Fashion Advice And Tips

[Snarklepuss]

I thought there should be a fashion advice and tips thread in addition to a beauty thread to discuss specific fashion issues as opposed to beauty issues.

 

 

[Snarklepuss]

Way back when there was a rather active section over on the TLC site about fashion as a part of the "What Not to Wear" message board.  It was unique in that people posted questions and other board members attempted to answer.  People shared their fashion triumphs and disasters as well as their frustrations.  Ever since TLC shut down their message boards a few years ago I have felt the loss of that section and hope that this thread can in its own way function similarly.  It was a great help to a lot of women (and men) who desperately needed some feedback on what to wear to special events, a new job, a date, or just every day.  New fashion trends were discussed, such as what we loved (or hated).  I remember a lot of people hated the Ugg trend that was going on a few years back.  Or flip flops, which I have since read are pretty bad for your feet as well as un-hygienic.  Thank goodness those trends have pretty much died out, at least where I live in the Northeast.

[luckyroll3]

Flip flops are alive and well in Miami!  But you have to buy the nice/expensive ones with support to not damage your feet, like Tevas or Reefs.  And unfortunately, so are Uggs.  Why people need those down here, I will never understand!

[Betweenyouandme]

I can't really wear heels unless it's for an extremely short time, and I can sit. I have had gout several times in my right foot toe joint. I often feel like I don't look as nice in formal or cocktail dresses. It's a sad thing, but the pain is awful. Does anyone have tips on flat shoes that look nice with fancy dresses? I tend to pay less than 300$ for pairs. Not into 500$+ for shoes.

[luckyroll3]

Have you tried wedges?  They're much more comfy that heels, as long as the angle isn't too steep, and they always look cute.

[DrSparkles]

@betweenyouandme tieks!

[auntlada]

Can anybody recommend a good brand of slacks/work pants (I don't know if anybody even uses the word "slacks" anymore)? They must have pockets (at least front if not usable back pockets because most women's pants don't have usable back pockets, but front pockets are an absolute necessity). Most that I find that fit my hips gap around the waist band because they are made (I guess) for women whose waists are bigger than their hips.

 

I've been wearing Lee Platinum, and they fit great, but I'd like something that looks a little dressier and less khaki-ish (they come in black and khaki-colored, but I don't know how else to describe what I mean).

Edited March 15, 2015 by auntlada

[auntlada]

Maybe it's just our local Penney's. I've tried on pants there before, and none of them fit. If they fit my hips, they had at least two extra inches in the waist. Inswear my hips aren't that much bigger. According to the charts, they're about normal for my waist, although both are bigger than I'd like.

[emma675]

I love Penney's but I swear their sizes are insane! I wear an 8 pretty much everywhere I shop and yet at Penney's I can't even squeeze into an 8. I have to try on sizes 10, 12 or 14 to find something that fits. I bought a pair of size 12 pants at Penney's and held them up to a pair of Loft size 8 pants and they were almost the exact same measurements. I don't get it.

 

I have worked hard to get back down to an 8, I don't want to wear a size that is bigger!

[Snarklepuss]

Emma675, funny that you mention Penney's sizes running small. I've shopped there forever and only recently I started noticing everything had shrunk at least a size, which becomes a bigger issue when you're already a size 14 or 16.  I thought it was just me.  Nothing there is consistent anymore plus it's like they're determined to ruin their women's clothing departments.  The new management seems to want to push the home store over fashion.  Plus in my two local stores they've built these huge Sephoras inside the store so large that they take up half of the misses departments.  Why they are so determined to do this when the mall already has a Sephora store is beyond me.

[GaT]

Plus in my two local stores they've built these huge Sephoras inside the store so large that they take up half of the misses departments.  Why they are so determined to do this when the mall already has a Sephora store is beyond me.

This is something I really don't understand. The Penneys in my mall has a Sephora in it, but there's also a big Sephora store in the mall. What's the point? 

