Be_So_You on LTK

For the past several years, we've been seeing v-neck cardigans worn buttoned up like a shirt. I layer a v-neck tee underneath here, so I'm not actually going shirtless. Tucking in the tee can also provide a little stomach smoothing.

The eye is drawn immediately to the row of buttons and the bottom of the V rather than lower down on the belly. A v-neck also draws the eye more powerfully to the middle of the body than a crewneck.

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For the past several years, we've been seeing v-neck cardigans worn buttoned up like a shirt. I layer a v-neck tee underneath here, so I'm not actually going shirtless. Tucking in the tee can also provide a little stomach smoothing. The eye is drawn immediately to the row of buttons and the bottom of the V rather than lower down on the belly. A v-neck also draws the eye more powerfully to the middle of the body than a crewneck. LTKOver40 LTKMidsize LTKSaleAlert

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High-Waisted Wow Baggy Jean Shorts -- 5-inch inseam | Old Navy (US)

Mesh Lace Up Flat Espadrilles | LOFT

Everyday V-Neck Tee | LOFT

100% Organic Cotton Fisherman Boxy Cropped Cardigan | Quince

Mongolian Cashmere Fisherman Boxy Cropped Cardigan Sweater | Quince

Straw Tote Bag | Gap (US)

Saturday’s lunch outfit. I sized up in these shorts for a looser fit and so I’m not tugging them down.

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I pulled out some old shorts and tank tops to show how I used to dress in the summer. The shorts suddenly felt too short, and my arms and belly felt more exposed than I wanted.

My favorite shorts outfit formula solves all of that, and it follows one of my favorite styling principles for creating outfits that are pleasing to the eye: the rule of thirds.

Instead of cutting the outfit into 50/50 halves, with the top making up 50% and the shorts the other 50%, I prefer a longer top or layer that creates more of a two-thirds/one-third proportion. The shorts become the smaller one-third.

Since shorts can feel exposing with my thick thighs, the longer shirts and lightweight jackets give me a greater sense of comfort and protection, while the extra layer helps my soft belly recede into the background rather than becoming the focal point.

This version of shorts dressing feels so much more like me than the tank top and shorts ever did. So I’ll call that a win.

📏For reference, I’m midsized, 5’6”, slightly short-waisted, 36-B bust, and wear a small or medium top with size 10 jeans.

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Very easy work outfit…add a cardigan over top for cold AC. I sized up to a large in this tee and wear a medium in these pants as a size 10.

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Saturday’s errands outfit. I wear these Old Navy Playa pants in a medium. They come in multiple colors, are lightweight and a great alternative to linen. I’m also wearing this jacket in a medium.

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I’ve been eyeing these pants for weeks and finally got to try them on.

The size medium tugged at the belly and were a bit snug in the rear. The large were too big all over.

How often does this happen that you try a lot of styles and your best option still isn’t a great fit in the belly? That’s where some strategic styling can help.

I tried them with my 5B shirt styles and here’s how it worked.

I wore this olive striped tee to the store. Olive stripes wouldn’t be my first choice with these light blue pants but I got to see how a simple T-shirt worked with these pants. Tucked in, the belly is on full display.

A BANDED HEM top is a great option with elastic waistband pants when you don’t want to tuck in your shirt. I’d love this more with a longer sweater. This is an XS and a bigger size may be better.

A hip length blouse BREAKS UP the body at the hip bone to define the waist. The BUTTONS draw the eye up and down.

I tried the jacket to see the midsection BENEATH A LAYER. The structure of the vertical lines and collar are good with the flowy pants and the midsection is smoothed.

I didn’t try a BLOUSED top other than the striped tee tucked in. Something more relaxed with more weight to the fabric may be better.

If you’re struggling to find pants that work through the belly, see what happens when you try a BANDED top, a BUTTON-FRONT top, a BROKEN UP top, or a look BENEATH A LAYER.

Would you have bought these pants? Why or why not?

