Welcome back to the Velvet Runway and this post about How to Create a waist, including my top ten tips to create the illusion of an hourglass figure.

I bought this dress at the end of the Summer sales and, of course, didn’t bother to try it on! I mean, it would obviously fit – right? Well, it did fit, but that didn’t stop me looking like a sack of potatoes!

How to create a waist

What I had completely forgotten to take into account was the fact that this style does not flatter my body shape at all! So, no problem, I thought, I’ll just take it back – but had completely forgotten that the return period for sales items is shorter. So, determined to make the best of a bad situation, I decided to ‘belt up’ and add one of my favourite belts!

Read on for a photo of me looking like a sack of potatoes (not something I’m keen to share but I had to make the point) and some ideas for how to create/ fake a waist.

Belt up! (or How to create a waist)

So, hopefully, you can see a difference between the two photos! On the left, although I really like the background, I look like a sack of potatoes and on the right, hopefully, marginally better and there is an illusion of a waist.

Anyway, I decided that this was good enough to go, so there are a lot more pictures of me in Bruges (suitably belted up), and at the end there are my top ten ideas/ tips for how to create a waist.

Belt up
How to create a waist
Create a waist
Belt-up
Create a waist
Wear a belt
Ten tips to create a waist
Belt
How to create a waist
Belt
How to create a waist
Belt
How to fake a waist
Wear a Belt
How to create a waist
How to create a waist
Belt

Ten tips to create the illusion of an hourglass figure

A belt is the obvious solution to create the illusion of a waist, as it emphasises your hour-glass curves! Some stylists insist that wearing a wide belt can actually draw attention to the area you are trying to minimise, and while I agree with the theory, I find that wide belts work for me in practice and are my simple solution to the ‘fake a waist’ problem!

But there are a number of other tricks you can try, and here are my top ten tips to create the illusion of an hourglass figure :

1    Wear high-waisted trousers, jeans or pencil skirts. A waistband that sits above the hips will not only accentuate your waist, but also make your legs look longer, and if you really want to elongate your appearance, wear heels to give the impression of legs for days!

2   Wear a wrap dress. This style is super flattering on most body shapes as the cross-over front creates the illusion of a beautifully defined waist. The wrap dress was first created by Diane von Furstenberg in 1973, who famously claimed, “I never had a waist and certainly don’t have one now.”  One featuring a fun pattern will also take attention away from the areas you’re looking to conceal, but be wary of a too bold pattern as it will be easily identifiable as having been worn before! Also, be careful to pick a good quality fabric (and make sure that it is the right size) as anything thin and flimsy will reveal unwanted lumps and bumps! 

3    Wear a fitted jacket that nips in at the waist. A structured jacket will draw attention to your narrowest point and elongate your silhouette, as well as making your outfit stand out! One of my favourite looks is a structured blazer with jeans.

4   Wear a peplum top – as this top is designed to flare out from the waist, it will make your middle (ie. waist) appear smaller. Similarly, an A-line skirt and a ‘fit and flare’ dress will have the same effect.

5    Look out for tops and dresses that have twists and ruches on the waistline ( but not on the stomach area!). Ruching creates an illusion of a more curvy figure whilst also hiding lumps and bumps under the draping of the material. 

6    Clever color panelling – look for dresses with darker side panels which will give the impression of a beautifully slim waist.  Some dresses have a darker band down the sides, sometimes just at the waist area and this is perfect for creating an optical illusion for  a smaller waistline as the contrasting darker colours down the side of the dress will give the illusion of a slim, hourglass figure.

7   Use stripes wisely – wearing vertical stripes around your mid-section can create the illusion of a slimmer waist, although horizontal stripes should be avoided in this area. You can also wear draping scarves and shawls to create the same illusion.

8 Try off-the shoulder tops. This trend could be your new best friend for creating the illusion of a slimmer waist. As it draws a horizontal line across your chest and arms it gives the impression that this area is significantly wider and therefore makes your waist look smaller by comparison and when worn with a flared or A-line skirt, it creates a perfectly balanced hourglass shape.

9  Wear a lower neckline, especially a deep V neckline, which will make your upper body appear longer and draw attention towards your face.

10 If all else fails, then use jewellery to draw attention elsewhere! For example, wear a statement necklace or earrings to draw attention to your upper body.

I hope you enjoyed this feature about How to Create a waist, and have a look here for more of our style features.