Living With... Large Thighs By Jo Allison

As summer shines upon us, I breathe a sigh, and not one of relief; tights are officially over. For another season I must succumb the general public to my wobbling white flesh, nylon coverings are just far too warm. As a baby, I was evidently very well fed, as they say breast is best, and as a result, I grew alarmingly large as a child. Looking back at old primary school photos demonstrates this perfectly, I'm always back row, centre stage, at least a foot taller than my pretty, doll-like peers.

This childhood over-feeding somehow managed to find its way, below my waist and onto the old 'hip and thigh' area. Arms and face seem ok, gravity has worked its magic and shifted my fatty deposits downwards. My mum often proudly reminisces about how her friends cooed over her 'beautiful daughter'. 'Healthy' was a phrase regularly used, roughly translated as 'stocky' and 'chubby'; it was probably a cue for my mum to stop feeding me quite so much. She didn't.

Childhood nicknames are always cruel, four-eyes, ginger nut are bound to hurt, but surely 'fat legs' is up there with the worst. Hearing it shouted across a crowded corridor has left me with an irrational obsession with my cellulite infested pins. And this was only a few years ago. Things haven't got any better in my more adult years. Summer is possibly the worst time for those of us with unbelievably honking great legs. I have failed to find a pair of shorts, bikini or skirt that either disguise or flatter my chubby limbs.

Summer does however bring with it delightful effects on the larger leg; red- raw inner thigh is created by a mixture of heat and rubbing flesh, uncomfortable and unattractive at the best of times, but really rather unnecessary when sunning yourself in the delightfully warm Costa Brava. Large thighs are probably the worst large body part to own whilst on a beach. There is just no hiding or hoisting them.

Some bulky body parts are just so much more acceptable than others. Big boobs, big bums, sported by the likes of Jordan and J-Lo, are oh-so-sexy, when pushed and supported, and so I suppose, are big thighs, when they belong to the likes of Beyonce. However, when they are not toned and tanned to perfection, it would not be wise to wear a tiny pair of hot pants, because I really don't think you're ready for the jelly - like consistency of my flesh.

So now that summer is nearly here, and undoubtedly slightly warmer English weather, I can be happy in the knowledge that there will still be no need for an uncovered leg to be flashed, ever. Nice wide linen trousers, long flowing skirts and roomy jeans will be my saviours. If you too suffer from thunder thighs, the above suggestions are the only items I have found through my thorough research to combat the bulge. My horror this season is that somehow I will be fooled into buying a pair of skinny jeans, or cropped trousers, because to be honest, my calves really aren't that slender either!

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