Fashion wishes
May 1, 2008 by cybill
Here are some things that I have long wanted but have never been able to purchase, not that I haven’t tried, I just don’t think anyone makes them.
- A white shirt/blouse that is not see-through
- Beautiful, not sensible, shoes with a 2-3 inch heel
- A jacket with arms cut not too narrow, not too large
- A handbag that is designed on the inside as well as the outside (no more black holes!!)
- T-shirts with sleeves of a arm flattering length - say NO to caps
- Pretty skirts that are not see-through in the sunlight
One of my other peeves is dresses and t-shirts which are cut cleverly, designed to conceal lumps with draping or design details on the front only and are just a straight cut on the back. What is the point of showing only the front to well dressed advantage and then flashing an overly curvy wobbly backular area (you know which bit I mean) as you walk away?! Do these designers think that there is no need for flattering drapery on the back of a dress? Well designer person, come and look at my rear view, that’ll get you to the drawing boards quick smart.
Miss Janey will see your list and add:
flattering slacks. That fit in the waist AND the butt and the thighs even if you are curvy. And pleae, leave out the Spandex.
I have three pairs of flattering slacks in my wardrobe, it took me a lifetime to find them and they are starting to wear out.
Well, if I am honest, two of them need replacement right now. One was dryclean only and I didn’t. Those aren’t quite so flattering any more. The other pair is just really old and it shows.
I hope they don’t take another forty years to replace!
Miss Janey - well fitting slacks, do we dare to dream?
Margery - can you take them to a dressmaker (before they are in tatters) and get them copied? Also you should be storing them in a fire proof safe - those things are valuable.
Shoes are intractable but in recent years I’ve got reckless with clothes, chopping off collars and cuffs, altering sleeve insets and reassembling skirts. If I don’t like them to begin with I feel I’ve got nothing to lose and they often look - or at least feel - a great deal better.
Oh, the dreaded cap sleeve. This is my current pet peeve. Probably only 10% of the population looks good in this sadistic sleeve and yet it seems to be the most prevalent. WHY???????????????
And, yes, I want a beuatiful bag that is not a black hole. My beautiful bag of the moment will only reveal its contents when I tip out all of its contents onto the floor.
I am in the market for a slip because all of my skirts are too sheer. I hate having to wear a slip in summer.
I too need great trousers. I found a good pair of linen pants very recently–and now that I have one good pair I am hoping/wishing/praying that I can find a good pant in a non-linen fabric.
Janet - i’ve often thought about reassembling things but my sewing skills are quite limited. In todays parlance I believe it is called “customising” which makes it sound rather glamorous.
La Belette - Linen pants! (are they good enough for Paris?) I want linen pants, they are proving very difficult to find here, especially as winter has just started.
God, I want everything to not be see-through!
Oh lord, yes, amen to finding well-fitting pants. Those are like one of the many Holy Grails of clothes. I finally found black pants that fit well — long slimming leg and sit perfectly on my waist. Those are going to be pampered. Good jeans are even tougher to find. That’s a quest in and of itself.
The two biggest beefs I have are a) the sleeves (I totally agree with Rouge — cap sleeves aren’t the most flattering), and b) taking boobage into account. Elbow length sleeves are usually the most flattering, but difficult to find, especially in summer. I don’t feet comfortable going sleeveless until I’ve got upper arms vaguely resembling Madonna’s. Deep V necks and wrap shirts are cute if you’re flat or are small-normal chested. However, when you’ve got girls like mine that require a cami underneath or some pinning, the shape of the shirt gets thrown off a bit. God forbid you underestimate V-neck depth one day and don’t wear cami or pin — danger: flashing ahead. Let’s not get into button downs. I gave up on them.
Wendy, don’t you just hate it when you think you’ve found the perfect garmet only to pick it up and find out its see-through.
Rabia, congratulations on finding some well fitting pants, shouldn’t you go back and buy every pair they sell in your size. In my quest to find a t-shirt with a good sleeve length I’d forgotten the other issue of boobage allowance. The one I hate the most is that ‘princess cut’ which is meant to have a seam just under the breasts but on most endowed ladies the seam sits across the boobs.
Rabia, there’s nothing wrong with having your girls out there! I agree though, you do want them to look elegantly presented and contained - not busting out and unruly!
The cami is the best friend of the well endowed lady. I don’t think $100+ is too much to pay for one just the right shape and colour for your wardrobe. Fortunately, you can often get them a lot cheaper than that. When I find a good one on sale, I buy it in every colour, even if I dont wear those colours, because you just never know!
I seem to have found the right white shirt and am debating going back to get it in triplicate (at least!). Surely, if it’s as right as I think it is, it will soon be unavailable — there’s obviously some kind of law.
materfamilias, you MUST go back and buy more of those shirts!!
Cybill, I found the pants at H&M, and they actually fit much better now than they did when I bought them. (I lost a bit of weight.) This means it will be nigh impossible to find those pants now
Maybe I’ll get lucky again?
Margery, I don’t mind if the girls are out a little bit, but my mum does! Given that I’m still living with the parents, have to be careful of that. But yes, camis are good friends, and I should follow your lead and get multiples when I find good ones. You know, I think there’s some brand that makes shirt, especially button downs, according to bra size, but they were pricey. That should be a wider standard — fitting would be so much easier!