[LaurieDawn]

I am a pear. So my butt is HUGE. And I also have a lovely 'apron' on the other side to complement it. I currently wear size 18- 20 pants. However, I like my shape north of this region. My boobs look nicely shaped when I wear tighter tops, and my stomach is much smaller now than my boobs. Depending on brand, etc., I can wear anywhere from size 8 to size 16 on top.

When I wear pants that fit on my torso, it's quite clear that both the butt and the 'apron' are not attractive. But when I wear oversized pants/skirts, I look huge on the bottom, and the top of me looks comically disproportionate.

Advice? I am an attorney (only been one for about 3 weeks, so I can't say it without disbelieving it a little! ), so I need to dress professionally.

[QuilterInVA]

I would think a suit or separates with a jacket would look nice because the jacket could cover some of the less desirable body parts.

[toastedsmoke]

Congratulations Attorney!!!!

Look for blousier feminine tops to create volume on top, things with details like bows at the neck, whatever. You want to give the illusion of a more balanced figure, plus, it will attract more attention to your top half. That's the goal. You want to draw attention to your top half, so brighter colors, patterns, high necklines, scarves knotted at the neck, whatever.

Also think about dresses. Something fitted to the waist, A-line as opposed to a shift. The advantage to an A-line dress is that you can show off your slender top and still have something skimming over your hips. This is harder to do with trousers because an uber-fitted top with trousers would only emphasize how tiny you are up top compared to the bottom. And this is actually fine and could be your thing- after all this is the body you have. But an A-line dress could be a way to create more balance if that's your goal. You could make the dress more professional by throwing a blazer over it and wearing it with heels. A shirt-dress in a stiff fabric could also work here, again with a blazer to make it more formal.

The same theory goes with skirts. A-line (flared) skirts will work well. For trousers/pants, you want flat-fronted pants that are fitted (but not tight) in the hips and then flow straight down to the ground, flaring a bit. Nothing that is fitted through the thigh. If you're having issues fitting pants in the torso, you might want to size up and have them tailored down. But first try flat-fronted pants with a mid to low rise (I find that mid rise works best for my "apron" but I know others prefer a lower rise to tuck that away).

Also invest in a good blazer or 2. One that is cropped and hits above the hip and another longer-line one (almost like a boyfriend jacket), that hits just below the hip. Alternative to this, you might be able to get away with neutral colored cardigans in these lengths (cropped or hitting just below the hip bone). Since you're much smaller on top, double breasted styles which can be really difficult to wear could actually work in your favour.

[LaurieDawn]

Thank you both for the responses!

Toasted Smoke - your incredibly detailed, helpful response is going shopping with me! I am still in the 'thrift store' phase of shopping. I don't want to spend a lot of money on something I will only wear for a month or two. But it is SO helpful to know what to look for! And I want to give some thought to making my unique shape 'my thing.' Exercise always makes me more confident in my body, regardless of what it looks like. But embracing what I have always tried to hide would definitely put that confidence to the challenge. :-) Which is why it may be a great thing to do...