Anyone else have a short torso and high hip shelf?

[hiplockbag]

I've somehow managed to be slim for most of my life but nature put a whopper of a dent in it and gave me a bloody high hip shelf (short torso /longer legs). I seem to be a 'soft classic' which means i am a slight hourglass with smallish boobs.
I have never been vain or too bothered about my shape or weight, but always felt a bit off at school when i wore a skirt with a waistband. I felt wide and fat and uncomfortable even though i looked just fine. The skirt would fit my waist then flare out abruptly as my hip bone is so close to the ribs. Even if my waist measurement qualified as a mumsnet 'teenytiny' i still looked like a weird bottle with a short top
I mean there is no point having a small waist when that fucker is half way up your back!

I have only recently googled and discovered this basic fact and am a bit shocked, since it explains every discomfort with clothes that ive ever had. High rise bury me, but lower rise produce a hip shelf. So i didnt like jeans, or skirts, but was fine with dresses that floated in a bit at the waist and gave me a nice shape. I could also deal with a solid flat waist band where the drop was gradual with darts or flat like the band on a sweaty betty legging.

Now i am living in a world stuffed full of paperbag style waists on the trousers, huge rises and long crotches and lots of bunched elastic. Even if i find a traditional button fly the band is such that my 'shelf' comes out. And side zips seem to have gone out of fashion,unless, again, formal.

I dont want to go looking for dresses as i am not a dress person, apart from restaurants or special occasions. I like the minimal french 'undone' look with a casual bit of jane birkin thrown in and the current market sucks for me.

I don't need clothes recs specifically but i would love to hear if anyone else has this type of shape and what they do to dress it. I just want to find my tribe. I feel like most people have a longer torso and the current shapes suit them, but i am stuck here with my first world problem fit issue. Anyway, im here to chat if you can relate!

I may be back with a diagram.

I feel your pain, OP. I have the opposite problem - I'm very low-waisted, and most women's tops are far too short for me (so I end up having to buy men's). I've given up buying dresses as I can never find any that look right.

Long legs and short body here too. Dresses look best on me, but I don't wear them often because they feel "too glamorous" (silly, I know!).

I never wear anything around my natural "waist" - when younger I tended to wear jeans round my hips. I was tiny though, and baggy was in fashion.

Nowadays I wear longer tops and probably just look at bit wider than I really am. I never analysed it that deeply before, but it probably explains why I feel things don't fit me quite right these days! I can never find anything I feel good in (well, rarely).

This is a picture. You can see how little space there is between the waist and the hip bones. Not a lot of rib space. Makes jeans a nightmare because the band sits either across the widest part (high hip), or has to be pulled right up to the boobs to get to the 'actual' waist measurement. So i size up, then the arse is baggy.
As is probably obvious, i really suited mini skirts when young, with the long legs but i don't like them now that I am older.

It is great to hear so many other people who have this body type, and thank you for sharing your tips. It is also really interesting to hear from those of you with long torso's. I bet you had fun with cropped tops and low rises back then, presuming you might be gen x!

I too tried a dress phase to deal with it and did feel more comfortable. But there were practical issues; most are delicate or thinner than trousers and cut in more 'fun' shapes. I had a very expensive pleated midi years ago and it caught on a tiny wire in a department store and unravelled most of the hem. I was devastated and just gave up. Harder, more utilitarian fabrics don't suit me either, so not ventured down that path.

I suit slimmer jeans but don't like skinnies as they feel too 'revealing'. A slim fit is best if i can find it with a mid rise. But I do empathise, I rarely feel good in clothes these days and it's not because i'm older, it really is the recent styles. I just rarely ever buy anything now.

This is what I look like it’s a figure 8 body type. Yes the waist is shorter than some people and I have problems buying jeans too, for it to go over my hips the waist had to be bigger so it ends up as baggy on the bum and legs. But plenty of people have issues with jeans too.
Look up clothes figure 8 bodies and you’ll get an idea of what suits you.
I don’t think anyone can wear absolutely everything and look fabulous at all times.
But once you dress for your shape you’ll like it

I don’t usually pay any notice to the ‘body type’ stuff, but having a look at some of the figure 8 stuff online - yes, this is me!

