Skinny jeans on pears - when are they acceptable?

[CulturalBear]

I am woeful in matters of fashion. I am a pear, always have been. My hips are about 33-34in and my boobs a pathetic 30C, I have a long body, long waist and short, short legs.

My standard outfit is darkish jeans (bootcut), worn with very old Cat-style boots and a thin jumper.

I look a mess, and I know this. The everyday jeans are baggy, and all the tops I own are hanging off me a bit as well since I lost the babyweight.

DP says I should wear skinny jeans. I keep telling him they make me look like a whale - he says 'but everyone wears them and they don't look bad'. Who's right? When are skinny jeans acceptable on a pear? Ever?

[Bohemond]

They have always looked dreadful on me until I bought a pair of Ocean crop dark jeans from White Stuff this summer (I generally look less short in cropped stuff). I am 5ft 2 with similar sized hips and 'sporty' thighs and calves. The crops roll down to be almost perfect length on me and, for some reason look great. Might be worth a try? They still have them available on the website and are reduced.

[GoatsDoRoam]

I'm an hourglass, and I only wear skinny jeans if I am wearing something on top that hits below the bum: a tunic, sweater-dress, mid-thigh dress, etc.

[buttercrumble]

I don't give a monkeys , I'm a 16 and wear them all the time

[Floisme]

I'm a bit pear shaped. Skinnies aren't exactly my best look (I don't think they look great on many women, to be honest) but I don't think they're a total no-no, I just wear them with something that'll distract attention from my thighs e.g. a knee length cardigan, jewelry, a scarf or ankle boots.

[CulturalBear]

Ah but buttercrumble, it doesn't matter what size you are, it's the shape that matters!

My mum is a size 16-18 apple and looks good in skinnies because she has nice slim legs. I look really bad, despite being size 8 and 5ft 4, because all my wide bits are on my thighs and hips.

Jeans are a regular source of trauma for me - I have a long gap between crotch and waist so can't wear anything other than hipster cut (not a good look either really), and many other styles I try on I can't get past my thighs or if I do, I end up with huge gaps between me and the waistband. It's why I end up in bigger sizes so much.

I didn't know White Stuff did grown up clothes (thought it was just candles, or am I just confusing that with the White Company?) - will have a look, thanks.

[mkmjimmy]

See my thread about knee high boots. I'm a pear and I wear skinnies with knee high boots that balance it all out (menopausal arse is I phrase that was on a thread not long ago). And either a long top or a top that cuts in at the right place to make it look like I've got a waist (I haven't). Also one pair of ankle boots that work. My husband suggested skinnies - and I was skeptical so he had to sit there while I tried on scores of pairs to find ones that suited. Which eventually I did. But you do have to find the right balance of boots, top and skinnies till it all looks right. I look much less of a mess than I did....he was right.

[Mrsgrumble]

I think you've to wear a really good cut and darkest navy. Often wear heels and a longline cardigan.

I was a Ardmore bootcut person until I was by everyone on here raving about them being out of dad and was pleasantly surprised when I tried them.

[Mrsgrumble]

Hardcore

[Mrsgrumble]

Date .. Grr typos

[CulturalBear]

Nice boots mkmjimmy! It was in fact a shopping trip to find some decent footwear (settled on knee high boots but all quite baggy round the ankle thus far) that sparked this crisis.

I essentially need an entirely new wardrobe, but when you haven't just won the lottery it's a total pain trying to get the odd bit here and there which works with current stuff and future stuff...

[SorrelForbes]

TBH 34" hips is quite petite even with a pear shape so I can't imagine skinned looking bad on you.

On those of us with heavier thighs i think they do look better when worn with heels.

[ThisBitchIsResting]

I'm a slim pear, similar shape to you I think, and I think they look fine, I wear them all the time! I think it's just a bit weird the first time you wear them as you're used to bootcuts. I have a flattish stomach which I think maybe helps. But I don't ever see women wearing skinnies and think they look bad, whatever shape they are, unless the jeans are too small and cut into the waist area, that's the only real no-no for me. Or just really thin fabric that shows cellulite, that's pretty bad. But being a pear is irrelevant I think. Try wearing looser shapes on top to balance - I have a big waist hip ratio that I try to disguise by wearing things that disguise my waist - a bit weird to hide my smallest part, but def looks better. So fitted around my shoulders and small boobs, then looser at waist, then skinnies and ballets or boots or heels.

