No visible waist - what do you wear?

[kazzawazzawoo]

I've never had much of a waist. When younger I was straight up and down. These days I weigh more, and my measurements are 37, 32.5, 39. Not very curvy! Belts seem to emphasize that I have no waist. So what do you wear if you have a similar figure? No amount of losing weight helps. I lose weight off my bum, not my waist! For work I tend to wear long tops over black trousers or black skirt. I sometimes wear wrap dresses, but just think i look fat. I wear size 12/14, which i don't mind.

I don't have a waist either and am top heavy, broad shoulders, big boobs, slim hips. Basically I try to draw attention to my best bits (legs) by wearing skinny or cigarette trousers with a looser boxy cut top tucked in and a jacket, or opaques with cocoon or tunic style dresses. Swing coats are great. I avoid waisted or fifties style dresses and wrap dresses look terrible on me.

I look better with a darker top half and a lighter or patterned bottom half. Boxy cut jackets - really simple ones with no fuss or frills. Edge to edge Chanel type jackets are good or bombers. Looser fitting tops with scoop or boat necks and elbow length sleeves.

Shorts and tights and jumpers work well for my figure, shorts and short dresses in summer. Skinnies or slim cut jeans, vest top and loose boxy but fine knit over the top, ends at hips - don't cover your bum!

I concur with every word Bill, very good advice. I would add one thing for those with big boobs (not the OP) a cowl neck top as I just cannot wear a boat neck.

My bottom rib and hip bone are about 2 1/2 inches apart and that's never going to change. DD2 has the same 'non waist' and is much more like the OP. As she is slimmer, she can wear empire line and column dresses but still does by the above.

Similar shape here. I like jersey tops that emphasise bust and shoulders. What's that Boden style that looks like it wraps around you?

I don't like tops that are loose or billowy, because they make me lose all shape and just look boxy.

I like tailored dresses that are made in long panels, curving in to the waist and flaring very gently out again, especially when they're cut on the bias. But the ones I have are quite old, and I haven't seen anything like them in recent years. What I have seen are jersey dresses that look like they are gathered on one hip, or on the waist above the hip. Very flattering.

I don't wear flat black tops or dresses as thry make what few curves I have disappear.

Oh yes, and I prefer tops to end well below my 'waist', so that there's a curve flowing in from bust to out over hips.

I think you mean princess seams, very flattering IMHO.

Quite rare to see but I saw some today in Oasis.

Interesting replies, thanks.

I tend to wear long tops as I find short ones look even worse, emphasising my thick waist as thick! I don't wear dark tops as I have a sore scalp that means I often look like I have dandruff. I always wear dark bottoms, as otherwise I feel "all wrong"! I have NEVER worn light bottoms Maybe I'm doing everything wrong?

I have a lovely dress with a wrap neckline that is gathered at the waist at one side. It doesn't make my waist look slim, but I like wearing it

I always wear low scoop or v necklines, as my boobs look huge otherwise.

I think I don't have a clue

Wean yourself into lighter bottoms over the summer. With your figure I would try white jeans and a dark patterned top (if hair worries).

I've also got no waist, and a short top half like Lambstales. Absolute bane of my life!

Golden rules are (I think) to go for tops and jackets that provide a false impression of a waist, eg nipped in jackets, peplums on tops and dresses; never wear a belt around the middle of your outfit and especially not a narrow one; use scarves and long necklaces to draw the eye down the body; panels, ruffles and vertical seams can give an impression of length through the torso; never tuck a top into tops/trousers - but I would be wary of wearing loose fitting long tops as these can just make you look shapeless up and down, whereas what you want to do is fake the impression of a waist.

I don't really have a short top half, if anything I have a huge rib cage.
The distance between my bottom rib and pelvic bone is about 2 1/2 inches.

DD1 has 5 or 6 inches and has a waist. DD1 like me :(

For me, faking a waist just makes my hips and bum look much larger than they are and with my big boobs just makes me look big all over. I used to wear prom style fifties dresses but they really do me no favours. Now I try to balance it a bit by having a fitted bottom half and a looser top half. Personally I can wear tops tucked into slim fitting trousers with a belt, and a jacket ending just below at my slimmest part (hips) is really flattering.

Out of interest, what's the gap between your hip and rib bones?

Me or OP? I don't know but I want to....hang on a sec

3 inches. Crikey that explains a lot. I think my rib cage must be large.

I don't know ... I'll find my tape measure later and check. I think I have a short body though.

Hang on .. By hip bone do you mean the ones that stick out?

Uum yes.

Sounds like me Bill. Everything you say rings true...

DD2 like me. Correction for 21.31.

I don't know if this works, but I wear skinny jeans with afairly tight top and a cardigan. That way, from the front I have the contour of a bust but the sides, where my lack of waist are, are covered. Anything loose just makes me look big everywhere because it is hanging from a large bust. I also wear empire line dresses, which they sell in the same style every summer at Ness . I have just lost 2 stone, but still have no waist. I didn't even have one when I was underweight..

I tried something the other day which I think helped to give the illusion of a waist!

Usually a belt (unless wide and black) just emphasises my lack of shape, but as almond says, a cardigan than curves inwards at the waist, but not meeting in the middle, with a thin belt on top seemed to give the impression of curves.

I also remember Gok doing a thing with a loose vest style top, belt around that and then cropped cardi on top, that always worked quite well as I recall.

Peplums - ugh. They really do not work for me. I have a long body, and peplums make me look like my waist is up in my armpits and my bum is down by my knees.

The dresses gathered to one side do not necessarily give a slim waist, but they give the illusion of a waist by drawing your eye to curves.

Mind you, I did once have smart suit in the 80s which had a below-the-knee, sharply tailored skirt and a short jacket with a peplum. It was rather fab. I suppose the peplum worked because exact position off my waist, hips and bum were completely disguised.

I have this and I had a style day with HOC. I was told to wear a hip belt, not to wear a waist belt. Wear long tops, not anything that cuts you off at the waist. And long jackets or anything with detailing on the hips is good

I am also short Waisted and slim of hip (ie boxy) and can I just put in a vote for drop waist dresses? They are FAB - make you look all 30s and chic.

Othwrwise, what all the others said.

I used to have a lovely dress - in fact two - that had no waist but softly flared outwards from the waist, very gradually, with buttons all the way down the front, one was tea dress sort of material, one jersey, both very flattering. Can't find anything like that now