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Not sure of your body shape? Read up on the Body Shapes Explained posts to help you find it.
If you are an X shape, then you are best to avoid looking at clothing with these features:
- Lots of horizontal detail across the hips.
- Patch pockets on the hips
- Tops that don’t show off your defined waist.
- Jackets that aren’t tailored to show off your waist, and especially those that end around your lower hips, you’re better off with a shorter high hip length.
- Distressing on jeans across your hips
- Anything boxy or square
- Ending your tops down on your low hip (same as for the A shape).
What do you Xs avoid taking into the change room?
Yay, I am happy to see you did X next, cuz I am an X.
I've made many mistakes over the years – distressing across hips, patch pockets, boxy vests (do ANY vests work for Xs?) … eventually I noticed they were wrong!
The one I struggle with is jackets that end at the low hip. I've a long torso, and jackets that are meant to go a bit past the crotch generally end right at my crotch level … on the up side they show off my waist. So I still wear them, because 3/4 length is just too unrelaxed (I'm a total relaxed/natural type) and usually doesn't show off the waist either, and short jackets don't keep me warm enough.
I hate belts or anything that I can feel tight on my waist, so my only way to show it off is to wear fitted tops – which is just fine.
Needless to say it's really hard to find pants that fit well (loose in the hips, high enough rise). I am learning to sew!
As for skirts, I can't wear short ones because of leg hair (I've a LOT and any way I remove it doesn't last at all; I haven't tried laser but shaving would have to be done twice a day, and waxing leaves them smooth for at most 1 week, then they have to grow for 3 to be waxed again). So I go for long a-line skirts, which looks beautiful, but is a bit odd – few people (esp. in their late 20s like me) wear such long skirts. Or maybe I'm just being self-conscious.
What you taught me to avoid is tops with detailing at the bottom, cuz that is not where I want attention.
I've also been experimenting with layering tops to compliment my long rise.
So after all that rambling, I would add to your no-no's list:
- non-a-line skirts
- skinny jeans/pants
- short shorts
A big YES for me is 3/4 length sleeves – they point to the waist, whereas long sleeves point to the hips.
- tall & slim anon
I'm an X also -assessed by you when i visited Melbourn in October, actually, a great experience! I've reread your advices for the X-shape and agree these are flop proof choices. But – sometimes I want variety. I'm rather tall with an average weight for my height (1.72 m/63 kg) and don't have looking taller and slimer as a main goal when I dress. Actually I would feel quite comfortable in the outfit shown with skinny jeans anf ruffled top. This way i would show my legs, and onlookers would just presume my upper body was in proportion with my lower body, hiding the facts that I have a short waist, long rise and am not very well endowed. Admittedly, they would also see my saddle bags, but maybe that doesn't mather that much? Am I completely wrong here?
It is funny how this to the hips boxy no waist jacket is wrong for every shape! Who does it suit then? Men maybe?
Sigrid, I can relate. I also have no need to look slimmer/taller – the opposite, if anything! I think the main thing at the end of the day is your attitude. So if you feel good in the outfit you describe, it'll show. Otherwise maybe take a photo of yourself in this, so you can have a slightly more objective way of looking at it.
best,
- tall & slim anon
Can X shapes wear raglan, dolman, or batwing sleeves?
I also like 3/4 sleeves.
Princess seamed, fit and flare dresses are my favorite. The fit nicely on the top half of my body, and flare over my hips.
I avoid boxy jackets. I now avoid long jackets too. I have a couple of longer jackets that I had made for me overseas but am never happy wearing. Somehow they just overwhelm my petite frame. I am trying to incorporate more belts into my look too.
Thank you for those tips. Have a great day!
I am an X with short, thin torso, very narrow waist and wide hips (they're in line with my shoulders, but my back bottom adds a lot to the hip circumference). I am relatively tall, having a normal weight (175cm, 62kg).
Hip length jackets combined with skirts look terrible on me. On the other hand, I can pass with hip length jackets when I'm wearing pants with flared, wide legs. I avoid low raised pants and jeans, since I have a rather big bottom that tends to peek out from these garments. Also, tapered pants are a big no to me – they make my hips look enormous. I avoid tulip skirts, while pencil skirts look nice on me.
I love cropped jackets and cardigans, and I believe I look better in form fitting dresses than in skirt/blouse combos.
I avoid anything double-breasted and anything cropped, including pants. I'm an X with a larger chest, and recently I did a full closet purge. I realized I had a lot of long jackets, baggy tops and other wrong shapes. I sold some things to consignment, then dragged everything else to the tailor. It was a big undertaking, but now I have great jackets that hit at the hip, skirts that end at the knee, and dresses that fit both my bust AND my waist.
Sigrid – you could get away with the ruffle top as you've not got a large bust. As you have a long rise you want something that goes down a little further. I tend to find clothes with waist shaping more flattering.
Ooooh FUN to find out my body shape… next will you show us WHAT TO WEAR?
Just figured out I'm an X – so thank you for that! I've always avoided baggy or straight tops/blouses or dresses that don't accentuate my waist. And I belt pretty much everything! I've found that I can rock vintage 70s swing jackets if they fall above the hip bone and have 3/4 sleeves IF I belt whatever top I'm wearing underneath. That's about the only boxy style I can get away with though.
Because I'm petite I have to be careful with the length between shoulder and waist, my upper torso is the shortest part with a high natural waist line. I love high waisted pencil and A line skirts, but have to make sure they end at or above the knee. Could you do a series on dressing Petite and Tall frames?