If I Could Change the World...

I do believe many rules are meant to be broken. I am the one to wear turquoise in an office full of gray, to have my hair longer instead of shorter as I age, to wear what is me, not what is en vogue. I am often asked what should never be worn, and it’s a hard thing to answer, because each body and personality is different; what works for one may be atrocious for another and vice versa. However if I were able to create fashion rules that the world had to live by there would be them: 1. Never wear writing on your bum. PINK, JUICY, BOOTILICIOUS, LIFEGUARD… you see them on teeny tiny pre-teens and larger adult women alike. When I was in college I worked at a fraternity merchandise store and was often asked to sew a woman’s sorority letters on the rear of a pair of sweatpants. Even back then, as Social Director and Personal Development Chairwoman for my own house, I stood up in a meeting and begged my sisters to not take part int his fashion. In this day and age, a round bum is just as sexy as an ample bosom. Fashion realizes this, and has created styles such as heavily embroidered jeans pockets, and wording on the rear to jump on this trend. That doesn’t mean it is stylish or attractive. If you are under 18, this look could be seen as cute but I find it a bit inappropriate. All it is doing is calling attention to your backside, and really, drawing attention to the rear in such a blatant manner seems a bit too… suggestive. If you are older, this look is still quite suggestive and tacky, and often is drawing attention to one of the trouble spots on a woman’s frame. Let’s add that these letters are usually on baggy sweats or shapeless knit shorts, both garments remove any firmness and shape to the rear and make everything underneath look lumpy. 2. The only color bra you can wear under white is a bra close to the color of your skin. I may be called a White person, and I am extremely pale in the winter, but I am not white. No one is white, nor is anyone black. We are all shades of ivory, beige, tan and brown. When you wear a white bra under a white shirt, it glows against your non-white skin. For darker skintones, a black bra is not a good selection either – it is an obvious contrast to both your shirt and your skin and looks tacky. Invest in a bra or two that are close to your skintone, and low on adornments and texture so they disappear under light colors and fabrics. A visible bra is NEVER stylish, even if the celebs are sporting it. 3. Velour sweatsuits are not allowed outside of the home. They are comfy, they come in pretty colors and you may have paid a pretty penny for the brand name, but that doesn’t make your suit stylish or appropriate for public wear. To top that, the heyday of the velour set is long gone and walking down the street in your fuzzy pink Juicy outfit makes you look like a fashion victim. Just because your hoodie and pants are the same fabric, does not make it an outfit. It does not make it appropriate for the mall or the market. These suits are great for hanging around the home, curling up in front of a fire, throwing on over a bathing suit at the beach house and drinking a cold one, but no where else. Velour and terry are not forgiving fabrics to a woman’s curves, and often adds bulk to your frame. They are tacky, glorified versions of pajamas and do not belong in any stylish woman’s wardrobe. 4. One should not provide free advertising on their chest. When you wear those brand names emblazoned on your bust, do you realize you are paying a company to advertise for them? Logoed clothing may be fashionable, and may prove to the world that you can afford brand names, but it is never ever stylish. A stylish woman never shows off her income, she does not buy clothing to prove her worth, she wears clothing to show her personality, her sense of style and to flatter her frame. To spend quintuple the amount of a Hanes tee shirt to get one with a “cool” name ironed on the front (or Bedazzled instead) makes no sense financially or fashion-wise. 5. Every woman should get re-measured for a bra every year. Age happens, gravity happens, weight fluctuates with the seasons and your breasts change. Do yourself a favor – nothing makes your shape look better than a supportive and well-fitting bra. Get measured by a qualified person (the girls in Victoria’s Secret are not as skilled as though in high-end department stores), buy bras that cover enough of the breast to give smooth lines (no quad-boob) and baby your bras so they last and stay in great condition (hand wash or wash on the gentle cycle in a lingerie bag, allow to air dry). Who cares what you’re wearing if your breasts are sagging, misshaped, dented and you have dents in your shoulders and back from a poorly-fitting bra? 6. You must control your roots. This is being written with a woman who currently needs a touchup and has a good ¾” worth of roots on her head. I am not talking about the month-late salon visit, I am talking about those of you who decide to grow out highlights or dye jobs just by letting your hair, and your roots grow longer and longer. Your hair is brown to your ears, where it suddenly becomes platinum or auburn or cherry red. The first half of your hair is soft and shiny, the bottom is fried and dry. I used to be a blonde, and then I