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Help for flat fanny

Anonymous

Trying to dress with more style, I've realized that I am tending toward a problem many women my age and older deal with when trying to fit pants..saggy buns. On the Trinny and Susannah site there is an ad for shapewear that is supposed be a bum lifter. There are probably other products out there that are similar. Has anyone had any experience with anything that helps a derriere look more perky?

General

19 replies

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Anonymous

I have the same issue. I saw various under garments in the Penny's catalog recently and wondered if they really would work. Years ago I tried on a pair of undies that were supposed to give lift and curve there. Well the lift has to come from somewhere so they left a big indent in my thigh where the extra body tissue was being lifted from.
I saw in the catalog that there are also undies with butt pads in them. Hmm. Would be cool if they did work. I have considered a butt lift surgically. That scares me though.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

*BIG chuckle*

In English-English, a fanny is NOT an American-English fanny (your bottom). A fanny is what’s on the other side in the same place (your crotch, or indoor plumbing area). Anyway, while I am more used to hearing the American meaning of the word, it’s not second nature. Hence the title of this post finished me off this morning.

Back to business. Try on shapewear ladies. See if you’re comfortable with it. Tailoring in the bottom area is another good way to accentuate curves, especially with jeans.

Anonymous

Oh, I like the idea of undies with butt pads. My aunt had the flat butt problem and had all her things altered but they still didn't look right. What kind of tailoring details should I look for? I think I've been wearing my pants too tight for my age but too many otherwise nice pairs make me look like I need a diaper change, if you know what I mean. Especially dress pants.

shiny

Veteran

I have a flat, 42 year old butt, that used to be much more perky. I have analyzed why certain jeans give saggy butt appearance, and certain jeans don't.

Things to look out for:

1) the yoke. If the yoke of the jeans is too long, say hello to saggy butt.

2) distance and angle between back center seam and hip seam. Hold up your jeans. Grab on to the center seam and the hip seam, and pull it taut. You'll see how it angles to accomodate hips and thighs and butt. The more angle, the more curves you need to fill out the jean.

3) Pocket size and placement. Big pockets make a small butt look flatter. Pockets that are far apart make a small butt look flatter (and often wider). Pockets that are positioned too low make a small butt look like it's sagging down to your knees. Pocket placement makes a big difference.

If you can find jeans with a shorter yoke (or no yoke at all), cut to be narrower in the hips, and with ideal pockets that are smaller, higher, and closer together, you won't need the shaper undies.

I have good luck with Citizens of Humanity and Earnest Sewn brands. If you can wear low-rise styles, you might try Ann Taylor Loft too. Levi's is another brand that can work.

Anonymous

Shiny, you are a wonder! Thank you so much for all the help on what to look for. Are there any brands you'd recommend for dress pants? I'll be taking a close look at the jeans I have. My Not Your Daughter's Jeans get compliments, but I don't care for most of their styles. Do you find Citizens of Humanity and Earnest Sewn at Nordstroms? Macys? Thanks again for taking time to answer in such detail.

shiny

Veteran

Yes, you can probably find those brands at Nordstrom's. I live closer to Bloomie's so I can't be sure.

Dress pants are a bit trickier - I often end up with saggy butt too. I think dress pants, however, can be tailored a lot easier than jeans can. There's no yoke to deal with, etc. So this is definetly worth looking into.

Otherwise, I will say I have the *best* luck finding dress pants at banana republic. Try their Martin style slacks. No saggy butt with those!

Only other tip is to also pay attention to the back rise measurement. If you have a pair of dress slacks that doesn't give you saggy butt, measure the back rise. Unfortunately, online sites rarely give this measurement -they only give the front rise. Some will provide if you ask nicely.

When I was on my mission to find the perfect jeans, I discovered that back rise was just as important, and back rise is all over the map!!! You can have jeans with an 8 in front rise and the back rise could be anywhere from 9 to 16 inches. Huge difference! If you don't have much in back, you don't need the extra inches because you won't be filling it out.... and the excess will just ... sag. You probably just need a back rise that's only slightly higher than the front.

Since everybody is different, what I suggest is that you take a pair of slacks in to the tailors, and ask a lot of questions about what they alter to make the slacks less saggy for you. Then that will give you an idea of what kind of pants will best suit you.

deborahlmilne

Well, I have a 55 year old flat "rear end" (as my mom called it) and I am happy to say that after all the discussion about skinny jeans and over 50, I went to a place here in Maine called Jean Jungle and bought 3 new pair of jeans: 2 Not Your Daughter's Jeans and one brand called Ethyl. I have a sagging rectangular figure and I felt really good in all 3 of these jeans. One of them is the skinny jean, and I am hoping that Angie gives us over 50 dames more ideas as to what to wear with them. Anyway, the NYMJ certainly gave my derriere a lift! Thanks for that previous posting, Anjie. It really inspired me. I have metallic bronze flats and will look for a new pair for fall. I am also wondering if a short flat boot will look good with the skinnies. I don't think I am going to tuck them in.
New England Debbie

shiny

Veteran

Debbie, NYDJ is making skinny jeans now? Hmmm.... this I did not know.

deborahlmilne

Yes, style 1831, if that helps. They fit my body type well and had that scrunchy look at the bottom. Do you have some? What will you wear with them this fall?

shiny

Veteran

I had some from when they first came out, but they were flared - too flared. I gave them away in a purge a year or so ago.

