Happy Tew's Day!

[shadesong]

Feeling much less crazy today than yesterday, as it's beginning to seem like everything's going to work out okay.

So today, I'm wearing a longsleeved black t-shirt with the new carpenter/painter jeans - you know the kind I mean, with the extraneous loops of fabric and little pockets and stuff? And my 10-hole black Docs and jack-o-lantern earrings and stealth pigtails. But. The jeans. They hug the butt, then widen out so they're more than boot-cut but less than flares.

I know the girls are getting this. I know the guys are not. Is okay.

So. I was reflecting on the fact that the way the jeans widen at the bottom accentuates my height, or lack thereof. And I was thinking about how, for *years*, I dressed to make myself look taller...yes, I used to wear heels. And only short skirt, and slim pants, and the pants always darker than the top, et cetera.

And that has changed in the past year or so. Now I wear - and love - ankle-length skirts. And these new jeans. I'm playing up my lack-of-height instead of trying to dress around it. Combine that with the 80s-cartoon shoelaces, the stealth pigtails, the clunky boots... I'm entering a punky-little-kid phase, I think.

The only thing I'm still very mindful of, clothingwise, is my short torso. I'm 4'11", with legs that are supposedly long for my height - and a torso that is short, yes, even for my height. Makes bra shopping a bitch, but even more so... it makes me look like I don't have a waist. And I do, I really do, it's just a very *short* waist, and I have what bheansidhe referred to as a 'turtle of fat' on my belly, so I have to only wear shirts that drape a certain way...

So. Female people (and any clothing-conscious males). Is there anything that you play up/play down when you're getting dressed? Do you hide chunky thighs or play up your fabulous rack? I'm curious. :)

Comments

hmm...

[anexstacy.livejournal.com]

I play up my freak! Does that count? =)

Re: hmm...

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Sure does!

I'm the department secretary here, I sit at the front desk... the pigtails and Docs are as freaky as I can get without raising eyebrows. :(

Re: hmm...

[ginger]

Hee. Once upon a time, we were looking to find a new way to phrase "equal opportunity employer" that didn't sound quite so stodgy and official. Someone suggested "This is the Crisis Clinic, half our staff is queer and the receptionist has blue hair and fourteen tattoos." The marketing director loved it, but the exec director wasn't so sure :)

Re: hmm...

[ginger]

(er....the receptionist in question being me. *grin*)

Play up/play down...

[avivasedai.livejournal.com]

I keep my hair up at work, and most of the time, because I know it flatters me more with it down, and I don't want to draw that kind of attention most of the time. I go for ankle-length skirts, but only because I like them a lot; I'd show off my calves but not my thighs. (My calves rock, no joke.) When I was in gym-mode, I was fine w/going sleeveless, but I'm a bit more wary about it now - need to go back to the gym. }B-)

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

I'd like to dress in the swashbuckler style - knee high boots, tight trousers, floppy shirt, rapier. Aside from rapiers being illegal as an item of dress, there's also the fact that tight trousers can be problematical. I'm not aware of being, ah, overly well endowed, as it were, but I have yet to meet a pair of even slightly tight trousers that were not downright bloody uncomfortable.

As to what I *do* play up - I loom, not by virtue of size so much as force of personality, so large boots, large coats, and a lot of dark colors add to this and make sure that I rarely have to fight through crowds - people clear out of my way. My arms are lightly tanned and reasonably muscular, so I like to leave them bare - even in this foul and cold weather. When my hair is in good order, I'll draw attention to the fact that it's long with ribbons, braids, and leather ties. I accentuate my breadth of shoulders with loose shirts with lace-up v-necks.

Hm. Never looked at it like that before...

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Damn, Drew, you sound yummy. :)

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

*grin* Bear in mind that I'm broad of belly as well as broad of shoulder, and hairier than some breeds of dog. :)

Tights?

[zammis.livejournal.com]

Ever tried tights instead? they can be marvelously comfortable..

www.tightsgoddess.com

Re: Tights?

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they'd work, or leggings, except that Irish weather sort of demands that you wear something else over them.

Re: Tights?

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Oooh, shiny...

[songwind.livejournal.com]

I've been way lazy about it lately, but when I had enough spare cash to dress for it, I went for shirts in cuts and patterns that show off my broad shoulders. When I was thin I also went in for pants with wider waists, including two buttons, to make the V from my shoulders to waist and my butt below my waist more noticable.

[yendi]

I try to play up my fabulous rack, of course. :-)

Seriously, I try not to play up my gut. Other than that, nothing much.

