Props to Ice-T’s wife for answering that question with confidence! But what up with the shoes, Coco?I learned a long time ago to never ask my husband the infamous “Do I look fat in these pants?” question as the mere utterance makes him fake a heart attack. Which would be good entertainment, especially in restaurants, except that it scares the children. The problem, however, is that sometimes a girl just needs a straight answer to that question. I keep telling him that a simple, “Yes. Those pants are not flattering.” will not send me running to my closet in tears but he doesn’t believe me. It might have something to do with the crazed glint in my eye. Or the fact that he has found me crying in our closet before. Anyhow, that’s what I’ve got girlfriends for. And a seven-year-old son apparently.
Let me back up.
Last Saturday, thanks to my sweet friend D (she of personal training fame) who watched my lil’ Jelly Bean, I finally got to return to my beloved TurboKick! Be still my anxious heart!
I’m baaaaack! And… shoeless! (Wha?)
See me literally jumping for joy? The cardio has returned to my life and it is sweet.
But after months of wearing the same two pairs of super stretchy and now stretched-out exercise pants, I was ready for some new gym togs. The universe heard my plea and answered in the form of new pants from Ivee Style. (That noise you just heard? all the Gym Buddies heaving a sigh of relief that they won’t have to stare at my threadbare butt anymore.) The universe apparently does not approve of me running all my errands in my sweaty gym duds because Ivee specializes in performance gear that you can also hit the street in. Their gym clothes are more stylish than any of my Going Out clothes! That is if I still Went Out. Which I don’t. But that’s a problem for another day.
Which brings us to the following photo shoot, done by the aforementioned brutally honest 7-year-old. Are you ready? ‘Cause I sure wasn’t.
The pants, made out of soft bamboo, are as comfy as mac-n-cheese. Plus the piping made my legs look longer and my butt curvier, just as promised. Not so bad, right? Especially considering I’d been up all night with this:
But hopefully you didn’t eat much of that mac-n-cheese because then there is the front view. While I can’t speak for the entire Ivee line – modeled by catwalk models I now notice – these pants are not forgiving.
“How’s it look? Did the picture turn out?” I asked my son. I mean he’s a decent paparazzo but he is only 7 after all. He answered, “The picture looks great! But you look fat in those pants.” And I said I wanted honesty. I shudder to think what he would have said had I picked the white ones.
As a point of comparison, here’s the same shot of what I ended up actually wearing to the gym today:
Same body but minus the thigh bulge spotlights and the peanut gallery. So perhaps this is less of a criticism of Ivee and more of an indication that I don’t know how to pick clothes that look good on me!
But enough about me – let’s get YOU some new clothes! Ivee Style is offering one reader a 30$ gift code to spend on anything on their site. And no worries, if you don’t have model perfect thighs either they’ve got darling tanks, sweaters, jackets and even tunics! To enter, head on over to their site and pick out your two favorite items then come back here and tell me what they are! Winner will be announced Monday Dec. 21!
So – anyone else actually expect a real answer to the “Do I look fat in these pants” question? How do you answer it – are you truthful? Anyone else as amazed by Coco’s butt as I am?!
Update: Apparently Ivee’s site is down. I e-mailed them so hopefully it will come back online soon but in the meantime, just leave me any comment and I’ll count that as your entry for the contest!
Once I asked a boyfriend if my butt looked big in the pants I was wearing and he said "Yeah, 'cause you got a big butt."
Ouch. But funny.
Charlotte, I could not get their site to come up so I will check again tomorrow. BUT, I loved all the pics including crying baby. You look great!!!!!
My hubby has been married too long to answer that question truthfully! 🙂 Although it would be nice to get the truth sometimes!
Charlotte, my butt looks big cause I have not been to the gym in over a year!!!! Guess that is what happens when you have 4 kids, school and clinicals coming up next!
So I complained long enough about being out of shape for my dear husband that he got me a gym membership. Have I gone? No. I look fat in my workout clothes is my biggest excuse, I look frumpy and just blah, so I am not going.
Did check out the website…could not acess it really but opened up the images when I Googled it. Just that desperate I guess to see what they have. Love the cute black pants with the black and white top…
And oh yeah…it is my birthday tomorrow and I asked my sweet husband if he still loves me now when I am old and out of shape??? Poor guy!
Ugh. Why on earth do they make workout pants that only look good on models? You look amazing otherwise though!
