Team Tops or Team Bottoms

Carrie

i’m 6′ tall so it’s a pain in the butt for me to find pants that fit so that puts me on team tops.

April 11, 2011 at 2:24 pm

Elisa @ What the Vita

Team tops! I always go into stores wanting to buy bottoms because I always need more of them, but end up buying more tops than bottoms. I think it’s because of the following reasons:

1. Tops are usually cheaper, so I gravitate towards them
2. I’m short at 5’4, so it’s a pain for me to buy bottoms that are too long – I would have to get regular lengths hemmed, but short pants are usually too short for me
3. Most tops fit me perfect (XS or S) but bottoms can be a pain to fit me because I don’t have much of a waist.

April 11, 2011 at 2:28 pm

Sihaya

Veteran

Team tops.I find it hard to find bottoms that fit me and are flattering. They look nice on the models but not always on me. Even though I also almost only wear wovens, I find tops easier to fit and find.

April 11, 2011 at 2:38 pm

Antje

Veteran

Team tops!

I find tops much easier to shop for, and could find one any day, in pretty much any store. I don’t have big fit issues with tops, or at least not as bad as with bottoms. And I so enjoy adding new colors, styles etc. to my wardrobe – sometimes to the point that I compromise on fit (e.g. buying a top that is slightly too small or big, because I love the fabric so much).

Bottoms are hard for me. Skirts are okay, especially pencil skirts, but even with skirts I struggle at times with the issue of either having a gap at the waist or tightness around the hips.

And pants, ugh, they are just hard hard hard. I’m always glad when I find a pair of jeans that fits well, and dress pants that fit okay. I rarely even look for pants in the “in-between jeans and dress pants” style zone. I don’t even think my body is that unusual in its proportions (big butt and hips, and a proportionately slimmer waist), but combined with being on the short side and liking a mid rise, and liking some edge to my style (but also not willing to pay $200 for well fitting pants), I struggle and end up with very few pants in my closet. That’s one reason you see me in skirts so much…

April 11, 2011 at 2:38 pm

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

Team Tops.
I have a wardrobe full of lovely (to me ) wearable tops of all styles: tee shirts, button downs, cardigans, pullovers, vests and recently blouses.
On the other hand, I have very few bottoms (skirts or trousers) which in general are rather plain and generic so they can go with anything. Shops, except specialized ones where it’s hit and miss, just don’t stock bottoms for tall pears.

April 11, 2011 at 2:47 pm

Audi

(website)

Team bottoms. For some reason I have a very difficult time finding interesting tops that work with the rest of my wardrobe. I was thinking only this morning about how uninspiring my tops are compared with all the interesting bottoms I have to pair them with.

April 11, 2011 at 2:50 pm

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I am not quite petite, but tops always seem to fit low in the armpits and long in the arms. Smalls are too big but xs are too small. Some petites fit but most come up short. Honestly, junior size med fits best. Bottoms, on the other hand, pretty much fit me off the rack. I have that 10″ difference from waist to hip that most size charts are based on and at most I have to maybe hem a pant or dress/skirt an inch. I never realized how lucky I am being close in measurement to what a size is based on.

April 11, 2011 at 2:55 pm

Vera

(website)

I’m team tops because I’m only 5’1″ and I’m too wide in the hips and I’ve developed a lovely muffin top. Today’s styles do not accommodate that body type well, so I can rarely find flattering pants or even skirts for that matter.

I can always find acceptable tops, but I defer to dresses to avoid having to wear pants.

April 11, 2011 at 2:56 pm

Melody

Active Member

Team Tops for me.

Pants can be difficult because of length issues as I’m on the tall side, but not that tall. Also, I’ve got pants and skirts in all the neutral colors and see no reason to shop for more until they wear out or styles change dramatically.

So I enjoy shopping for tops, dresses, & shoes the most, bottoms the least.