[voltbang.livejournal.com]

I like being tall, but I'm not sure if how I dress accentuates that or hides it. I never ever wear shorts. I think I ought to start wearing more wifebeaters (more in this case being at least one) to show off my ink, but the season is wrong.

Any crap I carry with me, cell phone pager pilot leatherman etc has to fit smoothly into my clothes, and mostly be hidden away. I like to have stuff with me, I don't like to be festooned with gizmos. I recently got a new backpack to carry my book and pilot in, which gives me space for the digital camera and a few other goodies.

[fiddledragon]

I tend to dress to minimize my tummy - 'cuz oh boy do I know what you mean by turtle of fat on my belly.

I would love to dress to accentuate my waist - 'cuz even at my weight, I definitely have that particular curve.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

You could do the flowing skirts, like jenkitty and I...

Re:

[fiddledragon]

*laugh* that would require me feeling comfortable wearing skirts! My favorite outfit? Jeans and a t-shirt. Skirts tend to make me feel frumpy because I feel like I"m hanging all over the place, whereas jeans feel like they're holding me in. With a long t-shirt over, you can't see the bits that poke out over the top, nor the parts that are being held in. Sweater over that, and I feel warm :)

Also can't stand wearing turtlenecks without a sweater - I feel like they're too revealing of shape.

[nikkiewarui.livejournal.com]

I try to play down my little "turtle of fat" around my tummy by wearing shirts that cover it but aren't exceedingly baggy. Of course I try to play up my bust by wearing babydoll tee's (even in this weather) b/c considering my size (5'3, size 7 and 97 lbs) I have a pretty nice rack.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Aii. I used to be your weight...

And hello, by the way!

[hotcoffeems.livejournal.com]

I play down my legs, which are short, muscular, and very knock-kneed. And I have little fatty pockets at the top of the outside of the thighs. Problem is, I also have a nice booty, which I prefer to flaunt, but it's hard to show off Da Butt without accentuating those thighs. (That's my butt in the icon, you know.)

It may be my age, but I adamantly refuse to wear bell-bottoms, on principle. It even dates me that I call them bell-bottoms instead of flares or bootcut or whatnot.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

You should look into these carpenter pant thingies. They hug my butt, but they're loose on the legs, and not flared...

[jenkitty.livejournal.com]

technoshaman likes me and riverheart in long flowing skirts because they accentuate and flatter the hips and bottom. :)

And yes, I know precisely what you mean by a "turtle of fat." I have it, too... and a long, flowing skirt will camoflage that, too.

As to what I like to play up... I'm rather fond of my shoulders *grin*

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Exactly my objective with the flowy skirts. :)

[piratejenny.livejournal.com]

Currently I dress to hide the belly, but as I finally got the damned mat for pilates last night, that'll be changing. Conversely, I also dress to show I have a waist--I'm so not fond of elastic waistbands cause I feel they just look awful on me. I also tend to accentuate my height, though not my rack so much at work (play is another issue). I'm probably a bit more self-concious about the tummy than I need to be. Lately I've been in an equestrian phase, cause the look works so well on me. Today, though, I'm wearing a black lycra top, black cardigan with thin velvet trim (and a few, tasteful sequins on the buttons, my blackwatch kilt (above the knee), and riding boots. Must get tights for the winter though--stockings just don't cut it.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I need tights so I can continue to wear my skirts!

My skirts have elastic waistbands - not that you can tell, as I never tuck in my shirts. That whole elongate-the-torso thing.

[mooseloon.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. In the past year or so I re-discovered tank tops (and have prety recently discovered bra-tops). I"m at that I almost have noticible bicepts stage (well, i notice them) and like to flaunt them. I just need to paddle and climb more... these tops also accentuate my realtivly broad shoulders (for a female).

Occasionally (in the right audience) i'll go for something that does NOT include a sports bra on top - to show that I actually do have some amount of a chest (albeit a AA one). I think I'd look very silly with a larger one though. I'm much more confortable in things that make me look like i have as little chest as possible. They, coincidentally keep it out of the way for things like climbing and running about.

I'm probably one of the few females in existance who can say the next part - i like my tummy. It COULD be better, but I still like it. when I try I can see just the faintest outline of a 6 pack. I also like that when I inhale i can see faint rib outlines.

I also tend to play with my hair-I almost always have it up, so i'll put it down but with something like little pigtail braids to keep it out of my eyes. I really want my hair to get the hint and get longer (its in that sorta nebulous average-y long, semi mid back point. i want it close to waist length). Earings will also appear occasionally, as will my other necklace (if the top i'm wearing allows it to not fight with the one that lives on me)

My upper body far outweights my lower body in goodness. Nothings particuarly bad, but nothing exciting either. I live in green zip off leg carbo pants. Black jeans are usually considered dressed up (fairly close fitting- not tight but not baggy either). Otherwise i'll go for longer than ankle length flowing skirts. I *refuse* to wear anything shorter than that, as well as really wearing any store made skirts. They dont fit right and are never how i want them.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

See, I used to like my tummy. Then I had a kid...

