Clothing is a concern during menopause, not only because of the dreaded hot flashes, but the ways our bodies change during this time.

The only advice we're given is the cliched "wear light-weight layered clothing."
Fine and dandy, but this doesn't solve a host of other problems.

After years of trying to find clothing to compliment my body type, I've found that certain styles of pants, shirts, jackets, etc. can make all the difference in my confidence and comfort. But these are in short supply, and very hard to find.
I'm 5'4" and weigh 133 lbs., so I'm not overly large. But my appearance in a mirror changes drastically with the wrong cut of clothing.

If manufacturers would recognize the menopausal woman, and even design a line of clothing to meet our needs, they would find a totally un-tapped market. If stores are able to develop lines of clothing for pregnancy, which lasts 9 months, you'd think they'd work on a line of clothing geared for women who are in this stage of life for anywhere from 3 to 5 years.....or more.

Beginning with the start of menopause, women develop more "belly fat" than they ever did. Cellulite shows up not only on our legs, but our upper arms, as well.
There are certain designs which can mimimize the flaws, and disquise unsightly
cellulite.

Here are some of my suggestions:

1) Pants/Slacks: Light-weight pants with a small amount of stretch and a "hidden" zipper on the side are the most flattering. The best style of pant leg is full and drops straight down from the back of the fullest part of the derierre. This disguises exactly where our behinds actually end. The abscence of a front zipper and belt, elimates several inches from the profile, for a very slimming look. The pants should come to the bottom of the heels of the shoes. Most pants I see in the stores are tapered in toward the ankle, and stop at the top of the shoe. This silloutte makes us look very bottom heavy. The straight fuller cut drapes straight down to toward the floor, and mimimizes saddle bags and bulging.

2) Short-sleeved tops need to have more length in the sleeves. Most tee's and
tops have either very short capped sleeves or ones that are only a few inches in length. A bit longer short sleeve, one that comes to a few inches above the elbow will cover the cellulite on the upper arms. On the rare occasion when I find such a top, I will buy one in each color.

3) Shorts: The cut of shorts can make a big difference in your shape. Shorts with a wider cut, or even a flared leg, will make the waist look smaller and the legs look less full. I've also found that those with a larger waist band, about
2 1/2" to 3" eliminates the tummy bulge that occurs with shorts that have a narrow band of elastic at the top. Below this shallow elastic band, bulging occurs, that puffs out, making the material below it bulge outward, adding pounds to your "look".

I've already written the major department stores found in most malls. The polite "form letter" I receive is a quick "thank for your input". Hopefully, one day someone will pick up this idea for menopausal wear, and run with it.

Anyone have any further ideas for clothing design with us in mind?

Yes, the d&%n belly fat really makes it hard to buy pants! I can no longer comfortably wear anything with a waistband (except, ironically, Gloria Vanderbilt stretch demin jeans), or even a high rise pant without a waistband. I'm not about to start wearing those pull on polyesters, so I have a very simple, no waist, stretch fabric bootcut pant custom made. Express used to sell this pant. Now of course, they're selling the ones with the three-inch wide waistband. I remember wearing those when I was in my 20s. Tried finding suitable pants at the shops that are marketing to baby boomer women - Coldwater Creek and J. Jill for example. Nothing but a bunch of waistbands!

Cesca

You might try writing to clothing manufacturers/designers that actually design clothing rather than the stores that just sell them. You might start a great idea going!

Thank you for your input.

Thanks for everyone's "input". I'll see if I can find the actual clothing designers' sites online. I didn't know if we were allowed to state clothing lines, but I saw a few posted, so I'd like to say that Penney's carries the Worthington brand of straight, full-cut pants with a side zipper and no waistband. I look 10 lbs. thinner in those wonderful pants.

it's always worth a try.
but i'm having a hard time finding clothes to fit me, even w/o perimenopause. i'm tall, and not many manufacturers think we exist evidently.

Another thing you can try (to see if it's worth the effort) is to have some pants and tops made for you. I've done this when I find the "perfect" oh-so-rare fit in something. I take the perfect item to my seamstress along with some swatches of fabric that I like. She takes a look at the clothing and the fabrics and tells me what will work, how much fabric she needs and what it will cost. I go back to the fabric store and buy what she needs. My seamstress uses the shirt or pants I've brought in a the pattern and duplicates it in the new fabric(s). Usually not too expensive and this has helped me tremendously. The other benefit is that I get to give a hard-working but struggling entrepreneur some work.

Fashion, a subject I love.

The tough part about this is that each of us is different, and what works for some may not work for others. I'm not sure that even most of us fit into a "menopausal body type" which seems to define a common shape. I see this as being a lot different than pregnancy, where the bulge is in a predictable spot for all of us.

