Raise your hand if you’ve ever bought something simply because you thought it would hide an area of your body.

Like:

• This blouse hides my stomach
• This dress camouflages my hips
• These jeans distract from my thighs

Don’t worry. Go ahead and raise it. No one’s watching. Unless you’re reading this on the train. Then, since the hot guy a couple rows back is still checking you out, you have a pass.

If we’re being super honest, most of us have bought a ho-hum dress, skirt, or blouse in hopes it would distract from an area of our body we don’t like.

Here’s another question… When you got that item home and hung it in your closet, were you super excited to wear it?

Did you feel it made the most of your shape?

Did simply seeing it hang in your closet make you happy?

Probably not. Afterall, it was ho-hum to begin with. It didn’t magically get awesome on the commute home.

Suck The Joy Out Of Getting Dressed:

Not to get all woo-woo on you, but… When we choose clothes solely to hide a feature, it puts us in the wrong headspace. It sucks the joy out of getting dressed, puts us in a crappy mood, and keeps us focused on the negative.

And how can we possibly be our best selves if we start out each day dwelling on what we don’t like about ourselves?

‘Cause I Love A Good Analogy:

We’ve all had that girlfriend. You know the one. She complains about her boss, she complains about her husband, she complains about the service she gets at every restaurant y’all have ever gone to, and on and on and on.

My guess is you don’t hang out with her anymore. And thank goodness! I mean who has the time (or tolerance) for all that negativity? Not you.

When we constantly, (either out loud or in our head) criticize our shape, we’re being that negative girlfriend to our body.

Let that soak in for a second.

And then decide not to be that girlfriend. Ever. Again.

Read on and let’s see if we can flip the switch on that stinky thinking.

Volume + Volume = More Volume:

Here’s a hard truth – Oversized, shapeless clothes often accentuate the area we’re trying to hide versus camouflaging it.

Gadzooks Batman! Let that marinate for a moment.

Why? Because adding volume to an area of your body that already has natural volume equals more volume.

Here’s an example:

I have thick thighs. So, I buy a pair of wide legs jeans. What happens? My thighs look even bigger.

Or…

I have a pesky middle. I buy a shapeless tunic that hits mid-thigh in hopes no one will notice my stomach.

It’s natural, but not effective. And certainly not flattering.

Favorite Feature First. Always First!

What if instead, you first picked a feature you love and accentuated that?

And even more examples:

I’m not crazy about my thighs, but my waist! It is so tiny. I’m going to dress to make the most of it.

Or… My stomach isn’t flat, but my boobs are awesome. I’m going to focus on them.

Or… My hips are more voluptuous than I’d like, but my legs are rockin’! I’m going to dress to show them off.

That’s your first assignment.

Pick your favorite feature and dress to accentuate that first. Shop to accentuate your favorite feature first. Always, first.

If you want to read more about favorite features and how to accentuate them, here are some helpful articles.

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Can you see how focusing on what you like versus what you don’t can change your mood in the mornings?

Let’s Get Real:

This is not a rose-colored glasses situation. This doesn’t mean we never even whisper about our less favorite features. Every woman on the planet has an area of her body she’s not dying to reveal to the world. Even if you don’t see it when you look at her. Or think she’s being super critical.

Side note: she’s probably being super critical.

And you know what that means… you’re likely being super critical too.

That aside, it’s not that we don’t ever address our less favorite features. It’s just not the first thing we think about. It’s not the first focus when choosing items to add to our closet.

It might sound tough. And can be at the beginning.

But like all things worthwhile, practice makes perfect.

And it is absolutely worth the effort. I’ve seen the transformation with clients over and over again and the mind-set shift is magical!

It’s All About Balance:

Very few of us are naturally balanced. And thank goodness we’re not. How boring would the world be?

But we can create the illusion of balance by dressing smart.

A couple helpful examples:

If your shoulders are narrow and your hips are more voluptuous we want to add volume on top. Choose blouses with details like ruffles, poof sleeves, or a cute cropped jacket.

Or…

If your shoulders and bust are perfection and your hips are narrow.

Pick fuller skirts. And if your legs are awesome, keep them short.

Have you tried palazzo pants? If not, you totally should.

Put A Bow On It:

Volume doesn’t camouflage flaws. It actually draws attention and makes a voluptuous area appear even fuller. Avoid making that mistake.

How To Avoid This Top Style Mistake:

• Pick your favorite feature
• Accentuate the heck out of it
• Shoot for balance

That’s a wrap, sunshine. You likely have questions. And I can’t wait to hear them!

Leave them in the comment box below or send me a private email and I’ll get back to you lickety split.

‘Til next week.

Hugs & happy shopping.