[Princess Sparkle]

Can anybody recommend a good brand of slacks/work pants (I don't know if anybody even uses the word "slacks" anymore)? They must have pockets (at least front if not usable back pockets because most women's pants don't have usable back pockets, but front pockets are an absolute necessity). Most that I find that fit my hips gap around the waist band because they are made (I guess) for women whose waists are bigger than their hips.

 

I've been wearing Lee Platinum, and they fit great, but I'd like something that looks a little dressier and less khaki-ish (they come in black and khaki-colored, but I don't know how else to describe what I mean).

 

So, I'm not sure what your price range is, but I can give you the ones I wear most frequently:

 

-The Pixie Long pant from Old Navy.  The ankle length ones fit oddly, but the "long" version are full length pants that are stretchy and super comfortable.  They are a slim legged pant though (not sure if you like that or not).

-The Editor pants from Express.  I like the "wide waistband" version, because I find the fabric is a little better on those.

-The Sloan pant from Banana Republic are also pretty flattering, and these are also a slim legged pant.

-Theory Pants are, by far, the best work pants I've ever owned.  They are pricey (I got them after combing A LOT of gift cards), but they are worth it if you wear them frequently for work.  

[luckyroll3]

I'll add the Drew and Cassie pants from The Limited.  I usually check their final sale page on their website where they usually have some version of those pants for super cheap, and the color/design I choose is usually dependent on what is still in my size.   

[auntlada]

Thanks. I'll check out the Old Navy pants this weekend maybe. Everything else has to wait until I can get to a town with those stores. (I won't buy pants online unless I've tried on that brand and style to know exactly how they fit.)

[drmka9]

I can't really wear heels unless it's for an extremely short time, and I can sit. I have had gout several times in my right foot toe joint. I often feel like I don't look as nice in formal or cocktail dresses. It's a sad thing, but the pain is awful. Does anyone have tips on flat shoes that look nice with fancy dresses? I tend to pay less than 300$ for pairs. Not into 500$+ for shoes.

 

Take a look at Shoes of Prey. They make custom shoes for a pretty reasonable price (the flats I just made were about $139) and offer tons of options.

[backformore]

I can't really wear heels unless it's for an extremely short time, and I can sit. I have had gout several times in my right foot toe joint. I often feel like I don't look as nice in formal or cocktail dresses. It's a sad thing, but the pain is awful. Does anyone have tips on flat shoes that look nice with fancy dresses? I tend to pay less than 300$ for pairs. Not into 500$+ for shoes.

I'm with you, I have plantar fasciitis and cannot wear heels. I found a great pair of patent flats by CLARKS

http://www.clarksusa.com/us/womens/womens-wide-width/Concert-Band-Black-Patent-Leather/p/26103520

Comfortable with good support, and cute.

[backformore]

Can anybody recommend a good brand of slacks/work pants (I don't know if anybody even uses the word "slacks" anymore)? They must have pockets (at least front if not usable back pockets because most women's pants don't have usable back pockets, but front pockets are an absolute necessity). Most that I find that fit my hips gap around the waist band because they are made (I guess) for women whose waists are bigger than their hips.

 

I've been wearing Lee Platinum, and they fit great, but I'd like something that looks a little dressier and less khaki-ish (they come in black and khaki-colored, but I don't know how else to describe what I mean).

Wow, I thought it was just me! I have the same issue. Pants that fit my but, are ridiculously big at the waist. Every pair of pants I own are size 10. I recently bought dress pants at Penneys. After trying on every size and fit they had, I ended up with curvy fit, size 14 short. Snug at the hips, and still 2 inches big at the waist. I was all depressed that I was back up to a 14.

[NutMeg]

I have worked hard to get back down to an 8, I don't want to wear a size that is bigger!

I'd say don't get too worked up about the size - very often, one size bigger makes you look slimmer, whereas the one under makes you look fat because it clings in all the wrong places. I have the same waist/hip problems as many of you do - hourglass figure is not the norm anymore, young ones don't have hips; best thing to do is to find a good place where they can adjust the waist for you.