April 11, 2011 at 2:56 pm

tracy

Active Member

Right now I am on team tops. I am finding it hard to find bottoms that fit well, where as tops are much easier.

April 11, 2011 at 2:59 pm

AJoanna

Team tops.
I go to a small Christian college and skirts are the “dress code” there.
Ever tried shopping for cute casual khaki or jean skirts that are at least knee length (and aren’t astronomically priced)?
Either they are matronly and unflattering or short and tight.
Dressy skirts are somewhat easier, but still hard.
As I said, team tops.

April 11, 2011 at 3:02 pm

Laura

Looks like you’re outnumbered on this one, Angie. Team Tops for me, too. In addition to being easier to fit, I also find them more fun to buy – or maybe the “easy to fit” part is why they are fun to buy!

April 11, 2011 at 3:06 pm

Cynthia

(website)

I’m the opposite. I can find tops quite easily, but finding good pants? Ha. No. I’m just more rounded than most stylish clothes are made for, plus my waist is a good couple of inches smaller than clothing manufacturers expect to go with my hip size. Skirts are easier, but still, tops FTW!

April 11, 2011 at 3:09 pm

peach451

Active Member

Team Top!

I find I’m team top because 90% of the time, I can grab a top and walk out of the store without trying it on – and know it will fit.

Bottoms are much more difficult to fit and takes significantly more time/effort to find.

April 11, 2011 at 3:14 pm

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Good grief- I’ll have to sit this one out. I find them both difficult to find.

April 11, 2011 at 3:16 pm

rae

(website)

Veteran

Let’s see…

shirts- Definitely easier. With stretch and the fact that I mainly stick to button-fronts, I have a slew of shirts I love.

jackets- harder to please here. I have wider shoulders for my frame, but it seems I have narrower shoulders when compared to the population at large. I am set on sticking to my favorite brands and not branching out.

skirts – not as easy as shirts, but easier than pants. Provided I can find a length I like, I’m okay… but that in itself has proven difficult.

pants- I used to think these were easy, but now I’m pickier than ever. I am down to two pairs of black dress pants that I truly feel good in.

So… since I only seem to have it easy with shirts, I guess I’m on Team Tops. But really, I should be on Team Fussy About Everything.

April 11, 2011 at 3:16 pm

Jenn

Team Tops! Bottoms are such a headache. I am so happy to see spring coming. Hello shorts, skirts, and dresses! I need a very long inseam, and honestly, to have PPL with a reasonable heel height (can’t always wear flats!), I need about a 38-inch inseam. HA! And you thought finding a\ 36-inseam was hard.

Oh, and my favourite part of finding long inseam pants? Sometimes even though the pants are labelled 36, 36.5, 37, they, in reality, only measure 34.5, 35 inches. I shop with a measuring tape now.

April 11, 2011 at 3:22 pm

Beth

Veteran

I have absolutely no idea. I’m not on the bench; I think I’m barely in the stands! I honestly don’t find one category easier or more difficult than the other.

April 11, 2011 at 3:26 pm

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Oh goodness, team bottoms, no doubt about it. At 5-8 with a fairly average-lenth torso, most pants seem designed for someone my height (assuming they don’t wear towering heels, which I don’t). My full bust and comparatively small waist, on the other hand, make top purchases a nightmare. Factor in my insistance on fabrics that drape well and life gets even more complicated.

April 11, 2011 at 3:30 pm

lex

Team bottoms. Similar to you, Angie. I have small shoulders and am petite, so I can’t find anything to fit my shoulder line and voluminous styles swamp me.

I also only like to wear mostly natural fibres and I find a lot of tops are made from synthetic fabrics.

Jeans, pants and skirts are a doddle.

