YouLookFab Forum » Topic: View from the Rear

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: View from the Rear https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Thu, 21 May 2026 23:52:54 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Style Fan on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1930117 Wed, 20 Jun 2018 10:56:16 +0000 Style Fan 1930117@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love your posts, Sterling.  I check every view when I go out or when I buy anything.  I am especially sensitive about the rear view.  I find pockets in the back really help.  Maybe that is one of the reasons I like jeans so much.  :) I buy very little these days.  Not much passes my tests.     Cardiff girl on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929891 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 17:26:21 +0000 Cardiff girl 1929891@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I never look back !Agreed it can be a huge shock when you go to a store with all surround mirrors,it can take me days to get over it. Anonymous on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929830 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 15:29:00 +0000 Anonymous 1929830@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ lyn67 makes a great point in that linen often does this anyways. I am obsessed with every view when trying things on and getting dressed in the morning, which is probably the reason I never buy anything anymore.  Lol.   Angie on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929814 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 15:01:22 +0000 Angie 1929814@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Love how you're learning to be more discerning about fit, Sterling. Practice makes perfect. You absolutely need to treat yourself to a new pair. Suz on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929752 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 12:26:42 +0000 Suz 1929752@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ So sad to lose your beloved pants. But I think it's a great idea to treat yourself to a stylist who can help with suggestions for a post-weight loss closet build.  RobinF on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929747 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 12:11:06 +0000 RobinF 1929747@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ That is a good reminder. I tend to look front and sides and ignore the back. I have a proportionately large waist and often if the waist of pants fit, the hips, butt and thighs are too big. And I don't like a tight fit which can aggravate the problem. Sometimes they can be taken in but sometimes not. I always notice if the hips pooch but have to remember about the butt. lyn67 on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929744 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 12:00:40 +0000 lyn67 1929744@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Hah, linen (even in your genuine size) can do this after wearing long&hard  all day...But I still love linen:-). Anonymous on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929721 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 10:48:02 +0000 Anonymous 1929721@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Let me start this by saying I often marveled at how wonderful these pants felt against my body.  They were linen and yet never wrinkled.  They washed beautifully.  The color was fabulous.  But as Angie asked they were indeed part of my pre-weight-loss wardrobe.  The thing is that when I was editing my closet that fateful weekend, I wanted to salvage at least a couple of pairs of pants.  I thought adjusting the elastic was the solution.  But Angie is right.  The pants are TOO BIG all over.  I must have willfully ignored such an obvious flaw.  They are gone now.   Thank you for the suggestion of a tailor, Brooklyn, Krishnidoux, Toban, and Kkards.  In March when I was editing my closet, I sincerely considered taking the entire lot of pants to the tailor.  I took one pair just to get an idea of the cost, the tailor told me it would be like "reconstructing" the entire pair of pants.  Literally all three seams would have to be taken in and the pockets would disappear.  I love my pockets.  Although she did not say it, I strongly suspected that the end result would be disappointing.  So I agree with Joy and Toban.  It would be like throwing good money after bad.  It is better to suck it up and cull ruthlessly (tips hat to Toban).   Gigi  -- We are three-diminsional, yet I have always evaluated my clothing from the front.  Only from the front.  Slaps head. No more.  I'l be doing a 360 scan from now on. I am so relieved I discovered this before I built my new wardrobe.  BUT I will be trying on my pants and doing a read check nonetheless.   Shevia and Brooklyn -- There are pants that willful blindness is perfectly acceptable, and I think I could have lived with some degree of oversized-ness.  It was the gathering and folding of the fabric that freaked me out.  I am absolutely certain Shevia's baggy shorts and harem pants do not present that way.  Thank goodness, all photographic evidence has been destroyed.   Thank you, Krishnidoux.  You salvaged some of my pride this morning.  Thank you, SarahDB, for understanding my impulse to "save" the pants. My Mother was always doing crazy "fixes" like this and as a teenage girl, I lived in horror.  Putting those pants in the donation pile was cathartic.  Sometimes you really do have to be honest and ruthless.  I did learn an important lesson.  One I will not forget soon.   I also sent my Mother a silent prayer of understanding.    Unfrumped -- I think you have hit upon one of my problems.  I like to wear my pants just slightly oversized because I want the "the room," but then they’re baggy on the rear thigh.  I too can size down but I have not made peace with the snugness.  Although the last two pair of pants I bought are snug.  I think I am figuring it out as I go along.  I am seriously considering hiring a professional with skills similar to Angie to come and help me review my wardrobe (as it now stands).  Srah did this sometime ago and it benefited her greatly.  Certainly, it would be both educational and enlightening.  I found the name of the professional.  She comes highly recommended.  I have been timid about calling because I anticipate she would find the vast majority of my wardrobe poorly fitting and that frightens me.   Side note:  I bought elastic waist pants for the comfort factor.  From now on, I think I'll be buying waisted pants with buttons or zip. The Cat -- that is an excellent idea.  There was literally no covering this diaper bottom.  As Angie pointed out, these pants were too big all over. It would be adding volume onto volume and I would be a sloppy mess. It is much better to suck it up and put them in the donate pile.   Waves that MaineLady -- Hope you are well and that summer is glorious.   Joy -- I will be on the lookout for the butt crack on the back view.  In fact, every single time I try on any pants from my wardrobe, I'll be doing the full 360 scan. I don't think this is an issue, yet.  Then again, I didn't realize I was sporting a diaper bottom either .... Greyscale -- Your story was amusing.  Thank you for sharing.  I know you probably felt ridiculous, but I'll bet you looked really cool.  I love seeing period ensembles.  Although I would not approach a stranger, I would be full of questions about the outfit.   