This post will overlap with one of my previous posts where I said it is my belief we should all wear what we like and feel good in and that fits the context of the life we think we are leading, and if other people don’t like it then they can feel free to look away …

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder …

It started when I was only a girl of about 15 and already had developed a full bust. I was out shopping for some pretty new clothes and when I put on an outfit I was told by the sales woman that it “flattered” my figure and was “slimming” …

I’m not sure I actually felt the need back then to look “slimmer”, being a healthy BMI.

And what does this term of “flatter” even mean?

In the photo on the left I am wearing what I have been told is an “unflattering” full skirt and on the right I am in one of my typically tailored and fitted dresses.

Both are in a medium-sized floral pattern, which is usually not recommended for a more “flattering” silhouette ..

Here I’m wearing two dresses in a smaller, more “flattering” print – the dress on the left is a grey marle and has a self print, the one on the right is navy with small black and white spots on it.

One is a “flattering” bodycon dress and one is an A-line wrap dress which could be construed as “unflattering” because there is a bit of volume below the waist ..

Here I am showing the effect of heels – higher ones on the left for a more “flattering” look and lower western booties on the right for being able to walk around in all day and do my jobs …

Colour versus black/grey – “flattering” or fattering? The jury’s still out because in the colourful picture the clothing is fitted, whereas in the pic on the right, the skirt has a little frill and volume … what does it all mean? Can you see where I’m going with this?

But there are more examples that you may find interesting:

Fitted pants or wide-legged? Flattering or fattering? I’ve cheated here by using so called “slimming” vertical stripes in the outfit on the right and monochrome in both outfits … they are both fun looks and it just depends on where I’m going and what I’m doing as to which one I would choose to wear.

Now, on the notion of monochrome:

The outfit on the left shows the colour broken up with black in the booties, leather biker jacket and black beret, whereas the outfit on the right uses the same skirt mixed in with deep complimentary colours, the classic monochrome look – which I have always favoured to give a taller, slimmer and dare I say more “flattering” appearance ..

Dressing in a 1940s aesthetic – the A-line suit on the left compared to the fitted dress on the right, low heels compared to high heels for a flattering or fattering appearance.

In actuality they both work well, and it really is a matter of horses for courses and wearing what feels right according to what is happening on that particular day.

At the end of the day, wear what you like and wear it with confidence – if you are carrying some extra weight, or not, people can see it and we are all greater than the size or shape of our physical bodies and should be accepted accordingly, but you know what?

We have to accept ourselves first and that’s what is really tricky and challenging ..

The Final Word …

Today we went out for lunch to a sweet little restaurant on the wharf in Merimbula, a sleepy little coastal town on the far south coast of New South Wales, Australia.

I wore a grey knit midi dress with a knit midi sleeveless vest and booties in grey also.

It was tried with the belt underneath the vest, and with the belt over the vest.

Which way do you think I wore it when I went to lunch?

I actually felt like the outfit swamped me when I wore the belt over the top of the vest, but maybe I am too used to worrying about the “flatter” thing …. who knows?

Thank you for visiting my little corner of the web and please feel free to like, comment or follow me for more pearls of wisdom 😉

Donna 🦋❤️🧚🏻‍♀️🙏