How to Dress for Women with Large Hips

It is only rarely that people are naturally blessed with perfect physical features – professionals who are in the business of looking good work hard to achieve and maintain their enviable bodies. The average person though can make use of certain style tips and tricks which can go a long way to minimizing the appearance of undesirable features. So if you are a woman with large hips and believe that nothing makes you look good, prepare to be surprised.

Choose the right kind of pants

Women with large hips make the common mistake of picking up loose, baggy pants in the hope that their hips would get ‘lost’ in them and not show how large they are. In reality though, the effects is just the opposite since oversized pants make you look even heavier on the bottom. So get rid of your baggy draw-string pants and instead go for those are fitted to just below the waist. Ideally they should be slightly loose fitting trousers that have a moderate leg width. Extremely narrow leg widths may enhance the width of your hips and a wide width will make your legs appear shorter. Stay away from high waisted pants or pants with cuffs as well as those which have  pleats or side pockets.   Avoid buying pants that have anything on the back, such as detailing or ornamentation. You can also make hips appear smaller with hip huggers and low rise jeans. Boot cut, flared leg or wide leg jeans help proportion your figure. For a casual look, you can go for Cargo styles with bulky patch pockets can add size to legs, thereby drawing attention away from large hips.

What kind of skirts to wear

The ideal skirt for large hips is an a-line cut that starts at the waist and widens towards the hemline. These skirts tend to emphasize the waistline while disguising large hips. Pleated skirt, as it will draw attention to your hips. The most flattering length for a skirt for the pear shaped woman is just below the knee. Choose skirts and dresses in dark colors that are an A-line style to make your hips look smaller. Opt for coats with wider bottoms to minimize your big hips. A coat with lapels and a big collar will keep the attention on the upper portion of your body.

If dresses are more your thing, look for those that are tighter up top and flare out at the bottom, such as an empire-waist dress. Check out Shift dresses which are a favorite for women with larger hips. While there is no definition in the waist, the material is also loose fitting through the hips. Instead of hugging the body, shift dresses form an outline that softens the curves of the body. Shift dresses not only work exceptionally well for pear shapes they are diverse enough to be suitable for the workplace or a formal occasion. Pear-shaped women Pear-shaped women also  opt for a wrap dress with a tie right under the bust line, forming an empire silhouette. The dress should flow out starting at the waist on the pear body type to effectively minimize both the hips and buttocks.

Colors matter

Pants in solid, dark colors will make your hips appear slimmer as compared to those in brighter colors and patterns. This is because Dark colors cause the hips to recede and appear less prominent. The color black is ideal to achieve the slimming look since it creates a negative space. The good news is dark pants and skirts need to be dry cleaned less often and look elegant when worn for most occasions.

When wearing skirts, try and match the skirt, leg – as in tights or stocking and shoe to create a long continuous line from waist to toe, elongating and slimming the lower half. If you go bare-legged, consider a nude colored shoe.

Fabrics for a slimmer look

Your choice of fabric can play a crucial role in how wide your hips appear. Avoid fabrics that have a strong pattern, particularly horizontal stripes and loud, bright graphics which will make your hips appear larger. The same effect will be produced by fabrics that are billowy. Instead opt for Lightweight wools and linens that fall well and stick to self prints or vertical stripes if you must have fabrics with patterns.

Focus elsewhere

One of the most effective strategies to minimize the appearance of large hips is to dress in a way that keeps the focus elsewhere this approach in fact has a two-pronged effect – it not only draws attention away from the problem area, in this case the hips, but highlights other, more attractive parts of the body such as a shapely neck, a firm bust or gorgeous hair. Drape a colorful, silk scarf or put on a dramatic, handmade necklace to draw the eye upwards away from your large hips.
Yet another advantage of highlighting your upper half is that it creates balance in a pear-shaped body. Most of the times, large hips in women are accompanied by a relatively smaller bust which leaves them fretting over what to wear so as to look more feminine. In order to achieve a fuller-looking bust, you could use some stunning accessories or detailed necklines to emphasize your head, neck and shoulders. Another way to emphasize your upper half is to wear a lighter or brighter color on top and pair it will darker, solid colored trousers or skirts. A brightly colored silk or printed blouse is a nice way to play up the upper half of your body. Another strategy is to choose a top with small shoulder pads to give your hips balance.
An important tip to bear in mind is to choose a top that comes to your waist or mid-hip. This cuts across the hips, making them look smaller. Again when shopping for jackets, sweaters and tops, select those that hang below the hips or skim the bottom of the buttocks. Avoid shirts and sweaters that stop at the fullest width of hips, opting instead for hemlines that stop somewhere above or below them. Also Look for side slits for added styling and ease of movement when pairing them up with lowers to hide large hips.

Go for heels

Finally choose your footwear so that it adds length to your outfit, thus minimizing the bulk of your hips. Wearing heels makes you stand taller, lengthens your body and evens out your hips. If you are nor cut out for stilettos, stick to platforms which are more comfortable and widely available in lots of heel heights.