https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:46:34 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/3#post-1896074 Sat, 03 Mar 2018 21:29:20 +0000 Chiara 1896074@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes. I've always been a very elongated pear, who carries all the weight (visually) at the low hip, but looks more hourglass-ish because my shoulder line is square, sharp, and comes out as far as the low hip. Before children, I had a very flat stomach and pronounced waist, after children, those tummy muscles will never be the same :). So whereas once, I only had to worry about balancing out the hips, and the small boned torso with the relatively more robust legs and hips, now I also have to figure out ways to not draw attention to the tummy as well. Oh, and then I had breast cancer- so of course that has also left its mark, although interestingly that has not been as psychologically challenging as the change in tummy. Funny how we focus on some things and not others, isn't it?<br />However, overall I'm happy that I am now much stronger and fitter than I was when I was younger. I find that focusing on the healthy stuff my body is able to do, and which I enjoy, is a good way to defuse any critical thoughts about tummies etc etc. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/3#post-1896073 Sat, 03 Mar 2018 21:14:29 +0000 Scarlet 1896073@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I never dared to ask the forum, but most of the time I felt my body was primarily hourglass. In my twenties I had a phase of weight-lifting that caused my butt to shrink (probably loss of fat) and my thighs to grow (muscle gain), such that pants were loose on my rear and rode up on my thighs. I gain muscle very easily on my legs. I always say I come from a mountain people Since having kids, I definitely gained apple tendencies. I can accept my new body in terms of looks, but I am extremely frustrated fitting pants. My wider waist is out of proportion to my hips according to size charts. Now that my toddler is weaned, my body is changing again, boobs shrinking, butt rounder, waistline possibly reemerging. I don't know where the journey will end. For the future, based on observing my mother I suspect that when I go through menopause my butt will flatten and my waistline will grow. </p> <p></p> <p>ETA: I appreciate everyone else here who shared their perspective. It is helpful to read.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/3#post-1895992 Sat, 03 Mar 2018 13:51:34 +0000 Bijou 1895992@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am still a pear, but now that I have accepted and embraced my shape (after years of fighting it), it would &nbsp;be quite funny if I changed shape!</p> <p>Big hugs to Cocolion<br />xxxx<br />Hope your SO is on the road to recovery. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/3#post-1895808 Fri, 02 Mar 2018 21:20:09 +0000 Suzanimal 1895808@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>At my fighting weight, I've always been an IT. I gained 80 lbs with my second son and took on an apple shape for a year but went back to an IT after I lost it. Still have 10 lbs of baby weight to lose but I'm not holding my breath because my "baby" is 17. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/3#post-1894968 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 18:16:52 +0000 krishnidoux 1894968@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am very similar to <b>Suz</b>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />(<b>Suz</b>, by the way, about that skirt: don't forget that cuts are slightly different nowadays and that might play a role too in your recent dissatisfaction with it).&nbsp;</p> <p>All my life, I have struggled with fit. In my younger days, mostly, clothes wanted to escape me, blouses gaping open, cami escaping, bras impatient to peep, pants slumping no matter what. That's because fashion was on the max side, while I was not, and my tiny wallet hadn't discovered a good tailor yet.&nbsp;</p> <p>I was throughout my 30's and for a good part of my 40's a slim inverted IT with -strangely enough - pear tendencies. Athletic wear fit me well and, for once, remained on me with enough sturdiness and reliability. I was a young travelling mom on the go, so I was content with this generic look.</p> <p>In my mid 40's, my body was still very much IT but slowly morphing and it got to a point where I thought I was going to become an apple, because it seemed I had less and less hips, while retaining a shapeless mid-region and increasingly muscular shoulders.&nbsp;</p> <p>Now, soon to be 50, I am moving towards what I hope is a more hourglass figure. An oddity: by gaining a little bit of weight and muscle around my hips, I suddenly have more of a waistline! Which is a good thing in terms of dressing. I realize that some things that didn't suit me before now look better because there is mass there to hold it up if you will. For example, my fit in most jeans is easier (especially cigarette cut), it makes more sense right away when I put them on. I guess it's because there are some hips to fill them out.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/3#post-1894965 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 18:13:04 +0000 RobinF 1894965@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Very interesting! I have always been pretty much a rectangle with boobs and that hasn't changed, except the boobs have gotten bigger. I assumed we all stayed the same basic shape, so I am surprised to hear otherwise. My lowest weight was when I got married (and I didn't even appreciate it at the time!) and since then it has crept up gradually but I'm usually within 10 pounds of where I was after having kids. Now with menopause my waist is thickening even more so I suppose I could end up an apple.