Clothes for the 'tummy conscious'

[RollerCola]

Can anyone help me with some new clothes? I'm fairly small (5ft3) and usually wear a size 10-12. My body is fine from the waist up and from the hips down but I'm really self-conscious about my stomach area and prefer to cover it up. I had the most enormous bump when pregnant with ds2 which has left my stomach droopy & makes me look quite pregnant even now (kids are 10 & 5)

I'm quite happy to live with it, as long as I can hide it away but I don't want that to mean wearing big baggy clothes that hide the rest of me.

So if you have ok arms & legs what's the best clothes to wear which will let me stop worrying about what my stomach looks like?

Jeans have slowly become a no-no as they all cut into my stomach. I love leggings - patterned maybe? - but struggle with the top half. Long tops? Or are short skirts better? Dresses?

I'm fine for work as I have a lot of high waisted tailored trousers but it's casual and 'going out' that I struggle with. Any ideas or suggestions?

I'm a similar shape to you RollerCola - slim arms and legs but quite a substantial tum. Please ignore people who try and talk you into empire line tops/dresses - you will most definitely look pregnant. I've had very mixed results with wrap dresses too.

I love leggings and live in them in the winter. I wear mine with a mini skirt (make the most of your fab legs) or a dress, and I like wearing a stretchy fabric belt tied around the waist. I like bubble hem tops too - where the hem is elasticated and the main fabric of the top kind of 'drapes' over your gut, which hides anything you might not want on show. I also like tops that look quite 'waisted' when you look at them on the hanger - where they have a clearly defined waist, they tend to look really flattering on. It's a minefield though, this tummy-covering business, especially when almost everything in the shops is designed for size 6 teenagers

Thanks lotta that's a good tip about the 'waisted' tops I'll look out for those.

I've tried the bubble hem tops but I just feel they make me look a bit mumsy and you can still see my stomach under them anyway.

I'm now thinking slim trousers with some kind of long-line draped top over vests maybe? I think I need to focus more on the good bits rather than worrying about the bad ones!

Thanks for the advice x

Definitely don't write off jeans, you just need to look at higher waisted styles. I slimmed right down after having DS (am now a 6-8) but also have a bit of a tummy. I find anything with a hipster waistline is a total no go area as it creates muffin top and is uncomfortable to boot. Higher waists are fine though and much more flattering.

I don't know what your budget is but for trousers I find the "Martin fit" trousers from Banana Republic sit just high enough to hide the bulge and be comfortable.

I have the exact same problem! Would also be glad to get some tips...

I stick to mostly dresses. I've had some luck with wearing a vintage slip the old-school, full-length ones underneath, it doesn't hold anything in but it gives a nice smooth silhouette for dresses to move over so it's a bit slimming.

My stomach is the bane of my existence, it's so awful knowing sometimes I probably look pregnant and it's so hard to disguise.

shirt dress?

structured dresses, tops and tunics.

robust fabrics, linen, cotton, denim.

Me too. I wear a lot of leggings with little dresses, above knee skirts (pref with a wider waistband), and fitted tunics .

I agree with DreamingBohemian about slips - the M&S slinky ones come in all lengths and really help to skim over your tum

Wrap have some brilliant things in the sale that are good for skimming over tummies.i have bought several of the Cape Kaftans and the long tunic vest top with a racer back is lovely over a basic white vest.i like them some so much,that i have just bought lots more bits[and spent an awful lot of money].Its refreshing for me to find clothes that are cut to flatter rather than ones that accentuate lumps and bumps.

High waisted jeans are fantastic for this problem (just posted about them on another thread too), flatten the tummy and dont fall down. Then you can wear "normal" tops with them. I also love Mint Velvet leggings as they have a wide waist you can use to smooth over your tummy or fold over. I also buy long vest tops from Primark in the nude shade and wear them under every top, gives you a nice smooth line