April 11, 2011 at 3:34 pm

Aziraphale

Veteran

Team bottoms for sure. I think this is because my hips and legs are among my better features. Because of the narrow hips, many styles of jeans look good on me. And having shapely legs is handy when you want to wear skirts. Up top is harder because I’m short-waisted (as well as being just short in general!). Lots of tailored tops curve in at the wrong spot, and v-necks that are perfect on other women are often too revealing on me. I don’t have a terrible time finding tops I like, but I’d certainly say I come across more bottoms that I love. I’m sure I have as many bottoms in my closet as tops.

April 11, 2011 at 3:37 pm

MsMary

Veteran

Team bottoms, for sure! At this point I have a pretty good idea of what bottoms are going to fit and flatter, but I carry my weight in my chest and back, and there are so many more variables with tops that I find it really challenging to figure out what’s going to fit and look good. Oh, and long sleeves are ALWAYS way too long on me!

April 11, 2011 at 3:38 pm

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

Team bottoms! I found my perfect fit victoria’s secret pants and Joe’s Jean’s. They really do miracles for your rear view.

Tops on the other hand are always a problem and need to be tailored, styled, and topped with a jacket or cardigan. If only it was as simple as a pair of jeans!!

April 11, 2011 at 3:49 pm

Max

Active Member

Team Tops for Me! Bottoms are very problematic because I am short with a small waist in proportion to my hips. You ladies already know this: if the pants fit in the hips, they are going to be too large in the waist. And, if they somehow fit in the waist, I will have a very large gap in the back or the pants will be hugging my hips in such an unflattering way that I end up feeling badly about my appearance and my body shape. So, I always go first for fit in the hips and in the butt. And, usually, I have to do a costly alteration.

Being short does not automatically mean that petite pants will work for me. So, I often buy regulars and have them shortened for length and taken in at the waist. However, two weeks, ago, I found two pair of size 12P jeans that seem to fit me very well: Lee Classic Platinumlabel and a Levi Perfectly Slimming Boot. So far, I’ve only worn the Lee jeans and I so hope that they do not shrink when washed because they’re already very close on the length. They really could have been “just “a tad longer. I will not be putting them in the dryer.

Finding those jeans made me want to do a victory dance! It takes me and it took me a long time to find jeans that fit. Before shopping for pants of any sort, I have to note what kind of physical and mental stamina I am having that day and I have to feel rested with the time to try on a lot of different sizes.

Tops are so much easier to find as I can wear both regular and petite tops. Team Tops Rule!

April 11, 2011 at 3:54 pm

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

100% Team Tops.

I hate pants. I can never find them. Bottoms drive me insane. Skirts are too short or too long or too clingy or too bleh or too riding-up-your-legs-when-you-are-in-trouble.

April 11, 2011 at 3:57 pm

taylor

Veteran

Team tops.
I need a 00p on the bottom, but I am 5’4 and all my height is in my legs so petites are always about an inch shorter than ideal…skirts as well as pants. I must sacarfice length for fit sometimes in skirts, and pants are just impossible. I alter most things on the bottom.

April 11, 2011 at 3:57 pm

Diana

Veteran

Team tops. I have a high waist and a pear shaped bottom (13 inch difference between waist and hips) so bottoms, particularly pants, are tough.

April 11, 2011 at 4:05 pm

Marley

Veteran

Team tops – primarilly because they are easier to try on in the store! (I know, I’m a lazy shopper! With tops I can usually just take off my cardi (I will wear a cami or tank underneath it) and try the top on without having to go into the dressing room – its so much more convenient and quicker. While with bottoms, I have to not only take off my shoes and whatever I am wearing on the bottom (which can’t be done right out in the open!) and ALSO go into the dressing room! Its just too much work! LOL

April 11, 2011 at 4:09 pm

MsMaven

Veteran

Team bottoms. BR Martins fit me very well. As long as the pants have a fairly straight cut through they will work for me. Skirts are a bit of a problem because most of them are too short nowadays. I’ve always had trouble with woven tops because I have long skinny arms, a narrow ribcage, but have a bust that often doesn’t fit into a top that fits otherwise.

