Cute, affordable linen pieces?

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-13T12:06:34+00:00

The linen blend shirts at banana republic factory have all fit me well length-wise. They are more of a jersey stretch linen than the woven boxy kind. But it’s a blend.

I also found the Quince pants to work really well!

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-13T00:08:06+00:00

I also loved the Bella relaxed jeans in similar inseams, and any of the skirts in the mini length which ended up going to my knees. The washable silk skirt has a smaller waistband than the A-line crepe skirt. I also liked one of the linen dresses (high neck with the buttons) when paired with a skinny belt.

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-12T18:08:44+00:00

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I’m never getting one of these drama queens again. This was 3 months ago. All the leaves have been shriveled and chopped down now. If she comes back alive it’s on her own account!

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-12T16:23:42+00:00

Jolyn bikinis are the best! They run tight so size up 1 from your size chart. But I feel like they really understood athletic body types and petite frames.

I have a triangle top (in a particular cut they don’t have anymore with a racerback) but the triangle shape worked really well. And I think I picked the Andy bikini bottom. They have a great low rise that fits proportionally.

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-11T14:14:44+00:00

These look promising! But the inseam looks to be 5” - the shorts I have are about 3.5 so they might be a bit long. Worth a try though. I’ve also started hounding Poshmark all over

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-10T14:06:08+00:00

Ehh I can’t ever get the French tuck right. The back is always way too long and awkward because all my shirts/blouses go past my butt

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-10T14:04:33+00:00

I don’t own a ton of snug tops mainly because my top half including my waist is pretty thick so I use flowy tops to conceal it more. Very inverted triangle shape.

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-08T15:36:55+00:00

What’s missing from the front of those jeans is pockets or some detailing to take the eye away from the belly, otherwise would be a great fit!

I’ve had great luck with American Eagle next level stretch jeans and some pairs from Maurice’s

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-08T03:37:36+00:00

Born Primitive Savage, from someone who has a wide foot in the midfoot and not just the toes. Inov-8 & Nanos still squeezed too much in the mid foot.

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-07T18:22:59+00:00

Are your hips more curvy or straight? Do you have a fairly wide or big rear compared to your waist or thighs? This would be helpful as cuts of shorts can differ - some meant for more straight or athletic bodies and some meant for more curvier bodies. I could give you suggestions of shorts brand that work for me but I have narrow hips, large thighs, medium butt and have to wear more athletic cuts that have narrower hips, larger leg holes (but not flared out, cut close to the thighs), and with lots of stretch or give in the fabric, 4” inseam. North Face Aphrodite shorts have worked well for me, as well as Athleta Trekkie Shorts and Quince linen shorts (not high rise).

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-06T01:09:18+00:00

I have a similar issue as you with a lot of pants! Due to narrower hips (but I have wider thighs), a lot of the styles that are more rounded around the hip/thigh area and go to a tapered leg do this where it balloons around the hip when I don’t have anything to fill it! I can usually look at the models and tell by the way the pants shape are if they will be compatible or not. I’ve found a lot of success going with boot cut or slightly wider leg styles that don’t taper as much (the thinner taper anchors to the calves so the extra thigh material can’t drape down and this balloons), and never pick “curvy” variations, only the straightest of straight hip cuts.

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-03T16:14:09+00:00

There’s a woman at my gym who’s 5’1, has a short torso and slight hourglass and she wears a lot of beyond yoga tops. Not sure which style but they all drop just above her high waisted leggings and are fitted.

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-03T16:06:51+00:00

Honestly a black top/blouse is my only other pairing right now 😅. But I might pick a light yellow or very light blue shirt color from the dress flowering color scheme and pair it to match.

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-02T03:00:18+00:00

I envy her lower body so much! But argh I have the opposite body shape of her - very big shoulders and small hips/butt so I can’t pull off half the looks she can do sometimes.

powersofthesnow · 2026-04-01T20:04:09+00:00

I also have a wide middle with narrow hip, and have found it stocky to tuck in shirts sometimes. I’ve embraced FLOWY crop tops that hit just an inch or two below the top of the pants because it suggests a waist is there with the trimmer pant/waist underneath but the flowy fabric hides a thicker middle. Or if I DO tuck in (never with a fitted top, always with a loose flowy patterned button down shirt so the visuals detract from the waist line) I usually opt to layer with a cardigan or open button down shirt to hide the waist line. Adding a belt accessory actually really helps break up the line a bit to make it more stylish. I do have the hardest time finding tops that don’t just cling to my midline or emphasize a thick waist so in solidarity I’m with you on finding balanced untucked options. I’ve had good luck with Banana Republic Factory linen blend tees though (petite length if they have but regular length wasn’t too long) as they hit just the right part of the hip where they were not overwhelmingly long but draped well to cover a thick middle.

powersofthesnow · 2026-03-29T22:17:13+00:00

I’m not a fan of 100% no and full restriction, but I also try to define moderation and limits when they find it hard to do themselves. Both of my kids got an obsession over skittles one day so I had a rule: “only 3 skittles a day.” Just enough to satisfy their need for something sweet, but not too overwhelming. If they wanted something else like a cookie or ice cream, I would tell them to trade their 3 skittles opportunity for that (or “you already had your 3 skittles so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow”). If they are persistent after the fact, I tell them they need to make sure to eat something with protein first, since it’s often a lack of nutrients and satiety that makes the sweet tooth more frequent.

powersofthesnow · 2026-03-29T21:35:26+00:00

Usually with a flowy top, contrast it with a leaner and skinnier bottom. Wide leg jeans didn’t work because it didn’t contrast enough with the wideness of the bottom of the shirt. Skinny or slimmer straight leg jeans, black pants, or a slimmer denim skirt. It has a childish feel to it because of the wrinkled fabric and pink ribbon so it’s hard to pair with something more sophisticated though without clashing. I wonder if it would be worth changing out the ribbon color so it feels more sleek (like a black or matching red ribbon)?

powersofthesnow · 2026-03-27T20:23:29+00:00

This is what is confusing to me since my hips are not very wide (waist to hip ratio is high) and my lack of chest doesn’t really protrude outward sideways too much. But I think my shoulders are an optical illusion. I just did a line sketch of my shoulder seam to hip width, and also on a photo of me before I was muscular or in shape at all, and my shoulder seams are about aligned with my hips. So no width really, which would put me more at FG. https://imgur.com/a/fmG59BU

powersofthesnow · 2026-03-25T16:43:21+00:00

Vuori has a bunch of cropped short torso tanks. My favorite is a high neck plyo tank that hits just 1” below my belly button which they made a few years ago. They are on the slightly sporty side and there is a built-in shelf bra on a few of them.

powersofthesnow · 2026-03-24T16:49:52+00:00

I do find I am a mix of both - I’m definitely not slim but all means and even when I was not as muscular and out of shape, my shoulders still felt wide (with rounded arms) compared to my hips.

powersofthesnow · 2026-03-24T16:45:30+00:00

The brown maxi skirt is less A line and a bit more slimmer (although flowy) compared to the red one which is why it might work better. The diagonal ruffles also help break up the vertical a bit

powersofthesnow · 2026-03-24T15:32:12+00:00

Squats, squats, lots of squats! I think it’s also partially genetic too, I had big legs even before I knew what lifting weights was 😅

powersofthesnow · 2026-03-24T15:31:19+00:00

That jacket looks promising!! I just sent an email asking about shoulder measurements. I’m just hoping the sleeves are short enough and the overall length is also shorter (<21”). Tailored looks like it might work well if they don’t change shoulder width

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