We can create the contours we want by clever use of cut, fabric and silhouette
If a defined waist is what you’re after, choose vertical seams, diagonal cuts, asymmetry and tucking, writes Anna Berkeley © Edward Berthelot/Getty Images
September 13 2024
I suffer from an expanding middle in which my waist has all but disappeared, could you help me create a look that doesn’t make me feel so shapeless?
This is a massively common problem, so you are not alone. There are tonnes of tricks one can employ — let’s get into it.
Dressing well, in my opinion, is all about balance. The beauty of clothes is that they can give each of us more curve where we might long for it and skim over places we want to minimise, creating the shape we want by clever use of cut, fabric and silhouette. If the impression of a waist is what you’re after, choose vertical seams, diagonal cuts, asymmetry and tucking.
Let’s home in on the centre of the body first. You can use vertical lines, a twist detail or a cinch. Shirt dresses would be a good entry point to ease you into things. This knee-length one from Goen.J is fantastic for petites and the twist creates shape at the waist point (£283 on sale, farfetch.com). Always try a couple of sizes as you don’t want it to pull across the tummy.
There are other brands that do similar styles — Jacquemus always has something along these lines (£615, jacquemus.com), although they are a lot more revealing. Look at Nanushka and JW Anderson too.
Other things to keep an eye out for are sculpting patterns or seams. They help to streamline by drawing the eye to the contrast detail and away from an undefined waist. This Proenza Schouler patterned dress needs only a pair of earrings, a slick of red lipstick and some sandals (or an ankle boot when autumn comes around, £440, proenzaschouler.com). This simple but supremely flattering option from Simkhai has a corseting feature at the waist and is so clever at giving you some more shape (£420, simkhai.com). It comes in a pleasing number of colours too. Add gold jewellery and a tonal shoe to complete the look.
Victoria Beckham asymmetric turtleneck dress, £950, net-a-porter.com
Proenza Schouler tie dye Kieran dress, £440, proenzaschouler.com
Asymmetry is another ally. Designers such as Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens and Roland Mouret always work with asymmetric design and details. Jigsaw and AllSaints are good high street options for similar styles.
This Victoria Beckham dress is a case in point. The top ends with a point that slices into the side of the hip, rather reminiscent of a medieval royal gown. This design detail is reinforced by the contrasting colours of the top, in burgundy, and the skirt, in black (£950, net-a-porter.com). At a more palatable price, this jumper from Barbour would look wonderful with a straight leg or relaxed jean for the weekend (£80, flannels.com). The gold buttons cut into the trunk of the body, creating a diagonal line and shrinking the waist a little.
Waistcoats are brilliant for autumnal layered looks with a simple white tee underneath. This Frankie Shop one is very fitted but has an extreme diagonal with a “w” hem which also helps to break up any straightness through the centre of the body (£182, net-a-porter.com). Pair with a flat fronted wide trouser for full effect.
Cult Gaia have a veritable treasure trove of asymmetrical knit options — especially for Boho fans (it’s back on, by the way). Wear this fringed ribbed top with a simple tailored trouser or skirt (£272, net-a-porter.com). This more wintry long-sleeve option is a chic Sunday lunch number with your favourite jean (£350, cultgaia.com).
Agolde Criss Cross boyfriend recycled jeans, £300, net-a-porter.com
Cult Gaia Trista one-shoulder fringed asymmetric ribbed-knit top, £272, net-a-porter.com
For more subtle offerings search your wardrobe for tunic tops or shirts where you just tuck the edge of the slit or curved hem creating your own diagonal line at an angle of your choice. This wool shirt by The Attico has it all done for you — it looks almost like someone has taken a little nibble out of it (£570, net-a-porter.com). Toteme has a similar tank top. The rib is great for small busts (£350, net-a-porter.com).
While we are on the subject of tucking, doing a half tuck (putting one side in and leaving the other side out) creates a stepped hem. This in turn makes the waist look smaller by focusing the eye to the tucked part of the waistband.
You can, of course, create a similar effect with your bottoms. Watch out for simple wrap details and crossovers. This jean by Agolde with a criss-cross at the waist is a boon (£300, net-a-porter.com), as is this rather more pricey and considerably more distressed option by R13 (£715, net-a-porter.com). And finally, this Jacquemus denim skirt is one of the best that I have seen for a long time as the off-centre zip and diagonal seams are perfectly placed for disguising a straight-line waist (£425, net-a-porter.com).
As a footnote there are a few pitfalls to be aware of. Generally, I would recommend opting for semi-fitted shapes as they already lend themselves to creating a bit of an in and out shape to the body. Very straight-line dresses — such as shifts and columns — will only make you look straighter and can catch on the tummy. Avoid seams and lines across the widest part of your stomach. An on that note — belts, contrary to what you may have read elsewhere, are not easy to use to create a waist. Knitted dresses can also be slippery creatures — it all depends on the weight of the yarn, the type of knit and how it clings to the body — so proceed with caution.
In summary, it’s much easier to achieve a more defined waist by making careful choices with the cut of your clothes and being fastidious about where design details sit on the body. You can also achieve similar results by making the adjacent body area look fuller than it is, whether that’s a built-out hip, wider leg trouser or full skirt. Happy waist making!
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