Why don’t some clothes work for me?

[StuckInARut40]

Trying to get out of my skinnies rut, and have tried lots of different style outfits/jeans/trousers, but they just don’t work on my body shape and I can’t work out why! I see other people who are shorter/taller/curvier/thinner etc etc wearing different styles and looking great, but there’s something about my body shape that just makes me look square if I try wider bottoms. Am 159cm (5ft2.5) and around 8 stone, reasonably good shape as I do exercise, probably more pear shaped but I do have boobs. I follow a few instagram people and have been trying to work out my body type but I don’t seem to fit in any of the categories! Any ideas as to how I can update my style but in a way that doesn’t make me look 4 foot wide, or ideas? Personal shopper unlikely to work as I’m too short for a lot of shops so have to buy online.

It's hard to know how to advise without seeing your actual body shape. This link may help? https://theconceptwardrobe.com/build-a-wardrobe/determine-your-body-shapes

Your proportions also make a big difference. I have swimmers shoulders and broad hips, but I am very short waisted so I can look very boxy. If I had a longer torso then my menopausal stomach would be a bit more balanced. It doesn't bother me too much, but I tend to avoid anything that's cropped or wide on the top half.

I'm similar to you (but half a stone heavier atm) I can only wear wide legs with platform heels and a fitted top tucked in. Anything else and I look like a tank! Back in the day, they worked with crop tops too, but I'm keeping my tummy firmly covered!
I can manage a mom jean or a straight leg, but nearly always with a chunky heel tbh.

I think that when you wear the same style for a long time, your eye becomes so accustomed to it that any kind of change feels wrong. In fact technically I'd have thought that skinnies, which draw the eye to your thighs, would be the worst possible look for a pear shape - I'm not stating that as a fact as I don't really follow that kind of advice any more but that's what you'd have probably been told 20 years ago.

I'm saying this as someone who's half an inch taller than you, a few pounds heavier and a bit pear shaped.

Basically I think you have a choice: stick with what feels good and accept that they don't look as current as you'd like or jump in, have a go and accept that a new look might take a bit of getting used to, just like a new haircut or different glasses do. If you want to go gently at first then a straight leg is the obvious place to start.

Right, added a photo (as anonymised as I can!). Don’t usually wear tops that hit at this length, I just hitched it up a bit so you can see the silhouette. Am wondering if I’m just too short waisted, so wide leg trousers with more fitted tops make me look all bottom half and then BOOBS 🤣

Following as I am a similar shape to you and having the same problems

No reason why you can't wear wide bottoms with your body shape. Make sure they are long enough. Wear a fitted top, tucked in if possible. Look on instagram or to TikTok for outfit ideas. I'm short waisted too. I agree with the other post that you're just not used to seeing yourself in different clothes. I think I look weird in skinny jeans now.

You look gorgeous! Enviable figure!

I'm the same height as you, but much heavier and curvier.

The thing about proportions is that off the peg clothes are often cut for taller people. So for example, even when you find a pair of trousers that you like, because it was designed for a taller figure, the belt loops might sit in the wrong place for you; or the flaring/wide leg part might start on the wrong part of the trousers. It's not just about chopping inches off the bottom of a pair of trousers to suit our height.

High rise trousers often sit wrong on me, I'm just not tall/proportioned for that cut - mid rise will come up too high on my waist for example, depending on the brand/ style etc.

Sometimes tailoring will be able to sort that out, sometimes it's about choosing styles that fit your height/ proportions. My only solution is not to give up, try on things that you like the look of and find a good tailor to help with alterations.

I can't see a problem tbh, you described yourself so differently to the photo. . That waistline is too low, you'd d look better with one that ends at your natural waist or a one that's much longer. One style tip I've taken is to draw the eyes away from the bit you don't want people to see rather than trying to hide it as that often has the opposite effect,

So if you feel the trousers aren't giving you the right feeling pay attention to, your neckline with with an interesting neck on your clothin or jewellery. I have big boobs so I always ensure a bit of cleavage is on show

Wear high waisted wider/straight leg jeans and make sure the top is more fitted / half tucked at front to show waist. Cropped styles work better with the wider bottoms that are in imo. You can def pull it off you’re prob just not used to it.

I actually think the way you described yourself is exactly what I expected to see in the photo — because I'm very similar in shape to you, and a lot of what you said resonated with me (though I have never worn skinny jeans, because I don't find them at all flattering for my thighs).

I'm stuck in a rut of only wearing dresses, and even then I struggle, because my waist is a couple of sizes smaller than my thighs. I haven't worn jeans for more than 10 years, but I really wish I could find a style that doesn't make me look stout and dumpy.

Interesting, especially that others with similar shapes are having the same challenges. Now I’ve looked at the photo, I’m wondering if part of the problem is that my natural waist/narrowest part is actually right up underneath my boobs. So a waistline anywhere else just doesn’t look right (as per PP who said that clothes aren’t generally tailored for shorter people). I do like wearing dresses with a belt, but generally cut off belt loops so the belt can sit higher and that seems to work, but perhaps with wide legged trousers the emphasis on the bottom half is just too much?

You are the same underlying shape as me but I am heavier. I have the same issue with trousers. If I buy wide enough for my hips and thighs then they are on the big side the whole way down and usually to big in the waste, lots of fabric and the whole look is square and clumsy.
The summer is a bit better, loose gathered waist trousers in a thinner fabric seem to drape better and Fatface cropped chinos actually worked. Winter I have given up and live in skinnies, leggings and leggings!

I am pretty much the same height and weight and similar figure - maybe slightly less pear and more stick! I definitely fin that despite being slim, lots of things don’t really work for me. If I have any volume on my bottom half - e.g. wide trousers or mum style trousers - that only works with a slim fitting too that is tucked in. Works best in warmer weather. My dd is much taller and slim and can pull of the baggy bottoms and top look…

I am also petite, I think we just have to accept that clothes will need tailoring. Often have to get waist taken in and hems shortened