Category Archives: trousers

Heavy Thighs Fashion Alert

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In order to feel our best, our clothes should be a reflection of our inner selves. We should aim to dress to express something of our personality. However, being aware of any physical shortcomings (or excesses) we might have, it makes sense to keep them in mind when choosing an outfit.

We previously covered the flattering aspects of wide legged and palazzo pants for those of us with heavy thighs, however….

Fashion is fickle – we are bombarded by images of what is ‘in’ right now. To the concern of those of us with classically feminine thighs (?), the dreaded skinny jeans appear to be ‘de rigueur’ at present.

Don’t panic!

Don’t be tempted to:

a) Throw away your wide legged trousers
or
b) Squeeze yourself into skinny jeans.

(Have you noticed the bargain rails in stores are full of extremely skinny pants they have been unable to sell – the times they are a-changin’!)

So, short of ignoring fashion trends altogether, what is available to us?

Fortunately, there are readily available options…

*viscose-cuffed-trousersLook for a selection of pants which, while a little narrower in the leg, still avoid clinging to your thighs, while skimming them politely. There are a variety available in the shops in viscose, a very co-operative fibre.

vicose-ruched-bottomsTo get the narrower look without the severity of ‘skinny bitch’ jeans, search for pants which are loosely caught in at the ankle, either slightly ruched on each side seam or tapered gently to the ankle. (They are available, don’t be scared of looking in the cheap trendy shops (Newlook in the UK, Ally, SES & Valley Girl in Australia or ASOS online globally) they are often one step ahead. The fashions may look ‘too young’ at times in these shops, but they often stock useful basic lines unavailable elsewhere)

Terrible-baggy-pants-unflattering-to-most-figure-typesBE WARY THOUGH, of baggy summer trousers, elasticated sharply at the ankle – they tend to ride above the ankle bone and thereby give a very unflattering line to most figure types by visually shortening the legs (read more about visually lengthening your legs here)

In order to look elegant in slimmer line trousers we need to put away the shorter tops which look so good with our wide legged pants. Don’t throw them away – they will be back!

soft-unstructured-top-with-narrower-leg-pantsTo complement the perfect pants when you find them – look for equally unstructured tops in similar soft fabrics and select a length most flattering to your figure type – you will know them when you try it on!

loose-unstructured-top-with-narrow-leg-pants

Happy Shopping!

Men have proportion problems too!

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The Classic – Mad Men and James Dean.

The classic man’s suit has something important in common with its casual equivalent – the Levi jeans and shirt / t-shirt combo. The reason they have been popular for so many decades is that they both camouflage any figure problems men may have*.

* Men don’t have the same issues as women of course, but nevertheless basic body proportions vary, length of torso vs length of legs etc., wide hips, skinny legs / arms (you can see how the twin outfits of men’s suits / classic jeans / shirt perfectly do the job of disguising any problems)

Men, wisely or instinctively have recognised for years that they look better in these classics. However, while still attractive and readily available staples, they can be a tad predictable and men might feel the need for a change now and again too!

The Recent Past – Teddy Boys and drainpipes, flares & flowers.

There have been some forays into various options over the years, sometimes interesting, sometimes disastrous.
There was the ‘Peacock Revolution’ in London in the 1960’s – brightly coloured suits with flared trousers replaced the traditional dark ones. Cravats and slim fitting floral shirts made an appearance, often worn with high waisted flared trousers or jeans and platform soled shoes which enhanced the tall lean look.

These were a welcome change after the post war uniformity of the 40’s & 50’s, which was broken only by the Teddy Boys with their Edwardian style frockcoats, drainpipe trousers and crêpe soled shoes (brothel creepers). The drainpipes regained their popularity when they were adopted by punk culture. But on the whole, very little improvement has been made on the classics in terms of enhancing the male image.

The Future – Men or insects?

