“During my darkest hour, life threw me some curves. Thankfully they were in the shape of a woman’s body.” Jarod Kintz.
In the past few years, curvy has made a comeback in the fashion industry. Even Barbie, who was a little girl’s favourite doll while growing up recently launched a curvy Barbie. The tiny-waisted tradition was cut short after being there since 1959 when Toy Maker Mattel introduced a curvier and big-busted shaped doll.
Curvy is the new black and being a plus-sized girl doesn’t mean you can’t look fabulous just because you’re not in a size zero dress. All it needs is a bit of research on what to do and what not to do and a big dose of confidence. Here are some dos and don’ts fashion tips for girls with curves:
1. The first rule for any lady should be to first fully embrace and love their body, no matter the shape or weight. These days there is too much emphasis on becoming thinner, growing your hair thicker and getting your eyebrows on fleek while the main agenda that we should be putting out there is for everyone to love themselves for who they are. There is a reason God made you that way. Don’t strive to waste your whole life trying to become like someone else.
2. Invest in good undergarments. Always make sure that you wear the proper undergarments. You have to have the right foundation to pull off the perfect outfit. Eight out of every ten women wear the wrong-sized or shaped bra, so don’t underestimate the power of getting your bust professionally measured. Also, my mama always says that a good bra is a worthy investment, a good bra can go a long way toward making you look and feel good.
3. Don’t wear baggy clothes. One of the biggest mistakes that ladies make is trying to hide their curves under oversize clothes while in an actual sense this makes your body look much heavier. Don’t be afraid to show off your curves, but also don’t overdo it.
4. Dress your shape. A rectangular shape will not go well with clothes meant for a pear-shaped body. The same goes for an hourglass shape with an apple-shaped body. If you’re not sure about where you stand in terms of your body shape, find out more here.
5. Embrace your belly. Some women have been sucked into the waist training trend that has come up in the last couple of years and while this may be good in some cases, some wear it for a long duration of time and this may have adverse effects on its end. Don’t focus on hiding what you don’t like, focus on accentuating the features that you do, e.g. your hips and bust. You can also look for seaming and side panels in the waist area which create an illusion of an even slimmer midsection.
6. Invest in heels. As much as some women really detest the idea of walking around in heels, let’s face it, they really are very uncomfortable at times. But heels can make your legs look longer and leaner, besides you don’t have to wear them every day.
7. Tapered waistlines. Wear shirts and jackets with tapered waistlines. They do a really good job in showing off your waist without making other parts of your body seem out of proportion.
8. Belts. A waist belt can do miracles in making you look slimmer and enhancing your waist as well. It also adds definition to your curves. Choose wide belts and rock them with tops and dresses.
9. Accessorize! You can never go wrong with bold accessories. Go for long necklaces, chunky bracelets and large loop earrings. The accessories you wear need to have a spark of personality that complements your own.
10. Find a good tailor. As a lady, I think you should have your tailor’s number on speed dial (I personally do). When you’re out shopping and you come across a gorgeous dress that seems to be a bit too big for you, don’t be afraid to buy and re-size it afterwards.
Tailoring also comes in handy when you lose a few kilos and that top seems to bulge out a bit. There is absolutely no need to leave that dress at the store or leave it in your closet. A good tailor is the difference between a sloppy, oversized dress and a perfect-fitting head-turner.
