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Ask Angie: Inspiration/advice please, I am going mad!

loulou

Hi Angie, I have been watching your amazing site for a few months now and have joined the forum earlier in the week. I am totally confused and it is driving me mad, I have worked out I have the high hip of an '8', short waisted and wider shoulders of a inverted triangle. I am struggling to find my own style, I am nearly 42, in March, been told I look a lot younger and want to have nailed it by then, my new years resolution, are you able to help me. I am 5ft 7 size 12/14 on top because of shoulders and largish bust and 10-12 on the bottom. 12 in jeans if I want to avoid a muffin top. I love the look of straight/boyfriend jeans with short boots, layered tops and short blazer/jacket. I work as a childminder so need to look presentable and professional but still practical. I struggle to find dresses and tunics to fit because of the size difference of my top and bottom half, skirts I am wondering about but worry about looking frumpy and I am conscious of my tummy, so any pointers would be really appreciated. Do you think the jean combo is a professional smart/casual look and how do I nail this? A big thanks in advance of your help, inspiration and support.

Dressing

24 replies

Latest reply was from loulou

Anonymous

Not Angie, but jeans or Ponte knit pants seem ideal for your job. If you buy those that are not distressed, full length and not too tight, they would look professional, especially If you are wearing them with boots or shoes that are not sneakers. What you wear on top is important...a woven blouse or shirt or a knit that's more refined than the usual tee. A blazer or other third piece really helps too. Have you looked at Angie's posts for MOTG (Mom On The Go) looks? They are the smart casual that you are after.

April

Veteran

Welcome, loulou!

I was a preschool teacher for many years and I'm so sympathetic to the difficulty of looking sharp among the little ones.

One of the most valuable rules of thumb I learned from Angie was this very simple one: jackets worn with dresses look better when they're quite short, even cropped. Jackets (and tops) worn with pants should be longer.

Suddenly. the frump factor that I couldn't put my finger on when adding jackets was sorted out.

In your job, you will probably want to look for knit blazers, a knit moto, a fitted sweatercoat. Washable is key, since dry cleaning and childcare are a fairly inconvenient combination.

loulou

Thank you Joy, I shall now go and have a look at the MOTG posts.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Welcome, loulou. I am sure some of those MOTG formulas should be helpful. It might also help if you can narrow down the cuts of jeans you prefer -- do you like skinnies, straight legs, or boot cuts or boyfriend jeans? (Or some combination)? Joy gives useful advice about the wash, considering you want to look presentable. Don't forget you can also get jeans in different colours, and that could be helpful as well to inject a bit of variety.

A few people on this forum are or have been child minders -- either professionally, or they are home schooling, or similar. You might get inspiration from following their threads.

loulou

Ah April, that is an eye opener. Do you mind me asking if you wore dresses/skirts or kept to trousers/jeans. Sometimes I feel that I am too casual in jeans, and in fact I do struggle to find jeans to fit as with being my shape they either work their way down and I end up pulling them up constantly or trying to disguise my already conscious of tummy/muffin tops? Thank you.

April

Veteran

I'm sorry to say that during my teaching days, I was not very savvy about style. I do remember that any dress I wore had to have a skirt with some fullness -- no good way to sit on the floor in a pencil skirt. If I were you, I would consider the following formula:

-- wrap-style dress (faux wrap better than true wrap) with fuller skirt around knee length. Here are two examples I found on eBay by searching "Nine West" -- they do this sort of thing very well:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nine-W.....p-design-/

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nine-W.....aux-Wrap-D

-- knit moto jacket with length that hits at the high waist (tons of these available everywhere right now)
-- fleece-lined tights if it's cold
-- flat boots or booties

You can personalize this with a scarf or a necklace (probably a scarf if you're with infants, who can get grabby with necklaces).

loulou

Thank you Suz, I do prefer straight jeans or relaxed skinny, but do struggle to find ones to fit comfortably around my waist, I wonder if that is why I don't feel as confident and smart as I would like in them?

Have you or anyone any thoughts on how to funk up skirts but keeping the professional /practical image I would like. I do like the look of knee length 'floaty' skirts with tights and short boots or longer boots, any ideas?

April

Veteran

Here are some inspiration photos. I find that last lady particularly divine.

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loulou

April, I love your thinking, thank you so much. I am off to google moto jackets now........whilst the littlies are still sleeping!

unfrumped

Veteran

If you are an IT you would probably look fab in a straight or tapered ponte knit pant and fluid tunic top or high- low top and comfortable boots or booties. You would have the shoulder line to carry the slightly oversized top. Ponte type pants can be easier to fit the waist-- this is for an untucked look- and are available in washable knits.

K. Period.

Veteran

Hi Lou Lou! Are you in the UK, Canada or the US? Just wondering because it will help if any of us make brand recommendations and it helps us understand what figure challenges you might have, just a little. (Your terminology makes me think you might not be in the US.)

