Would this be Frumpy

[plantsandgarden]

I have a pleated skirt I can wear during the summer. If I tuck a t shirt in it draws attention to my wide hips. Would a short sleeve shirt (a nice modern one) look frumpy worn with the skirt but not tucked in?

I'm in my late 40s, a size 12 and can only see photos of models wearing tucked in t shirts with pleated skirts. I'm a bit out of touch with summer clothes and what looks good

Hi. I felt the same, i try and now do the “french tuck” i think its called where it’s just tucked in the waist band at the front. I also wear shirts with them, mostly buy cropped so it sits on the waistband. (I’m only 5” though so cropped fit as normal 😂)

Ive learned that tucking things in drastically changes the look of an outfit, far less frumpy and gives me more shape

You're meant to have wide hips, emphasise them!

Try it out, it sounds like it would be nice.
(And banish the F word from your vocabulary, you know it's not allowed on MN 😉)

I think it needs to be tucked in. I have the same problem with pleated skirts. I like how they look on other people but they make me feel really dumpy and frumpy. I don't need the extra volume the pleats create.

I think it would look best tucked in (attention is on the waist, bigger hips just make waist look smaller) but it depends on the length as a shorter top might work as it gives a similar look. A too long top will look a bit ‘meh’ and droopy.

A short boxy top that stops just below the waist band of the skirt will be fine.

The French tuck might have been sttylish and original on the first 2 people who did it. Now it looks daft, contrived and copy cat.

You’re a size 12- your hips cannot be that wide!

An untucked shirt over a pleated skirt will make your torso look straight up and down and yes, very frumpy.

I’ve been through similar process with my wide -legged trousers, have learned that tick and be proud of your hips and bum is much better than having the top covering the waistband.

Can we see a photo of your skirt (or similar)? I think there are various solutions here, but none of them is to wear an untucked top! Cropped/short boxy top that stops on the waistband, bodysuit, a t-shirt made shorter using the bobble trick, or a shirt with the bottom few buttons left open and tied to sit on the waistband.

I’d go short top rather than a tuck, OP. I hate tucking things in and I always feel bulky. Lately I’ve discovered that ‘crop’ doesn’t mean what it meant in 1990 and a crop T-shirt actually hits the waistband of most things. I buy crop vests from Uniqlo but they do T-shirts too.

Boxy shape T shirt would look nice I think