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/3#post-1894954 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 17:42:30 +0000 Anonymous 1894954@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I wasn't going to touch this one with a ten-foot pole, as this kind of discussion often triggers my &nbsp;slide into self-flagellation and misery. &nbsp;My answer: yes, most definitely, and through massive weight gain. &nbsp;My university weight was just under 115 -and I only remember that because I didn't weigh enough to donate blood. &nbsp;I was around 135 when I got married at 28, and stayed around that weight for many , many years (except during pregnancy, of course). &nbsp;At one point about 7 years ago, my weight dropped back down to 118, and my doctor was convinced I had cancer (as was my tailor, who actually came right out and asked why I was having to alter all of my clothes) . Extreme stress did that . &nbsp;Since that time, it's been a steady climb up, to now, where I am at my highest non-pregnancy weight ever. &nbsp;Not a badge of honour I wear with pride, and sometimes yes, my unhappiness with it really affects my life. I am not sure I know why the change has been so steady and dramatic, and nor have I been successful in changing this direction. &nbsp;However, life is complicated and there are lots of other things to focus on. &nbsp;Dressing for this change has been one of the most difficult things though - and my wardrobe has never quite been the same. One foot in front of the other though &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/3#post-1894876 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 15:27:59 +0000 cindysmith 1894876@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My mom recently asked if I had done augmentation (her words were actually "boob job"). I had to tell her that I had gained that much weight. I just gained it proportionally, that all of me got bigger fairly equally. I went from a slim, wiry rectangle to a much fluffier rectangle. Now I'm struggling to lose even a few pounds :-/ </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/3#post-1894860 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 15:19:59 +0000 UtahDesert 1894860@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't think my body type has changed, but where I put on weight has changed a bit with age. I've always been an hourglass who tends to go a bit pear-shaped with weight gain. (And even when I'm perfectly slim my thighs are wider than my hips--where does this fit into body types? I'd like to see some discussion of this!) For most of my life excess pounds went straight to my thighs. They still head there but post-menopause they started going to my waist as well. I discovered I liked the feeling of rolls at my waist even less than I liked the hefty thighs, so this has helped me keep the pounds off.</p> <p>I dealt with the pancake butt (after a nearly 50-pound weight loss three years ago) by lots of working out--strong glutes keep both me and my physical therapist very happy. And so far stronger shoulders, delts, triceps, etc. haven't eliminated any tops or tailored jackets from my wardrobe. I don't know what I would do if that started to happen, since I love my collection of jackets and I love getting stronger. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/3#post-1894812 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 13:59:22 +0000 Adriana 1894812@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes. The weight is almost the same now for years on end, but depending how sedentary I am, and have a good diet or not, the body more or less changes. I suffer from bouts of depression, that doesn't help. I conquer that with running and walking. I'm pear shaped, with proportionally short and very muscled legs. I used to have a small waist, but I notice that with age, and with the above, I am more a rectangle. One of my goals now is to learn how to "fake" a waist.<br /> Totally not the right spot to say this but a big thank you for everybody sharing and helping. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894798 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 13:35:49 +0000 anne 1894798@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm a bit of a hybid anyway, and various weights have seen me more or less pear or rectangle. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894785 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 12:18:18 +0000 anchie 1894785@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't think my shape changed much - every time I gain or loose weight it gets distributed evenly. I also haven't noticed any lasting changes after two pregnancies except my feet growing half a size after each. I am embarrassed to admit that I don't exercise so not sure what effect it would have on my shape. I will be 50 next year, so approaching menopause, and have yet to see what effect that will have.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894770 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 10:58:18 +0000 Summer 1894770@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My body shape changes between slim hourglass/rectangle (my waist is defined but not by much) and inverted triangle depending on my current weight.&nbsp; When at a heavier weight - as I am at present - my lower half fills out to balance my shoulders.&nbsp; Losing a few pounds will make my shoulder line much more prominent. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894746 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 09:12:59 +0000 Anonymous 1894746@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yep. I started with medium boobs, narrow shoulders and wider hips/thighs.<br /> Progressed to larger breasts, bigger arms and the rest the same. Then after a thyroid condition, other hormonal issues and a lot of prednisone for illness, ended up with rounding on my shoulders, a smidge of extra on my back, and definitely a more pronounced abdomen and some upper tummy weight. Overall, still hourglassy but definitely the prednisone gave me some apple-y bits starting.<br /> I am pretty evenly distributed.