Dressing the "Barbie"

Although, the most desired body shape in this area of the world, the Barbie or Hourglass shape has its own problems as well as strengths.  As far as feminine curves, well, you have those in abundance. Curves of the bust, curves of the waist, curves of the hips....there's probably not an area of your body that's not curvy!  I think the biggest problem area for the Barbie shape is learning to dress your overly abundant body in a feminine and modest way.  Some women carry this to the extreme and cover up from neck to ankle in shapeless garments...as if they're hiding from the world, or at least the opposite sex.  I would argue that although modesty is a must, hiding your body under layers and tents of fabric is a shame.  I only have curves on the lower half, so don't have experience with the pitfalls of a large and curvy upper body; however, I have shopped with women of this body shape and have a few things to note as far as maximizing what you have in a feminine way. And, I was surprised at the trouble women with this ultra-desired body shape have in finding appropriate and well-fitting clothes.  They often need a tailor even more than the rest of us!

For the last time, let's define the Barbie or Hourglass shape. These women are curvy on the top (often with what they deem an oversized bust), have small waists, and then voluptuous hips and/or thighs.  Think Dolly Parton as an extreme example.  Sometimes the ratio of bust/waist/hips is not as exaggerated as that, but I'm surprised at the number of women who do have extreme measurements.  Sometimes, those measurements are achieved artificially.

Although this body shape is the ultra-feminine "ideal" in our area of the world, at the same time, just remember that they deal with the hard-to-dress areas of both the Apple AND the Pear shape.  I've said it before and it bears repeating, you need to find a tailor or learn to tailor your own clothes.  Clothes off the rack are not made to fit you personally.  They are created on a static model and then reproduced en masse. Every now and then you will find something that fits you "to a T", but most times there are little tweaks that can be made to make an otherwise ill-fitting garment look custom-made for your body.  I'm surprised at how cheap some of these tweaks can be.  Learning to do these kinds of small sewing jobs yourself will also save you money in the long run.

So, here are a few tips for maximizing femininity with a body shape that's already "maxed out!"

1.   Enjoy the waist and curves God gave you! - Defining your waist should not be a problem, as it's probably defined regardless of what you wear due to your natural proportions.  I've said things about belts, sashes, and defining your waist in my other body shape posts, so won't repeat myself here. But one thing I will say is this - enjoy that small waist.  Play it up as much as possible and have fun with the one area of your body that will probably remain relatively the same regardless of weight gain or loss.  It's a crying shame for an Hourglass shape to hide her curvy waist under ill-fitting or baggy-waisted Tshirts.  Embrace your shape!

2.   Modesty is a Must. - As I've said before, there is a fine line between flaunting your femininity and flaunting your assets.  I think flaunting your feminity is modestly embracing the shape that God gave you as well as exhibiting a feminine spirit.  I see nothing about this attitude of embracing your body shape that disagrees with Scripture or modesty.  Flaunting your assets, however, flies in the face of true femininity and modesty.  I have never thought that a women was truly feminine while she was showing 6 inches of cleavage and a skirt slit up to her hip.  Sexiness, yes; attractiveness, maybe; but femininity, no.  How you choose to treat your ample assets is your call, but I firmly believe you need to anchor your search for femininity in the realm of modesty.  Be very careful when buying shirts and blouses.  TRY THEM ON!  Button them up and see if the buttons gape.  If you have to unbutton your shirt an extra button just to accomodate your chest, it's time to go up a size and have a tailor work his magic on the side seams.  Bend over in your blouse to see how far it falls from your chest and what kind of view you're giving the world when you pick up your child or bend to get that jar of spaghetti sauce at Walmart.  Lift your arms and make sure that the armpit holes of your shirt are not showing your bra or half of your chest.  If the bust of your T-shirt is pulling into vertical lines across the front of your chest, it's too tight and you need to go up a size.  An assortment of camisoles are great for women with larger assets, because they instantly give you coverage under tops or dresses that "might" slip down too far during wear. I'm assuming most women reading this blog are not interested in flashing their assets for the world to see or in showing off inches of cleavage in a tight dress. These are just small ways to make sure that, while embracing your feminine curves, you still maintain that allure of femininity.

3.   Always draw the eye to your face. - It's easy to get lost in an Hourglass shape's curves; there's just so many of them!  Work to emphasize your face.  Draw eyes up past your curvy hips, past your ample bust to your face....where that true femininity of spirit shines through.  Keep necklaces up close to your collarbone where the eye will not be drawn down toward the bust.  A very wide belt will cinch in your waist, but it will also draw attention to your hips.  Try a skinny one instead that doesn't make that area so obvious.  You may have to work more than some people to get others (especially men) to look past your chest, but it's still possible.

I'm sorry I don't have more to say on this shape. I just feel that it's been covered before in my discussions on the Apple (upper half) and Pear (lower half). The same principles apply, so go back and visit those posts, if you haven't already.

In closing, I want to reiterate a point.  Your body shape, whether underweight, overweight, or healthy weight, was given to you by God through your genetics.  Whether stick straight or extra curvy, it is not something to be ashamed of or hidden away.  Dress your body as best you can, in a feminine manner.  Hiding your shape under boy clothes, tent-like shirts, or clunky white tennis shoes is the opposite of embracing your femininity and uniqueness as a woman.  And that's the crux.  We are unique.  We are different.  We are female.  There's nothing about those facts that we can change.  We CAN change the femininity with which we approach our unique female shape.  Try to make a few small changes and see how it makes you feel as a woman.  Most of all, cultivate that feminine spirit of calm and strength and graciousness....which is far more valuable in a quest for true femininity than any item of clothing could possibly be.