My father tries to tell my mom when she doesn't look good but she tells him that he doesn't understand the style. I on the other hand, take one look and tell her honestly. She listens to me and not to him. Thank god I'm there.
My Boy and I are still at the stage of the relationship where he's scared to be honest. I think this stage will last forever.
Since I'm not a US resident, I figure I'm not eligible for this competition and anyway, I'm in love with my lululemon pants which make my butt look awesome and my thighs better than they are.
woman are you sure you just had a baby? because you are really reminding me of those celebrities that have their bangin bods back in a few weeks. You look amazing.
oh woman. how do I adore thee? there are not numbers enough to counteth the ways.
from COCO (Id seen that pic and couldnt rip my eyes from her SHOES :)) to the mac and cheese to the fact that only you would be happy the cardio is back to the fact that you know who Ice-T is.
the last person I met who was so lowbrowhighbrowsmarttalentedfunny I married.
wait what?
this supposed to be about the pants?
Id never lie to you.
all that matters is YOU dont think they are flattering because then they arent.
how you walk changes how you hold yourself changes all that jazz.
In summation (from the longest comment EVAH) why cant get into the site either?
love,
A scattered silly inaweofyourwritingskillz Miz.
I couldn't get the site to load up, either; I'll try again later.
Your pic? I think the problem is those weird curving stripes along the front, especially when combined with the stripes on the shirt. I think they'd look much better with a different shirt.
Depends who's asking:
"You have no butt to begin with, you're flat, you've got the body of a prepubescent boy"
Too much? Overkill? Too transparent?
My Husband gets this panicked look in his eyes if I ask him questions like that so I just don't bother.
Last New Year's Eve, getting ready to go out to our annual NYE/Happy-Anniversary dinner, I was unsure of my outfit so I asked my sister. She said: I don't think those pants go with that top. Do you have a different pair?
That's probably as honest an answer as I'm going to get. And actually, that was a perfectly fine answer – told me what I wanted to know.
My husband refuses to answer too, and yes, I would appreciate honesty! And is that really coco's butt??? No added surgery??
holy smokes, you look fantastic! And that picture of Coco is pretty freaky…
Not only moms of 4 stop to take a picture. My daughter barfed and rolled her face in it, so I obviously ran upstairs for the camera before cleaning her up 🙂
Couldn't get the site to load, but I'm sure anything would be better than my old over-sized t-shirts!
No one has ever asked me that question!! What's up with that??
i don't expect an honest answer no matter who i ask. because who wants an honest response?
i tried to get on that website but kept getting a problem with it. boo!
That picture of Coco is freaking me out – do I look like that when I lift (minus the heels, the pink and the large breasts)? I am glad I workout at home or in a gym just for women.
I don't think the pants look that bad, maybe just a size too small as you can see from the pulling across the front (that is probably worse then saying they look bad – sorry). Nothing is more flattering than black so comparing the 2 is a bit rough. I also think wearing them with a white tank or tshirt would look great – shocked that I am actually suggesting coordinating your workout outfits as I grab whatever is on top.
I will give a shout out to the bamboo fiber. I just picked up a pair of yoga pants at Marshalls this weekend that are mostly bamboo and they are so comfy.
My husband will generally give an honest response, but he always phrases it as he doesn't like my outfit. He's too smart to say it has to do anything to do with my figure…
Yes I do expect an honest answer to 'Do I look fat in these pants?' but not from my husband, I ask a friend who says it all with her face so she never even has to utter the words 'Yes, you look like a baby hippo'
and I am glad I'm not the only one amazed by Coco's butt, I felt like a weirdo for a while there.
oh I forgot to mention my two favorite Ivee Style items so I can be entered for the contest..the Ava top and vivian pants
Charlotte you look amazing for a)having had 4 kids and b)for just having one a few weeks ago!! iveestyle.com still down, looking forward to checking out their stuff!
Okay, if *I* can't find pants that don't gap at the back waistband, how does Coco ever find pants that fit at all? Amazing.
Ivee's site is still down but I can tell you that I'm always on the lookout for comfy lounge pants. I rarely wear pants to the gym (capris and shorts, only) but I need something to change into when I get home!
