Can’t find ANY clothes to suit my body!

[Verbena17]

Having a nightmare - worse than most springs when I’m worrying about the summer and what to wear.
My body is not great and I’m also currently feeling like I’ve gone off every single possible item of clothing there is out there!

So traditionally, I’m a pear shape but in recent years I’ve being just plain round!
I’m pinning a photo of what I think my body looks like but I have less fat on top of thighs, bum and back. Pretty sure though I have lipoedema so I have large arm tops and my knees have too much weight around them.

My thighs are large and my calves are too. And now, it’s not just a tummy pooch I’ve got, it’s the top of the tummy under my bust too! So from the side, to me it looks like my cross section from tummy to bum is huge! For that reason, I don’t like wearing dresses.
I used to be curvy but I now I just feel blob-like.

Any good ideas for hiding (everything)?
I live in jeans and basic plain tops with 3/4 length sleeves.
There are some pretty tops about but none look or feel right to me.
I order stuff online then send everything back.
I’m currently a size 18, sometimes 16 in looser tops.

I usually shop at Next, Fatface, Weirdfish (tops too short) Seasalt etc but I’m not really loving of their stuff this spring.
The other issue is I don’t work and so I’m at home mostly doing house work and walking the dog. That’s basically it so apart from the odd meal out now and again, I don’t need anything super lovely. I just want to look slightly better put together and not as boring. I don’t like patterns or colours that would make me stand out - I’m an introvert for sure! I just want to blend in but look nice, so nobody thinks blimey, what’s she wearing!?

I like wearing loose, comfy trousers that are well cut and hang nicely but I can’t find any. The wide leg trousers actually make me look bigger I think and the ankle grazers cut off my not particularly long legs. I’m about 5ft 5”.
Help! 😂😬 any ideas?

White, calf length leggings!!! 😬

Are people even reading the OP???

@TheRavenKingsDaughter ah ok thanks. Yes I do go out each day pretty much unless DH walks him.

And yes, caring definitely is a job!

I think the main issue with what I choose to wear is about me having zero confidence in myself body-wise anymore.
I absolutely love watching Rosie Henshaw on YouTube because whilst she’s a similar size to me, she has tons of confidence about how she looks. She has such a bubbly, sweet personality, her beauty shines. But I’m not like her - I’m not confident at all about my looks or body.

I do like that cut of trousers in second photo and I really that dress but not sure I’d look nice in it - I don’t do leg slits either. But it is really nice.

Fair point about the big print! What colours/prints do you like? Here’s a plain black idea…

https://www.dorothyperkins.com/product/dorothy-perkins-petite-black-frill-neck-midi-dress_bqq06104?colour=black

A really good fitting pair of jeans with a flare (M&S do a slim fare so they’re not going to widen you), in a darker shade of blue, and a shirt looks really put together, but is both smart and casual. Team with a pair of pointy boots or a smart white tennis type shoe and bosh, chic comfortable and can be super affordable too.

Tuck half the front of the shirt into the jeans as this gives you a waist, and makes the overall silhouette slimmer.

A nice linen shirt will take you through spring and summer, and look lovely with jeans or a linen trouser, or a nice maxi skirt.

I have lipodema and my legs are very similar to those in the picture, I’ve always worn longer skirts, demin, fitted or bias cut and when wearing t shirts wear a short boxy cardigan or bolero to hide my arms and shape wear from Primark for my stomach.

I buy skirts and jeans second hand from eBay mainly M&S and Diesel as the quality used to be so much better.

Running has helped reduce the size of my legs as diet doesn’t really make much of a difference.

Good luck you’re doing great xx

So? They’d be admiring it!

Have a look at Mollie Campsie on Instagram. And search for other plus size outfit ideas. See what appeals.

So here are a few tops I’ve bought and kept recently …..
I wore this Joules one with wide leg jeans and a new look cream cardi
https://www.next.co.uk/style/su545741/aw6823#aw6823

This
https://www.next.co.uk/style/su493455/ak3441#ak3441

This
https://www.next.co.uk/style/su425326/e18232#e18232

I wear wide leg jeans but don’t love them as I still think my knees look chunky, boot cut jeans but same as above and multiple pairs of black straight leg jeans which are comfy and I seem live in them.

