Olivier Rousteing of Balmain might as well be Olivier Kardashian — his specific aesthetic of beaded minidresses, ruched silk pencil skirts, and strong-shouldered jackets has become the uniform of the #WorldsMostTalkedAbout family. He's so embedded in their look, in fact, that even Kanye was willing to share the stage with him at his own fashion show. And three weeks later, during Rousteing's Balmain presentation in Paris, the Kardashian energy was just as strong. Each outfit looked like a greatest hits mash-up of Kim's, Kris', Kourtney's, Khloe's, and Kylie's (not Kendall's) most memorable looks. While they weren't particularly novel, they did serve as an excellent primer for achieving the Kardashians' most signature fashion silhouette: the hourglass.With some clever styling tricks and purposeful shape-play, Rousteing gave straight-and-narrow runway models some of that coveted curviness. While you might not be into wearing daytime silk fringe or bodycon dresses with thigh-high boots to live your life in, these hourglass-achieving tips might come in handy the next time you want to accentuate (or just totally fake) a tiny waist, big hips, and a full chest.
When picking out a coat or jacket, consider that XXL lapels have a broadening effect on your shoulders, and conversely slim the appearance of your waist.
Not saying that you have to go full muppet on the sleeves, but any emphasis on your shoulders and arms will give your shoulders the impression of being wider. Look for jeweled embellishments, a tiny peaked shoulder, or even a contrast sleeve. Make sure the rest of the jacket is cut slim to your body's shape.
The wider a belt, the more corset-like look it gives you. Duh, right? A shiny gold band like this will make your waist look tiny, especially if you wear it with a more voluminous blouse that can flare out below the belt and puff up on top.
This sort of birdcage-style skirt might be hard to find in stores now, but its cousins — the peplum, the paper-bag-waist skirt, and the full skirt — can provide a similar silhouette. Need even more volume? If you don't have a short crinoline (because, who does?), wear a fuller shorter skirt underneath a more structured one to give it a little lift.
A subtle, sneaky way to give your hips the illusion of being fuller is to wear shirts with a gently scooping hemline that rises up high on the sides, and down longer in the front. Wear pants or a skirt that has a higher rise, so you're not flashing skin between the top and bottom — that ruins the effect.
If you break up the top half of your body with one color, keep the middle slice another shade, and wear a different one on your bottom half (we're talking pants, shoes, tights — the whole shebang), it can often give your body an hourglass shape. Keep the center band in a darker color than on top and bottom for best results.
Any skirt with some airy texture, whether via feathers, fringe, or embellishments, will give your bottom half more of a rounded shape.
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