decided the upkeep wasn’t worth it and I looked better as a brunette. The last thing I wanted to do with my delicate bleached tresses was to add more ammonia and peroxide to them with brown dye, but I didn’t want to look like a skunk. To get the natural hair to grow out, I started with a shorter ‘do, ridding myself of the fried ends, and found a very gentle hair dye close to my natural color to cover the blonde. Back in the 90s I could find a wash-out color that didn’t strip the already stressed-out strands and gave an even tone until I could rid myself of all the blonde. In this millennium, there were far more options for gentle haircolor, and I found a couple different products to do good coverage until my regular trims rid me of the old hair. Long hair isn’t pretty when it’s striped, stripped and fried. You don’t feel feminine with shorter hair? Well you don’t look too feminine with that trashy rats nest either. Healthy and shorter is better than long and grody. 7. Silver eyeshadow is banned for non-theatrical situations. Night club? Fabulous. You’re a dancer? Great. You work at MAC? Awesome. Silver shadow is great for a dramatic effect. You’re going to work? Nononononono. This also goes for that metallic white shadow too, ladies. Silver or shimmery white shadow on your brow bone does not make you look as though you have whiter eyes, better bone structure, or a better talent with the shadow brush. It makes you look like a drag queen. Again, if you are going for the dramatic, then this is a great choice. If you are going to the mall, this isn’t the right choice. I know many of you think your soft white shadow with the hint of healthy shimmer is a great highlighter – all the magazines have told you. You apply it with your sponge applicator in your bathroom or dimly-lit bedroom mirror and love the effect. Then you are hit with sunlight, fluorescent bulbs and every day normal lighting that looks as though you have gilded eyebrows. It is not natural or flattering in any way, shape or form. It’s about as flattering as dark lip liner with light lip gloss. 8. Tanning beds should be illegal. I have used my fair share of tanning beds. In college I applied to three different tanning salons hoping to get a job there and a discount for my addiction. I went tanning several times a week; I found it relaxing and I loved how I didn’t need to wear foundation. I felt that being tan made me look slimmer and sexy. As mentioned before, I worked in a shop that sold sweatshirts and beer mugs for frat boys and sorority girls (maybe I wasn’t tan enough to work at the salons for they never called me back). My boss was like a second father to me, and we discussed how someday after I graduate I could buy him out so he could retire on his boat. He loved the outdoors, fishing and boating and weekends at the beach and loved sharing these experiences with his kids and friends. He died of melanoma my graduation year. Studies have proven that the rays in tanning beds are addictive. They have made tanning beds without those addictive rays and had people visit them, not informing of the difference. These people went through similar withdrawal symptoms to those on drugs. Kinda scary, huh? Super dark tans are not sexy, and they are not stylish. Bed tans look different from sunshine tans (that are also dangerous); they are a bit too even, unless you don’t change positions and then you get the tell-tale white streaks under the arms and between the legs. Your nails turn yellow, your eyes get damage, you turn an unnatural shade of terracotta. Oh, and you put yourself at super scary risk for cancer. I love the sun, I love the beach, and though I know it’s bad, I love the look of some color on my skin. Nothing is more enjoyable than 30 minutes in that glowing coffin after a hard day at work, listening to great music and having a short moment where I don’t think, I don’t work, I don’t do anything but relax. I have been there, and I understand but the long term effects – wrinkled skin, loss of elasticity, age spots, pronounced stretch marks, and the chance of cancer and death makes that bit of brown now seem a bit of a bad beauty decision. 9. Crunchy hair is a thing of the past. In my senior yearbook photo, I have auburn curls that catch the light… due to the immense amount of gel on them. I would take an egg-size glob of pink goo and distribute it through my hair, scrunching with a diffuser until I ended up with a head full of crispy plastic waves and ringlets. I would then spray up the front of my head for a beautiful waterfall that I would hold in place with several minutes of misting from my aerosol can of hairspray. I had great hair… for the early 90s. If you hair looks wet but it really isn’t, you’re using the wrong products. If your hair cracks when you squeeze a handful, you’re using the wrong products. If a passer-by is blinding from light bouncing off your mane, you’re using the wrong products. Modern technology has brought us the iPhone, and also a whole slew of amazing products to add volume, tame frizz, separate curls and add shape and texture to your hair without looking fake. Companies like Naturally Curly (http://www.naturallycurly.com/) and Ouidad (http://www.ouidad.com/) are geared toward helping women manage their curls in a sexy, healthy way. Shelves in drug stores and