Why are all clothes made for hourglass or pear and none for apples?

[WatermelonLolly]

Sad apple here feeing despondent after another failed shopping trip….

I’m a normal weight, average height but just look disgusting in everything in changing rooms and have no idea how to dress to not look hugely overweight or accentuate my stomach area.
Miscellaneous
There seems to be minimal options for those with no waist, but there are loads of us, why is this?

Oops no idea where that miscellaneous came from!

I know what you mean. There seems to be an assumption by designers that women all have curvy ‘uber femme’ shapes, and we don’t.

I have given up and just wear boys or kids clothes much of the time.

I am an apple and I almost exclusively wear 50's style dresses or wrap dresses. Luckily there's some beautiful ones nowadays.

Trousers look ridiculous on me which is really annoying.

I am a petite pear and feel like everyone is made for hourglass or straight up and down. All dresses unless a flair are too loose on top or too tight in the bottom.

Yes, I can imagine that dresses are difficult to buy if you are a pear, but at least with separates you can buy different sizes.

It’s like all clothes designs assume you have a cinched in waist , and if you haven’t nothing looks right at all, even if you wear the correct size, size up or size down

I used to do this back when I also had a bust, unfortunately these clothes don’t seem to work in the flat chested. I haven’t found any that fit on the waist without hanging off my chest and bum.

They aren't really made for a pear either. I always need a belt or am having to pull my trousers up every 5 seconds. The waist size is far too large in comparison to the size I need for my thighs and bum. Then tops and dresses are falling off my bust but don't fit over my hips. Really I think off the shelf clothes only fit the minority perfectly.

I no longer have this issue but when I did, I found some great outfits in the maternity department. The tops are drapey and the bottoms have adjustable waists.

But I think ready-made clothes are also just very limiting no matter who you are. So I bought a sewing machine, for what an outfit or two would cost me.

I'm still at beginner level but there are plenty of easy simple garments. That way, you can pick what flatters and fits, as well as the details and fabric. I plan to move up to more challenging patterns soon. So that's another option, if you're up for it.

I'm an hourglass and feel like nothing ever fits me!

Well I'm an hourglass leaning towards pear shape and haven't yet found a pair of jeans that fits both my hips and waist. They're either too tight on the hips or too gappy on the waist. I'm often heard grumbling that women's jeans are made for men or apple shapes.

Agree, clothes aren't made for those of us with big hips and small waists either, it's not just apple shapes who find shopping annoying

Yep, I agree! Bought some jeans the other day, had to get a 14 to go over my hips, and they literally went straight up from there, were gigantic around my waist! Please let me know where all these cinched-in jeans and trousers are! I find the opposite is true. Perhaps it depends where you shop….

I hear you OP. When I worked in a supermarket and had to wear uniform trousers, I ordered maternity trousers in order to have a stretch waist as even with a hair elastic through the buttonhole, the waistband on fitted trousers was tiny compared to the massive hips.

I have a classic hourglass shape and small waist and nothing suits me. I think the faster fashion gets, the less well it suits anyone and we end up buying more trying to finally find somethat flatters.

Agree op.

Pear here, my waistband always has a gap unless theres elastic somewhere.

I'm an hourglass and don't think lots of clothes are made for my shape. Especially all this boxy oversize stuff in the shops....I want to show off my waist.

I really like lagenlook (I think that’s what it’s called), which doesn’t suit me at all because I think it’s designed for apple shape and I’m not. I look like I’ve rolled in a load of washing.

OP, I feel exactly the opposite. I'm a standard size 10, I have a waist.

Trying to buy dresses is a nightmare. Recently I ordered a winter dress to wear to work. The dress that arrived, I could have worn the day before I gave birth. It was ridiculous. It went straight back.

I tend to buy fit & flare dresses now and have them altered. If I buy a dress, I usually have to add darts or have it taken in. It's depressing.

And don't get me started on height. The high street still cuts for 5'4" when a large number of us are 5'7" or more.

Tell me about it!

There is lots of advice out there on how to dress an apple shape. If you are on tiktok for example you will find lots of videos on how to dress an apple shape. Often it's about how to elongate the body, give the illusion of a waist and the different types of fabric that will skim the tummy area.

It's helped me as a pear get a better idea of how clothes can work for me.

Laughs in Strawberry/inverted triangle shape

Totally agree.I often feel like an alien when I go clothes shopping as most clothes are cut for a completely different body shape. It doesn't help having a large bust either. I know what shapes and styles suit me, so when I find something, I buy it! I found some lovely shirts in charity shops last weekend that fit my bust but are a bit shapeless, so I'm going to attach a tie on the back to give it a shape.

( still got too many clothes tho. Mainly because when I find something that suits me, I hold into it)😁

Nope. Nothing is made to fit an hourglass. If it's big enough over my hips, there is miles too much fabric at my waist.

Basically, they make clothes for a shame averaged from 100s of measurements, and in doing so create garments that fit noone.