Hip, thighs and saddlebags

anne

Okay this is something that I have been confused about for quite a while
What is meant by hip, hipbone, high hip, etc. I like the fact that Angie's top length recommendations say 1 to 3 inches above the crotch, because that is easy to work out.
In the interests of working it out, I have attempted to very roughly put some lines over a recent picture of myself. The lines represent
A - my waistline
B the very top of my hips (at the side)
C - the point from which my legs pivot (and also the widest point from the side)
D- my widest point when look at from the front. This is an inch or so below the crotch on me
http://i297.photobucket.com/al.....6141-1.jpg

Now what are all these called?
The area between B and C for me use to be fairly slim. I often had to take in skirts or dresses there. Since babies that has got a bit more fat on it, which I kind of don't mind because it helps balance a wider waistline. Is this area the high hip?

I am bigger at D than C. Is that normal/weird? Saddlebags?
i am pretty keen on pants tops that are a little past D length because they don't
reveal all these lumps
Where is the right spot for skirt tops?

16 years ago

Body Type

12 replies

Latest reply was from Angie

Nicole

Veteran

Anne, this is how I look at it.

Your waist is where you body bends if you were to bend to the side.

Your hips are the side of your butt. It's not a line, but more of an area. Your high hip would be the top of this area.

Your thighs are the portion of leg above the top of your knee. Outer thigh refers to the outer side and inner thigh refers to the inside (between your legs).

Saddlebags can be anywhere on the hip or thigh. Not every woman has them, some women are more prone to them. If you google "women saddle bags" and click on "Images" you'll see some examples.

If you push down on the front of your hip area--you can feel two bones on either side. On me, it's about 2 to 3 inches below my bellybutton, but off to the side about 6 inches. I'm not sure if this is part of my pelvis or hip, but this is the point at which I like my skirt tops to hit.

16 years ago

anne

Veteran

Thanks Nicole - Wow I had never thought of googling saddlebags! But I just have. I didn't realise they could be on the hips as well as thighs.

Which dimension is the one used to calculate the hip measurement ?(I guess that is what I meant - of course you are right that it is an area rather than a line)
I sometimes think that if you could only see my body was cut off at the C point I might be a rectangle or hourglass. It's the thighs that make me a pear, I think.

How sensitive should I be to covering up this area? Are there others with thigh issues?

Re skirt tops : I think that for me, such a length as you've described feels too short. I think if I raised my arms you would see my skin.(or whatever was overneath)

16 years ago

Anonymous

Anne how creative you are.
I measure an inch larger at point D than C. It's probably not the most desirable way to be shaped but we can't all be Jessica Biel.
Now I'm gonna have to google women saddle bags and see what you are talking about.

16 years ago

Nicole

Veteran

Anne, I think your hip measurement would be the widest part of your hip area. But your thighs are not your hip--so if your widest part is your thigh, then that is not your hip measurement.

16 years ago

Tanya

Veteran

Ha, interesting that you say that Nicole, food for thought. I also have a similar body type with saddlebags, and I am the widest at that thigh area ( D in Anne's sketch) and I always took that measurement (37 ") as my hip measurement, while the widest pint of my true hips is more around 36". All the size charts are pretty inaccurate anyway, I always found that I needed smaller size for pants than what charts would say. Usually according to the chart I would need a 6, but usually 2 would fit me the best ( and require some taking in the waist). Hmm, maybe I was looking at the wrong measurement, maybe I should take the 36" for my hip measurement instead.

16 years ago

Patience

Veteran

This is very educational. I am laughing at myself because for some reason I always thought saddlebags were the love handles that are on either side of the back and spill over in low rise jeans. What is that called then-- more muffin top? It's funny because not know that the correct definition for saddlebags I have never thought twice about that area. Aren't all women just built this way? To me it looks normal (in proportion to the rest of the body) -- normal to just have a curve from the waist all the way down to the knees.

16 years ago

ImogenL

(website)

Active Member

B is your high hip - if that is where you can feel the hip bone jutting out at the front

C is your hip

D is your thighs

Saddlebags are traditionally on your thighs, not your hips.

