The waistline of a dress refers to the line separating the upper and lower portions of a garment. It cuts the garment across, and our eyes linger a lot on this dress element. 

The attractiveness of a female body is related to its waist-hip ratio, so says . Whatever opinion you may have about the conclusions of the study and related theories, there is no denying that designers design clothes intending to make the body somewhat close to these ratios and such.

Knowing the waistlines and where they should ideally rest on the body to keep up with these illusions may or may not seem necessary to you. If the answer is yes, read on.

You may also be interested in learning further about the various aspects of female body shape, in relation to the clothes we wear. Check out more about the 7 female bodyshapes and guidelines to dress according to body shape. 

Different types of Waistlines

1. Natural waistline

This refers to a waistline which rests on your natural waist – that is the narrowest part of your torso, between the rib cage and hips. If you have a small waist, show off your waist with this type of waistline. 

2. Antebellum waistline

This is a V shaped waistline; This waistline begins at the natural waistline and then dips about 2 or 2.5 inches below the natural waistline at the center of the front bodice. A very popular waistline for dresses as it can make your body look slender and longer.

3. Asymmetrical waistline

A waistline without a balance; one side of the waistline will be different from the other side. For eg: drop waist on one side and raised on one side.

4. Basque Waistline

A variation of the antebellum waistline. This waistline starts below the natural waistline (some 2 inches or so) and then dips to a V or U shape in the center front of the bodice.

This is a good choice for those with hourglass, pear, and sometimes apple body shapes. It can help to elongate the torso, so it is good for some one with a round apple shape. The V or U shape can create an illusion of length and draw the eye upward, balancing the broader hips for those with a pear bodyshape.

5. Blouson waistline

This is a gathered waistline; the loose folds of the bodice is gathered in a balloon skirt style; the waistline may be gathered at the natural waistline or below it.

This mightnot work on some one with an apple bodyshape as their full midsection gets even more extra volume with this waistline. It is also not a good choice for those with not-much-of-a-waist – a body with a straight column proportion. Another bodyshape that doesnot suit this waistline is a petite – The extra added volume of a blouson waistline can overwhelm the smaller stature of a petite bodyshape.

6. Dropped waistline

This is a waistline which sits below the natural waist – it could be 3 inches to 12 inches down from the natural waist.

A dropped waistline can bring eyes and attention down to your hips, so if you have anything to avoid at the hips, look for some other waistline. The advantage of this waistline is that it can elongate the torso and can make you look taller.

7. Cinched waistline

This is a waistline which is tapered, made very narrow at the mid-section of the torso, with the help of a wide sash/belt, specially meant for this.

8. Empire waistline

The waistline that starts just under the bust line.

This can emphasize your bust so those who do not want to draw attention to this area, avoid. But those who have a small bust can benefit with this waistline. 

9. Inverted V/U waistline

This waistline starts at a higher point in the body at the center front ( either at the natural waist, above it or below it) and then dips down at either side of the bodice.

10. Raised waistline

This refers to a waistline which is slightly raised from the natural waist; about 1 inch or so.

Then finally in contrast to all of these, there is the No-Waistline look – it could be a paneled bodice with no or a simple slip bodice. A princess line dress/tent dress etc has this look of having no waistline to speak of.

Check out the related posts on the 12 Exploring Different Silhouettes in clothing; different Gowns and their names and Types of dresses – list with pictures 

• Different kinds of Tshirt
• Different types of dress shirts
• Names for all kinds of bodices
• Different types of tops for women.