I don't think I've ever asked my hubby if I looked fat in something. I will ask him "what do you think?" when modeling a new outfit. His opinion is always favorable, especially if what I'm wearing is tight, low-cut, or could be either of the two. Yes, he's a pig 🙂
Okay, if *I* can't find pants that don't gap at the back waistband, how does Coco ever find pants that fit at all? Amazing.
Ivee's site is still down but I can tell you that I'm always on the lookout for comfy lounge pants. I rarely wear pants to the gym (capris and shorts, only) but I need something to change into when I get home!
I don't think I've ever asked my hubby if I looked fat in something. I will ask him "what do you think?" when modeling a new outfit. His opinion is always favorable, especially if what I'm wearing is tight, low-cut, or could be either of the two. Yes, he's a pig 🙂
Okay, if *I* can't find pants that don't gap at the back waistband, how does Coco ever find pants that fit at all? Amazing.
Ivee's site is still down but I can tell you that I'm always on the lookout for comfy lounge pants. I rarely wear pants to the gym (capris and shorts, only) but I need something to change into when I get home!
I don't think I've ever asked my hubby if I looked fat in something. I will ask him "what do you think?" when modeling a new outfit. His opinion is always favorable, especially if what I'm wearing is tight, low-cut, or could be either of the two. Yes, he's a pig 🙂
The site is still not up. I will try again later, but in the meantime, can you enter me?
I don't ask if I look fat but if I look okay in an outfit. And my husband will tell me if he doesn't like it or if he has another suggestion. Likewise, he gets angry if I let him leave the house with bad hair.
you know what my husband said to me one day? He said, "You're just like a teddy bear! But instead of being filled with fluff you're filled with fat!"
Jerk. So yeah, apparently I don't need to worry about his honesty.
The first thing that when through my mind upon seeing Coco's photo was how much pain and imbalance must accompany lifting in those heels…
You look awesome, even in the grey pants! Oh the brutal honesty of children! My 5 year old told me, see that fat right there (pointing to my stomach) that means your going to have another baby (as I was holding my 3 month old)! I think the gym is tired of my 2 pairs of work out pants also so I would love to win a new pair 🙂
I NEED new workout pants. All i own are swishey pants. Yeah, we're not in the 90s anymore.
i'm too cheap to buy new workout clothes so i (blushing) often rewear the same ones several days in a row. i NEED that gift card 🙂
…and when i have kids, i hope i look as good as you do, as fast as you do!
Oh crap. Swishey pants are out of fashion? I'm in trouble.
(But you really do look amazing. And the lil' Jelly Bean looks cute, in an angry kind of way.)
That butt amazes me, too. It's like… it's own entity. Wow.
I would love some new clothes!
e.estt[at]yahoo[dot]com
If my husband REALLY hates something I wear he will tell me it's not flattering– I have better luck with things in a store that I don't actually own yet, or if I model two things and ask him which one is better. The thing is, I feel like I know if something is flattering– if I have to ask if it makes my butt look big, than it probably does. BTW Charlotte you look amazing!
I would kill to look as good as you do after having *one* baby, not to mention several! I say, blame the pants, not you. Sometimes the cut just isn't the most flattering. (Which is a problem I run into all the time. Having a normal sized waist but small hips makes me the queen of the muffin top!)
I ask my fiance "are these flattering?" and that seems to actually get me an honest answer b/c he feels that he is then commenting from a style point of view.
My boyfriend completely ignores me whenever I ask him if I look fat. Completely. He knows that no matter what he says I will twist it around to feel bad about myself. Because I will generally only ask if I'm already feeling bad. He's pretty smart that way 🙂
You look great in both photos, but the gray pants just look dingier. They look like they'd be bad for sweating in. Stick with the black!
My ex used to tell me that various items of clothing made me look fat – but then he always told me I looked fat, even when I was thin. One of many reasons he's an "ex."
My eyes don't always reflect what's actually in the mirror so I usually appreciate a friend who will answer the question honestly. As long as they aren't brutally honest!
Um, if THAT'S what fat looks like, I wanna be fat!
Dang, Girl! Didn't you JUST have a (really cute) baby?!?!?!
So sorry about the colic, that's rough.
Site was also down for me, just hit 24 weeks with my second so anything in L (top or bottom) and in black would work if I win.
As for the butt… well, I fully accept that while I might not like it, the butt is what it is (size-wise) at any given time. All you can do is get feedback on how the current state of your butt looks with the clothes you pick. Fortunately, I married a guy who can say hey, those are not the most flattering pair of pants, and I can take his response and just change into something else.
