Theresa and other pears... interesting thought - YouLookFab Forum

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Theresa and other pears... interesting thought

Queen Mum

Veteran

I just read this in a weekly e-newletter that I get and thought of Theresa's recent thread when everyone was telling her that her tops were too short to wear with jeans. Here's the quote regarding top length....

" Most women with a larger hip are tempted to hide under a longer top. However, a longer length often makes you appear shorter and heavier.
It may be counterintuitive to you-but wearing a shorter top (lighter or with detailing) and worn with a darker bottom is a better look for you. At the "high hip" means the top should end below the waistline and above your widest part. Find your "sweet spot"."

It seems to make sense... what do you guys think?

Body Type

15 replies

Latest reply was from Sarah

Maya

Veteran

There are so many variables here it makes my head spin. Are you long legged, short legged, long or short waisted? Is the top fitted? Voluminous? What about the sleeves? Are you wearing heels? Are they the same color as your pants or legs? Is the top lighter or darker? Are you wearing a belt? Are you wearing a skirt or pants? What about boots? Are they tall boots? Flat boots?

Anything can make sense on paper but I'm more likely to trust my eyes.

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

Yeah, I'm a pear and t seems like every top is different, unfortunately. I really have a hard time with tops for that reason, so I only have a few - which causes me a lot of heartache each morning when I try to find somethng to wear.

Ele

(website)

Yeah, I think it's almost impossible to formulise flattery like this. Like Maya says, there so so many variables that a blanket statement like "wear shorter tops" hardly seems practical. I'm a pear and I think longer tops are the most flattering 90% of the time, though I do agree that they can make me look shorter. That's probably because I'm short with proportionally short legs, though. A longer-legged pear might not have that problem.

It's all down to learning to trust your own eyes, I think.

Anonymous

When in doubt you might wear a long tank under the shorter top. I usually try to blend it with either the pants or top. Today it's a black tank under a long sleeved black knit for warmth. The blacks blend to look like one piece from a distance. On the bottom I've got dark rinse straight jeans. Over all is the yellow/black/cream plaid cropped Target jacket that Angie had in her blog plus a black&white polkadot scarf. Wearing just the shorter black top with jeans and the jacket didn't look right, even though the jeans and black top are close in color. Besides, it's a good idea to look at how those shorter tops look on you from the back.

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

Here is a top I love.
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/.....ryID=26518
The elastic band and voluminous style allow me to change the length based on the rest of my look to find that sweet spot.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I have to admit I may be be the guilty culprit for instigating the length of tops discussion on Theresa's thread and I apologise to Theresa if it knocked her confidence in any way.

I do think it's important to note that my comment was not targeted at one particular body shape, rather it was my personal preference for tops with skinnies.

Angie's blog on the topic, to which I linked, also allows for tops between 1 and 3 inches above the crotch.

There are also many style rules and bloggers with differing opinions but I do think they act as very useful guidelines for when we are starting our style journey. How many times do we say 'it looked good in the mirror' only for a photograph to tell another story? Rules decrease the likelihood of disappointment but are also made to be broken.

Queen Mum

Veteran

you guys are exactly right- there are alot of factors. It just caught my attention because I remember thinking that Theresa's shirts looked fine to me even though she was breaking "the rule"
and you're right Julie- all the rules are just guidelines...we have to start there and find what works best for our own bodies.

and, I should have clarified that the comment was the writers response to an individuals question regarding a statement she made personally to the questioner while seeing a picture of her. she wasn't making a blanket statement for all pears (she didn't even use the word pear)

but I'm glad to have stirred everyone up this morning

Louise

Veteran

As a pear my personal preference when wearing skinnies and a short top is to make sure the top is voluminous therby balancing the difference between hips and waist x

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

Can I interest my fellow pears in a dress instead? ;-D

Queen Mum

Veteran

LOL- problem solved Kristen

Louise

Veteran

So true Kriste,n I don't know how i existed without dresses x

Theresa

(website)

Veteran

Interesting - thanks for thinking of my comments Queenie!

And Julie don't worry at all!!

I think its a fairly true statement for me personally, but then no one else has my unique shape - cos after all, we are all unique in some way. And for me, anything longer than say around 1" below high-hip starts to end right on my fullest areas and it creeps up over the day anyway and ends pretty much where I think tops should end on me.

Interestingly, today's top is longer, and doesn't look as noticeable that its ending where I start to widen, possibly due to the neckline, but its still creeping up over my bottom

So I guess maybe, just maybe, I've already found a rule I have to break for me in the particular tops I own... as I expand my wardrobe, I might find other tops where Angie's rules are more appropriate for me. (But, do you know how bad I feel breaking a rule that Angie has written!)

But Kristen I totally agree - I do love my dresses!! I sometimes look at my daughters little skirts with the built in shorts/bloomer style bottoms and wish I could wear them so I'm completely appropriate for anything/everything but still in a dress!

Louise

Veteran

Theresa, rules are made to be broken x

Theresa

(website)

Veteran

hehehe Louise - so true!!

Actually, on my blog today you can see pics of a longer top from the front and then the side view to show the issues I have with tops LOL

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

I adore dresses and skirts, and wear them more often than pants/jeans. But every once in awhile I like wearing pants/jeans but I just have to budget more time to try the look before I have to head out the door.