📏For reference, I’m midsized, 5’6”, slightly short-waisted, 36-B bust, and wear a small or medium top with size 10/12 jeans.

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This top is so easy to throw on. These drawstring jeans are sold out in several sizes. Hoping J.Crew Factory brings them back.

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Simple banded hem short sleeve sweater. This color is sold out but I linked the sweater in a different blue color.

Super casual summer outfit with a front-tucked relaxed tee and jean shorts. This is the vintage crewneck tee from Old Navy. I own it in 4 colors. This blue is sold out.

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The angled lapels of a blazer draw the eye to a spot above the belly, so the midsection recedes in comparison. Wear a tucked or untucked top underneath.

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It’s Day 5 of my 5B Soft Belly Styling Series: Bloused

We’ve made it to the final B!

A loose tuck creates a bloused effect that gives you the best of both worlds: waist definition and soft draping over the belly. Instead of highlighting every curve of the midsection, the fabric softly skims over it.

Today I’m sharing three tucks to try: the full tuck, front tuck, and side tuck. Each creates a slightly different look, but all three can help create shape while keeping the outfit relaxed and comfortable.

One thing I hope you’ve taken away from this series is that there are so many ways to style a soft belly…experiment with them and find the ones that feel most like you.

Which of the 5Bs is your favorite? Banded, Button-Front, Beneath a Layer, Broken Up, or Bloused?

📏For reference, I’m midsized, 5’6”, slightly short-waisted, 36-B bust, and wear a small or medium top with size 10/12 jeans.

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This tummy-covering top is so chic for date night. I’m wearing a small in it and my true size in these jeans.

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It’s Day 4 of my 5B Soft Belly Styling Series: Broken Up

You’ve heard me talk before about choosing tops that end close to the hip bone. When a hemline hits in the right spot, it creates a visual cue for where your waist is. The belly is still covered, but the strategically placed hemline breaks up the silhouette and creates more balanced proportions.

Today’s examples all use tops that create that visual break in different ways.

Tomorrow I’ll share the final B in my 5B Soft Belly Styling Series.

📏For reference, I’m midsized, 5’6”, slightly short-waisted, 36-B bust, and wear a small or medium top with size 10/12 jeans.

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Love the texture on this top. She may need a tank top underneath. I’m in a small and it’s fitted. Size up for a looser fit. I sized up in these Madewell jeans.

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Love this green color! This tee fits tts, I’m in a small. It ends around the hip bone. These are Madewell jeans, I sized up.

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This is Day 3 of my 5B Shirt Styling Series for Soft Bellies. Today we’re focusing on Beneath a Layer.

This is one of my favorite ways to hide a tummy. If you think about why a men’s suit is so flattering, it’s because the jacket creates structure and long vertical lines. Wearing a layer up top, whether it’s a jacket, blazer, cardigan, or open button-down shirt, creates the same effect, drawing the eye up and down rather than across the midsection.

The eye lands on the layer first, and the tummy recedes visually.

In this post, I’m sharing several different ways to use layering pieces to create those vertical lines and add structure to an outfit.

Tomorrow we’ll move on to the fourth B in my 5B Styling System.

Are you a layering person? Tell me your favorite layering piece below.

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This is Day 2 of my 5B Shirt Styling Series for Soft Bellies. Today, we're focusing on Button-Front Tops and 5 ways to wear them. Yesterday, I covered banded tops.⁠
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A row of buttons creates a vertical line down the middle of the body, drawing the eye up and down rather than across the stomach.⁠
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Cardigans are easier to wear than button-front shirts if you're concerned about the ironing involved, but a button-front shirt can provide a more polished look.⁠
⁠
Tomorrow I'll share the third B in my 5B Styling System.⁠
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Are button-front tops a yes or a no for you? Tell me why below.⁠
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📏For reference, I’m midsized, 5’6”, slightly short-waisted, 36-B bust, and wear a small or medium top with size 10 jeans. ⁠
⁠

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If you’ve been here a while, you’ve probably noticed that I talk a lot about waist definition, proportion, and why some tops seem to work better than others after body changes.