<br /> Mostly I just keep on keeping on and enjoy what I can wear when I wear it and feel good about the fact that I’m still kicking! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894741 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 08:59:44 +0000 Jenni NZ 1894741@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have done the typical menopausal thickening. I was a slim pear originally and was like that still from 29 ( first child) to 35 ( third child). Although my bust did get a bit bigger which I liked as originally an A cup. Then weight slowly went on from 35-47, then jumped up hugely at menopause age 47, combined with stress, an illness and depression at that time, now almost 10 years ago. Now I'm a pear/apple. With a C cup! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894727 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 06:06:12 +0000 Cee 1894727@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Age and gravity, baby ! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894725 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 05:48:33 +0000 Carla 1894725@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I thought I was a rectangle due to not much differentiation between bust, waist, hips, however when I joined YLF, it was suggested that I was more hourglass (by virtue of a strong shoulder line) with rectangle tendencies, and possibly a little Apple for good measure! </p> <p> Weight has stayed within 10lbs of my college weight (140lbs) and my shape the same. When I started posting on YLF 5 years ago I was 148-152 lbs. These days I am 136-140 lbs. Bust 36-37in and hips 38-39in. My waist has thickened permanently however, from 28 to 31 inches. When I switched from running to triathlon (swim, bike, run) in my 40's, and started strength training with weights my shoulder line became stronger (preserving the hourglass) and some added muscle made for curvier limbs and a more balanced physique.</p> <p>I am currently at the lower end of my weight range, however still thick waisted. Weight gain goes to my low belly and mid back, which I think is Apple distribution. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894724 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 05:42:19 +0000 Dianna 1894724@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes, I was an hourglass with a small waist in my&nbsp;&nbsp;teens, twenties, and early to mid&nbsp;thirties, then with a 6-8 pound weight gain my body changed to a pear, as all that weight went straight to my hips, butt, and thighs.&nbsp; Seven years and 30 pounds later, and my body is pear shaped with apple tendencies, as my small waist is gone and my tummy is not flat any more. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894720 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 04:25:22 +0000 Lynn 1894720@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have alway been a pear shape. &nbsp;My shoulders are slightly narrow relative to my hips and are more square then sloped. What has changed is my waist. Prior to menopause I had a &nbsp;<u>very </u>tiny waist relative to my hips. Now I still have a defined waist but not nearly as much as before. I can actually buy RTW pants in curvy fits &nbsp;Luckily, I remained fairly trim in the abdomen and stomach until my recent gain. </p> <p>My pattern of weight gain has definitively changed. I used to gain mostly in my hips and thighs. Now&nbsp;&nbsp;I have a muffin top and fuller abdomen that I am struggling with how to fit.&nbsp;</p> <p>I am also more rounded in my back. &nbsp;Yoga and stretching have helped but haven't prevented this.&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894713 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 03:41:14 +0000 Jaime 1894713@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes, a lot! For my adult life I would say I was a rectangle. I never had small breasts, but my hips were always narrow and I was bigger on top. With weight gain, age, or whatever, combined with ever more yoga,&nbsp; I have curved out all over now have largish breasts, larger hips, and an apple, but relatively flat, middle. I have actually put on dresses that fit on top and can't get over my bottom, which still manages to surprise me because I always had the opposite problem. In some ways I am closer to an hourglass than I ever was when I was younger, which just means that the top and bottom have outgrown the middle. I am laughing at myself as I write this, fortunately.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894705 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 03:09:03 +0000 K.M. 1894705@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Angie</b>, interesting comment! (You wrote: <b><i>"K.M</i></b><i>., I don't see a pear shape. Interesting that your breast size went down too. Breast tissue has a mind of its own, doesn't it."</i>) I am happy if I am still an hourglass since this has been the shape I'm familiar with most of my life! And yes, breast tissue totally has a life of its own! Mine has shrunk so much. It took me a while to adapt to my new small A cups but now I like them. They feel so light and free! </p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894702 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 03:00:37 +0000 Janet 1894702@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My basic body type has never really changed, even though my weight has fluctuated over the years. I have been hourglassy verging on pear-ish ever since my teens. I typically gain weight first in boobs and hips/thighs, but that’s shifting a bit post-menopause, so my waist is not what it once was. </p> <p>I find it interesting how varied the human body can be. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894698 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 02:33:34 +0000 tulle 1894698@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh yes, definitely!