I think we are different on top - my shoulders are broader than yours, my chest is bigger, and my arms are definetly heavier. I gain weight first on my upper body, not just my belly area. Frankly I would love to have your upper body instead of mine.
I do not have any fat on my hip - there's just hip bone there - and that doesn't really change when I gain weight. My hip measurement can go wider if I'm working out a lot, but it's because my glutes fill out. (which is not a bad thing ;-). As for thighs, I don't get saddle bags ever - instead I get flab on the inside of my thighs. (Reverse saddle bags??)
So for me, because I do have a tendency towards inverted triangle, I do like to play clothing tricks to make my hips appear a bit more full. Like sometimes deliberately having the top hit at the widest part. And wearing skirts that are fuller in the hips. My trouser cut jeans make me feel hippier than my skinnies. Etc.
But, there's also a psychological aspect for me. I've mentioned on the forum before that I grew up with a mother and big sister who are both much curvier than I have ever been. Both are pretty pears. As my role models for what a grown woman is supposed to look like, I have it stuck in my head that the pear shape is the ideal. You can tell me all day long the hourglass is the ideal, and I still won't quite believe it. Show me a pretty pair with delicate, narrow shoulders, teeny tiny waist, and curvy hips and thighs and I will still reactively sigh with envy and wish I had that same figure.
So for most of my life, I've tried to look and dress like a pear, which is pretty much a losing battle, given my shape.
I am getting a lot better about that though. I think YLF is good therapy for me in that regard. It seems hourglass is by far the most prevalent shape here. Posting my own pics helps me learn to truly see my own self, and learn to slowly love my shape just the way it is.
It's also really helped me to watch my youngest DD grow into a woman - she is built more like me, but because she swims, the inverted triangle tendency we share is much more pronounced. And she looks amazing. She LOVES her strong shoulders, strong back, and strong arms. She has wonderful body confidence and does not suffer from the insecurities I did at that age.
Okay now I'm rambling - do you relate to any of that?
P.s. yes, your thighs are, indeed, tiny! Considering the length of your legs, I think the proportions are just right. (To put it in perspective, my legs measure 15-15).
