rugger
Amethyst
Posts: 5,768 Likes: 14,536 
|
Post by rugger on Apr 4, 2021 21:48:53 GMT -6
Let's talk dresses... Mostly, I don't like them because I'm short (but not petite), I have more muscle mass than not (so not a lean runner's body), I'm either an Athletic or Pear body shape, a small bust, and big calves... I have a HUGELY hard time finding casual dresses in which I feel comfortable and attractive. Are there styles that are actually cute for my body type? MH likes when I wear dresses, but I don't feel confident in them, so I'm unlikely to wear them. But I'd also like him to appreciate/enjoy my outfit choices. Are there other outfits that are a step up from "t-shirt and jeans" but still functional and comfortable? Help me dress my mid-30's self 😬  |
|
|
|
Post by grumpycakes on Apr 5, 2021 4:23:09 GMT -6
What about starting with skirts? I almost always feel more confident in a skirt with a cute top than I do in a dress. You probably already know what tops are flattering on you because you wear them every day and I think having your waist line defined by two pieces of clothing is flattering to more different body types. Plus you can wear a brighter color/pattern on the half of your body that you want to draw attention to and wear something more neutral or dark/slimming on the other half.
|
|
|
|
Post by grumpycakes on Apr 5, 2021 4:24:54 GMT -6
Also as a fellow short person, you can usually hike a skirt up a little to adjust the hemline. I hate being stuck in a dress where the hemline feels like 2-3” too long and just looks slightly awkward.
|
|
sarenu
Amethyst
Posts: 5,084 Likes: 10,327
|
Post by sarenu on Apr 5, 2021 5:00:16 GMT -6
You are my height. Have you tried petite sizes?
I find they fit me better for dresses and skirts.
Banana Republic and Loft carry a good selection online. Even Gap and Old Navy are offering more selections.
Also, I wear shorts under my dresses a lot. With active kids and a 3 year old, it makes me so much more comfortable.
|
|
rugger
Amethyst
Posts: 5,768 Likes: 14,536
|
Post by rugger on Apr 5, 2021 6:26:54 GMT -6
What about starting with skirts? I almost always feel more confident in a skirt with a cute top than I do in a dress. You probably already know what tops are flattering on you because you wear them every day and I think having your waist line defined by two pieces of clothing is flattering to more different body types. Plus you can wear a brighter color/pattern on the half of your body that you want to draw attention to and wear something more neutral or dark/slimming on the other half. Do you tuck your top into the skirt to define your waist? |
|
rugger
Amethyst
Posts: 5,768 Likes: 14,536
|
Post by rugger on Apr 5, 2021 6:30:19 GMT -6
You are my height. Have you tried petite sizes? I find they fit me better for dresses and skirts. Banana Republic and Loft carry a good selection online. Even Gap and Old Navy are offering more selections. Also, I wear shorts under my dresses a lot. With active kids and a 3 year old, it makes me so much more comfortable. I used to wear petites in college when I was a perfectly fit/lean 115-120lbs. These days, I seem to me *just* not small enough for Petites. |
|
sarenu
Amethyst
Posts: 5,084 Likes: 10,327
|
Post by sarenu on Apr 5, 2021 7:00:54 GMT -6
You are my height. Have you tried petite sizes? I find they fit me better for dresses and skirts. Banana Republic and Loft carry a good selection online. Even Gap and Old Navy are offering more selections. Also, I wear shorts under my dresses a lot. With active kids and a 3 year old, it makes me so much more comfortable. I used to wear petites in college when I was a perfectly fit/lean 115-120lbs. These days, I seem to me *just* not small enough for Petites. Petite is a shorter cut in the hem, leg, and back of your neck to waist. It’s meant for women 5’3” and shorter. I do find that sometimes I need to size up for a petite. Usually not for dresses. |
|
rugger
Amethyst
Posts: 5,768 Likes: 14,536
|
Post by rugger on Apr 5, 2021 7:19:11 GMT -6
