Pencil skirts for rectangles?

FlorenceFearne

I have a few tube skirts, and love them, but I find that I have to wear a long top over them, because tucking isn't an option with the elastic waist and they're clingy enough that a short top allows people to see the way my hips/undies/skirt/tights all fight and make bumps along the sides of me. (Holy run-on sentence, Batman!) I think this would be far less of an issue with a heavier, more structured fabric, but as a rectangle it's a real challenge to find a non-stretch pencil skirt that fits nicely. Even if I find one that doesn't have tons of extra material in the hips, it turns my whole lower body into a square. More taper in the skirt, and it goes from square to ice cream cone. Neither shape is quite the look I'm shooting for. Has someone found a solution? Am I somehow doing it wrong?

10 years ago

Body Type

13 replies

Latest reply was from FlorenceFearne

K. Period.

Veteran

I try to go for very tapered pencil skirts and wear them with something on the top that creates a curve or suggestion of a curve, like a dark top with a light skirt. Or a striped shirt or a draped or cross-over shirt. Since I'm an IT, I'm even more prone to ice cream cone than you are. I don't worry about it too much. Looking like I have hips is such a fun departure that I'll take ice cream cone!

Let me know if you find a good source for pencil skirts. Banana ones aren't tapered enough for me. Halogen ones worked for me year before last, but were too curvy after their redesign. Right now H&M and JCrew are about the best I can find.

10 years ago

Joy

Veteran

I'm a waistless, hipless rectangle and find that pencil skirts are the best shape for me. They create curves .
I wonder if you have been trying the wrong length. I like mine to hit somewhere on my knee or just below. Shorter or longer (except tube skirts) start looking boxy.

10 years ago

deb

Veteran

Try Nordstrom's Halogen seamed pencils. They work the best for me and they are all I wear now.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/ha.....gory-perso

10 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Pencil skirts are tricky. ClearlyClaire and I were commiserating about this recently -- her insight is that they are more difficult if your shape is elliptical (a slight distinction between that and rectangular...elliptical meaning you look wider from a front view than a side view.) I think she might be right.

In any case, as a slim hourglass/ rectangle hybrid, I find pencils tricky too. As Joy says, they need to be just the right length. And they also need to be tapered. Or forget it. But, if they are tapered enough, they're pretty great.

Like K, I found the Halogens from a few years ago worked better than the current version, but I did get one this year that is okay. (Mind you, I do have some hip real estate). I haven't tried the J. Crew one yet.

If you find one that fits well in the waist, what about getting it tapered? It's not too difficult an alteration in most cases. I have done that to good effect a few times with dresses.

10 years ago

Aziraphale

Veteran

Florence, I'm a slender rectangle too (although with more of a bust than most rectangles), and I'm nodding along to the others' comments about this. Let's troubleshoot:

top: for me, tucking never works with a pencil. It creates a horizontal line at the worst possible spot. Ditto waist belts. A horizontal line drawn across any body part makes that part appear wider. As a rectangle, there isn't a great difference between your waist and hips, so what you want to do is make your slender hips appear wider. THAT'S where the horizontal line goes. You can do this with a belt, or by wearing a top that flares out slightly and ends at the lower hip.

skirt: length works best in the general vicinity of the knee joint. Skirt must taper somewhat, or it will look blocky.

shoes: it's got to be heels. Boots or shoes, doesn't matter, but ballet flats won't work.

colour: wear a dark top against a lighter skirt. There doesn't have to be a huge difference in colour. The dark top de-emphasizes your upper half. My best pencil skirt outfit ("best" in the sense that it makes my figure appear more shapely) is a sleek, cap-sleeve black top that has some shape cut into the waist, a grey pencil skirt, and a low-slung, skinny red-leather-and-chain belt. No tucking. The top ends at the hip, there's no distracting nonsense going on around my waist, and the belt draws a horizontal line right across the area I'm trying to emphasize. Red high heels finish it off.

Hope that helps!

10 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

Wait, so you don't like taper? And feel like an ice cream cone? Hm... if that's the case the only alternative might be a mini! I do like minis on rectangles - kind of a Twiggy vibe.

But I would like to see the cone effect you speak of. I wonder if maybe your eye could adjust to it? I used to feel that exact way about skinny jeans.

10 years ago

FlorenceFearne

Active Member

Thanks everyone!

I think part of the problem is that although I'm generally a pretty thin rectangle-ish shape, the one place where I do have a bit of curve is lower down almost on the leg in that "saddlebag" region, not actually right below the waist. I wouldn't mind having hips, but I'm hating the "ice cream cone" because of the location of that curve. Maybe a peplum would help add volume in the upper hip where I want it, and make that area overall a smoother "C" shape line, but my SO hates them. He refers to them as "pregnant lady tops."