salons are lined with lotions, pastes and liquids that help control hair while keeping it soft. Google your hair type and issues, and you will find a bevy of websites and message boards with women having the same plight and offering suggestions and reviews on what worked for them. 10. A ban would be placed on visible undergarments. I know I mentioned wrong bra colors above, but this is for the actual bra (or underwear) showing outside of the clothing. Regular bras with racerback tanks, lowrise jeans with visible thongs, spaghetti strap tops with normal bras, purposeful strap visibility (the strap may be clear, pink, lace, beaded or jeweled… it is still a bra strap) would all be illegal. There is a difference between being trendy and being stylish. Celebs may show their bra straps, but fashonistas would not. It may be trendy to buy decorative bra straps for your convertible bras to make that pesky strap seem purposeful or fun. It’s neither, it’s tacky. If your bra is showing, either change your shirt or change your bra. Pin the straps to the inside of the garment if they slip out the armholes. Invest in those little bands for the back of the bra that make a traditional bra more racerback and hidden under cut-out tops. Have in your collection strapless and convertible bras to work with the more creatively designed items in your wardrobe. There are ways to wear current styles and not have your undergarments on display. What would Jackie or Audrey or Grace do if they were around today? Whatever they would be doing, it wouldn’t be with visible undergarments, that’s for sure. Now, as I said in the beginning, rules are often meant to be broken. If you have great short hair that you like to wear in a wet-look fingerwave, then a gallon of Dippidy-Do is a wise choice for your wish list. You have a flair for the dramatic, silver eyeshadow may be your signature look. You love rock and roll so put another dime in the jukebox baby? White tanks with black bras can be a fabulous look for your lifestyle. But most likely if you have this defined look, you aren’t reading this blog for advice. You are already a fashionista in your own right, confident about your personal style. But for those who are confused, seeing all sorts of crazy fashion on celebs and in magazines and not sure how to translate them into real life on real bodies with real budgets, then this is to you, my dears. Fashion does not equal style. What is worn by a rich or famous person is not always attractive, smart or stylish. Style is considering your body, your style and your life and expressing it through appropriately chosen garments and accessories. Look at yourself in the mirror… does your reflection represent you appropriately?

Adjusting the Uniform

Tastes change. Suddenly you like Thai food, when a couple years ago you didn’t like it. You used to love soda, but now you find it too sweet. The pink bathroom you adored is now irritating you and you are considering repainting it taupe. It happens. Life happens, and with it experiences. You grow, you change with each event in your life. It makes you a fuller and more experienced person, and your wardrobe should adapt accordingly. The staples I have should be basic enough that they can work year after year, no matter how your interests lie. However the rest of your wardrobe – the pieces and accessories that complete your wardrobe and add your personal spin on the clothes… they will change. They SHOULD change. Yesterday I was putting away clean laundry and I realized my pant/jeans drawer seemed unusually full. I pulled everything out and realized under my regular worn trousers and denim were a couple denim skirts. I have a dark one with a hint of stretch, an ivory one with tan stitching, a black one I got for $4 at Old Navy and a “vintage” one that I distressed myself. Last summer these were wardrobe staples for me; worn to work with a blazer and tank, to run errands with a tee and sandals, out with friends with a fun top and heels. No matter the season, I wore a denim skirt at least once a week. Now? Now they are getting creased from the weight of other regularly worn items in their place. What changed my taste? Denim skirts are still popular and versatile. My body shape hasn’t changed drastically, I have the same job and the same social life. However something in the past couple of months has made me less of a denim skirt person. Now I favor lightweight trousers and flowing skirts to rigid denim lines. Not sure why, but it happened. Two years ago I lived in blazers and now you only see me in one for a client meeting. Now I am wearing fuller skirts that were practically collecting dust in the back of my closet the past couple of years. I used to be known for my fingers full of chunky silver and stone rings, but once I got engaged, I felt only the need for my wedding set on my hands. Tastes change – one year you believe your signature look is red lipstick, a year later you find it too harsh. You have worn blonde highlights for a decade, but now crave something warmer and more subtle. You get married, you move, you have a baby, you get a new job. As with all other aspects of your life, it is important to adjust to change, let your life experiences help mold you. So what do you do with the blazers, jade earrings and denim skirts in your