Sometimes dresses do seem to show everything – or get stuck in places – that make(s) us feel self-conscious. They grip on our muffins, they show our tumms, they might even make us feel like that ole back fat is high on display. ALL of the things we’ve been finding solutions for!
I’d never expect (or recommend) that you to wear all those solutions all at once. That’d be torture! What we want is the right tool for the job. Nothing more, nothing less. And this piece will make you feel like a rock star, even if no-one sees it! And there are so many reasons why (check them out below).
There are so many good reasons for wearing a slip:
1. It’s like lead for Superman: nobody gets to see your underwear or your panty line in public – ever.
2. You know when you stand by a good light source and you can see right through your skirt? Not polished, no bueno.
3. They make you feel like a movie star… or a rock star!
Looking well-groomed = looking classy
4. They make you look slimmer! Yes, even without the ‘guts’ of shapewear, because they let your clothes lay smoothly
5. They’re a great investment – you can wear them to bed!
So, if you can see any of these when you have on a dress or skirt…
1. The colour/print of your underwear
2. Your panty lines
3. The outline of your thighs
4. The colour of your thighs and other clothed body parts (OY!)
5. Other contours to which you’d rather the general public not have access
Then get yourself a slip, pronto!
So now that we’ve covered that you really, truly, could benefit from having a couple of these magical primers in your lingerie drawer, let’s figure out what you should look for… just click on that video for my best tips.
I know I’ve been talking an awful lot about knickers lately. Like air, water, and cell phones, underwear is such a ubiquitous part of life that they often aren’t discussed. Unless of course, you’re here. I mean, I’ve really been getting into your pants (and skirts, and dresses…)!
There are so many different options out there, so many shifting trends, not to mention the ever-evolving lingerie lingo. From hipsters to boy shorts and bikinis, from thongs to g-strings each style has a function for your wardrobe. But, there’s one style who’s reputation causes pause and carries the stigma of being the most unmentionable of unmentionables….
THE BRIEF ON GRANNY PANTIES
Briefs, aka ‘Granny Panties,’ have suffered in reputation for quite some time. But when it comes to providing high-waisted, full-seated, seamless coverage and comfort there’s no other style with as much reliability or experience! Poor Granny Panties. They just want to help!
In fact, I share some pretty startling facts about the war between the two gangs: Thongs Vs The Granny Panties that will have your figure “lifting butt and staking claims” on some space in your lingerie drawer! These babies do it all in one easy piece – and they can make you feel like you’re in Dirty Dancing too (or at least they make me feel that way!).
So let’s get over it already and get rid of those squeezy-inny tell-tale thong VPL that stops you from wearing your slinky dresses. Move those low rise bikinis over just a sec, so we can keep our tummies feeling firm and held in our pencil skirts.
There are specific fit factors and materials that will help you make these to work for your bod. I share them with you in this video. CLICK TO WATCH NOW and leave me a comment to let me know what you think!
I bet by the end of this one you’ll be putting a few pairs of these Grannies on your Spring/Summer shopping list because they can be light, comfy, seamless, and laser-cut to go under all your light linen and cotton skirts just as much as they can be retro-inspired, sexy-as-all-get-out any time undies.
Oh, and hang on ’til the end there too. What won’t I do for you?
Call it what you want: thigh chafing, chub rub, kissing thighs, bike burn…
At the end of the day there’s only one way to describe it: A hellish, firey, super frustrating source of aggravation that drives us BONKERS!
I mean truly MAD! Who wants to deal with this nuisance every day when all you really want to do is wear a skirt for crying out loud?
That awful, sinking, annoying feeling doesn’t do much for the ‘easy-breezy’ demeanour you’re going for in that swingy retro summer dress. But this is something you shouldn’t have to suffer through. I’ve seen all kinds of ‘creative solutions’ that sound good at the time but end up making things worse. Things like:
bike shorts
mens’ boxer briefs
lotions, creams, and powders (remember that episode of Friends with Ross and the leather pants? yeah, we don’t need ‘thigh paste’ either!)
Seriously, I have a FAR BETTER SOLUTION for you to make those swingy, carefree dresses and skirts comfy and breezy – and yours again!
What makes this solution SO great is that they:
Get rid of all manner of lower bod lumps ‘n bumps
Smooth out waistlines
Obliterate any chance of VPL (Visible Panty Line)
Keep you airy, dry, and feelin’ fresh as a daisy!
A little somethin’ extra? You gotta know that one of my favourite brands for these light-as-air undies is Thigh Society. They have a few styles and colours and you can shop online!
Every year one of my best friends calls to wish me a happy birthday and then we joke about of the particular joys and pains of the coming year. I’ll always remember the year she called to say:
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY! IT’S THE YEAR OF BACK FAT!”