Yes, this is me. 174cm but it’s all leg. I look short on Teams calls. Very high waist which means knickers can be a bit too short and don’t sit well. Don’t know if anyone else has that problem. Have to dress in column shapes or in well cut tailored pieces which hasn’t been in style for a while. Used to have a personal trainer who refused to believe my waist was where it is and also measured me round my stomach giving me a waist of about 32cm when my ‘Edwardian waist’ was more like 26.
Everyone thinks having long legs must be great but it is difficult to dress!

I have found my people!

I am extra blessed 🙄 as I am very short (just 5 foot) and whilst slim I have literally no middle, so I think I look podgier than I really am. I can wear 29 inch leg trousers so short but not extra short. But my bottom ribs and hip bones virtually touch. I go in in the middle but have reasonable boobs and a wide but shapely bum so look chubby.

I find clothes shopping hideous, and never know what I should be wearing. My current favourite outfit is M&S wide leg trousers with a short skimming top. Jeans are tricky as high rise come up under my boobs, low rise my arse falls out. I can’t wear skirts at all. I have some nice dresses but have to be careful not to look like a toddler.

It’s rubbish being a funny shape. I have torso envy of so many women.

I have this too. I am all tits and hips and nothing in between. Worst thing for me is buying outdoor coats or jackets. There's nearly always a bit slightly nipped in for the waist which hits me at my widest part so I end up having to buy about 2 sizes bigger and they drown me on top.

Another one here. I have a small waist (it was 22 inches when I was young, still only 25 inches in my 50s) but I’m short and very short-waisted with boobs and hips, so unless I choose clothes very carefully I look like a sack of potatoes tied up with string. Even when I was 7 stone I looked dumpy. It’s nice to know I’m not alone!

It’s difficult to dress this shape I think as it needs to go in at the waist so I don’t look like a massive square and it needs to be the right length too, jackets can’t stop at my hips which cropped styles do and if they do I can’t do it up at the bottom because my hips are too wide. Waist bands are too loose but fit on my hips, anything that fits my waist is too tight
But it’s actually a nice shape to have. I think if you asked an apple shape or rectangle shape they would love to have these curves. However it’s taken me decades to appreciate it because im 50 and when I was a teenager my shape was not seen anywhere and all I wanted was a thin athletic shape.

Yes, very similar to me - although you are slimmer.

I’m the same & I tend to opt for dropped waist skirts with a fitted top tucked in. Dropped waste skirts are hard to find as rarely in fashion so I’m always on the look out for pretty mid length cotton ones whenever I pass a charity shop. Either that or thick elasticated waistband in a smocking style that can be pulled down to the hip bone. I’ve found these in the children’s section in primark! Jeans have to be a bit low rise & tops ideally fitted at the waist. Dresses are too much hard work unless the waistline or belt is low.

Soo I just had a style day done. My proportions are that my torso is a regular size and I'm long-legged. My neck is also a regular length which makes sense as I've always favoured open necks and feel a bit constricted in round neck jumpers.

Some tips which I'm yet to try. Both high waist or mid waist are fine. If going for high waist, you can wear a belt that is the same colour as the top to make the top half appear longer if it feels off. V necks are better on me. Scoop are also fine. I can experiment with draping. Have more detail on the shoulders, chest, waist. Don't add detail on the hips. Tops should end above the widest part but not cropped high hip, avoid cropped tops.

Now I'm not a fan of tucking in so I'm going to play around - things like lighter fabrics, slight peplums, wrap tops, ruching. There has to be some draping or shaping if not tucked in.

Also add jewellery to balance it all.

I've also been reading about the rule of thirds in style. Basically the top half to the waist is its own third, and below that is the other two thirds. God knows why but its interesting when it's done like this. Whereas if you have something ending at the widest part of mid thigh, then it creates two halves which isn't very stylish. A lot of Hush styling seems to follow the two halves.

Whistles has some nice jumpsuits - they have a long crotch apparently which I always struggle with in dungarees - yet to find a pair that don't wedgey me.

Empire dresses are also universally flattering.

It feels like we have moved away from straighter clothing, then it all went shapeless for a while (remember that?) now it's becoming more sculpted again, so mixing and matching a more structured top half and a looser bottom etc. Not all loose and not all tight. Also mixing textures.

It also means that the horizontal width has to feel balanced with the vertical line so looking at creating that. I'm hoping it comes together soon!

I'd recommend going shopping with the purpose of trying on different shapes, ignoring colour or what they are.