[storme]

I long ago realised that there were no jeans in the world that'd make my legs look good, and I've never worn jeans since - long loose trousers or long skirts suit me fine.

I'm terrible self-conscious about my body - I know I can look good in some formal clothing (anything which laces up at the back is great, as it actually makes the clothing show off my waist). It's a bit impractical for everyday wear, though. And they tend to make my bosom a little too prominent for my tastes.

Most of the time, I just tend to go for clothing which makes me a little less plump-looking - long skirts, loose-but-not-silly-baggy trousers, long jumpers. Though I'm only 5'2, I'd much rather look thin than tall :).

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

I dress, for the most part, to accentuate my *attitude*. I wear leotards and jeans. Flowy skirts and tank tops. Bolero jackets with flowing skirts and swoop around regally because it makes me feel like Cordelia or Ekaterin. Anything that makes me feel good, because when I *feel* good, that's when I *look* good.

Now, dressing to go out dancing is another matter entirely. Then, I like to wear skirts, because it accentuates the smoothness of the motion. I especially like shorter skirts (not *short*), right to the knee or so, because then if I swirl they go up *just* far enough to hint and tease.

[mightywombat.livejournal.com]

I wear baggy clothes to hide my thickening middle. I just don't like tight clothes. You MIGHT be able to talk me into a tight pair of pants, since I'm not pretty confident that I have a decent butt...

[ariadnesthread.livejournal.com]

All too frequently, I dress for invisibility. Long skirts with T-shirts (dressy, matching ones) or sweaters, usually, or long dresses. Sometimes slacks and sweaters. New for winter this year, I have two long suit-ish skirts with blouses to go with them. I used to dress slightly naughty-schoolgirl (short plaid wool miniskirts, tights, slightly fitted sweaters), but I've grown rounder since. I really need to get back into them, though, because they looked good.

On rare occasions, I dress to be noticed. That usually involves a short (knee-length or slightly above knee) dress or skirt and maybe a cleavage-emphasizing shirt. Also involves my hair being down and fluffed up more than usual (usual=fairly tame, non-fluffy spiral curls, barette or headband in it). I'm always surprised when people comment on my appearance in a positive way. Probably because the only people who've ever told me I was pretty and meant it are blood relatives.

[crimmycat.livejournal.com]

I tend to dress in baggy tshirts and layers to hide the fact that I'm not one of the guys, for warmth and comfort. I like dark colors, especially black jeans, to try to seem to slim down my hips and thighs. The black leather trench not only looks good, keeps me warm, but also provides a little social space, gives me the ability to be antisocial if I so feel. And it tends to scare drivers into avoiding me when I cross the street.

When I'm dressing up, I tend to go for long sheath-dresses, the kind with slits up to the thigh so I can still walk at a good stride, but showing off the small waist and rack up top while slimming out the bottom half and hiding my knees. When I do wear skirts, they're flowy ankle length - that same showing off my ass while not showing my thighs principle.

as for my hair, I haven't been happy with it since it got longer than three inches - but the boys get upset at threats to cut it, so it keeps growing. It's now nearly to the bottom of my shoulderblades, and I'm trying to remember how to braid to keep it out of the way.

[crisavec.livejournal.com]

Yes.....we do.

[dawn-again.livejournal.com]

Hrmmm, well, lessee, Suits. I own LOTS of suits. Actually I tend to dress for my enviornment. Right now im in the office, so im dressed to fit in amongst the lawyers but still have the freedom of movement to do my job (Im a dispatcher, occasionally I have to go chase taxis in the street). Suit jacket, snug Tshirt or tank-top under it, black boot-cut leggings and chunky-heeled loafers that I can run in.

Weekends I live in leggings and tees or sweatshirts. But to go "out"? Skirts. The shorter the better. I'm a big woman, but I have great legs. Comes of not having a car and having to walk. As far as tops go, I go low-cut, but not trashy. Play up the legs and chest to hide the middle!
My current preferred ensemble is a button down blouse left loose over a mid-thigh length skirt and my much prized embroidered burgundy suede vest.

[ginger]

I tend to spend 90% of the time in either jeans or cargo pants (with a special fondness for a pair of vintage Vietnam BDU's) and strappy tank tops, with an overshirt if necessary. :)