I used to wear petites in college when I was a perfectly fit/lean 115-120lbs. These days, I seem to me *just* not small enough for Petites. Petite is a shorter cut in the hem, leg, and back of your neck to waist. It’s meant for women 5’3” and shorter. I do find that sometimes I need to size up for a petite. Usually not for dresses. Ah, good to know. Maybe I can try a petite dress that doesn't have sleeves. Or a skirt. Favorite places to shop? |
|
sarenu
Amethyst
Posts: 5,084 Likes: 10,327
|
Post by sarenu on Apr 5, 2021 7:37:38 GMT -6
Petite is a shorter cut in the hem, leg, and back of your neck to waist. It’s meant for women 5’3” and shorter. I do find that sometimes I need to size up for a petite. Usually not for dresses. Ah, good to know. Maybe I can try a petite dress that doesn't have sleeves. Or a skirt. Favorite places to shop? I’d at least give petite skirts a try or look for tops that have more arm room. Loft usually runs sales often and has a variety of dresses. Banana republic, gap, and old navy have expanded their petite sections as well. I can also fit into the Old Navy Jersey Swing dress. It’s very comfortable and forgiving. Plus not ultra long. Old Navy hides their petite selection in their regular sizes. I make it a habit of ordering jeans in short sizes from there if I don’t want to roll them. |
|
sarenu
Amethyst
Posts: 5,084 Likes: 10,327
|
Post by sarenu on Apr 5, 2021 7:41:26 GMT -6
|
|
mapleme
Amethyst
Posts: 6,061 Likes: 16,076
Member is Online
|
Post by mapleme on Apr 5, 2021 7:42:01 GMT -6
Jackets, sweaters, shrugs, etc, can provide balance to a pear shaped body. That could also work well with skirt/top combo. Shorter shirts/dresses and/or heels can lengthen out legs and off-set bigger calves. I have huge calves and always struggle with them with dresses. I've found that making sure that my hem lies above my knees helps a lot. Also dresses that flare out, like A-line dresses help provide balance as well.
|
|
sarenu
Amethyst
Posts: 5,084 Likes: 10,327
|
Post by sarenu on Apr 5, 2021 7:46:58 GMT -6
|
|
milano
Emerald
Posts: 10,914 Likes: 36,993
|
Post by milano on Apr 5, 2021 9:17:58 GMT -6
rugger is there a particular style of neckline that you prefer? I find that makes a big difference in how I feel in a dress too.
|
|
rugger
Amethyst
Posts: 5,768 Likes: 14,536
|
Post by rugger on Apr 5, 2021 9:28:22 GMT -6
rugger is there a particular style of neckline that you prefer? I find that makes a big difference in how I feel in a dress too. I'm honestly not sure. A skinny v-neck? I don't have a large bust, so I feel like wide v-necks just accentuate the lack of boobs. |
|
rugger
Amethyst
Posts: 5,768 Likes: 14,536
|
Post by rugger on Apr 5, 2021 9:29:52 GMT -6
Oh. I finally took the time to measure myself, and apparently I'm just a flat-chested hourglass shape.
Shoulders - 39
Bust - 34
Waist - 28
Hips - 39
So, I guess that changes things? 🤷
|
|
tj
Moderator 
Posts: 9,912 Likes: 24,842
|
Post by tj on Apr 5, 2021 9:50:03 GMT -6
Have you tried a fit and flare A line sleeveless dress? Might be too froofy for your taste. But I think this would fit your body to type well. This is the idea I was thinking of:  And here’s an Amazon link to something similar: However with your height, you might just have to accept that you need to get things tailored occasionally. Or learn to sew. |
|
rugger
Amethyst
Posts: 5,768 Likes: 14,536
|
Post by rugger on Apr 5, 2021 9:57:13 GMT -6
Have you tried a fit and flare A line sleeveless dress? Might be too froofy for your taste. But I think this would fit your body to type well. This is the idea I was thinking of: And here’s an Amazon link to something similar: However with your height, you might just have to accept that you need to get things tailored occasionally. Or learn to sew. I think I used to have similar styles 10+ years ago when I was just starting in the professional world after college. Back when I was a smaller size. So maybe I could try it again. I have to pick up an order from Nordstrom Rack today, anyway, so I might poke around and see what I can find. |
|
mapleme
Amethyst
Posts: 6,061 Likes: 16,076
Member is Online
|
Post by mapleme on Apr 5, 2021 10:23:10 GMT -6
For hourglass, fit and flare is the best. Especially if you have a short torso.