Gigi on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929692 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 05:19:22 +0000 Gigi 1929692@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ How mortifying! This is how I feel when I catch a shot of my hair in the fitting-room mirror and discover I have a big bald spot on the back of my head. Ack. I have made it a point to always check the rear view on my prospective purchases ever since I tried on a pair of jeans that looked great in the front but looked horribly saggy in the back due to huge pockets that were placed very low. It happens; we're three-dimensional creatures. I'm glad you at least noticed this before you had built a brand-new wardrobe at your new weight! Jaime on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929671 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 02:19:46 +0000 Jaime 1929671@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Willfully blind representative! Although I distinguish my intentionally baggy shorts, harems, etc. from poorly fitting trousers. But I am usually more side view focused myself. Brooklyn on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929665 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 01:37:05 +0000 Brooklyn 1929665@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Commiserations. Maybe a tailor can fix it. I have to say this one of the reasons why I am not crazy about my drop crotch harem pants. The back view takes some getting used to (or some willful blindness).  krishnidoux on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929663 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 01:34:25 +0000 krishnidoux 1929663@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sterling, I'm so sorry! Thank you for the warning. It didn't fall in deaf ears (or eyes lol).  I think this is why a good seamstress can help you escape that probelm. I pay a little bit more but salvage a pair or two.  Rear view is important to me especially since the recent years. I have started new workout routines which have grown my butt. Not bad in yoga leggings, but another story in regular pants and skirts. I could get away with so much more when I had a flat butt. But then again. I had a flat butt. lol.  However, I don't know if I would go as far as to qualify elastic waist as diaper bottom. I think you are too harsh with yourself. I could never imagine you like that. You are too cool, Sterling, sorry...  SarahD8 on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929639 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 23:56:58 +0000 SarahD8 1929639@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh no! What a bummer, Sterling! (That pun was not initially intended, I swear, but...of course I'm leaving it.) You are fortunate that you have assembled a small collection of pants that fit your current body perfectly, and that you don't mind repeating items frequently. I understand the impulse to "save" the pants, but I think you can feel good about thanking them for the lesson and letting them go! Toban on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929637 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 23:53:48 +0000 Toban 1929637@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yikes! Lesson learned. I tried tailoring a couple favorites but didn’t find it at all successful. Too big of change in the hands of someone not sufficiently skilled. unfrumped on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929634 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 23:46:38 +0000 unfrumped 1929634@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Feel your pain. Even pretty-good-fitting pants give me rear view angst. I need “ the room” but then they’re baggy on the rear thigh. Or I can ALMOST size down but they’re too snug. Elastic waist pants are huge priblatic because of , well, the elastic, so there ease up pull on, but the rest of the fabric has to go somewhere. I almost always have to buy waisted pants with buttons or zip. Angie on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929623 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 23:21:35 +0000 Angie 1929623@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Are these bottoms from before your weight loss, Sterling? If so, they're just too big all over probably.  kkards on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929621 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 23:15:59 +0000 kkards 1929621@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ And this is why a great tailor is so important. A couple of years ago I lost just enough weight that my pants kept slipping...off to the tailor I went. she was honest about which pants were worth tailoring & which could be made to fit, but would never really look good. The Cat on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929619 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 23:05:38 +0000 The Cat 1929619@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sterling and others, if your pants look OK from the front, why not just hide the rear by wearing either a long open topper or a long top? Mainelady on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929616 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 22:55:40 +0000 Mainelady 1929616@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Rear view warnings appreciated! Anonymous on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929614 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 22:38:49 +0000 Anonymous 1929614@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sterling, I feel your pain. When I lost weight I took some favorite pants to a tailor who said they could be made to fit. It was like throwing away money. Every pair looked ok from the front but a diaper bottom from the rear. I successfully consigned them. Probably someone with a big bottom snapped them up. Beware also of pants making a butt crack on the back view. Another sight I would rather not see or be guilty of but common in older women. My solution is jeans or full drapey pants most of the time. I also like a top to cover my bottom just in case. Greyscale on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929612 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 22:20:45 +0000 Greyscale 1929612@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I hate this problem! I did the same thing with a pair of elastic waist pants. Later I fixed it by taking them in along the butt seam, although I eventually passed them on. Funny story: long ago I was in a Revolutionary War music group. Not reenactors, but our uniforms were quite authentic. The heavy white cotton pants had a buttoned flap front like sailor pants, and a gusset at the back to tighten the waist with lacing. The result was a bulging diaper butt no matter your shape, although they did look less absurd on men (we were all dressed as men). I didn't mind once I had the big wool topcoat on, but when I had to take the subway to gigs, carrying my coat and wearing just the underneath layers, I sure felt ridiculous. Anonymous on "View from the Rear" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/view-from-the-rear#post-1929609 Mon, 18 Jun 2018 22:06:21 +0000 Anonymous 1929609@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I encourage each and every one of you to always check your rear view before you leave the house.   I didn't.   I accidentally took a picture of my rear while in a dressing room trying on tops.  I was shocked to see what can only be described as a diaper bottom.  I told myself that the diaper bottom was due to how I was twisting in the dressing room.   Well, it wasn't. I owned a pair of Eileen Fisher linen tencel wide legged pants. They were too large in the waist.  No problem, I shortened the elastic in the waistband and continued to wear them.  They looked GREAT  ......  from the front.   I checked them from the rear when I got home today.  Evidently, shortening the elastic across just the back of the pants resulted in an folding and gathering of excess fabric that took on the exact look of a dumpy diaper bottom.   I was mortified.   I had no idea.  I thought my "fix" was a great way to "save" my wide legged pants from the donation pile.  I thought I was brilliant.   Turns out, I wasn't.