She’s hilarious. Seriously. Thanks for the heads up, Stacey!
This comes up a lot, and it usually goes something like this:
Lovely, smart, happy woman tries on an intriguing item. It feels…daring.
The fabric feels ‘TOO’: too flimsy, too grippy, too showy!
Same sexy lady’s hands grip her middle, shoulders fall. Item is shoved away.
Negative Self-Talk begins (didn’t we just do this? If this sounds familiar, go straight to this video, and learn how to stop it!)
I think ‘rolls’ and ‘back fat’ are useless ‘reasons’ to stop us from having fun in our clothes. Especially since we don’t have to settled for it. Before you reject the idea of shapewear outright, please understand – it’s not the same as it used to be.
No more sausage casings, no powdering yourself down, or sweating to death. These are new shapes, fabrics, and technologies that can actually feel good.
In this video, I’ll share with you, from a Pro Stylist’s perspective:
How to get your Bod Rockin again
What to look for in shapewear so you can breath, eat, and pee….
The SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT feature to end all compromises and start loving yourself in slim-fitting clothes
It’s time to talk about The Ladies. No matter how loud the ‘honk’ of your hoots, they deserve a lot more care and attention than most of us give them, or the bras we put them in.
Why? Well for starters, stats show that 64% of women wear the wrong bra size – and 29% of those women know it. Even worse, 73% of women said that poorly-fitting underwear can make or break their day! Hmmm. Something just ain’t right.
If you’ve ever thought that you seem to be getting shorter and shorter waisted, or if you’re always thinking that there’s something ‘wrong’ about how you look in your tops, let me tell ya:
You’re just FINE! The issue is most likely your bra.
Oh bras can do a million wonderful things! They can lift and separate! They can push ’em where ya want ’em! They can support and hold! They can maximize, they can minimize, they can make them JUST RIGHT in any outfit!
But they can also: create a uniboob, or a four-boob illusion, they make everything jiggle like crazy if you so much as turn your gaze to the side, they can create ‘back fat’ and ‘armpit blobs’ you never knew existed, and they can smash, suffocate, and cut in. *wah wah waaaah*
The difference between held to the heavens and a disappointing day is FIT.
In this video I share with you:
Exactly what to look for in a great fitting bra
How to try it on so you know it’s right for you
What to bring with you when you go lingerie shopping (yes, there’s something you need to have with you!)
Which bras to buy first to get the most bang for your buck
Click on the video to get the expert goods!
I want to know: what have your bra buying experiences been? Do you wonder if yours fit properly, or what your underwear drawer should be filled with? Comment and let me know!
Sometimes, we wake up on the jiggly side of the bed and nothing feels good. Oh there’s a million reasons…
You’ve been on holiday
You’re stressed and not eating right
You’ve missed the gym 2 years in a row….
I’m all about loving and appreciating the bodies we live in, just as they are, today. And ya know what? That doesn’t preclude the idea of using the know-how and the tools available to make it feel even better. In fact, I think it supports it brilliantly!
So look, when you don’t feel particularly ‘Toight Life Toiger’, when that loving hug we give to our bods isn’t enough, or even when it’s SO great that it demands that we give it an extra show of hotness and affection, there’s one GO-TO:
THE RIGHT UNDERWEAR
Aside from clothes truly being the wrong fit, nearly ALL of our body woes can be solved and all of our body joys can be heightened with the right shape wear underneath celebrating your shape and supporting your bangin’ bod.
This isn’t about achieving some kind of Oscar worthy 4 pairs of Sausage Casing Shapewear “I’m-never-going-to-eat-or-pee-again” situation.
Watch this video and I’ll explain why. I’ll also give you my…
In my gazillion years of professional Style Coaching, teaching people how to feel great in their skin, and in their clothes; after a lifetime of fitness and yoga teacher training, I’ve learned that Self-Love is a mental muscle we need to build. It takes practice. There are techniques. We gotta work that muscle out!
There’s a ‘workout’ I’ve been doing – and that I teach my clients (in stealth mode). It synchs up our minds + bods and literally change our bodies into the most amazing physical specimens we’ve ever been!
And DAAAYM BABY, WE LOOK GOOOOOD – IN EVERYTHING!
Over the years, I’ve seen countless people look in the mirror and have these reactions:
Reaction 1: At home, trying things on, you glance in the mirror and then, this look. The corners of your lips turn down. It’s like it weighs your head down. After that, maybe a little shoulder slump. Oy! My heart hurts!
Reaction 2 (which I love): We’re shopping together or making new combos. We’re talking, and suddenly, your expression brightens. You stand taller. You’re a bit surprised, and excited about it all!