|
|
sarenu
Amethyst
Posts: 5,084 Likes: 10,327
|
Post by sarenu on Apr 5, 2021 10:43:11 GMT -6
For hourglass, fit and flare is the best. Especially if you have a short torso. The waist is always a problem for me. It always fell and in below where it should be. You may need see if a tailor can lift the waist. For me this is evident when a dress puckers in the back. |
|
DGM
Sapphire
Posts: 2,653 Likes: 5,601
|
Post by DGM on Apr 5, 2021 12:21:38 GMT -6
I'm short too with a predictable wardrobe and only skimmed the thread so sorry if this is irrelevant. What's helped change me up a bit is wearing skorts with a fitted tank or fitted t-shirts. The Eddie Bauer skorts from Costco a few summers ago are my favorite, but I saw a different brand in there on Friday. When I want to make it a little less casual, I add a short sleeve tunic length open sweater (if that makes any sense).
|
|
|
|
Post by grumpycakes on Apr 5, 2021 15:02:14 GMT -6
What about starting with skirts? I almost always feel more confident in a skirt with a cute top than I do in a dress. You probably already know what tops are flattering on you because you wear them every day and I think having your waist line defined by two pieces of clothing is flattering to more different body types. Plus you can wear a brighter color/pattern on the half of your body that you want to draw attention to and wear something more neutral or dark/slimming on the other half. Do you tuck your top into the skirt to define your waist? I don’t because I have a super short torso and I look more proportioned when I leave my shirts untucked. But I think a tucked shirt is a really cute look on the right body type. |
|
rugger
Amethyst
Posts: 5,768 Likes: 14,536
|
Post by rugger on Apr 5, 2021 15:13:57 GMT -6
I tried Nordstrom Rack and Old Navy today with zero luck. Everything is active wear our overly dressy dresses. Or slubby t-shirt dresses that look comfy, but are definitely not for my shape. 😕
Would something like Stitch Fix be a good route to go? So a stylist can style me and then I get a sense on what I like?
|
|
|
|
Post by grumpycakes on Apr 5, 2021 15:27:06 GMT -6
I tried Nordstrom Rack and Old Navy today with zero luck. Everything is active wear our overly dressy dresses. Or slubby t-shirt dresses that look comfy, but are definitely not for my shape. 😕 Would something like Stitch Fix be a good route to go? So a stylist can style me and then I get a sense on what I like? I used stitch fix for awhile and really loved many of the styles I got, but some of the boxes were duds and at the time, you couldn’t request the same stylist when you got one you loved. Not sure if that’s changed. I stopped using it because I felt the clothing was overpriced for the quality. But I do see the value in being “forced” to try on stuff you wouldn’t normally choose for yourself. But you can also easily google wardrobes for your body type and check out pinterest pages, etc. to find styles that might flatter you and then just try them on at your local Target or Gap or wherever. It involves more legwork but it’s not like stitch fix has some kind of magic formula. It’s just trying stuff to see if you like it. |
|
rugger
Amethyst
Posts: 5,768 Likes: 14,536
|
Post by rugger on Apr 5, 2021 15:45:58 GMT -6
I tried Nordstrom Rack and Old Navy today with zero luck. Everything is active wear our overly dressy dresses. Or slubby t-shirt dresses that look comfy, but are definitely not for my shape. 😕 Would something like Stitch Fix be a good route to go? So a stylist can style me and then I get a sense on what I like? I used stitch fix for awhile and really loved many of the styles I got, but some of the boxes were duds and at the time, you couldn’t request the same stylist when you got one you loved. Not sure if that’s changed. I stopped using it because I felt the clothing was overpriced for the quality. But I do see the value in being “forced” to try on stuff you wouldn’t normally choose for yourself. But you can also easily google wardrobes for your body type and check out pinterest pages, etc. to find styles that might flatter you and then just try them on at your local Target or Gap or wherever. It involves more legwork but it’s not like stitch fix has some kind of magic formula. It’s just trying stuff to see if you like it. I think the legwork is the part that is intimidating. Maybe I just need to go to Target and try on all the things. Sounds exhausting LOL |
