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While celebrities and influencers with wide hips always look on point on camera, it’s not as easy as it looks when you’re trying to dress for your own wide hips. Sometimes what we want to wear is not what flatters our body shape. No matter the occasion, there are ways to conceal and complement wide hips with the right styling.
Fellow editor ZoZo covered this topic in a past post. Let’s revisit the essential points. Now’s your time to shine and stay hip!
Wide hips fall under the pear-shaped body category. Drawing attention to the upper body and balancing out proportions are key when styling this body shape.
Anywhere but the hips
The hip line is the widest part of the lower body. Tops that end here bring focus to your hips, so wear tops that end anywhere BUT the hip line! Crop tops work perfectly by elevating the waistline whereas lengthy tops completely shield the area in question. Can’t choose? Structured and asymmetrical tops work just as well to shift attention away from the hips.
Play with prints and patterns
Say hello to tops with fun and vibrant prints and patterns! Prints and patterns help divert attention to the upper body as the interplay of different designs and styles creates a visually appealing illusion. Color-wise, the brighter, the better!
If you’re not in the mood for some funk or don’t feel comfortable with bold prints, take a subtler approach with floral prints, which never go out of trend. Geometric patterns, ditsy prints and animal prints are eye-catching as well.
Bring out your shoulders
Our shoulder line tends to be narrower than our hip line, so shoulder-baring tops can even out proportions. If skin-revealing tops aren’t your thing, bulk up with padded shoulder tops. Adding shoulder pads can highlight the shoulders, making the body look more aligned. Shoulder accents like ruffles, lace trim, puff sleeves or cap sleeves also emphasize the upper body and add structure.
Twirl in A-line skirts and dresses
An easy way for styling wide hips is to go for a dress. In particular, look for A-line dresses as they cinch in at the waist and flare out at the hips, covering wide hips altogether. Wrap dresses are also a great option as they wrap around the waist, diverting attention from the hips. Just like A-line dresses, high-waist A-line skirts with a matching top tucked in create the same effect.
Wear wide-leg, high-waist and straight-cut pants
Wide leg, high waist and straight cut are three points to look for when dressing wide hips. All three characteristics can easily be found in one pair of pants. Straight-cut pants balance out your midsection, especially when they’re high-waist as they accentuate the waist area, giving a slimmer silhouette. All in all, wide-leg, high-waist and straight-cut pants offer a tall, slim and linear appearance with longer legs. Go for darker hues to attract less attention to your bottom and make legs look slimmer.
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