Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

Short skirts with chunky legs

33 replies

FatherFintanFay · 06/09/2019 09:48

I've seen so many autumn skirts and dresses that I really like at the moment, but they all seem to be a couple of inches above the knee and I've never worn anything that short before because I loathe my legs. I am short and fat and carry a lot of my weight around my hips, bum and thighs. I would love to get one of those corduroy pinafore dresses and wear it with opaque tights and a thin sweater underneath, but would I look ludicrous with my big thighs poking out of the bottom??

Also, if I did decide to brave the look, what shoes would work with it? I can't wear ankle boots with skirts because they make my legs look even stumpier and thicker. Are trainers or brogues an acceptable compromise?

OP posts:
RezCowgirl · 06/09/2019 10:58

Do it, no one will bat an eyelid. I wear trainers and brogues with my short skirts and dumpy legs. The only ankle boots I have are doc martens and they work perfectly well.

Sigh81 · 06/09/2019 11:03

So I am slim but disproportionately chunky of thigh and knee. I think as a principle, if you love it then wear it and screw whatever anyone else thinks.

That being said, as a fellow chunky thighed woman, I find that the most flattering skirt length is to go a bit shorter until the length hits where your thighs start to go in a little before they go out again at the top. But obviously only do that if that is still close enough to the look you love!

I also wear mine with brogues and feel delightfully preppy when I do so.

KatharinaRosalie · 06/09/2019 11:04

You know, I always believed I had horrible legs and in my 20s, would never wear anything shorter than knee. Usually tried to hide myself in mid-calf skirts. But actually, I have to admit they are not so bad and shorter is more flattering - the less you show the leg, the stumpier it looks. And those wide ankle boots, especially if they are same colour as tights, are flattering, just avoid tight fitting slim heels.

Ariela · 06/09/2019 11:45

My friend has the same problem, and carries off the short skirt with a amazing multicoloured boots, or contrasting bright colour opaque tights. Honestly we are very similar in build but folk don't see her like me (fat & wrong side of fifty), people just see her as funky trendy and fun, my mum's friend says 'your funky friend' when talking about her.

Original poster
FatherFintanFay · 06/09/2019 11:54

Sigh81 my thighs don't have a bit that goes in before they go back out again! I think your legs must be a lot slimmer than you're giving them credit for...

My preferred skirt length is just on or a smidge below the knee. Calf length is a dumpy nightmare and I've never been able to get along with mini. But knee length is hardly ever "in" and if I do ever manage to find it, it's usually in a charity shop. I don't know why it's not catered for, as there must be loads of women like me who don't want to show their thighs but can't pull off the midi look either.

OP posts:
minipie · 06/09/2019 11:59

I have short chunky legs and also avoid anything above the knee. I reckon though that opaques disguise a lot. So provided the skirt, tights and footwear are all similar colours (ie not chopping you off) you can get away with short.

MikeUniformMike · 06/09/2019 12:07

Opaques hide a lot. The shape and colourof the skirt will affect how your legs look so try A-line, straight etc to see what suits you best, and try them with different shoes and ankle boots.
I have a few pinafores and love them. They are very easy to wear.

Original poster
FatherFintanFay · 06/09/2019 13:42

I went out this lunchtime and tried some of these things on... and it's a nope from me. I just can't get past my thigh hatred! My problem is that I want to actually nice, not just like I've only just got away with it, and that isn't going to happen with this style. Annoyingly, the choice at the moment seems to be between short or midi, and since neither flatters me, I shall be resigning myself to trousers for this autumn!

OP posts:
Bubbletrouble43 · 06/09/2019 14:08

Do it. My best friend is very short and chunky of leg, she wears short skirts and thick tights and looks AMAZING. She wears tall biker style boots with hers which look really good.

Skinnychip · 06/09/2019 14:48

I am very short and even though i reasonably slim i still have stumpy legs. My preferred skirt length is just above the knee with just under the knee boots or a shoe with a small heel. I have some boots similar style to the ones above and while i think they look ok with jeans, they finish mid calf which imo is very unflattering with a skirt.

Original poster
FatherFintanFay · 06/09/2019 15:45

Yeah, I was more concerned about the fat thing than the short thing... I wouldn't be worrying about my thighs if it was just a lack of height that was bothering me!

