Pear-ils of Fashion Fantasy
As I mentioned in my previous post, I sewed the sheath dress because it put me in mind of glamorous femme-fatales and I thought wearing such a dress would make me one. Even if it hadn’t been constructed out of a tacky old bed sheet, it wouldn’t have transformed me into that sort of woman. The style is all wrong for my physique: narrow on top and wide on bottom. I’m a pear.
Had I been grounded in reality and observant about such things, I would have noted that years ago and figured out what is flattering on me. Instead, I allowed daydreams to inform my fashion choices (that’s good to some extent, but should be reigned in occasionally). Anyway, I’m aware of this now and have been doing some reading. And guess what? In black and white on the You Look Fab website, it states that pears should “avoid sheath dresses at all costs.”
I can’t argue with that now! The advice for dressing a pear-shaped figure is to emphasize the top and waist, and play down the hips and thighs. A-line dresses and dresses with fitted tops and fuller skirts are generally flattering. I don’t have too many of the a-lines in my pattern stash and will have to fix that soon, but do have quite a few of the second type. Any one of these could be rendered a little more formal if made out of the right fabric. (The Selfish Seamstress suggested I make a wide-skirted dress out of fuchsia or amethyst fabric with a contrasting black sash…wouldn’t that be lovely???)
I’m not sure about the jacket shown with the last dress. I like it, but am concerned that it might emphasize the narrowness of my shoulders. What do you think?
16 December, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I love that Vogue pattern! I know what you mean about sheath dresses… I look terrible in them, but I’m always drawn to them because I love the image they give me (inside my head!)
I like the jacket on the last dress, but I don’t think I like it with the dress… it makes the model look kind of boxy, which I’m sure she is not. I have narrow shoulders, and if I want to wear that sort of jacket I have to make sure the layer underneath is close fitting. I think you would look fab in any of those dresses – I can’t wait to see what you make!
17 December, 2009 at 12:36 am
I love the black new look one! It would do nothing for me, but I think it looks chic. Can’t wait to see the new one.
17 December, 2009 at 1:35 am
I love the shape of the dresses — and I agree that they are very flattering on pear shaped bodies (I’m a pear, too — so I love that shape).
The jacket on the last dress: it kind of cancels the shape of the dress. What I mean to say is, that while the dress is very fitted on the top, and loose on the bottom — thus flattering a pear, when the jacket is added, the whole silhouette is large: large on top, large on the bottom, and not thaaaat flattering any more.
Try a shawl or a scarf, if you want more warmth on top, and you could just let it hang, thus adding vertical lines for more figure flattery.
17 December, 2009 at 8:07 am
I agree about the jacket in the Simplicity pattern, but love the Vogue!! Yes I too envy those who can were sheath dresses. I do think these pattern are very good choices – I vote for the Vogue :0)
17 December, 2009 at 8:23 am
Amy, that jacket is downright frumpy! It has too much design ease for you. I really love the first one and can’t wait to see it made up on you.
17 December, 2009 at 8:26 am
As a pear myself, I totally get what you mean about sheath dresses. OTOH, the fit & flare look is one of my favs, so I like to think you can do something that looks smashing — on you — in that style. For that matter, if you really like the top portion of the sheath dress, perhaps you could add a flared skirt to it & have the best of both?
Beth
17 December, 2009 at 8:54 am
My votes (I get two, right?) are for either the New Look 6723 (black one) and the Simplicity 2886 (green and white). I lean slightly more to the Simplicity because it looks like it has box pleats, which I find very flattering on my own pear shape. Big NO on the jacket, it doesn’t have enough shape and would de-emphasize your waist, which is exactly what you don’t want to do.
I was able to wear a sheath dress exactly once in my life, right after I got over pneumonia and my stomach was at an all time low. I bought the dress, but the passed and I was never able to wear it. Le sigh.