A Styling Secret

Do you dress to hide your tummy every day?

Since my teens, my weight has gone up and down with every crazy diet ever presented. I wish I had realized earlier that diets are designed to fail. If you are not going to change your eating habits forever, all the weight will come back and will likely add more pounds when it returns.

All that losing and gaining weight has created areas that will never be taut again, no matter how much I exercise. For most of my adult life, I have dressed to conceal my midsection.

Thankfully, my weight has remained about the same for the last five years after permanently changing my food choice. That means I have been able to invest in many different clothing styles and enjoy wearing them with confidence. In the past, there was always that question in the back of my mind, "Will I even be able to zip this in six months?"

We recently enjoyed an excellent evening meal at Rowland's located inside the Westglow Mansion in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

As soon as I previewed the photos we snapped before we began our trip, I knew I had to go back and put on my secret styling weapon.

Before

After

The foundation I am wearing in the after the photo is by Maidenform from Macy's.

Each time I model or wear anything that shows my shape, I wear this support garment. It helps with my posture and smooths the middle line in front and back without giving me an oddly shaped bustline.

The bra pictured below from Soma is the best fitting bra I have ever worn.

The necklace and tank top are old from Chico's. The Balmain sunglasses and cardigan are from Sak's Off 5th. The silver clutch is old from T.J.Maxx. The side-zip white pants were supplied by Fabrizio Gianni last year. The Gianni Bini sandals are from Dillard's.

Weekly Q&A - Foundations

Wearing the proper undergarments can make a huge difference in the way clothes look on your body. 

After I posted the photo below, I was asked many times about the bra I wear style. The one that supports and fits my body best is this one from Soma. Click here for more info on this bra.

Do you keep bras too long, washing and wearing them too many times, as well as purchasing the same size year after year?  Your bra size can change with as little as a five-pound weight loss or gain. 

When I found the great fitting hard-working bra pictured above, I went to a Soma store and tried on about seven different styles until I found the one that fit my body shape, including my breasts' actual shape. This bra has a tiny bit of padding at the top of the cup to fill where I need it, not at the bottom of the cup where I certainly do not need it. I continue to get fitted for bras every year. Our bodies are constantly changing.

Yo-Yo dieting throughout my life has given me skin that is less than taut. When I wear clothes that are more body revealing or fabrics such as jersey knits that are less forgiving, I always wear a body slimmer such as the one shown above from Macy's. Control and contouring are not my goals. I wear this garment simply to give me a smoother look under my clothes. These also come in a longer thigh length style like the one shown below.

Visible panty lines are never acceptable. This style of panty from Soma is the one I wear every day.

My legs are not going out in public in a dress without stockings at almost sixty years old. I don't care what the trends are!

My favorite stockings of all time were a gift from a blog reader who sent me 8 denier pantyhose from Paris. This style from Wolford is a close match.

Foundation garments are possibly the most important part of your look. For example, an ill-fitting bra can ruin the look of a very expensive blouse. Wearing beautiful lingerie makes you feel confident and elegant. Great fitting lingerie that smooths and lifts is not a luxury; it is imperative for me. I will budget for the right pieces to make sure all of my other clothes look and fit the way I want them.