Staying stylish after large amounts of weight gain or loss

Some people have this magic power of staying pretty much the same weight their whole life! I know, shocking right? As someone who has lost and gained 20 plus kilograms many times, I am not yet to be able to find a comfortable weight and stay there. Anyway, that kind of makes me an expert on dressing a body that is rapidly changing or has rapidly changed (an expert on me anyway LOL)

Rapid or even slow weight gain and loss can really mess with your confidence. There are issues with both ends of the scale. When I lost 23+ kgs last year I struggled with my new shape. I had been a super busty girl, my whole adult life and now I felt like a had sagging sacks of skin for breasts. No matter how much my husband reassured me I felt weird about my new body. As you can imagine, now 20+ kgs heavier I wanna kick that skinny gals butt.

So what do you do when you want to look nice when you packed on the cuddle factor or stripped off and trimmed down?

1.  BE KIND TO YOURSELF –  Yes, stop saying awful things. Our weight does not define us. There is so much more to who we are than how we look. Remember we are loved for so many things and rarely is it because of the outside. Also remember weight isn’t a permanent thing, it’s something we have the power to change.
2.  GOOGLE – Look for fashion bloggers who are roughly the same size, height and shape as you. It’s easy to emulate others style when you’re not sure what styles suit your new weight/size/shape. Yes there are many many fashion bloggers who say they cater to all women, but reality is most of us are time poor and don’t have time to follow everyone. Follow those who most resonate with you.
3. PINTEREST – search pinterest and pin styles you love, colours you love, styling tips you love.
4. SORT YOUR WARDROBE – This can be really stressful for some of us, others love a good cull. If you’re stressed you can ask an honest (but kind) friend to help you go through the wardrobe, or if you have some spare cash hire a professional. A lot of stylists are more than happy to help with a wardrobe edit. If going alone sort into 4 piles : keep, donate, repair or sell.  Keep things you love or make you feel good. If you are like me and your sizes fluctuate dramatically, buy some Kmart plastic tubs and pop the clothes away in the sizes that no longer fit. I have an 8-10 tub, 12, 14 and 16!! Crazy I know. I have spent a lot of money on good quality clothes before, thinking i’d never gain or lose weight again. Obviously be realistic, you know yourself best. Donate things that just aren’t really you. Repair the things that look great but you’ve put the back because they need a button, or hemming etc. Sell high priced good quality items that you no longer wear, or that you no longer feel good in. Use that cash to buy things that you love.
5. GET FITTED FOR A BRA – New, well fitted bras are a massive confidence boost. They can tame those mega mumma jugs, or perk up those itty bitties and give such a nice shape and line in your clothes. I can’t express how important it is not to just scrimp on underwear, just because “no one sees it” doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. If you’re in Adelaide and have small back, large cup or curvy all over I recommend Sue at Buxom envy.  Private fittings with no obligation to purchase.
   https://www.facebook.com/BuxomEnvy/
6. CAPSULE WARDROBE – A capsule wardrobe is your basics, good basics that won’t go out of fashion and can mix and match with fun ‘on trend’ pieces. Look at what you need and fill those gaps, think skirt, black pants, nice jeans, plain tshirts, cardi, jacket.
7. CONSIDER HAVING YOUR COLOURS DONE PROFESSIONALLY – You know when you’re wearing the best colours for you, people will smile randomly, you’ll get compliments like “you look fresh, well rested, you look well put together” and many more. When people say “omg that jacket” it might be because the colours are so domineering that they stick out and over power you. Different skin tones, hair colours and eye colours will look best in certain colours. I saw a TCI analyst many years ago. I was told that I am a Bright Winter, bright clear, colours like greens, blues and pinks plus black all suit me. It’s a way to spend less money on clothes, a way to help choose when shopping. Obviously wear anything that makes you feel amazing, but if you’ve lost that ability to work that out seeing an analyst will definitely help. I’ve added a link to find an analyst in your state.
   https://truecolour.com.au/analyst-listing/ 
8. THINK OF NEW WAYS TO WEAR OLD THINGS – Since gaining weight i’ve been able to wear some old shirts undone with a t-shirt underneath, dresses that have become a little too tight with a shirt of loose jumper over the top. Give it a go and you might be surprised.
9. OP SHOP – Go visit all the local op shops if you live in a nice area, or travel to the areas where you know you will find brand names for bargain prices. I have picked up designer clothes for just a few dollars. It’s a great way to try new styles, or get confident with the new body shape/current body shape you have. Plus you are saving the planet from landfill. If you lack the ‘thrifty eyes’ take a friend who loves op shops, we all have the clever friend who just knows how to rock the op shop.
10. EMPHASISE THE GOOD BITS – I have slim legs, so I like to show them off with knee length skirts or skinny leg jeans. That part of me stays slim when I gain and lose weight so I like to show it off. You might love your face at any weight, so show that off by wearing big bright earrings. You might have a tiny waist, so cinch that waist with a belt and draw the eye in. You can choose the bits that you want to focus on. That bits that make you feel good.

Lastly join my Facebook group …There are a whole bunch of lovely women with great style, years of experience who are willing to help you work out what best suits you. Each day we share #mydaily – Our daily outfit , #helpplease – help when a piece of clothing or outfit is just not working, plus a few other things that you can see when joining. Getting dressed each day should be a reflection of the individuals we are, all unique, all amazing.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/183647148958570/

Much Love,

Jazz