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Summer afternoon, the two most beautiful words in the English language, so wrote Henry James.
Aahhh, sundresses, shorts and t-shirts, and sand between your toes.

But. Nothing. Fits.

Maybe you’re newly expecting or expecting again, or going through the change, or you’ve been grounded from exercise due to injury.  And a new wardrobe is just not in the budget.
What to do? If it’s temporary weight-gain that has you craving a little extra room in your clothes, keep reading for some great tips.

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I Gained Weight, Now What?

When nothing fits, it’s so easy to give up and become the “I could care less” dresser you told yourself you would never become (along with the vow never to wear yoga pants outside the gym). But life happens. And you realize you don’t have time for two or three outfit changes in a day, and you don't have time to shop for cool clothes. And you care about so many other things now. So you do this…

And you’re going to be tempted to do this…

But you can’t. You mustn’t.  Embrace the body you have now.  Don’t put off looking great and feeling like yourself in your clothes until that elusive one day you hit your goal weight.

Why It’s Important To Dress For The Body You Have Now

Wearing stretchy, comfy elastic-band or drawstring pants with cozy, comfy, pilled tees is like saying to the world and your children, “I don’t care anymore. I don’t care that my children’s memories will be dominated by me in lycra and flip flops. They can learn from reality TV and gossip magazine what real women wear.” That doesn't sound very charming does it?

Please, put some effort into showing the younger generations what it means to be a woman. How we dress, how we treat people with respect and dignity, how we takes the time to feel good about ourselves – this will go a long way in nurturing confident, caring women who will be entrusted with taking care of our world, and us.

You say, “But Tina, you have no children.  You have no idea what it’s like to get myself ready for work and these kids ready for school/camp/a day of errands, much less give myself a shower and find anything in my closet that fits, has no stains, and is remotely cute.”  May I share? My dear mother raised four children without babysitters in the afternoon or on weekends, without computers to occupy us while she got things done, and we were restricted from the TV except on weekends, without microwave dinners or delivery, without cleaning ladies or salon appointments. In other words, she did everything herself and still put on lipstick and a dress or skirt everyday, and I loved it. She took time to talk to friends on the phone who were struggling, and she couldn’t multi-task because she was stuck to the chair by the wall phone. She was a lady, a gentlewoman. And I am so thankful for these memories that are a feminine touchstone for me today in a world of yoga pants, khaki shorts and t-shirts.

So, instead of succumbing to frumpy summer uniforms like matching capri outfits or elastic waist khakis, here are some alternatives.

What To Wear When Nothing Fits

1. Waist Extender BellaBand

Not just for those expecting, try adding to your jeans or shorts a waist extender, a stretchy tube that fits right over the waistband of your pants and gives you more room to stretch and breathe.

Order both the Nude and Black so you can interchange them with white jeans and black pants.

 

Switch out your winter Spanx and try this lightweight SPANX for summer, which is thinner and cooler, and still supportive and smoothing. I wear them with all my dresses and skirts just because I like how it smoothes. They are also perfect under linen pants.

Order the Soft Nude (a perfect vanilla color) and Black.

 

3. Try Shifts, A-line and Wrap Skirts and Dresses.

The fit-and-flare creates more of an hourglass shape. Avoid anything with lots of fabric, and stay away from long skirts and dresses - you are not hiding anything by putting more fabric over it.

** Be sure to click through the dresses and skirts to see if they have your size, as many of these go up to a size 20, and many come in petites!**

Now that you have a few tips and tricks up your sleeve, just remember one thing, wear what you wear with confidence and you will always be in style. Clothes are just clothes. The life you live in them is more important.

Best,

Tina