I’ve always been a firm believer in dressing the part. How does the saying go? ‘Dress for the job you want, not the job you have’ – right?
Absolutely! Dressing up helped build my confidence as being a #thickums girl sometimes means that you have to compromise being on trend with settling for what’s left at the mall. Sometimes when shopping, curvy girls don’t really get the outfits they want to wear as, ‘they don’t come in our size!’ Urgh – there’s nothing more upsetting y’all! This has had me feeling gutted a couple of times and has made my ego take a hit on several occasions.
Now, no woman wants to walk into a store and not feel welcome because of their size! So how did I get my confidence built up?
I got creative in my shopping
Once I realized that the ‘cute’ outfits were not going to come in my size, I began thrifting, scouring the web for brands that catered to curvier women and I decided to look into my wardrobe. Many of my favorite looks came from pairing looks that I already owned in a new way. This was a huge confidence boost for me as I was able to push myself creatively to create looks that were both stylish and under budget!
Scarcity pushes you to creativity
More brands are creating plus size options
I love a brand that supports curvy ladies! Loft launched its plus size line last year, Gabifresh has been serving plus size swim wear for a minute now and Asos has never failed being a curvy girl’s best friend. I also love Shein’s plus size (this velvet dress is from there!). I love shopping at these places because nothing boosts your confidence more than wearing an outfit that fits just right on you!
I started working out
Y’all, there are few things that give me the same high as the endorphins that kick in post working out. Part of what has helped me continue to stunt in confidence is the fact that I work out regularly. Being able to feel the burn and see the results in the mirror (and scale) has really helped with my confidence.
I learnt the value of a great accessory
Y’all, I will share a post on what my accessory collection looks like … because it’s amazing. I discovered that along with a red lip, a great accessory can elevate any look! Listen Linda, take a look at this velvet dress, I elevated the entire look by adding my fave earrings from my girl Sonali over at Forty Clarendon, throwing on my faux fur scarf and bam! You couldn’t tell me anything! I know I did THAT …
My good friends at Forty Clarendon are offering 15% off jewelry purchases from today using code cocktail15
I upped my makeup game
Now, I’m no Aysha Harun (don’t know her? – check her out here), but y’all better believe that my makeup game is on point! I realized that by just figuring out how to apply foundation and getting my eyebrows done, I was already feeling more confident. I generally don’t wear a ton of makeup, but I highly recommend trying it out. Wearing some full coverage foundation and a red lip are my go to confidence boosters.
Laugh more
I made a conscious decision to laugh more, take myself less seriously and to embrace my body – curves and all! I am now at the point where I can show a little leg and walk with my head held high. I am #thickums and beautiful and no brand or self sabotage will take this feeling away!
This is the new me: bad, bougie and bossy … ASK ABOUT ME!
