hemlines and figure

[LeMimi13]

Hello! I was just thinking.. what kind of hemlines flatter each body type?

For me, I'm an hourglass and a bit overweight, I love accentuating my waist. What would be the best kind of hemline? V, blunt, U, layers? My hair is in between waist and hip

[Arctic]

I've often thought about this too.

With clothing, the advice is to avoid drawing attention to your problem area, say with a horizontal line at that spot, or other details. And vice versa, if one would want to accentuate, put horizontal lines and details there. In addition to the hem shape, I think the length plays a part too.

I would imagine if one would want to downplay hips, then avoiding straight, blunt hemline at hip level would be good. If one wants to accentuate waist, then blunt, straight hemline at waist would work. I think U and V might work a bit differently, and is generally more slimming and flattering.

I have never had long hair myself, and have been wondering where my sweet spot on my body would be, and whether I actually could /or would want to) grow my hair that long.

[spidermom]

Perhaps this is why I hated blunt cut at hip length. In my mind, I thought that it looked too much like a cape, but it probably also accentuated my hips. I'm more than a little overweight.

Anyway, I love my lightly layered, steep U hem. I think it's much more flattering. Let's see if I can come up with comparison pictures. Nope - looks like I hated the blunt cut so much that I deleted all photos.

I've also noticed that it's much more flattering to my profile to have a high bun or a nape bun. The buns that come out at the middle-back of my head make me look so old! Maybe it's just me.

[Robot Ninja]

I've also noticed that it's much more flattering to my profile to have a high bun or a nape bun. The buns that come out at the middle-back of my head make me look so old! Maybe it's just me.

It's not just you. They don't look good on me either.

The other thing with a blunt hemline is that it cuts you in half visually, especially if your hair is thick or poufy. So at certain lengths your proportions would look off. If it hits at the same spot as your shirt hem it wouldn't matter, but otherwise I think a V or U hemline would be more flattering.

So now I have two questions: 1: why do fashion blogs never consider how flattering your hairstyle is from the back? They're all about hairstyles that flatter your face shape, but not a thing about hairstyles that flatter your body shape, and 2: how many people have asked the question "does this hemline make my butt look big?"

[Night_Kitten]

...
So now I have two questions: 1: why do fashion blogs never consider how flattering your hairstyle is from the back? They're all about hairstyles that flatter your face shape, but not a thing about hairstyles that flatter your body shape, and 2: how many people have asked the question "does this hemline make my butt look big?"

I think the answer to question 1 is the length of the suggested cuts in most magazines and fashion blogs - it's quite rare to find anything past mid-back, so not too many options to accentuate / hide body parts (unless it's the neck or shoulders), so most of the "action" is around the face...
As for question 2, my hem is unfortunately too tapered to accentuate or hide anything, so I didn't really consider that before you mentioned it...

[mermaid lullaby]

My opinion, but I think U looks the best on everybody.

For some reason, waist on made me look shorter and stocky. As my hair grows longer, it slims down my frame? I thought that was interesting for me.

[missblueeyes]

So now I have two questions: 1: why do fashion blogs never consider how flattering your hairstyle is from the back? They're all about hairstyles that flatter your face shape, but not a thing about hairstyles that flatter your body shape, and 2: how many people have asked the question "does this hemline make my butt look big?"

I'm guessing that's because most people wear their hair at BSL - Waist at the longest and they don't need to worry about how their hair accentuates their body. Then, most very long hairstyles out of LHC seem to be worn in layers rather than blunt, which I think is softer and easier to style because there shouldn't be any harsh lines. Just my two cents. :)

[truepeacenik]

It's not just you. They don't look good on me either.

The other thing with a blunt hemline is that it cuts you in half visually, especially if your hair is thick or poufy. So at certain lengths your proportions would look off. If it hits at the same spot as your shirt hem it wouldn't matter, but otherwise I think a V or U hemline would be more flattering.

So now I have two questions: 1: why do fashion blogs never consider how flattering your hairstyle is from the back? They're all about hairstyles that flatter your face shape, but not a thing about hairstyles that flatter your body shape, and 2: how many people have asked the question "does this hemline make my butt look big?"

Because "does this bob make my neck look short and fat?" Doesn't occur to them?


Actually, I'm happy we don't have that sort of obsession with long hair (as longhairs. Plenty of short haired folk have issues with long hair, but if you didn't grow t and were not asked directly, STFU).
There is already too much pressure to be perfect.

[Robot Ninja]

My opinion, but I think U looks the best on everybody.

For some reason, waist on made me look shorter and stocky. As my hair grows longer, it slims down my frame? I thought that was interesting for me.

It's not surprising really, since long vertical lines will do that.



Actually, I'm happy we don't have that sort of obsession with long hair (as longhairs. Plenty of short haired folk have issues with long hair, but if you didn't grow t and were not asked directly, STFU).
There is already too much pressure to be perfect.

I wouldn't consider it an obsession really, just something to maybe consider, if you want to. Most of us with hair that hits the butt area tend to wear it up or braided a lot of the time anyway.

I think I can honestly say that a blunt, classic-length hemline would not be a good look on me though. Coincidentally, or maybe not so coincidentally, I don't like blunt hemlines. Kinda makes me wonder how many members choose their goal length and/or hemline based on what would be flattering to their body type, even if they're not consciously thinking about it, at least among the people who like to wear their hair down sometimes.

