Dressing a big belly when you're not pregnant

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I have a big belly. Hence the post. For various reasons, i cannot get rid of the belly. Partly because that is where I hold fat but also thanks to several operations that have left me with little or no abdominal muscle control and a set of tiered fat rolls or aprons over gnarly scars. Gorgeous. Not.

I am tall, with decent legs and v-neck necklines or roll neck tops look best on me. Round neck is horrible.

I am looking for a handful of decent quality clothing options that will cover the stomach but not make me look old and frumpy or be so shapeless and oversized that I am the size of a fridge. I am a 16-18 on the bottom and 20ish around the middle. Aged 50ish. I am not expecting to look petite but just well-turned out and making the most of what I do have.

Things that look good on me - v-neck shift dresses that don't cling, 3/4 length slim trousers in summer with a longer top (but struggling to find nice ones) or bootleg jeans.

I am finding too many tops sit too short on me and trousers or skirts show off the lower stomach bulge. Skirts and trousers often need to be bigger for my belly and so ljust flap around too big for the rest of me. Or a top that is ok on the stomach but then huge around the arms and top.

Does anyone have any recommendations of items or stores to go to? Happy to pay up to £80-100 max per item, ideally less for everyday items.

Thank you

Carys Whittaker On Instagram (and possibly YouTube) is your girl. She is very down to earth, and mainly focuses on dressing to look put together and comfortable with a bigger tummy. She is really open about it, about people always assuming she is pregnant, and how no one should be made to dress less than how they feel. She always looks incredible x

Have a look here:

Beyond Nine

Their jumpsuits and jeans are great.

(Your budget is a little optimistic for good quality items at size 18 to 20! Unless you’re happy to search pre-owned?)

Thank you for the recommendation. Just watched a few of the videos and she looks great.

Thank you for sharing the link. Just had a look through the website and there might be a couple of things there to watch out for in a sale but some of the shapes just won't work for me and will make me look bigger than I am. That particular dress just makes the model look pregnant as well and that is not what I want to emphasis for my own body. Those kinds of clothes look amazing on slim people but not so good on larger ones, in my experience.

The model is supposed to look pregnant! The point of the clothes is to accommodate large middles, whatever the cause. I imagine as they offer sizes up to 20 the clothes look good on people up to that size, pregnant or not.

Anyway, hope you find some things that work.

I also have a big belly (from ongoing cancer treatment) and am also missing a boob. The overall shape that works for me is.....straight-legged trousers, a strappy loose top that comes just below my belly (in an eye-cstching pattern) and then a boxy t-shirt (jumper now it's getting colder?) that ends a couple of inches above the strappy loose top. The tops hang straight down, covering my overhang, but swing rather than cling. The other look that I nabbed from Sarah Lancashire in LTinH is the nipped in jacket open over a longer loose shirt.

Fair enough! I guess I am more sensitive to suggestions I look pregnant than I thought I was!

That sounds like a great combo. Do you buy from anywhere in particular? Thank you!

Not really, a bit cheap and cheerful with the strappy tops (Monsoon sale is good) and then heavy cotton for the t-shirts - H&M quite good for those if you can find the right neckline. M&S elasticated straight trousers - they do some great ones for £17.50 atm! I keep thinking my tummy will go (and my boob reappear as if by magic!) so I don't invest in much. Good luck x

I have a similar problem but am only 5'3 and have 40d boobs.
What you need to search for is tunics rather than tops then you get the length to cover up your belly. If you go for a larger size, but fitted tunic it shouldn't be too big around the bust/shoulders but will skim over your tummy.
These days I tend to live in leggings/jeggings but at work I used to wear M&S jersey trousers a size up so they didn't cling on the belly but fall straight down past it and the legs are quite slim fitting too, so I didn't look like a box.
I don't have your budget so tops tend to be cheap basics but they can take some hunting to find the right shape. I'm also pretty handy with a sewing machine so can take in or dart some tops for a better fit. They need to just skim to look best.
Heavy jersey shirts or cardigans, open over a contrasting loose(ish) vest top are also very flattering and distract the eye.

I have a big belly too and buy a lot of clothes from Live Unlimited found on John Lewis and their own website.
Live Unlimited (liveunlimitedlondon.com)