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Do you "dress around" a body part?

Aziraphale

Veteran

Angie's post on minimizing a full bust got me thinking about how much my clothing choices revolve around making my chest look small. I'm not even that full-busted (32D or 30E) but given that I'm short, small-boned and very straight everywhere else, I just feel all out of proportion if I don't dress to de-emphasize my bust. It's true that showing some skin above the bust works wonders, as do wrap tops, open jackets, v-necks, open button-front shirts, etc. But the bust-minimizing constraint puts big limits on my fashion choices. I'd love to wear Victorian collars or shirts buttoned up to the top button, but it just doesn't work on me.

But I bet I'm not alone. Do you have a body part that you feel you need to "dress around"? What techniques have you found that work?

Dressing

51 replies

Latest reply was from Sal

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Ha! I think we've had this discussion before. I think we also all know that I "dress around" my hips/thighs. Definitely the hardest part of me to fit, and I also usually prefer to downplay that part of my body if I can. I even look longingly at fun patterned workout pants but am scared to even try them on. You don't know how many times I've been in a dressing room with patterned jeans or other bottoms that make me say "nope nope nope."

My usual techniques are wearing darker or more subtle colors on my lower half and wearing more interesting tops or jackets and footwear. I do have some printed skirts which I enjoy wearing, but they definitely call more attention to my lower half and I can't be having a bad self image day to wear them.

Ginger

Veteran

I've also got wide hips, but I don't think I dress around that. I avoid styles that are difficult to fit, such as narrow skirts and non-leggings pants. Fit is too hard to find, expensive, and uncomfortable, so I just don't bother.

But what I DO avoid is sleeveless anything. (Except in gear.) Visually, the lack of sleeves emphasizes my overall triangle shape. (Or creates a small square on top of a big triangle.) With sleeves, even just cap sleeves, it goes a long way back toward hourglass. I like my arms and shoulders, and like sleeveless; but I really dislike the overall effect on me.

Anonymous

Like you, Az, I have to dress around my bust. As a 30D-E, I don't look large, but my bustline is very bottom and side heavy, so certain items make me look matronly (I really need to kick my cross body bag habit, if only they weren't so darned practical).

Gail

Veteran

I dress around my stomach. I am always trying to camouflage my pooch. I find that the longer tops, tunic styles and asymmetric tops work well for this. I rarely tuck anything in these days as I hate the way it looks. I suppose that's why I seem to be drawn to shift type dresses they are easy to wear for me and not body con.

Diana

Veteran

I'm another one in the hips/thighs category. I both try to avoid things that make them look bigger or overly bombshelly, and that just plain don't fit around the hips.

I also usually try to dress around my short waist.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I wear a small Simone Perele 30D (or 28D) and am not large in the bust at all. I never look or feel busty. Turtlenecks are my BEST neckline.

I do dress around my slight frame that can look overwhelmed because I have dainty shoulders. That's why I look for narrow fits. I also have low volume feet and narrow ankles that can look very overwhelmed in footwear. Most Summer footwear is too chunky. It took me a LONG time to find sneakers to wear without socks.

Anonymous

*nevermind*

Anonymous

I have very broad shoulders and muscular biceps and don't like sleeveless (for marks I have on my upper arms). If I'm not careful, I feel like a linebacker in lots of top styles. I noticed Angie said in a recent post that she mostly wears woven tops and not knits, but I am reversed mostly because I rarely find a button down woven that works for me. I avoid lots of fits to keep my shoulders looking balanced, even though I generally like my shoulders, which look strong and proud.

Bonnie

Veteran

I never wear anything sleeveless and try to appear taller and thinner with a column of color.

Carole

Veteran

I dress to de-emphasize my shoulders and bust...I guess I'm the opposite of Angie:( A friend even told me I had the shoulders of a line backer...not the best compliment Ive ever had. I used to dress to play down my height (5'9) but now I'm not considered all that tall....one advantage of getting older.

It seems the styles lately have made the job a little easier...lots of flattering tops available for someone like me:)

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I think I mostly dress around my mood and my hair. My hair has a mind of it's own so on "those days" I can't stand to wear anything patterned or busy because it just feels like too much going on. My mood also dictates what "feels" right - so for example if I'm not feeling my best, I dress to feel comforted - not necessarily loose fitting either, sometimes comfort to me is my favorite slim jeans with a belt and a favorite flattering color on top.

Anonymous

I "deal" with my hair (don't get me started) and my tummy from having 4 children. I also dress around chronic pain and foot problems.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Janet, we probably have. I would gladly trade my style constraints for yours!

