All my clothes look horrific on - massive out of proportion stomach

[Doublebubblegum]

Help!

I'm 41 and a size 14. Was a size 10-12 right up to about two years ago and now seem to be putting on weight very easily. I'm not too bothered by this but all the weight is going onto my stomach.

I've always had a slight belly but it's now got completely ridiculous. It's so out of proportion to the rest of me that about 90% of the clothes in my wardrobe now look awful on me.

To all others with out of proportion stomachs - what do you wear that is flattering? I think it makes It worse that I'm a sort of lopsided hourglass shape. Big boobs, big hips but small waist. Then BAM under my waist is this protruding stomach. I used to wear things to accentuate my waist (so for work I'd wear belted wide leg trousers with a shirt tucked in) but anything that accentuates my waist now just draws attention to my tummy.

I can no longer wear high waisted wide leg trousers/jeans (although I love the look of these! But just pull across my stomach and highlight this area). Mom jeans, skinny jeans etc are also out too. Anything with a drawstring waist just adds bulk to me.

In the summer I managed to find a couple of summer dresses that skimmed over the stomach area but now it's getting colder I've completely lost my way and have no idea what suits me any more. All the fitted/knitted dresses just look silly on me.

Please help!
(I know I should really look to find a way to lose this weight but honestly I don't have the energy right now. And I'm not really bothered about the extra weight, it's just the fact it's all going to one place! If it was fairly distributed I'd be fine 🤣)

I have realised length of top is crucial. Too long and it makes me look rectangular, too short and I go back to apple.

I found them a bit shorter than I was hoping. 5'7" and I got regular which are just about ok but I really should have gone for long.

Thanks @SnapdragonToadflax and @Whoowhoo

Hollister trousers have arrived and they are way too big round the crotch area. They are flattering round the waist and very comfortable though. I'm going to exchange them for a size down as there is quite a bit of give in the elasticated back so I'm hoping they'll still fit round the waist while reducing the massive crotch area.

I like dresses and ankle boots for work and just have to try on loads and loads to find shapes that work. Fit and flare type things seem to work best for me, bit of ruching is good. I like V necks that accentuate the boobs.

I’m similar, but a 16, and short! not exactly height of fashion but I’ve had a few successful dresses from Roman and from White Stuff, and pour moi. Then when I find a shape that works I buy it in a few colours if available.

@WhyDoesItAlways Please could you post his you find them a size down, when you get them? I can't decide whether to reorder a size down as mine were so baggy.

Hear me out on this one. My friend has a similar issue and wanted jeans. We spent an evening looking and ordered loads. Amongst them was one pair of H and M maternity jeans as an experiment. Not the ones with the giant elastic panel, they do some that are designed for before and after birth, that fit underneath your waistline at the front.

It meant she could order the size that fitted her hips and bum because she didn’t need to accommodate her natural waist. They’re amazing. Trousers that fit everywhere else and accommodated her tummy brought everything back into proportion. And if looking slimmer is something that’s important to you, they did that too. I’d recommend that style, they looked amazing and are apparently really comfortable too

edited to add: they’re called Before and After jeans

This is always my problem. I have pretty slim hips, so anything that fits my waist won't fit my hips.

Oh, interesting, these sound good!

As someone who has always had a tendency put weight on stomach/torso/top half, clothes that help are as others have said: open shirt, cardigan, jacket which draw the eye to either side of your stomach. Also, I have a few twist/knot front tops and dresses that again focus above your stomach and also add subtle pleats of fabric over your stomach. As do tops with any draping, shirt tail/scooped hems or some asymmetry. Tops that fall between waist and hip, also good for layering under shorter, more boxy jumpers, as create a gap between wider hem and longer, slimmer hem. Medium rise waists, that fall below your waistline, bias cut or a-line skirts too.

Definitely get checked out by your GP to rule out anything health wise too.