There was a vibe at the end of the 90’s when it seemed there might be an exciting change of direction in men’s clothing. It felt as if there might be a shift towards shapes and fabrics inspired by the east. Softer, longer collarless shirts, layering, looser unstructured pants. But 9/11 quickly quashed that particular possibility and sent men’s fashion running for cover.
There has still been a leaning towards eastern influences, unfortunately , very half-hearted, with garments arriving in the shops completely out of context, with no supporting image to aspire to. An example of this is the dropped crotch jeans/trousers which look dreadful worn with traditional western shirts/t-shirts.
The super skinny jeans so popular now are another example of a garment which needs to worn with appropriate tops – not just slotted into an existing wardrobe. There have been some terrible sightings of short legged, wide hipped men wearing really tight figure hugging jeans with short tops, looking like some type of two legged insect.

While we wait for something new…

So if we are looking for a gentle change for you guys – let’s look at some basic guidelines:

  • Be aware that the male models you see advertising a look – they are picked, like the female equivalent because they are almost perfect.
  • If you know you have short legs try to cover the point where your legs join your body – but don’t overdo it – just cover!
  • Unless you are uniformly slender try to avoid the skinny pants look – generally speaking they don’t look good on any other figure type, unless accompanied by a longer, softer style of shirt (you will have to shop around – look online)
  • Make use of the well tested outfits – suits, jackets, classic jeans but look for more interesting fabric, prints, weaves, textures, colours – be adventurous!
  • Unless you are really well proportioned (look in a full length mirror, be honest, as a friend) avoid wearing a strong contrast in colour on your top and bottom halves.
  • Consider your colouring – eyes particularly.
    If you have blue eyes – wearing blue close to your face will enhance your eyes, likewise if you have green or brown eyes choose shades of these colours.

 

The Last Piece of the Puzzle

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Dresssense is essentially a guide to dressing for the figure we have right now. Some aspects of our shape + proportion we can do nothing to change – but, looking around, how many of us would clearly benefit from losing a few kilos?

We have all tried various regimes and diets suggested by manufacturers and magazines – some with a little success sometimes.

The truth is – we can all lose weight if we really want to – without paying a cent. We have to fully accept the responsibility ourselves.

So here it is:

The Last Piece of the Puzzle

Okay girls – we all know what we should and shouldn’t eat, we all know we have to exercise – we all know we should drink more water –

SO WHAT IS GOING WRONG?
WHY AREN’T WE LOSING THOSE EXTRA KILOS?

The answer is simple – we have developed bad habits which are sabotaging our efforts – EVERY DAY!

The Ten Deadly Habits

  1. Imaginary “calorie cancellation”
    Be honest with yourself – be aware of everything which passes your lips. There are no free calories – even that chip from someone else’s plate!
  2. Learn to distinguish real hunger from ‘fancying something to eat’. Teach yourself to enjoy the sensation of hunger!
  3. Portion size – we are generally smaller than men and therefore require fewer calories – keep this in mind when dishing up!
  4. Breakfast – sorry, but it is essential.
    It takes three weeks at most to learn to enjoy it. (Women who skip breakfast but on weight more readily – FACT.)
  5. Concentrate – eat only when you can pay full attention to your food – no mindless chewing in front of the TV or cinema screen! 
  6. Eat slowly – give yourself time to enjoy every mouthful and chew well (and give your stomach time to send a message to your brain to tell it when you have had enough!)
  7. Beware of cheese – very high in calories and as we know, very tasty – choose lean protein instead.
  8. Eating out – the more we eat out the less nutritious our diet becomes – FACT.
  9. Soft Drinks – they are all either full of sugar or chemicals, neither of which we need – train your palate to enjoy plain water and green tea or herbal teas, or pure fruit juice diluted with water.
  10. Alcohol – Sorry – this is a habit most of us have come to enjoy – but if we value our health, looks and waistline, one drink a day is the only safe allowance – two for special occasions!
IT MAKES SENSE TO BECOME AWARE OF THESE SLY LITTLE HABITS –

REGAIN CONTROL!