Eventually, I realized I kept relying on the same five top styles and styling strategies. So I gave them a name: my 5B Styling System.

My goal is for the five Bs to become easy to remember, so when you're shopping you have a simple framework to help you spot styles that work for you. Not all of these styles will work for everyone, and that's OK. The goal is to find the ones that work best for your body shape, your lifestyle, and your personal style.

Over the next five days, I’ll walk you through each one:

• Banded
• Buttons
• Beneath a Layer
• Bloused
• Broken Up

Today’s post is all about banded tops.

Banded hems sit around the hip bone creating waist definition without any tucking. They’re especially helpful if you want an easy, comfortable outfit that still has shape.

I’ve also learned that not all banded tops work the same way. Length and volume both matter, and sometimes choosing a slightly shorter banded top can make a difference in how defined the waist looks.

Follow along this week as I break down all five Bs and show you how I use them to build outfits for a soft belly.

👉Are banded tops a yes or a no for you? Tell me why below.

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Last night’s party dress. This is an Amazon coverup that easily transitions from day to night with a belt and matching sandals. The fabric is 100% cotton. It’s belly friendly, and has pockets and long batwing sleeves that I rolled up. It fits big and I sized down to a S. This belt is old, a similar option is linked.

📏For reference, I’m midsized, 5’6”, slightly short-waisted, 36-B bust, and wear a small or medium top with size 10 jeans.

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Today’s comfortable yet polished lunch outfit from my belly-friendly summer capsule wardrobe. I’m wearing a medium in the shorts, top, and jacket. All pieces fit true to size.

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Today’s lunch outfit with my mom and sis. Fit notes: top fits big, I sized down to an XS. I own these jeans in four different washes, they fit true to size.

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The palazzo pants shown here are the same style that made it into my summer capsule wardrobe for soft bellies, but in that post I showed the blue pair. I loved them so much that I picked them up in brown too, and this side by side shows exactly why.

The jeans on the left are high waisted and highlight the dome of my belly. I would never wear a fitted t-shirt tucked into them.

For the palazzo pants on the right, the waistband sits above my belly button at a narrow part of my waist, and the drape of the fabric smooths my midsection.

If all you want to do in the summer is throw on a tee, add some bottoms, and head out the door, these are the kind of pants worth having in your closet for an easy, comfortable outfit that still feels put together.

Fit notes: I sized up to a large. I originally ordered a medium, but it felt too snug through the rear.

They’re a linen cotton blend from Amazon. I wash them on the cold delicate cycle and lay flat to dry. They require minimal ironing, and don’t have back pockets that scrunch, and the fabric is soft, not scratchy.

Would you wear the jeans or the palazzo pants?

📏For reference, I’m midsized, 5’6”, slightly short-waisted, 36-B bust, and wear a small or medium top with size 10 jeans.

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Another shorts outfit with curvy Monroe Chino shorts from LOFT in my true size. I’m wearing this denim utility jacket from Quince in a size medium, my true size. This bag is sold out. I linked similar options.

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The return of sunshine is giving me so much hope that summer weather is here! I’m wearing these curvy Monroe Chino shorts from LOFT in my true size. These other pieces are sold out, but I linked similar options.

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I surveyed you all recently in my Stories about dresses, and wow… you have a lot of thoughts and feelings about them. Almost 2,000 responses later, one thing is clear:

Dresses after body changes can be really hard.

Some of you said finding flattering styles feels impossible. Others said sleeves, dress length, arm coverage, fit through the midsection, and finding something that still feels like you are the biggest challenges.

I get it.

I’ve spent years trying dress after dress looking for the magic combination: sleeves, an easy waist, comfort, and a shape that doesn’t make me feel overwhelmed by fabric.

