by Martie Lownsberry

Created on: November 29, 2009

If you are a plus size woman and many of us are nowadays, you have probably heard all the rhetoric of what you should and should not be wearing. There are those experts who advise you to stay with solid basic colors, like browns and blacks. Other experts tell you that you should only wear slimming styles, while still others tell you to wear colors close to your face to draw attention away from your body entirely. While these experts all seem to have different advice, it all boils down to the same thing. They are sending the message that plus size women should be ashamed of their bodies, and seek ways to conceal their true selves.

To this I say hogwash! The entire problem is that plus size women are encouraged to hate their bodies which makes finding clothes almost impossible. In order to find the best style for you, it is necessary not only to accept your body but to love yourself. Once you do, you can choose the proper clothing that best fits your personality and makes you feel great. Feeling great is going to make you look great no matter what clothing style you choose.

With that in mind there are some clothing styles that do not look good on anyone regardless of the size of the person.

Don't buy clothes that are too loose or too tight

Clothes that are too loose or too tight look pretty awful on anyone. Too loose of clothing will make any size woman look sloppy and the message you are ashamed of your body. Sending this kind of message only encourages people to look for flaws in you and your body.

Too tight of clothing sends the message that a woman is trying to convince herself she is smaller than she actually is. Even a woman who is a size 5 and pours herself into a size 3 dress sends the message she considers her body too fat and is trying to hide the fact by squeezing into a smaller size.

Try to find outfits that fit comfortably. Those that are neither too loose or too tight look better simply because you feel better wearing them. They also send the message that you accept yourself and make it easier for others to accept you as well.

Buy the right colors

Buying the right colors does not mean limiting yourself to basic black or chromatic color schemes. Every woman, has certain colors that makes her look and feel better when they are wearing them. Find the colors that make you look and feel your best and fashion your wardrobe around those colors.

There is nothing wrong with a plus woman wearing bright red, if that color adds to her complexion and makes her feel great about herself. The same is true when wearing black. If that color makes you feel good then by all means wear it, however, if you find yourself feeling depressed when wearing black or if it makes you look pale and sickly, then it is not going to enhance either your sense of style or self image.

Choose styles that play up your best features

Every woman has some feature or another that is better than some other feature. Choosing clothing styles that play up these features add to your overall sense of beauty and make you appear self confident and well dressed. If you have beautiful slim legs then leggings with a long shirt might be just the style you are looking for, while a woman with nice breasts might chose a style of clothing that emphasizes that feature.

The truth is that plus size women are not referred to as big and beautiful for nothing. Being proud of who you are and of your body regardless of what it's size will make the difference between looking great and looking not so great. Loving the skin you are in will make shopping for the clothes that covers that skin simple and fun. After all, true style in clothing is all about letting your inner beauty shine through.

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