looking to dress more for my shape but what is it? please help!

[mouses]

any style gurus out there that can give me advice?

I live in 3/4 length tops over leggings or skinny jeans with a jumper. although I feel it suits my lifestyle of stay at home mum. I just waned to experiment with style.

ive been looking at the body shape guidelines but I always think im big and wider so I don't think im pear shape or skittle if that's the term?
i dont know what areas to meassure - but my attempted measurements are

shoulders - 38inch
under boobs - 30inch
chest standing - 30
chest bending 34inch
this is where I gets confused measuring?
waist at smallest part - 26inch
hips (in line with belly button) -33inch
hips (over widest part of bottom?) 38.5inch yes my bum is huge!

I wear a 32dd bra (should be 30E according to bra lady :-) ) but most shops don't stock 30's and would rather try on than order on line...

I don't have lady legs at all! they are quite chunky calfs that don't narrow to the ankle. more like thankless ;-)

hopefully I have given a good description. so what style of clothes would you put me in?

thanks in advance

[mouses]

just a note to say when it comes to sizes I have a nightmare getting comfy fitting jeans. 10's mostly come up tight and 12 are baggy.

im lost with sizes, as when people look at me they think size 8! which don't even go past my thigh ;-) ... my thighs are 22inch at biggest part.

[Valdeeves]

Sounds to me like you have an amazing shape - a 26 inch waist!!! That's the part you need to work ok showing - what's your tummy like?

[mouses]

at the moment its doing the 'bloated' look
BUT im toning again with pilates SO usually looks ok.
26 waist with 38 hips/bottom seems out of proportion you don think?

in the summer I do wear crop tops with linen, ( on those limited sunny days ;-) )

when it comes to winter im a confused mess and live in baggy stuff?
what would you say it was? pear?

[mouses]

oh and when ive tried belts to emphasise my waist it makes my hips look square so not very nice.

[mouses]

any advice?

[mouses]

no?

[escargot]

Your shoulders and hips are the same and you have a small waist so it sounds on paper as if you are an hourglass.

If you were a pear your hips would be much wider than your shoulders (I think)

Dressing is about balance as well as accentuating the positives and skimming over the negatives and often those with wide hips need shoulder pads to balance the shoulder or those with wide shoulders need to balance with bootcut jeans.

You're already in balance :)

[escargot]

You're not wide obviously - I was using the term to discuss balance! I should have said wider rather than wide

[mouses]

haha that's ok, i do think i have wide hips. my thighs are quite big in proportion to my waist i feel.

i read to put dark colours on the bottom? no patterns or bold style?
i live in 3/4 tops because i feel safe in them, but read that a top stopping at the waist would be better?

i would love to have a style make over but have other priorities to pay for first.... so thought id ask then go and have a window shopping day. :-)

[escargot]

The stopping and starting of things is to do with your height proportions rather than your width proportions.

I have no experience of this bit just an eye for what looks right.

If you have long arms 3/4 sleeves will make you look gawky. If you have short or in proportion arms then they will look good.

It's a bit like finding the right place for the skirt hem on you. You just have to try lots on (or as in my case stand in front of a mirror with a bath towel and move it until it looks just right. An inch below the knee suits me - I get swamped in a maxi and I'm 5' 6" with skinny ankles.

Sorry, I'm rambling. Hope someone who can guide you to a website will come along soon. :)

[escargot]

Does this help?

www.style-makeover-hq.com/body-shape.html

[bluesbaby]

You're between hour glass but steer closer to pear. diff between your waist and bum is much bigger than between your waist and boobs. boobs and bum are typically the same (or thereabouts) if you were a true hourglass.

look for advice on dressing for pear shape with wide shoulders. i'm similar to you except boobs are much bigger. are you short?

depends on if you are comfortable showing off your curves or if you want to minimise them, or just balance your body (make your boobs look bigger).

I find I can get away with maxi dresses but you might want to try dresses that fit just above or just below the knee depending on your shape. Dresses and skirts are pretty good for hiding weightier thighs.

Also if I were you I'd wear cropped tops, tank tops, clingy jumpers, wrap jumpers - anything that will cling to your waist to emphasize how lovely and small it is. But that's just my preference!

What's your overall style? Glam, preppy, trendy, edgy, sexy, tomboy ... ?