 

To make you feel better about size: I'm "small" in Europe but now live in Singapore, and for local brands I'm either Large or Extra large! It was a shock at first but I've gotten used to it - as long as I look good.... :-)

 

(Edited for typos)

Edited March 26, 2015 by NutMeg

[DeLurker]

Totally agree with NutMeg.  When I worked, I needed professional clothes and the sizing varied so widely from company to company and even within the same company.  Wearing the same brand, I normally wore a size X skirt/pants and a size Y suit jacket.  Thing is, I'm very proportional so there shouldn't have been a 2 size difference in my top and bottom from the same company.  The only company that I consistently wore the same size suit jacket and skirt/pants, was Jones New York.

[NutMeg]

For me French and Italian brands work fine, but Spanish and German are totally wonky for bottoms (pants, pencil skirts, etc.). American brand are very hit and miss and not consistent, usually the waist is too big, but sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised :-) and they fit!!!

[auntlada]

So I went to Penney's to try on pants in the vain hope (and I knew it was vain) that maybe they had something that would fit. Nope. The pants looked like they fit from the front, and they felt good, but when I looked in the mirror, the back of the waistband stuck out a good two inches from my waist. I tried on a pair of Liz Claiborne and several styles of Worthington in the modern fit (that's the only fit our Penney's has in the store). Clearly, I don't have a modern shape. If only someone made old-fashioned fit pants, they might fit me.

 

I'm going to have to learn to sew pants.

[Snarklepuss]

Penney's East 5th "Secretly Slender" pants used to fit good in the waist on a curvy figure but they discontinued that brand a couple of years ago with the idea that Liz Claiborne would replace it.  However the Liz pants are not cut the same and fit a straighter shape.  Now if you're curvy forget fitting Penney's pants.  I don't even bother trying them on anymore.  I actually ordered a few pairs of the East 5th on EBay new with tags....

[NutMeg]

I'm starting to think that the key to looking good is finding the best place to take the waist in. 

[DeLurker]

If your local area has a community website look under there for a seamstress to do it. My local website typically has some listed under student entrepreneurs or odd jobs. You can also post a "wanted" ad. Alternatively, ask at your local fabric store or see if they have a bulletin board.

My Mom and niece do it for friends and family - they just are good at sewing, no special training. I take in my daughter's pants myself - not as pretty, but serviceable.

[Athena]

I'm starting to think that the key to looking good is finding the best place to take the waist in. 

 

Yes, and I think this relates a lot to the importance of waist-hip ratio both for health and for attractiveness. Studies have found that heterosexual males naturally look for this in women so we've evolved for it. 

 

Personally, I am neither well endowed or well bootied (hehe), but I make sure I have waist definition in most of my outfits.

[TattleTeeny]

auntlada, I, too, have trouble finding pants that fit -- I like them to sit at my actual waist, and my hips are larger than "stick figure" size. I've bought work-acceptable pants at JC Penney in the past. There appear to be a few in the Worthington line that meet the criteria of fuller hips, no-gap actual waist. And pockets are a must:

 

http://www.jcpenney.com/women/pants/cat.jump?id=cat100250095&deptId=dept20000013

Are intelligent women really still referring to smaller-sized bodies as "stick figures"? Come on.

[auntlada]

Are intelligent women really still referring to smaller-sized bodies as "stick figures"? Come on.

 

I consider myself intelligent, yes. And when someone has no discernible hips that are wider than her waist, then, yes, I would call her a stick figure. So to answer your question, yes.

[TattleTeeny]

Oh, good; clearly, thin women deserve to be called names, especially by other women. After all, they're doing it on purpose and are asking for it--and what's easier to change than the size of one's pelvic bones? I bet we deserve all those "eat a sandwich" remarks too.

