Calling all apples... (let's share tips and good finds that suit our shape)

[CountessDracula]

I thought it might be a good idea to share our good finds that suit our shape.

I saw an apple in a gathered full skirt today. It looked dreadful. It made me think that there must be loads of us on mn. What is your favorite outfit? What do you get complimented most in?

"Apple shaped tends to describe women who have wide torsos (full bust, waist and upper back), as they store body fat around the mid section of their bodies (stomach, abdomen and chest). Such women have relatively slim thighs and upper legs. Apple shaped women often have a 'top-heavy' appearance, with a bust and midriff bigger than their hips, a prominent tummy and a flat bottom.

To assess whether you are apple shaped, again measure your hip-waist ratio; if the ratio is greater than 0.8, then you are apple shaped.

If you are apple-shaped then you are in good company ~ other famous UK 'apples' include the beautiful Elizabeth Hurley and Oscar winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.

What to wear if you are an 'apple'

Trousers and skirts that are straight. Avoid very fitted or tailored garments, particularly those with well defined waist bands as these will only draw unwanted attention to your mid-section
Avoid mixing and matching many different colours. Choose monochromatic outfits, as the use of just one colour will create an overall impression of length that will focus away from your width
Tops should cover the hip area and be worn over tapered trousers that flatter slimmer legs. Shorter skirts also help to draw interest to your lower body region. Light coloured hosiery (preferably 'nude') will help focus attention on your legs
Pockets should be avoided as often these can be unflattering and attract unwanted attention to the upper body"

allegedly

lucky you! enyoy your day wineplease. do you like clothes shopping? i have a love it/hate it relationship going on personally

I've looked for the skirt on the Top Shop site, I think it must have sold out... but I'll describe how it fits a bit so you can get an idea what i mean.

It zips around the natural waist, so relatively high up, covers belly, then flares out from there but stops above the knee... so your belly is lost in the width of the skirt, but it shows lots of slim leg and then the top fits under the empire line so draws attention to curves up top.

Thanks coco, sounds lovely. Will try topshop tomorrow as it has been ages since i've ventured in.

I too have a love/hate relationship with shopping. I find it so difficult to find clothes that I feel comfortable/confident in. After 1/2 hrs I normally end up buying something for DS then heading home! However, with the knowledge gained from this thread I am determined to find the perfect outfit! .

I've only recently realised too that it is 100 times more flattering to buy a size bigger, and swallow your pride, than celebrate being able to zip up a size whatever.

Hello fellow apples!

I too am short of leg, long of body and despair of finding a decent pair of jeans that will actually hug my bum instead of drooping off them without simultaneously cutting me in half!

Ta very much for the River Island tip, I'll check them out tomorrow. I had a pair of the M&S Roma jeans when I was much larger and although I loved them, I'd now like something with a skinnier leg if possible...are the RI ones skinny at all?

There is a definite gap in the market here for clothes that fit and flatter our particular body shape, isn't there? Especially as there seem to be quite a lot of us out there!

And yes, wrap dresses are the work of the horned one....

Hello,
Can I join the apple orchard, please?
Think I qualify readily given my massive norks, non existent waist, flat arse and skinny limbs. I actually look like someone has transplanted the limbs from a skinny girl with bones to the trunk of one of those "weeble" wobblers.
I find clothes shopping uber depressing as I have a size 12 bottom half (tho my waist is verging on being bigger than my hips ) and a size 16 top half for fitted stuff going up to a 20 for drapey cardigans that don't cling to the hooters.
It's very reassuring to know there are other apples who really exist! Most of my friends are pears and just want to swap arses with me - though not the belly and muffin top just above it!!!
I do think it's a harder shape to dress. FWIW, I bought the scalloped applique top from Boden and had the wrap over bit sewn together and it's super comfy and super flattering. I got it in brown and have also just ordered it in blue......
Great idea for a thread. I'm really interested in other apples' shopping tactics!!

been following this with interest I think I have gone from hourglass to apple after dd

not keen on very long tops as I am not tall
still tiring to find proper jeans, used to get some from Gap boot cut low rise but they seem to have changed all the cuts

yes it is tiring for the trying

big boobs too can find dresses as wraps no longer really suit, just make me look pregnant.
hate not being able to wear shirts as bigger top to bottom size

What do fellow apples think of this from M&S. I'm hoping that the way it's darker at the waist will give the impression that there is actually a waist there.

