Summer Style: What are you wearing? : by Beauty and Brains
<>Spring is here. Summer is coming fast. And I have seen some nasty fashion mistakes out there. Come on everybody. Look great but be sensible. I seriously think that no matter what size body shape you have right now, you can look fantastic today. I don't care if you are a 110 pound person or a 220 pound person. Your clothes can look GREAT on you. Know what to avoid and what makes clothing FIT YOU. Curves are not bad and even thin can be in if you are healthy. (Make sure we are eating good foods all summer too). Aside from that, what makes clothing fit you? Are your daisy dukes in danger? How do you know if your muffin top has overflowed the pan?
Here are some tips for all of us to follow regardless of our body size.
If you have to tug it, it's too small . Good fit makes you look better. Putting on pants, tops and jackets should never be a struggle. If you are fighting it, go a size up. You will look better in the long run. Tight does NOT mean you look thin. All clothing should allow your body to breathe, blood to circulate and as a general rule be one inch leeway over the surface of your skin. You should be able to put two fingers between the fabric and the skin and not be overly tight. When you walk, sit or stoop in a garment it should fall back to the original placement on your body on its own. No tugging down or hoisting up should be needed. Those are signs of bad fit.
4 inch gap, Take it back. On the other end of the spectrum, garments that are too big look ridiculous too. Petite people and large people often make the same mistake here. Comfort is great but bad fit is silly. When you move around in your clothes, there should not be more than 2 inches on either side of a shirt or pants that swings free. Grab your extra side fabric on that T and see how much is gathered there. Four inches of extra fabric can make you look up to 8 sizes larger. Don't go there. Be who you are. Large or small, get a size that is made for your body proportions. Pants are the same way. Sure baggy is in for guys but safety pinning the super sized pants to your boxers so they don't fall down is just dumb. You'll get so many more compliments if your clothing fits right and you will STILL be comfy.
Put that away! Duke can see your daisies! Bootie shorts that crawl up your bootie, tight ass pants, bikinis worn off the beach, all say "HO, look at me, I am flaunting it." Appropriate clothing size is crucial if you care about giving the right impression. Showing too much skin this summer is the fastest way to say to others "I take myself lightly. I am a bozo. I have no sense of what is appropriate." For bottoms, no curve on the butt should be actual exposed skin below those daisy dukes and booty shorts. In fact, leave the true booty shorts home for the pajama party. Now looking good is cool and so is being a little sexy. But there are limits to good taste in public. Feeling confident of your curves is a good thing. Shoving your curves into the unsuspecting view of others is not a good thing. Muffin tops are fine but don't CINCH them with a belt. The space between your natural waist and your natural hip can flow like an S but don't cinch it unknowingly into a figure 8 by having the low rider waistband and belt too tight. On your bottoms, always opt for a little more concealed than revealed! Keep a little mystery, gurl!
The Top Line: Too small a camisole, too tight a halter, too thin a cotton with no undergarment in sight are all faux paux. (That spells BAD news in French) If no one has told you yet, here are the specs. Go for less than 2 inches of cleavage. Chests over 36 inches need to be very careful of halters and tube tops because they need support built in. Don't let flimsy summer tops slip!! Strings should not pull so tight that they indent your skin on halters, Make sure the tube stays a TOP not a waistband. If you have to hoist it up all the time, it is too loose. Bathing suit tops are for tanning and for swimming. They are not casual wear for shopping. Toss a tank over it.
Take your look a little more seriously this summer. Others (especially adults in charge) will be more comfortable with you and you will get further in your goals. Wearing clothing that fits and reflects your best features and personal style without looking trashy is the goal. Keeping an eye on how your clothes fit you means you are using your brains and your beauty to get you where you want to go in life this summer.
Jen
