Autumn and winter clothes woes

[Sarcelle]

In the summer I like to think of myself as stylish, I really enjoy wearing clothes in summer. I am not a flesh bearer but I put an outfit together well (she says, patting herself on the back).

In the autumn/winter it all goes to shit. I just look like a frump. I am good with coats, jackets and knitwear and bags but everything else is dire. My main beef is trousers. I never wear skirts or dresses. In the summer I wear crop jeans or trousers and they suit my leg length. In the winter I struggle to find full length jeans or trousers that fit. I seem to have a uniform of crew neck cardigans, frumpy jeans which don't fit well, and long sleeve tops.

From Nov-March I just rotate the same outfits with no pleasure in wearing them.

I am middle aged, size 12/14, 5 foot 1, large of nork but my menopausal new self now has a wider middle, a fat bum, but legs have slimmed down. So jeans that fit around the waist go a bit MC Hammer on the leg (exaggerating a bit).

I have slight scoliosis and my (big) bum sticks out, sway back style. I realised recently that's why I don't like wearing skirts or dresses. I don't like high heels either.

I have just been to Bluewater, bought nothing apart from a pair of jeans from Oasis. They are straight legged but look a bit short on me, which is weird as they are not petite length or cropped and "normal" jeans are usually too long. Are short straight jeans a thing now? What boots go with these? I think I may return these.

What do other middle aged, short, curvy women wear in the winter?

I am depressed at the thought of being a frump over the next few months. (The M & S changing rooms were depressing enough.)

I forgot, I bought a top from Zara too. I look like Kevin the Teenager in it or a female version of Liam Gallagher. It's going back.

Sorry but your post really made me smile!

I'm 5'2, curvy, middle aged and menopausal, size 12/14ish.

Jeans-wise, I look best in either skinnies, or straight legs which I've rolled up slightly. For A/W I wear my rolled up straight legs with fishnets and trainers, or ankle boots. I like Levis but also have M&S skinnies and some straight, slightly cropped Seven for all Mankind.

I prefer jumpers or long-sleeved tops to cardigans with jeans, as cardigans can look a bit old fashioned, or has if they are just being worn for warmth, rather than because they've been chosen as part of an outfit.

Are you totally against skirts and dresses? Some of them can look great with a bum!

I like skirts etc, but just not on me. I have a shelf arse. Also, wearing dresses with flat shoes in the winter would look odd on me too. I quite like the knee high boots that are back in fashion, but I only like the look with skirts so that rules them out. I don't like skirts with ankle boots either. I am blooming hopeless in the winter.

To give you a laugh, this is the Kevin the Teenager top (I didn't go near the bottoms). I liked the contrast of the olive, white and black. I was going for a sports luxe vibe. I thought with some black heavy jersey flared trousers It would be a good casual outfit. When I got it home I realised I just look like a dick.

Hmm. Not fond of that, sorry. I'm sure you don't look like a dick, but there are much nicer things out there.

I'm the opposite, I really struggle to put together outfits in the summer, but autumn is my time! Partly because of the colours but also because autumn is when you can start buying structured clothes again.

That top wouldn't work for me because it has no shape. When you're covering up more, the clothes need to be part of the shape you're creating. I tend to be drawn to stuff that holds a shape on the hanger. Over time you can then learn which shapes work best for you. If it droops don't go near it!

The top was completely out of character and not a look I would normally go for. It has gone back to Zara, and the jeans returned to Oasis. (My DH was with me when I returned it to Zara, and they were near the till together with a pink version. He asked me loudly if my mid life crisis wanted the pink version too.

I think it's good to experiment. Ok this time it didn't end well but I'd try and work out what it was that drew you to that top. The shape? The block colours? Then look for something in that vein. And I'd tell your husband that, if he doesn't stop acting like a knob, your next midlife buy will be a sportscar.

No, he wasn't being a knob, he is not like that at all, we just joke around with each other!

I liked the olive, white and black combo, but what I really liked about it was that it was something different to what I would normally choose for Autumn.

Well threatening to buy a sports car is a joke too . Anyway moving on, I'd keep pushing at why you liked it. Look for something else in those colours?

I'm kind of the opposite to you in that I love autumn winter dressing and struggle with summer and my solution is to have a bit of a uniform for warmer weather and keep everything simple. But then summer only lasts a few weeks, whereas autumn winter goes on for half the year. So it's trickier. But I still think it's about going out and trying things that you wouldn't normally wear. No need to make decisions straight away. Take photos. Go back and try them again and so on.

I am similar to you in shape and have just bought these and they are bloody lovely turned up with brogues. They are actually a bit smarter than they look in the photo.
www.hush-uk.com/womenswear/daywear/trousers-1/corduroy-girlfriend-chinos-petrol.htm

Wear your cropped jeans with boots, a fine knit and a blazer or nice tailored coat!

I'm short and fat, my autumn/winter wardrobe consists of cropped skinnies or rolled up combats with pumps or boots and I tend to wear shirts and blazers, due to over heating age related issues I like light layers with a scarf so I can strip off put back on as temp allows, I much prefer autumn/winter to summer as I'm just a sweaty lump in the summer.

If you like knee high boots and cropped trousers could you try them together. I’m thinking of a tweed pair with heeled knee highs?

This sort of thing? It would look awful on me, but then cropped trousers do in general.

I love that look

Or more like this if you need flats.

i struggle to picture what people describe - feel free to share pics as you come across them of great autumn looks
I like it when its cold enough for tights - then I can go to dresses and skirts. This current period where it can't decide if its warm or cold is challenging me!!!
My current hobby is sewing so am trying to finish a mustard corduroy mini skirt - sounds hideous but am hoping it will look great with grey tights and brown chunky ankle boots!

I have the opposite problem, I can’t dress for summer, but rock it in the autumn/winter.

I’m short too, your actually a tad taller than me, I can’t do cropped jeans or anything like that as I just look dumpy...I wear dresses and tights in the autumn with long boots. The only time of year I actually look half decent!

I like that look @whitershadeofpale

I wonder where I can get trousers like that? I find some cropped casual trousers and cropped jeans easy to find but not more formal trousers like that. I don't think culottes would work (hips too wide) but straighter ones might.

How about these www.oasis-stores.com/gb/clothing/trousers-shorts/cigarette-trousers/071154.html?dwvar_071154_color=00&position=20&cgid=trousers-and-shorts#page=1&hideFeatured=false&start=20&categoryID=trousers-and-shorts they have them in other colours and similar styles.

These are nice but might be wider legged than you'd like www.oasis-stores.com/gb/clothing/trousers-shorts/check-wide-leg-trousers/071145.html?dwvar_071145_color=00&position=18&cgid=trousers-and-shorts#&start=18&categoryID=trousers-and-shorts