waistshaped

Waistshaped is an adjective describing a form or profile characterized by a constricted midsection resembling a human waist. The term is used across disciplines such as fashion, sculpture, pottery, and furniture to indicate a waist-like narrowing between the upper and lower portions of an object or figure.

In fashion and design, waistshaped forms create an hourglass silhouette by cinching the waist with seams, darts, belts, or tucks. Historically, corsets and fitted bodices are associated with a waistshaped profile; in modern design, waist shaping can be achieved through tailoring or structural materials to produce a similar effect on garments and accessories.

In the visual and decorative arts, waistshaped profiles appear in sculpture and vessels. Vases, bottles, or jugs with a narrow midsection between the shoulder and base are often described as waisted or waist-shaped; this descriptor communicates how the form transitions from a broader upper section to a narrower middle and outward again toward the base.

Etymology and usage notes: waistshaped is a compound formed from waist and shaped. It is less common in formal terminology than “waisted” or “waist-shaped” (with a hyphen), and writers may prefer one form over another depending on stylistic guidelines. The concept is descriptive rather than technical, and context determines whether it refers to the human body, clothing, or an object’s profile.