So perhaps it's not the skirts, but the fact that I just plain cannot tuck into pencils without my hip shape being evident? Am I just forced to wear long tops? I just can't believe that's really true, because even skinny models have that same shape I'm complaining about. (See Exhibit A, a model who is rail thin and still carries the extra 2 oz of fat on her entire body in that exact place.) Maybe I'm just being insane and nitpicky, and everyone else just accepts that ladies have a curve there? Or maybe I'm still trying to be an hourglass and I need to snap out of it? Aaagh! I really want to be able to pull off that classic pin-up look, and I fear it's a pipe dream.

Whew, sorry for the angst, guys! You're all wonderful to talk me through these things.

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10 years ago

anne

Veteran

Oh yes I get you there!

I have not particularly wide hips - and like you am widest at the upper thigh (and in my case in the bottom too)
And pencil skirts are really difficult if you don't want them to cling in that area!

I think peplums can really help (I had the perfect jacket with a peplum years ago) but a lot of them can look like pregnancy tops. I know that on my long torso most peplum tops would look like that. A peplum skirt may well be a better bet. If the peplum fits right it can smooth out that hip area. I also found that hip pockets can help fill out this area (see photo)

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10 years ago

rae

(website)

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Ah! Yes, I am on Team Saddlebags, too. I very rarely tuck into a pencil skirt, and even then it has to be super structured, high waisted, and loose in the hip area to fake a nice line from waist through to thigh. Longer tops with or without a semi-tuck is how I roll otherwise. Else I just see "lady lumps" in the worst way.

10 years ago

Jules

Veteran

Well I'm a hourglass with pear concerns (a hip shape that I need to flatter), and pencils are tough for me too! They have to be substantial, without too much stretch, to smooth over my lumps, and fitting both waist and hips is difficult.
But the reason I reply is that you mention undies fighting with tights. With most skirts/dresses, when wearing tights, I confess that I skip the undies. It just helps smooth everything out and I find it more comfortable. Realistically, I don't wear skirts more than once a week, and I'm not prone to lady issues at all, so YMMV.

10 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

That's not a saddlebag! That's a thigh, baby! We all have that.

But I hear you. My shape tends to be similar. The width is further down than the hip bone area. We're what Imogen would call X shape. No sin in that!

If you're finding that the skirts feel too snug in that area then the solution is counter intuitive. Size UP and have the waist altered to fit. You can also get it tapered as well at the same time.

Is that a lot of work for a skirt? Maybe. But if you long to look like an hourglass, then it could be well worth the extra pennies. Buy the skirt on sale and have it done.

10 years ago

shiny

Veteran

This sounds to me like it may be an undergarment issue, which is easy to solve. Maybe your underwear is cutting into your skin at just the wrong part, creating the illusion of a saddle bag? That happens with me -- it disappears if I wear briefs instead. You might even appreciate Spanks. Spanks aren't scaled right for petite me, but I have found that wearing bicycle shorts work great under skirts and dresses. Perhaps try playing around with the skirts you already own, without underwear and with different styles of underwear?

Otherwise, nothing beats having a pencil skirt custom altered! This is what i have to do, routinely. In my case, the issue is that I don't have much waist and I carry a lot of weight in my stomach area (apple shape). I size up to fit that part, then have the tailor remove excess fabric at the hips and all the way down. Yes, with a taper but you can play with this and the taper need not be too extreme (ice cream cone).

If you are handing with a sewing machine, skirts are the easiest thing to alter. If not, it does not cost all that much to go to a professional tailor.

As for tucking and tops, I love high waisted pencil skirts, though those can be tricky because of my stomach, and definitely need to be altered. I can tuck with those and love the effect as it makes my legs look so much longer. I do not tuck with skirts that hit lower, more at the hips, that cuts me in the wrong place and makes the proportions look boxy - no matter how tapered the skirt.

10 years ago

FlorenceFearne

Active Member

Argh, I'm sorry to be so VERY late to the party replying to my own post, but thanks everyone for your ideas! I was exploring Anne's suggestions about peplums and hip pockets, and I think I may have found another good option for rectangle or X shaped ladies. I love ruching in all forms anyhow, but I'm going to try to find a skirt like this one or to sew one. I'm hoping the added fabric right at the top will help fill in that empty upper hip area.

http://voguepatterns.mccall.co.....age_id=263

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10 years ago

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