do you 'dress for your shape' i.e. to make some bits look smaller etc

[GoodieMcTwoshoes]

I feel like I should as I'm a bit of an 'English pear' shape at the moment, but there are so many pretty skirts that aren't black/dark.

To a certain extent. I'm not a fan of the baggy sack -like dresses so common at the moment. I no longer suit fitted jeans.

What I’m always aiming for is something that feels ‘right’ on me. I’ve noticed that a lot of what feels right looks balanced. I think the balance comes from my body looking proportionate in the clothes I’ve chosen, or very intentionally out of proportion, which I think achieves the same effect. I notice the way that a rolled sleeve or a small flash of ankle changes the way an outfit feels, which I guess is the same thing as dressing for my figure, but I’m never looking to disguise parts of myself or make parts look bigger/smaller. Had my colours done, vaguely bear this in mind but there’s a certain way of dressing that screams ‘I’ve had my colours done’ which I find infinitely less stylish than someone picking a colour or pattern they like but that doesn’t suit them

Great points, thanks all. I'm still single and been single too long for my liking, so it's probably more important to me to try and look as conventionally attractive as possible, than someone who already has a partner, or isn't looking.

I get that, but men don't all have the same taste. Pear-shape has been all the rage for the last two decades, and I'm sure lots of men would find your figure especially attractive, just as others might be more drawn to a different body type. We're veering off the realms of style and beauty now, but I don't think anyone ever missed out on a good boyfriend because her bum looked its size in a pink skirt. Defo wear the skirt you want and don't think you have to camouflage yourself in black and navy to attract a man! 😊

Yes it's a shame that supposedly bums are less fashionable now. I was just starting to feel ok about it.

"She looks attractive, but her Kardashian-style arse is very unfashionable this year, and so I'm no longer interested in women that shape" said no heterosexual man ever.

If you've got big boobs, you don't really have a choice as most ' fashion' is not designed for them. Tops and dresses that are cut too high so they hang off your chest, making you look much bigger than you are.Shapeless dresses or boxy tops. Clothes seemed to be designed for women who don't have a chest, it really pisses me off.

Yes, I don't think men think that way at all! 😂

@Appalonia I can imagine what you mean, I think a lot of clothes don't have a waist either. If you look at them they don't go in at all at the waist, they go straight down. Maybe that's more cheaper stuff.

@Appalonia The same goes the other way, for pear shapes and big bums. I was in a shop yesterday and was wearing a size large dress, but couldn't even get the size XL trousers on. I'm currently wearing size 14 trousers from Next, so nothing excessively large, just most places don't cut trousers for hips and bum.

I just bought flair jeans, for the first time in 45 years. I think they are balancing out my chunky thighs enough that I might even go for a crop top with them. Normally wear long shirts/tunics/jumpers.

@CeeJay81 Can you give an example/link of long tops with a waist please? I tend to wear tunic tops over leggings and they are really straight up and down but i do have a small (ish) waist or maybe just big hips!

@superstar63 these styles

https://www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/dresses/blue-spot-print-drawstring-mini-dress/p/898108749

https://www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/dresses/navy-jersey-drawstring-mini-dress/p/897908341?

extcam=UKPPCPLAGenericsCoreNCGoogleDVmAGID125550190269PRID8979131&gadsource=1&cclid=GoogleCj0KCQjw4MSzBhC8ARIsAPFOuyWus3B88uU0oKiPdrq2SwDfnD6OXjClrHPbW9h3oTZNjbbGyv-zJcaAiswEALwwcB&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4MSzBhC8ARIsAPFOuyWus3B88uU0oKiPdrq2SwDfnD6OXjClrHPbW9h3oTZNjbbGyv-zJcaAiswEALw_wcB
https://www.roman.co.uk/panelled-ditsy-floral-print-dress-14343360?istCompanyId=2c7d42bf-c86e-4126-852a-34976c2accf2&istFeedId=2671bd7b-958a-4180-b178-22e89d93d179&istItemId=rrplxtamp&istBid=t&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4MSzBhC8ARIsAPFOuyU97e1VKFdfZXUw1bObKrtIwytK99rnXlXVbLdwt3nounSc0v3GWDcaAngKEALw_wcB

Not sure if those links worked, there was only supposed to be 3🙈.

No need. I'm a 5'11 willowy, very slender hourglass, legs for days. I can wear a bin bag and look good.

But I was fat before for a bit, post pregnancy. It was difficult, as everything looked shit. But I tried my best to look less crap. I'm always perplexed seeing women like this: height of Shetland ponies with the stumpy short legs to match, cankles, bulging massive bellies, wearing mom jeans, cropped, to make stumpy legs look even shorter and fatter, tops stuffed in and a belt on a non existent size 16-20something waist for good measure. They look like clowns with those high waisted trousers clowns wear. Supposedly 'trendy' jean, but they look comical, not good in any shape or form. Just why?

Aren’t you a delight?

I read that and thought 'WTF did I just read?' - then I recognised your username and realised this is just more of your shallow goady bile. 🙄

absolutely I dress for my shape! I rock short a-line dresses a la sixties style (good legs, wide waist), look terrible in anything gauzy or drapes. Look like a psychic wearing long skirts. Can't do anything brown or frumpy because by god I pull that look off (think dungarees etc that some skinny French chic girl would pull off with total insouciance... I cannot)

Honestly I think maturity in dressing is about knowing how to dress for your shape (and that doesn't necessarily mean without flair, colour or panache)

Whereas my idea of maturity would be, 'I really love those dungarees and I'm not going to be cowed out of wearing them just because my arse isn't a fashionable size'.

I can wear purples and greys but the same colours make one of my friends look ill. She looks amazing in peaches, oranges, and pinks that make me look like I have rosacea.

When you hold a garment against yourself under natural daylight and look in the mirror, does it make you look healthy or ill? That's what people mean when they say that a colour suits or doesn't suit them.

Because shopping for clothes is already a nightmare without trying to find "hen's teeth" unfashionable garments?

I hate drop-shouldered oversized shirts, they make me look like I'm wearing a parachute, but I also have big boobs and that makes finding a fitted or semi-fitted shirt that fits me really hard right now because drop-shoulded oversized everything is IN-IN-IN right now and the very manufacturers who still do fitted and semi-fitted shirts as office wear aren't doing fuller bust editions because fitted and semi-fitted shirts aren't in fashion.

My work shirts are going bobbly. What am I supposed to do here, other than cave in and buy the hated parachute shirts because at least they will go around my boobs?

No. Never noticed this. If I look ill, it's when I am ill.

Never noticed it on anyone else either. I've countless times looked at what someone is wearing and thought "fabulous dress etc", or "blimey that's hideous" but that's all down to the item of clothing. I wouldn't even notice the person's face.

I'm not being rude @IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle but do you think you might be slightly colour blind?

When I had my colours done it was very obvious that cool tones suited me and lit up my face and warm tones washed me out.

Emerald green is one of my best colours and brightens my complexion, whereas olive green just makes me look pale and washed out.

Not rude (you never are) not colour blind as far as I know. I've been having eye tests since I was 20.

It's just not how I look at myself or anyone else when I'm appraising clothes.

Is it possible to be a "willowy hour glass"?