YOU’VE AN HOURGLASS FIGURE IF…

Your waist is narrow but your hips and shoulders are wide. You have a good-sized bust and tend to carry fat equally over your whole body. Your stomach is flat and toned, but your thighs have a tendency to look heavy. Use the following tips to maximize your shape…

THIGH DISGUISE

Hide thicker-than you’d like thighs under full length dresses. Wear them with a belt and a heel to make you look more slender.

WORK THE SLEEVES

Long sleeves flatter larger arms and balance out a curvy bust and torso. Sleek and slim sleeves that taper at the elbow are flattering and bat-wing sleeves hide heavy upper arms.

GET IT IN THE NECK

V-necks flatter large busts and a generous cleavage, but don’t spoil the effect by cluttering the neckline with chunky jewellery. Avoid square-necks – they can make you look wide and top-heavy

DIRE STRAIGHTS

Although untailored clothes are unflattering on your figure, so too are styles that are cut too straight. You need some extra room to allow for curves, so look for fabrics that have some stretch

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Avoid too much fussy detail – ruffles, bows, ties and so on – as they will only overwhelm you shape. Stick to garments that are simple, elegant and streamlined

Your bust and hips are a similar width, your bust is fairly small and you have no defined waist. Your bottom is probably neat and flat and you have long slim legs. Make the most out of your body type by using the following tips.

Athletic or boyish-shaped woman lack a defined waist, but you can create one with a wide eye-catching belt. Cinch it over a loose blouse and full skirt for maximum effect

Find ornate necklaces and earrings to draw attention to your slender neck and shoulders. Picking strong, bold, jewellery will draw the eye upwards to one of your best features.

Because you have naturally long legs, you are lucky enough to suit most hemline lengths, so make the most of your legs by wearing a mini dress. Make it an A-line shape, not tight, so the dress gives you more of a waist.

Choose soft and flowing, floating fabrics that skim and soften your shape to add femininity.

A floaty dress with puff sleeves helps to soften broad shoulders and flatters skinny upper arms. Choose a round neck to emphasize a delicate collarbone and draw attention away from a small bust.

A good choice of dress for your shape is a sleeveless style with a ruffled or detailed panel running down the front. The frills will hide a small chest while the sleeveless cut shows off slim, toned shoulders and arms.

Avoid anything with padded shoulders – it will give you a rectangle shape and draw attention to your lack of curves.

Boots that stop just above the ankle can be difficult to wear with dresses or skirts as they cut off the leg at the slenderest point. Unless you are very thin and the shoe is very form-fitting, your best bet is to go for lower-cut shoe boot.

Although shoes and handbags don’t have to match to look good these days, belts and shoes do tend to look better if they coordinate.  A black belt with a brown pair of shoes simply looks as if you’re not trying. They don’t have to be the same colour and fabric but aim for the same colour family.

are the most universally flattering style and a good option to wear with trousers, skirts, dresses or suits for work. Because they are sophisticated, yet a touch sexy, they are the perfect choice for the career woman who wants to still feel and look feminine.

Although we all need a few pairs of neutral shoes in our wardrobe, forget the rule that says shoes always have to match your handbag. Matching colours can be a bit tacky but do make sure your shoes go with your outfit and are not too dark or too light in tone. A good rule is to match them to one of the less dominant colours in your outfit, be that a swirl of colour in your skirt print or even a bead in your earrings.

Take risks: if you like looking edgy you can clash your shoes with your outfit – for example, wearing red shoes with a pink dress. But be warned: it takes a sure hand and plenty of confidence to carry this off.

Strappy sandals are the favourite choice for formal eveningwear where even open-toe or peep shoes will look too heavy. If the look is light – your dress is floating or exposing – your shoes should reflect it. Bronze, silver or gold sandals are good choices, but make sure you match the metallic colour to your jewellery and any hardware on your bags.

The ticker the heel tip, the more comfortable and stable the shoes will feel. Small heels, especially stilettos, will wear down more quickly.

With closed toes, make sure you can still wiggle your toes. If you can’t do this, the shoes are too tight and may cut off your circulation – leading to numb toes by the end of the night. Tight shoes can also lead to ingrown toenails and bunions.

Even if you’re a little on the short side, don’t be tempted to go for killer heels all the time – they can make you totter and look as though you’re trying too hard. Instead, try wearing medium-sized or kitten heels, which provide the ideal combination of height to give you confidence and elegance to elongate your legs.

Flat shoes such as ballet pumps look lovely when worn with short skirts and minis, but never wear them with longer skirts. Flat shoes can appear to add weight to the leg, but this is counterbalanced by exposing more area of the leg.

Instead of concentrating on the parts of your body that you want to hide, focus and flaunt your positive points – sexy ankles, pretty toes, great lips, silky shoulders – everyone has something.

Avoid stiff and heavy fabrics or anything too clingy such as thin jersey or lycra that will show off all the bits you want to hide. Opt instead for lightweight fabrics such as tulle or silk that skim your curves rather than stick to them.

Choose a dress with a deeper v-neck than you normally wear as this will make your waist seem thinner. It’s an optical illusion because it make s your shoulders look broader, going to a thin point just above your waist.

Avoid wearing belts around your waist if your problem area is your tummy. Loose styles are ideal to detract the eye from pot-bellies.

If you are not confident about your legs, choose the length of your dress carefully. Dresses that fall just above the knee can make you look stumpy. Mid-thigh or just-below-the knee lengths are much better bets as they emphasize slim calves.

Short sleeves hide flabby upper arms while showing off the more flattering wrist section. Emphasize slim wrists with pretty delicate jewellery.

Body-slimming garments such as control pants and corsets might seem old-fashioned, but they are perfect when you need an instant sleeker, more structured body shape under dresses or skirts.

While it’s true that wearing dark colours make you look slimmer, you don’t always have to restrict yourself to black. Navy, green charcoal, dark grey all have the same flattering effect and are less harsh on paler skin tones.

Small patterns can make larder shapes look smaller, while the smaller you are, the larger the pattern you can carry off.

Wearing A-line dresses that flow from waist with fitted tops draw attention upwards and make a large bottom look half appear smaller.