What I liked about them is that they had a higher rise. I can't stand low rise because of my belly!

Anonymous

Shiny said everything I wanted to say about pockets and such, so I just wanted to echo was she said and tell you that you are not alone. I'm young (a college student) so I'm not sagging yet, but I am an inverted triangle with a very small butt. The backrise should not be too high or it will just sag down and make the problem worse. I make sure that the pockets sit high, close together, and I really like pockets with a triangle flap pocket (Hudson and True Religion are my faves, in case you needed any more brands to try!). I've tried a million brands and styles before finding these two amazing designers, and now, I can just hold a pair up and know if it will work or not.

Anonymous

Thank you all for options to try. It can get overwhelming when just starting out. Shiny, I've been checking out the pants I have and see what you mean about the yoke. My favorites have no yoke at all or a very small one.
I just bought a pair of the AT white clamdiggers on sale and like the flap pocket on the back that Lissy mentioned, although the pockets could be closer together. I hope I did the right thing with size. The size 2 fit, but quite snuggly for an over 60, so I went with the 4. It's still not loose but I hope it doesn't grow with wearing. I wish I had the camera and know how to post pictures and get your help. I think the sales lady thought the 2 was a bit tight. She called around and found the 4. The 2 would have worked with long tops, but I'm having a real problem finding any that fit because of that short shoulder to top of bust length Shiny posted about and the fact that I'm too flat chested to fill anything out. All the tops fit better if I grabbed them at the shoulder and pulled them up an inch or so. If that could be done with alteration, then the top as a whole isn't long enough for pants. Debbie, I will also look for and try the NYDJ's skinnies. I'd love some in white. Angie has inspired me with white for summer!

shiny

Veteran

Joy, have you tried petite tops? Or is it the petite tops that don't fit right?

Anonymous

Shiny, I'm 5'4" so I shop both petite and regular departments. The petite tops usually hit too short for Angie's ideal length with pants (and I agree now that I've "seen the light"). Last night when I went to AT to try the clamdiggers, I tried on lots of tops in both petite and regular, S and XS. Nothing was right and I was disappointed. I also tried on lots of tops at Nordstroms (love to have a Sweet pea), Harolds, and even Kohls. I can find long tee shirts with V or crew necks that work, but wanted something a but more stylish.

Anonymous

Joy, Have you had a bra fitting at Nordstom's. I have to wear a padded bra these days, to fill out the tops. Don't know where it all went but it went the same place my butt did I guess.
I have opposite fit problem than are described earlier in this thread. I can't wear back pockets that are too high or too close together. I tried the J Crew Matchsticks that were being discussed earlier in the season and the pockets only emphasized that my butt was sagging. My issue was that the pockets were to high, close together, and small. I also felt a uni-butt happening from those clam diggers and from the NYDJ I had a few years ago when they first came out.
I have found just the opposite works better for me, but I am 5'8", size 4-6 stick built, and that could be the difference.

Anonymous

San, I did have a recent bra fitting at Nordstoms which was a great help. I purchased two contour bras besides more regular fit. They are a help but I still have no real cleavage...maybe if I get a tummy yummy that would push my muffin top up into my bra?!
Another area where tops don't fit is that the arm hole starts too low on me, especially if not a petite top. I understand that this is not an easy alteration unless the top is sleeveless?

shiny

Veteran

San, that's so interesting... I don't like the Jcrew matchsticks because I find the pockets are humungous, compared to the size of my butt, and the yoke is too long, so the bottom half of the pocket lands on my thigh, not by butt! (They look great on my DD however; but she has hips). Maybe it's because you're 8 inches taller than me?

Joy, I have been having trouble finding longer tops too, the type to wear with clams and skinny jeans. They seemed ubiquitous last year, not so much this year. I have found plenty of "skirt tops" though. Go figure!

It does sound like you are better off with petite tops. I can wear Sweet Pea (XS) because I think it's the material - it stretches out to fit a wider range of figures, tall, short, etc. There are some longer styles. Have you tried BlueFly?

This is the one I have (and Maya has it too, I think). But I have it in red and white:

http://www.bluefly.com/pages/p.....allpartial

Just type "sweet pea" into the search box and you'll get a lot of choices to choose from!

Yes, armhole alterations aren't that easy - I wouldn't bother.

Anonymous

Shiny, The J Crew I tried on were the dark blue clamdiggers. They were being refferred to on this forum as Matchstick's. They may be differently styled than the Matchstick long jeans.
I love your Sweetpea top. Love the offset hem.

Anonymous

I love that top too. I see it's only available in medium but maybe I can find it somewhere else. I like the purple and blue with those jeans. Because of my inverted triangle shoulders, gathered little sleeves don't work, but these look like they'd lay flat and not stick out.