@FlorenceFearne: I'm not a plaid pastel kind of girl either. In fact, I don't like most of their patterns! However, what convinced me to buy a fitted boyfriend was this pattern as you see here:

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....-down-form

I had the length altered to balance me out. The pattern just immediately made me happy

As for Express - is the button-down shirt a stiffer fabric or flowy? I wear Express Portofino shirts (they're more flowy/drapy) and they fit my shoulders well too!

This thread is hilarious but, oh, so true! I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who has been trapped by top in the dressing room or ripped the shoulder seams out of a jacket just reaching for a glass of water. The whole "shrunken jacket" trend drove me batty, especially when I couldn't even get my arm into the largest size. Thank heavens for jackets made of stretchy materials!

And my contribution: you know you are an IT when even the thought of you in a spaghetti-strapped, pink "princess" dress is enough to make everyone around you helpless with laughter.

Oh I forgot, repressed more like, the stuck in a top with my arms above my head trick

Gaylene, I'm laughing with you not at you.

@MsKatieKat - The Express shirt is a pretty stiff, thickish weave. It looks a lot like the "essential shirts" they have on their site right now, except with very tall 3 button cuffs. Maybe it was an essential shirt from years ago, and the style has since been changed?

ETA - you look so cute in that Gap shirt!

OMG PMP (pissing my pants)

Laughing and identifying with all of these.

And you guys complain? All you have to deal with is wide shoulders? Pfui! Try to be an hourglass with broad shoulders AND wide hips! It means I can equally get stuck taking off the top or pulling up the bottoms! I have the worst of both worlds!!!

oh these are all so funny & great! I can only relate in the opposite way, as my bra straps love to slide off my shoulders.....
now a thread of "you know you have a big chest when..." I could relate to!

I am helplessly laughing here....

Not a true IT but I have in fact been stuck in a top in a dressing room. Also - worse yet -- on one memorable occasion, in a sports bra.

Could. Not. Budge. It.

This is what I get for being really small busted. I looked at the offerings. I looked at my chest. I picked up the smallest bra they had. It made sense, at least from the front view. But the small styles are all pullover style, with no clasps....

I didn't know whether to feel more frustrated or relieved by the fact that this was The Bay, so there was no sales assistant within miles of the dressing room. I did start to panic after about 20 minutes of fruitless wrangling (getting sweatier by the minute...). Finally by some miracle I managed to wrest the thing off of me and get out of there.

@FlorenceFearne: I think I remember those shirts. I used to have a similar shirt but mine had ruching. It did wonders to my thick torso. It's a shame because I like the way I look in stiffer collared shirts from the shoulder-up but I look like a mess from the boobs down. It's my apple tendencies, sadly...

And thanks re: Gap shirt

@Sveta: LOL! OK OK OK... You got a point The visual of getting stuck in both top and bottom is hilarious...

@Suz: OMG! Sports bras are EVIL! I was stuck in one of those before! I think it's not just an issue for the small of chest - sports bras without clasps are just terrible!!!

I remember those days. I used to be an IT then grew into my shoulders. I always wore a size 10/12 jacket an a size 0/2 bottom. Yes, all the weight went into the stomach/hip/butt area.

Why do they even MAKE those? And this was a really good maker...Moving Comfort or something. Honestly, the only ones that had clasps were for women who have actual breasts...which is great, I am glad they get clasps and all, but I Need. Clasps. Too. Just because I am small in the front doesn't mean I don't have an actual BACK, people!!!

Suz, I won't wear pullover sports bras. I have tweaked a trapezious wresting out of a sweaty one. I have found small ones with clasps (Speedo and Nike) at Marshall's years back.

Thank you, Mo. I am on the hunt for some new ones. I have one that sort of has clasps...I mean, it still goes over your head but at least you can open it up a bit to do that. (Weird design in itself). Lulu Lemon has some but they are really pricey. Anyway - sorry for the threadjack, Una. But this is important!! Sheesh!!

Suz, I don't know if they ship to Canada, but Title Nine has a great sports bra selection.

Wait, doesn't everyone get stuck in clothes in the fitting room? Pulling dresses over my head is the worst! And I have ripped many a shoulder seam!

I'm a total hourglass. I've gotten stuck in clothes in the fitting room. Last year I was in the DVF in Las Vegas and got stuck in blush sequin shirt.

Wow, you IT's really suffer! I am a figure 8 (variation on hourglass), but I wear such small sizes that I usually can't get stuck in anything in the fitting room. I guess I need to consider the advantages of being sized out most of the time!

@Suz - OMG - the dreaded sports bras. I once had so much trouble trying to wrestle one off (in the dressing room) that I swear, I almost had to dislocate my shoulder to get it back over my head. My shoulder joint has never been the same. Now, with my sports bras, I actually put them on the floor and put one foot on one of the straps and grab hold of the other with my hand and pull and stretch until the elastic/spandex actually rips. Once I get it adequately stretched out (ripped), I then step into it and pull it up and into place. When I'm ready to get out of it, I just slide it off of my shoulders and back down to my ankles again. Mind you, my sports bras don't last very long and don't give me much support - but, what's an IT to do?

It's actually funny to see the look on the bored sales staff in a really high-end designer boutique when I head for the silk blouses. They see my shoulders and then the panic sets--Noooooo.......as they rush to protect their beloved stock. Designers do not cut their tops for an IT.

so sorry I missed this yesterday!! - I'm laughing with all of you - been stuck in.....
sports bra
silk blouse
back zip silk dress - this was REALLLY comic -
many a shrunken blazer
and I buy ALL my button down shirts in the men's department!!

and yes my family teases about the line backer look - swimmer ribs - and Man shoulders!!

the only good thing about middle age is that at least my non-existent waistline doesn't highlite the disparity as much anymore!!!

now add SHORT legs to that formula - and sometimes I look like 5'9" Oompa-Loompa!!

This thread is so much fun. I can so identify with getting stuck in a sports bra, and not being able to move my arms forward in a jacket.

*very big chuckle*

And to add insult to injury, does anyone find as they get older that the shoulders stay as strong as ever and the hips seems to disappear even more?

suz, one of my hubs' duties is to pull off my sports bra after an exercise session. also my spanx tank. i prefer to think it brings us closer together.

hips?? - I'm supposed to have hips?? - darn it those went the way of my waistline and all I'm left with are these shoulders (along with a little bit of backfat- who invited that!!??) - I so get it Patsymaloo!!

BJ - laughing here....my hubs has done that duty, too....

I'm with Sveta and Anna. I've gotten stuck in a few things -- I guess you know you're an hourglass when you've gotten your bottom and top half stuck at some point in time!

I will gladly lend you ladies a little spare hip.

Hahaha! bj111 - Hubby helping me out of my sports bras - all the time. He actually has to brace one of his feet on the wall in order to get enough leverage to pull the darn thing off - and I have to hang onto something for dear life - like a door handle or towel rack, so that I don't get catapulted across the room!

I love how this thread (and the other shape threads) aren't body-bashing like you see in so many women's discussions. I'm a big fan of inverted triangles. I guess I'm also a big fan of all human bodies.

It became easier to love my shape when I began using my body for things it's naturally good at. My upper arms and shoulders make me a good rock climber because I've always been able to do pullups. (There are many paths to being a good climber - strength is just one benefit. Some climbers are taller, or more flexible, or braver, than me.) And I started loving my huge thigh muscles when I started doing competitive Irish dance a few years ago. Until then, I'd avoided wearing shorts or skirts with bare legs.