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A small waist with curvy hips might work for Beyoncé, but for 36-year-old Annalie Maher – a size 12 top and size 16 bottom half – it’s a nightmare.

“I’ve always been pear-shaped,” says Annalie, a fashion buyer and mum of two from Northamptonshire.

“I have a small waist and a flat tummy but large hips.

"My jeans never hang properly – they have to be wide to fit my hips, but I always need a belt to pull in my waist.

"And I’ve given up on dresses.

"If they do stretch across my hips and thighs, they gape at the bust.”

TV stylist Nicky Hambleton-Jones reckons that having a curvaceous bottom half is no excuse for avoiding dresses.

“They can be amazingly slimming – Annalie just has to find dresses in forgiving fabrics with the right detailing,” she explains.

ANNALIE'S VERDICT: “I feel like I’ve lost two dress sizes!

"I’ve never felt so slim – I look a size 12 all over now.

"I can’t believe I’ve avoided dresses for so long.”

Nicky presents 10 Years Younger. Her book Top To Toe is out now (Hodder & Stoughton, £16.99).

NICKY SAYS

"To narrow wide hips and cheat a slim silhouette, go for detailing that cuts the dress lengthways, like this sexy ruffle."

Dress, £30, Dorothy Perkins; necklace, £15, Freedom at Topshop; belt, stylist’s own; rings, Annalie’s own; shoes, £95, Dune

NICKY SAYS

"The pattern at the bottom of this dress draws attention away from Annalie’s bottom and hips, while a batwing bolero adds volume at the top to balance out her shape."

Bolero, £25, Limited Collection at Marks & Spencer; dress, £59.50, Per Una at Marks & Spencer; belt, £8, Zara; cuff, £8, Freedom at Topshop; clutch, £119, Jane Shilton

NICKY SAYS

“Wrapover dresses in soft jersey cling in all the right places. They fit snugly at the top to emphasise a slim waist and tummy, then fall away from the hips for a leaner look.”

Dress (with belt), £50, Star by Julien Macdonald at Debenhams; necklace, £12, Wallis; handbag, £80, Aldo; bangle, £8, Freedom at Topshop; shoes, £54.99, River Island

 

STOCKISTS

Aldo (020 7836 7692),
Debenhams (0844 561 6161),
Dorothy Perkins (0845 121 4515),
Dune (020 7258 3605),
Jane Shilton (020 7736 7771),
Freedom at Topshop (01277 844476),
Marks & Spencer (0845 603 1603),
River Island (020 8991 4759),
Wallis (01277 844479),
Zara (020 7851 4300)

Words: Georgia Barlow. Styling: Jemima Fleming. Photography: Lancton. Hair: Guy Kremer (guykremer.com). Make-Up: Pascal Marin (pascalmarin.com).