Welcome, Tanya! Well, it sounds like we share some dressing challenges -- we are the same height and within a couple of inches in our measurements. I definitely have the saddlebag issues!
I would recommend getting started by looking up Angie's dressing hints and tips for the pear shape (and hourglass as well).
First off for me, fit is a big key. I often have to size up in order to get pants fitting the thighs and then take in the waist (sometimes even a little in the seat as I don't have much of a booty).
I wear all styles of jeans, but bootcuts and flares are usually the most conventionally flattering -- they lengthen the leg line and balance out my hips. But I wear skinnies, crops, boyfriends too. I usually stick with darker or more neutral colors on my bottom half, and I'm a big fan of low- contrast outfits for creating a long, lean line.
I am finding dress shopping particularly tough these days, but I am also quite short-waisted (all my height is in my legs), and I'm pretty busty, so fitting a dress from top to bottom is tough unless it either has some stretch or is quite unstructured. Deepening on your style, fit-and-flare dresses may work really well for you -- that was my go-to dress silhouette when I was younger, but it doesn't feel right for my style now.
Everyone here is very helpful, so I'm sure you'll get lots of good advice and feedback!
