Tag: fashion

  • What to Wear for Curvy Girls, Part 2

    What to Wear for Curvy Girls, Part 2

    Part of the battle in recovery from diet addiction is not giving into the voices from ourselves–and the enemy–that we’re ugly, huge, hideous. That’s a spiritual battle. One practical thing that can help is to learn to dress for our body type while God is freeing us from the bondage to diet addiction. Anyway, that’s what I’ve found. These are practical tips that may help you as well. For more tips, check out What to Wear for Curvy Girls, Part 1.

    1. Create a sense of flow.

    I can’t say it enough. No hugging allowed! No tucking! No tight jeans with T-shirts. No roll-skimming fabrics that reveal every bulge. Instead, create a sense of flow. Honestly, I think this is applying the Scripture about dressing modestly.

    2. Tiers cover a multitude of sins.

    I’ve said that “ruffles cover a multitude of sin.” But when I searched for photos with ruffles, I discovered these are called “tiers.” I have this amazing dress that I wore to my niece’s wedding (and other dressy events). It’s a lot like the photo in the upper lefthand corner. Even one of the groomsmen said to me, “Ma’am, that’s a beautiful dress!” Thank you, tiers!

    3. Wear a jacket.

    This is a given for me because I’m self-conscious about my arms. If you have gorgeous arms, show them off! I love these photos, though, because they show all kinds of jackets we can wear–long and short, soft and heavy, sweaters and coats. It’s actually one more layer we can add to our look.

    4. Be bold within the guidelines.

    Girl, you are beautiful! And you are on a journey to take back your life from the enemy who’s ravaged you with condemnation. Enjoy dressing up. Add cool boots, a comfortable belt, gorgeous jewelry. Don’t be boring; take a look at all the looks above. I’m loving them! And, by the way, see that skirt in the lower righthand corner? Normally I’m not a fan of waist-hugging styles, but all that tulle does a great job of creating flare so it works!

    5. Be stylish.

    I love these looks! I like to surprise with things I wear–like the photo in the upper lefthand corner. There’s something about jagged edges at the bottom that intrigues me. But that’s my style! And thankfully, there are so many beautiful styles for curvy women that you can define your style. And that brings me to the last point…

    6. Be you!

    These are four looks that I’d like to create out of my wardrobe–of course, with a jacket for these arms! Don’t imitate someone. You’re uniquely created by an amazing God. Let YOUR personality shine through (instead of your rolls!).

    If you’d like to see more photos of what I think works and doesn’t, check out my Pinterest boards: Style Ideas and What Not to Wear.

  • What to Wear for Curvy Girls, Part 1

    What to Wear for Curvy Girls, Part 1

    Ok, so we’ve looked at What Not to Wear, part 1 and part 2. Now let’s take a look at What to Wear for Curvy Girls.

    Like I wrote before…I’m no fashionista, but I have learned a few things about dressing for my body type that I’d like to share with you. I don’t always get it right, so please be kind when you see that I’m breaking a rule!

    1. Wear tapered legs instead of baggy legs.

    Let's take a look at What to Wear for Curvy Girls.Like I wrote before...I'm no fashionista, but I have learned a few things about dressing for my body type that I'd like to share with you. 

    A tapered leg will make our legs look thinner while a boxy leg will make our legs look heavier. Don’t believe me? Take a look at some of the photos in Rule #2 in What Not to Wear. This is the first step to creating a slimmer silhouette. And this look is in!

    Here are a couple great options for great jeans with tapered leg in varied sizes and multi-colored super-stretch comfortable denim jeans. If you’re looking for capris, check these out (love the pockets too).

    2. An A-line cut is best.

    Let's take a look at What to Wear for Curvy Girls.Like I wrote before...I'm no fashionista, but I have learned a few things about dressing for my body type that I'd like to share with you. 

    It’s as easy as that. See the A in the photos above–smaller at the top and wider at the bottom forms an A. I love that outfit in the lower right corner! I’m bohemian at heart! Think A instead of 8–rarely, if ever, wear the number 8. It’s unflattering and even worse–uncomfortable.

    Search on Amazon for “swing dresses” so you get the length you’ll want (see below). Here are a few current styles worth checking out: simple T-shirt loose dress in 41 colors/patterns and this flowy swing tunic dress (with pockets!) in 58 colors/patterns.

    3. Wear flare.

    Let's take a look at What to Wear for Curvy Girls.Like I wrote before...I'm no fashionista, but I have learned a few things about dressing for my body type that I'd like to share with you. 

    Here’s a simple rule: Hugging is out! That is: Don’t wear clothes that hug your body; instead, wear styles that have a flare at the bottom. Instead of showing our curves (or bulges or rolls), a flare actually makes our top and our legs look thinner.

