How Do Clothes Fit Different Body Shapes?

[Bluestar07]

Totally agree with uberwench's post. To me, it's not so much the weight per se but more of how toned my body is. Clothes always hand better on toned bodies rather than flabby ones. All it takes is for me to go off from dance classes for 1 or 2 weeks and immediately, my clothes don't fit as nicely.

Another thing is in Asian countries, the girls are generally not so curvy and not so heavy chest-wise so a lot of the clothes are made for those sort of body types. I'm not totally boyish, neither do I have much womanly curves so buying clothes can be a nightmare.

 

[fashionista-ta]

I find that sometimes it is impossible for me to buy some types of clothes because of my body's build. I'm naturally curvy, unfortunately, meaning that I have trouble buying shorts because I have to get a huge size-like an 11 or 13-to accomodate my hips and butt, but it ends up being huge in the waist, to the point where wearing a belt to make it fit right makes all sorts of things go where they aren't supposed to. The sad part is no matter how much weight I lose I always be curvy and I'll never be able to find jeans and such that fit right. It has gotten to the point that because my thighs do not shrink and such, I cannot wear long pants. I have not worn long pants since 6th grade.

However the nice thing is that for formal dresses I tend to fit into them perfectly without needing that many alterations.

Trista, I went to college with a girl whose tiny waist was a couple inches bigger than each thigh. She wore things like jumpers and palazzo pants with an elastic waistband. Her mom made some of her clothes. She certainly wasn't the "norm," but IMHO was (and I'm sure still is) very sexy. I'm sure you are too Have you ever had anything made for you? OTOH, maybe you should just have a lifestyle that requires wearing a ballgown every night

 

[saraab]

I used to wear a size 12 but then I started playing sports and now I'm a size 6 and I can wear S/M tops... I notice styles for my age range looks ALOT better now that I'm smaller... but of course for more curvier gals there are always stores that carry larger sizes.. Alot of stores in the US only carry up to size 8's so...

 

[_ladybug_]

I'm 5'9'' and when I used to be slimmer I would wear a 2 but then I became sick and exercised less. Now I have a broken leg so I've gained a bit and am now a size 6/8 (in designer clothes). I will definitely be trying to get back to my old shape because for me, I just feel more comfortable in a slimmer shape. I've never been comfortable with curves on me, though I definitely believe to each his own (not wanting to offend because I do admire women who embrace their curves) I prefer the boyish look and not cleavage etc.

 

[Princess Coco]

Yes, my weight can vary between 8 to 8 and a half stones, however I actually feel at my best when I am just under 8 stones. I am quite petite and have a small build, so I just don't suit being larger. I am quite large chested though for a small person, so if I put on weight on my tummy I just look round, and clothes just do not fit well.

I am desperately trying to lose some weight just now, as I want to wear summer clothes. I just can't bear the thought of it right now

 

[Tatika]

i know this pain, ive gained about 20 pounds from the freshman 15 and then alot of emotional eating. and im the person that gains it in my trunk; my stomach, back, pootch, etc...and i hate the fact that sometimes ill buy a shirt and they open because of my tummy, its like grr........., especially because i know what i look like thinner, timy waist and large hips, sigh... time to lose a lil gut ladies, i agree...i feel my clothes fit much much much better at my normal weight

 

[lilalila]

Theres a reason why models are so skinny...

 

[kiss&tell]

I actually get alot of crap from people from my class because THEY say I'm too skinny but in fact I'm healthy like size 6, 7 or 8...

 

[Blondes]

I feel best at the lower end of my recommended BMI. Clothes just hang nicer.
I have that small waist/large hips and butt-problem too. But I find it gets a bit easier when I'm slimmer, allthough im still not in "normal" proportion. Some stores are a total nightmare.. like Zara.. don't they have butts in Spain?

A small o.t. question: What measurements (in cm's preferably) would one have (breast, waist, hips) in say a US size 8? Just for reference..

 

[Bonchic]

yes and no....

I've found that most clothes are cut or made to go out quite a bit at the hips (which I do have small but nice hips now, not too wide) so now I'll find a nice skirt/dress and it's all poofy on the sides But I'm going to start buying it anyways if I really like it, and then find a good tailor and have him take it in Generally I think it depends on the make, designer of the clothes because they are all cut different imo

 

[ShuggaStiletto]

yes, I have a long torso, shorter legs, not in shape middle area and I suppose medium wide hips. If i lost weight I think I'd have more of a tomboy-ish figure. I love clothes...well at least the idea of different styles, but then when I actually go shopping it doesn't work out very well. If I were more in shape I think clothes would fit me much better.

 

[luvmelots1983]

I have a question: does anyone have suggestions for how to camo the areas we dislike? I like this thread, but it seems that a lot of what we're doing here is saying "i like clothes better when I'm smaller/curvy". How about some tips on how clothes actually fit on the different body shapes? I know I could certainly use some help in that area!!

