Hourglass Vs Pear Body Shape – What’s the Difference

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I guess you already know basic things about different types of body shapes. But let’s find out more by doing a comparison of the hourglass vs pear body shape.

Pear body shape measurements

The pear shape is known as a triangle body shape. And here are the measurements that help you to guess if you are a pear or not.

You have a pear shape if your shoulders and hips are smaller than your waist. So, weight gainon your lower body.

I personally have a pear figure. I have big hips (and I always think that I have excess fat there), but the good thing is I have a narrow waist as well.

So, I am always trying to accentuate the top part of my body. It’s a general rule for all of us to make the body look flattering. 

You will learn more about this later in this article.

Pear-shaped body types are one of the most common body shapes for females. 

What do you think, which one is better – hourglass or pear body shape? 

You know what I think – I think that type of figure really doesn’t matter. It just matters for those who are willing to look for a better version of themselves.

But the key here is that if you feel happy in your body and you can confidently style outfits, figure type doesn’t really matter.

Hourglass body shape characteristics

If you haven’t seen my post on how to figure out your body shape, then check it out now. You can find the main “rules” for different body shapes there.

The hourglass body shape is one of the most desired body shapes among women.

You can make your body look like an hourglass with this shapewear that is exactly made to create an illusion of curves of an hourglass body shape. 

So, here are the hourglass body shape characteristics that you should have if you are an hourglass.

Having an hourglass body shape means that you have a very defined waist. It means your shoulders, bust, and hips are at least 25% larger than your waist.

There are many possible measurements that you can have as an hourglass. For example, you may have a tummy but still have an hourglass body shape. You can find out how to dress an hourglass with a big tummy in my other post.

Types of hourglass body shape

There are three types of hourglass body shapes. They are a regular hourglass, a top hourglass, and a bottom hourglass.

The characteristics that I explained above are for a regular hourglass body shape.

But what is a top or bottom hourglass body type?

Top hourglass body shape

The top hourglass is very similar to the regular hourglass. But still, there is a difference between them. 

You have a top hourglass body shape if your waist is very defined, but your bust is larger than your hips. And it is pretty noticeable.

Furthermore, it’s a common characteristic of the top hourglass shape to display shoulders that have a rounded shape, aligning with the hips.

Bottom hourglass body shape

If you are opposite of the top hourglass, then you have a bottom hourglass body shape. 

You have a button hourglass body shape. Your bust measurements are smaller than your hips.

So, that means the bottom measurements of your body are larger than your top. 

Besides very small differences between those types of hourglass bodies, they have different shapes, and so they look different.

In all of those types of hourglass body shapes, your waist is still the most defined part of your body.

So if you take a measuring tape and estimate your upper body, shoulder measurements, hip measurements, and lower half, you will discover that you have an hourglass figure.

The best features of an hourglass shape are a small waist and wide hips. Remember that! 

Check the image to imagine and understand it better.

The difference between the hourglass and the pear body shapes

Features	Hourglass body shape	Pear body shape
Defined waist	+	_
Bigger hips	+	+
Bigger bust	+	_
May have a tummy	+	+
Carry weight on top	_	_
Carry weight on the bottom	_	+
Works well with tight clothes	+	_
Works well with off-shoulder styles	+*	+
Works well with ruffle details	_	+
Works well with a belt	+	+
Works well with wrap tops	+	+
Need to highlight higher body	+	+
Need to highlight lower body	_	_
Need to define a waist	+	+

These are the main characteristics and differences between pear and hourglass body shapes. Now, let’s talk about styling tips for both of them to style your outfits the right way for your body type.

How to dress an hourglass body shape

The hourglass body shape is easy to style. The main rule here would be to define your body shape better.

The defined waist is very beautiful on women, so make it more noticeable. Use belted outfits to do that easily.

Yes, the hourglass body shape is easy to style, but there are still some do’s and don’ts you need to know about.

Do’s

• You need to define your waist more. So, you can use bodycon dresses to show your body curves.

• Avoid paying attention to your hips and shoulders. It will break the balance of your body, and you don’t wanna do that.

• Avoid loose clothes. Just forget them!

• Choose oval necklines that don’t show much of your shoulders and bust. Because making them noticeable will make your higher body wider.

Othernecklines that would be great for an hourglass body shape are square, scoop, and V-neck that flatter your body the way it should.

• Go for peplum tops. If that top is with an empire waist, it would be amazing for you. Your waist will look smaller and more defined with these types of tops.