What about this one? I'm not so keen on it as I think the colour would make me look washed out. Pale colours generally make me look as though I'm recovering from a dreadful illness.

I also quite like this, but again it's pale which is difficult for me.

i like the 2nd link in your 1st post the best bran. i like the gathered bit at the top. you could always dye it if the style suits you but the colour doesn't.

how are the plans for ds's party?

Too late, I've already bought the first one. I may have to return it though as I suspect I've bought a size too large, although M&S tops do tend to come up small on me so perhaps it'll be ok.

I'm trying to supress feelings of panic now that you've mentioned that I should be planning for ds's party. I haven't done anything yet except pay the deposit for the venue. It's true what my grandfather used to say, if you want something done ask a busy person to do it. I have hours free every day and I haven't done anything yet. [panic emoticon]

Scalloped top looks good spub.

Thanks, Cocode.
I've just bought it in blue as well. Tops are such a fricking nightmare that when I find one that works I tend to go for several colours of the same thing. Sadly I'm having much less luck with a summer jacket/blazery type thing. Plan to spend several hours in my nearest Bravissimo shop on Tuesday so will report back if I see/buy anything that might be vaguely useful to the larger norked orchard maidens on the thread.
Pears are much less challenged in the shops, don't you think?

This just arrived this morning, and it's really gorgeous. It has a tie at the back which makes it fit under my boobs and then the material floats over my tummy. It is the right size for me (I always have to order a size larger from M&S for tops). It's very lightweight so it will be great for hot days and I might pop a long-sleeved t-shirt underneath in the meantime. It might even look a little better on me than on the model, as it shows just the right hint of clevage on me (I'm deluding myself here, but indulge me ).

I might also order the grey one with the pleated yoke, I forgot to order underwear so need to do so urgently as the entire stone that I have lost has come off my hips (where I didn't need to lose it) and my pants keep slipping down.

Hello

another apple here.
Top looks good bran.

I have that pants slipping thing too, thought it was just me!

Shame that Monsoon isn't cheaper, I find that a lot of the dresses and skirts they make make apples blossom (!)

Bran,
top nice - are you large of bust? I fear that I'd look like nana mouskouri (sp?) in some of the more floaty tops due to my massive norks. Tricky balance between fitted and hinting of a shape/hiding muffin and the loose - suspected pregnancy type look on me!!!
Hi Seasider - must try Monsoon. Not my usual store.
Spent an hour in Bravissimo yesterday and got a couple of tops but no luck with the jackets!

I have moderate norkage spub, 42D. It has a tie at the back so I can pull the high waistband right into my ribcage under my boobs and it doesn't billow out much, it just sort of skims. My tummy is huge so there is often a risk of looking up the duff but I don't in that top.

hello
another one with a long body and big norks who walks around tugging up her trews....

bought this last week....it looks lovely (even if i say so myself!)

here

don't go for their trousers though...they are definitely pear shape ones

Oooh, that top is lovely polly!

Hurray for straight trousers/jeans and tunic tops, especially with a little gathering (not too voluminous) above or just below the bust. At least we can get away with flat shoes as our legs are (relatively) slim.

also tried this...nice style but not my colour here and this same

If anyone needs exercise wear I bought these from M&S last week. They are the right shape for apples, wide waist and narrow hips, which is rare for M&S as thier stuff is mostly cut for pears. I've ordered another couple of pairs as I seem to be frequenting the gym a lot these days.

ooh bran, i've got the knee length version. in m&s speak: flattering and v good value (£9) and i had to go down a size (priceless)

I'm fed up with being an apple, sod all fits.
At the risk of being shouted at, I've just started following the advice of Dr John Briffa, www.drbriffa.com and my gut is vanishing! For some reason the website is down tonight but I hope this may be useful to someone, who like me, is fed up with never being able to find anything that fits.

I was so pleased with my M&S top that I ordered this one too. Unfortunately, it's vile. It's quite stiff material so it stands out from the tummy to make me look like an overdue pregnant elephant. It has an incredibly fiddly side zip. The back panel is pleated in the same way as the front for an attractive back-boobs/hunchback look. The model in the photo is wearing too large a size and has it pinned at the back, so it's longer on her than it is on me, that means that the top of the cut pattern is on my waist giving an alluring glimpse of pasty muffin-top. It's going back, in fact I took it out of the postman's hands, tried it on, and had it packed away to be returned all in the space of about 5 mins.