I'm an IT who is a little shorter than you, and I have two little kids. I work full time, so my kids are in daycare and I interact with their care givers (the "Misses" at our daycare, who are amazing!). Their care givers wear a uniform of khakis and button down shirts, so I can't suggest anything based on what they wear. However, I do think that my weekend wear might be relevant to you. And I'd be telling you about that, but I'm being harassed by my 3-year old right now. I'll be back in a few!

loulou

April you are a star, you are so on my wavelength and understanding what I am thinking, thank you, thank you.

loulou

Hi K, I am in the UK. I am a UK 12/14 top and 10/12 bottom, 5ft 7 with blond curly hair and blue eyes. I tend to wear a lot of blue and browns, never heels but flat boots or converse. I struggle to find jeans that fit properly as usually too long, big or small around the waist, which is never on my waist and they don't tend to stay put. I look after up to 6 children a day as well as my own 13 year old horse mad daughter, so need practical, comfortable and stylish clothes. I do like the 'country' look we have here, not sure what you would call it in US or Canada. I like to look smart but approachable, if that makes sense, I look forward to hearing from you once detangled from your 3 year old. Thank you!

K. Period.

Veteran

Argh! A whole post just vanished into the void. Okay. Here goes again. I have a few suggestions. I'd break this down into two problems. One is that you want to identify a definitive style for yourself. The other is that you may need specific ideas based on your IT shape. So:
1. Are there any posters on the form whose style you love for yourself? Key here is "for yourself." I love lots of folks' styles on them. It was a real lesson to me that I could love it, but not need to incorporate their style into mine. I love Alaskagirl (Una)'s style. Love love love! But...I'm in no way rough around the edges. So, I admire it and don't try to duplicate it. There was a great thread recently on getting some "edge" to your style where we all talked about this a great bit. If you missed it, definitely worth a read!
2. Start a Pinterest board that shows looks that you love and aspire to. It might help you identify unifying elements that will help you with your style. You might discover that you love colors. Or that you love neutrals and only really like colors to add a bit of pop via accessories. Or that you don't really like prints. If you can't make any cohesive sense out of your board, share it with the forum. You would be amazed by what strangers' eyes pick up that our own miss.
3. Start a Pinterest board that shows looks you love that include items you already own. I love having a source for ideas how to style things I already own. Whenever I'm in a rut, styling the same thing the same way again and again, I look at my ideas board.
4. Find other ITs on the forum. I always look at the ITs that I know because they help show me which shapes and pairings work well on an IT. I may not duplicate what they wear, but it informs me. ITs include me, Alaskagirl, Ironkurtin, AJ, Kellygirl, Carole, April, qfbrenda, Peri, Joy, MsKatieKat and probably a few others.
5. On jeans, oh jeans. Never pass up a pair of jeans that fit you because they are too long. Hemming is a fast and relatively inexpensive alteration. Almost no one finds jeans that are the ideal length off the rack. Think of the value of all the time that you will save by just hemming a pair of great jeans when you find them rather than continuing to search. It is really really worth it, just as much for cheap jeans as expensive ones. For the slipping issue, alas, all ITs are going to have problems with jeans slipping down. We don't have much in the way of hips to keep them up! However, denim with less stretch to it does tend to stay up better. Jeans without any spandex are as rare as hens' teeth nowadays, though.

April

Veteran

<bumping for you in case Angie didn't see this>

Glad my suggestions were helpful! I well remember the challenges of staying presentable among all those little hands (and noses). Every time I wore something "nice" I regretted it. That was before we had the internet and blogs and supportive online communities to turn to for useful information.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I love the idea of knit blazers for you, washable and comfy, as well as cardigans and other 'toppers' that have a bit of interest to them. For warmer days having a little detail on an otherwise basic top, especially if you won't want to wear necklaces or bigger earrings, for practical reasons, makes all the difference.

I am a pear so I don't have any IT advice but Imogen Lamport's blog has great posts on what to wear for different figure types.

loulou

Thanks everyone, I've tried to attach some pictures so you can see more clearly. Any suggestions gratefully received.The jean 'look' is my go to look, but I feel that i am not smart enough as well as not being particularly comfortable as none of my jeans fit very well because of my relatively smaller waist and shorter legs, and try to funk up the skirts and tunics a bit but worry it looks frumpy/doesnt suit me etc.....after classy but smart casual, approachable........

Arggg how do I download pics off my phone to put on here, they aren't saving in the correct format for me to add them??

ramya

Veteran

Hmmm Lou lou, if you have a smart phone you can open ylf on browser in your phone and attach there.
Else you transfer to your laptop via bluetooth or copy into your computer via USB. You should be able to just copy the folder with your photos and paste into your computer, if you use Windows

Lantana

Veteran

Welcome loulou. Culottes will give you the skirt silhouette plus the practicality you need. Try ASOS.

loulou

I have worked it out, here are some pictures, thanks for any suggestions/advice etc.

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April

Veteran

So pretty! BTW loulou, to me you look like an hourglass with a strong shoulder line. Lucky you -- you have a definite waist.

loulou

Thanks Ramya, I have managed to upload the pictures.

April that is very kind of you to say, thanks for the confirmation on my shape too.

I managed to find a dress today, very similar to the one in the first of the pictures you posted, so i shall have a play about with that later.

I am wearing the skirt combination today but wondering if need a more waist defining look or the looser layer top is working? It is comfortable and nothing is falling down how I suffer with jeans at the moment.

Lantana I shall have a look at Asos as soon as possible too.

Thank you all.

K. Period.

Veteran

Yes! Definitely! Photos change everything. You have a quite defined waist. Lucky you! I'd say you are less an IT and more an hourglass with a strong shoulder line. However, I can see how your waist placement (short waisted with that figure 8) makes it tough. You probably will have to experiment between what works for ITs and what works for hourglasses.

loulou

no the dress didn't work at all, it drowned me and made me look huge. Thinking more along the lines of separates, blazers, smarter/darker jeans etc........?