When You Want to Ditch the Third Piece!

Hey everyone! If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know I write about, and wear, a “third piece” a lot. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, it refers to your top article of clothing as one piece (like a shirt or blouse), your bottom article (like a skirt or pants) as the second piece and then there is a third piece (a jacket or sweater or something like that). The third piece is believed to pull an outfit together. It takes a basic, thrown-on outfit and makes it look more complete. For women with a similar shape to mine, it is a flattering addition to your outfit, which is why I wear them often. But, sometimes, you don’t want to wear a third piece. Maybe you don’t have anything that will go with your top and bottom or it’s too hot to add another article of clothing. I have found there are other solutions to this dilemma for our shape.

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My third piece for this outfit is a large scarf. I chose this because the look matches the formality of the outfit and it breaks up the expanse that is my chest and tummy. You could wear the scarf down and knotted in front where it hangs down the center of your body or a large, statement necklace (though it would have to be quite large and not just hang up near your collar) similar to what I wore here. You really just don’t want that blank canvas torso for eyes to rest on (talking to you office creep!). You want to break up the expanse.

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Another important consideration for this look to work is the waistband. Like many apple shapes my waist doesn’t dip in like an hourglass shape. In fact, it does the opposite and dips out. That little curve it is a subtle cue that can ruin a look. I look for a waistband, usually elastic, that firms up that area so I look like a rectangle shape. No dip in. No dip out. If the elastic is too tight with a horizontal line across your midsection then you get another subtle cue that can ruin a look. I don’t want to be uncomfortable, so I look for elastic that is not too tight. When shopping for a bottom piece take a shirt that clings a bit to your mid-section so you can try them on together to see if the waistband is visible. The waistband should hold the item of clothing in place without slipping down and without digging in. Look for elastic waistbands that are a bit wider too so it will still do it’s job without digging in. This is a make or break feature for pants or skirts so don’t be swayed by pretty patterns!

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Also, how the shirt hangs is very important too. I want it to skim over my body but not cling. I also don’t want it to flow out like a tent. What’s nice about this shirt is the weight of the fabric and the hem length. It ends right below my tummy so the coverage is perfect and you can see it skims without clinging. It’s also made of rayon which I find is a great fabric for skimming and not clinging. Yes, us apple shapes have more details we have to pay attention to when purchasing clothing, but luckily we’re all very smart and observant!

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The skirt is old and has soft, elastic waistband. Shirt is new from JJill here. Scarf is from The Loft and on sale here!

And if you’ve read my previous posts, you know I’m not ready to show bare legs this early in the season. But, it’s too warm and would look weird if I had on tights and I definitely am not in the pantyhose-revival camp. So, as I get my legs used to being out, I start by showing my feet, then ankles, then mid-calf. I ease myself into showing my legs. Hope that info helps you find clothing that makes you feel confident to ditch the third piece and rock the first and second piece!

I do not have any affiliation with any of the brands or stores nor do I receive any compensation. I’m just sharing what I’ve learned.

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7 Comments

  1. Just found your blog and wanted to thank you for putting something out there for women shaped like us! One question for you – how do you keep the scarf in place? It looks great but usually the moment I move so does my scarf.

    1. Thank you! I’m a fan of double-sided tape. It is strong enough and if you pull it off the fabric at the end of the day it won’t ruin the fabric. Good luck!

  2. Thank you for visiting my blog. It was nice to see a comment from a new (to me) blogger! Hope you come back to CidStyleFile, I will definitely be browsing thru yours!

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