Well yes, I know I should lose those fifty or so extra pregnancy pounds, but I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon.
In the meantime, my figure has fundamentally changed from my pre-pregnancy days. It’s not just the extra weight, it’s the proportions. My waist used to be the narrowest part of my torso. Clotheswise, that was very convenient; both my pants’ waists and the hems of my shirts stayed right where the manufacturer intended them.
Now my belly is the broadest part of my torso. And now I know why “plumbers’ crack” happens; while my jeans fit my legs and hips, they fall off my belly, and I have to keep dragging them up all day. In the same way, my shirts roll up al day. The same thing happens with pantyhose.
I want to avoid wear a tight belt if possible. I do sitting office work, and a belt can really dig in your stomach over a day.
So what DO I do? Suspenders? Step-ins? Extra long shirts (which don’t look good on me at all?) Hope for extra high-waisted “mom” jeans to come back into fashion?
How do Dopers (men and women) deal with their disappearing waists, clotheswise?
If I wore a hip hugger jeans, I’d have to wear a shirt with snaps in the crotch, much like the onesies my ten-year old son wears now. There is no other way to prevent my shirt from riding up.
I am very tall (5’11") plus I have the same post-pregnancy excess around the middle, so I feel your pain!
Here are two things I do:
now that hip huggers are no longer the only style in town, I look for pants/shorts/capris with the longest rise possible, to help hold some of the flab in.
layer layer layer - I often wear a long tank top or camisole under my top/sweater/tshirt - I look for ones with some stretch so that they help to smooth me out a bit, and then I leave both tops untucked so that the bottom layer is a few inches past my waistband. I’ve had luck finding these tank tops or camisoles at Costco (they come in packs of 2 in all kinds of cute colours). Doing this covers up the gap at the waistband when I’m sitting or bending over. One warning is sometimes you do need to pull them down a bit when you change positions.
Also, buy bigger shirts - try going up a size or shopping in a “plus” or “tall” store - Tall Girl online has a lot of tops and frequent sales - and their tops are usually quite fitted.
I don’t have the post-pregnancy excuse, but I seem to have developed a bit of a buddha belly in the past few years (one of those things that happens when you shift from your 20s to your 30s, apparently).
I know you said you don’t like the extra-long shirts, but that’s pretty much my saving grace nowadays - if a top doesn’t fall to mid-hip, it’s not coming home with me. The trick is to buy a top with an empire waist in a fitted style, because it draws the eye up and away from the tummy, and is generous enough to just skim over the belly and hips rather than clinging to them (plus not-clingy = won’t ride up).
Layering with hip-length cardigans and vests helps too, because even if your top rides up a bit, they’ll cover it up.
BTW, whatever you do, do not opt for mom jeans. Even though you might feel they’re helping because they’re holding in the belly, they’re actually accentuating it by drawing the eye right to your natural waist and to the bulge that’s sitting right below it. Case in point: Jessica Simpson A bootcut pant/jean in a dark neutral with a waistline about 2" below the bellybutton is always the best bet if you’re trying to hide a tummy (use a belt to hold them up, but don’t cinch it too tight… that’s what causes muffintop)
I usually wear dresses or skirts to work. On weekends I wear mid-rise jeans and large T-shirts or long blouses. The extra fabric covers up the top of the jeans, thus mitigating the dreaded “mom jeans” look.
There is no other way to prevent my shirt from riding up.
