Ask Angie: help with dressing a long-torsoed, short legged bod - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Ask Angie: help with dressing a long-torsoed, short legged bod

jenny1963

Hi Angie!!

I haven't seen too much from you about many of us with long-torsoed, short-legged bodies, and how to dress them. It's been particularly hard with the past (too many) years of leggings/skinnies, although when it's cool enough, medium high-heeled boots to the knee really helped. I guess it's tricky to emphasize the waist (to break up the body and make legs look longer,) while one's midsection slowly or rapidly goes to pot from babies and menopause. What to do?

Any more advice? I read something good you wrote back in 2008...

I just also read the hint about measuring under bust to waist with handwidths. I guess I'm average-waisted, but super-long from waist to rise. Ew, lol

Thank so so much!!!!

Dressing

19 replies

Latest reply was from Laura (rhubarbgirl)

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Ah, Jenny. I suggest ways to lengthen the leg line all the time in blog posts. For starters you might find these posts useful:

http://youlookfab.com/2015/03/.....ped-pants/

http://youlookfab.com/2012/03/.....tal-lines/

http://youlookfab.com/2015/04/.....ith-flats/

http://youlookfab.com/2011/06/.....ped-pants/

http://youlookfab.com/2014/08/.....-footwear/

http://youlookfab.com/2015/06/.....nal-lines/

http://youlookfab.com/2014/05/.....le-straps/

Shortening the torso - or rise - is best done by defining the waist in a dress because it visually lifts the waistline (which shortens the top part of the body, thereby lengthening the leg line)

Happy to help you further if this doesn't make sense.

Word Lily

Veteran

OK, jumping off from here, I have a question of practicality. I don't really worry about lengthening my leg line, but I struggle to find shirts long enough. So where do I find tops long enough for my torso?

Sizing up sometimes works, but that can't help too much before the shoulders don't fit at all.

And with cropped tops coming back, oh help!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Word Lilly, where do you like your tops to end, and where do you like to shop?

Maneera

(website)

Veteran

Word Lily, I don't do cropped tops as well. I tend to buy tops labeled as 'tunics' if I want a top that ends just below the hip bone. While I'm neither tall nor long waisted, I have a large bust so regular length tops feel shorter when they have to cover that large area in the front. Look for tunics...that helps. The top will fit right on the shoulders (doesn't happen when you size up) and will end at just the right length.

Word Lily

Veteran

I'm most comfortable with longer tops. Right now most of what I have ends at my high hip (about the waistband of my pants, maybe an inch below?). I think that length is probably flattering (above my widest point), but I don't find it practical most of the time — if I lift my arms I'm baring midriff. So I mostly make peace with a less flattering line (or the ability to half-tuck) at mid-hip, although I love a low hip length, but unless I buy tunics I don't get that. And as much as I love tunics, I don't want that to be my only silhouette, either — I've never owned a pair of skinny jeans or leggings (partly because I don't feel comfortable in them but also partly because I've taken a few years off from trying to keep up), so it might not be the most flattering anyway. So, in short: mid-hip or low-hip.

I actually don't like shopping in general. I live in a pretty small town, so my in-person shopping choices are limited. I've had good luck with Banana Republic pieces in the past, though.

Greyscale

Veteran

I am enthusiastically joining this thread! For me, part of the key is finding which brands tend to have longer torsos by trial and error. There's usually some consistency. Banana Republic is good. Uniqlo, sadly, is usually wrong. Etc.

You've probably already seen this trend, but jeans have a higher rise now than a few years ago, and I think it's a better look on me - it evens out my proportions and prevents unintentional bare midriff. So if you haven't been jeans shopping in a while, you might be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

Word Lily

Veteran

Yes, Greyscale! Any other brands you've found to be longer?

And I'm very grateful jeans with a higher rise, yes. (I bought two new pair of jeans last month, because I've lost 20-some pounds since February, and the ones I had were falling off.

E

Veteran

Joining the long torso/short legs club (I have a long waist *and* a long rise)! When I want to look 'balanced', I pull out a dress or a skirt that hits at my natural waist & tuck a top in. If you don't want to draw attention to your natural waist, what about empire-waist dresses? Not baby-doll style, just with a higher waist band. Or a similar type of blouse w a higher rise trouser.

krishnidoux

Veteran

Word Lily, beware of Talbots, especially petites, for top. They are always too short.
For longer cut tops, I like Marciano, Banana Republic, some Tommy Hifilger, Ralf Lauren.

Word Lily

Veteran

Thanks, krishnidoux!

cobalt

Have you looked at Everlane? I don't know about their tees, but their sweaters and silk shirts seem longer than many retailers'. Agree that Talbot's, also AT and Loft, generally run short in tops.

Word Lily

Veteran

I haven't, cobalt, thanks for the rec!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

There have been MANY long tops available over the last ten years - and I'm not talking about tunics - so much so that short waisted ladies have the harder task of finding a top that is sufficiently short.

I second BR for longer tops. And brands like Vince, Vince Camuto, All Saints, COS, Everlane and the Gap.

Word Lily

Veteran

Thanks for the direction, Angie!

Greyscale

Veteran

The Gap used to be awful for long torsos, and then a while ago (maybe 5 years at this point) they totally changed their fit model. So if you'd ruled them out in the past, take another look. I also appreciate their short-length jeans (not petite). But so much of this depends on styles, too. I remember how silly it looked when jeans rises dropped a lot in the 200s but I hadn't found longer tank tops to bridge the gap. By a year later the tank tops had all caught up.

I second all of Angie's other recs, also. Though depending on your overall height, some Vince items can be overwhelming on short people.

Word Lily

Veteran

I'm 5'7", so not short.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I'm 5'9" with a long torso (but a regular rise), so a little taller than you, and for years I've gotten away with regular length tops but have learned recently that in brands that offer tall, the proportions are much better. I know we've had conversations about this on the forum before, but off the top of my head AT, Loft, BR, and J Crew all offer tall tops online, as does ON (surprising given their price point, they've got all kinds of tall options). Boden does dresses in long which are great, but I can't recall if their tops come in multiple lengths too.

It depends on what size you are and what your proportions are, too. I'm a (ahem) well-built person who wears XL/14-16, so that works in my favor - if you're tall but also slim and willowy, it can be really tough to find things (but not impossible).

Word Lily

Veteran

That's a good list, Laura, thanks!

For evidence of my lack of willowy-ness, see my post from this afternoon: http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-boots-2 I'm very pear shaped (usually a larger size on bottom than on top, which can make fitting tops interesting in certain fabrications); my jeans right now are size 20, and I have tops ranging from L to 1X.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Aha, we are very similar in shape then. The pear-shaped-ness can make finding tunics tricky, just like it does finding dresses that fit. (Side note: given your size, if you're in the mood to try some new silhouettes for not a big investment, you might want to look into Gwynnie Bee, which is a subscription rental service for plus-sized clothes. I'm a member and I know we've discussed it on YLF before too.)