That said, workout clothes in light colors (white, tan, beige, gray, light blue, light pink, etc.) are never flattering, even with piping. Darker shades are more slimming, and hide sweat stains MUCH better, at least for me (and I sweat like a pig). So that's my two cents.
Cute crying kid – what does it say about me (as a first time mom) that I also take the photo first, then console the kid? Probably nothing, other than that I grew up with two brothers and sisters and have a good eye for a hilarious (and truthful) picture of life with your kid.
Good luck with the colic. You look too good for so quickly after delivery. May we all deliver and slim down so quickly.
I AM amazed at Coco's butt. Truly amazed.
I'd love some new gym clothes!
I'd love some new workout clothes!!
cause that's what's keeping me from the gym…yeah…the lack of workout clothes..yeeeeeahhh…
I never ask the BF if I look fat, and have really given up on asking his opinion at all, 'cause I know that he'll always say I look fine, and I'll always end up changing anyway if I was insecure enough about the outfit to ask the question in the first place.
I almost never get a real answer for the fat butt question. My husband usually just says he likes my butt, which is great but it really does look better in some things than in others, so it would be nice to have an honest answer.
I always go with black. It's just safest ;o)
Charlotte, still can't get to sire but I guaranty you based on how old all my workout wear is, I need one of everything!!!! 🙂
You should be proud that you have so many readers to bring down the Ivee site! I hope i win- I've been losing enough weight that I need some new workout wear so I don't need to dedicate a hand to holding up my pants! 🙂
It surprises me that anyone would ask another this question and not expect an honest answer. What would be the point? On the other hand, the answer might really say something about the speaker: "Those pants aren't as flattering as some of your other clothes" is way different than "your butt always looks big".
cammi99
I don't have a BF or S/O to ask if my butt looks big or if I look fat in jeans. I have a gal pal who is helping me "find my inner hottie" who does that for me. Which I don't mind. Sometimes. The more I do squats/deadlifts/etc. in CrossFit the more I like my butt. The more I eat desserts the more I don't like it. So even though I just finished a 1/4 of a sweet potato pie I made I plan on doing some squats and sit ups.
BTW – I didn't notice Coco's butt right away. I first noticed her back and thought too much curve – she needs to tighten her abs. Then I noticed her shoes – first of all…ick, but also not good. She should be wearing flat shoes or be barefoot so she can explode through her heels since that's where her weight should be. Then I noticed her butt and thought….eh…it's OK. CrossFitter butts look much better.
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oh workout gear! sweet delight.
i'm trying to get rid of my high school bball shorts for working out once and for all….
site is still down! wow, that's impressive.
also–i think you look great. it's actually really encouraging to see a photo of what a healthy woman looks like post-pregnancy. i mean, a woman who listened to her body, gained the necessary weight, and then how the body will naturally bounce back. our bodies are just too amazing.
Yay for new pants! I think I still am wearing pants from high school, holes in crotch and all. damn it they're comfy!!!!
omg,that pic of Coco has me CRACKING up!!!
and you look fabulous! I have cardio-envy!
I'd rather have the black pants you ended up wearing. 🙂
I'm in awe of Coco's butt, and although I hope for an honest answer, I'm sometimes really bad about giving them out myself. Awful, I know!
Ummm, clearly your jellybean has an excellent set of lungs, that cry looks pretty loud.
And, you look fantastic- even without having had a baby.
As a Canadian, I too doubt that I am eligible, plus, like Gemfit, I have a love affair with lululemon.
To the point where I can wear entire lululemon outfits everyday of the week to class, PLUS a different outfit to the gym. I'd go to 'rehab', but their stuff is amazing.
You look fabulous! It's so hard to see yourself as others see you. We're too hard on ourselves.
I feel your pain regarding the pants issue. I bought two pairs of Nike pants that were PERFECT. I have thigh issues. Of course I can't find them anywhere.
Hi Char! I tried to access the website the day your blog came out and had no luck. But I would like to be included in the giveaway! 🙂
See ya at the gym!
If I ever ask my husband that question he always says "no, your butt makes your butt look fat" and then cracks himself up every time. Then again, the hubby loves "a big butt and a smile".
The comment about the crying baby photos cracked me up. Each child of mine has more crying and other "unflattering" photos than the last. Hilarious!