April 11, 2011 at 4:14 pm

Carole

Veteran

Go team bottoms! I sometimes have a harder time with pant lengths as I need a 34 inch inseam, although, Gap has been a lifesaver with their easier to find long lengths in jeans, Yeay! My broad shoulders, short waist, and bigger chest make tops a challenge. I’m still looking for pretty blouses and keep leaving stores empty handed!

April 11, 2011 at 4:39 pm

lynn

Veteran

Team tops in the winter because higher necklines are more abundant. In the summer, I have the same problem as Angie in that I still want high necklines because I don’t have a pretty neck or skin on my chest. Pants are harder to fit but skirts are no problem for summer. I love winter clothes! Team tops for me with some restrictions!

April 11, 2011 at 5:08 pm

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

Team Tops, for sure.

I *buy* plenty of pants, but I return them all.

I can’t even go to Target for coffee and laundry detergent without tripping over a cute, nicely fitted top.

No question which is easier!

April 11, 2011 at 5:10 pm

Mellllls

tops!!! there are days when i try on every pair of pants and every skirt in the store and none fit. i don’t know why! more than half the time when i try on a top it fits.

April 11, 2011 at 5:12 pm

Meredith

Active Member

Team Tops! So much easier to shop for!!

Because I am petite and I am not too fond of my bare legs, I have a hard time finding bottoms that fit and I feel fabulous in.

April 11, 2011 at 5:14 pm

Gaylene

Veteran

No contest– Team Bottoms for me.

Strong shoulders and defined upper arms make it difficult to find jackets and woven tops that aren’t constricting. And, if I find a top that fits in shoulders, the bust area is often way too big and the extra fabric bunches up under my arms. As long as I stick to straight cuts, however, my relatively narrow hips and small butt makes fitting into pants and jeans a cinch.

April 11, 2011 at 5:33 pm

LuAnn

Active Member

I’m on team bottoms. I’m petite have wide shoulders and a slim waist so tops tend to fit in shoulders and are loose in the waist and the arm holes are low (when the shoulder fits.) Furthermore, regular tops can be too long hitting below the crotch.

April 11, 2011 at 5:38 pm

Maya

Veteran

Um, I’m on Team Dress. I don’t wear skirts, and I find bottoms and tops equally difficult. Bottoms would win if it were easier to find high rises.

April 11, 2011 at 5:41 pm

ismay

I’ll second the team dress. Otherwise, team bottoms. Based on my wardrobe that is currently bursting with skirts but short of good tops. Tops seem like they should be easy from the fit perspective, but for dressier/work-suitable tops, the right combination of fit + fabric quality + transparency + drape + neckline + sleeve length + suitability for skirts or pants + layering under jackets/sweaters ends up being way, way too complicated. Typically I end up disappointed with tops more often than with skirts. Pants are difficult too, but as long as I know I need a longer inseam, and give up on regular inseams, I’m mostly OK.

April 11, 2011 at 5:47 pm

catgirl

Veteran

Team Bottoms. Except for jeans, I can find bottoms to fit much more easily. For tops, it’s hard enough to find something that fits, and then to find something I LIKE within that category? Fuggedaboudit. Hence my closet full of lovely skirts and pants, waiting patiently for a top to match.

April 11, 2011 at 5:50 pm

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Tops!!!! If you want to see me really distraught just watch me bottom shopping. A combination of small waist, thighs fuller than hips and 34″+ in length make bottoms hunting a real nightmare. Spending hours in a fitting room, trying on dozens of jeans and pants and leaving empty-handed does not improve my self-esteem. Skirts are not too bad, especially flared ones but pants…
Tops are much easier. Even though sleeve length can be a problem I can roll them up or scrunch them up – not that easy to do with pant legs. I can have some problems with fit in the back as my shoulders are wide but my back is narrow but other than that it is pretty easy.