I like those boots slipperyeel but they are definitely too high for wearing with a shorter skirt - I think if you have wide calves, you need to be in a very short ankle boot or go for knee-high - something that cuts you off mid-calf is only going to scream "Look at this bit! See how wide it is!"

OP posts:
LaDameAuxLicornes · 06/09/2019 16:27

If you're short and are finding everything just too short for your purposes, have you tried looking at tall ranges for the same style in a slightly longer length? Or you could get a midi version and get it taken up? I am very fussy about skirt lengths and often get things altered so that they hit the exact length I'm looking for.

BirthdayDreamer · 06/09/2019 16:31

If you are short then at least the pinafores will look slightly longer on your legs than on a taller person. (try being tall and chunky of thigh with all the short skirt lengths!)

I would wear the outfit you describe but with thick opaque tights. I would never wear trainers with tights. Boots are good but like a PP said, a low (on leg) ankle boot with a mid heel for a bit of height is probably most flattering. Suede is a good fabric to go with a more casual look of pinafore and jumper. I know people say "wear what you want" and it's true, but at the same time most of us know what is flattering and what is not on our bodies and make efforts to accommodate that and that's fine too. Basically whatever makes you feel happy and comfortable.

Skinnychip · 06/09/2019 16:36

If you're short and are finding everythingjusttoo short for your purposes, have you tried looking at tall ranges for the same style in a slightly longer length?

I find it hard to find jeans to fit (even petite ones, sometimes) .....so i go for tall range, cropped jeans!

shiningstar2 · 06/09/2019 16:54

I am short and dumpy and like this style. I buy boots which are shaped to go in at the ankle iyswim. You can get great short boots that do this and they give the illusion of slimmer ankles and shaplier legs.

Charleyp · 07/09/2019 12:17

Don’t worry what others think of the way you look, it’s all about being confident within yourself, as I’m a cross dresser going through transition I have had to build my confidence and now I don’t care what others think I’m happy now as I’m am

Original poster
FatherFintanFay · 09/09/2019 11:30

An update - I bought this yesterday on a bit of an impulse, but I'm not sure about it... it's my preferred length and shape, and I'm planning to winter it up with tights and cardigans, but should a 40 year old woman be wearing flouncy skirts with flamingos on??

Short skirts with chunky legs
OP posts:
MikeUniformMike · 09/09/2019 11:35

Good lord, no. What were you thinking?
You should be shopping from the back of the weekend papers' colour supplement at your advanced age.
I'm older and wear whatever I like Grin

michaelbaubles · 09/09/2019 11:37

Who else is that skirt aimed at if not 40-year-olds? It's not for teenagers and the cut's not popular with 20-somethings. I'd wear it and I'm 39 (but am also wearing gold sparkly trainers so don't really care much about what's allegedly age-appropriate).

Anyway 40-year-olds seem to have a more interesting dress sense than younger people nowadays. More fun and less bothered about whether or not it's in fashion, just whether they like it.

Original poster
FatherFintanFay · 09/09/2019 12:00

I see what you mean... I suppose I'm wary of embodying the "fat and jolly" cliche. You know - wearing things that are fun. I avoid the 50s look that many plus size bloggers advocate for this very reason. Maybe I ought to embrace the fun!

OP posts:
minipie · 09/09/2019 12:47

Just don’t wear it with a fluffy top with little bows on or anything with cherries Grin
It would look great with boots and a leather jacket

SomewhereNow · 09/09/2019 15:08

I wore this sort of thing a lot last year and I’ve got awful legs but I got some chunky biker boots from Office that just seemed to balance everything out.

I know exactly what you mean by ‘fun’ stuff when you’re not stick thin, it’s a fine line between wearing what you love and looking like a plus size cliche 😬

Original poster
FatherFintanFay · 09/09/2019 16:25

I'll just be wearing it with a plain navy cardigan or jumper and black tights and shoes. No pink fluffy tops with bows on - I don't want to be channeling Dolores Umbridge as my style icon.

OP posts:
AnnaNimmity · 09/09/2019 16:28

Yes my Trinny and Susannah tip is to wear skirts/shorts that cut off at the thinnest point of your thigh - wherever that is. I think that works really well (it's the only one of their tips I remember apart from another one about 3/4 length trousers )>

Wear what you want and wear it with confidence! Most people are too busy worrying about themselves to judge you.

Swipe left for the next trending thread