This carousel is my own dress experiment: the styles I tried after body changes, the dresses that I DON’T reach for on repeat, my analysis about why, and what I’m wearing instead.

One thing I’m learning is that figuring out what works after body changes takes trial and error, grace when a piece doesn’t work as hoped, and optimism that you’ll find something better.

After hearing all your responses, I realized I’m not alone in rethinking what I want from dresses.

I’m curious: Have your dress preferences changed over time?

This final dress is from @bananarepublicfactory. It fits big, I sized down to a small. The medium was loose in the chest.

📏For reference, I’m midsized, 5’6”, slightly short-waisted, 36-B bust, and wear a small or medium top with size 10 jeans.

#LTKMidsize #LTKOver40 #LTKSaleAlert

Here’s a super easy summer work outfit. I sized up in these pants from a medium to a large. They’re a linen cotton blend, and I wash them on delicate cold and lay flat to dry so there’s no shrinking. I sized up in this cardigan to a medium.

If a soft belly makes it hard for you to wear a tucked in fitted T-shirt with pants, these are the drawstring pull-on pants that make it possible. They hit at a slim part of the waist and have gathers that smooth the midsection. I sized up to a large in them because they were too snug in the rear in a medium. I’m wearing this J.Crew Factory T-shirt in a small but could go up a size to a medium for a looser fit. It has a thicker fabric. These are a cotton linen blend, and I will wash them on a delicate cold cycle and lay them flat to dry to prevent shrinking.

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In a recent Story poll, 39% of you said pull on or linen pants feel frumpy. Another 37% struggle with tops to wear with them, and 56% said belly and midsection fit is the hardest part.

These Amazon pants surprised me. The elastic drawstring waist sits above my belly button, at a narrower part of my waist, instead of cutting across the widest part of my midsection.

4 styling ideas:

1. Tuck in your shirt
This crinkled gauze dolman shirt from LOFT is long in the back, so tucking isn’t the obvious choice. But adding waist definition plus the vertical crinkled texture changed the whole look. This shirt fits big, I sized down to an XS.
2. Try a shorter shirt that ends around the hip bone
This linen popover from Quince has a collar and vertical line down the center, drawing the eye up and down. The straighter shape works well untucked. This shirt fits tts, I’m in a Medium.
3. Add a short sweater with a banded hem
The sweater material feels more polished, and the puff sleeves plus chunky necklaces draw the eye up toward the face. (I folded the sweater band under once to shorten it.) This sweater fits tts, I’m in a Medium.
4. Try a side tuck
A side tuck creates a more relaxed vibe and shows a touch of waistline if a full tuck doesn’t feel right. I wear a small in this LOFT crewneck blouse (tts).

I wear a large in these Amazon pants (sized up), they were snug in the rear.

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You asked to see the summer capsule pieces on my body. Here ya go! :) Scroll to see the pieces.

I’ve been surveying my Story followers about their biggest summer wardrobe struggles, and the results were eye-opening.

Showing arms was the top concern for 39% of women. Shorts came next at 26%. And while 64% said they wear shorts, many shared that finding flattering, comfortable pairs remains a challenge. In fact, 36% skip shorts altogether.

When women skip shorts, 53% reach for linen pants or lightweight, wide-leg pants instead.

I also asked about sleeve preferences. Classic short sleeves came in first with 39% of votes, followed closely by elbow-length sleeves at 37%.

I also chose pieces with soft bellies in mind, focusing on styles that create shape and comfort without relying on tucking.

I kept all of this in mind while building this summer capsule wardrobe. The pieces lean into comfort, ease, and styles that help solve the real frustrations we face when getting dressed in the heat.

📏For reference, I’m midsized, 5’6”, slightly short-waisted, 36-B bust, and wear a small or medium top with size 10 jeans.