April 11, 2011 at 5:58 pm

marianna

Veteran

Team tops, for sure. I’m fairly average on top so it’s not much of a challenge. But pants are a ridiculously hard challenge for me and I’m not sure why. Skirts are much easier. But still — tops are way easier than bottoms.

April 11, 2011 at 6:03 pm

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

And Team Tops leaves Team Bottoms in the dust.

April 11, 2011 at 6:18 pm

MLC

Team Tops, definitely. I find it virtually impossible to find trousers that fit and flatter my bottom half. I’ve got rather muscular thighs, which are not comfortable with skinny jeans or slim-fit trousers. My legs are quite short, so hems never hit at the right spot. Most problematic of all is my exceedingly long waist. I can’t seem to find a rise that works at all!

The problem is so bad, I avoid separates for the most part (though I have fewer issues with skirts). I’m very thankful that I love dresses and they seem to love me back.

April 11, 2011 at 6:24 pm

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Oh goodness, I didn’t even need a split second to consider this one. Team tops. I can almost always find a shirt that fits me well and looks good, but it takes a lot more effort to find bottoms, specifically pants. Skirts are easier.

With the combination of small waist and larger hips/ thighs, a short rise, and a long inseam, I find pants, especially jeans, challenging to find.

April 11, 2011 at 6:43 pm

Marlene

Add me in to Team Tops. Most bottoms need to be altered to fit right on my long-legged, short-waisted body. I have easily 4 or 5 tops for every bottom in my closet! Also, I prefer knit tops and they are definitely easier to fit than their woven counterparts. Button-front woven shirts are a nightmare on me (short neck and too confining)…I’m glad I don’t prefer them…so I just never go down that road in any case!

April 11, 2011 at 6:51 pm

crazyone

Veteran

Team tops…I found it very surprising to learn when I joined YLF that some people were actually on team bottoms. Tops I often don’t even need to try on–bottoms always, and usually they’re found wanting in some way. It helps to be lightly busted, though. And like Sveta said, sleeves can be scrunched, but that option doesn’t exist with pants.

April 11, 2011 at 6:53 pm

Sylvie

Veteran

Team Bottoms. I have long legs for my height (side effect of short waistedness) and I’ve never had a problem finding jeans, pants or skirts. Gap jeans and Ann Taylor (Loft) pants fit me beautifully.

Tops or non-empire dresses on the other hand… pure torture.

April 11, 2011 at 7:19 pm

Joy

Veteran

Team Bottoms for many of the same reasons you give, Angie. I want wovens, high necks, prefer an elbow length sleeve, plus I’m quite small busted and most tops don’t come up high enough at the arm hole and lhave too much extra fabric that isn’t filled out. Bottoms are easier to shop for.

April 11, 2011 at 7:43 pm

nancylee

Veteran

Team Bottoms, no doubt about it for me. I have relatively slim hips and thighs so it’s always been easy to find flattering pants, jeans and skirts. As a result, there have always been orphan skirts in my closet….but I’ve had a tops deficit for as long as I can remember. It isn’t that I’m hard to fit on top, it’s just that I feel tops get noticed more so I’m really fussy about what I wear there!

You do have some company, Angie!

April 11, 2011 at 7:44 pm

sarah

Veteran

Team BOTTOMS! Even though I’m short, I have a good solid collection of pants that fit me well. Tops drive me nuts. They’re too long, too short, too muffin-top-revealing, too cleavage-revealing. I HATE TOPS! Or, rather, I hate shopping for tops. And with summer coming, I’m hating it even more.

Thanks for asking ; )

April 11, 2011 at 7:44 pm

KristineK

Active Member

team tops, for all the reasons Taylor already mentioned… my hips are extremely narrow, size charts where a size 0 or even a 00 start at 35 in. are not my friend, and there seem to be more of them these days than ever…

April 11, 2011 at 7:51 pm

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

Count me firmly into team bottoms. The only thing I struggle with on bottoms is inseam length – being able to find them long enough.