wardrobe? Keep Them. If they are in great condition, you still find them attractive, but they don’t seem to be “you” right now, then pack them away for a bit. Hang them at the back of the closet or put in the attic for a season. Often you will fall for them again. I had a large green stone ring I bought in the late 90s and used to wear daily. Once I got engaged I didn’t think it looked good near my “good” rings and it ended up taking up regular real estate in my jewelry box. Suddenly this past winter, I desired a ring on my right hand. I had a lot of green clothing, and this ring seemed to complete my looks. Out came the ring into regular rotation. I recently did this with a navy blazer – it fit, it looked great but didn’t seem to fit my style for a while. I hung it in the back of the closet and one day when I was feeling a bit more preppy, pulled it out to make a great outfit. However if it comes to be a year and you still don’t “feel” the item, consider giving it a better home. Donate. Sure, there are Goodwills and Value Villages in many towns, but sometimes it’s nice to give to lesser-known charities that may need your garments more. Dress for Success (http://www.dressforsuccess.org/supportdfs.aspx) is a charity that helps disadvantaged women get the right wardrobe to help them find jobs and take charge of their lives. Organizations such as The Princess Project (http://www.princessproject.org/princess/) and Operation Fairy Dust (http://www.operationfairydust.org/) will take your old bridesmaid and formal dresses and give them a new life to a young girl who may not be able to enjoy her prom without it. My friend donated a few Little Black Dresses and her first wedding’s gown to the local high school’s theater department and saw two different performances where the garments were put to good use. Hold a Garment Swap Party. A pitcher of mojitos, a little bit of finger food, and a garment rack is all you need. Invite your girlfriends over, and ask everyone to bring five items that are in stellar condition but just don’t seem right for them anymore. It could be clothing, also could be purses and other accessories. One woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure! One night with your friends can end up transforming your wardrobe for the better! Visit your Tailor. This summer, I have been shortening a ton of my dresses. I get sick of something, I have a few inches hacked off. Suddenly a conservative work dress has a second life as a flirty sundress for weekend outings. I have made ¾ sleeved pieces sleeveless and taken boring pieces and put them back into regular rotation with a slight adjustment. Add a grosgrain ribbon to the outside seam of black trousers for a tuxedo look, have some ornate black lace peeking out of the sleeve hems and the back of the collar of an old ivory blazer and switch up the buttons with something glitzy. Cuff your boring old jeans and pair them with some red heels for a pin-up look, use contrast stitching and crop an old jacket and shorten the sleeves. Amazing how some bric-a-brac and thread can make old things look new (and often times more expensive!). Don’t Freak Out. Losing one item temporarily from your wardrobe will not cost you a bundle. Adjusting your wardrobe to your personality will not put you in the poor house if you go about it the right way. We all get sick of black pants, the same boots, the same coat but often our desire for new is not about the garment, but something else in your life. Do you NEED new clothes, or do you just desire change in your life? We often use clothing as a reason to hate ourselves, and berate ourselves. Yes, people do see what you are wear and whether we like it or not, judge you by your appearance. However the only one who knows those black pants are three years old and worn twice a week is YOU. If you are “over” a certain garment, then give it a mini vacation. Put it in the back of your closet and give it a couple weeks of rest. Then try it again. You may be amazed at how differently you will feel when you try it on again with a different perspective. Now, if you still feel it is wrong, then consider removing it from the collection or replacing it. This does not mean you have a Fashion Emergency and need to rush immediately to the mall – take your time in finding a worthy replacement. The world will not end if you wear the same pants three days in a row, a faded sweater with a hole in the hem, or shoes that just don’t have a “now” heel. It is far worse to spend your money thoughtlessly and end up with more wardrobe mistakes. You know how sometimes you go in people’s houses and it seems they are stuck in the 1970s? Cheap wood paneling, shag carpet, avocado-colored appliances and mirror tiles with gold veins through them. You wonder why they haven’t made small adjustments over the years to keep up with the times. Well your wardrobe will need occasional updates as well. This doesn’t mean you need to go out and grab the same exact thing that Victoria Beckham is sporting (please, no) but to be aware of your surroundings, your life, your feelings and interests and as your mind and outlook adapts to them, so should your wardrobe. And like a home from the 70s, it is far easier to make tiny modifications over time as things catch your eye, then to do a major overhaul all at once.