So I started implementing a little exercise, a workout, if you will, that helps reduce ‘Reaction #1’ and increase ‘Reaction #2’ because after all, isn’t that what we’d all love to have more of?
This exercise isn’t particularly typical for Style Coaches. In fact, it might be considered a little rogue. But that’s ok, I like being a little bit rogue…. I mean, haven’t you seen that silver streak in my hair? This practice is something I draw from my history in yoga. Both mindful, and meditative, it’s easy, and you can do as often as you want to. BUT – you MUST do it at least twice a day, every day. OK?
The thing you have to do is simple. I want you to develop an attitude.
That’s right, an Attitude of Gratitude, Lady! You have to say THANK YOU to your body.
Yep. That’s it. That’s all.
But here’s the tricky part: you have to say thank you with sincerity to all of the wonderful things that your body has done, or will do, for you.
No ‘thanks, but’, no giving the cold shoulder to a body part just because you think it’s not pretty enough. None of that. Zip. Nada Muchacha.
The Attitude of Gratitude is how we change our minds. Getting in touch with the amazing, divine works of art that our bodies really are, and getting our brains lined up with our awesome bods. Because you know what they say:
What we think about, we bring about.
And I want you to bring about your most coveted, loved version of yourself, for yourself, possible. So, here’s your Body Love workout, from me to you. Try it, daily, for the next two weeks and see if you start looking better in the mirror:
Morning Workout
Every morning before your feet touch the floor, thank your body for resting and rejuvenating itself so you can make the most of your day.
No matter how little sleep you might have gotten, stretch, say thank you, and smile.
Evening Workout
Every evening when you go to bed, tell your body, part by part how much you appreciate what it allowed you to do today. Give some extra love to those parts you normally complain about. Find something good to say about yourself.
Say thank you and smile.
BONUS Workout!
Whenever your exercise, go up or down the stairs, carry heavy children, or heavy groceries, or heavy laundry, thank your body for what it allows you to do.
It may not be perfect, it may not always function with grace or ease, but it always comes through in some good way.
The more you start talking up your bod, the more you’re gonna love dressing up your bod and THAT’S a pleasure I know you’re gonna love.
I’ve been working on Body Love with my clients for a long time. Mainly because so much is out there suggesting that no matter what our beautiful qualities are inside or out, there’s always something to be self-conscious about.
In fact, this trick has worked so well that women actually (subconsciously) use body-complaining as a method of bonding! WHAAAA? Read More
Punk! It’s been happening a lot lately. Walking down the street I’ll spot a young woman in heather grey Tshirt knits, a slouchy black knit hat, big combat boots and a plaid shirt around her waist and all of a sudden I have a brain blip and can’t figure out what year it is. I swear, it’s not my aging brain (is it?) it’s just that the major trend towards the 1990′s/grunge/punk movement this Fall is so darned literal. At least when it comes to the younger set. But I mean, hey, this is their first time wearing it, right? And even though we can all look back and realize that the stringy haired, flannel shirt situations weren’t doing us any favours – it was FUN (in a dark and moody way)!
But, as with any trend you’ve already loved to death in your youth – can you revisit Punk & Grunge style?
Tread lightly on this trend or you’ll easily fall right back to the 90s, searching for your Nirvana cassette to play in your Sony walkman….
This time around give the trend a playful and subtle nod by using the details that defined the Punk & Grunge movements in new ways:
Tread carefully, but with a few strategic upgrades you just might be able to pull of Punk again!
My real ‘Rock ‘n Roll Babes’ can totally bring their personality into the work environment too, by using details on otherwise professional silhouettes to pump up the volume.
Go a bit Punk by focusing on details that make classic items edgy!
Aaaah the cool breezes of September! Wait! The hot flashes of September?! When Mother Nature plays Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde our mental state can really pay a price. Is it Summer still? Is it Fall?
WHAT SHOULD I WEEEEEAARRR???
Then of course, we’re faced with ‘Oh just wear it all year!’ But some things simply don’t work in one season the way they do in another. A tunic; however, a tunic solves this problem by going from Summer mini-dress to Winter dress with total ease. How? It’s all about accessories and yes – layering. Get out your favourite tunic, and I’ll show you three ways to wear it: for Summer, in Transition, and for Winter. Ready?
In Summer, treat a tunic the same way you treat a mini dress. Pull out the lightest, sparkliest colours for the best Summer spin.
Change sandals for pumps, emphasize deeper colours of the pattern, and add decidedly heavier accessories to ground the tunic for ‘seasonal’ days. I wouldn’t be mad if you added a denim jacket either!
