Is there a way to wear a tunic that doesn't look terribly dumpy?

[thefirstmrsdewinter]

Every few years I buy a tunic/smock sort of thing and happily waft about in it until I see myself in a window looking like a bag lady and then I give it away. I'm an hourglass 14, 5'8". I guess I need to define my waist so this will never work for me?

Bought a lovely silk long shirt sort of thing in COS and have taken a hair-raising photo of myself in it. Back it goes.

I'd argue you probably don't look dumpy at 5'8" (I'm similar size to you).
Sometimes things just don't work for you (hello pencil skirts!)
Sometimes it's in your head and you actually look great.

It is your shape that means unfortunetly you need something a bit tighter or at least cinched in at the waist. I have the same issue in that I either look really dumpy and frumpy in clothes or like I'm trying incredibly hard to look sexy but it's because of my hourglass figure.

By the way I'm 5foot 4 so it's not hard for me to look dumpy

I’m the same and I look frumpy too. Tunics tend to box out an hour glass figure. We have to accentuate our curves, apparently.

Try a belt but if that looks too sexy then enjoy wafting. Don't think bag lady, think sophisticated north european intellectual.

Exactly. Clothes don't need to be all about making us as slim/tall as possible. Wafting is good.

Ooh, could you link to the lovely silk long shirt sort of thing in COS and have taken a hair-raising photo of myself in it. Back it goes.

Sorry - copy and paste fail! I meant please could you link to the long silk shirt thing you mentioned? Sounds lovely!

thedevilinablackdress yes, same here re pencil skirts. I agree re maximum slimness, ideally I'd like to look artfully dishevelled but often I only manage to be dishevelled. There is a dress that exists that is fitted in the shoulder-to-bust area and then drops away in an a-line and is very flattering, but it isn't the dress that I buy 99% of the time.

CountFosco yeah, I am definitely in that head space when I buy them.

FlorenceLyons sure, here it is: www.cosstores.com/en_gbp/women/womenswear/dresses/product.silk-dress-with-front-pocket-grey.0622569001.html

peasinpods12 mimibunz hourglass solidarity. :)

Ooh, yes that's an excellent dress shape

I feel your pain. I too am 5'8" and hourglass. Have you tried Pepperberry (by Bravissimo) for tunics? They do some great shapes.
www.bravissimo.com/collections/all-clothing/

I love that Cos shift. That’s the only dress shape I wear, but I have no waist and am moe or less the same thickness (quite thick) from shoulder to knee.

It's about the length of the tunic for me. Mid thigh (i.e. typical tunic length) turns my legs into tree trunks. A couple of inches longer and it's fine. I'm shorter and closer to pear than hourglass - don't know if that makes a difference.

Oh that dress will hide your waist which is your smallest part! It’s going to make you look bigger than you are I’m afraid.

Post baby my small hourglass waist completely disappeared and I went much more pear shaped, I would love to go back to tiny waist

thedevilinablackdress yes, this sort of thing: www.shopzuri.com/ I love those Zuri dresses but I had a vision of a head-to-toe grey jeggings/tunic outfit. Ah well.

PillowOfSociety yup, works for straight-up-and-down people.

Jent13c I like my shape but when I see a certain kind of loosely-cut contemporary artsy look (COS) I want to try it and it never really works for me.

Floisme for me if it just covers my bum that's usually a good length, so this was possibly always going to be too long and wide.

FirstMrs I'm about the same height, size and shape as you - I would look like a walking fridge in that COS shirt. Not a look I could ever dream of pulling off.

The only tunics I have found that work for me have a half belts that tie at the back that gives the waist some definition.

Yes to waist definition. I'm tall and pear-shaped. If I wear a sack-like, white-stuff-style tunic I look like a barrel on fat legs. But I have a couple of jumper dresses that are too short on me to wear as dresses, but are great over skinny jeans or leggings - they look better because they fit closely and it looks much more curvy and shapely.

I like my shape but when I see a certain kind of loosely-cut contemporary artsy look (COS) I want to try it and it never really works for me.

Totally feel your pain. That structural, creative arts, scandinavian look would totally suit my taste and personality (and even my job!) and I'm always tempted... then every time it's just fat barrel central.

I can look rectangular in tunics too (5ft 6 and a big busted 16) but love them as they really suit my lifestyle. Have you tried Joe Browns? I have a couple of theirs which taper in at the waist just enough to show that I'm not shaped like a brick! Their sizes can be a bit stingy though, so I so size up.

Commiseration appreciated. I had done a little film in my head about how ace it would look and was disproportionately disappointed when it went to shit. Anyway it has all gone back today and maybe I'll use the refund to buy myself a bag, which - unlike a tunic - is something I actually need.

Bloobs I salved the Scandi-shaped hole in my life by wearing socks and sandals to an exhibition yesterday lol.

I salved the Scandi-shaped hole in my life by wearing socks and sandals
Bloody hell - no need to go that far! I channel my inner Bjorn Ulvaeus through the medium of excessive amount of liquorice-based sweets eaten on a Saturday!