Out With the Old and in With the New How to Find the Right Clothes and Still Look Like YOU!

Everyone takes the new year as a time to make " New Years Resolutions" And I tried that once and it became "New Month's Resolution" because I could never stick to it. As is the tradition, I have resolved to loose my baby-making weight because I'm not going to be doing that for a while. But, I also know how hard it is for me to loose weight because I just get so attached to it and by the time I'm getting ready to let it go, I'm ready to have another baby,... sooo, I figure why not just look like I've lost weight and resolve to dress myself better? I could do that. Not only because it doesn't require much from me, and I get to go shopping every once in a while :) And so because everyone resolves to loose that extra 5 or 10 pounds every year, let's just resolve to dress it better, and I have a few tricks and tips to help us do just that.

Now let's talk about a few rules and guidelines to dressing properly, because if you don't have a good base, the whole thing will crumble, and no one wants that one piece of clothing to throw off their groove right?

These are taken from a book called "The Science of Sexy" by Bradely Bayou. It is such a fun book and you can learn a lot from it.

Choose the right undergarments:

The right bra will enhance your curves, hold in extra bounce, and isn't so tight on any part of your torso that it creates lumps.

The most common problem? Lumpy underarms and back fat.

Try this trick- wear a lightweight fitted cotton t-shirt on over your bra to see if it lies smoothly over your bra area.

When all else fails, go to the store and get fitted for a bra. They have the people there for a reason.

Choose the highest quality fabrics you can afford:

Why? Because you can spend less on disposable clothing, if you go for that sort of thing, or your can spend a little bit more and get more wear and look better doing it for longer than the cheaper fabric. One well made pair of dress pants can last as long as up to 6 pairs of the cheaper brands. I know we don't all have money to buy 300$ pants, that's why I said the BEST YOU CAN AFFORD. Don't forget to live within your means. :)

Here's some things you can do at the store to check out your clothes before you buy them, just so you're not throwing you hard earned cash away.

1. Check the fabric- make sure it feels good to the touch. Close your eyes and concentrate. If it feels cheap, it looks cheap. Hold it up against the light make sure there isn't a shine that would make it look cheap, or create a plumping effect on the body.

2. Check the seams- jackets, tailored shirts, and blazers all have visible seam lines that must be examined. (Don't want them busting open at an inopportune moment!) Lightly tug at the seam where two sections of the piece come together like on the shoulder, and if you can reveal too much of the stitching, DON'T buy it. Also check to see that the fabric matches up. Any pulling or bunching at the seams will mean it will look bad when worn.

3. Check the Hemline- Look closely at the bottom of each garment and check that the stitching is not conspicuous (unless it's meant to be that way). Generally, threads should not be the first thing you see. Hold the hem up at eye level to be sure it's straight. Not all clothing will pass this test. If it look crooked on the rack, it'll look crooked and unkempt on you.

4. Check the Zipper- Make sure the zipper on any garment is sewn in correctly. No part of the zipper should be coming undone or flapping around inside the garment. Test it out! Zip it up and down and back up again. It should feel smooth and glide effortlessly. If it's bumpy or snags on and part of the fabric (or the lining) the zipper will be trouble later. Just put it down and walk away.

5. Check the buttons- Buttons should be sewn on even and securely. There should not be signs of loose or unraveling threads on the buttons or buttonholes. Test it out! Button the garment up and make sure buttons stay closed. Again, this is to avoid any unfortunate exposures.

6. The Lining- Lining of clothing should feel soft, the softer it is, the better it will drape over you body, and the nicer it will make your curves look. Try the piece on and make sure you can't feel it rubbing against you. Stiff fabrics will give you a unflattering, boxy shape.

7. The Details- If you like a little sparkle or beading on your garments, you don't want them falling off or coming undone later. If when you run your fingers over the detailing, and sparkles come off or beading looks like it's about to come loose, these are signs it was made cheaply. DON'T BUY IT! If you do you'll end up with a plain shirt at the end of a few months and a couple washings.

Don't Try to Force Your Figure Into Every Style: Now don't take offense and this isn't meant to hurt anyone's feelings, but all styles do not and will not look good on all women. They never have and they never will. Just count on some things not working for you. Here's some examples:

-Shiny, Charmeuse slip dresses should NOT be worn by women sizes 14 and up. The glimmering fabric adds weight to your figure, while the revealing cut magnifies lumps and bumps. Remember those "swishy suits" everyone wore back in the day? Yeah those.

-Low-rise jeans should NOT be worn by women with large hips or bulging stomachs. Two words: Butt and crack. Not good.

- Short women should NOT wear dark, knee-high boots. It cuts your body in half and makes you look one third shorter than you already are. I'll admit I've broken this rule before, and it's really true, I looked like a midget.

-If you don't have great legs, do NOT wear short skirts! Just because super models are wearing short skirts doesn't mean you should. Keep in mind: Super models are in the words or Edna Mode; "...Supermodels. Heh! Nothing super about them... spoiled, stupid little stick figures with poofy lips who think only about themselves." I Love Edna Mode. She's the best:)

-Skimpy little tank tops? Busty women who need more support on top should NOT be wearing them. Have you ever given yourself a black eye? Yeah... it could happen with the lack of support that can go on there. Keep the girls under control.

- Use Your Skin to Your Advantage. You don't need to be showing ALL your skin, because that's well...skanky. But you can use the appearance of skin in the right places to draw attention away from flaws and to your assets. For example, if you have nice legs, you could get away with a shorter hemline. If you have a nice slender neck or a nice collarbone, you could expose some skin there.

-Do not buy big-ticket trendy items- for 2 reasons: a: how long with this trend really be in style? And is it worth your hard earned money and b: Is this a trend that you should really be following? Like High top tennis shoes? Was the ankle support THAT important? REALLY?

This week I'm going to post something every day from Bradley Bayou's book so we can all learn to dress our bodies and feel good about it, so if you want to read, read it, if not, then oh well!