I try not to ask that question–instead I use the timer on my camera to take as good a picture as I can and go with that.
When friends ask me that question (or when they don't, but we're shopping together or whatever) I would never encourage them wear something that didn't look good, so I go for one of the following: "It's not the most flattering shape on you / the black pants show off your curves so much better / it just doesn't hang quite right on you"
(I'm fond of that last one because it's so true. I have beautiful friends who have beautiful, feminine bodies–I figure it has to be the clothes that are messed up.)
Oh, I'm going on too long I guess. But I could really use some new workout clothes too 🙂 The kind that would flatter my "beautiful feminine body"? Well, I'm not quite spiritually advanced enough to say that about myself yet, but I know my friends would say it for me.
While the pants are not flattering (I don't believe they would be on anyone with that type of piping), I think you look absolutely amazing. I cannot believe you have a brand new baby at home. You look stunning.
When I ask that question I'm looking for a 'yes,' but I have an incredibly flat butt.
As for that first pic… there is no natural ass in the world that looks like that. If you google other pics it looks like it's eating her hips O.o. Terrifying!
And as many others have stated, you look amazing – poorly designed pants or no.
Personally I've given up on looking decent in the gym – I'm just there to do my weights (and cardio if my hip/back aren't complaining too much). My current gym pants are eye blindingly red as they were the only ones left and I was not going to work out in shorts when it's freezing outside.
I would LOVE to be entered!
And wow you look great! 🙂
I wear the same workout pants every time I go to the gym (washing included!).. it gets rather boringggg.. I'd love new clothes but cannot find the money to spend on myself
Way to send so many people over there at once that you crash their site. Still down tonight–this morning?–so I'll answer your question instead.
My husband will NEVER tell me I look fat in anything. I never even ask him, except for the occasional, "Do I look okay in this?" He is NOT however the one to ask about serious questions like, "Can you see my underwear through my pants?" His answer? "Not really." Um…It's not exactly a "Not really" kind of question. Either you CAN'T see them, or you CAN…even if you SORT OF CAN, you should still answer YES! Why can he not figure that one out? He WANTS me to walk around with my underwear showing? Geesh.
Great pics!
Wow, I see I got a bargain in my husband! He is my personal shopper…I despise shopping for clothing, so he comes along and forces me to try things on, then brings me different sizes or other items he finds that might work. And he actually does have very good taste.
I took my husband swimsuit shopping this year (he actually WANTED to come–well, he wanted to come on the FIRST trip), and he finally began to understand the challenge that it is to find mass-marketed clothes (particularly swimsuits) that look good on an individual woman. His shopping experiences have always been easy–just select waist X length X with few deviations among brands–but with me he saw how a M could actually be a S and a S could sometimes be a L…then, if you throw in a few concerns about finding a 'good' price, success in a single shopping trip is as unlikely as mastering a backbend on your first try. It can be done…but it is very difficult.
When I ask a question about how I look, I'm not really wanting for an honest answer, just reassurance. Fortunately, my spouse knows the rules. As far as I know, I always looked great in everything I've ever put on for the last 19 years. Amazing, huh?
And love the pics!
You look great in those pants and I would love to win some new gym clothes!
Seriously – you look amazing, especially for just having given birth. The pics were great. 🙂 I hate ordering stuff online, things never fit me right unless I take the time to try stuff on for 4 hours to find one thing (and then buy all the colors heh). Although, I would certainly try because I would love me some new workout pants for our "winter" here in TX.
Oh another funny one. Whenever I ask that of the hubs, he just breaks into a little smirk b/c he knows he simply cannot win that one at all. Period.
BTW you look amazing. Baby or no baby (who is mindblowingly (earshatteringly) adorable btw)…Personally I can never ever EVER wear anything but black re. training pants. Ever. Period. And even at that I have to be very careful of the style and fabric. I don't even think that superfit lean women look great in white. Just my opinion of course.
My youngest son, who is 22 and married (OMG), is still brutally honest. I can always count on honesty from him about everything from clothes to hair to make up. Sometimes I don't even have to ask! LOL Unfortunately he doesn't live close enough to ask very often. Hubby on the other hand is useless. I never asked about being fat because I am fat and fat looks fat. But I would ask how something looks. After YEARS of getting the response "I like that" and once I finally caught on to the fact that I was always getting the same answer, I stopped asking.