On that note, from now on, when I can't find a pair of shoes that's smaller than a size 6.5 or 7, I am going to think of them as shoes for Bigfoots. (Sarcasm; I'm not that judgmental about other people's feet. Or hips.)

Edited April 5, 2015 by TattleTeeny

[DeLurker]

I consider myself intelligent, yes. And when someone has no discernible hips that are wider than her waist, then, yes, I would call her a stick figure. So to answer your question, yes.

As a lifelong member of the ectomorphics (sounds like a band), I prefer the term svelte.

[TattleTeeny]

Can my band, the Svelte Sandwich-Needers, open for you? We won't take up much room on the tour bus.

Incidentally, as a svelte (though I finally got some minimal booty curve in my mod-30s), I often run into the waist-hip measurement disparity as well. That's why I liked when the waist became lower, and that built-in curvature at women's pants' (particularly jeans) hips became less pronounced. The way they were before, I could grab a whole arc-shaped chunk of fabric that was standing away from my body.

Edited April 5, 2015 by TattleTeeny

[PRgal]

Oh, good; clearly, thin women deserve to be called names, especially by other women. After all, they're doing it on purpose and are asking for it--and what's easier to change than the size of one's pelvic bones? I bet we deserve all those "eat a sandwich" remarks too.

On that note, from now on, when I can't find a pair of shoes that's smaller than a size 6.5 or 7, I am going to think of them as shoes for Bigfoots. (Sarcasm; I'm not that judgmental about other people's feet. Or hips.)

 

I wear a 4.5 or 5 shoe (US sizes) and often need to pre-order shoes/pay full price!  I can't just walk into DSW or Marshall's and expect to find cute stuff.  And the lack of waist definition isn't just for very thin women.  You can be a size 10 and still lack waist-to-hip ratio (this is coming from a woman who typically takes size 0 or even 00, thanks to vanity sizing).

[auntlada]

Oh, good; clearly, thin women deserve to be called names, especially by other women. After all, they're doing it on purpose and are asking for it--and what's easier to change than the size of one's pelvic bones? I bet we deserve all those "eat a sandwich" remarks too.

On that note, from now on, when I can't find a pair of shoes that's smaller than a size 6.5 or 7, I am going to think of them as shoes for Bigfoots. (Sarcasm; I'm not that judgmental about other people's feet. Or hips.)

 

I don't think "stick figure" is judgmental. Just descriptive. I'm not calling someone names. I'm sorry that you think it is a name to be called. For a long time, I had a stick figure. Then I got old, gained weight, had a baby and now can't lose it easily. I've been told to eat a sandwich. I think saying someone has a stick figure is not the same as saying "eat a sandwich." It's not saying someone is being thin on purpose. It's not even calling someone anorexic. I'm not stupid enough not to know there's a difference between being thin and being anorexic. I'm an ectomorph also. I just tend to gain weight in my hips, and like I said, have a lot of trouble losing it after having a child and getting close to menopause. I'm also flat-chested. The only time I've had cleavage to speak of, I was seven months or more pregnant, which sort of negated the joy of cleavage.

 

Even though I'm overweight now (and have a flabby stomach -- well, actually below my natural waist -- in part because of the C-section and then not doing anything to tone my abs for a long time), I'm still bony. Elbows stick out. Knees and ankle bones stick out. Sitting on a wood floor or concrete hurts because of my bones sticking out. My butt is bony. My collarbone sticks out. You can count my ribs. Well, you could if I wondered around naked, which I don't.

 

So maybe "stick figure" doesn't mean eat a sandwich, you're too skinny, you're wasting away, you're bony (which I have been called and consider much worse) orI hate you. Maybe it means your waist and your hips are about the same size.

 

As a lifelong member of the ectomorphics (sounds like a band), I prefer the term svelte.

 

I've never considered myself svelte. It implies a sense of graceful movement. That is not me. If there's a word for bony and clumsy and tripping over carpet and my feet, that's me.