Bagsnthings, I'm EXACTLY like you. I'm 5'3" and my stomach's pretty much always my problem area... I constantly feel like I need to suck in. And any extra weight always goes to my stomach, which starts to protude really badly, my waist, and my arms. Also my face gets puffier and I lose my cheekbones. I'm trying to lose the weight, but in the meantime, I could use some styling tips on covering those areas without resorting to sweatpants. I still want to look fashionable and feel comfortable, but in the meantime, I tend to hide myself in large t-shirts and try to not leave the house.

Also, I really do get that it's best to wear well-fitting clothes rather than swimming in large oversize clothes, because that just makes you look bigger.... but I'm not so comfortable wearing form-fitting clothes when I feel like I'm holding some extra weight.

 

[missroadkill]

I was never over weight to begin with, but there was a point in time when I was at my heaviest and had fat hanging over my jeans/bottoms and stuff like that. I felt so much better after i lost some weight. things def fit better!

 

[tindi-rindi]

I like how I look in general, I mean it`s ok, I can handle it I have a hourglass shape, very tiny waist, hips and some breast. But it`s so difficult to wear things when you are hourglass shaped, if I want to show my waist then my hips look huge, because of a contrast of tiny waist and hips. It is ok if you like to wear this stuff to show how womanly you are, but I`m only 22 and I`d like to wear loose tanks (and its impossible- if I hide my waist I look like a barrel), skinny pants (they dont really look good on hourglass shaped people, no matter what others say ) and etc., and even if i loose weight, my hips dont go anywhere i get only even more tiny waist ....thats depressing

Damn this world is so hard to live in .......

 

[bagsnthings]

It's doesn't really sound like you are a true hourglass. It sounds like you are smaller on the top and bigger on the bottom. Thats a triangle body type. If you lose weight does your upper body get much smaller than your hips and thigh area?

 

[Angyl]

A lot of my issues have to do with being short waisted. I'm pretty short (5'1ish) and having hips wit ha short waist on top of that really kills things. It looks fine when I'm at a size 6 or less, but I'm at a size 8 now and most things look very...frumpy on me as a result.

 

[fashionista-ta]

I have a question: does anyone have suggestions for how to camo the areas we dislike? I like this thread, but it seems that a lot of what we're doing here is saying "i like clothes better when I'm smaller/curvy". How about some tips on how clothes actually fit on the different body shapes? I know I could certainly use some help in that area!!

Bagsnthings, I'm EXACTLY like you. I'm 5'3" and my stomach's pretty much always my problem area... I constantly feel like I need to suck in. And any extra weight always goes to my stomach, which starts to protude really badly, my waist, and my arms. Also my face gets puffier and I lose my cheekbones. I'm trying to lose the weight, but in the meantime, I could use some styling tips on covering those areas without resorting to sweatpants. I still want to look fashionable and feel comfortable, but in the meantime, I tend to hide myself in large t-shirts and try to not leave the house.

Also, I really do get that it's best to wear well-fitting clothes rather than swimming in large oversize clothes, because that just makes you look bigger.... but I'm not so comfortable wearing form-fitting clothes when I feel like I'm holding some extra weight.

I have this issue as well ... particularly when I retain water. It's also related to stress ... And if I gain any weight (just recently I have lost 10+ lbs), this is where it likes to go. The dairy industry has done some research that seems to show dairy helps with this. I tend to think it may be true. Light meals, whole grains, etc. also good.

My entire wardrobe is designed to accommodate this issue (as well as the 38DD) ... if you take a look at what I've bought (all recent purchases I have pix of are in the 4-5 piece French wardrobe thread), you can see some examples of what works.

 

[tigerrouge]

A lot of our "problems" would be solved if we had access to a personal tailor - in an ideal world! I'm never surprised when most of the clothes I see in a shop don't fit my shape, because they weren't made with my shape in mind.

The skinnier I am, the greater proportion of clothes I can fit into, but there's still no guarantee that they'll flatter the parts of me that I like. Sometimes I feel like nothing properly "fits" me, which is why I end up wearing the same cherished items to death.

 

[aquamarine]

I just realized I posted in here two years ago - and boy has my body changed.

I'm back to my body's ideal weight (BMI of roughly 21) and it's such a huge effect (I lost about 22lbs, I think). I look and feel so much better... and guess what? I can finally just go out and buy stuff (if I have money anyways ). Not everything, as I'm still short and curvy, but it's so much easier. I feel like an entirely different person and have finally accomodated to by "new old body".

Clothes just drape better.

 

[DandyWarhol]

well im really tall and what my mom calls stringbean: ive got no defined waist, hips, or boobs. basicaly your average stick bug, and i know when im buying jeans, a 0 or 2 which would fit someone else perfectly is either too short in the legs or way to loose in the hips, which means ive got to get everything altered, which makes everything a pain in the behind.