#LTKSaleAlert #LTKOver40 #LTKMidsize

Today’s errands outfit with high-rise jeans and a cardigan worn buttoned up like a top to smooth the belly. Size down in these jeans. This cardigan is from Quince and has limited sizes available so I linked other options.

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Today’s errands outfit for a cold and rainy spring day. I wear this T-shirt in a size small and a size down in these LOFT jeans. This bag and jacket are old, similar options are linked.

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Amazon top: I sized up to a Medium but may be able to wear a small. These jeans fit tts.

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I built this summer capsule wardrobe around the real summer-dressing challenges shared with me in my Story polls, from wanting more arm coverage to pull-on pants you can wear instead of shorts, comfy shorts, and easy tops that work with a soft belly.⁠
I’ll be sharing styling ideas for these pieces next week…
Fit notes:
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-Quince Collared Linen Popover Shirt⁠
Fits true to size. I’m in a medium.⁠
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-Amazon Batwing Short Sleeve Sweater⁠
Fits true to the sizing chart. I’m in a small.⁠
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-J.Crew Factory Essential Crewneck Tee⁠
Fits true to size with a close fit. Size up for a roomier fit.⁠
Thicker smoothing material. ⁠
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-Amazon Banded Hem White V Neck Tee⁠
Fits true to size. I'm in a Small⁠
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-Amazon Cotton Linen Palazzo Pants (70% cotton, 30% linen)⁠
Fits true to size with an elastic drawstring waist. No shrinkage after cold wash + lay flat to dry. I sized up to L. ⁠
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-Quince Linen Wide Leg Pants (Flax)⁠
Fit true to the sizing chart. I’m wearing a medium and 28” inseam⁠ (no shrinking or stretching)
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-Gap Drawstring Waist 6” Linen Blend Shorts (Blue Stripe)⁠
Fit true to the sizing chart. I’m in a medium. 12” rise, 6” inseam.⁠
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-Old Navy High Rise Baggy Jean Shorts⁠
I sized up one for a looser fit. 12.5” rise, 5” inseam.⁠
⁠
-LOFT Mini Dress⁠
Fits true to size. I’m in a medium. ⁠
⁠
-Banana Republic Factory Striped Poplin Utility Midi Shirtdress⁠
I'm in a Small. Medium was too big in the bust at 36B. ⁠
⁠
-Quince Denim Utility Jacket⁠
Fits true to the sizing chart. I’m in a medium.⁠

I’m wearing J.Crew Factory wide leg cropped jeans (tts) and this Amazon tee in a medium (I sized up but could probably wear a small).
⁠
📏For reference, I’m midsized, 5’6”, slightly short-waisted, 36-B bust, and wear a small or medium top with size 10 jeans. ⁠

#LTKOver40 #LTKMidsize #LTKSaleAlert

I own this dress in two colors, black and this creamy heathered oatmeal color.
It’s made from LOFT’s Scubasoft material, which is smoothing and medium weight, and it has pockets. I like how this dress has an elastic waist for definition and classic short sleeves. And it works for my 36B bust and size 10 bottom half, which is tricky to do in a dress. I wear a medium and it fits true to size. Wear this to the ballfield, a casual lunch, or out running errands.

This banded hem tee fits true to size. I’m in a Small. These shorts are made of a linen blend fabric and have a relaxed fit with a 6” inseam, so they’re not too short and not too long.
The leg is looser, which always makes my thighs feel smaller in comparison, which I love. They have a 12” rise and I wear a medium, true to the sizing chart.
The elastic drawstring waist is comfortable. They don’t shrink when washed and dried on a delicate cycle.
I got these on sale for 50% off. Definitely wait for a sale.

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A banded hem top is another style that’s easy to wear untucked. This one has a boatneck and elbow length batwing sleeves to cover the backs of the arms. It’s a lightweight sweater material with a visible weave for texture.
It comes in multiple colors. I wear a size small and it fits true to the recommended size in the sizing chart.
I sized up in these baggy jean shorts for a looser fit. They’re so comfy.

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