    Check out these styles: You can’t beat this faux wrap dress (great for a wedding or party), this fun knee-length tulle tutu, and this loose fit and flare shirt.

    4. Cover the thickest part of your legs.

    Let's take a look at What to Wear for Curvy Girls.Like I wrote before...I'm no fashionista, but I have learned a few things about dressing for my body type that I'd like to share with you. 

    We all know our bodies best. And we know where our legs bulge out. Make sure your top skims past that bulging area. Again, don’t believe me? Take a look at the photos in Rule #3 in What Not to Wear.

    When I’m searching for clothes on Amazon, I usually skip the shirts and look for short dresses that are perfect for my legs. Here are a few I like: This colorful short-sleeve summer dress. This one is even better for me with these sleeves and lots of print choices. And this one with even longer sleeves is perhaps the best.

    5. Wear layers with the loosest layer on top.
    Let's take a look at What to Wear for Curvy Girls.Like I wrote before...I'm no fashionista, but I have learned a few things about dressing for my body type that I'd like to share with you. 

    I love layers! And as in the photos above, you can see how stylish layers can be. Just remember that if a layer hugs your curves, it needs to be covered by a layer that doesn’t!

    Here are some fun items you can wear under a loose layer. This is a nice shirt extender that fits the length guideline. I also like a half-slip like this one.

    6. Have fun with asymmetrical edges.

    Let's take a look at What to Wear for Curvy Girls.Like I wrote before...I'm no fashionista, but I have learned a few things about dressing for my body type that I'd like to share with you. 

    How cool are these asymmetrical lines? You can add ruffles underneath or a straight edge under an asymmetrical line. This top would be perfect with an under layer. Lots of different options with this top. Loving this one as well.

    If you’d like to see more photos of what I think works and doesn’t, check out my Pinterest boards: Style Ideas and What Not to Wear.

    In my next post, I’ll finish these fashion/style posts. Stay tuned!

  • What Not to Wear, Part 2

    What Not to Wear, Part 2

    I went to church a few weeks ago, wearing an outfit that made me feel, well…frumpy. Matronly. I couldn’t wait to get home and change. It reminds me of what my friend Rochelle says about how a bad outfit makes her feel grumpy. Bad outfits make me feel grumpy too.

    And not only that, bad outfits are bad for my weightloss journey. When I’m wearing an outfit that “follows the rules,” I feel better about myself, my confidence is higher, and my desire to make healthy choices increases.

    I know it seems superficial compared to the spiritual truths God is leading me through. And I apologize for that. But I do think there’s some merit in learning to dress appropriately.

    So…here are my top-3 rules for What Not to Wear.

    1. Avoid Snug Clothing.

      Sometimes we long to wear the stylish clothes that thinner women can wear, so we pour ourselves into outfits we never should. And the bulges and rolls and curves make their appearance for all to see. Ladies, say it isn’t so!

      It reminds me of the scene from Steel Magnolias where Clairee Belcher comments on the mayor’s wife, who’s dancing in a tight skirt. “Looks like two pigs fightin’ under a blanket,” she observes. Girls, it really shouldn’t be.

       

      Let’s take a look at some of the styles we should just say no to. To be kind, I’m not commenting.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    2. Avoid Too Baggy Clothes.

    It’s all too easy to go to the other extreme to avoid snug clothes. And, believe me, I’ve done it and still do it sometimes. My mom reminded me just the other day about how I used to try to hide my body in big baggy clothes during college. I responded with a weak, “but I liked them!”

    While I’m all for loose-fitting clothes (and I’ll deal with what to wear in my next blog), we can go too far. There are some wonderful loose looks that complement instead of camouflage our bodies. These images are not them!

    Again, to be kind–no comments.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    3. Avoid Too Short Clothing.

    Some of these looks below are so close to being right. Imagine more length on them, and they’re probably just right. In fact, place your fingers over these gals’ thighs to see where their legs start to look less thick–and you’ll know how long is just right.

     

     

     

     

     

    Now let’s get personal…here are three examples of me breaking the rules. Hold on…it’s not pretty.

     

    Too Tight!

    Look how my friend is wearing a flowing outfit that makes her look so much better!

    Too Baggy!

    That’s me in the middle with the black top and wide-legged jeans.

    They actually make my legs look bigger!

    Too Short!

    Oh my! What was I thinking? This polka-dot top needed 8 more inches to be right for my body. And, to think, I was onstage at our conference. Yikes!

    God calls us to so much more.

    “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.”

    1 Timothy 2:9