Argghh Help/ advice for short waisted, hourglass/8 with strong shoulder line please.... - YouLookFab Forum

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Argghh Help/ advice for short waisted, hourglass/8 with strong shoulder line please....

loulou

Hi, I am wondering if there is anyone who is a similar shape to me (5ft 7) with a short waist, hourglass/8, with a strong shoulder line, conscious of a tummy/muffin tops who can give me any advice, suggestions, tips as I feel I am going truly mad. I am struggling to feel comfortable in jeans as I can't get them to fit around my waist without gaping or the opposite, giving me a muffin top and I feel uncomfortable and scruffy for the day wishing I had put a skirt on. When I wear a skirt I am not sure that they particularly suit me and don't feel I have go my top half right and wish I was wearing jeans. My shoulders cause me to be nearly 2 sizes bigger on top UK12/14 to my bottom size 10. I love the look of jeans and short boots on others but then feel all wobbly around my tummy or the jeans constantly need pulling up and am I too dressed up in a dress/ skirt agghhh help please. P.s. I work full time as a childminder and have a teenage daughter, with horses and a dog so need practical yet smart, professional and comfortable. Any help will be so gratefully received..... Thank you

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Dressing

20 replies

Latest reply was from loulou

Missey

Veteran

Hold on. From pic #1 you have a lovely shape. I suspect that you are just going to have to try on a ton of jeans to find ones that work for you. Try a little higher waist on the jeans. Ponte knit pants are great for looking polished and staying comfortable at the same time.

You look lovely in skirts as you have amazing legs. To be honest, I see very little wrong with the outfits you've posted, but it sounds like you want to make a style change.

Pull out the items in your closet that make you feel amazing when you wear them. Then pull out the items that always make you feel "meh" when you wear them- get rid of those. What makes you feel good about your favorites? Build around them. What styles do you admire most? What styles suit your life the most? These are questions that I have to ask myself all the time as I have trouble culling my own wardrobe! I wish you luck!

rute

Veteran

You have a lovely figure, a strong shoulder line and slim legs. Look jeans with higher waist.
Go tops with less volume, A-line skirts and dresses. Bootcuts jeans will be perfect for you too

Rose

My favorite jeans at the moment are New York & Company. I discovered them from a friend. I have a low rise & a mid rise, both eliminate muffin top. They also stay put all day without a belt, no stretching out even though they are a stretch denim. I like them more than others I have tried, including designer (joes, Paige, seven,lucky) jeans. They also go on sale online for buy one get one. Also, maybe casual dresses could work out better than skirts. I am hourglass verging on pear, but surprisingly dresses are better than skirts on me, plus they eliminate muffin top as well.

Diana

Veteran

Can't help with the shoulders as mine are weak, but I have a suggestion for the jeans. I often have to size up on mine to get my butt to fit, which means the waist is too big. So I find it imperative to wear a belt with certain pairs. You want a flat, low profile one. Fabric belts are best IMO. My fave is actually a men's webbing belt with flat buckle that I stole fro my husband. Obviously if you're going to tuck or semi tuck then wear a nice looking belt.

If you're already wearing a belt and the jeans are still sagging... Then you might need to look into getting them tailored.

loulou

Thank you for your helpful comments Missey, I shall have a try with higher waisted bootcut jeans.
Rute I shall look at tops that aren't so volumous, I think I veer towards them thinking they hide my tummy but in fact they probably make me look wider and shapeless and thank you for your kind words and both you and Missey said the same about boot cut jeans!!

loulou

Rose, thank you, when you say casual dresses, what works for you? I am seriously thinking about giving up on jeans, but will try higher waisted boot cuts as a last chance, as both Rute and Missey suggested them with my figure. Diana I will bear in mind your belt tips when doing this too.
Thank you!

Emily

Veteran

Hey there, lady with a fabulous curvy figure!

I am a similar shape to you - hourglass, short waisted, broad shouldered - just a bit shorter (5'4"). When I put on weight, it goes to my gut. I know how it feels to be frustrated with your body, as do we all. Remember that it is not your body that is the problem - it is the clothes!

Angie suggests assessing your bra and hairstyle when you are starting a style refresh and both those things make a huge difference! I've noticed that a great bra that provides sufficient scaffolding makes my torso look longer and mitigates my short waist. Missey is spot on too about taking a hard look at your closet and determining the style that you aspire to.

I'm afraid there no avoiding trying on lots of things to find the right fit. Invest the time and find brands and cuts that work for you. I habitually take two sizes of every item in to the dressing room with me: the size I think I should be, and I size larger. Totally valid both for pants when you are concerned about getting the right fit in the waist/hips and tops to make sure you get the right fit across the shoulders.

