Because Moms Should Look Good, Too!
Today I am wearing Define Your Shape Dress in Blue from Avon Reg. $39.99, now on sale for $29.99!
Don’t just flatter your figure, enhance it! This is the perfect dress to instantly give you the look of that highly sought hourglass shape. Look slimmer, curvier, and sexier! Cotton/polyester blend with spandex for a comfortable fit. Best of all, machine wash and dry! Score!!!
Oh my! Is it that time again? All of a sudden I am hearing Perry Como, from the 1958 recording, gently crooning “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
This is the time of year full of joyful caroling, rosy cheeks, snow ball fights, cookie swaps, trees, lights, presents, and Ralphie’s father’s fish-net stocking lamp. How could any ever forget that dear, old girl with only one svelte leg, a glowing skirt for all the world to see, beaming from the living room window of their house, with no torso to boot? Ahh, Ralphie’s father’s pride and joy. But, this is certainly no attire for any sensible or pragmatic woman during this holiday season. And who, pray tell, who want to be Ralphie’s father’s pride and joy? Sure, a secret crush on Ralphie’s father might exist, but I know of no such women myself, and those confessions would generally be best left between a lady and the wall, in my humble opinion!
Recently, Miss Manners was musing about the decline of elegant dress in this society, around the holidays or otherwise. When asked her opinion on the matter by a Gentle Reader, she wisely advised, “Elegance in fashion didn’t decline: It stopped short the day Worth stopped providing wardrobes to the Heroines of Henry James’ novels, who traveled seasonally to Paris for this purpose”. Of course, the ladies in Henry James novels lived in a different era indeed, about two centuries ago, gently lit my candle-light, who spent their days demurely cross-stitching, learning how to play the harp, taking French lessons, and learning how to walk with books perched atop their heads to improve their posture. They also had wealthy fathers who spend endless amounts of money on expensive silks and tailors, who fussed about, making each girl look like a prize for any indiscreetly disposed European count. Might I add, these ladies were also FICTIONAL. Pardon me, I just had to get that small detail out, before continuing.
Women frequently ask me for help determining their body shape, and so I wanted to share the advice that I gave to one very sweet woman I helped recently…
She asked:
Hi there,
I am 36 (5?4) and I have always been considered to have a cute curvy small frame…but at 35 I gained 10 lbs in the course of 1 year……my husband thinks I look more “womanly” at 137 v 127 and says that I am his lil’ “brick house”. My measurements are:
34 – D (bust)
28 – (waist)
39 – (hips)I am trying to figure out what type of clothing would be appropriate..yet still sexy and my style. I am trying to camouflage my hippy and big thigh appearance…what do you suggest?
After carefully determining her body shape from her measurements, I gave her the following response…
Stick to jeans and pants that fit comfortably through the waist and hips and go straight down from the widest part of your hips. You want a straight line all the way down to balance your proportions.
Skirts and dresses should hit at or right above the knee. Look for a-lines and avoid anything that gets smaller towards your knees. Be careful with pencil skirts. If you feel comfortable and sexy wearing them, by all means go for it! You can look classy while still showing off your curves.
She replied with the following thoughts…
Thank you so much for getting back to me. I was thinking pear from looking at the other ladies post….I am guessing that is not a bad thing….. I have always been hippy even when I was 115…….hips and thighs have always been the largest things on my body. I like that my husband is enjoying the extra cushion, but I am just not used to it and have become very self-conscious about it. I am trying to plan for my spring/summer wardrobe and I think that I will take your advice and buy dresses (a-line, babydoll) and a-line skirts to give me a more slimming appearance until I can loose this extra weight.
I decided to help her out some more with some outfit ideas and replied with the following suggestions…
Pear shaped is not a bad thing. There are many celebrities that are pear shaped like Kristen Davis, Tyra Banks, Rihanna, Shakira, Beyonce, and more.
One thing I recommend, from personal experience, is to avoid shorts… Skirts are so much more flattering to pear shaped bodies. Here are a few skirts you might consider for Spring:
Pleated Skirt
Full Belted Voile Skirt
Circle-Print Pleated Skirt
A-line Flare Skirt
I would avoid babydoll or empire waist dresses. This won’t flatter your curves at all… You want to accentuate your small waist. That’s an asset! Look for wrap dresses or belted dresses.
Also, if you’re looking to lose some weight, consider trying Sensa. I’ve been using the Sensa Weight Loss Program for 5 months and I’ve lost 19 pounds! I’m only 5 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight now. Sensa has helped me so much. Click here to read more about it.
To determine your body shape, just check out this page. If you need help, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to assist you in finding the style that best suits your body type!
