balance the severe hourglass shape. This is particularly true in the instance of the short-waisted, short-hipped and shorter-than-average silhouette. Not only is it important for these individuals to soften the waistline curve but they must also attempt to elongate the fi gure at the same time. The basic rules of continuous colour apply at all times, combined with the ‘soft square’ waist.

A ‘soft square waist’ is created when a design line bypasses the waist slightly, ending on the high hipline. The garment may or may not have some subtle shape created through seamlines or darting. The best result occurs when the top and bottom half of the garment are similar colours, if not the same fabric. The

bottom half of the garment should be styled simply, without too much fullness in and around the hipline curve. When this fashion statement is combined with continuous colour, including a tonal effect with hosiery and shoes, the fi gure will be elongated and more balanced. If you prefer a fabric with a crisper fi nish such as lightweight linens and cottons, then this styling will suit not only your fi gure but also your fashion taste.

Soften the hourglass fi gure with fashion lines between the bust, waist and hipline.

Finally, don’t forget the best way to balance any fi gure ... your face! Frame the face with beautiful necklines and a good strong shoulder for an illusion that works wonders for all fi gure types. Even if your shoulder line is a standard width, don’t hesitate to extend the shoulder or at least

square it up slightly with moulded shoulder pads.

Pattern size selection The main fi tting concern for the hourglass fi gure is the waistline area of the garment. you will probably fi nd that if the garment fi ts your waist it will be too tight in the hipline and vice versa. Solving this problem for the subtle hourglass is fairly easy; you simply buy the pattern to fi t either the bust (tops) or the hips (bottoms) and alter the waist area of the garment.

For the severe hourglass, it is not quite this straightforward. Generally, if you buy to fi t the hips, the waist is far too large and altering in the traditional manner distorts the fashion look of the garment. It is recommended in this instance that a pattern size between the hip and waist measurements be purchased to give a more balanced adjustment with less distortion to the fashion statement. For example: the individual’s hips measure 98cm (size 14) and the waist measures 65cm (size 10) –the individual should purchase size 12 (waist 67cm and hips 92cm) increasing the hip and decreasing the waist as required.

Pattern alterations for the hourglass The Bust: There is a reasonable chance that the hourglass fi gure will have a slightly fuller bust than allowed for in the paper pattern. The paper pattern has a standard fi t for a B-cup so, if the individual is fuller than this, an adjustment will be required. Minor adjustment to the bust area can be done for a C-cup fi tting without extensive slashing and pivoting of the paper pattern. To add in up to 1.5cm ( 5 / 8 in) to each side of the bust, simply extend the front side seam under the armhole out by 1.5cm ( 5 / 8 in), tapering it back in as quickly as possible. This adjustment must be done in the same manner to the front sleeve cap. See diagram 4. This technique is not suitable for the bust where amounts greater than 1.5cm ( 5 / 8 in) are required. To alter the bust for larger amounts the slash-andpivot method should be used. A strong hourglass shaped pattern exaggerates a severe hourglass.

The Waist: The waist can be adapted with ease for the hourglass fi gure. It is simply a matter of determining the reduction amount then dividing it by the number of seams and waist-fi tting darts in the garment. Each seam and dart can be reduced gradually by the required amount. Please remember the adjustment amount will be less distorting if a pattern size in between your body measurements is purchased. See diagram 5.

The Hipline: This is also easy to adapt. Again, determine the adjustment required. This is done by measuring your body plus wearing ease, then comparing this to the pattern’s fi nished measurements. Any adjustment should be divided by the number of seams within the garment (excluding the centre front and back), then added on to the hipline area and gradually blended back into the original

Diagram 4 – Adjusting the bustline by a maximum of 1.5cm Diagram 5 – Reducing the width of the waist

Diagram 6 – Minor hipline adjustment Diagram 7 – Box-and-slide technique for large adjustments

Diagram 8 – Multiple box-and-slide adjustments for larger adjustments.

seamline. We do not alter the centre front and back seamlines, as these should remain straight so that the pattern piece grainline is not altered. See diagram 6.

If you need to add more than 1.5cm ( 5 / 8 in) to each hipline seam, you should use the ‘box-and-slide’ method to adjust your pattern. This method allows you to add in a greater amount of ease with less pattern distortion. Simply box out the area to be adjusted, slide out then blend in the outer edges of the box to the original seams of the pattern. More than one box can be used to add greater amounts of adjustment. See diagrams 7 and 8.

The Swayback: There is a high probability the hourglass fi gure will have a swayback curve. This is repaired by slashing into the centre-back seam of the paper pattern below the waistline curve, creating a pivot point at the side seam. The upper pattern section of the cut is moved downwards by the required amount (generally between 1cm and 2cm [ 3 / 8 in and ¾in]) to eliminate the ‘swayback buckle’ without changing the waistline shape. It is always important to move the upper piece downwards to avoid changing the grainline of the bottom section of the garment. The soft fullness at the waist or the ‘soft square’ waist suitability camoufl ages the presence of a swayback curve. See diagram 9. Diagram 9 – Swayback adjustment. 1 – 2cm ( 3 / 8 – ¾in)

1 – 2cm ( 3 / 8 – ¾in)

Back Hinge