Do you dress for fashion/style or for your shape?

[Curryinnohurry]

Hi,

Was just doing a bit of online clothes shopping and realised how safe my wardrobe is. Clothes that I love, just don't suit my body shape (inverted triangle) so if I'm shopping for dresses, they have to be a line or skater style to balance me out. Tops can't be high necked or have any detail on shoulder, as I'm quite broad. Puff sleeves look HIDEOUS on me for example.

I do have a decent figure and am a reasonably slim size 10 with a waist, albeit quite high, but I'm just not built for fasion 😂Would just love to buy clothes I really like rather than the safe option and what's the most flattering. Maybe I'm just playing it too safe though.

Anyway, can anyone relate?

Material first. (Skin sensitivities)

Then cost, Then shape, then fashion.

I dress for comfort - warmth. non-itchy, and breathable at the moment.
Not sure about fashion - I'm definitely not seeking a classic, conservative look - tend to shop in Toast, Cos etc I like things that are well cut - not necessarily flattering in the sense that I am not trying to appear slimmer than I am (I'm a tall size 12) - but colours are important so I don't look drained/ill. And I am trying not to buy new clothing so I'm into visible repairs, sashiko, darning etc.

I'm not interested in trends for the sake of them but when something is very my style and also happens to be in fashion and suits my shape then I am buying it.
If an item really doesn't suit my shape I won't buy it no matter how much I like it on the hanger because I have learned through experience that I just won't wear it.

I'm a very similar size and shape to you and dress for a mixture of personal preference and practicalities. So I^^ should wear wide leg trousers and fitted dark coloured tops, and sometimes I do, but I also like slim fit jeans/leggings with cosy, loose fitting tops, so I wear them anyway even though they make me look bigger.

And I'm not wearing wide leg or bootcut jeans in the wet. I did that in the 90s and had permanently wet calves. 😆

I agree that knowing why something doesn't quite work on you is really helpful but the older I get the less inclined I am to stick rigidly to the rules. I'm certainly not a slave to fashion, am aiming for stylish rather than fashionable. Sometimes I wear things that in theory don't flatter my shape but because I like the overall look I will wear them anyway.

Both. I know what shapes (and colours) suit me but I like keeping up with trends. Not slavishly, but general shapes and styles.

Hmmm interesting. I dress for my shape because otherwise I look a mess and then I don't feel happy/ confident which in turn makes me more critical when I catch sight of myself in a mirror/ shop window.
I'm an hourglass ( under the fat) and need definition or I just look like a blob. Short, too, meaning wide trousers just don't look right on me.
I make coats, accessories and footwear do a lot of the heavy lifting in keeping my look a bit more current.
The smock dress fad is not for me, but I have found that I can wear longer ( so, fashionable length) dresses as long as they are in a stretchier fabric, for example.

I work with the public, I watch people pretty much all day long. Most people seem to dress in comfortable looking variations of trousers and a top. A good proportion of the time I am internally thinking " Jesus, what were you thinking?" but I do fundamentally believe people should wear what they fancy ( and I should be less judgemental )

I'm not sure. I'm also an inverted triangle /column shape. So big boobs, no waist, slight tummy but slim hips, bum and long legs. I wear fit and flare/skater or tea dresses. With a v neck or scoop neck. I never wear midi or maxi dresses as they just make my whole body look like the size of a brick. I wear slim fit jeans as boy friend etc make me look really bulky. Over size stuff makes me look fat, but I don't mind a chunky cardigan. With clothes I try to create a waist and I need to balance out my boobs with a flare, or a line style.

I feel the same about the wide leg trouser shape, I've tried the famous m&s ones that are all over instagram but they just don't suit my petite inverted triangle shape,there seem to much fabric they swamp me, I don't have much shape from the waist down , maybe this is why.