Being a large woman, and living with the mindset that I’m going to lose all my weight someday, I’ve never wanted to spend money on clothes. In the first place, it’s disheartening to shop for clothes that are labeled several sizes higher than what you really want to be, and in the second place, who wants to spend money on fat clothes? So for the last few years, I’ve spent very little on myself, having a few nicer outfits for church and business, and the rest of my wardrobe consisting of T-shirts and knit pants. Hey, I’m a mommy – I need clothes I can move around in when I’m at home.
Well, I must have looked pretty sad because when my mother-in-law came for a visit last Thanksgiving, she told me she was taking me clothes shopping. We went to the mall and she steered me toward a nice plus-sized clothing store, and together we picked out a jacket, skirt, and pants. They were beautiful and they fit so well. I found a few pieces at another store that coordinated, and really started to feel cute for the first time in a long time.
My birthday came along a few months later, and my mother-in-law sent me a gift certificate to the same store, as well as a heads-up on a sale they were having. I went shopping on the day of the sale and with the certificate she sent, I was able to get four great tops that really flattered me. And standing in that dressing room, trying on a top that hit me in all the right places, flowed where it needed to flow and tapered where it needed to taper, I had an epiphany. I didn’t hate my body so much when I wore clothes that looked nice on me.
I’m not giving up on losing weight. And I still wear T-shirts and knit pants around the house (have you ever tried really scrubbing a toilet in dress pants and heels?) but I’ve turned an important corner. When I leave the house, I put on clothes that fit me well. Regardless of my size, I deserve to look nice. I don’t have to consign myself to a lifetime of dumpiness just because my body isn’t the shape I want it to be. I’m not going to spend thousands of dollars on plus-size clothing, but I will pick up some pieces from time to time to update what I already have, and as those sizes fluctuate, I can afford to keep up with them. I really believe that developing a positive outlook about our bodies is the most important thing we can do on our weight-loss journey, and if dressing in clothing cut to flatter my body can, in any measure, decrease the loathing I frequently possess toward my shape, I should make my dressing habits more of a priority.
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