Tops on the other hand – complete nightmare. I have broad shoulders, a broad ribcage, small chest and am short waisted as well as basically having no waist (wasit:hip ratio > 0.9). I look-like a line backer in most tops. I hate synthetic material, see-through materials, frills and pastels which rules out the majority of tops straight off the bat. About a month ago I spent a whole day looking specifically at tops in one of the biggest malls here, and didn’t see a single one I wanted to try on, let alone buy!

Prior to finding ylf I had given up on tops and simply went to Target/BigW at the start of every season and bought some plain tshirts in various colours and thats all I ever wore. I’ve seen the light now, and whilst tops and me still have a constant battle, I have a much better selection.

April 11, 2011 at 7:57 pm

morethanbeige

Veteran

Team tops. I usually have to try on a lot of pants to find ones that fit.

April 11, 2011 at 8:01 pm

alex

Active Member

Team Tops. I’m only 5’3″ so all pants are too long and all skirts don”t hit where they are supposed to. And to top it off, i’m short waisted. Tops are easier because I wear mostly knits.

April 11, 2011 at 8:02 pm

Christie

Active Member

Team Tops, if knitwear. Woven tops are really hard for me to fit. If they fit my ribcage, they’re too big everywhere else including shoulders, armholes, and actual bustline.

April 11, 2011 at 9:22 pm

Fathenry

Team bottoms all the way. I have a tough time time finding tops that fit. I have a large tummy, narrow hips, slim shoulders and muffin top that all must be disguised. On the other hand, I have a long inseam so that makes bottoms tough too, but not as difficult as tops. If I find a top that fits, I buy it!

April 11, 2011 at 10:21 pm

catgirl

Veteran

I think it would be interesting to see how these teams break down by body shape. My sense is that the pears are Team Tops, and the ITs are Team Bottoms, and I’m not sure where the rest fall…

April 11, 2011 at 10:30 pm

Anna

Team Tops. I am 5′ 11” and forever looking for pants with long enough legs. Since I am not that fond of jeans it makes it worse. How I wish pants could be sold un-hemmed and then hemmed for you at the store at the right length. The solution could be to wear more skirts …… if I had more shoes and was better at matching skirt – legwear – shoe.
In the wintertime it is easy, then I wear my too short pants tucked into boots.

April 11, 2011 at 11:16 pm

anya

Oh, team bottoms. I have tons of skirts, orange striped, purple, denim, and loads of jeans and each morning I’m like, what top should I wear. (When I’m lazy I just don a dress) . But still, it’s infuriating. I always have problems on longer / woven blouses/tops mainly because my chest is the exact same width as my hips( and I’m short waist-ed- that’s why even though i’. 5ft 3 i find pants and jeans – I hem half of them) so button downs gape ( and it’s a pain to find those snaps to put in between). I feel you angie

April 12, 2011 at 12:35 am

anne

Veteran

Team tops. I hate shopping for bottoms (not so much skirts and jeans but pants) I recently had a 10 year gap between purchases on dress pants. My reasons almost exactly replicate Sveta’s, since we have a similar body type (except I am shorter) and in fact have just wondered if like her I have the combination of wide shoulders and a narrow back (since I usually have excess fabric at the back of tops and dresses).

April 12, 2011 at 1:20 am

Nanne

(website)

Definitely tops – finding well fitting pants and jeans is particularly difficult due to my large butt and thighs and tiny waist.

April 12, 2011 at 2:10 am

carrie

(website)

Active Member

Team tops for sure. I’m not sure if it’s all about fit though. I think it is a bit easier for me to find tops, but I also tend to primarily shop for tops. I usually stick to classic bottoms: black pants, gray pants, and jeans. Perhaps if I was as creative on the bottom as I was on the top I might switch teams.

April 12, 2011 at 2:13 am

firefly

Active Member

Team tops, as I find it much easier to find tops that fit. I’m lucky in that most tops seem to fit my shoulders straight off, and the rest I can work with.

