Okay, I am not giving up, but I just cant concentrate on dieting right now with everything else I have to deal with sooo..how do I play this off? I see so many women who are on the heavy side and they look great. Always so well put together. I always look like a slob. I just want to feel good about myself again. I know we have some skinny-minnies out there, but I know there are alot of you dealing with the bodies that stress, immobility and prednisone have generously left behind. Any advice on how to find clothes that fit right and look nice? Everything I have is too small or makes me look frumpy.
These are the things I look at when I get dressed so i can look nice when i go out. First, stay away from sweats and t-shirts, sorry to myself cuz that's what I wear lol, but not flattering :) I suggest only buying the clothing from the larger ladies plus sized shops cuz they are more form fitting than you find at walmart etc. Stay away from shirts without sleeves and tight pants. No tight shirts on the stomach area if you bulge like most of us. Also, no shorts unless you have nice legs (i don't wear shorts). Make sure your shirts are long enough to reach the bottom of your toosh as when you lift your arms, your extra areas don't show. You can wear t-shirts but buy desinger type from plus sized shops, they fit better and usually have nicer material. Just make sure to check the sleeves, if they are too short (which they tend to be) you will look oddly shaped and it's very noticeable. No sandals (unless you want a sandal type day) no open toe shoes as larger feet don't look too nice either. Dark colors help slim you, stay away from bright colors and whites as you will stand out. Don't tuck in your shirt unless it is long enough to have a nice overhang over the belt area. It always looks nice to have a tucked in under blouse and a jacket or long sleeve open shirt over it. Dark slacks are nice, again be sure to buy them at plus sized shops as they are made to fit your curves better. Also, no puffy sleeves or flowing sleeves, makes you look better & no tight clothing at all. If you wear stripes, make them go down not from side to side. I think that's about it. I got most of this information back in college when they taught us to dress for success. Also, no short skirts or dresses, looks best when ankle length and flowing. I hope this helps, I weigh over 200lbs and use this information. I love the show "What Not To Wear" (TLC channel http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/whatnottowear/fashion_tips /index.html) They take regular people & show them how to dress for their body type. They have lots of good pointers to minimize our flaws & bring out our best ones. Hope this helps. I was just going to suggest watching "What Not to Wear" as well! It is a great show and really shows you how to accent your assets. It depends on the shape of your body how you will wear things. A big thing they seem to stress on there is to dress your largest part first and go from there. So say you have a large chest, but smaller waist. You want to get a shirt that fits around your chest first...if you did it the other way around, it would be too tight around your chest and not look right. Sounds logical but I know I don't always follow that rule. And it really makes a huge difference in how you look. If you have TLC I would suggest watching a few of the shows...it will give you some good ideas. Very true, i have seen women who get excited over a little stomach but their chest is so large it looks trampy when they dress for the stomach size. I want attention, but not that kind :) Shopping in the Plus Size Dept. is my answer. I've never had to do that untill now. I bought a pretty long dress, size 16w for a wedding I went to last week. It has a nice long jacked & long sleeves. I swear, I think it help hide some of the "fat". I told my husband that I will have to go back to that store, as I have no summer clothes to fit me. Trisha That is one of the worst things about not being a size 2 anymore...is being so short. I need clothes in like a petite 14. Most women are about a size 12 or 14, but they are also 5'5" and not 4'11" like me. I like the clothes at stores like Lane Bryant, but they are a little too big for me, every where else seems to be to small. I love Ann Taylor Loft, but the clothes are a little too dressy for my needs. I wear scrubs to work, and I just need cute, comfortable clothes to run around in. I have capris, but my husband is starting to complain that I have "been wearing the same thing for the past 3 years". JC Penny has nice petite clothes, but there are not alot of choices. Wal-mart t-s just dont hold up. I need to find the happy medium. Too bad Target doesnt offer more Petites or maybe Kohls??? Hey, Crunchy, we're the same height and size. I just don't go with looking gorgeous any more. That's not quite through. I wear a lot of long skirts because they cover up the leg braces. Everyone thinks it is my style. I miss shorter skirts and showing off what used to be beautiful legs. I have this kind extra lumps from swelling under my knees from OA. Knees are bad.
I wear shirts that are longer and are loose enough to not be tight on
my stomach. I also find that the kind of fabric makes a big
difference. I don't buy things I think will shrink much. I
have started wearing nicer shirts with jeans instead of
t-shirrts. There are a lot of nice shirts you can wear that go
with jeans.
I also love the capris and the goucho pants that are out now. I
wear those a lot, and if you dress up your clothes by wearing jewelry
and makeup, it makes a big difference. I buy costume jewelry and
look for the clearance rack regulary on it. I think accessorizing
makes big difference.
If you're into shopping on the Internet, try the Elisabeth.com Web site. It is the plus sizes division of Liz Claiborne. Some of their stuff is really expensive but it is also possible to get really flattering clothes at a reasonable price. Not Walmart prices but tolerable. They also have lots of hints as to what to wear and how to wear it.
The last thing is get a bra that fits you. A improper fitting one will make what ever top you are wearing look bad. I found the right one and now "the girls" are where they belong instead of going south.
MarisaAnother good one is Dress Barn -- I know the name sounds awful, but
they have great clothes and in petite all the way to plus. I
really like their clothes because the range of styles and because they
are well-made.
I know they have some in Texas because my mom lives there half the year and mentioned it.
http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/minis/mini/dressMINI/dressM INI1.html
Well I am amazed, I went into Walmart today to get a simple tank top to wear over my swim suit and found a great pair of army green shorts and a brown tank top that look pretty decent on me. I have decided to loosen up a bit about the whole leg thing. I have been trying to cover them up and I am starting to see in the full length mirror that some of the capris are just making me look even more short and squatty. As long I dont look "gross" and my husband thinks I look good, I think I can show just a little bit more leg and try to stop hiding in tent-like t-shirts.
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com