Holiday in the heat- what to wear for a larger woman

[pantsofshame]

Would any of you stylish larger ladies be able to give me a few tips on what to wear to be comfortable but look OK in the heat?

I have put on quite a bit of weight since I last went on holiday somewhere hot and have no idea how to dress. I was hoping to slim down but thanks to menopause/life/etc this has not gone as well as I wanted so I am due to go on holiday in a few weeks and currently size 16-18 with a particularly large middle area. The temperature with be in the 30s during the day and still hot at night. In the past I would have worn vest tops and light weight shorts during the day and a strappy dress at night. I've tried the same things in my current size and it's not a good look. I have tried empire line dresses too and I look very pregnant (to the extent that I have been asked if I am, which is quite upsetting since I have just gone through an early menopause). I also get terrible thigh chaffing if I wear a dress without tights. I am also incredibly pale which does not help the overall look.

I plan to do some sightseeing, a few beach days and evenings at restaurants/low key bars. Does anyone have any ideas on what I could wear to look and feel a little better? Thank you

Ello lovely,

wear whatever you want.

if you feel comfortable in something, wear it. And don’t give a flying fook what your inner critic, or any other people might think. Because what they think is none of your business, and what you wear is none of theirs.

New Look have a decent plus size range, and they’re cut to be more accommodating yet still stylish.

I’m currently a 16, having been an 8 at the start of the pandemic.

i can’t really advise you on what to wear, but I will say get something with a bit of stretch to it, so it’s not clinging.

enjoy your well earned holiday 🌞

I wear leggings and a sleeveless tea shirt with a very lightweight beach kaftan to the knees. You can get them anywhere, Shein, Matalan, or loose crinkle fabric trousers if leggings are not flattering from Cotton traders or the like.

I’m the same size and shape as you if not a bit bigger - I choose to wear a size 20 in a dress as I think they look a bit better oversized.

I think if it’s 30 degrees you actually just need to wear what’s comfortable and let go of worrying so much. Everyone will be worrying about themselves and their own holidays - the main thing is to be cool and comfy and to be able to enjoy yourself. Those magic trousers linked to earlier in the thread make me hot just looking at them 😳

Personally I wear a lot of stuff from Yours when it’s hot. Yeah a lot of it is a bit stretchy and not exactly high fashion but it’s cool and comfy - I love their wide leg jersey trousers and their mixadi dresses (tons of colours). I wear chub rub shorts under the dresses and find them comfy for walking about. I whip the shorts off and bung them in my handbag if I’m sitting down for the evening. (I wear cotton knickers under them)! I don’t find them hot and they keep me comfy.

I do have a stomach and no amount of clever dressing will disguise that but I’m not going to fold myself into shapewear, I have learnt to just go with it and wear nice accessories etc to detract from it.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday.

I wear linen trousers and cotton shirts.

My ankles and feet are gross so I ain’t showing them off in a frock.

Avoid shapewear - especially in a hot climate! You’ll just sweat like mad.
M+S have some great anti chafing pants - I wear them under dresses, they help keep you cool and also the fabric of the dresses don’t cling. I’ve got a black pair, white pair and skin coloured pair.

These are what I wear under dresses to stop the rubbing… effectively they are just tights which sounds like they’d be horrendously hot but they’re very breathable and i always size up (I’m a size 18 ish and go for a size 22-26 as they stretch a lot) and that makes them lovely to wear -

www.yoursclothing.co.uk/nude-anti-chafing-shorts-p

Don’t they roll up on your legs?

Nope. Not at all. They’re not tight like shapewear. They’re like wearing loose fit very sheer leggings … if that makes sense. I really like them anyway. I won’t win any prizes in the sexiness category but who cares.

Snag chub rub shirts are a game changer under dresses.

Try chub rub shorts from Snag. Truly life changing (I'm size 20 )

I’m like you and have a wee bit extra weight. I love linen shift dresses - mine are from Next or M&S. Underneath i wear chubrub shorts - great for thighs which dont like the heat! 😂

snagtights.com/collections/chub-rub-shorts?gclid=Cj0KCQjw-daUBhCIARIsALbkjSZhsewvZQeJqDvwbZZF74MqiBqpveX9KZK1LLsCEhAe8IcdMBI9qYkaAtS-EALw_wcB

Somebody above mentioned Lanacane (anti-chafing gel). I use this under my bra band to help alleviate the rubbing; use it between thighs, and find it even helps with the irritation caused by wool, etc when I rub it on my neck. It's not a panacea, but it does provide a decent sort of barrier against irritation of skin. I also wear men's boxers under dresses when in a hot country 😐. Not clingly or making you feel more heated, but protection against that thigh area where they may rub together.

Snag tights do great chub rub shorts Don't wear shapewear in the heat it's uncomfy O favour empire line dresses emphasising the bust but scimming the bumpy bits and cropped trousers with swing tops Have a look at Yours for holiday stuff

Love this top Rina .

I'm similar size and doing a hot and sightseeing type holiday this year. I am going for soft thin wide leg trousers with various tops tunic or shirt etc.
Also have a couple of Maxi skirts with loose vest type tops but not skinny strap ones.
I don't like the look of shorts but I do have some cropped leggings with different loose tunic dresses to go over with a little tie waist.

I like long skirts and plain top.
M and S do fab cooling anti rub shorts.

Tons of Boden dresses for day and night with Chubb Rub shorts underneath.

Snag tights chub rub shorts. Total game changer for wearing dresses!!

Just ordered white and navy!

Cropped wide legged trousers in linen or linen cotton mix with longer floaty cotton or linen tops. Works for me - have long legs and arms and an apple torso. Short sleeves or sleeves that you turn up. A couple of floaty skirts are good too.

Don't panic. There's always someone that puts you in the shade. When you go on holiday you'll know how gorgeous you are!!

I have three different brands of chub rub shorts, Snag, Sloggi and Jockey. By a long mile, the jockey ones are the best. Not at all hot - if anything they do actually keep me cool and less sweaty. I have them in Large, and I'd say I'm around a 16 pushing 18 in trouser size. I have black and beige long, for some reason the beige have started rolling up a bit, but that's probably because I've gained a fair bit of lockdown weight too so need to either lose it or buy the next size up! Black ones are still staying solidly in place though
www.amazon.co.uk/stores/page/D21F3A48-F8AA-4953-AEC6-632601AB49D9?ingress=2&visitId=c962c9fe-958c-4074-9e21-7daaf7c15aa2&ref_=ast_bln

Try cottonon.com for cotton cycling shorts, or try some mens boxer shorts, the stretchy ones - they are so comfortable, and much easier to find in good quality 100% cotton than women's pants. I find polyester shape wear unbearable in the heat

I'd go to a big shop like M&S with lovely spacious changing rooms and try lots of stuff on.

I did this recently and it was a rerevelation. I tried wrap dresses, midi and maxi dresses and lots of different style tops and trousers.

I'd got in such a rut of dressing to hide away my shape. I hadn't experimented for years!

I went out of my way to try things I had never though I could wear. I'm wearing midi dresses for the first time ever and I love them.

I'm much more confident buying online now as I know what really doesn't suit me too!