It is very common for future brides to be concerned with their choice of a skirt in relation to their "large hips". However, when I ask them what is the waist circumference and what is their hips circumference, my own hips very often turn out to be bigger, and I myself am the (unprofessional) model in 95% of my shops listings. 

The size of the hips only matter in relation to your waist. For example, a 50" hips may sound like a lot, but only if your waist is smaller than 40", does that make sense? If your hips are lets say 50", and your waist is 42" - then you do not, by any means, have large hips, your hips are only larger by 8" than your waist. So how to really know if you do have large hips and how do I know I do?

My waist is 25.5" and my hips are 39.5", there is a 14" difference between my waist and hips. There is no regular shop where I can buy jeans that fit both, my waist and hips, so tha'ts one indication for sure, because for whatever reason, fast fashion designers believe that the difference between ones waist and hips is supposed to be 10" and no more than that. So if yours is above 10" - you can say you have larger hips, if yours is under 10" - you have very common, fast fashion approved regular size hips. 

Now that is has been established, whether or not you actually have large hips, lets see how skirts affect the look of the hips. There is a massive misconception out there, that large poofy skirts make hips appear larger. No they do not. Not even a little bit. When wearing a massive puffy skirt you just look like you are wearing a massive puffy skirt and there is no way to tell how large or small your hips are underneath. See this photo below, worn by myself, a giant Zephyra skirt, even with some back pick ups for extra volume. But can you tell the size of my hips?

Now if you want to show off your beautiful curves, the opposite approach should be taken - a figure fitting, mermaid style skirt is the way. Now when you wear that, everyone will absolutely notice your hips and their size. Here's me in Julianne skirt to illustrate this effect. 

So the more fitted, form hugging skirt - the more you will be showing your hips and how they differ from the waist. The wider, puffier skirt - nobody will have a clue. But what if you want a relatively flat skirt and still do not want to show your curves? Choose something gathered or pleated at the waist. That's another giant misconception - that if you have large hips, you should choose something that's flat at the waist, and that gathers or pleats there will visually enlarge your hips. The opposite is the truth. Pleats and gathers at the waist diminish the difference in circumferences between your waist and hips. Below is me in Penelope, a linen bridal skirt that does not have anything at the waist, it's cut to shape, even though a full circle. It doesn't really emphasize my hips, but doesn't do anything to diminish them either, very neutral: 

And over here is me in Rhea, a linen skirt that's gathered at the waist, and also a full circle.

In which of those skirts, would you say, my hips look bigger? I vote on the Penelope, the first one. 

And this feature makes our best selling skirt Nora pretty much perfect for anyone. It doesn't really do anything for the hips - it doesn't draw attention there, it doesn't enlarge them, it's got plenty of going all over and everyone I have seen in it, of all shapes and sizes looks amazing. If you'd like to see them too, visit my FB page for the customer gallery

And here is me myself wearing the Nora skirt:

So by now you are aware how to know if you do have large hips, how to confuse everyone into not having a clue what your body is below waist (massive skirts like Zephyra, Magnolia, Catherine, Raina skirts), how to show off your hips (Julianne, Francine, Indra or any other mermaid style), how to simply not hide them (Penelope, Zahara, Helene styles), how to hide them a little bit (something that's gathered at the waist and is an A line - like our Heather, Nora, Rhea, Soraya and similar skirts, we have a ton of this kind), but one question may be remaining? What if you do have large hips, and want to make it seem like you do not, like at all. There is a way and skirts that do that, exist! A carefully engineered Nayeli skirt is one of ours that does just that. At the top of it - delicate ruffles blur out the waist to hips distance area, like what a pore filling primer does for ones face before foundation, and then it gradually widens in more ways then one - cascading ruffles become larger towards the bottom, base of the skirt being a full circle also forms and A line on itself underneath it all. Even if it was all ivory or all white, it would still maintain this effect, but an optional watercolor style bottom helps even more, like a cherry on top - nobody would even think about your hips when your skirts bottom looks like this! 

I mean, what hips?

Everyone is just looking at that train, that's for sure!

Hope this post was helpful, and if you need a specific advice for your figure, I am always available for that.

 Inge, the designer behind Wardrobe by Dulcinea