As you head to perimenopause, sometimes what works for you nutrition and exercise wise needs to change. Dr Mindy Pelz has lots of YouTube videos on eating well to support Hormone health. Any exercise that keeps up muscle tone as you get older will help and keep you healthy as you age too.

@Lentilweaver and @snapdragon I've sent the hollister trousers back for a smaller size so will update if the smaller size are any better.

While I was in Sainsbury's today I found a similar style trouser that are very comfy but MUCH less baggy round the crotch area. They only had a 14 which fitted the waist with a bit of bagginess on the crotch so I've just ordered a 12 as there is some give in them and I'm hoping that'll solve the slight bulge at the front! Will report back when they arrive in a few days.

Simply be also had a similar style but I wasn't keen on the colour they had in my size.

tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/product/tuc145244137?clickSR=slp:term:black%20ultra%20wide%20trousers:2:43:1

Sainsburys link

Came on here to suggest this

I am wearing a cord dress from Sainsburys today. I actually have several tummy friendly pieces from them. But these days I try everything on in store because sizes are so tough.

I have just today received an order of Brax jeans and two of them are perfect! Very happy! I am in EU so not sure how available they are in UK?
But should you be navigating their site, there is a little questionnaire about the size of your hips, stomach and thighs in relation to the rest of your body, which I found very helpful.

The only criticism I would have of them (and it isn't really a criticism) is that once you have a pair you like, that fit, in your hand, it's not that easy to identify them again on the website, even with the product code.

Smaller size hollister trousers arrived. The gape is fixed but they are just slightly too tight (probably half a size too small) so not that comfy. The size down of the sainsburys trousers arrived too and they fitted on the waist but still gape at the crotch and hips.

BUT i also put these in my Sainsbury's order and they fit perfectly on the waist for me and the gape is very minimal. Best fitting black trousers I've found in a while. Off to see if they do them in another colour!

tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/product/tuc144378248?clickSR=slp:term:black%20tailored%20ponte:1:41:1

Trousers are so difficult with the tummy hips discrepancy. I have given up buying online. Also trying to buy more dresses.

@WhyDoesItAlways Ordered! Thank you... fingers crossed. I picked up some wide leg trousers in Sainsbury's to try on last week, but discovered they've closed the changing rooms in our (huge) store. So annoying. There were women stripping off down to their bra in front of the solitary mirror to try things on.

I actually found myself in a town with a Hollister at the weekend. They didn't have the Livvy trousers in the size down to try, but I did try the low-rise wide legs as I'm quite short in the body and figured they might work. They actually sat better as they were just below my belly button, but again - the XXL were very baggy around the crotch, while the XL were slightly too tight and pulled around the hips and thighs rather unflatteringly. Such a shame as they're lovely trousers.

I'm a lifelong apple shape and have been this shape at every weight so I can really relate to this post. I wear Shapermint camis and they're a

They're super comfy and hold my tummy and waist in under tops and jumpers. Stops the jiggle! Really good for smoothing out my muffin top when I wear my mid rise jeans (I'm another one who looks awful in high waisted - they just seem a to showcase an expanse of tummy on a really matronly looking way)

They've got a sale on atm too

shapermint.com/en-AU/collections/tanks-camis

Hollister trousers have 30% off until Monday. I'm ordering some more!

Damn you @Whoowhoo I've just ordered 2 more pairs 😁

Hah it's hard to resist! I'm gutted the pinstripe isn't in my size, I got navy and green and check. Definitely went OTT.

@Whoowhoo It's definately hard to resist seeing as today is payday! I ordered green and navy. And 2 jumpers!!!

Good haul!

Size 12/14 and another one with huge boobs and a protruding stomach, also ex-hour-glass.
Long dresses that skim my stomach in summer and jeans (flares are good to balance me out and def not skinny!) with knitwear long enough to skim the tum.
I also have a couple of lovely very long winter dresses that also disguise my problem areas.