What To Wear For Plus Sized Body Confidence

by Golda Poretsky, HHC
http://www.bodylovewellness.com

Last week, I wrote about why it’s so important to wear clothes that you like AND how to get a new wardrobe with little or no clothing budget.

So this week, I want to talk about how to figure out what you like (if you’re not sure) and what to do if you’re in a clothing rut.

As I mentioned last week, until about 5 years ago, I never wore a dress unless I felt like I had to.  Never.  Ever.  Nevuh.  I thought that I didn’t look good in dresses, had the wrong body type for them, etc.

It was only when I started experimenting and trying them on that I realized that certain dresses looked good on me and certain dresses didn’t.

The thing is that it’s all pretty subjective, right?  I have kind of an apple/upside down triangle shape (the apple turnover, perhaps?) and I tend to like things that create a waist.  To my eyes, that “looks good.”  However, I see women with my shape wear more shapeless dresses, even stuff with drop waists, and I think they look great because (a) they think they look great, (b) they have body confidence, and (c) they like what they’re wearing.

In other words, wearing clothes that you feel good in can help with body confidence and body confidence can help you look great in your clothes.

But here’s the key — if you don’t know what kind of clothes you like or what looks good on you or you’re just sick of wearing the same stuff, you must try clothes that are outside of your “comfort zone.”

If you have sort of a clothing uniform, like I mentioned in the last post, it’s important to experiment with clothes you don’t usually wear.  If you always wear black, try bright colors.  If you always wear jeans, try leggings.  If you never wear dresses, try ’em out.

Trying on clothes that you never considered before can feel really weird, and you might feel like dismissing these clothes outright just because you’re not used to seeing yourself in them.  That’s why it’s important to treat trying on these clothes as an interesting experiment, as research, and, if possible, bring along a body positive friend to support you. I know trying on an arm full of swimsuits might be the last thing you want to do, but it’s important to make sure you feel good in it before you buy it.

Even if you try some new styles and you’re not really into it, don’t keep hanging out in the clothing comfort zone if you’re feeling bored or stuck.  Clothes are about experimentation and fun and ownership of your unique beauty.  So keep trying, keep looking, and use the tips I mentioned last week.

As always, let me know how it goes and share your experiences in the comments section below!

By the way, today is THE LAST DAY to sign up for my How To Heal From Emotional Eating In-Depth Teleseries.  Will I see you in class?  Click here for more info:  http://www.healfromemotionaleating.com.

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Golda is a certified holistic health counselor and founder of Body Love Wellness, a program designed for plus-sized women who are fed up with dieting and want support to stop obsessing about food and weight. To learn more about Golda and her work, click here.


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10 thoughts on “What To Wear For Plus Sized Body Confidence

  1. I live in the Black Hills and shopping for “normal” size people is limited. I’d love suggestions on places to shop online for clothing. Thanks!

    1. @Jen,
      Other than the usual places (lanebryant.com, torrid.com, avenue.com, forever21.com, department stores like Macys, JcPenney etc.) there are also some new UK stores (ASOS Curve, Evans, Simply Be) and some great indie designers (Cupcake & Cuddlebunny, Le Dans Closet…). I have a lot of trouble remembering the indie ones, though they do great work, so I hope some other commenters will chime in with good suggestions. Good luck!

  2. I really like this thread. I used to buy anything that fit, just because it would excite me so much to actually FIND something that fit. But as I get older, I understand and agree with you Golda- better to have a few pieces that make a great wardrobe than many pieces that are just sort of…ehh (to paraphrase). I live in an area with sparse shopping choices so I order online liberally. My biggest shopping rule is never ever take the tags off or throw the receipt until I absolutely know I will be keeping the clothes. And one way I help myself to decide these days is to use my handy digital camera – yes, I take pictures of myself in outfits I buy, mixing, matching…and although I have never fully appreciated what a camera does for me figure-wise, I’ve made peace with that and now I sort of have fun…I steal poses from catalogs and websites that deal with “plus-sized” models and clothing. It does take some time, but seeing myself through the camera’s eye in an outfit really lets me do some good analysis of whether or not that particular piece of clothing really “does something” for me positively. If it doesn’t, back to the store it goes. Hey, I have lots of “small” friends who are constantly returning things. They see it as a luxury – they have the choice to take something or leave it. I figure I owe myself that same luxury too. So I don’t have a problem bringing clothes back anymore.

    1. @Lisa H, These are such great ideas. I’m so with you on the “never ever take the tags off or throw the receipt until I absolutely know I will be keeping the clothes” and I think it’s genius that you take pics of yourself. Thanks for sharing these tips!

    1. @bodylovewellnes I loved this article. I went and bought myself some new clothes after I read this. Just a few items I wanted for Spring.<3

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