This post is an extension of my previous post “How I Learned to Love My Body” in which I discussed my struggle with weight gain throughout my life especially during and after pregnancy and how I have overcome the idea of having a “perfect figure” and eventually learned how to love and accept my new body.
On this post, I would be sharing tips that works and doesn’t work for my curvy body shape and finally I’ll share how to dress up in a way that looks flattering for my figure. I wanted to mention that there are many styles of clothing I ditched now which used to be a staple before my pregnancy. I realized overtime, and through trial and error, that, not every trendy piece of clothing has to be in my closet and I could put together pieces that actually suits my body and wearing them, I can still look very stylish and trendy.
While we are on that topic, let’s start with the things I don’t wear or avoid! Let’s start with the don’ts!
DONT’s:
- I do not wear t-shirts that are tight and body hugging especially, when paired with another body hugging item- skinny jeans!! Funny, because this was my everyday get up almost 90% of the time. Reason it doesn’t work anymore: I have a pear shaped body and a disproportionately wide hip and chunky thighs which gets accentuated when I wear tight pants. Don’t get me wrong, I still wear skinny jeans but I always size up by 1 or 2 sizes which gives the illusion of a more proportionate bottom half. I do the same for t-shirts. I still wear them but always wear 1 or 2 sizes bigger than my actual size. But make sure to not size up too much otherwise the extra baggy clothes will make you look bulkier instead without giving you any definite shape. Remember one’s goal should NEVER be to look skinny while dressing up, the goal should be to flaunt your natural body shape using these tips and tricks.
- I do not wear sleeveless tops/dresses anymore! I know I know, this one is not always possible in hot summer months but I usually opt for really light, cotton materials when picking out summer items which usually serves the purpose of keeping me cool. Also rule # 1 is important to remember when picking out summer clothes as well and that is not to wear anything too tight. The idea is to wear a half or three quarter sleeve top or dress that is flowy and little loose but not too loose so you feel cool and comfortable without having to wear something totally sleeveless. Again, many may not agree with this rule but I feel dressing up this way, I’m always able to create an illusion of a much flattering body than what I actually have.
- I almost never wear white/off white or any overly light colored pants. I wear skirts that are light colors but rarely ever wear white pants. Again it’s because of my pear shaped bottom which looks larger in light colors. So, I almost always opt for black pants, dark blue jeans or other darker colored pants. If on rare occasions, when I do wear light shaded pants, it’s always gotta be culottes, palazzos or other loose fitting wide legged pants, jeans or joggers.
- I do not wear dresses that are shorter than knee length! I prefer to wear midi dresses mostly, as I feel, it’s the perfect length that doesn’t make me look too short while hiding the unflattering, upper portion of my legs. Maxi dresses are great too however, I feel it’s an item that’s not very functional for every day use and can only be worn on special occasions. But some may disagree, depends on your preference.
- I never wear t-shirts/tops that sits above my hips when wearing a comparably tighter pants or leggings. I always wear tops that are long enough to cover my bum and ones that are a little baggy. The baggyness balances out the skinny pants and gives a more proportionate look. On the other hand, if the pants are loose like palazzos or culottes, then I don’t mind a crop top or even tucking in my top or sweater. The idea is to never accentuate the already heavy bottom!
- I never wear pants that are made from too thin or light materials. I always wear pants made of heavier materials and they are always successful to hide little bulges or cellulites around my bum and the thigh areas. Whereas with pants made of thinner material, those imperfections gets emphasized in a rather unflattering way.
- I never wear Bodycon dresses that are body hugging and fits tight all over the body, simply because it emphasizes ALL the little bulges that I have ALL over my body and I think it’s a total turn off!
DOs:
- When wearing a piece of clothing whether it’s a dress, a pant or even a top with light/flowy material, always always wear a shape wear! I can’t stress enough, how it makes the world of a difference! Even for regular clothings, whenever the material for your clothing is too thin, wear a shape wear that will smoothen out all the little bulges giving an overall put together look. While choosing a shape wear, especially when wearing dresses, opt for the whole body ones that goes down to your knees. This is especially great for pear shaped bottoms as it holds everything together nicely and firmly and trust me it will boost your confidence a whole lot!!
- Whenever possible, try to add a skinny or medium width belt when wearing dresses or tops that are a little too baggy. The belt dramatically gives you a quick lift in your overall look making it look a bit formal while accentuating your curves. This is a total win-win.
- Wear fit and flair and A-line dresses and skirts. Even though I’m more comfortable dressing my bulkier body now, I still have hard time wearing certain clothing items due to my heavier bottom, so my go to is always any one of these styles. It hides the extra bulge while giving a total trendy look. I also wear shift dresses which doesn’t have the accentuated waist line but with the perfect size and fit, this style of dresses are also very flattering for curvy bodies. I usually add a skinny belt to add some depth.
- When choosing flats or heels, always choose pointed toes because that gives an illusion of a less bulkier look. But I can’t always follow this rule because of my love for sneakers.
- When choosing tops and dresses I always go for 3/4 sleeves or full sleeves, this is basically an extension to the point above where I mentioned how I ditched sleeveless anything. However, during scorching hot summer days, I sometimes give in and wear half sleeves, but I try to avoid that as much as possible because I feel that full sleeve and 3/4 sleeves make my arms look much more flattering than it actually is.
- If you must wear tight fitting pants or jeans with a tight top, always put a long blazer or cardigan to cover your bum and love handles. Take a before and after picture with and without the blazer and be ready to be blown away with the difference!!
- When shopping at stores, try on different sizes of the same style of clothings. At one point, before having my kid, I used to wear medium for everything, all across the board and only shopped online. As much as I love the convenience of online shopping, lately I find myself that different style of clothing fits differently in my new body and the hassle of ordering and returning is not worth it. For example, I have dresses from h&m that are size 8, 10, 12 and even 14. Same goes for tops and sometimes even pants. So always try different sizes of the same piece before making your purchase. You’ll be surprised at how the same outfit can look so different just because of the fitting.
Pro Tip: When in doubt, wear anything black and a pointy toed black heel, you’ll be golden!
In these pictures I’m wearing a beautiful striped dress sent by Pink Blush which I absolutely love. The material is like a dream! It’s sooo soft and plush and so comfortable, I can’t even explain in words. It’s made out of a stretchy, jersey type, wrinkle free material and has 2 layers which is perfect for me because I didn’t have to wear a shape wear underneath which I usually do to cover the bra lines. Did I mention this dress has pockets??? Who doesn’t love a dress with pockets!!! The next thing I loved about this dress is, how warm and cozy this dress felt, making it a perfect fall or even winter piece. Just throw in a long black cardigan and tall boots in fall and switch it with a coat during winter. If any of you are pregnant and/or a new mom or even seasoned mom like me, you must check out this amazing company. Their material is such great quality. I’m definitely going to be ordering again!
If you want to order the exact same dress as mine, click here.
Lastly, wear clothing that you feel comfortable in. There is absolutely no right or wrong way neither there is any rigid rule of how one should dress up. First of all, I feel that every one has their own unique style which should reflect in their outfits as well. So it’s important to not follow every trend without thinking about your personality, lifestyle and body shape rather to build a wardrobe that reflects you! And last but not least FLAUNT YOUR CURVES girls because “Being confident and owning your body is sexy.”