&nbsp; For almost 40 years, I was a very slim pear/hourglass shape with narrow shoulders, long, neck, long thin arms, very small rib cage and waist. After having a baby at 37,&nbsp; I (as others have described here) found my rib cage widened and waist thicker, though&nbsp; I was still recognizably pear-shaped. Then came menopause, and with it a padded, straighter waist, broader shoulders, heavier arms (something I wouldn't have believed possible) and hips that are now square, rather than curvy. From what I've seen, this is a pretty common evolution among women my age.&nbsp; I don't love it; this H-shape requires so much strategy and luck (with trending clothing silhouettes) to avoid a mannish look that is alien to my gamine self (still in there somewhere!) But that's how it is now.&nbsp; From the knees down, I'm exactly as I was... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894697 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 02:30:56 +0000 SarahD8 1894697@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>For many years, I was a skinny inverted triangle. (And I was reminded of my broad shoulders yesterday, trying on coats and finding they swamped my torso but I couldn’t lift my arms above my waist.)</p> <p>After I had a kid, my rib cage permanently broadened (it was already quite broad tbh) and I acquired a bit of a soft lower belly, so became more of a rectangle.</p> <p>The last few years I’ve noticed a tendency to put on weight, especially in my midsection, giving me apple-ish tendencies.</p> <p>I admire the equanimity of so many posters on this thread but I am not going to lie, I find the weight gain a bit difficult to accept. I sort of feel like my forties so far have been a long process of mourning successive iterations of my three-pounds-ago body. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894696 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 02:16:17 +0000 Karie 1894696@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>No body change for me. I think I was born a rectangle. I’ve also been about the same weight most of my adult life. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894675 Tue, 27 Feb 2018 23:49:57 +0000 Mainelady 1894675@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>You ladies are all so incredible! I love learning more about your style and each of you. Angie and YLF have created a space where diversity, honesty, creativity and respect are hallmarks. It is inspiring to read your stories.<br /> My body has changed dramatically. In my youth I was soooo skinny. I had broad shoulders, but that was it. Some of my peers called me Chicken Legs (but they said it like it was a good thing).<br /> When I went to college I gained a few pounds but was still very thin. I was a pretty solid rectangle, although the broad shoulders were still noticeable. I weighed 98 pounds when I married my husband.<br /> A few years later I became pregnant with our daughter. I gained 50 pounds and most of it was my belly. Our daughter weighed over 10 pounds. After her birth, I lost most of the baby weight within a few months. My hips and rib cage had broadened and I had boobs! My waist was back down to 24 inches. For the first time in my life I was an hourglass. I loved it! Instead of looking like a tomboy, I felt so feminine. I never saw 98 pounds again. The closest I ever got was 112. Then, along came our son and somehow my weight hovered around 118 pounds for many years. I was still an hourglass, but my waist was not so narrow.<br /> Then, in my early 40s I had hormonal challenges, weight fluctuations, peri menopause and my hourglass began to disappear. I began to recognize the rectangle again. My weight kept up a little at a time, most of it adding to my tummy. Hello apple rectangle.<br /> I have been married to my husband for 34 years and weigh 30 pounds more than when we met. Almost a pound a year! I am healthy and much happier with my body than when I was Chicken Legs. Oh sure, sometimes I wish my stomach were flatter. That is my trouble spot. I had 2 c-sections, a hysterectomy and an open appendectomy. No matter how much I exercise, there is just not a lot of muscle tone left in that area.<br /> I have an amazing family and a wonderful life. I am not going to let my belly get in my way. I am pretty good at dressing around it. I could probably write a book called The Art of Camoflage. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894670 Tue, 27 Feb 2018 23:36:42 +0000 Gigi 1894670@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've pretty much been an hourglass with a smaller bust my whole adult life (I'm in my forties). The one time it changed was when I lost a lot of weight due to significant digestive problems. At that point I was more rectangular. But when I gained my weight back, I went back to my hourglass shape. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894669 Tue, 27 Feb 2018 23:24:41 +0000 deb 1894669@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I might add that my coats and jackets have always remained a 10/12 throughout all of these changes. I think this is weird. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894668 Tue, 27 Feb 2018 23:23:24 +0000 deb 1894668@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Mine has changed several times during my adult life. I was a very slim (actually skinny) IT in my 20's and 30's. I went through menopause in my late 30's and became more of a rectangle. I magically lost whatever waist I once had. Then in my 50's came medication changes and I blossomed into an apple. A few years ago my meds changed again and I lost about 20 lbs and feel I am back to more of a rectangle with the apple belly. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-body-type-changed-over-time/page/2#post-1894663 Tue, 27 Feb 2018 23:13:12 +0000 Emily K 1894663@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Over time, I've come to identify more strongly as an IT even though my measurements are hourglass-y--with age and a baby, though, much less hourglass-y than I used to be. &nbsp;Ironically, this makes shopping for clothing much, much easier because the fit in the waist is more proportional. </p>