Sculpting with Tone

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Remembering the basic principles that dark colours appear to shrink and light colours appear to enlarge, we can manipulate our outfits to create the shape we want.

If you have just one problem area, such as big hips, saddlebags or bust, it is a great technique to always use your dark tones on these areas and highlight your better features with lighter tones.

Those of us who are shorter, chunkier or have shorter legs than we would like would be well advised to avoid wearing strongly contrasting tones on our top and bottom halves. For example, don’t visually cut yourself in half by wearing a dark top and light trousers or light top and dark skirt. Any visual dissection like that will further reduce the length of your body (see illustration below).

By keeping your top and bottom halves tonally close you will give the illusion of a slimmer, taller you. This does not mean that both halves have to be the same colour – just tonally similar – as light or dark as each other.

This season there are cleverly designed dresses available which do the work for us, making use of tonal contrast to flatter any figure. It is a simple trick, not new, but very effective. The idea is that the central panel of the garment is in one colour, or print, while the side panels, framing it, are in a darker tone. If the contrast is too great, for example black and white, this technique can look too obvious, but Mark & Spencers have produced some very successful examples this season.

Play around with these ideas to visually sculpt a new you without the gym.

Average Proportions and Looking Good

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Most of us have fairly average proportions. By being aware of how different tones work, we can make our clothes enhance the way we look.

The basic principles of sculpting with tone are:

  • Dark colours absorb light – visually receding (shrinking)
  • Light colours reflect light – visually advancing (enlarging)

Useful if you need to visually widen your shoulders – good for hippy girls too, as it helps to balance shoulders and hips.

Therefore, people with very slim figures can wear all light coloured outfits with no problem – in fact those who feel they are too thin will find that light colours help to give them volume.

The rest of us know how wearing black outfits visibly ‘shrinks’ our outline – great for ‘feeling fat’ days! But some people are convinced that they can’t wear black for various reasons. I  believe everyone can wear black to great effect with a little planning.

Redheads always look great in black – simply because they have enough natural colour above the neckline to carry it off effortlessly – warm hair & skin tone, green or blue eyes, possibly freckles & rosy cheeks. It is often a favourite colour of redheads as it is a perfect foil for their natural palette.

Those of us without the advantage of an interesting natural colour scheme don’t need to be left out:

  • Eyebrows – if you have indeterminate eyebrows get them tinted and shaped
  • Eye Make-up – a little more pronounced than you would normally wear – experiment with eye shadow colours.
  • A little blusher – always flattering to give your face definition.
  • Highlight brow bones & cheekbones.

Using these hints, you can wear black when you choose, looking glamorous and not dowdy (and a size smaller too!)

Are Heavy Thighs your issue?

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The female body typically carries an extra layer of fat tissue – it is what gives us our curves and softness, but an excess in specific areas can be a problem.

The thighs can stubbornly retain fat, creating an impediment to elegance. Fortunately there are several simple ways to conceal over enthusiastic thighs thereby drawing attention away from them.

Trouser / Pant suggestions for troublesome thighs

  • When choosing trousers, if there is a definite convex outline when you look at your side view – then those pants are not for you!
  • Similarly, try to avoid trouser styles which are tight enough to produce horizontal creasing around the crotch – these become exaggerated as you walk and draw attention to the problem.
  • Try instead elegant and flattering Palazzo pants or the similar Katharine Hepburn wide legged and tailored long pants almost touching the floor (over shoes with heels to keep yourself in proportion).
  • One last piece of trouser advice – avoid sharply tapered trousers, these create a peg shape, highlighting the contrast between bulky thighs and narrow calves.

Skirts for thicker thighs

  • Avoid skirts cut on the bias – they cling in all the wrong places for you.
  • High waisted skirts and dresses which flare and skim over the thighs are the kindest shape as well as the current trend for full length floaty dresses which are ideal for concealing this particular problem area.

We’ve also created a Pinterest board with some examples of outfits to help you find your style with heavy thighs.