Keep or Donate? - YouLookFab Forum

One of the reasons I joined this site this week is that I have recently had some failed clothing experiments. I want to share one of those here now to see if I am coming to the right conclusions.

So the photo below shows an outfit where I was trying to go for a long over lean look. The pants are Banana Republic and were advertised as leggings but perhaps due to my thin calves, they are much looser and don't fit like leggings. Based on recent YLF posts, I don't think the leg length is right. As for the green top, I think the length is very, very wrong.

I think I will donate or sell the top. As for the pants, I'm not sure if they are worth keeping either. As they are, they are too baggy to tuck in to my knee high boots (boy have I tried). One idea is to try to take them in around the calf so maybe they would tuck in to boots better. Without tucking them in to tall boots, I don't like the cone shape they make from my wide hips to narrow ankles. Any thoughts?

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11 years ago

Lyn D.

Veteran

Hi Jenny! You look like a slim Pear to me, and the top just happens to end at your 'widest' part.
Perhaps donate or try tucking?
The pant is probably between Angie's PPL lengths, but still could work with heels IMO.
Have you tried them with a longer top to see how you feel?

Glory

Hi jenny! Welcome aboard. Well I love the colour of the top and would try a few things like a half tuck before getting rid of it.
I think the pants look good also and agree it might be the length. Could you try rolling them up a bit?

I actually love everything about this outfit! heehee Clearly I'm not going to be any help. ;D Sure, it makes it clear you have hips but not in a bad way (to my view). You just look curvy. If it were me, I'd give the trousers a roll or two, but then I'm addicted to rolling all of my skinnies. That blouse is gorgeous, both the colour and the little scalloped hem. And I'm a huge fan of unbuttoned cardigans over waist surrendering blouses. The scarf adds a fun modern, relaxed touch.

If you really want to hide your hips, I suppose wearing a top that's more of a short tunic length, while keeping everything else the same, would look good too. But I think you look fabulous and stylish just as this is.

Jenny H

Hmmm... wow, I'm really glad I posted here instead of just getting rid of this outfit. Perhaps more experimentation is needed!

Suz

(website)

It sounds as if you feel a bit sensitive about your hips -- as is true of many pretty pears or hourglasses. But you look great to me!!

A couple of thoughts:

Try rolling the pants to a slightly different length -- that will also, automatically, taper them a bit. So you can see how you feel about that look.
Try them with a pair of same coloured or toned booties so you get a longer leg line -- you might find that your curves suddenly look really nice to you!
Try them with a higher vamp shoe like you're wearing but in black or a darker tone.

For the top -- try a semi-tuck (with a belt). Try wearing with a pencil skirt. Try with white denim (fab combination of colours!!).

Absolutely don't give up yet. These are nice looking pieces that have potential. And if, at the end of the day, you're still not happy with them -- let them go in the knowledge that you did your best to make them work.

Deborah

Hi Jenny:) Welcome.

Excellent points above. I think the pans are very workable. LIke Suz suggests, I would roll them a little to get the best length. A tonal look will definitley elongate you body and create a streamlined look.

With regards to the top, please forgive me but I find this style a just a little dated?? The length is perhaps not best with the pants, as Lyn points out it does appear to finish at the wrong spot. It really depends on what you aiming for style wise but I think maybe the top could go:)

Such cool shoes btw.

DonnaF

To wear those leggings with tall boots, have you tried layering longish socks OVER them before sticking on your boots? It works better than rubber bands on top.

April

Hi Jenny H!

I wouldn't rush to donate either, but consider the alternative stylings suggested above. Also, one of the most brilliant things I learned when I joined YLF years ago was that you could take a pair of slightly-wrong-length pants and have them hemmed into just-below-the-knee clamdiggers. I have gotten some of my favorite summer bottoms that way. (And BTW, it costs the same as having a pair of pants hemmed one inch.)

Ouch re: the top being dated. It's a fair point though and I'm not offended as I was thinking it needed to go. The ouch was because it was a $90 top that I just ordered a few short months ago from the then current line on the Gudrun Sjoden website. So dated=ouch when it feels so new. But to be honest, the shirt I got was not what I expected based on the online photos (unfortunately I can't link to those directly but it's the long sleeve lyocel top from the link I copied below).

On the bright side, I ordered it when they had a deal for a free pair of tights with your order. At least I LOVE the tights. They have crazy polka dots and I wear them often.

http://www.gudrunsjoden.com/us.....ics?page=0

DonnaF-- I have tried tucking the pants into my long socks but it hasn't worked well. I've also played with french cuffing and then tucking into long socks. It ends up looking like I'm wearing military pants the way the excess fabric bunches and gathers just above the boots.

Kristin L

Welcome Jenny. I don't have any other ideas, but I think you're on the right track.

I have had the same struggle with pants too loose for boot tucking. I'd go the route of rolling them up as an ankle pant look.
No advice for the top, I'm afraid. I have purged a few that hit me at that widest hip point. I didn't want to bother with trying to work around them styling all the time. It was just easier not to have them there to frustrate me. Of course, you may be more creative and/or patient in your closet!

ironkurtin

The top is too short and the pants too cropped for long over long IMO. They're fine pieces but not for what you were trying to do.

I don't have much of an eye for dated, short of someone looking like an extra on Murder She Wrote, but with the popularity of oversized & fluid fits at the moment, I imagine the top could fit in well. Especially when you style it with very modern pieces like you've done here! That's a shame it's not what you expected though.

Jaime

I like the top and the jeans have potential if you adjust the length up. As mentioned above, it is not long over long but the top is a great color and looks very nice on you. See what you think with the jeans rolled up.

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