Recommendation for dress brands with a 10inch drop between bust and waist? (E.g. 40inch bust /30inch waist)

[purpletrees16]

Hi my favourite brand went into administration this summer and what I truly loved is that the clothes fitted me! (Collectif)

Does anyone know a brand that does a 10inch drop between waist and bust - indeed I can do a little more e.g. 12inch drop.

I used to be 40 /30/40 and post baby /IVF I’m now 44/32/42. Hence why I can’t just wear my old Collectif wardrobe!

i miss actually seeing my waist in a dress. I’ve Tried on a mix of high street brands at the £60-120 price point. I Don’t mind if the shop labels me a 20 or a 14 so long as it fits!

Prefer a fit and flare/ 1950s near full /a line skirt. Oh and cotton or linen, with a bit of stretch. I have texture issues with polyester and other plastics. Viscose is passable.

Any ideas on brands before I beg my mum to make me all my dresses.

ill need every occasion eventually but I used to wear 1950s dresses everywhere I didn’t wear my gym clothes - just varying the “loudness” / quality to suit the event.

Bemused by your query, I looked up the Collectif size guide. They're the same proportions as everywhere else - about 18cm between bust and waist (roughly 7½ ins). So just buy your clothes from one of the many outlets selling 1950s style!

If you look at size 12 it’s 38-40/30/38-40… and I used to need the stretch to make the extra 2inch (couldn’t really buy the items without the 3% elastane.)

so perhaps I want a clothes shop that stretches up in the bust area by an extra 2-3inches without looking super tight? It used to look great.

I do find anything that fits my bust is really baggy at the waist. Also some shops seem to have a smaller drop. Used to buy pepperberry but they went bust too.

And closest I could find is dolly and dotty so far and they are 38-40 bust to 31inch waist (fine)

but more pointedly, rather than 42-44 and 34 inch for Collectif, they are 43-45bust: 37-38inch waist which would be an extra 5 inches on my current waist vs. a Collectif 2inches. I have bought a Vinted Collectif in the right new size and it fits great, just can’t do vinted forever - as found out with pepper berry.

Sainsbury’s have a 5 inch drop. So there must be more than on brand that tends the other way? And/or doesn’t decrease the gap for larger sizes.

This is a weird slightly obsessive post

Agree @fossilgap if obsessed with hour glass figure, get altered or learn how to make stuff yourself? Most of us have got mum bellies etc! I'm small - but hardly an hour glass!

It’s the measurement detail

I made this during night feeds which does make it come across badly.

Picture the scene. You go to a work KIT day and that think that you only have maternity wear that fits that isn’t leggings. You give yourself a measure and think it would be nice to wear something new and decide to start with something fun. You’re a lot bigger than you were but you know that and expected it. You’ve already packed up a lot of your pre pregnancy stuff in the attic. You go to your favourite store site! It’s bankrupt. You’ve bought clothes there for 15 years.

still sad, you browse alternatives, and realise they won’t fit you as well - also sad you missed the closing down sale!

I can make clothes - I just won’t be spending my little bits of spare time doing that as I have another hobby and one hobby plus f/t work and children seems almost impossible already 😆.

In reality, I just want my clothes shop back. I’ve had this happen before and second hand is fine for a couple of years but you run out of styles you like as there are no new colours / a lot of the good condition stuff is now well worn.

I’m just wondering if there’s another brand to get excited about.

https://sizes.darkgreener.com collates sizes for a few high street stores. If you are wondering why you might like one brand over another - it could be that it just fits you! (Same site that does baby name stats). Basically, I may be weird but I’m not alone!

There is do much variation in women's shapes, I don't think it's obsessive at all to be aware of which brands fit you best. It's just sensible!!

(For the quirks of my body - long torso, chunky calves- Espirit was brilliant, but like Collectif, they are no more).

I felt the same when Bravissimo stopped doing their clothing range- it was so nice to have clothes cut for hourglass shapes, including shirts that don't gape at the bust. I've had some success looking for Bravissimo stuff on Vinted - you might find the same with Collectiv.

Yes! They were the previous brand that went under. When I get around to it I’ll sell my old pre baby stuff for someone else to wear.

Could you buy some things from Collectif on vinted?

I have the same problem OP - 29 inch waist and 42 inch bust. I mainly just buy things that say they are two inches too small in the bust and as long as I buy things with stretch it's usually fine.

Alternatively, taking things in at the waist is a pretty minimal sewing job if you are someone that sews (obviously it's very much not if you aren't!) or your mum might be prepared to take a few things in?

I also buy things with ties so I can bring them in at the waist.

The patterns are sometimes a bit mad but there's a shop near me called Pocket Watch and Petticoats that also sells online and their stuff fits me. I'm wearing a 14 but it's very close fitted on the waist so you might want a 16.

I also find Phase 8 and Hobbs can be fairly forgiving even if the size guide doesn't imply they will be.

Not sure about dimensions but this sounds similar.
https://www.bluebanana.com/en_GB/section/alternative-dresses

It's a shame bravissimo no longer do dreses. Maybe try winter.

Why?

Joanie is pretty good for more voluptuous figures! Not sure about measurements but Ive always found them to have plenty of boob room.
Also they have lots of stuff in vintage styles, which seems to be your thing OP!

TBF alot of measurements dont accurately show how something fits in real life.
What I did was to find something super cheap on Vinted from a brand I liked the look of just to test measurements (needless to say I ended up keeping the things I bought to try anyways!!LOL).

I have this issue and I buy stuff that fits my bust, and take them in at the waist - usually I fold in each side seam and sew or safety pin where I want it to be, but I've also had some success with the two safety pin/shoelace trick as well. Depends on the dress.

I have found the whole baggy/billowy dress fashion over the last few years has been a nightmare as I just look like a column as wide as my boobs, but there's too much fabric to take in properly. So I haven't bought a new dress in the shops in quite a while. I'm losing weight at the moment and I'm most looking forward to getting back into the two Pepperberry dresses I still have!!