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| Image by Triactol- www.triactol.com/blog/whichclothessuitme/ |
While “shake what yo mama gave ya” might not be the most
profound saying in the world, it’s message of being proud of your body is one
that all women should listen to.
Battered about the head by the air-brushed faces of
celebrities whose unwavering blank stare makes our wobbly thighs quake, leaping
about in adverts that get you reaching for the ice-cream, it can be difficult
to accept you’re beautiful when held up against an ideal that’s unreal.
You look in the mirror and think my hips are too big, too
small, my arms are too fat, too thin… and the fact that you have one gigantic
boob is all too obvious. Wrong. It’s not your body that’s the problem, it’s
your clothes.
It’s time to embrace your body in all of its dimpled, out of
proportion, curvy, boyish, whatever glory. I encourage you to get out there and
shake what your mother, and father, gave you. Just make sure you’re doing it in
the right jeans for your genes.
Accept It, Then Love
It.
Whatever body you’ve ended up with – a raging metabolism
that won’t let you put on weight or curves that you can’t shift – you’re stuck
with it.
The sooner you learn to accept your proportions, the quicker
you can stop trying to shoehorn yourself into that leather catsuit and start to
show off your best bits with the right clothes for you.
Take a Good Look in
the Mirror.
Before you can make your wardrobe work for you, you need to
get to grips with the reality of your shape. Look in the mirror and don’t
criticise but assess.
Are your shoulders wider than your hips (inverted triangle)?
Do you collect weight around your middle (apple) or does it stick to your hips
and bum (pear)? Do you have a defined waist that curves in from your shoulders
and hips (hourglass) or are you slender without a curve in sight (boyish)?
Whatever you look like there will be clothes that take away from your natural
beauty and styles that make you look
stunning.
Different people use different names but as long as you know
your shape you’ll be able to start treating it like it deserves, with the right
clothes to show off your frame.
If you’re still not sure there’re sites like
shopyourshape.com that have a handy
calculator that can help.
Dress for Your Shape.
Once you’ve made friends with your body, told each other
your secrets and had a pillow fight, you’re ready to choose clothes.
There’s loads of advice on what styles to pick, from jackets
and skirts to dresses and accessories, that will show off, create or hide your
different curves.
Sheknows.com
have a great collection of links that will help you discover what’s suitable
for your shape, while I simply love this handy flowchart that helps you find
out your shape and then what clothes it needs.
Not everyone can make a maxi dress look good, or rock their
curves in a pencil skirt, but whatever your shape there’s a style that will
transform your whole look, accentuating the good bits and hiding your
weaknesses.
Do you have any hints and tips on how best to dress for your
shape, and what to stay away from? Share your comments below.
Allie Redmond.
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