@CalypsoCuthbertson think the black one has slits?
I kind of like this but not in tall as I’m defo not tall
https://www.dorothyperkins.com/product/long-tall-sally-tall-floral-maxi-dressp-edfbe70c-a50f-467e-aac6-00520f8473b4?colour=Red

@Verbena17 if you’re looking for the odd thing to enliven your wardrobe for meals out, etc - Toast might be worth browsing. It isn’t the cheapest but the clothes are well made and usually last for years. A top like this one - with similar trousers to the photo of the red version - would be easy to wear (particularly if you have any nice jewellery to add to it):

https://www.toa.st/collections/womens-tops-tees/products/textured-cotton-poplin-v-neck-top-ink

As you can see, it’s worn oversized. You wouldn’t have to think about your shape at all.

I’m a similar shape to how you’ve described. I’m a 14 top, 16 bottom. Bigger belly, bum, thighs, fat above knees and tops of arms. I’ve spent years hiding in tunics, long sleeved baggy tops and leggings…I’ve concluded they make me look bigger if anything, and actually, I’m allowed to take up space, wear nice clothes and it’s ok if parts of my body are on show/wobble.
Now I wear high waisted wide leg, cropped jeans/trousers with short-sleeved tees tucked in. I have a belly, you can see it. But all anyone ever says is how nice my waist looks and that they like my trousers. I feel comfy but also that I look put together.
Fatface Keswick cropped jeans. Xx

Could be water retention, try the H&B tablets. I agree with mid length

@OhYeahOhYeah well I had ordered these 3 pairs last week but then M&S had the cyber attack and they cancelled my order 😩.
Iike the shirt/blouse idea with jeans but mid summer will be too hot for jeans but yes, I do like that look - although not with anything tucked into anything else due to c-section pooch thing going on. It looks awful!

Thanks @purplgirl bit crops definitely don’t suit me.
I love your confidence and wish I had it. I think it’s maybe because my mum has always judged people’s weight and that’s made me really not confident.

Even now if I say “I’m not sure if this top really suits me”, she might say something like “well, we all need to lose a bit of weight”. She doesn’t think she’s being judgy but I’m always aware of how she notices if I put weight on or lose it. It’s her generation I guess.

Aww I think you’re being way too hard on yourself ❤️

I know it feels counterintuitive to tuck a bit in , but it really does make such a difference, and gives you much more shape (and doesn’t emphasise the tummy)

Ah yes the bloody M&S cyber attack stuff is a real pain! I’ve got a few things in my basket that I want to check out lol

I’ll take a look @TheRavenKingsDaughter

I don’t want people to look at me though 😂

What do you mean shaped like a woman? We come in all shapes and sizes and not everyone looks bad in today’s clothes.

This?
https://www.dorothyperkins.com/product/dorothy-perkins-petite-floral-shirred-waist-midi-dress_bqq16663?colour=floral

I read that dresses with a black or dark background with small ditsy print were more flattering

Boobs and hips. You’re right, I should have picked a more inclusive word.

@Verbena17 I do think (and know) that if you’re self conscious about your figure thin jersey is entirely the wrong fabric for you. You want crisp, crunchy fabrics with structure. The Joules and Long Tall Sally tops you’ve bought strike me as being deeply depressing … You could do so much better.

Or this?
https://www.jdwilliams.co.uk/shop/p/jb190?optionSize=14

Looks lovely! Are you going to try it?

And that is a good description of my wardrobe contents! 😂

I’m sorry to hear that OP. Honestly, I don’t think you’re going to find anything that you feel you like nice in without doing the work in your confidence. Short of having a body like Jennifer Anniston, we’re always going to have parts we don’t like, that wobble, overhang, stick out. The more you try to hide behind long sleeves/legs/baggy, the less confident you’ll feel.
Why not try booking a personal shopping experience. They’re usually good at getting you to try something different and showing you how to put things together.