When your body doesn’t match your personal style

[Tarantellah]

I have an English Rose kind of look. Pale, rosy cheeks, fair wavy hair, rounded body with full hips. I look great in soft pastels and flowery dresses cinched in at the waist.

The problem is it doesn’t match my personality or what I want to look like. I want to look like an architect. Black clothes, plain colours, boxy shapes which suit a skinny body with no hips. Styles which don’t suit me at all, and which don’t look right on me.

Basically what happens is I try on clothes I like but I look shit in them. Then I try on clothes I hate which look great on my body but they aren’t me. So I end up not buying anything. I live in plain sweaters and black trousers because I can’t find anything that I like which also suits me. Help!

I’ve looked again. Seriously, anyone who would put that thing on cannot be taken seriously as a purveyor of good taste.

I've decided to make my own clothes. Going to figure out what styles flatter me, nice fabrics and just repeat pieces in a mix & match collection. Kind of given up on shops.

@Snoozinandlosin She has a blog too. I still love a fashion blog.

I do 99.9% of my shopping online, using a 0% interest credit card so that I can buy lots and return what I don't like
It’s the only way isn’t it? Shops are getting in the habit of not stocking a lot of sizes or not stocking certain items at all. Or they’ve closed down the local branch entirely.

I always feel bad because it’s not very environmentally friendly to keep getting deliveries and sending them back. But it’s simply not possible to go round the shops in the town centre any more. I used to love trying everything on and coming home with a few items, but nowadays the nicer items are only available online.

That’s exactly my problem 😩

Why do people describe child bearing hips and boobs as a negative?
It’s just not trendy that’s all. Look at the models on Cos, Arket, and the top end brands like Margaret Howell, The Row, Acne Studios. They all have that slim boyish figure. There is no representation of that modern style for bigger/curvier women.

I look like a sack tied in the middle! I have long since learned that a loose single breasted coat is the most slimming option for me.

I think part of the problem is that all of the fashion bloggers showcasing the minimal look have the type of straight up and down figure I yearn for, with a flat stomach and no hips or rolls. Ditto the brands who sell that style only display it on models with boyish figures. I would be really inspired to see someone pull this look off with a curvy figure and a post-baby belly. If that’s even possible!

OP - I am exactly the same!! And whereas before I did at least have a fairly flat stomach I had open abdo surgery 4 months ago and now have a proper pouch/pot belly/overhang that I feel I will never be able to get rid of

BMI 22, 5ft7, hips and boobs 39, waist 33. I can pinch a good 3 inches of fat all over my abdomen. When I sit down my tummy rests on my legs. So I’m not slim by any means.