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Former pear question!

oolagirl(Colleen)

So I have been a pear my entire life. Enter menopause, and my flat stomach is gone. All of the guidelines that I have always gone by are no longer relevant, and I am so confused, especially with not being able to try things on in the store.

I still have a pear shape, but my cute waist is now puffy and I feel like I have morphed into an apple on top and a pear on the bottom. I am the entire fruit basket, so to speak :p

I am a size 16 women, 5'6 inches tall, 38/38/48

Thank you for any feedback!

Body Type

16 replies

Latest reply was from citygirldc

kellygirl

Veteran

Menopause is challenging for sure. I'm not sure whether body changes eventually settle once you're through it or not. I feel like I'm smack dab in the middle of it with the hot flashes. Like you, my stomach is not what it was so I've been relying on drape and ruching in the midsection. You could also try to draw the eye upward to the shoulder--lightly padded shoulder or angled/ruffled sleeves. I'm the opposite body type so I'm just thinking out loud but wanted you to know you're not the only one trying to regroup!

rachylou

Veteran

I don’t suppose I’d start with style goals and preferences. My whole thing as a short-waisted, wide-waisted person, for example, is trying to show I do actually have a torso… although of course, I could bypass that - and sometimes do -with sack dresses…

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Hi Oolagirl, this is exactly what happened to me. I gained about 7 kg (sorry I can only think in kg not pounds) in late 2007 when I was 46 years old and menopausal. I was previously a pear even when very slim as a teen/twenty-something. The weight went on the pear parts ( bottom, hips, upper thighs) as well as the abdomen. I felt I was then a pear/apple. Some of the guidelines for figure flattery are similar for both though- draw the eye upwards, drape over problematic areas, darker colours on the bottom half, etc. Angie has guidelines in the forum archives for these.
In the past 2 years I have managed to lose the 7 kg back again, mainly by reducing portion size, so after 14 years (now 60 years old) am back to age 46 weight-wise. Am still a pear/apple though

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

“The whole fruit basket”! I’m sorry, but that just made me smile.

I know just how you feel about not knowing what to even try on! When I got to menopause, I got a whole lot more apple-y—my stomach was where I’d always put on weight anyway, so when I put on more, it all went there, but I was not the whole fruit basket. I've never had, um, grapefruit. More like plums or two peas on a breadboard. No pear either, just the great pumpkin. I did double-takes in windows & mirrors, because I genuinely didn’t recognize myself.

But the apple did eventually “settle back down”, as Kellygirl put it. Took me a few years, because I did it in little bouts, but you can do it.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Oolagirl, have you tried wearing tops with drapey fluid fits around the midsection? They skim rather than hug. Banded tops and peplum tops can work well, so can the structured effect of a higher rise (but not too high!), and perhaps a semi-tuck.

These styling tips can hint at a waistline, but not draw as much attention to it.

CarolS

Veteran

Not sure I can add anything helpful here, but am lending my support. As a former rectangle turned rectangle/apple I can relate to the challenge of trying to figure out how to navigate the unwelcome change of shape. I hope some of the excellent suggestions others have offered are of some help!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Hi Oolagirl,

I’ve had some fit changes around this life transition too. Even though my shape is still “hourglass verging on pear,” I can relate to the stomach area not being quite as flat and the waist not as pronounced as before.

What have you enjoyed wearing in the past? I found that I wanted my tops to fit a little looser and easier in this stage of my life, to skim the body rather than hug, for the most part. I’m also short waisted and short in the torso, so those other attributes of my shape help drive my preferences. I pay more attention to where the hems of my tops fall, as I do not tuck tops, and I also think that gently curved or asymmetric hems on tops help camouflage issues, drawing the eye along a curve or up and down, rather than create horizontal lines across the body.

Toppers help, if your climate allows. I think an open jacket, blazer, or cardigan can help mask the issues you describe, again creating a vertical line in the outfit that draws the eye up to your face rather than pointing to any area you may feel self-conscious about.

Hope that helps!

cat2

Veteran

I am also a post-meno pear. My chest and waist both got bigger, giving me a completely different profile. I went back to basics and just tried a bunch of clothing brands that had never worked for me before, and found a new mix of pieces. If you are looking for workwear, Basler and Hobbs at Bloomingdales suddenly started fitting.

oolagirl(Colleen)

Can I just say how wonderful you all are? I have been coming here for a long time for inspiration, and am always in awe of how well put together everyone looks. It's nice to know that I am not the only one <3

Angie, thank you for the suggestion on the more fluid tops. I am awaiting my order from the NAS, and am looking so forward to trying things on.

You ladies rock!

Bijou

Veteran

My shape has changed as I have gotten older too. My once flat stomach lost its definition post childbirth, as I hit my 40's and beyond. My figure is hourglass with a secondary pear type.

These items in finds are flattering for me:
A bias cut dress - the puff sleeve gives me a broader shoulder line and the cut of the dress skims the body.
Black blazer with white detail - this v shape going up to the shoulder draws the eye and helps make my waist look smaller, the dark colour slims the body.

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Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Colleen, your kind and positive comment made my day. Thank you for expressing that. Always here to turn style challenges into opportunities so shout when you need guidance!

April

Veteran

Colleen - a naturopath told me, "belly fat in middle-age is your body's way of holding onto estrogen, which is stored in fat." To which I responded, "That's all well and good, but nothing fits."

Helpful YLF members also told me your body wants to keep you safe, and the extra padding helps you not to break a bone if you fall. Again -- I'm glad I'm safer, but nothing fits!

Angie always knows the best way to proceed, and there are a variety of experiences represented here, so feel free to ask whatever's on your mind.

Anonymous

I'm not menopause age yet, but the owner of a very changeable body :p Different foods, meds, workout routines can make a big difference in shape, not just weight. I definitely wouldn't assume that any change is permanent!
That said, I was recently more apple-y, and relied a lot on asymmetry and avoided anything with buttons and zips.

kellygirl

Veteran

April: your body wants to keep you safe! That’s hilarious and that’s what I’m going to keep telling myself!

nuancedream

Veteran

So that's what the post-menopausal paunch means. I guess my body is as safe as the gold reserves in Fort Knox.

citygirldc

(website)

Veteran

I'm right there along with you all. Middle age paunch is no joke especially when your favorite clothing don't fit.