And last night I was thinking that I need to watch some old 40's movies to get an idea of outfits to make.

Note: I have some patterns from the 1940's that I inherited when my grandmother passed away. She had some awesome shoes from that period, too. They wouldn't fit me so my mom donated them. Then I took fashion merchindising and really regretted that I didn't keep them.

This is an awesome thread!!!!!!!! I've had to figure out a lot of these secrets through trial and error. Wrap skirts and dresses ROCK and Goodwill is my saving grace. This past weekend I went to the mall and got a bra fitting, a makeover and a curling iron!

I'm really struggling with the "know your age" thing, however. I'm 35 and can't tell if I need to adjust or not. (I don't shop in the Junior's section, but I'm totally addicted to skorts and I think they might be too short.....)

ya, sorry... skorts after 35 only on tennis courts or possibly golf course. Shame, eh?

My first small goal (after the first 10 kilos) I want to splurge on some new undies

Thanks for the tips!!

I guess I'm just going to look freaky then, cause it's 101 here in Alabama today, I'm 46, and I'm wearing a skort. Oh, and flipflops are my shoe of choice. Love those things !

Lisa

new undies! Love new undies!!!! I actually love wearing the ones I bought and couldn't fit into, too!

I used to have the drawer of 'way too tight, but if I didn't do laundry, better than hanging it all out' underwear. Now they ALL fit!

Damn. No skorts?!?!?! I have thick thighs and a small waist, so I thought they were a great solution to hide that "tug" in the hoo-hoo area. (Camel toe, anyone?) What about skirts? How long should they be? (And this is all casual wear for me. I work from home and my idea of a "night out" is rock climbing by the full moon - not really a fashion diva)

Undies are a BIG problem for me right now. When I was heavier, I carried a lot of my weight in my tooshie and for some reason, that seems to be the place I have lost the most weight, so I've got a lot of sag going on. My butt sags right out of everything I've tried on - boy shorts, bikini, granny panties. Bleh.

uh, camel toe is cuz you're wearing a size too small, unfortunately.

I'd go for some sundresses for about the town in the summer (simple ones) Rock climbing? Awesome... ya, don't wear the pointy toed shoes for that.

Well I have just loved this thread. Fashion is my middle name

Penni - let me ask you something about my body style as it relates to pants/jeans. I am 5ft 9in and ALL leg. I usually purchase my jeans/pants in a 33 in to 34 in inseam to accomodate for my heels. But I struggle with jeans/pant fit becasue I am extremely short wasted. Quite literally, my belly button is just a few inches from my 'girls'.

To date, I've looked for a low-rise pant/jean - one that fits low on the hip. I've found this elongates my torso. However, I just hate two things about low rise pants:
1) I always seem to get a muffin top with those types of jeans
2) I despise how they go down and potentially show off my crack

Am I just destined for low-rise pants because of my short waist?

Also - what are your thoughts on the new jean trend - high rise jeans? I have seriously considered getting a pair (hey, it'll hold in my muffin top) but I'm struggling with what type of top to wear. I've read in one magazine to look for a top that will tie at the waist. That's a bit too casual for me, personally. So is a tucked in shirt appropriate for a high-rise jean?

Or maybe I should stay away from high-rise jeans, because of my short waist?

And allow me to add, Spanx is God's gift to women. That is my fashion secret!

Edited to add: about the jeans/pants - I also have VERY thin legs. My DH calls me chicken legs

I'm short torsoed, long legged, too... if only my torso had grown to match my legs I'd be awesome...

Try to get the mid rise jean. so that they are still under your belly button but way above the uh... plumber's bum.
The best shirt for you are those lovely floaty peasant style shirts and 'baby doll' styles so that they cover the muffin area and they look flirty and sweet. So many new ones are coming for fall too.

The high rise pants I wore in the 70s. I looked like I was just legs and boobs. To elongate, wear the top in the brighter colour and let it come down lower than your belly button. I'd pass on the high rise pants. I hafta.

Good thread Penn,
The shoe thing. Much to my disgust, after almost three years with only one pair of good dress shoes, I was ecstatic to open my box of shoes. Went to dress up to go out to a classy restaurant that evening and discovered that size wise they were unsalvagable. Not only too long, but farrrrrrrr too wide. Guess that's what losing 100lbs will do. (oh yeah, and all that fluid!)

As for how to dress, try dressing professional while living on the edge of the world. I have not yet figured out the balance between too casual and too citified for a female minister in this remote very small city. And most of the ladies my age and around my size wear polyester elastic waist pants in a variety of colours, many pastels, and generic, very square, print blouses over top that hide a variety of figure flaws, but alas give no hint that there is actually a figure. Top that with the fact that there are really no large size stores in our lovely little remote city and I think my sewing machine will be going into overdrive.

Ahhh, underwear. Last winter I actually had to throw out my underwear after wearing it to keep from washing it and putting it back in the drawer. Pretty underwear that fits is a really good feeling.

Bought a pink purse before I left the rest of the world and hope I get the courage to actually use it here!

Well, this has me inspired to go rifling through my patterns so I can buy some fabric when I travel to Calgary in a couple of weeks.

Happy fashion journeys everyone!

I'll give those mid-rise a whirl. And I figured the high-rise was out of the question but I do think they are sooooo cute!

why don't you try them and see? it will just make your legs look longer... you could wear them with a little jacket to even things out i bet.

I certainly will.

Penni - are jackets big for this fall? I do love a jacket. I have so many that I can't count them all. I just love them with jeans.

Another question - this one about hair.....

what are your thoughts on the 'reverse bob'? I know it's another 'must have' for the fall. I'm kinda hooked on my long hair (because I can do lots with it).