How confident are you with your body?

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How confident are you with your body?

Truecolors

(website)

Active Member

Hi everyone!

I just found this forum and am excited to participate. How does the issue of weight gain or weight loss affect your self-confidence and the way you dress? I know for myself, even a weight gain of a few pounds causes me to dress more "strategically" so I can camouflage the bulge.

I teach women how to dress confidently, and I find that our body shape and weight plays a tremendous hand in how confidently we walk out the door. Any great camouflage clothing tips? Thanks!

9 years ago

Body Type

7 replies

Latest reply was from

rachylou

Veteran

I feel I'm body confident. My weight has never been a source of stress for me - except when I became type 1 diabetic and lost a tremendous amount very fast. That was traumatic admittedly. And I did have to redo everything.

My one sore spot is dress trousers. A few pounds and things no longer fit. That's a pain.

9 years ago

Joy

Veteran

This site shows us beautiful, stylish women of all sizes and shapes. It is sad that weight is a factor in whether or not a woman feels confident and beautiful. Did you see Angie's tips on how to dress various body types? I don't know that I'd think of that as camouflage, more like emphasis on your assets.

9 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

At the moment, not very - am feeling out of shape and paunchy. But working on it by doing more of the fun stuff I used to do to stay in shape Nd trying to stay positive!

9 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

What Joy said.

We all have things about our bodies that are challenging to dress, or that we are self-conscious about, regardless of size or weight. If its one thing I've learned here, it's that we ALL have challenges -- even someone whose body type seems totally enviable.

I rarely think of the idea of camouflage when it comes to dressing, but I do aim for flattery, or sometimes even our phrase we use around here, JFE for "just flattering enough." I am currently not at my ideal weight or size, but I'm happier with my body than at I've been for most of my life because I am active and grateful for my health. Ten pounds and smaller thighs would not really make that much difference in how I dress, and that's a really freeing realization.

9 years ago

viva

Veteran

It's so interesting to think about this question now, after being on this site for about 8 months, because I probably would have answered it quite differently before. YLF has helped me with body image and dressing in a number of ways:

1 - showing me -- every day -- a variety of women in real-life dressing scenarios has made me simply accept my own body as one type on a spectrum
2 - looking at WIWs of women of all shapes, sizes, and styles and complimenting them on their great choices and their beauty again underscores for me the beauty in all of us
3 - understanding my body type has helped me let go of pining for items that simply don't work (anything that requires a waist) rather than blaming myself or my body for something not fitting well
4 - emphasizing my assets puts my personal focus on what I really love about my body
5 - I am developing a style that works with my body type and my personality, and continues to work despite weight fluctuations -- understanding body type is key
6 - Boyfriend jeans and slouchy trousers are godsends on bloaty days, and are still fashionable

PS Sorry for the poor grammar - this is horribly written, but it's early.

9 years ago

Truecolors

(website)

Active Member

Thank you, ladies, for responding to my question!

I am so impressed by your super-positive attitudes toward your bodies. I love love Joy's (and others) acknowledgement that we all have body challenges, no matter what your body type or weight is. Highlighting your assets, knowing your body type , and expressing your personality with your signature style all keep your self-confidence high, even when you may not be at your ideal weight.

The reason I teach people about their colors, body type, style, inner personality, etc., is that I know that self-knowledge is everything. As Viva points out, knowing yourself is key. Developing your own signature style gives you focus when you are building or maintaining your wardrobe.

Bottom line - beauty comes from within, and if we have a beautiful, loving heart toward ourselves and those around us, we can live more confidently.

9 years ago

Anonymous

Welcome Linda. Angie is a great example for positive body image. She has some posts in the archives on how to conceal or camouflage a muffin top, on 'surrendering the waist' and about dressing for all the body types, as Joy mentioned--about 6000 posts in all! She is a great teacher. I'm sure as you dig into the site you'll find many nuggets of wisdom you can share with your clients.

9 years ago

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