Fashion rant
I feel like I'm a walking contradiction. [Disclaimer: This is a first world problem that probably only housewives with too much time on their hands can relate to. Most people are busy handling real problems. =P]
Every time I read up on style tips for my type of body shape, I always come across things that would work to address one challenge, but exacerbate another challenge. Perhaps it's my unique body type, which is not the easiest to dress.
Case in point: I'm considered petite (by American dress standards), but I also have B cup boobs and a curvy bum. By that description, you must think I look like a ball, but I'm actually pretty slim with a 27 waist size, also known as a size 4.
I don't mind my curves, but truth be told, they tend to make me look fatter than I am. I don't like to wear clingy clothes because 1) they are WARM, 2) they aren't as comfortable and 3) they don't look all that appropriate. Clingy clothes do define my waist, though, and on the rare occasion I break out one of them (for informal gatherings), people are usually amazed at how slim I actually am (which also goes to show that most of the time, they are unaware of it.) It goes without saying that if I go for loose, flowy clothes, I just look fat! Hitting that sweet spot where I'm comfortable, look professional, have a defined waist AND look proportional is almost impossible.
Oh and talking about defining waists, we can use a belt, right? Weeeeeeellll, apparently it's not recommended for shorties like me because it can break up my body into sections which isn't great for creating the illusion of height. And even though I'm slim, I shouldn't wear horizontal stripes because my chest isn't flat and neither is my bum.
Another contradiction is that low-rise jeans can downplay a curvy bum, but high-rise jeans create the illusion of height! So which do I sacrifice? Proportion or height? Since high-rise or mid-rise jeans are so much more practical (bending over is uggghhh with low-rise), I'd rather sacrifice my proportions. Also, it's so much easier to embrace my curves here in the States where every other girl is somewhat curvy and jeans/shorts/pants cater to a fuller butt. Gotta stock up on bottoms before I go back to Malaysia, that's for sure. In Malaysia, I usually have to go for a wider waistline because my butt won't fit otherwise. Which makes for a lot of excess cloth hanging around my waist, as you can imagine.
Half of me wants to give up reading style tips to avoid all that pain, but the other half of me is determined to make the most of my youth and look good while I can.
Okay rant ends here. =P
Every time I read up on style tips for my type of body shape, I always come across things that would work to address one challenge, but exacerbate another challenge. Perhaps it's my unique body type, which is not the easiest to dress.
Case in point: I'm considered petite (by American dress standards), but I also have B cup boobs and a curvy bum. By that description, you must think I look like a ball, but I'm actually pretty slim with a 27 waist size, also known as a size 4.
I don't mind my curves, but truth be told, they tend to make me look fatter than I am. I don't like to wear clingy clothes because 1) they are WARM, 2) they aren't as comfortable and 3) they don't look all that appropriate. Clingy clothes do define my waist, though, and on the rare occasion I break out one of them (for informal gatherings), people are usually amazed at how slim I actually am (which also goes to show that most of the time, they are unaware of it.) It goes without saying that if I go for loose, flowy clothes, I just look fat! Hitting that sweet spot where I'm comfortable, look professional, have a defined waist AND look proportional is almost impossible.
Oh and talking about defining waists, we can use a belt, right? Weeeeeeellll, apparently it's not recommended for shorties like me because it can break up my body into sections which isn't great for creating the illusion of height. And even though I'm slim, I shouldn't wear horizontal stripes because my chest isn't flat and neither is my bum.
Another contradiction is that low-rise jeans can downplay a curvy bum, but high-rise jeans create the illusion of height! So which do I sacrifice? Proportion or height? Since high-rise or mid-rise jeans are so much more practical (bending over is uggghhh with low-rise), I'd rather sacrifice my proportions. Also, it's so much easier to embrace my curves here in the States where every other girl is somewhat curvy and jeans/shorts/pants cater to a fuller butt. Gotta stock up on bottoms before I go back to Malaysia, that's for sure. In Malaysia, I usually have to go for a wider waistline because my butt won't fit otherwise. Which makes for a lot of excess cloth hanging around my waist, as you can imagine.
Half of me wants to give up reading style tips to avoid all that pain, but the other half of me is determined to make the most of my youth and look good while I can.
Okay rant ends here. =P
As a fellow wide bum asian, I feel your pain. A LOT of people commented on my wedding day that they had no idea my waist was so small in comparison to my hips and chest (haha, probably the MOST form fitting dress I've ever worn. I *did* pay almost $400 to get it fitted to my body type after all haha). I always look round because i have short and chunky legs. Pair that with a loose top and you'd think that's my overall size.
ReplyDeleteThe general tip is to pick one asset you'd like to accentuate that day and just go with it. Then balance out the rest according to that one asset you picked to accentuate. Not that I'm a stylist or fashionista by any sense, but I find that's an easier formula.
Most days you just have to accept and trust that you probably are a harsher critic on yourself than the majority of others. Also, the solution to height is always high heels.
Picking one asset means I can't have everything. *pouts* =P But no to heels...I like being able to walk with no pain. Comfort and endurance will always come first.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why I'm trying to achieve ideal proportions by creating illusions, though. Maybe I should just accept that my body looks this way and embrace it, curves, weirdness and all. =P And you're right, most people probably don't give a second thought to how I dress. Overanalyzing it is just a waste of time. xD