[PRgal]

 

So maybe "stick figure" doesn't mean eat a sandwich, you're too skinny, you're wasting away, you're bony (which I have been called and consider much worse) orI hate you. Maybe it means your waist and your hips are about the same size.

 

 

 

 

So someone who is 4'11, with a 28" waist and 35" hips is still a "stick"?  She's slim, but not THAT skinny.  She'd be around a size 8, which isn't that small, proportionately speaking for someone her height.  That's no stick. 

[auntlada]

So someone who is 4'11, with a 28" waist and 35" hips is still a "stick"?  She's slim, but not THAT skinny.  She'd be around a size 8, which isn't that small, proportionately speaking for someone her height.  That's no stick. 

 

Not in my book. If she had a 28" waist and 28" hips (and 28" inch chest -- and wasn't 10 years old), then yeah. But there's 7-inch difference between 35 and 28. (And someone who is 10 probably isn't developed more than that anyway.) I said "waist and hips about the same size." Seven inches difference isn't about the same size.

 

ETA: The phrase that comes to mind is one I'd probably never say, but it's something my mother (who is 78 this year) would have said when I was younger. She would have said that woman (or girl, depending on the age) had a "nice little figure." Again, keep in my that my mother is 78 this year, so her phraseology is sometimes old-fashioned.

Edited April 5, 2015 by auntlada

[PRgal]

Not in my book. If she had a 28" waist and 28" hips (and 28" inch chest -- and wasn't 10 years old), then yeah. But there's 7-inch difference between 35 and 28. (And someone who is 10 probably isn't developed more than that anyway.) I said "waist and hips about the same size." Seven inches difference isn't about the same size.

 

But she isn't curvy, either.  Most women who're called "stick figures" don't exactly have waists and hips that are around the same size.  A lot of women who have that seven inch difference are still called "sticks." 

 

Another thing I don't like:  People who say that size 0 is a "little girl's size."  So you're calling me a child?

[auntlada]

Well then, people should open their eyes and look harder.

I'd probably call that close to ideal. But most of what is called curvy nowadays, I'd call overweight, including me. Although when I'm talking about myself, I usually just say fat. I figure I can use that word about myself, especially since it's true. I am not huge, but for my height, which is short, and frame, which is small, I weigh too much.

To bring this back to fashion, my size makes clothes shopping a pain. Regular pants that fit waist and hips are too long, and petite pants are too short. Petite clothes are proportioned wrong for me even though by height, I am petite. My arms are too long, my waist is too long. But my mother persists in buying me petite. It never fits right.

Also, my top and bottom are different sizes, so dresses are difficult, and I like so many of the dress stules in the past few years. They are just hard to wear anymore.

And being a bony (and non-girly) person, I need plain, clean lines. I love classic tailoring. I just can't afford a lot of it.

[TattleTeeny]

I don't think "stick figure" is judgmental. Just descriptive. I'm not calling someone names. I'm sorry that you think it is a name to be called. For a long time, I had a stick figure. Then I got old, gained weight, had a baby and now can't lose it easily. I've been told to eat a sandwich. I think saying someone has a stick figure is not the same as saying "eat a sandwich." It's not saying someone is being thin on purpose. It's not even calling someone anorexic. I'm not stupid enough not to know there's a difference between being thin and being anorexic. I'm an ectomorph also. I just tend to gain weight in my hips, and like I said, have a lot of trouble losing it after having a child and getting close to menopause. I'm also flat-chested. The only time I've had cleavage to speak of, I was seven months or more pregnant, which sort of negated the joy of cleavage.

 

Even though I'm overweight now (and have a flabby stomach -- well, actually below my natural waist -- in part because of the C-section and then not doing anything to tone my abs for a long time), I'm still bony. Elbows stick out. Knees and ankle bones stick out. Sitting on a wood floor or concrete hurts because of my bones sticking out. My butt is bony. My collarbone sticks out. You can count my ribs. Well, you could if I wondered around naked, which I don't.

