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?

Hi OP
Have you ever looked at Poetry? I have this top in two colours and it’s so easy to wear. A lot of their stuff is generally a slightly relaxed cut and fit.

https://www.poetryfashion.co.uk/product-RJ24-POETT/colour-e-white/tshirts-tops/cotton-jersey-dolmansleeve-top.htm

Thanks I’ll have a look 😊

I think I have- will look now

Ooh Poetry have some really lovely (but very spendy) stuff!

Kettlewell have so many 3/4 sleeve tops - my favourite sleeve length!
But like you said @ConvallariaMuguet the colours I like are sold out in my size. 😩

Worth checking out on Vinted as I would imagine there will be quite a bit there, for a fraction of the original price x

I’d buy half their catalogue if I could 😆

The first two are not very attractive, and would make you look older - the third, striped one is ok.

In your opinion. Obviously OP likes them! The shape of all of them is good. Patterns are very much individual taste.

True, but the OP came here asking for opinions and help to look better. The first two tops, in MY opinion, are a bit old-looking, and would do no favours to anyone trying to look 'less boring' - in the OP's words. Therefore, my honest opinion is, if I saw anyone wearing the first two tops, I'd think they are boring-dull, and suitable for older women.

There’s a sprinkling of very wearable items here, including these trousers that look just cropped enough to be current without veering into pedal pusher territory https://www.debenhams.com/product/m-co-cropped-linen-joggers_p-d12c54d5-ac94-48dc-8c98-ba7e5168d7d2?colour=Grey

Way to go making someone feel awful !😉

You would think the person wearing those top were ‘boring-dull’ or that the tops were ‘boring-dull’?

Solidarity... I have a similar body shape. It's taken me 1 year to lose enough weight to begin to see my waist again (used to be my best feature!)

For summer clothes, midaxi dresses/skirts are our friends... They skim everything else and highlight our ankle/ narrowest part of our legs. Paired with a plain T/vest, and that's summer sorted. Culottes are also great and are good at being dressed up or down. Nobody's child has a few nice pairs. M&S have a midaxi filter for that length too.

As others have said... Wide leg tailored trousers too, again with a neat top (tucked in if poss) to highlight the waist.

Finally... Tailored trousers are kind to us. Think plain cigarette pant paired with a pair of flat black Chelsea boots. That's my go to when I need to dress up slightly.

I got these recently, they have some elastic but pleated front so look a bit smarter, they do not stay wide all the way down so don’t make me look like a box, skim over my hip dip and they can be dressed up or down. And I have just seen that they have them in navy!
www.zara.com/uk/en/linen-jogger-trousers-p08372071.html

Thanks @eatreadsleeprepeat think they might cling to my big thighs though but I’ll keep an eye out for similar ones.

The tops are... But since you said you want to look 'less boring', I assume you understand that boring clothes can make you look (or feel) that way.

Do clothes reflect personality? This is a common assumption. Is this true? 50/50 - from experience. But wearing attractive clothes can lift my mood instantly, while a drab top can have the opposite effect. Just my take on this.

See my answer to your other comment... I think you came here looking for honest opinion and help. This is mine.

One person’s ‘boring’ is another’s simple, calm and understated. Outfits can always be ‘jazzed up’ if wanted with accessories, colourful shoes or trainers etc.

@Todayismyfavouriteday why do you think that ‘boring-dull’ clothes are ‘suitable for older women’? Bizarre. I’m older, I don’t want dull clothes, thanks, why would I?

Like these a lot https://www.arket.com/en-gb/product/linen-trousers-bluewhite-1273386007/

😂😅!!

OP if you go onto Instagram and search something like short plus size (actually I don’t know how tall you are. I may have missed it) or plus size fashion, you can see lots of examples. You may find someone you align with then look on their page. Visuals are often helpful

This is true of me. I want to be plain, understated and melt into the background.
I would hate people staring at me in bright, highly patterned clothing - even if I looked amazing! That’s just my personality.

Yeah I do that and it is helpful sometimes but at the same time, if people are posting themselves on Instagram, they are women who have a lot of body confidence and I just look and think ‘hmm, I wouldn’t be confident like them if I wore that outfit’.

Wrongly or rightly, I don’t want to embrace my size. I don’t want to stay like this forever - I’m always hoping /trying to lose weight and look better in my clothes.
I know I should be wearing for what I am now but it’s hard always fee'ing rubbish in clothing. Sadly, no amount of jazzing it up with pretty shoes or earrings will make me feel more body confident.