Good stuff here Anna. I remember your comment on the other thread where you said you'd rather look interesting... and I thought, "Wow, she probably thinks my outfits are a total snooze-fest!" '

So to answer your question, figure-flattery is a priority to me, but I think that is subjective in that *I* have to think it flatters me (or DH has to think so). I've had people comment that certain jeans are doing nothing for my rear view, but I'm not sensitive about my rear so I don't consider that unflattering. I tend to have one or two areas that really matter to me and I've found that if these look bad to my eye, then the outfit is a no-go. I wear pointy toed flats, which make my feet look like gunboats, but I don't care because they make my legs look longer without wearing heels, but I dislike other types of footwear that make my feet look large/heavy/ungainly in a different (but similar way). So I guess beauty--and ugly for that matter-- really is in the eye of the beholder.

I always find posts about figure flattery especially thought provoking and confusing. I dress in a way that looks good to me, which does include, for example, not emphasizing the shape of my abs after twins. But I like the look of harem jeans, and like Anna's outfits with them. And I wear drop crotch style pants, and I like them too. And I actually feel more uncomfortable wearing conventionally figure flattering clothes than I do wearing things that are much less mainstream and conventionally flattering. And I wonder what that is about. Then I wonder why it is so clear to others that they want to show off their shape. And then I get all confused again!

What a fascinating debate! Love it!

I like a lot of what Amy said - what is flattering and unflattering is highly subjective, for sure. There are some core ideals that probably bind most of us together... there's that whole golden ratio business, and most wouldn't want to distort our shapes to the point where the form looks disfigured or inhuman - but then there are still some who most certainly DO strive for a very distorted look. It would be absolutely no fun if we all wanted to look the same and strove for the same beauty ideal.

Figure flattery is paramount to me. Occasionally I will sacrifice a little figure flattery but the outfit as a whole must still be pleasing to my eye. In the case of your harem jeans, I find them unusual but not necessarily unflattering. Certainly on a conventional sense I suppose they are not flattering but body type plays a role here IMO. I have a tubby belly I like to hide so those jeans would look awful on me, on fact my body shape would probably distort how the pants should look (and I'm ok with that), but on you the jeans fit as they should. Figure flattery clearly means different thing to different people. For me clothing that distorts my shape or makes me look bigger is not what I consider figure flattering. These pants do neither to your body. I like them! And I love that dress:)

for me it depends, if I'm going to a party or a meeting with old friends, I want to have a figure flattering outfit.
For the daily life I actually prefer a chunky wool cardy or a looser kind of dress!

I guess for me it depends on what it is and how I feel in it. I would say it does matter, but my idea of what's flattering may be different than others. For instance, I will wear some very oversized sweaters or shirts, which technically may not flatter my figure, or make the most of it anyway, but I'm comfortable in them, and I like the look on me a lot. I would probably not wear harem pants which would probably be technically as unflattering as the oversized shirt, but for me I would not be comfy and I would feel like I don't look great.

Would it be completely splitting hairs for me to say that figure flattery is not a big priority for me, but avoiding flat out unflattering things is a priority? I don't mind if my figure isn't flattered, or if my body just looks how my body looks, but I don't care for looks that actually make my figure look worse than it really is. Is there such a thing as figure reality?

<overshare ahead!>
Sometimes I feel like I look better naked than I do in my clothes. It doesn't seem like that should be the case. I'd like to look atleast as good in my clothes as I do without them.

snap, traci! yes to looking better naked!

Traci, that's an interesting observation, and I think it is probably true of a lot of women. I think women's curves can be ....I don't know....unflattered? by many clothes.

Clothes can unflatter a figure...those of you with significant busts probably have had the "monoboob" experience. That's one unflattering thing I try to avoid at all costs, lol

I like clothing that to others is unflattering (examples -- oversized garment, the R13 x-over jeans with a drop crotch and extra fabric in front). But to me, they are, in Angie's wise words, just flattering enough. I like the way unflattering clothes lead the eye to less conventional body parts. The R-13s emphasize my ankles and calves, for example, and you would not otherwise notice them if other body parts were not obfuscated.

Angie wrote about this topic so eloquently:
http://youlookfab.com/2012/03/.....-tradeoff/

"In my recent post about wearing volume on volume, I said that edgier outfits often forgo a little conventional flatter to be more daring, cool and different. The interesting question is, how far will you go to be edgy? "

That is exactly the point: some will go much further to be edgy than others, so if
100% = total figure flattery
I might be willing to go for
60% = figure flattery
or even
20% = figure flattery; 80% not so flattering.

As long as the 80% not so flattering is more "neutral" and not making me look downright worse than I am naked (as Traci wisely put it).

My priority is avoiding clothing that makes me look fat. This is very challenging since I am kind of chubby.

Some very interesting observations and comments which I would like to take time to read carefully. But my quick response is that I dress to please myself and as JAileen said, I don't want to look chubby which is my measurement of figure flattery for myself. I care what others think but I don't care if I am attractive or attracting others, if that makes sense

Figure flattery for me is the number one priority when I am dressing myself. I try and find garments that show up my figure in a positive way and celebrate my body type rather than hide it or not do it justice. In fact, I started a blog about the way that I dress my less than average figure (i'm an extreme pearshape, hence the blog: thepearshape.com) because I felt like traditional fashion bloggers only blogged about trends rather than what looked good on them. That being said, on my blog I have a segment called Fashion Trend, Pearshape Solution where I take common trends (like harem pants or super short dresses) and tweak them to make them flattering for my figure. So, with that, I am willing to compromise because I do love fashion and want to be able to experience all of it.

Just my two cents