I hadn't been a shoddy dresser to start with, but I would always put on similar kinds of t-shirts and jeans, or leggings and kurtis and slip my feet into a pair of toms or flip-flops. I knew this was doing me no favors but I didn't care. I promised myself that when I lost weight, I'd buy myself flattering clothes and in the meanwhile I'd hide behind baggy items that covered my bulges and trouble spots.
But after that fateful incident when a relative quite blatantly expressed her disgust at my ever-increasing weight, I decided to revamp myself. Losing weight would take some time to materialize but in the meanwhile, I would do whatever it took to feel good about my body. And I'd start with some new clothes.
You'll be surprised by what's out there for plus sized women. For the first time, I realized that you don't have to dress in men clothes just because you are overweight. There are a lot of options available. Though a lot of stores still carry dresses that seem as if it were tailor made for Barbie, there are equally many that stock clothes for voluptuous women.
Once I bought some nice dresses, skirts, and blouses, I vowed to pay attention to how I dressed. The change was not only refreshing but dressing well gave me the confidence to carry my weight with a little less guilt. Even if I was, yes I admit, FAT, at least I was looking good.
In baggy clothes, I was just a fat girl, but in good clothes, I was a nice looking chubby girl. People paid less attention to the fact that I didn't have the 'perfect' body, and complimented me instead. Baggy clothes added to my already big shape and by choosing to wear a little fitting (read flattering) clothes, I looked a lot trimmed down without even shedding a single kilo.
I also invested in some great workout clothes. When I started working out, I wore a baggy t-shirt and track pants. Seeing myself in nice clothes was a motivation of sorts. It also helped that I could see the bulges, and by confronting it instead of shying away from it, I knew what I was battling with.
What also helps is if you buy a dress that you want to fit into and hang it where you can see it every day. I now fit into a beige sleeveless dress that was quite a few sizes too big for me when I first bought it. Seeing it every day reminded me of my goal and I pushed myself harder to stay disciplined and not skip on my exercise regime.
We live in a culture where we are judged by our appearances and though that might be vain and shallow, it's how it is. But the fact of the matter is that, even before you've had a chance to woo someone with your charm and conversation skills, chances are that you've already made an impression by the way you're dressed.
It's amazing how preconceived notions and stereotypes come into play here. While you yourself hate being judged by your clothes, you are quick to judge others by theirs. Think about it. I'm pretty sure almost every one of us has, at one point or the other, judged someone based on what they were wearing.
Appearances matter in real and fundamental ways that affect your daily life. From how you are greeted when meeting someone for the first time to whether or not you'll be harassed while traveling, your clothes pretty much dictate your circumstances.
I know many of us might not have the time and money (the latter is true for me because I'm almost always broke), to buy new clothes but we can invest in a few key pieces and then build on it. Once you start paying attention to what you wear, trust me, you'll start getting creative. There are amazing videos on YouTube, and fashion tips on Pinterest that you can draw inspiration from.
Once you start looking, the Internet will inundate you with ideas. While being a slave to every season's trends is not a good thing, being aware of the changing fashion styles is never a bad idea. It will help you develop your own sense of style till dressing well becomes a habit.
What I also learnt, the hard way, was that you can't wait for the right time to start dressing right. Trying to lose the belly fat before you buy that dress you've been eyeing for a while now? Want to first tone your legs before you try on tight pants? That day will come (with the right amount of exercise, moderate eating, and sheer determination that I will get into later), but waiting for that day shouldn't be your excuse to be sloppy. The clothes we choose to put on should highlight our most beautiful and talented selves and not hide or drown us within the folds.
The writer has dropped down to 51 kilos from a staggering 74 kilos and finally gets complimented on her fit figure.
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