Pears are the only fruit
August 29, 2015 2:12 PM Subscribe
Where are the comfy, cheapish shift dresses for ladies who are widest at the hips?
I'm a short woman with a 32-inch bust, 28-inch waist, and 38-inch hips. I want some very basic, comfy, minimalist dresses, very much like this Gudrun Sjoden one. They would ideally have sleeves, and need to be a reasonable length/neckline for an office job that involves a lot of kneeling and squatting and picking up boxes.
The key is that I don't want to be swimming in them, but I also don't want them to be too tight in the hips and too loose in the bust, which most non-fit-and-flare dresses are. I also have a lot of trouble finding anything in a simple style to begin with (and that isn't, like, some Urban Outfitters tank dress made of sheer polyester with armholes that go down to my natural waist). And when I do find them, they're like this Gudrun thing and cost freaking $118. I can do $118 in a pinch, but Buffalo Exchange is more my financial speed, and I'd like to own more than one!
TL;DR: Pear-shaped women of Metafilter who love crew necks and black cotton, where do you shop? Where, in mercy's name, do you shop.
I'm a short woman with a 32-inch bust, 28-inch waist, and 38-inch hips. I want some very basic, comfy, minimalist dresses, very much like this Gudrun Sjoden one. They would ideally have sleeves, and need to be a reasonable length/neckline for an office job that involves a lot of kneeling and squatting and picking up boxes.
The key is that I don't want to be swimming in them, but I also don't want them to be too tight in the hips and too loose in the bust, which most non-fit-and-flare dresses are. I also have a lot of trouble finding anything in a simple style to begin with (and that isn't, like, some Urban Outfitters tank dress made of sheer polyester with armholes that go down to my natural waist). And when I do find them, they're like this Gudrun thing and cost freaking $118. I can do $118 in a pinch, but Buffalo Exchange is more my financial speed, and I'd like to own more than one!
TL;DR: Pear-shaped women of Metafilter who love crew necks and black cotton, where do you shop? Where, in mercy's name, do you shop.
(PS most dresses on eShakti are shown sleeveless but on most you can choose sleeves in lengths ranging from cap sleeves to elbow-length or bracelet-length.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 2:25 PM on August 29, 2015
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 2:25 PM on August 29, 2015
Best answer: I'm pretty pear-y, and I've had luck at Oak & Fort. This dress and this are kind of similar to the one you linked above. Also $98 CAD = $74 USD because of our terrible dollar.
posted by thebots at 2:26 PM on August 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by thebots at 2:26 PM on August 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Not to threadsit, but I should've mentioned that I already have a long, loving, tortured relationship with eShakti. I've bought like five dresses from them. Four ended up in the scrap heap before their time because of bizarre cuts, bunchy sewing, or lethal shrinkage (one should not believe them when they say their stuff is in any way appropriate for the dryer). The last one has become my FAVORITE DRESS EVER, and I'd have it bronzed if it didn't mean losing the stretch.
They seem to have gotten into shifts in a big way lately, though, which I didn't know, and which is great news because shifts are very hard to screw up -- so I'm really happy to be nudged their way today!
I mean, how can I resist FUN PRINT, that dress has dachshunds, I am not kidding.
posted by thesmallmachine at 2:32 PM on August 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
They seem to have gotten into shifts in a big way lately, though, which I didn't know, and which is great news because shifts are very hard to screw up -- so I'm really happy to be nudged their way today!
I mean, how can I resist FUN PRINT, that dress has dachshunds, I am not kidding.
posted by thesmallmachine at 2:32 PM on August 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
I look for empire waist dresses. They fit up top while leaving room down below, helping with the not-swimming in effect. I only wear 100% cotton so I usually have to search a bit and end up with only 2 or 3 new ones per season. I can almost always find something at Macy's. Sears will usually have at least one decent dress a year. Ralph Lauren seems to understand that women are shapely and I have had a lot of success with that brand.
posted by myselfasme at 6:26 PM on August 29, 2015
posted by myselfasme at 6:26 PM on August 29, 2015
Best answer: I'm shaped and situated similarly. I bought this dress in three colors this year, because it dresses up and down, is super flattering, and dirt cheap (wait for a coupon code) and i get multiple compliments every time i wear them.
Ymmv, and is a swing rather than shift, but was a slam dunk for me.
posted by beignet at 10:52 PM on August 29, 2015
Ymmv, and is a swing rather than shift, but was a slam dunk for me.
posted by beignet at 10:52 PM on August 29, 2015
OK, these are UK labels and I have no idea whether they have a North American presence, but Toast, COS, and Oasis nail this for me. Figured I'd mention them, on the off chance it's any help.
posted by Gin and Broadband at 2:03 PM on August 30, 2015
posted by Gin and Broadband at 2:03 PM on August 30, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
I have been so happy with dresses from there! I never want to buy any dress again that isn't custom-made to measure because I am getting so used to things that fit in the bust AND hips by buying from there! KathrynT is another loyal customer. Their return policy is generous -- they give you a straight refund OR something like 110% of the price back in store credit because they want you to shop there. But I haven't had to return anything, it's all fit beautifully right out of the box.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 2:22 PM on August 29, 2015 [5 favorites]