April 12, 2011 at 3:21 am

cloud9

Veteran

Late to the party, but team tops absolutely! Skirt is easier, but pants are very difficult for me. I have high & very small waist, longer torso, and 5’4. Typically i need a higher waist pant, and slightly longer than a typical petite. My waist/hip ratio is also high, so most pants fit my hips would gap at my waist, or fits my waist then tight on hips/thighs. Tops are so much easier for me to shop for and I love a variety of necklines, cuts, colors & prints.

April 12, 2011 at 8:59 am

thimblelina

(website)

Veteran

Team bottoms. I have been out there in the trenches on a trying-everything-on bender for nearly 4 months now. It is so much easier to add bottoms. Even when I put a moratorium on bottoms, cute & affordable new options jump off the racks and ride home with me. Tops are just a major bummer: tiny shrunken shoulders, boob gap, short hems, ginormous unflattering ruffles, shall I go on? I realize I am hard to fit, but it seems to me if each label of clothing offered some body type options & modifications within each season or line the world would be a much happier place. L

April 12, 2011 at 10:10 am

mamark

I spend much more time shopping for the bottom half, because my bottom is harder to fit (I’m taller than some “tall” sizes, and also wider than I’d like.) So I guess I’m Team Bottoms. But I really only wear very basic bottoms.

I have more fun shopping for tops but since it’s much easier, I spend less time at it.

April 12, 2011 at 10:16 am

SusanM

Team Tops for me because I find bottoms are harder to fit on my body. Most tops I try on work for me although, after reading Angie’s recent posts, I am going to get more paarticular about tops. I realize I have a few that are quite low cut, which I correct with a cami, but I’ll look for a better cut in the future

April 12, 2011 at 10:31 am

saretta

(website)

Team Tops! With my pair shape, it’s often hard to find pants that fit me in the waist and at the hips. If they fit at the hips, they gap at the waist. If they fit at the waist, they’re too tight at the hips…

April 12, 2011 at 10:47 am

Kate

Team bottoms, without a doubt.

At 5’8 with a regular inseam, finding trousers, jeans and skirts are are a breeze compared to finding tops, especially blouses. I have wide shoulders and long arms, but I also have a small bust and am long waisted, so finding tops to fit all those parameters — wide enough and long enough in some areas, small enough and fitted enough in others — is a tall order. I rarely fill that order.

April 12, 2011 at 11:06 am

Vani

Veteran

This may come as a surprise as I am a solid pear/hourglass, but I am Team Bottoms.

Pre-YLF I was 100% Team Tops. Most of my bottoms were American Eagle Outfitter clearance rack jeans. Now, after finally being able to break down and understand fit and other fine things, I am firmly Team Bottoms. I am finding it harder and harder to find interesting, comfortable and reasonably priced tops. Bottoms can be hemmed, gapes taken in. I just find it harder with tops.

Also, one can have a fully functioning wardrobe with a core set of bottoms. Its the tops that we need to switch out to keep it interesting.

April 12, 2011 at 12:14 pm

Rachel

Team tops, if only because my bottom half is in between 2 sizes, which makes it so so hard to find pants that fit – and because skirts are so short these days!

April 12, 2011 at 2:21 pm

slythwolf

(website)

Team Tops for me. The inseam I need is not readily available in most stores in my price range, and there is a 14″ difference between my waist and hip measurements. Sometimes I can find full skirts that fit my waist and hips without being altered, but I have to put them on over my head. Trousers require an added hidden side zip to fit properly if I want to be able to put them on.

April 12, 2011 at 3:39 pm

Ginny

I am Team Bottoms, it is so much easier for me to find shorts, jeans and slacks than tops. I have more trouble finding tops that accomadate my bust and still let you see i have some kind of waist!!! So bottoms are much easier for me!!

April 12, 2011 at 4:46 pm

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Late to the party as usual.

Team bottoms.