Button down tops are a royal pain to fit for everybody, but especially when you have to account for both ample bust and shoulders. Often the correct bust and shoulder fit comes with extra room in the body. I've found that this is easily camouflaged by semi-tucking the top or layering a fitted cardigan or jacket on top.

Regarding muffin top, Angie has some great tips here:
http://youlookfab.com/2009/04/.....uffin-top/
I deploy #2: Wear a Camisole regularly, adding a stretchy cami under my top or blouse and tucking it in to my trousers, even if the blouse over top is un-tucked. It adds a bit of smoothing and can prevent overexposure with lower pants rises.

I really like the outfits you've posted - particularly #2! There's nothing wrong with finding a formula you like, for example skinnies and a fluid fit top, or your long cardigan + tunic + leggings, and wearing variations of that formula.

Unfortunately my recommendations are for North American brands, hopefully some UK fabbers can chime in. For tops I shop all over, but I have less patience when it comes to trousers and tend to wear the same brands/cuts over and over for sanity. I prefer a lower rise, but here are some jeans/trousers that work for me:
BR Sloan
J.Crew Minnie
Silver Jeans - Suki and Aiko fits
Guess Jeans
Express Columnist
RW&Co Trousers

Tania

Veteran

I have somewhat similar features (my guess is hourglass with strong shoulders, 5'6", US size 6 on the bottom and a couple of sizes more on top depending on the style/cut/brand) and have just started on my new style journey. I also need practical clothes for most of the time.

I bought new jeans a few months ago and they slid down all the time (waist was a bit large and stretched but I need the space for the bum/hips). I then bought a belt and it helped a little, but not enough (unless I tightened it so much that the fabric was bunching). Then I had the jeans tailored at the waist. I believe she took them in 2.25 inches and now they don't slide down too much which makes them fit better all around. It was a $12 fix. I had no idea it would make such a difference, but having my jeans sit where they were supposed to sit meant everything else fit better.

Angie has some good advice on muffin top stuff. I find that it mostly happens to me when my pants are sitting at the wrong place for me.

KikiG

Veteran

I have many of your issues and a similar (but rounder) frame, only much, much shorter at 5'1".

Bra: you want lift and a bra that ensures that your breasts are on the front of your body, not in front of your arms or straying to your sides.

Tops: a bat-wing or raglan sleeve is muffin friendly and visually subtracts from the shoulder line. It is very, very hard for me to get a flattering fit in a button up blouse--I just look dumpy. A top that clings to my bust but then falls straight below my bust without clinging and is not tucked is a torso-elongating trick. If the top is good from the front but not so good from the back, throw on a cardigan or a jacket. In your climate, and to watch your young charges outdoors, consider having some fashion forward outfit-making jackets, like a short trench in a cute color or print. You can experiment and find your spot of maximum flattery. For me, mid-thigh or right where my legs join my body are flattering places for a coat or a jacket to hit.

Jeans: try on every pair in the universe, shop high and shop low. I have some really flattering cropped jeans for summer that were really inexpensive, so price is no indicator. Save the fantastic jeans for when you want to look smart, and see what you can find to wash and wear and sit on the floor in your job that are almost as good. A higher rise jean where the waist hits my squishy bits is magic. A shoe lace run through belt loops can keep your pants up without the bulk of a belt. I also like a wide waistband on a dress pant, if possible.

loulou

Hi Emily, thank you for sparing me the time with your comments, they are reassuring and very helpful. I do find that I veer towards the leggings and tunic/cardigan quite a lot as I find this smooths out my tummy, where my weight fluctuates and goes straight on to as I do struggle so much to get jeans to fit properly. It is refreshing to hear you have similar problems such as the weight going onto your gut and having the broader shoulders and bust making things too large around the waist etc. I shall keep referring back to your pointers. Do you wear dresses or tunics at all?
Tania if I do find any jeans that fit the mark I shall seriously consider getting a tailor involved as isn't it a pain when they slide down all the time!

loulou

ooooo kikig a shoelace as a belt, what a simple but good idea!

You ladies are fab and so good for my confidence too!

eternalvoyageur

(website)

You should definitely try A-line skirts and dresses that hit around the knee. Most will hide the muffin top, and the flare at the end will balance out the shoulders. Try to find ones that are medium-to-high waisted, and tuck in your tops.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I agree with reducing the volume of tops - for example, the skirted photo you posted, since the skirt is fuller a top that skims your body would be more visually pleasing and help you look as slim as you are. I agree with eternalvoyageur, I think a-line or pleated skirts could work really well for you as long as your tops fit through the ribcage and waist.