• I already mentioned wrap styles  (tops and dresses) in a comparison table. 

Here is the list of the best dresses for an hourglass figure, in case you want to have some new ones.

As you can see, both of the body shapes have a plus sign because they work perfectly for any body type. You just need to find a well-fitted one.

• Crop tops and jackets are another wardrobe essential for an hourglass body shape. 

If you choose the right one, it will be cropped on your waist, and that creates a horizontal line. So, it will accentuate the best part of your body.

• I hope you already know how trending a trench coat is. And I have good news for you. 

The trench coat is a piece that is also great for hourglass body shapes. So, use it depending on the season you are reading this. 

Now, let’s go from top to bottom. There are many types of pants that you can wear as an hourglass.

• Wide-leg pants are the ones. If it is high-waisted, better for you. What it does is, it creates a more balanced silhouette of your body.

• Another style of pants you should wear as an hourglass is flared jeans. It helps you to balance your body and still makes your waist very noticeable.

In case you are plus size woman and you have an hourglass body shape, check out my other article where you will learn some awesome stuff.

This is the article where you will learn how to dress plus size hourglass body shape.

Don’ts

• So, if you are an hourglass, you should avoid very narrow necklines. I mean, you need to find theperfect spot where you show and hide enough skin on your shoulders and bust.

• Since you have a very defined waistline, you don’t need to put anything loose on top. Because it will hide all of your curves and also break the balance of your body.

• If we talk about tops, I would suggest youavoid tops with ruffles. Why? Because it shows the spot of your body that is not your asset. I mean, it will show off your shoulders, and it’s not OK if they are very broad.

• Not every style of belt is good for an hourglass body shape. You need to find a perfect size for it because a very big belt will cover your waistline and it will hide it, instead of showing and accentuating it.

If you are not sure about whether you have an hourglass or a rectangle body shape, check out this article here.

Pear body shape clothing tips

Now, let’s talk about pear body shapes and discover some clothing tips for them.

The main rule for pear body shapes would be to highlight your upper body and avoid drawing attention to your lower body.

Another main rule for you would be to wear only dark colors on your lower body. That will minimize the biggest part of your body.

And let’s get to the dos and don’ts for pear body shapes.

Do’s

• Vertical striped bottoms are essential for you. They will draw attention to your higher body because of its vertical lines, which lead the eye to your higher body.

• Tops (dresses) with ruffle details on the chest or shoulder area are the perfect option for you. Guess why? Because that’s the detail in which the eyes will be interested. You can also discover flattering dresses for pear-body-shaped women here

• Take more attention to your upper body with off-shoulder tops.

As you can see, all of these details are for getting eye attention away from your lower body and maximizing your upper body.

• Deep v-neck tops (dresses) will become your best friends. Because no one gonna looks at your hips while you are able to show your bust. Am I right?

• As a pear shape, you can wear horizontal striped tops because they will visually create more space on your upper body. So, your body will be more balanced.

• An oversized cropped jean jacket is also good for pear shapes. 

Again, it will make your body more balanced because of its size on your higher body, and also it will draw the eye’s attention to your waistline and not to your hips.

The pear shape is difficult to style only on your lower body. Because, as I already said, pear shapes are bigger on the sides. But let me share some styles of bottoms that would work for you.

• You need to wear everything high-waisted on your lower body. Doesn’t matter if it’s a skirt, jeans, or just tailored pants – they MUST be high-rise.

• Fit and flare pants would be the perfect option for you. Because it shows a very beautiful silhouette of your body. I mean, it flatters your body type the best way possible.

• If you are looking for a skirt, you can go for an A-line skirt. It does the thing exactly like fit and flare pants. So, it is gonna work great for you as well.

• Pleated skirts will be another good option for you. They are on-trend, and they look so cute and stylish, so yeah, you can wear them too.

• Wide-leg pants will make you look more balanced, so you should confidently wear them. As a pear shape, I would suggest you do everything possible for your upper body. Play with prints, cuts, colors … and every other detail on your tops.

Try to get more attention there.

Don’ts

Forget skinny jeans. They are not just for you. There is only one exception. If you find a pair of jeans with stretchy material, then it’s probably OK. But still, if you are a pear shape, let’s avoid wearing anything tight on the bottom.

If you wonderwhat type of pants you should wear as a pear body-shaped woman, you can check out my post. I have a perfect, easy-to-follow guide for you. Don’t wear pencil skirts. They don’t flatter your body the way you want. You need something more shaped with more space on it.

Hourglass body shape celebrities

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