If you widest point is on your bottom, not your thighs, this is not a pear shape, but a figure 8 shape and has a "high hip" or shelf like hip (easy to perch the kids there no hands), this requires a different sort of dressing to the Pear or Hourglass shape.

16 years ago

anne

Veteran

Hi guys firstly just for info I measured myself and when it comes to circumferences I was wrong about D being bigger. But what I meant was the actual line when seen from the front
A = 29
B 33
C 37
D 36

San - interesting to read that you are bigger at D becasue you have such slim legs!

Tanya - looks like we are can swap C and D measurments! I think my "C" is only bigger because I have quite a large (and incidentally low slung) bottom
http://i297.photobucket.com/al.....0_6142.jpg
In fact I think I may have what I think it called a swayback

Patience - Muffin top sounds right - but that is a very recent term I think
I don't think all women are the same, and I _don't_ have just one curve from waist to hip. I can create one if I bend forward a bit but if I am standing straight up the thighs sort of stick out. I could show this clearly if I was willing to post a picutre of me in my underwear (I am not going there but it might be evident in this pic http://i297.photobucket.com/al.....60-web.jpg (horribly unflattering, I know) or this one even worse one (partly because I am leaning back)
http://i297.photobucket.com/al.....pants2.jpg
I am trying to remember your body type - was it rectangle? If so, I guess you wouldn't have this issue!

Imogen I think my high hip is a bit lower than B, as I marked it where the hip bone was on the side rather than the front.
If I understand your analysis correctly, you are saying there are 2 sorts of bottom heavy body types. This makes sense experientially - I know someone who is very wide hipped and has slim thighs, quite a different figure than mine. But even though my C measurement is slightly larger, would you agree that I would be a pear, as most of that measurement comes from my bottom rather than the width of the hips?

I'd like to emphasize that I don't think my thighs are particularly fat; they just feel a size bigger than the rest of my body (Imogen you are an Aussie aren't you. so you'll relate to the sizing which I don't usually mention here as it so different). The rest of me (pre-preg anyway, and even mostly now) is a size 8. The thighs more a 10)

Sooo it I wear a top at the correct Angie length, I still feel like the thigs are a bit exposed
eg http://i297.photobucket.com/al.....acket2.jpg

I feel more comfortable with a longer length http://i297.photobucket.com/al.....tion21.jpg

But I don't want to only wear longer lengths

16 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Course you’ll feel more comfortable in a tunic! Then it's all covered up!

You look skinnier and skinnier each time you post. You are fading away, Anne!

16 years ago

Nicole

Veteran

Anne,

Don't kill yourself trying to categorize your lower half body type. It is what it is and it's beautiful. You look really good and I like the way you look in skirts, jeans, tunics over jeans etc. I especially like the jacket in the second to the last photo you posted (the one showing you in a shorter length shirt over jeans). Have you bought any PPL dark wash jeans yet? I think all of your outfits would be taken up a few notches with the addition of this purchase. Like the one I mentioned with the jacket--I see nothing wrong with the top--but the jeans could be better. I also think you'd benefit from getting rid of the pants that are too short, once you have a pair of two of PPL jeans/pants. It's too tempting to wear things that are unflattering if you don't have much else to wear. But emptying out your closet will encourage you replace those items.

I hope I'm not being too forward in my comments. I just want to emphasize how great you look and I can tell how hard you've been working to rebuild your wardrobe!

16 years ago

anne

Veteran

Thanks Nicole - your comments very encouraging. You aren't being too forward at all. I have a shopping trip booked to buy 1 or 2 pairs of jeans in 2 weeks. I did buy the dark wash skinnies that are in the last pic.

Angie - I am just getting a bit sick of wearing tunics, to be honest, at least smock-like lines (wore right through the pregnancy). Thanks for comments re wight - only a little over a kilo to go! ( I have a wedding coming up in 2 weeks and a family portrait in three and they have provided a bit of an incentive)

Must go. My Mum is staying and she uses the study for her bedroom. We just went shopping and bought 2 dresses (1 for wedding) !!

16 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I hear you, Anne. I'm leaving my tunics to hibernate for a while too. Let’s see those dresses! I’m excited and your bod looks great! Well done

16 years ago

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