Tuesday, December 1, 2009

How to be Prettier

I sometimes read a blog called Smart Pretty and Awkward. As the name implies, it is a guide to being smart, pretty, and (less) awkward; each day there is a post with a tip for each of the three categories. I don't always agree with the "prettier" tips, because the writer of the blog and I have some different ideas about what is necessary in that department, but in general I find the blog interesting and sensible, and I love reading it. I was looking through the archives today and found a tip from earlier this year that I would like to share.


How to be Prettier: Don’t wear a size 8 if you are a size 10.


It can be really hard to admit that you've gained weight. I have gained about twenty pounds in the last couple years, and for a long time I couldn't find any jeans that fit because I kept looking in the sizes I was used to wearing. Shopping for jeans was a horrible experience, and I almost never felt comfortable in my clothes. I couldn't believe how much easier my life became once I finally accepted the fact that I now wear a bigger size, even much bigger than I ever thought I'd wear. Acknowledge your size and accept it. Don't pretend to be smaller than you are, because you will look like you're doing just that; you will look much more beautiful wearing clothes that actually fit you. That realization might suck at first, but accepting yourself the way you are now is the first step toward being able to change, and the earlier you can do it the better off you'll be.

8 comments:

Lin said...

This is one of the main things they deal with on What Not to Wear (as you well know) - shop in your size, whether you are happy with that size or not. It will always help you look better and feel more confident.

It is the same for skinnier girls who wear clothes that are too big and baggy. So many of those episodes feature women who are wearing large and extra large clothes when they should be wearing small or medium.

Meg said...

Oh man. This is so true. I also think this can include giving up clothes that no longer fit. It's depressing to have them in your closet, plus you're tempted to wear them. Everyone should get a 360 mirror for a day. :)

mkgs said...

Or, for that matter, skinny girls who wear clothes that are too small, because that happens a lot too. It looks just as bad on them. It's all about shopping for the size you ARE, not the size you wish you were.

Julie W said...

Miri, this is a crack up! I totally agree. thanks for the reminder!

MOLLY FORD said...

Miri, thanks for reading Smart Pretty and Awkward even if you don't always agree with my views on Prettier :)

xo
Molly

Lis said...

I think I've gained some 'holiday weight' already and I've been fighting with my jeans- I need to either 1. start exercising!!! and eat less treats, or 2. buy bigger jeans. Since I don't want to do 2, I better get my butt in gear and do 1!

annie (the annilygreen one) said...

i know i'm a little late, but miri, i'm so glad you posted this. i didn't lose a single pound for about a year after maren was born, and it broke my heart until i got all those tiny clothes out of my closet and bought ones that fit my new body. i felt like i'd lost 20 pounds just from dressing right. and there was no, "man, i wish i could fit into that shirt" anymore because that shirt wasn't even in my line of sight! and molly...great blog!

Michal (Miki) Jo said...

My personal problem is that my ribs are in the size of a skinny 13 yr old girl so its hard to find a good fit in the grown up section hehe.
on the other hand i can't say it bothers me its just that people are always "omg u r so small" and I'm " yeah , i know...and....do u have my size or r you going to blame my smallness?"
In Europe its easier to find my size oh and Asia LOL
I totally agree one should wear their own size AND one should be happy wearing whatever they want as long as its not insulting to anyone else. Orthodox Jews are taught not to look. Maybe we shouldn't look if it bothers us. I tend to look at people's faces rather than their clothes. But the picture you put on is just sad. But if she is HAPPY cheers to her. The quest for self acceptance oy, hard but so so so worth it <3