If you're plumper than you'd like - what do you wear in the summer?

[perrinelli]

The warm weather has crept up on me again! I've been living in jeans for the last 9 months but was feeling too hot today!
I'm 5'4" and currently 16/18 but with quite a petite frame so pretty plump and wobbly. Putting on some of my summer tops from last year when I was more like a 14/16 I just felt hideous. I don't feel at all comfortable showing much upper arm and my legs are also pretty awful. I have an ample bosom and very 'shapely' hips/bum but do go in at the waist.
Any ideas what I can wear in warmer weather to not overheat and feel comfortable?
Am wondering about trying a maxi dress but not sure it would work on my height/shape?

Budget dresses from supermarkets will be your best friends.

I know what you mean...!

I'm a size 16-18 and I treated myself to a few bits from gap recently. Their t shirts seem to hang really nicely on my shape and cover my upper arms really well without being frumpy. I also brought myself a couple of their longer length jersey stripe dresses. They hang really well and I'll probably be brave and show my arms with those. Hopefully the nice dress will detract from my wobbly arms!

Ok interesting. I don't have much experience of buying supermarket clothes as the local supermarkets aren't huge ones with clothes but I can easily travel to some. Up til now I've had the philosophy of thinking that more expensive stuff with nice quality fabric etc might go some way to mitigate the less than ideal body shape! But maybe the cuts will be more suited to my shape?

Ok I will have a look at gap. Previously felt they were cut for straight up & down but will check it out.
Should say - I'm 33 and have a post kids belly so am prone to looking preggers...

I have to say, I'm getting a sewing machine for this very reason. I'm tired of things that don't fit properly and aren't comfortable. I realise this isn't a solution for everyone and that I'm ages away from competence but I will get there!

I wear long tunic tops/short dresses with crop leggings going for comfort over style

Fat face/joe browns are my favourite but have cheaper tesco ones too.

I was 3 dress sizes larger than I wanted to be for 10 years, until last summer. I lived in cropped trousers with tees - strappy tops when on holiday or feeling brave - and maxi dresses, often with little, light-weight, bolero cardigans / shrugs to hide my arms. Crops I got from M&S and tees from everywhere. Monsoon, M&S, White Stuff and Phase Eight usually have lightweight shrugs. I mainly used Evans for maxi dresses.

I wore chunky necklaces to detract balance and also made sure I had great polish on fingers and toes.

Dresses.

wow - I could have written this post. I'm feeling so crap about exactly what you detailed. I only wear dresses. The ONLY bit of me that is good are my legs so I wear a dress every day. Bought a lot very very cheaply from Ebay. Tend to go for shortish floaty dresses that flare out at hips. I bought a load of really nice belts from Next and wear a belt with all of them to pull in at top of waist. heeled sandals. and very light weight cardigans to cover arms. A tailored jacket (light weight) from H&M sometimes.
ps - I know what you mean about post baby belly too - I'm mourning the loss of my pre baby body. and I'm 32 very soon.
OP - thanks for posting :-)

Thankyou, as a good friend if mine once said, warn weather is not kind to the larger lady!

I love (the idea of) dresses and think I need to put some effort into trying lots on to find a few that suit. Empire line is good but if there's any kind of pleating under the bust I do look 8 months pregnant which is not good.

I am envious of your good legs - because of years of covering them up in the summer and being fair skinned they are so white they almost have a tinge of blue, definitely not a good look! I suppose the answer is to get them in the sun as much as poss this summer so they get some colour. Maybe I should try some leg makeup or something?!

Go with it if you're pale. Honestly I used to mess about with fake tan etc etc and it's so nice to just not bother
I mainly wear skirts and vest tops, sometimes maxi skirts. A lot of dresses too

Sally Hansen leg make up is very good. A bit of Johnson's holiday skin on your arms and décolleté also make a world of difference to how you feel in sleeveless tops

Has anyone suggested a really lightweight cotton maxi skirt. Get one or two in neutral colours and just change the top half with nice cotton vests or camis (not t shirt or jersey material) that don't cling

OP, you are exactly me - height, size, shape, everything.

I have the added complication of not being able to bare arms or legs because I get horrendous rashes in the sun. So I tend to wear maxi dresses/skirts (despite being a shortarse) or long linen trousers with long-sleeved cotton t-shirts. Or a Joe Brown-type tunic with leggings. I have a couple of long, v light cotton shirts I can put on over vests or sleeveless things.

It's miserable, though. I long to be able to wear strappy sundresses.

Today navy M&S linen cropped trousers, a Monterey denim blue T shirt and brown wedge sandals.

Dresses are good if you want slightly smarter, mine are mostly Debenham's and some are years old, because they are cotton and a sod to replace.

I like mid calf not maxi, I'm only 5'4" and I prefer not tripping over.