I love clothes and am always on the lookout for great pieces. I find clothes that fit really well are and have always been hard to find, so designers must be sizing to what they consider the average body type. When I find clothes that fit well and flatter me, I buy them. Since I have been in peri, I have been even more conscious of the clothes that I buy and want things that fit well and look flattering as they make me feel good. But I would define my "ideal" type of style of clothing differently than you have described yours.

I think it would be nice if there were lines of clothing designed for specific body types, and we could each pick the one that works for us. Maybe then it wouldn't be so hard to get that perfect fit. I think we just have to try different things until we find what works for us.

Ladies,

My sentiments exactly. I favor soft flowing dresses with sandals, or with boots in the winter, for my office. I love jeans, but finding ones that are classy enough for a 49 year old can be tough! Somehow, everything I see in the stores looks either way too young or way too dowdy. I'm not ready to dress like my Grandmother yet, even though I am one! While diligently searching for a middle ground, I found Chico's. I can't afford to shop there often, but I do splurge occasionaly on-line during a sale....meantime I keep my eyes open, shop at smaller boutiques and wish I were a clothes designer! The last time I went to a Mall, four hours of looking sent me home with nothing. Oh well.

Tia

While I am aware that not all of us have the same body type, it has been proven that women do gain more belly fat as we get to this age. The fat that used to be stored in the hips and legs is now distributed to the belly girth as well.

We also become even more subject to cellulite. I never had cellulite on my upper arms before, but as soon as I started perimenopause, I started noticing it.

With the advent of these hot flashes over 2 yrs. ago, I haven't worn a pull-over sweater or even a long-sleeved top to work. I am a hairstylist, and my arms are in motion all the time, not to mention the blow dryer heat. I need to have short-sleeved tops in my wardrobe all year long, but it's difficult to find them with a bit longer sleeve. The capped and very short sleeves make the cellulite (or as some refer to it......Hail Damage) on my arms look as if I have a waterfall shooting down my arm. I am working in front of a mirror all day long, so maybe I notice it more. <_<

A line of clothing for menopausal women wouldn't have to have that connotation in the line's title. Something like Fresh Wear.....Free N' Easy.......whatever. They could concentrate on very breathable fabrics, cuts of clothing without waistbands,
short-sleeved tops with added length to the sleeves, etc.

Jezebel123, I think with all your fashion savvy, you should start this amazing clothing line yourself! Ever think of being an entrepreneur? I wouldn't know the first thing about it, but I think it's a great idea, one you should look into making a reality.

I myself am thin everywhere except for my belly! No one thinks I have a weight problem, and maybe I don't pound-wise, but I know when my jeans feel too snug. It's because of the little pot I'm getting. I don't know if I'm going to be able to wear my bikini on the cruise we're taking late Feb. if this keeps up <_<

Sigh...

Shel

I'm a HUGE fan of the designer Eileen Fisher. You can google to see her clothing lines.

ALL of her clothes have elastic waists - bless her heart! Yet they are chic and beautiful.

I do NOT pay full price for them (way too expensive), but buy them on eBay.

JJ

Well I was only kidding when I posted ! As you know I'm in the UK. I looked on the Coldwater site and saw lots of nice outfits. Here, if you're over 30, you've had it! That's why I had so much trouble getting THE outfit. I wanted to look like the Bride's Mum, not the Queen Mum!.

I'm big breasted and mine are slightly lower than most outfits are designed for (I used to find this when I made my own clothes and adjusted the pattern accordingly...nowadays we can't buy dress fabric easily, there are very few fabric shops left!). I really wished that I'd got some of those toy hooter things that I could have slipped into the empty cups of my "special dress" and honk,honk them

But don't you find that you favour styles you wore in your younger years? Hippy or gypsy skirts are back in fashion now and I'm rather pleased. I have a skirt with a flirty hem (fitted and flared at the hem) and it makes me feel rather flirty wearing it!

I quite agree with the above poster...there's a niche for these clothes. This could be your calling! Shall I look out for you Jezeb123 in the magazines?

Alice3, I would love to do something like this, but I wouldn't know where to begin. You start out with the lawyers, then the headaches follow. But I sure wouldn't mind Suzanne Somers or one of those TV Shopping networks having a line available. Those shopping network salespeople can make you want to buy
just about anything! And speaking of shopping networks, the Spanks (or is it Spanx) undergarments for slimming and smoothing out bulges are wonderful. I actually bought a knock-off item with the same features at Wal-Mart. They don't have a waistband, and are so light-weight, you don't even know you're wearing them.