 

So maybe "stick figure" doesn't mean eat a sandwich, you're too skinny, you're wasting away, you're bony (which I have been called and consider much worse) orI hate you. Maybe it means your waist and your hips are about the same size.

 

 

I've never considered myself svelte. It implies a sense of graceful movement. That is not me. If there's a word for bony and clumsy and tripping over carpet and my feet, that's me.

Points taken; I apologize for harshness in my post. It's a touchy subject, and still "stick figure," while not the worst I've heard, does not sound positive. And I can identify with many, many things you've mentioned--the collarbones, the ribs, even the tripping on the carpet (and how about the hipbones bashing into just about any shelf or table edge?). And, the "skinny flab"--easy to hide but I know it's there. Anyway, I'm sorry. And thank you for your articulate rebuttal too. Further, I am starting to believe that if the clothes are made for women--any size and shape of woman--shopping is definitely more of a pain in the ass than it is for the guys.

 

I wear a 4.5 or 5 shoe (US sizes) and often need to pre-order shoes/pay full price!  I can't just walk into DSW or Marshall's and expect to find cute stuff.  And the lack of waist definition isn't just for very thin women.  You can be a size 10 and still lack waist-to-hip ratio (this is coming from a woman who typically takes size 0 or even 00, thanks to vanity sizing).

I seem to be doomed forever to buy the display shoe.

Edited April 6, 2015 by TattleTeeny

[auntlada]

(and how about the hipbones bashing into just about any shelf or table edge?).

 

Oh, God, that hurts. I hit elbows a lot, too, and run into doorways. I swear I'm not drunk (I hardly ever drink alcohol), but sometimes I just really misjudge exactly where the doorway is. I'm probably always in too much of a hurry.

 

I wear a size 7-1/2 or 8 shoe (depending on how it's made) and have a hard time finding shoes I like that fit well. They are often sold out of my size since it seems like the most popular size. Lately, though, I have a problem finding dressy heels that I like. I've been looking for more than a year for black pumps with a 1-2-inch heel that isn't platform or wedge with pointy toes that don't look too matronly (I'm 46, but I still want shoes that are cute), and I can't find any that fit. I hate wedges (I wore them when I was in junior high and don't want them now), and I would prefer a kitten heel or something similar. I've found quite a few I liked that were really cute, but they don't fit. They are all cut too narrow at the ball of the fit and too wide at the heel. My feet are wide in the front, but my heels are very, very narrow and shoes tend to slip off my heels. I'm not even sure the shoes are too narrow at the front, but their sides are too low, maybe, so they cut into my feet in a really painful way. So I'm still wearing my black pumps that are old and not cute and need new taps. But they are real leather, so the polish makes them look a lot better, and I guess I can get new taps for them. (One is loose.) I just need to find a shoe repair shop.

[TattleTeeny]

At least I have an excuse when I bash my hip when I'm drunk...it's the sober times that really piss me off. Why is everything that exact height?

[Betweenyouandme]

I've always heard ruler-shaped. Is that offensive? It's not to me, personally. I'm 5'5" and have been 72lbs-123lbs. No matter what size, I've never had a defined waist. I gain all over and lose all over. But, I had a boob job, so now I've got that. Sometimes I like it. Sometimes I don't. Depends on the clothes. Swimsuits are harder and shirts sometimes don't cling correctly.

When I was 72-92, I wore only kids. People thought I was 12. I've got tiny bones. I never looked bony. I could wrap my hand around my arm and reach my thumb to the other fingers from my shoulder all the way down to my wrist. Just no thick bones.

Pants never stay up unless they're super tight or belt.

[TattleTeeny]

I feel bad now for being pissy (not wrong, necessarily, but just bad for being so snappy about it). I am not even that sensitive about this type of thing in general; even when people make vaguely racist remarks (not saying anyone here would!), I'm usually like, "Eh, what a fuckin' dope" in my head, but just carry on unless someone goes way too far. It just bubbled up earlier and I am very sorry!