[mouses]

thank escargot that's a useful link, problem with me is that i think im bigger than i am and nothing looks nice frame of mind maybe im just not trying the right style clothes.

bluesbaby yes i get confused over my shape, ive had 3 kids so hips are wider. so im not surprised id be an in-between shape?

im 5ft 5. i don't mind showing curves, but mine don't seem to flow? my hips are prominent and make a tight top look square on the hips, if that makes sense?

id love to wear a maxi dress but cant pull it off, it looks ridiculously skinny up top and looks SO wide over my hips (makes them look bigger)

i have, what i call foot ballers legs haha, chunky, wide and big calfs. like ive been cut in half and stuck on the wrong legs

i wear crop tops in summer, in the winter i look a frump!
my over all style is skinny jeans with woolly top (hip length) OR long (woolly again) 3/4 over bum length top over leggings. so id say casual?

i have a boring wardrobe :-(

[escargot]

My wardrobe is equally boring mouses

Would a longline cardigan/jersey blazer hang from your shoulders and skim your hips nicely?

Do you prefer boxy/stiff styles?

It really is a case of try on and try on some more :( Or else nip into John Lewis and see a Personal Shopper for free!

I keep being put into waterfall/longline stuff but I hate the fussiness of it - my body shape might be ok in it but my style preference is neat and tailored so I don't like it.

What I'm trying to say is it isn't just about shape or indeed colours - it's also about what you like and feel comfy in.

Your post really resonated with me because you sound like you're going round in circles and want a prescription. I'm just the same and I'm trying to help you see that the 'formula' is useful but you still have to take YOU into account x

[mouses]

funny enough i bought a cardi (hip length) and i does nothing for my shape and it aged me 10 yrs! lol im 31 :-)

i don't mind lose, layered if it was done right. but i cant get the hang of it. i like fitted but not to stiff and restricted, some skinny jeans i cant even bend in so by early evening im in my pjamas!

i have mh issues, really really bad self esteem and confidence so im just trying to help myself i suppose?

would love a personal shopper. thought they cost hundreds? x

[bishboschone]

I'm the same shape m boobs are 30 gg.. I avoid dresses as they make me feel like Jessica rabbit !, I buy jeans from h and m as they come in half sizes . So I can buy size 9 ( 27)or 11 (29) depending on my weight at the time . They are also flattering on my bum which I like. If I do wear dresses I buy tea dresses that go in around my rib cage as that's my smallest bit and it flatters me .

[escargot]

Skinny jeans do that to me too

John Lewis do a free personal shopper service - so do Debenhams. Might be worth having a look at just to see what they think and they do all the running around. You don't have to buy anything at all.

You also don't have to have an occasion to dress up for. I go three times a year and ask for a wardrobe update - casual and smart. I really rate it.

I empathise with your self-esteem issues, the best thing I did for mine was get my wardrobe sorted out. Everything in it fits me and I got rid of everything that makes me feel crap. HTH! x

[mouses]

bishbash, understand ya. although some people would love to look like Jessica rabbit - i feel self conscious of my skinny (starved looking) upper body and huge behind might have to nip into h&m. ive always said 10 too tight .. 12 too big lol can do with an 11!

whats a tea dress??

escargot - wow, really. all this time ive longed for a 'gok wan' moment haha. and i live 30mins from a Debenhams! its free? i don't mind buying what they pull out if its reasonable priced :-)

you know, i have a wardrobe bulging with clothes and 2 draws under the bed ... i look at them in depressed, knowing i want to look and feel better - never knew where to start. def need to rid of most my clothes i feel a drip in everything! its really helped thanks. x

[bishboschone]

I actually like my figure but it gets a lot of attention. I don't think it's a classy shape . I also have blonde curly hair so I can't stick out like a sore thumb if I'm not careful . I wear bootcut jeans with cowboy ish boots as they suit me better than skinny . I do wear them but I do look better in bootcut. H and m are subtly bootcut not naff. I buy online as they don't often have them in store.

[bishboschone]

If I lose weight it always goes from my collar bones downwards , my mum is the last thing to lose and it still looks out of proportion as my top half as got skinnier !

[bishboschone]

tablet.hm.com/gb/product/13206?article=13206-A

[bishboschone]

www.superdry.com/womens/sale-view-all/details/39892/winter-ankle-boots

[bishboschone]

tea dress

[bishboschone]

That didn't work ..stupid iPad

[bluesbaby]

it's harder in winter because of trying to keep warm... but the key is definitely layers, especially for an hour glass / pear shape. only small hipped and boobed people get away with bulky jumpers.

can you try layering tank tops with thinner jersey material? I think you could possibly get away with a thicker top than I could, maybe off the shoulder styles especially? I find off the shoulder works well.

what about tea dresses layered with thick tights and nice boots? that's pretty much my default for winter night outs. I also think you can get away with fussier styles at the bust because it will balance out the hips more.

irt trousers I'd keep it simple with darker, deeper colours and just make sure they fit nicely around the bum area. focus more on your top half (to balance out) and accessories. Nice scarves, nice bag, nice necklace, etc.

i think the fashions for disco pants and print leggings etc are more suited to skinny legged / straighter gals.