I'm thinking of retiring from jeans. Please help.

[SherlockKnomes]

So I am curvy with a big bust and big bottom and a comparitively little waist I'm somewhere between a 12/14, jeans has always given me a bit of a muffin top but now I have a little post baby belly I've started to loath them. I'm always having to hoik them up as they slip down, I never feel comfortable in them so I QUIT!!! I want to wear dresses, nice comfy day dresses that accentuate my curvy-ness in a good way, so anyone got any suggestions for a jeans free life?

(smile) SherlockKnomes

Could you not wear a dress over leggings in the summer whoknows? You can get capri leggings but I find they shorten my legs, prefer ankle length.

Or you could try a long dress or a pencil skirt/dress with bare legs so as not to flash any pants. I had a lovely denim pencil skirt, sold it on eBay though, was knee length and quite tight so no chance of flashing.

Love tyaca's 2nd joy dress. Might join you, have put on weight in the last year and not enjoying my jeans anymore.

Capri leggings don't work for me either, got some for the gym but they don't look right with dresses on me, a bit mutton (I'm in my 40s). I've always thought my calves look too sturdy in leggings unless disguised by boots but I might try them out (when I find some shoes!). I'm just going to have to hit the shops with an open mind I think. Pencil skirts look nice, I've got a high waisted grey suit type one which is incredibly flattering but a bit smart for everyday wear (everyone wears jeans where I work).

This thread is certainly giving me plenty of food for thought, thank you everyone.

Good idea when you go shopping for something different is to go with an open mind, no money and no credit card. Just enough money for a coffee so no temptation treat it as 'just tying it on for fun'. Take yourself into the changing room with the thought that you are just trying on and not buying. Take things in you wouldn't normally dare to buy, just to see what it looks like and start experimenting there and then. Some things look dreadful on the hanger and just fabulous on, the most important thing is to try on something out of your comfort zone just to see what it looks like. You might surprise yourself.

whoknows this is quite a nice office shape dress that I reckon is just about casual enough to do as day-wear

Ladies, you have converted me. I have ordered some black leggings from Boden, I just need to find some dresses/ tunics to go over them. I am a size 12/14 and am large of nork. I've been looking at Matalan, what if any of these do you like/ go with leggings?
www.matalan.co.uk/fcp/categorylist/dept/womens_womens-dresses?resetFilters=true&icmpid=wd_c1_110812

Any opinions will be gratefully received!

Sherlock good call! That design is one of the most flattering for me and that's a lovely colour. By coincidence I have just bought this pink MandS in the same style

After reading this thread I'm ditching the jeans too. I'm 25, size 10-12 and pear shaped. Jeans do nothing for me and never fit well but I've fallen in to the habit of always wearing jeans, vest and scarf. I own 19 pairs!! Really don't need any more so from now on its dresses. I'm sturdy of calf but sod it, it's gotta look better than constantly pulling my jeans up or flashing my bum. I think leggings are fine in the summer unless it's boiling. I've just ordered the h&m dress in 4 colours. I'm breastfeeding at the moment so limited to wrap dresses really.

I ditched the jeans - all trousers, in fact - about three years ago and have never looked back. I tend to wear dresses in the summer and winter (with thick tights and boots in the winter) and tunic tops with leggings in spring and autumn.

It's quite liberating - and also makes clothes shopping so much easier, as there are now whole sections of the shop that I can ignore. I did feel quite conspicuous when I first started wearing dresses, however, as most women here live in trousers - I see far more wearing skirts and dresses when I'm back in the UK.

I tell you what I miss most about jeans though, the pockets. I find it liberating to go out with just keys, coins and phone in my pockets and it's a bit annoying that I have to take a bag everywhere now.

STOP ALL OF YOU! PUT DOWN WHAT YOU'RE DOING! LISTEN HERE! ....

Today I went out in a Dorothy Perkin dress I'd bought..and...and I got whistled at!! This is groundbreaking progress!

Dressipi looks fab but am a bit lost. Those of you who've found out what to wear based on your body shape, what did you do, email them and ask? Or is there an interactive thing somewhere?

Have you filled out the 'fashion fingerprint' bit silver?

kauma... I like : this
this - v good with leggings but us nork-ettes will have to wear a vest top underneath otherwise they'll be bosoms everywhere , maybe this can't decide - thats just a quick peek for you! I'm presuming you've dressipi-ed? For some unknown reason this is basically a support group for 12/14 women with large norks so I you're in the right place!

thats size 12/14 women obviously..

Witwooooo Sherlock, that's some good encouragement!

Frillymilly, I'm also BF and going for dresses with buttons with a vest underneath. Obviously shift dresses with a zip up back are a no no. But hey ho there's still a lot of options out there.

Linzertorte, that's a great testimonial for us starting out on a life without jeans! It's so much more interesting looking for dresses too, I always had a sort of anxiety shopping for jeans especially as I have to shop mostly online. Never being sure whether they'll fit and of they're too small you feel awful... Or I'll end up being between sizes so end up empty handed.

This is one I've bought to go with navy leggings and a cropped denim jacket.

m.asos.com/mt/www.asos.com/Nishe/Nishe-Sweetheart-Dress-in-Anchor-Embroidery/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1947970&SearchQuery=nishe%20dress&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=12&sort=-1&clr=Navy

I have given up on that site. I have tried to fill it in twice now and it is all over the place.

Thanks Sherlock, have cracked it I think. Turns out my entire wardrobe is wrong

Time to lob the lot and start again. Waist cinchers are my friend, apparently. Probably because I don't have one. Can someone enlighten me as to waist cinchers please? Is it underwear?

Silver, google 'waspies'... think that's what you might be looking for. That's shapewear that you wear underneath your clothes to pull in your waist.

You can get waspie belts too, like a regular belt, quite cheap on eBay, these are 1950's style elastic clasp belts. Good for dresses.

Ooooh, CNN say too-tight jeans are bad for your health... cause compression (varicose veins) and digestive problems.

Thanks all - the 2 dresses I ordered on Sunday after reading this thread arrived today & I love 1 of them! (The other looks hideous & mummsy on my body shape!)

So I'm making a start on ditching the jeans

[apologies also as I'd link to them but am on the app on my phone & no idea how to do links!!]