Beating the Heat and Still Looking Chic

It’s hard to look your best when the elements are battling against you. Summer is here, whether or not the calendar admits it. Tomorrow in the Nation’s Capital it is supposed to be more than 90 degrees out, and the humidity just adds to the hot mess. Hot or cold, arid or humid, we can look our best. Here’s a few tidbits to beat the heat and still be calm, cool and collected: Change your hair, not your life Nothing is more awful than lots of hair products on a hot sweaty day. The loveliest of coifs become a gummy mess with just a bit of sunshine, and the feeling is heavy and yucky on your scalp and neck. It’s really hard to fight nature, especially this time of year so consider altering your look for the summer months. My hair is neither curly nor wavy – it requires hot tools to get it one way or another. In the winter, I can have a great straight shaggy cut or a head of ringlets with no problem. When it’s hot out, it’s near impossible to maintain either look. The warmer months encourage everyone to be more relaxed, let your hair relax as well. If your hair naturally wants to part in the middle, let your layers grow and let it part where it desires. Intricate bangs can look awful once damp with sweat, so consider growing them out a bit so they can either tuck behind one ear or get off the brow with a little barrette or a headband. As for the products, try to use as little as possible – people expect flyaways and frizz in the heat – make them work for you by creating a more “beachy” ‘do. My shoulder-length hair is not as hip or polished as I usually like, but I am accepting nature and letting my hair part where it desires, having casual waves accentuated by a bit of styling lotion, and letting the bangs grow so they are shaggy and easily blended with the rest of the head if they get too crazy. Consider accessories if your hair is beyond control. This season headbands are huge – you can find tons of styles in a multitude of materials; there’s going to be one that fits your personal style and hair. Ponytails can look polished if done correctly; use a comb to ensure the scalp is smooth, and choose simple hair-colored elastics (or wrap the elastic with a bit of your hair) to make it less childish. Barrettes can be kiddie, or they can be chic. As with elastics, consider subtle types to hold back bangs, assist in perfecting the ponytail and adding interest to weather-limp locks. Modify your makeup routine Primer, concealer, foundation, powder, blush, highlighter, shadow, mascara, liner, lipstick, gloss… just writing them all down make me weary. Once you hit the blast of heat outside your home, your face will be tired too. Sweat makes most makeup slip and slide and the feeling of makeup on your skin is just as awful come summer as the feeling of styling products on your scalp. To have great coverage and long-wearing color, consider mineral-based foundations. Bare Escentuals is a well-known line that is practically budge-proof even in the most humid conditions, and still looks and feels natural. There are a multitude of colors to match most skintones, and often the coverage of the foundation is enough that a separate concealer or primer is unnecessary. A great mineral foundation should be able to replace three products in your regular arsenal. For those who have fresh skin, consider switching to tinted moisturizer or just spot-treatment with concealer to let your skin breathe. This gives a naturally dewy finish that is summer-appropriate. Dress up in dresses Nothing is simpler in the summer than to throw on a dress. We are lucky this season because there seems to be a million styles that are popular and flattering to women’s bodies. The tee-shirt dress has returned and I couldn’t be happier. With heeled sandals and a necklace, it is Business Casual; paired with flip flops it looks right at a cookout or the beach. I have seen great versions at Nordstrom, Lands End and Banana Republic. Since these garments cover your whole body, I recommend babying them more than your favorite tee shirt so they maintain their shape – gentle cycle and line drying should do the trick and consider Woolite Dark or a similar product to keep your black knits dark all summer long. The wrap dress is still going strong. For summer I have seen them with spaghetti straps, sleeveless, puff sleeves and all sorts of lengths down the arm. Matte jersey is a year-round choice because it dresses up and down, doesn’t wrinkle and doesn’t cling like knits when it’s muggy. Jersey is comfy, and crisp cotton or linen are always classic. The