Written by Nicola Cupples

Accept Reality

In my experience, women who want to lose a few pounds often make one of two mistakes. Wearing clothes that are too tight because they don’t want to buy the next size up or, wearing clothes that are too baggy to cover up. This often means that the body ends up looking bigger than it actually is, which makes you feel worse about your body image. Maybe this year instead of making the resolution to lose weight at the gym, you could use clothes to look slimmer and utilise the gym for improving your health and fitness levels? This would boost your confidence, energy and emotional and physical health.

I work with women of all shapes and sizes and have found the one thing we all have in common. We are rarely happy with our weight and all wish we had someone else’s figure! However, life is too short to spend wishing that Mother Nature had just been a little kinder, so we might as well start working what we’ve got. After all, there are women out there that wish they had your hair / arms / stomach / bust / height....

If the Shoe Fits...Girls, we are so hard on ourselves but don’t beat yourself up if a garment doesn’t fit you perfectly. If you’ve got curvy hips or thighs it’s unlikely that shopping for trousers will be a breeze, and if you have a large bust, finding tops that fit you can be a nightmare. Don’t take it personally! Just accept that designers can’t cater for your exact measurements. Simply try the next size up and if that is a little big, take it to a tailor who will advise if it can be adjusted to fit you like a glove.

Find a Balance

Accessories help you to create visual balance by either drawing the eye to parts of your body that you do like OR by balancing areas of the body which look out of proportion when dressed. For example, cocktail rings and cuffs draw attention away from the upper arms, showing off your feminine wrists and well manicured hands. Statement earrings, scarves, hair jewellery and necklaces can draw the eye up to showcase your neck, hair and face and detract from the bust, tummy or thighs. With accessories, YOU take control over how your body is perceived by where you place them, so they are a great solution for all shapes and sizes.

Feel Good Fabrics

If there is a particular area of your body that you don’t want to draw attention to, avoid heavier, textured fabrics and shiny materials as these may make this area look larger than it actually is. Chunky knits, angora, tweeds and satin can add pounds if placed on the wrong part of the body.

The Foundation of Style

If you haven’t got the best ‘scaffolding’ going on under your outfit, it’s going to be like building your dream house on sand. The end result isn’t going to look pretty! So get properly fitted for a bra. When you are fitted with the right size and style of bra for your figure, it can knock inches off your waist, improve your posture and make your bust look more toned and youthful!! Yes a bra really can transform your body that much. I often have to drag clients away from the mirror because they can’t believe the transformation. Now that’s my idea of weight loss. No pain and all gain!

Positive Beats Negative

So you’re not perfect? Me neither! But let’s stop obsessing about what’s not quite right. It’s annoying. Men hate it when we do it, it irritates our friends, and our daughters / nieces have enough to worry about without questioning whether they are the “right size”. Let’s lead by example and show that beauty and sex appeal really does come with working on your strengths and minimising your weaknesses, in full knowledge that we will never be perfect (and that goes for all areas of life).