Ginger, we must have opposite body shapes, because narrow skirts, sleeveless tops and jeans work really well for me!

Aliona, I too prefer a crossbody bag in terms of function, but it's true they can sometimes subdivide the bust in a peculiar way.

Gail, I have a bit of a leftover-from-pregnancy pooch too -- and to be honest, I never had washboard abs to begin with. But I don't find myself all that constrained by it. We are lucky that lots of tops are forgiving on the middle.

Diana, I think I have a short waist too -- although on me it's probably more like short everything! At least, I find the short-waist styling tips often work for me.

Angie, I am desperately envious of your figure!

delurked and Carole, I too often prefer the way knits look against my shoulder line. Carole, I can't believe your friend told you that you have linebacker shoulders!

Bonnie, the column of colour is a good trick. I use it too, if I want to look taller.

texstyle, I have unpredictable hair also, lol. I'm not sure if I dress differently on bad hair days, though...besides occasionally employing a hat.

BC, I've never noticed that there's anything "wrong" with your hair. I'm sorry you have chronic pain, though. It must be very frustrating.

RobinF

Veteran

I dress around my waist, it is large in proportion to my hips and is definitely the hardest part to fit. Most of the time if the hips fit me the waist is too tight (and I absolutely hate that!) so I tend to buy bigger and make adjustments. And thank goodness I can usually cover my waist up. I also try to de-emphasize my bust but it's not hard to fit like my waist is.

columbine(erin)

Veteran

I'm with Diana; I don't want my hips to appear larger than they are or bombshell.

always trying

Veteran

Areas to dress around keep increasing as i get older. but for now i am sticking to upper arms and the fat pouches above my knees. Just noticed knees are getting wrinkled too. Think I will just give up as I may be soon be covering neck to ankle. When I am 80 I will just dress according to the weather and wear enough to not get arrested for indecent exposure.

elpgal

Veteran

Mid-section, definitely. I have warmed to the idea of not hiding my bust anymore although it is difficult to find tops that are not tent-like. Post-pregnancy my thighs are much bigger and my butt is much flatter but surprisingly, I am not bothered because these were not problem issues before.

catgirl

Veteran

Same as you, Aziraphale. And lately midsection - have never had a waist shape but now am dealing with apple. Hoping that will change post-surgery!

shedev

Veteran

Hips and short wastedness.

Runcarla

Veteran

Challenging fit issues mean I need to 'work around' broad shoulders and long arms. You usually see me in stretchy knits and 3/4 sleeves, or sleeveless tops. Dolman sleeves are my friend. Button downs are rare in my closet and coat shopping is a 'mare!

Anonymous

Aziraphale, my hair is full of cow licks. I'm trying to grow it out to see if that solves the problem.

rachylou

Veteran

Hmm. I have a tum that cannot be toned. Wouldn't say I dress around it, but I reject anything that makes me look lumpy. However, I DO dress around my shoulders. They are very sloping. So no shoulder bags and no spaghetti straps. They fall off like I have nothing there at all... I wear strapless bras a lot too.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

My closet is almost entirely full of patterned tops as solids emphasize all the lumps and bumps below my waist. And my pants are dark for that reason, but the tops hide the above mentioned areas. Sleeveless tops are either saved for around the house on a hot day or go under a very openwork sweater. I might wear one outside without a sweater if it is brutally hot and I've gotten to the point where I just don't care. And that's usually somewhere away from home.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I don't really think about it that way any more; I guess I've been dressing my body long enough that 'what flatters my shape' and 'what I like/prefer' have fused into one big mental category when I shop. I do tend to avoid higher necklines to break up my chest and look for vertical detailing when I can, and generally don't wear bright colors or prints on my lower half, to deemphasize my hips and butt.

Honestly, I think anyone can wear anything if the fit is right and the proportions of the outfit are correct, but some things take a lot more work than others.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

I forgot that I never tuck anything in. I also don't wear fit and flair as the flare look adds many pounds.

Sal

Veteran

Short waisted-ness.

I can cope with my thighs looking chunky and other figure faults, but I won't wear things that emphasize my short waist. I avoid tucking, light tops and dark bottoms in most instances, and most waist belts.

deb

Veteran

Another stomach de-emphasizer here.

Style Fan

Veteran

My hips. I keep the action on my upper half with interesting tops and jewellery. Like Janet I wear plain, not patterned, pants.

crazyone

Veteran

I also dress around my hips/thighs, but these days, more in a comfort way than in a minimizing way. I simply don't find sheath/pencil outlines very comfortable so I avoid them for that reason.

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