Is it just me, or do clothes have no shape??

[KoalaDownUnder]

The last few dresses I've ordered from ASOS are like boxes. They're supposed to be sort of shift dresses, but they don't go in at the waist at all.

I've increasingly found this with dresses from mid-priced high-street chains. They have no shape at all, they're just a big boxy column. If I buy something that fits my hips and chest, I can grab handfuls of material around my rib cage and waist. V unflattering.

Is it just me who has this new problem?

I'm 5'4", size 12, hourglass shape with 30H bust and a 13" difference between my waist and hips. I went shopping yesterday for a parry outfit. Everything was highnecked, sleeveless and either too long and square in the body (dresses) or too short and square (tops). I found one sequined dress I'm Hobbs that was OK but very overpriced for a bit of sparkly polyester.

OP I always get the excess material around my ribcage, back and waist these days. We are not a fashionable shape 😂

These styles work well for me. I am quite small but I have no waist so clothes which are fitted/tailored simply don't fit.
Agree with a previous poster that you probably need to change brands. French Connection for example make clothes for women with boobs and a waist.

I hate the baggy / floaty trend too. I have a waist, current fashions make me look huge and I hate it right now.

Could you have it altered at the waist in a dry cleaners?

Have you any sewing ability? If so it wouldn't take long to put a couple of darts in the back panels and this should make a huge difference.

When I was younger I used to have a waist but post menopausal my figure has gone to pot. I've made summer shift dresses and have bust darts in the front and waist darts in the front and back panels. Depending on the fabric I've sometimes had to take the back ones out (sigh) for a better fit.

These dresses skim my er, shape rather than cling and with a v-neck I can slip them on over my shoulders without having to put a zip in. I find them reasonably flattering for my barrel shaped body.

God I agree agree agree with everything here. I thought it was just me and my pear shape, or being so fussy. Waists just aren't fashionable atm. Agree about the fast fashion turnaround - there just is no time for details. I'm average 5'6", curvy 10-12, pear and dresses are a pain to buy. All those straight up and down things make me look stumpy. I do like the look on those they suit and am a bit envious, they look so comfy.

Anyway, I've resorted to skirts for work. Jumpers and tops are also difficult- they're baggy. Buy carefully is key. I hope waists come back into fashion soon.

JohnCheese you sound similar to me. I find the fit and flare dresses fit me beautifully and really suit me.

OP you're spot on about shift dresses these days. I'm a completely different shape to you anyway but I do remember in my younger, slimmer, more shapely days I had a few shift dresses that were properly lined, came in at the waist with strategic darts at bust and back. This is when even a size 12 was tiny.

I do agree with PP that fashion is a victim of a) globalisation, mass producing stuff cheaply for the (overfed) masses and b) the obesity factor.

like I said curvy and busty I am a size 12 and 34GG bust size, also I'm the size of a smurf I'm about 5ft, clothes shopping is a nightmare for me so if anyone knows any good clothes shops etc that can cater for my needs would be really helpful as everywhere I look the shape is box or stick thin straight

My recommendation is Pepperberry for nicely fitted clothes.

Pinkallium thanks, there's a pepperberry in my town so I will take a look next time I go into town.. I've been avoiding town what with it being xmas time and I can't stand the crowds of people so normally go after dropping my kids at school when I can browse in peace lol

Oh yes, was in Reiss the other day, saw a lovely bronze metallic jumper, tried it on, boxy as hell.

Luckily saw another nicer jumper there which I bought (more flattering) but this one would have been perfect for the festive season.

If you've got big boobs, try Pepperberry. Their selection of dresses is sometimes great, sometimes odd, but they are definitely all about the shape. I can pretty much only get dresses from there or from White Stuff. I'm not young and trendy though.

Oh, sorry - didn't see this third page of responses before totally writing the same as the person three posts above me.

Toast is the most hideous. Every single item is a box and costs a small fortune.

It does depend on the 'fit model' - that they size up and down from. ASOS clearly have a model for their basic fit who's just straight up and down.

Oasis seem better for expecting adult woman to go out at the norks and hips but in again at the waist. Boden and White Stuff also seem to be good for allowing for going in at the waist. (Although White Stuff do love a shapeless tunic)

Pepperberry fit me nicely around the boobs but everything is far too short .It is a pity that they don't offer their clothes in varying lengths.

I have this problem too. I like a lot of Toast and Cos dresses but I'm pear shaped and they make me look like a sack of potatoes. i tend to buy on ebay (not such an expensive disaster if it goes wrong) and then amend everything - I take the waist in to make a skimming but not tight fitted shape. You can also do this with knitwear if you use a narrow zigzag machine stitch. Sometimes also lengthen a dress if there's a good size hem to take down, and make necklines bigger - I hate those high nicklines too.

basically quite often I'm only buying a dress because I like the fabric!

Yes another hourglass, 5" 6" tall & size 10/12. Nothing these days fits at either waist & bust, or waist & hip, still less all 3. I've also noticed the high necklines! There are good YouTube tutorials on altering clothes & I'm getting a sewing machine for Christmas in order to start doing more of my own alterations. I also make use of the many nearby charity shops where I can find older clothes that are more fitted, made of superior quality materials and cheap. I'm living up to my user name again!

Joins other hourglass shaped posters finding that nothing in the shops fits us any more.

I've come to the conclusion that dresses in M&S are designed to fit men.

The shoulders and waists are massive and hardly any hip room. I need a 14 to fit my hips and then the shoulders drop off, top half too big even though I'm a 32F and no shape around the waist. In M&S land I'm a size 8 shoulders, size 12 bust, size 10 waist and size 14 hips. No chance of anything fitting.

Next are also equally terrible. They had some lovely dresses in the summer but there was enough excess material in the middle for another person and the lining made it look difficult to alter.

I have a lovely skater dress from Apricot at New Look that fits great, which is my go to casual night out dress and I'm dreading it wearing out because I've worn it once or twice a month for about 3 years and I can't find anything similar.

I agree. M and S only do clothes for apple shaped women. All their skirts are way too big on the waist.

YY. Fortunately skirts seem to have come back into fashion; the waists still gape a bit on me (I'd like to think my waist is too thin but actually my arse is too big) but much less than shapeless dresses do.

Oasis can be good for ahem shapely folk, but by gad their stuff is short!!

Does anyone know if hourglass/pear are the least common shape? Is that partly the reason there's so little for us?

it makes me happy to know I am not alone in being a big chested, hourglass smurf that has trouble finding nice flattering clothes .
BarbaraofSeville , new look used to be my go to shop for nice clothes at a decent price, but now it's all weird hit in there like jumpers that have sleeves that start half way down the arm and boxy shapes, or all these stupid fucking crop tops i've had 2 kids my belly is not what it used to be it's more like an empty pouch these days that just hangs there. H&M is terrible for sizing I am a size 12 pretty much everywhere but in there a size 12 feels like I am trying to squeeze into a size 8. just want nice clothes without spending a fortune as I don't have cash to splash