|
|
|
Post by grumpycakes on Apr 5, 2021 15:56:38 GMT -6
I used stitch fix for awhile and really loved many of the styles I got, but some of the boxes were duds and at the time, you couldn’t request the same stylist when you got one you loved. Not sure if that’s changed. I stopped using it because I felt the clothing was overpriced for the quality. But I do see the value in being “forced” to try on stuff you wouldn’t normally choose for yourself. But you can also easily google wardrobes for your body type and check out pinterest pages, etc. to find styles that might flatter you and then just try them on at your local Target or Gap or wherever. It involves more legwork but it’s not like stitch fix has some kind of magic formula. It’s just trying stuff to see if you like it. I think the legwork is the part that is intimidating. Maybe I just need to go to Target and try on all the things. Sounds exhausting LOL Lol it IS exhausting. But I was honestly disappointed in the quality of the clothes I purchased from stitch fix. Great while they were new, but quickly pilled, stretched, etc. after a couple months. And they were not cheap. Like $50 for a shirt and $70 for pants. They were really the quality of clothing half the price. |
|
jnu76
Gold
Posts: 947 Likes: 2,957
|
Post by jnu76 on Apr 5, 2021 16:03:11 GMT -6
I get stressed out about shopping and have zero fashion sense. I occasionally do Stitch Fix (maybe once a year) and I really like it. It works best if you set up a Pinterest board so they can see what you like and if you’re very specific in your request (like what you posted here.)
I agree that the individual items are overpriced, but for me, it’s worth it to not have to figure it out myself. They also have free returns.
Every time I wear something from a fix I get compliments from my high school girls.
|
|
tj
Moderator
Posts: 9,912 Likes: 24,842
|
Post by tj on Apr 5, 2021 17:54:21 GMT -6
I used stitch fix for awhile and really loved many of the styles I got, but some of the boxes were duds and at the time, you couldn’t request the same stylist when you got one you loved. Not sure if that’s changed. I stopped using it because I felt the clothing was overpriced for the quality. But I do see the value in being “forced” to try on stuff you wouldn’t normally choose for yourself. But you can also easily google wardrobes for your body type and check out pinterest pages, etc. to find styles that might flatter you and then just try them on at your local Target or Gap or wherever. It involves more legwork but it’s not like stitch fix has some kind of magic formula. It’s just trying stuff to see if you like it. I think the legwork is the part that is intimidating. Maybe I just need to go to Target and try on all the things. Sounds exhausting LOL It’s been a minute, but the last many times I have been to target, their dressing rooms are closed due to covid. So maybe check on that before you make that your plan. That would be very disappointing. |
|
rugger
Amethyst
Posts: 5,768 Likes: 14,536
|
Post by rugger on Apr 5, 2021 18:03:02 GMT -6
What about something like this?
|
|
tj
Moderator
Posts: 9,912 Likes: 24,842
|
Post by tj on Apr 5, 2021 18:20:36 GMT -6
It might be really cute. But. If you are concerned about your shoulders being muscular, then the narrow cut of that tank style may emphasize that broadness. If you love your muscular shoulders, then rock it girl! I love the look of a muscular lady in a tank top. If you are self conscious about your muscular shoulders, then look for a straighter outside edge on the tank. More like sleeveless than tank top if that differentiation makes sense.
|
|
rugger
Amethyst
Posts: 5,768 Likes: 14,536
|
Post by rugger on Apr 5, 2021 20:05:18 GMT -6
It might be really cute. But. If you are concerned about your shoulders being muscular, then the narrow cut of that tank style may emphasize that broadness. If you love your muscular shoulders, then rock it girl! I love the look of a muscular lady in a tank top. If you are self conscious about your muscular shoulders, then look for a straighter outside edge on the tank. More like sleeveless than tank top if that differentiation makes sense. Well, I ended up with this one. Saved the tank dress for later. I liked the tank dress, but I think I want to work on toning my shoulders and upper arms before I try to show them off. Fingers crossed this one works out! |
|
