Dressing for your body type

[shadow]

I get very conflicted about this. One the one hand I think that people really should dress for their body type, because no one wants to see leggings stretched over a gigantic bum, but on the other, I think people should just wear whatever the hell they like.

Thoughts?

[plethorian]

I do have thoughts, yes! The shallower side of me agrees with that thought of certain people shouldn't wear certain things...but I think the important part of "dress for your body type" is that sometimes that doesn't involve avoiding clothing, but fixing it. Unfortunately, the fashion industry is not really into creating things that actually fit for several types of bodies, as in a shirt that has three different designs in order to fit three different body types. But that doesn't mean we can't try! Maybe dressing for your body type means we have to not just slap the clothes onto ourselves and be satisfied, because we can wear what we want, but we should also want it to flatter us! Maybe there's a way to create leggings that actually look better on a large butt, who knows. I don't. But I think that's what needs to be done.

I intend to wear all the pretty things I want, but if I have to wear an additional shirt here or snip off a corner there to make it really look better on me, I think that's a fair compromise.

[shadow]

Yeah that's true.

And I agree with the fashion stuff, I loved uni because fashion was jeans and a hoody. But now I'm suppose to be mature and sophisticated young working woman it's all skirts and tights and dresses with heels and stuff and booo. And it's not fair really that fashion is aimed at young skinny people so anyone larger than the fashion has to make do.

[plethorian]

I hear you. One thing I like about my major for uni is that I will never end up like those law and business kids who have to wear suits and pantyhose to school everyday. Bleh! School is school, not work. I will take my jeans and sweaters, thank you very much!

[triplash]

I studied fashion so I hear you guys!
Personally the dress for your body type tips and etc make me cringe a little because I feel they're dictating to people how you should dress to be socially acceptable looking and generally body policing but at the same time there are going to be people, or rather there are a lot of people whom do just want to get on with a fairly normal life, look acceptable and balance out their body shape without looking top heavy/shapeless/whatever

When it comes to people wearing things they 'shouldn't' I generally don't have an opinion (i.e I never express my thoughts because hey, its someone elses body they can do as they please) but as you've asked..I think its fine to wear whatever you like as long as your conscious of your choices and they're made for you rather than out of self esteem issues, vanity or whatever.. an unconsidered life..and all that!

For example, I remember seeing this girl fairly average sized/shape but she was wearing trousers that were at least 4 sizes, maybe 5 sizes too small for her? And i could really only assume it was because she'd talked herself into being a size 8 when she clearly wasn't and it just looked so SO awful, 24hr butt crack alert..

Its an image that's stuck with me through the years..

Anyway, thats my fashion bitch over, I'll retire her again!

Although on that note i do so detest fashion and wish people would dress for themselves rather than trends..just because it fits you doesn't mean you should wear it!

[shadow]

I completely agree with both of you.
In sixth form (that's like college ages 16-18) my school said that we had to dress 'business like' rather than school uniform. It was a rule that they introduced in my year (previous years could wear whatever) and we weren't best pleased. I'm there to learn, of my own accord, I don't think I should have to dress like I was working at an office! I just wore black jeans mostly.

I have never 'followed' fashion. I've just picked and chosen things that I like. It's a quality I've always liked about myself.

I think one of my biggest fashion peeves is wearing things that are really uncomfortable, just because they look 'good' e.g. really high heels, really tight jeans etc.

[plethorian]

You both raise excellent points! I would also like to say I don't follow the fashion trends, because I usually don't, but of course I don't feel at all ashamed when I look through magazines and such because I don't feel at all pressured-it's just a way for me to get ideas, because I generally have a hard time thinking of new outfits. So I take it as a suggestion! Which is really how fashion ought to be taken, I think.

(And work code in school? What is that bullcrap?! Sheesh!)