Anyway, "ruler" isn't so bad, I guess, in a certain context where a descriptive term is needed, if that makes sense? But still, all of it can sound judgmental, I guess, especially online where you haven't the benefit of inflection. And with today's "real women have curves" backlash (UGH! Not too "curves" but to "real"--like some of us are not real!) and anorexia awareness info (that sometimes people seem to jump to when they encounter a thin woman), it gets touchy. And I think it depends on how a word sounds to an individual; for instance, "bony" doesn't bug me, but it does bug auntlada--my doorway-bashing compatriot--a little. And then there are the actual people out there who say things like, "You're lucky to be so skinny" or whatever but you can tell they're saying it so mean! Again, everyone, I am sorry I got a bit overzealous! Sarcasm is my go-to! 

Edited April 6, 2015 by TattleTeeny

[grisgris]

I found this interesting website that has a pretty good assessment of body shapes/types. I had no luck with the typical "endomorph," "ectomorph," "mesomorph" descriptors, so I did some digging.

 

I'm tall and I have always had a pudgy lower abdomen and I have wide flat hips. Ugh. If pants fit through the stomach and hips, they are usually too big in the waist. The popular fit in pants of below the waist is a killer for me, as among my other "figure blessings" I have a high waist and short torso. I also have problems finding pants that are long enough and I'm not really that tall 5'9", but probably less now due to menopause, osteo, etc. I have very long arms and legs.

 

Thankfully, the pull-on styles are much better so I'm not stuck with old-time elastic waist pants.

 

I think that a lot of the conventional sizes aren't really true-to-life anymore with so many women having plastic surgery. I guess there is really nothing that can be done (yet) about hip width.

 

http://www.shopyourshape.com/

 

ETA: I'd love to see somebody call Kate Middleton "stick figure" or challenge her to "eat a sandwich!" :)

 

Check it out if you like!

Edited April 6, 2015 by grisgris

[TattleTeeny]

Oh my god--I have that leg issue too (tall family whose genes didn't reach me)! Tall people legs on short body! I am 5'4" and my legs are maybe an inch or two shorter than my 5'9" sister's! And people always think I am taller...until they see me next to someone else.

Edited April 6, 2015 by TattleTeeny

[Snarklepuss]

To bring this back to fashion, my size makes clothes shopping a pain. Regular pants that fit waist and hips are too long, and petite pants are too short. Petite clothes are proportioned wrong for me even though by height, I am petite. My arms are too long, my waist is too long. But my mother persists in buying me petite. It never fits right.

 

I have a similar but different problem.  I am almost 5'2" and curvy, plus I have a slightly short torso with longer legs for my height.  Petite pants are high waters on me and regular sized pants are often too long.  I spoke with a fashion expert once who told me she thought curvy women need a longer length because some of the length is taken up by the curves.  I never thought of it that way but I think she was right.  The fact that you have longer arms makes me think your issue is being long waisted but that would usually mean your legs would be short enough for petite if you are within the height range (which typically goes up to 5'2" or so).  When I was younger I fit petite size pants with no problem but over the years they started looking shorter and shorter to me.  I suspect that somewhere along the line they started shrinking them to fit shorter women.  I can't imagine that anyone 5'2" would fit most of these pants even if they had shorter than average legs.

Oh my god--I have that leg issue too (tall family whose genes didn't reach me)! Tall people legs on short body! I am 5'4" and my legs are maybe an inch or two shorter than my 5'9" sister's! And people always think I am taller...until they see me next to someone else.

 

Hah, that's funny I have this too and my Dad's family was tall.  My legs are as long as my best girlfriend, who is 5'7" tall! I am just a hair under 5'2".

[TattleTeeny]

It's a pants problem in and of itself, man. And it's why I do the above-the-ankle cuff with so many pairs of jeans.

