Why I get to cheat on my own style rules

[breakinglight11]

In writing articles for my style column on Examiner.com, I break my own style rules all the time. For example, in one Examiner article about camisoles I warned against wearing them alone. But I wear only a camisole all the damn time. In another article I tell people to never wear leggings as pants, and they probably shouldn't wear low-vamped shoes with them either. I do the latter regularly, and sometimes I even do the former.

It's not because I don't really believe my rules. It's because in some cases I don't think they apply to me. And I hate it admit it, but I get away with it because I'm skinny.

One of the challenges I face when I write those articles is I know I can give effective style advice to skinny women more easily than I can to curvy women. Partially because I am most familiar with how to flatter the body I've been working to flatter all this time. Partially because the current retail fashion industry is designed with the lean form as the ideal. (Though I personally think that's bad business. Pardon my cynicism, but I think they'd sell more clothes if they aimed at flattering the heavier figures, which the majority of women in this country have, and trying to help them meet the ideal, as that's probably what most of them want.)

And it's not that the lean figure is inherently more attractive. It's that the things we've decided we don't want to look like regardless of size-- let's face it, your weight doesn't matter either way if you're not lumpy, disproportionate, or saggy --don't happen to thin people with most clothing styles as frequently as they do to heavier people. Leggings don't make great pants because they cling, and the more lumps and creases you have, the less flattering or appropriate they are. As a lean person, I don't have a lot of these things, so I can get away with it. Camisoles shouldn't be worn along because they don't support the bosom and cling to your bulges. I have a small bust that is pretty perky on its own, and a flat tummy without love handles, so I can still look good in them. And because of it, I don't get tagged with the label of "unstylish" because of it the way that heavier women would if they did the same thing. It's pretty unfair, but there it is.

But I don't want to write The Genetically Lucky Thin Girl's Guide to Gilding the Lily. I want to write about things that everybody can relate to, regardless of build. I really do believe that every figure can be flatteringly and attractively dressed, and that nobody has to resign themselves to not looking as nice as they'd like just because they don't have a certain body type. I am working really hard to give advice that can reach a varied audience, and stuff that never makes anyone feel like they have the wrong figure. I won't say it isn't a challenge at times, but I am endeavoring to keep "unless of course you're skinny, in which case do whatever you want" from the articles I write.
 

Comments

[acousticshadow2.livejournal.com]

The problem with what you want to do is that is impossible. Clothing that looks good on a curvy girl look HORRIBLE on someone like me because I have a flat chest. The point I guess is that saying don't wear stripes with polka dots is universal, but flattering clothing really does come down to bodyshape. An empire dress will just NOT look flattering on anyone but a thin woman with an ample chest. Tight, clingly clothing just does not look good on women with a little extra weight, short girls shouldn't wear bell bottoms, Tall girls often do better in flats than 3 inch heels. There is, unfortunately, very few rules that apply to every body type.