Some non tuck recent finds. The dress has a knee break in the pattern so breaks it up.

The other thing that was recommended is skirts or dresses with a basque waist. This lowers the front so helps with proportions.

I always look like I’m driving my dads car as look shorter than expected while sitting in one. ☹️

Yes I have two waists 😂 I'm trying to look on it as a bonus. I don't feel my legs look long as my crotch is low - my inside leg is 31 inches and I'm 5.6 so pretty regular.

I'd love to figure out what knickers ro wear. I've worn M&S boy shorts for years - they need to have no edging. I also like a sheer or lacey granny pant, Gossamer did some. I quite like a high leg bikini knicker in a bigger size as I can pull practically pull them over my ears.

A high hip shelf is also very handy for carrying small children and bags 😂

I struggle with dropped waists as I have massive lower hip bones so they don't always sit right but maybe I need to try a few. I can do skirts with very soft pleats.

That's so funny. Desks are often at the wrong height for me.

I'd love their to be more explanation of how to dress this body shape - I think the fashion industry is built for people with equal long proportions. I find it helps to find celebs with similar proportions and look at what they are wearing.

I meant to add to my earlier post - my torso is a regular length but I think my actual waist is maybe a bit short. That's the distance from under boob to belly button. But the whole torso is in balance. So if you can free yourself up to think of it as dressing the whole body top to toe, which will create balance (lovely balance as theres the lovely long legs) then it's easier to embrace the body shape too. Rathwr than hide the waist to create a rectangle.

For the first time since like puberty I'm actually feeling comfortable being structurally more curved. Even though I'm 3 stone heavier than I've ever been.

I used to love the Toast Alix (?) trouser in navy cord as I really suit the tapered loose style, but the gusset was very long and the rise reached my upper ribs, so created bulk under clothes or resulted in a clown like appearance if i tucked tops in.

Even though the rise was super high the gusset part fell down to my mid thighs. They were not marketed as harem style so no idea what's going on there. But i think there are some super odd designs being sold right now - and a lot of us think we are the problem when it's actually the bizarre fit.

Since most women are really different in hip/waist/rise/backside measurements, regardless of BMI, it can make trouser shopping a real sod of a job.

I am the same!
I have had occasions in life where I have been stood up, and someone has said "oh that's weird, I've always thought you were short" or words to that effect.

High waists are crap for me, I look like sponge bob.

I'll be watching the thread for tips.

I don’t know if anyone has suggested this but, following a stylist AMA a year of so ago, I have tried ordering petit dresses. I am 1.68m but find the waist is better positioned on petite maxi and midi dresses. Also Uniqlo dresses often seem to fit.

Yes me too. My rib cage in just mm above my hips. Long legs, mid size bust. So very short body.
I do wear pleated mid skirts and a vest or tank top and boxy jacket that sits at the hip so my non existent waist isnt on show.
I wear sort of semi loose tops often with a lacy panel at the shoulders.
I dont usually wear dresses but Id like a slip dress.
I dont ever wear a belt around my waist
Trousers with a flatish front
Im like a pencil from the legs down with a chunky erasure from the hips to shoulder.

I agree that Uniqlo dresses tend to fit well.
I also think the Nobody's Child Starlight dress is very flattering.

Another short waister here! I’m 5ft 6 and all arms and legs.

Anything too high waisted is basically sitting on my rib cage creating an overhang immediately, making me look bigger than I am. I get jeans to fit my waist and they then sag around my flat long bum and skinny legs.

any weight goes straight to my middle making me look like a square on stilts.

i also have scoliosis which just looks so obvious and throws off the fit of my clothes even more.

Annoyingly, I feel like I have to keep very slim to help keep my proportions less drastic. Get accused of looking thin but a few pounds can add a dress size to my waist.

i can ‘get away with’ wide leg, mid rise jeans (that look high rise on me), tight tops as long as trousers not too tight. Shift or shirt dresses generally but others do suit me too. In winter I wear fitted ribbed dresses (not too thick) alot. Levi’s ribcage jeans suit me but I can’t wear anything tucked in and they do sit a bit high. But they’re tight enough to wear a looser jumper but not skinny fit.

avoid anything fussy or frilly or too patterned on top, or anything with layers

I do also tuck most tops in so I have a waist, otherwise I look very rectangular.

fun isn’t it