There are some belts out there which are designed not to be seen - I almost bought one that was clear plastic and designed for those of us who get that gaping waist thing. I can't think of the brand name, right now!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I'm also an 8 shape hourglass and I tend to disagree with the a-line skirt recommendation. Being that we are wide at the high hip, taking that line and going out further from there with the a-line makes quite a large triangle on bottom. Of course, I don't have a strong shoulder to balance, so maybe that is more a figure issue than your 8 shape?

Ah, yes, I found in Imogen's tips that 8's do better with slightly tapered skirts and dresses, just as I thought. http://www.insideoutstyleblog......shape.html

loulou

I like the preppy look but struggling to interpret it to suit my shape is becoming a bit of a sticking point......

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I have a short large waist tummy too but disagree about a-lines & boot cuts - they just make my bottom half feel & look as big as my top half which is not the look I am going for Boot cuts aren't very practical either imo. I agree with Emily nothing beats trying lots & lots of clothes to really see what works on your body.

Sal

Veteran

You have a lovely lovely figure. And you look great in the pics.

I think very similar to mine.

Lots of good tips above I think.

I find dresses without a waist band are great, especially from a ponte type fabric. I look better with my waist showing rather than in a loose fitting look, but sometimes I do surrender the waist!

Pencil skirts are also very flattering but maybe not so practical in your job.

Cropped fitted trousers with a flat front are also great. I find flat fronts on my trousers to be very important. Then I can wear a skimming but not tight t-shirt over the top - I also like t-shirts or blouses with a band at the bottom.

I wear straight, flared, boyfriend and skinny jeans but style them all differently.

Skinny - either with heels or boots, and mostly a longer t-shirt, sweater or shirt. I cannot wear with flats and look great unless they are long boots.

Boyfriend - a soft top tucked in or sitting at my waist, with a semi tuck. Easiest to avoid the muffin top as the jeans are loose. Can wear with a blazer. Wear with converse, wedges, ankle boots or heels.

Straight - can wear with with most tops, probably the easiest to style, although this style can give me a muffin top - so I do not wear a clingy shirt. Wear blazers, cardigans, sweaters etc.. Flats or heels or ankle boots.

Flares - tend to only wear with a heel or heeled ankle boot, and go for a 1970s look. I wear a more fitted top with a jacket. While I love my one pair of flares I don't wear them all that much.

I am in NZ so brands are not all that helpful. With jeans I go to a place with a large range and just be prepared to spend time on it. And sometimes I am a smaller size than I expect, and sometimes larger. I do like the Wrangler Mid Twiggy for a skinny jean.

Gigi

Veteran

I have only skimmed the responses, so I might be repeating or contradicting things. I would recommend midrise or high-rise jeans for the figure 8 shape--the higher rise seems to skim over the hip shelf better. I think that bootcuts might be very flattering, since they might balance out the hip shelf somewhat. I can't speak to the actual fit of jeans in your case because I am very underweight right now due to health issues and don't have much of a bum or a gut.

For skirts, you could maybe try straight-cut skirts, which are kind of hard to find. I know that the A-line would probably balance out the shoulders, but sometimes A-lines don't look good on figure 8s because they emphasize the hip too much. You'll have to try some on and see what your body looks best in.

I have found that it is difficult to tuck my shirts and get the proportions right because of my high waist. I can tuck into skirts that are shorter (i.e., not full length), but I have a difficult time tucking tops into pants because I look like I'm all legs--especially when I add heels! So you might want to consider tops that look flattering when worn untucked. So far, I have found that I can tuck tops into pants only if I have the combination of a low-rise pant and a very form-fitting top. It is also helpful to wear a belt that is close to the same shade as your top, because the belt then appears to extend the torso.

I have found a lot of good pointers on Imogen Lamport's Inside Out Style blog, as well as in the book *The Triumph of Individual Style*. The book includes a section on various types of body parts (large tummy, short waist, etc.) and how to dress each one.

unfrumped

Veteran

Not too much advice except that when you get your groove, look out--you already look fabulous, and finding the fits and styles you love on YOU will just be spectacular.
Also echo a slightly longer skirt length for you--not too much longer, but at the knee--gives more balance to the bottom half and also lets there be enough fabric to fall nicely from shoulders and bust.

loulou

Wowee ladies, thank you so so much for all your advice and tips, I am so appreciative.

I today have tried on about 12 different pairs of jeans/cords/trousers and have realised that the higher waist is definitely working and the straight and book leg jeans are the way to go. I am working on my confidence to wear more fitted tops, but with the combination of the higher waist bands and therefore, less muffin top etc this will hopefully be easier than I have been finding. Here I go experimenting with your kind words ringing in my ears and my sanity becoming restored, THANK YOU!