What To Wear When Nothing Fits
Tina, here.
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.
Last summer you could fit into these clothes...What happened? Life. Life happened, and it's ok.
Maybe you’re newly expecting or expecting again, or going through the change, or you’ve been grounded from exercising 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.
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 never would become (along with the vow to never drive a minivan). But life happens. And you realize you do need all that cargo space, 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 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, aka the Mom Uniform, 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 the Real Housewives and gossip magazine what real women wear.”
AAACK!
Please, put some effort into showing your children what it means to be a woman. How she dresses, how she treats people with respect and dignity, how she takes the time to feel good about herself – this will go a long way in nurturing confident, caring human beings.
(You say, “But Tina, you have no children. You have no idea what it’s like to get 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 4 children without babysitters in the afternoon or on weekends, without TV - we had a no TV rule - or computers to occupy us while she got things done, 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 there were no mobile phones and 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
Not just for those expecting, try adding to your jeans or shorts the Belly Belt:
The Belly Belt is a waistband extender that wraps around the button closure, giving you a full inch more room in your pants. Available here for $19.99 (I do not know anything about this boutique.)
You can also try the BeBand, a tube that fits right over the waistband of your pants and gives you more room to stretch and breathe:
There's also summer-weight Spanx, which is thinner and cooler, and still supportive and smoothing.
These Spanx are thinner than what you're used to, and just as supportive. Available for $58 from Zappos.com here.
Here's an up-close of a pair of Thinstincts thigh shapers, so you can see how thin it really is. Perfect under linen pants or thin cotton skirts.
Try skirts that are a-line or fit and flare, but not square, and definitely not long.
You'll feel better in a looser fitting skirt (and an elastic waistband also feels nice). You don't have to tuck in a top, if you wear the right top. Info on that below. There are some great options for flattering, elastic waist skirts in the June Vault.
Try pants that are bootcut, or try skinny if you like your calves.
This linen pant is not only great for when you feel like you just can't put on another pair of tight-fitting pants, but it's also perfect on hot days. You can shop it directly from the June Vault in all sorts of colors.
What about tops? Have you become a little more, shall we say, endowed? And your button-down blouses gape open? And forget about wearing tees altogether. You can’t stand the way they pull across the chest. Or do the words "muffin top" disturb you?
While you think you want to wear this:
But it looks like it would hide your mid-section so well!
or this...
But it looks so comfortable and wouldn't stick to my curves!
Don’t. When you put a shapeless box on a square (your top half), guess what you look like? A shapeless box. Not nice.
Try a looser top with better shape. Like a cross-over. I have seen its glories work on more than one client.
A cross-over top is on the diagonal so it is way more flattering than square box. Does this sound familiar? It should, I've been brow-beating you with this helpful hint for a while now, dolls. This kind of drapey top will also skim your curves without gripping them. Tops like this available to shop inside the Style Vault. For members only.
Another great option for when you can't fit into anything in your closet is to wear an oversized (not boxy) blouse, but only with skinny jeans. This silhouette still hints that you have shape without hiding all your curves behind shapeless gobs of fabric. I found the perfect linen blouse and included it as one of June's must-haves in the Style Vault. It is long enough to wear untucked, and easy enough to tuck if you prefer. You can also use it as a cover-up at the beach or pool. So many pretty colors available in Regular, Petite, Curvy and Tall. Want more info on the Style Vault? Click here. Members login here.
What about muu-muu's? You’re going to be tempted to buy these in bulk at Target, Old Navy and everywhere else that carries them:
The Maxi Dress. They look so easy, don't they? Like the one dish meal. But proceed with caution. They work on fewer women than retailers would like you to believe. Image by Madeline Warr.
Try a loose fitting shorter dress instead so we can see your legs and remember you do have a body.
The idea behind a wearing a dress with a little shape even though you may be trying to hide your shape is that when you hide behind oversized shapeless clothes, you look oversize and shapeless. Capiche? Lots of great dress options inside the Vault, for every shape and size.
What about all your cute sundresses that won’t zip up no matter how hard you try to suck in and hold your breath? You could try this: Add a gussett by sewing extra panels of fabric into the side seams of your dress to give you that extra room to be able to zip it up and enjoy all summer.
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.
But you could also hire us. When a client moves ahead with us instead of waiting for her goal weight, one of the most frequent compliments she gets is, Wow, you are looking so great lately! and Have you lost weight? And no she may not have; she's just dressing better. So, let’s get you started with our Nashville Wardrobe Consultants, Amy, Barbara or myself.
I am a client of Amy Croker, and I need to tell you just how wonderful she is. I am beyond delighted. I'm a mid-50s mom of three who still thinks she's in her late 30s. I work full time in a busy job that I love. I get overwhelmed by shopping, but I want to look my best. I need to lose 10 pounds...Amy takes all that in stride. To put it simply, Amy gets me. All of me. ~ from a recent happy client
Not in Nashville?
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Best,
Tina