[maybemyrtle]

I'm a definite pear but only wear skinnies. Bootcut or straight jeans look like I'm trying to pretend I'm skinnier than I am in that Gok optical illusion way. Knee high or ankle boots seem to accentuate my thighs but mid-calf looks good. Solid black skinnies look best on me but I also wear faded grey and blue, and I don't like wearing them with tops longer than my hip bones (see above).

Of course pears can wear skinnies. We're our worst critics, if your DP says you look good in them why doubt him? Also as Sorrel said, 34" hips are pretty slim!

[Sunmakesmesmile]

With your hip measurements I suspect you'd look great in skinny jeans?

[pinkpeoniesplease]

I have with skinny jeans for about ten years (since I was a teenager). I'm not sure they're the most flattering thing on my but they are up to date and don't look scruffy in my opinion.
I also figure people can see what shape I am, it's not as though they thought I was a size 8 until I put them on!
Maybe get a cheap pair from New Look or somewhere and see how you feel?

[CulturalBear]

I also have quite a big butt - it's always been fairly sporty and active, with muscly thighs to match. It's just such an extreme difference between skinny ankles, huge thighs and hips then small waist (about 26in I think) and narrow shoulders that it looks very out of proportion.

The short legs and looong body is also an issue. I look topsy turvy!

I really enjoyed wearing skinnies when I was pregnant because it didn't matter how big my hips/thighs looked compared to my bump ha.

Also DP doesn't know what I look like in them. The last time we went shopping for jeans I tried on a pair of straight cut and even he conceded they looked terrible - too tight round the thigh and just plain bad. I've not been brave enough to do skinnies since.

I guess part of it is the shoe thing - I just don't have a good amount of shoes. Ballets and other flats fall off my feet constantly. Anything with straps shortens the leg and accentuates the stumpiness - I kind of assumed ankle boots and mid-calf boots would do the same. But maybe mid-calf boots would be okay because people would assume they're knee highs and therefore there's a longer hip to top of the boot gap?

Am I overthinking this? I'd love to wear baseball boots, but that wouldn't work. Maybe the low-cut baseball boots??

[CulturalBear]

I've developed a stance that if you can't work out what shape someone is, then they're dressing it well. I think I'd be very obviously pear-y in skinnies...

[MyUserNameIsWhat]

I thought I could never wear skinnies until I found a pair that actually fitted and I am now never out of them. I do have to be careful, some just make my legs look huge and it did take me a while to get over the fact that people can see the exact shape of your legs. I wear mine with either mid calf biker boots or flats and I think they look fine. My current jeans are H &M skinny low cut -the £29.99 pair.

[OneSkinnyChip]

I wear them all the time and I'm a size 16 pear. I wear them with boots though. If I'm going to wear them with sandals I tend to wear them with a longer top that nips in at the waist. Skinnies are more slimming on me than the baggy jeans I was wearing before.

[OscarWinningActress]

They look great on pears if you wear them with a long top or tunic (
should hit where your bum meets your legs). If you wear a looser top you can get away with a ballet flat, if not then knee high boots look amazing and balance out your shape.

As a PP said they DO feel weird when you first try them on if your used to Bootcuts, but once you pair them with the right top and footwear they feel amazing and are actually quote slimming.

Always get the darkest ones you can find.

[OscarWinningActress]

you're not your

[ocelot41]

Depends how pronounced your pear shape it. I am reasonably slim but am going to try giving up on jeans altogether as I just don't suit them. My replacements are H and M relaxed chinos and created concept harem trousers.

[SorrelForbes]

If you're a 30C then your around bust measurement is around 33". So, that's 33, 36, 34 which is an hourglass shape. I'm also an hourglass with thighs that I think are too big for the rest of my build. I have massive trauma over wearing jeans (see the Winter thread for my epic jean shopping trip at the weekend!) purely because I don't like my thighs.

It's all about the right cut and make. I can't wear J Brand but Frame and Paige look ok. New Look and Topshop are terrible on me but River Island, Gap and Next are good.

[Floisme]

I've come to the conclusion that jeans (no matter what the style) are actually very tricky to wear. It's taken me fifty-odd years to realise this but hey

[FavadiCacao]

I'm hourglass with bigger hips than yours and I just bought a pair -dark colour of course. A straight camisole or blouse can reproportion the hips, the length would depend on the pair of jeans. You could also try a short jacket that stops just above your hips, to give the impression of a shorter body and longer legs whilst widening the sholder a bit. Similarly, you could try a long fitted layer under a short jumper which ideally would not come in at the waist.