If Una is keeping track, I am an hourglass. Although the more time I’ve been on YLF I’m beginning to think I have IT tendencies because I wear a 4 pants and an 8 top.

April 12, 2011 at 7:14 pm

Nadya

Veteran

Team Bottoms, now. Used to be Team Tops but I morphed and now it’s harder to find tops (except cardigans and jackets.). What I lack are tops that look good on their own, especially as warmer weather sets in. I can’t layer all year! It’s hard to find tops that are work appropriate, not frou frou, and apple friendly.

April 12, 2011 at 8:31 pm

malcontent

As an hourglass shape, I have to pick tops. Though my large breasts make fitting blouses difficult, many tops these days are knits that have enough give to accommodate my bust. Bottoms are harder. With wide hips and a narrow waist, everything needs altering.

April 12, 2011 at 8:36 pm

Kari

Veteran

I’m on team tops, despite the difficulty that having a large bust poses to certain types of tops. In comparison, though, my short/high waist and long rise, not to mention my bodaciuos rear and full hips, cause a much bigger challenge in shopping for bottoms.

April 12, 2011 at 9:18 pm

April

Veteran

Both difficult. I’ll be sitting on the bench.

April 13, 2011 at 3:49 am

Lisa

Veteran

I am team tops. Once in a while, the shoulders/upper back are too snug, but it’s far easier for me to find wovens and knits that fit in tops than bottoms. It doesn’t matter if it’s skirts, or trousers, or even dresses, fitting around the thighs and bum is always a challenge. And once I get past those fit issues, I have to deal with length, petite is often too short if I want to wear any height in a heel and regular far too long.

April 13, 2011 at 9:02 am

Dana

(website)

Veteran

I know I’m really late, but can’t resist commenting. I’m team tops, although it’s not because they’re easy to fit. I’m an inverted triangle with wide shoulders and a wide back, so I’m often in between a medium and a large. I can’t shop at Banana Republic to save my life.

Pants aren’t easy, but they’re not all that hard. I guess I’m just more inspired by tops. I have some cute summer bottoms, but during the winter my bottoms are more basic.

I know inverted triangles are supposed to wear dark tops and light bottoms, but that’s a pretty hard rule to stick to year round…and a little boring too. Long story short, my clothes have to pass major inspection before they make it into my closet:).

April 13, 2011 at 10:51 am

Inge

Oh dear, I’m not sure. I’m having a hard time finding fab tops at the moment, but they usually fit me alright if and when I find them. Skirts and pants are harder in general because I need them to be a bit longer with my height. So, I’m going with Team Tops…

April 13, 2011 at 12:06 pm

Claudia

Veteran

Team bottoms. My large bust, and also because I gain weight in my back, make top shopping painful. I can buy a size 10 bottom, but sometimes can’t button without gaping a size 16 top. Ugh!

April 14, 2011 at 6:30 am

Barbara

Veteran

Chiming in late. Team tops.

Sometimes it’s downright difficult to find jeans and pants in a 4 tall. When I DO find that perfect fit, I buy duplicates!

April 14, 2011 at 3:21 pm

cheryl

Veteran

Team tops! I am way too short and hippy to be on team bottoms.

April 16, 2011 at 8:47 pm

Mitzy

Active Member

I am Team Tops all the way. I am short (5’2″) and take a far larger size on bottom than on top. I almost always have to go to a specialty shop for pants and sometimes for skirts. I also have a much smaller waist than hips, stomach and thighs. I often have to tailor or have tailored, pants. When I find pants that fit, I hem them myself and I buy multiples. I often have to have the waist taken in. I really like Lee Rider slacks and jeans.
Tops, I can go into most any store and find something that fits. I sometimes take as small as a 14, even though my bust is fairly big. Love woven tops the best. Old Navy, Lane Bryant, Target, Banana Republic and Macy’s are go-tos for me, but I often find really nice things in thrift stores.

June 21, 2011 at 12:40 pm

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