Last Friday I wrote about the importance of all the things are that go under my clothes. I started with my attitude about myself and ended with hair, skin and teeth. But there is more to the story, so today I want to post part 2 (deux, if I'm being all sexy and French).
As much as I would like to pretend it doesn't matter, I am going to have to throw weight into the formula. Beyond a certain weight, I can't fit into clothing from regular stores and that seriously limits what I can buy. It might be a shallow reason, but one of the main reasons I will follow a diet plan is to keep myself fitting in sizes 8, 10 or 12. Beyond that, it gets really difficult to find a variety of clothes that fit. I will keep posting all my best tips from my years at Weight Watchers on TFS (Tips From the Scale) Wednesdays. Hopefully, that way, we can all maintain our best size together.
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| The Asymmetrical skirt I want from ASOS for $33.75 |
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The next layer is the basic pieces of my wardrobe. These are always in a few generic colors (navy, black, grey, white, tan) so they can be used all year long for years on end. These pieces aren't much fun to shop for because I have very precise requirements: they need to fit and flatter my curvy shape, they need to be descent quality (no cheepie mall junk), and they need to be a basic color, usually without a pattern, so almost all the pieces can work together.
Since I work from home I don't need "work" clothes. Jeans are the basics I invest the most time and money in. I am not convinced that spending over $100 on a pair of jeans will guarantee they will be flattering, on the other hand, the cheaper jeans are, the more skimping the manufacturer has done on fabric and cut. A great pair of jeans can make your legs look longer and thinner and your butt look smaller. I usually have to try on 5 or 6 pair to find the fit and look I want in a store, so I can't imagine how anyone orders jeans online. I'd love to know the secret if anyone would want to share.
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| Jewelry from H&M to create the Alexander McQueen look for less than $20 each. |
The final layer is the fun stuff. Colorful, patterned pieces that keep the rest of my clothes looking current. This is not where I spend a big chunk of my clothes budget because these are the things I won't want after two or three seasons. H&M is one of my favorite stores for fun clothes. The styles are always current (and sometimes weird, like the completely sheer lace pants I found there. Who wears those? Where?) My latest online obsession is ASOS. They offer free shipping both ways and have an enormous inventory. Both of these stores are aimed at a market that is younger than me, but as long as I don't get my entire wardrobe from there, I can pull off a few pieces at a time. Labels: ASOS, fashion, H&M
