How do you know what clothes suit you best?

[Shipsteerer]

I’m rubbish at choosing clothes and have very little idea of what I should be wearing to flatter my (tubbyish) shape. How do you know what works for your size, style, etc? Are there websites that can help with this sort of thing?

I naturally lean towards quite plain clothes in neutral colours ie grey, cream, black, navy. Which in theory sounds okay. But it’s the actual shape and style of clothes I get stuck on. I’m 50 and short, 5ft 3, and currently weigh 11st. I don’t really like ‘womanly’ clothes (eg per una, monsoon, anything glittery or floral ugh ugh, not keen on the fitted tops with jeans and heels look for example). I tend to wear jeans, trainers, high street stuff or Hush etc)

How do you develop your look? And if the look you like doesn’t suit you, what then?

I am slim, and (some say) attractive, but spent years feeling uncomfortable in clothes.
I used to wear fitted jeans, leggings, other fitted stuff, as it 'flattered' me or it felt current. However, since lockdowns i blew it all off and now wear loose frocks, baggier jeans with slouchy cardi's, like a sort of chic-er version of a 90's indie female band member (Harriet Wheeler anyone?)

And i feel so much better.
Im not sure if it is supposed to 'suit me', but i am so much happier this way. I utterly loathed tight clothes, and they aggravated my IBS.
Anything sharp or edgy just isnt me. I much prefer slightly slouchy and romantic.

So my suggestion is, initially, what best describes you and your comfort zone? Are you rock chic inspired or floaty/dreamy? I think establishing that first makes it easier to move forward into fine tuning your style.

If a look doesnt suit you, you have to decide whether the joy of wearing it beats the impression that it doesnt work for you. Which is stronger?
Life is far too short for self imposed rules, and i really dont hold by websites telling women how to dress their figure. I consider all of that to be a big pile of bollocks tbh.

So keep to your preferred colours, since you seem certain of those, but maybe experiment with a few different cuts - loose and flowy, of more structured, and see which feels best.
We are all after a style which feels good and looks good on us, and it isnt always easy to combine the two!

As people often suggest, have a snoot around pinterest and make a folder (or two) with styles which attract you. Then perhaps try on different items from your existing wardrobe in different combinations to see if something clicks.
You might be being too hard on yourself and not allowing yourself to gravitate to what you like. When we are comfortable we tend not to question our style. Sometimes it takes guts to grab what we want.

Thanks ConfusedParticle. What a great post, and very helpful.

You are right, wearing stuff we really like (that somehow reflects us and our personality, if that doesn’t sound like Timmy Mallet shirts ) feels good. I get that, but not very often tbh. I’d like more of it! I think I know how I’d like to look but I’m not sure how to achieve it. Every now and again, I get a hit (in my view anyway) but as I say, it’s sporadic.

Bump!

I just wear clothes that are bigger than me!
I think I look okay, I don’t like tight clothes as I feel ‘on display’ and I hate being looked at.
Always go for dark colours too.
Whether they ‘suit’ me or not is trivial in my mind, I’m comfortable and clean and presentable and that’s what I care about!

I agree that its all about feeling comfortable. I'm 5ft5 and a size 10/12, body shape is a long waisted pear. I don't really look good in trousers so I dont wear them unless I'm at my thinnest. I like bright colours, but also a lot of black and patterns. Probably most comfortable in fancy tights, a short A-line shirt and a bodysuit. For more relaxed days I like patterned leggings and a long jumper. I'm aware though that my tastes are a bit quirky. Also, I cannot wear heels any more, its fake uggs all the way or flip flops in Summer.

I'd check out Style Me Happy - Emily is great with tips for how to dress your shape and colouring, and quick wins for making a comfortable outfit seem more put together.

Thanks DoubleChinWoes I will take a look!

Find a celebrity who looks similar to you and look at some of their outfits that look good on them. Instagram is great for fashion.

Probably missing the point of this post but I feel most confident in clothes I can forget about once I've put them on. No digging in, no twisting round, no adjusting, no checking they are in the right place. For me, this is midi dresses, knit wear and high waisted jeans. I'm long waisted pear shape in early 40s.

www.thread.com/

Could you copy exactly what the Hush models wear? On the website it tells you what goes with what.

I agree with that others have said, comfort and practicality trumps what looks fashionable or in theory suits my figure. Regardless of how it looks, if you're not comfortable, you won't wear it.

It has been trial and error for me. But I've got to the point over the last ten years where I pretty much stick to similar shapes and items but buy them in different colours etc. Regardless of what is in fashion. I think I suit dark colours on my bottom half, so stick to dark blue or black jeans, plain black/navy/dark grey/dark khaki trousers. For tops I like bright colours and patterns. I kind of have a bit of a uniform and stick to it now if I'm buying new clothes.

I don't suit a lot of the skinny/peg leg trousers that were around a few years ago because i have a big bum. It's meant going against what's fashionable to wear what suits me which can be hard.

I look great in A line dresses and heels but I mainly WFH and am outdoors a lot, so I'm never going to wear them much!

Placemarking!
I live in jeans because I can't be bothered to wear dresses!

We are a similar size and shape. I really like wide legged trousers, of which M&S has many, or Saint and Sofia. If you buy the right pair that flatters you, then a skimming long sleeve t shirt goes well.

I also like midi dresses as they completely hide the tummy area. Lots of plain colours around.

I don't tuck anything in and I don't buy anything with a fixed waist. The idea for me is to create the right silhouette without clinging to any unfortunate bits.

I've just bought my first pair of dungarees but not tried ion yet--flattering or heffalump? 😂

Oh and I haven't felt comfortable or presentable in jeans for a long time so just avoid them.

Also, try not to drown yourself in fabric trying to hide things--it always makes me look even bigger and more matronly.

I got professional advice from the House of Colour.

I have a guitar-like body shape and have difficulty in finding styles which suit as most women's clothing is made for apple shapes.

I think this is really subjective. I suit, for instance, clothes with a defined waist, clothes that skim my lower tummy, clothes that are fitted to my top half (particularly sleeves, baggy/batwing sleeves make me look enormous). I’m a short hourglass. My upper arms and thighs aren’t slender although my lower limbs are, so I dislike skinny jeans and prefer wide-legged trousers, and I don’t really suit sleeveless tops. I suit cool colours rather than warm, and in general I don’t suit pale colours. I’m also influenced by fashion and I like to choose clothes that look on trend, while acknowledging that some trends aren’t for me (crop tops!). I pay attention to fabric and detail. Then there’s fit/comfort, and then there’s how to combine clothes/accessories into an outfit. I don’t always get it right - my biggest flaw is buying clothes in a size that doesn’t quite fit and thinking I’ll slim into them, then squeezing myself into them. There’s an awful lot to consider!

I'm apple shaped and absolutely nothing suits.

My solution is to just avoid mirrors 😁

[quote AlecTrevelyan006]www.thread.com/[/quote]
Thanks for this link it's just been extremely helpful, confirming some things I knew and best of all to my mind is the questions where you get to answer things like sleeve length ( cant abide long sleeves at all) and similar.