APPLES - please help me with work clothes - have just tried on about 20 things in COS and decided I look like a brick in everything

[pollycazalet]

Am stuck. Am an apple, good legs, thick middle. At the moment am down to one pair of skinny black trousers and various tops. Am desperate.

Where should I be looking? i need to be smart-ish but not suits.

www.whistles.com/women/clothing/dresses/poppy-pearlised-print-dress.html?dwvar_poppy-pearlised-print-dress_color=Blue%2FMulti#start=1

www.whistles.com/women/clothing/dresses/folded-wrap-dress.html?dwvar_folded-wrap-dress_color=Black#start=1

www.whistles.com/women/clothing/dresses/poppy-zip-front-dress.html?dwvar_poppy-zip-front-dress_color=Blue#start=1

Next who'd have thunk

Noddy - that tiop would totally not suit me - would wear with something more boxy

Ubik - nice, but the unstructured ones are too COS like (and twice the price)

Do love whistles but most doesn't suit.

yup baggy makes me look shit too

Hmmm

Agree with data hub, ravello tops (or similar silky fabric longer length tops) and slim fit trousers. For a smart work jacket I like fabric biker jackets in a nice tailored style. Blazers just don't work so these are a great alternative.

I am an apple and I never, ever put any emphasis on my waist. Never wear belts.

I find slash neck Breton tops work well and slightly baggy hip length tops over a tighter fitting tube maxi dresses/skirts.No empire lines.

The moss stitch jumper from Woolovers is a perfect shape for apples. Boden can do some good bits although they mainly cut for pears. They have a light weight boat neck that has elbow length sleeves which is an excellent shape for skimming without clinging yet not adding bulk. It only seems to work in the darker colours though.

Shops I find good are Autograph at Marks and Spencer (ESP their cashmere), Next (really) crew neck cardigans,basic jumpers and their peplum jumpers, Boden ( usually only a couple of workable shapes per season for apples), John Lewis Woman section, marks and Spencer woman for some basics. Those jumpers that dip down at the sides ( not the front and back -that is a killer to draw attention to an apple shape) work well because they add bulk to the hips and make the mid section look proportionately smaller.

I wear a lot of unstructured clothing -so jumpers and cardigans, long maxi tube dresses and skirts in navy/black and wide leg trousers. Layering up can work well to disguise a blocky middle by wearing a longer lighter top under a darker one. With respect to tops/jumpers look for asymmetrical stuff that have the detail on the hem or across the body. I haven't tried yet but Mint Velvet look like it has some stuff for apple shapes. Look also at Toast, Hush, White Company and Mistral.

m.marksandspencer.com/mt/www.marksandspencer.com/side-gathered-marl-bodycon-dress/p/p22357753?jsrl=stop&un_jtt_redirect

Something Very Bad has happened to the M and S website

POlly dresses are from all over the place - unfortunately you really do have to try on. I have had a lot of luck with APC and (again) Vince (buy those only on sale) and on the high St top shop and h&m. Also really like sweater dresses - gap actually do some good ones. Recently splashed out and bought a Cedric Charlier dress in the net a porter sale - black, struxtured but not tight - and I have worn it more than any dress in my life.

ALSO I forgot to say - the drop waist! A drop waist dress with a v neck will be v flattering.

Finally, recently I have started to wear tight fitting skirts (short tubes or knee length/midi pencils) with baggier tops (either untucked blouses or even jumpers) which, with a pair of heels, is working in a 90s minimalist kind of way for me (can't link on phone but j crew does this well).

thats the mobile site

OH and one more thing - I bought this shirt in black and white

www.theoutnet.com/en-GB/product/T-by-Alexander-Wang/Silk-chiffon-and-crepe-de-chine-shirt/510294

And wear it under jumpers and long sleeve layers and it is fantastic as has length but not volume. Also looks lovely by itself as is cut with room in the shoulders and has press stud buttons which are easy to rip open at the end of a long tiring day

T by Alexander wang v v good in general actually - but again only buy in sales/discount sites

I'm an apple. I mostly wear slim leg trousers (oasis are brilliant, also jigsaw, boden bistro crops also good but no belt loop which is crap, see above)
Tops - boden ravello and also their plain boat necks, have a beautiful linen mix top from there too which is knackered now, Whistles seam back tees.

Blazers from Massimo Dutti, zara.

I keep top half really plain in dark colours, nothing frilly or detailed and usually go brighter/patterned on bottom half also interesting shoes. Sleeves that end elbow length are most flattering.

I also sometimes wear swing or shift type dresses, fitted elbow length sleeves, with tights and knee high 70s style boots or ankle boots.

Also tube skirts with looser fitting tops, blazer, tights and boots. Hush and whistles have good tube skirts.

I look dreadful in wrap dresses and empire lines.

Phase eight have a wool mix batwing top which is super flattering - I've seen it in red which might not be so much but I have the black and love it.

Datahub, do you tuck the ravello tops in? I'm an apple too & have one ravello top, but tucking it in seems to emphasize fact that my waist is thick, while loose it tends to look a bit long & baggy (though I am quite short).

Have never heard of ravello but had a look and I would wear that and have similar Perfect neckline and enough fabric to not look boxy

I like that M&S dress - unusual to find a nice grey dress as usually black or navy. Unfortunately the Autograph dresses all at least a foot too long for me.

This looks like a nice little jacket to wear with skinny black trousers.

Re: bloggers who are Apple shaped. Have you looked at the Liberty London Girl blog? It sounds like you have a similar shape to her, so that may give you some ideas. She seems to wear a lot of Whistles dresses that skim her middle but show off slimmer arms and legs, which generally seems to work. She has blogged a lot about the difficulties of dressing her frame - maybe put 'Whistles' into the search box on her website. I find her annoying and rude as a person, but there may be a few snippets you can use.

Are you sure your an apple and not a rectangle? People often get these shapes mixed up. Apples should wear drapey clothes, rectangles should wear straight cut. I've covered this on my blog several times. DM me if you want more info as I'm not sure if I can post links here. Don't despair, it's just a matter of understanding your bodyshape and the rest will follow.

Sorry I'm tired. I did of course mean you're not your!!!

agree to keep pattern or vivid colour to my legs which are slimmer

LOON - the ravello i VERY loosely tuck one bit of the hem in. I am short waisted and if i tuck it all in i look a bit parcelled up

I am the same shape OP and my answer is semi-fitted shirts/jackets with slim or skinny trousers. In summer I look best in light coloured bottom half with dark top half.

Delurking to say that the M&S dress is blue not grey, and I've had it weeks, keep trying it on and not wearing it, haven't taken the labels off. It's just not quite right somehow, it sits awkwardly around the neckline, might be due to the fact that the lining is very firm but the outer fabric is quite floppy. The waist/midriff area is nice. A much nicer, similar dress is the Boden (sorry) Vivienne, which I always feel fantastic in, it's my favourite work dress at the moment.

that boden vivian does look nice