shift is back en vogue, and it’s a cute style on many figures. An interesting neckline is a must if you are top-heavy so it doesn’t look like a potato sack, and go a bit shorter than usual so the volume doesn’t take over your shape. Stiffer fabrics like linen, canvas, cotton and silk blends will be more breezy in the heat and are more in line with the current fashion. Less isn’t always more With the temperature rising, it is tempting to strip down to the bare minimum to beat the heat. I encourage you not to. In regard to practicality, less fabric is not always cooler. Lightweight fabrics like linen and cotton can add a protective barrier and help keep the skin cool when the rays are on you (think of the clothing worn by those in the Middle east and parts of Africa – they (men and women) are usually wearing garments covering the majority of their body. In regard to looks, no matter how beautiful your body may be, it won’t look chic if it’s scantily clad. Spaghetti straps are only appropriate for the beach, the cookout or a formal affair. In silk, it’s lovely for a wedding. In jersey, it’s great with a cargo skirt for a party on the back deck. It is never good for work or any other similar setting. A sleeveless shell will keep you just as cool without exposing your entire top-half. This also goes for strapless, belly-baring tops, short shorts, overly tight pieces, anything that shows more than an eek of cleavage and anything that shows a bra. It doesn’t matter if Carrie Underwood is sporting red straps in her music video, baring your undergarments is NEVER chic. If you don’t own a bra in your wardrobe that will hide under a top, either buy the right bra or don’t buy the top. Panty lines, too-tight garments and visible undergarments are the three things that can take the most stylish and couture item and make it trashy. Want to feel easy and breezy? Consider flowing pieces. A gauzy kimono-inspired top with capris, a linen shell with matching trousers, a cotton shift in a cheerful color, a sleeveless cotton shirt with crisp twill Bermuda shorts. All of these options can be just as comfortable as a spaghetti-strap tank with a shelf bra and a pair of denim cutoffs. Accessorize It’s too hot for a cardigan, a blazer or even a belt, how do you jazz up these simple dresses, linen separates and other summer basics? With the pants and skirts being shorter, your feet are even more on display. Show your personality with your footwear. A brightly colored sandal will match your wardrobe more than you think – nothing like apple green, canary yellow or classic red to jazz up a black dress, basic khaki shorts or white capris. These bright colors also look great with other colors – pink heels with a green sundress, royal blue flats with a teal babydoll top and jeans, red sandals with a black top and white cotton skirt. As for the top half, nothing jazzes up simple pieces more than necklaces. Summer is a time to try out the bold beads you shy from the other times of the year. A simple ribbed tank and Bermuda shorts look fun and festive with a red beaded long necklace. Dress up a linen shift with a chunky pendant and coordinating bangle bracelet. Try the wood and plastic baubles – they may seem cheap and cheesy in the cooler months, but seem fun and sunny come this time of year. Accept your body So you have knock-knees, heavy arms, no bust, big thighs. That doesn’t mean you have to live in black muumuus all season long. Covering your arms won’t make them disappear, and voluminous long dresses won’t make your thighs disappear and no matter what the books tell you, dressing in all black can often make you look just as large, just in black instead of another hue. By overcompensating for your body with your wardrobe, you spend the summer feeling bad about yourself and looking the way you feel. This doesn’t mean it’s okay to run around town in spandex (see above), but you deserve to feel comfortable and look stylish, no matter what body you live in. Monochromatic outfits are always chic – a great way to look polished in the summer is to get your tops to match your bottoms. Many stores will sell same-color coordinates in the warmer months because it’s such a great look. A navy tank with a navy linen short-sleeved shirt jacket and pants is breezy and still office-appropriate. Dark red silk-knit shell with the same shade of Bermuda shorts is chic. An olive cotton sleeveless shirt with same shade of cuffed capris can be smashing. Khaki is classic when a feminine-cut of tee is matched with the same shade in a cotton skirt. By making the outfit monochromatic, you can