Welcome Grimsthorpe! yep, hourglass with IT tendencies. I find that many hourglasses do have some IT going on, your shoulders need to be strong in order to create the 'classic' hourglass shape. Imogen's idea of the X type would apply to you as well.
and yes, many consider this figure type to be 'the ideal', as fashionista said: "Lovely features!!! I would kill anyone for those measurements."
But as a woman with a very similar figure (with even larger bust and shoulders), how i can relate to this: "Heh, actually, none of my clothes fit me without serious alterations (not only due to my waist, but also because the widest part of my hips sits so low and my torso is so long)."
Shopping with our figure type is a real pain in the keister! Frankly that's the main reason why i sew so many of my own clothes, it take so long and such trouble to find properly fitting clothes that it's actually less trouble to make them from scratch. I'm not trying to be a martyr or anything, but if you think about it - there's lots of advantages to having a less pronounced shape!
That said, Grimsthorpe i can give you a few shopping hints. Knits and wovens with spandex make a whole world of difference! I don't bother with any RTW that's not stretch anymore unless it's a very flowy, voluminous fit. Cultivate a good tailor or seamstress to make alterations for you. I buy mostly separates, as trying to get an off the rack dress to fit is useless. Buy tops to fit your shoulders and alter bust and waist, and buy bottoms to fit your hips/upper thighs and alter the waist (you'll get the best results this way - you can't add fabric that is not there).
When you have a good tailor/seamstress, you may consider having difficult-to-find items custom made. Have an in-depth discussion about this option with whoever you plan to use BEFORE you buy any fabric, patterns, etc. You will be much happier with the process and the results that way.
And of course, learning how to sew and/or do your own alterations is a perfectly good option. It makes a lot of sense, too, if literally everything you buy has to be tweaked for a decent fit!
There's a lady called Teresa Tapp who does exercises and posture coaching for models. Her theory is that hourglass figures with small waists tend to be long in the torso. The idea is that everyone has the same number of organs, muscles, etc. in the abdomen - if you have a shorter/smaller space between the ribs and hips you have more in there and it doesn't have room to spread out, but if you have more space between the ribs and hips things have more room and so that area will look smaller. I don't know if it's literally true or not, but i have noticed that ladies with longer torsos do tend to have smaller waists.
this pic shows the shoulders and how i carry the hip width really at the top of the thighs.
For What It's Worth! Good luck and have fun, steph
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