[DeLurker]

I've always heard ruler-shaped. Is that offensive? It's not to me, personally. I'm 5'5" and have been 72lbs-123lbs. No matter what size, I've never had a defined waist. I gain all over and lose all over. But, I had a boob job, so now I've got that. Sometimes I like it. Sometimes I don't. Depends on the clothes. Swimsuits are harder and shirts sometimes don't cling correctly.

I've read the term ruler-shaped in various fashion magazines, so I wouldn't think it is offensive.

 

I don't think "stick figure" is judgmental. Just descriptive. I'm not calling someone names. I'm sorry that you think it is a name to be called. For a long time, I had a stick figure. Then I got old, gained weight, had a baby and now can't lose it easily. I've been told to eat a sandwich. I think saying someone has a stick figure is not the same as saying "eat a sandwich." It's not saying someone is being thin on purpose. It's not even calling someone anorexic. I'm not stupid enough not to know there's a difference between being thin and being anorexic. I'm an ectomorph also. I just tend to gain weight in my hips, and like I said, have a lot of trouble losing it after having a child and getting close to menopause. I'm also flat-chested. The only time I've had cleavage to speak of, I was seven months or more pregnant, which sort of negated the joy of cleavage.

I never had much of a chest until I was pregnant.  I discovered breasts can exist independently of you in the male world.  Actually, after a very short period of time, I couldn't wait for them to go away!  They were uncomfortable.

[Snarklepuss]

Points taken; I apologize for harshness in my post. It's a touchy subject, and still "stick figure," while not the worst I've heard, does not sound positive.

 

I think this is why they started referring to the different body types by comparing them to fruit and vegetables, LOL.  I have no problem being called a "pear" shape but if someone called me something else not so flattering, I might take offense at it.  I have heard the straight figure called just that "straight" or "rectangle" or "banana", with usually no offense taken.

Edited April 6, 2015 by Snarklepuss

[TattleTeeny]

I've been called "13-year-old-boy-shaped"--not great, but that was from a friend who was half-kidding (and not too far off the mark, to be honest). 

Ahahhaaaa--"banana"! What would that even be?

And in keeping with this thread's title, you know what I need advice about? Where to find a decent, not-squeezy, short slip with a real-deal built-in bra! I hate layering strappy things like that. It seems like slips are becoming obsolete unless they're shapewear.

[Snarklepuss]

And in keeping with this thread's title, you know what I need advice about? Where to find a decent, not-squeezy, short slip with a real-deal built-in bra! I hate layering strappy things like that. It seems like slips are becoming obsolete unless they're shapewear.

 

I don't have specific sites to give you but I think you'd have to find them mostly online now.  Don't get me started on how a lot of things are becoming obsolete in the stores, especially in the underwear department.  I pretty much get all my underwear, especially shapewear online now.  And the prices are usually better, too.  I don't mind shopping online if the garment is something I've already worn and know will fit me but buying stuff like this sight unseen doesn't work for me.

[auntlada]

I have a similar but different problem.  I am almost 5'2" and curvy, plus I have a slightly short torso with longer legs for my height.  Petite pants are high waters on me and regular sized pants are often too long.  I spoke with a fashion expert once who told me she thought curvy women need a longer length because some of the length is taken up by the curves.  I never thought of it that way but I think she was right.  The fact that you have longer arms makes me think your issue is being long waisted but that would usually mean your legs would be short enough for petite if you are within the height range (which typically goes up to 5'2" or so).  When I was younger I fit petite size pants with no problem but over the years they started looking shorter and shorter to me.  I suspect that somewhere along the line they started shrinking them to fit shorter women.  I can't imagine that anyone 5'2" would fit most of these pants even if they had shorter than average legs.

 

Hah, that's funny I have this too and my Dad's family was tall.  My legs are as long as my best girlfriend, who is 5'7" tall! I am just a hair under 5'2".

I guess I am an inch too tall for petite. I can tell when I lose weight that shorter pants are not so short, though. I think it's because they hang closer to my hipbones then.