often get away with simpler of pieces, and the eye sees the color, not your waistline or your legs. Also don’t shy away from white. White can be a very powerful color in the summer. White tops are hard to wear for many skintones, and if a bit too small or sheer, it can make the most expensive top suddenly seem bargain-basement. However a white tank under a jacket or cardigan can add a crispness, and white bottoms (capris, pants, Bermuda shorts and some styles of skirts) take black and brights to a whole new level of chic. Many women feel that white pants will accentuate the negative parts of a lower-half, but if the fabric is sturdy, crisp and the garment’s cut is flattering, white can be surprisingly attractive. Keep the white crisp – twill, cotton, denim are all sturdy enough to prevent show-through and won’t bag and bunch throughout the day. If the style permits, consider ironing a crease down the front of the legs to elongate the body and add a level of sophistication to the look. If you love your face, play it up with fun hair, a bright pink lipgloss, a great necklace. If your legs are your best feature, take advantage of summer fashion and wear all the skirts, capris and Bermuda shorts your heart desires and jazz them up with fun shoes. You have womanly curves? Don’t fight against them with crisp poplin shorts and shorts. Embrace them with soft knits that float around your frame. As for swimwear… wear it! I remember one summer a bunch of us girls went to the beach and a friend brought her cousin. This woman was no rail-thin supermodel, but she had a natural and feminine shape. While we all laid out on the beach and frolicked in the surf she sat it out in shorts and a tee shirt, claiming her body was too ugly for swimwear. Do not be imprisoned by your body. Do you stare at people on the beach? You probably give them a glance and then keep going about your business. I know myself that I notice color more than shape. If you hate putting on a swimsuit, then at least make it in your favorite color. A glorious blue or red is perfect for the pool or beach, and you won’t look like the unhappy imperfect woman who hates her body, but a fun-loving lady who is enjoying her day. Either way you look at it, you have the same body. Let your body have fun, people will notice your smile much faster than they will your hips. Do your homework Obviously you have internet-access if you are reading this. After reading this get on Google (or the wonderful Good Search) and check out shops online. If you are plus-sized, you are not limited to Wal-Mart and Lane Bryant. There are amazing stores and online boutiques that carry tons of great styles and one that will look perfect on you. If you are very petite, do not walk past the Girls and Boys sections. You will be amazed at what simple pieces you can find there that will fit your frame and cost half the price in the women’s department. Low on cash? That doesn’t mean you can’t afford quality. Quality can be found at Target, and reasonable prices can be found at the ritziest of boutiques. Look at the stitching, try on a garment before you buy it (or do a fashion show in your home in front of your full length mirror), stay away from the extra embellishments, accessories and prints they seem to feel are musts on plus-sized and many lower brands of clothing. Extra frou-frou makes an item look cheap and dated. Take your time, get reviews from your friends who always seem well dressed and don’t be afraid to return things that seem wrong once home. Look around you, people watch. Nothing is better than sitting in a mall or at an outdoor café on a busy thoroughfare and watch what people wear and how it looks on them. You learn a lot about yourself and pre-conceived notions about fashion. Think shorts are great? Really look at people in shorts – walking and sitting and standing. Look at people bigger and smaller than you and you will see that shorts (except well-made Bermudas) rarely look good on people. Notice that a woman with your similar build looks cute in a wrap dress, and a woman with your similar build looks awful in a sleeveless poplin shirt tucked into capris. If someone has a to-die for outfit or item, tell her. It will make her day and provide you with information to make your next purchase. Yesterday I was stopped three times about my dress, and every person was thrilled to find out it was less than $30 and from Old Navy. Don’t be afraid to pass out compliments, it may help you hit fashion jackpot! Dresses by IGIGI and Banana Republic, swimwear by Swimsuits for All, black and white outfit from Talbots.