[LeMimi13]

I used to havr classic lenght , blunt and very thick, though slightly wavy, and it flattered me, but since its shorter, Idk. I lost weight anyway, so I should be happy!! (I lost about 11kg of fat in a month and a half, and O'm 5ft9-5ft10 , so i'm now jist slightly overweight).
i want something tp flattrr my new weight, so make me look a bit taller ( I'm tall, but I don't look tall in pictures since I have a large body), slimmer and more feminine, yet I want it to look thick, healthy and to be able to grow it back to classic or even more :)

[endlessly]

Great question! I think about this all the time, too.

I have an hourglass figure as well, but I'm always trying to hide or at least disguise my hips and depending on my hemline, it can either help me tremendously or make them stand out even more. Currently, my hemline is blunt, ending just a bit longer than TBL, and because it is such a blunt cut, it definitely serves to accentuate how wide my hips are. When my hair was a bit more tapered, it seemed to help camouflage quite a bit more.

I wouldn't recommend a blunt cut just for the reason I stated up above, but maybe try a U-shape or even layers. If you're self-conscious of your hips like I am, a V-shape will draw more attention to that, too, so proceed with caution.

[cat11]

I think V in the small of your backmakes your hips look more womanly, if you are rather straight figured. I think having accentuated hips looks good! The more curves the merrier IMHO. I think blunt as waist accentuates the waist as tiny. I think classic blunt flatters all figures and makes curves look nice, since you have that long straight line down the middle to accentuate the hourglass symettry on the sides (even if you arent that hourglassy) and makes ones butt look nice. Classic blunt is such a flattering cut on everyone I've seen it on! Farther than that I'm inclined to say the hem doesn't do much for your figure either way, but the line of long hair does that nice symmetry thing and is very feminine :)

I find it confusing that alot of women want to hide their hips. I think men like women with wide hips it's feminine and voluptuous :D Plus I always think ladies with wide hips look good. They fill out their jeans. Like Beyonce and like Brazillian women. I was so afraid as a young teen I would never develop curves, now that I have them I try to accentuate them...it's part of being a woman to not have a rectangular shape, I think :) Plus all the girls I've ever met that didnt have hips told me they hated "looking 12" and if they didnt watch their weight their boyfreinds looked at them different, like they looked childish :( I dont think ya'll have anything to hide :)

[Nightshade]

I actually think somewhat the opposite of a couple posters, if you have a smaller waist and want to flatter that point, stick with BSL or hip instead. Don't add another visual point to the area of the body you're trying to emphasize :) Adding a hemline to your waist doesn't let your waistline have a clean, hourglass backdrop. Move the hemline above or blow, and it does.

[lapushka]

I don't look at this - at all. Waist had its charms (flattering for the figure), then hip covered my smallest area (waist) up, and now TBL+ and almost classic. I mean... it changes as you grow, unless you really want to trim in favor of a "nice hemline". My focus is on length right now and not on anything else.

[Upside Down]

It also depends on hairtype.
I hate how my curly hair looks in a blunt hemline, it makes me look chubby from behind. Fairytale ended deep V is good, it goes wide and then narrow with the figure. But then, I never grew much past waist.

Streight flat blunt hemlines imo shorten the figure, V and Us extend, as a general rule, not to be applied to everyone.

[gwenalyn]

I think hip+layering usually accentuates a nice waist, as far as I've seen. That's probably what I'm going for, seeing as I'm sort of an hourglassy ruler shape.

[TheGoddess]

How do you explain to your stylist what kind of hemline you want, I like the very slight U shaped hemlines

[Sarahlabyrinth]

How do you explain to your stylist what kind of hemline you want, I like the very slight U shaped hemlines

Well, it could be tricky. Maybe show your hairdresser a photo of the hemline you want?

[Doreen]

I think a U at waist or a V ending at hip would do well to accent your waist!

[LeMimi13]

I think a U at waist or a V ending at hip would do well to accent your waist!

And where would you start the V?

[Wildcat Diva]

How do you explain to your stylist what kind of hemline you want, I like the very slight U shaped hemlines
I found out by accident that my barber naturally makes her cut end up a U when all the hair is back. She steps to the side and pulls the hair on the side of the head straight down at the side (by my elbows) to cut it all even, so it's kinda more a 3-D than 2-D thing (hope that makes sense). When it's all back afterward, The hair at the sides has to travel farther to get over my shoulders to the back than the hair at the back of my head, so when it arrives it looks shorter than the hair at the back of my head. Wow I sound confusing, sorry. When my hair is all back behind me, it makes a slight U naturally that I like a lot.

[Red Rapunzel]

I have a blunt cut straight across. Would like to have a "U" or a "V" cut but my hair has thinned out too much - so I need a straight-across cut for my hemline to look fuller. IMO, the most flattering length for me - having full hips - is just below BSL because that takes the viewer's attention upward from my hips to a little above my waist - which is smaller - a more desirable focal point. For that reason, I nearly always wear my hair in a low ponytail flowing down my back whenever I wear a dress.

Red Rapunzel

[Chromis]

I think clothes make a lot more difference than hair, but best is to have confidence in your shape!