When Your Body has Changed and Your Clothes Don't Fit
When Your Body has Changed and Your Clothes Don't Fit
Most of my 40+ clients are experiencing midlife changes, and the #1 thing they share with me is being bummed out about age-related weight gain.
I’m re-sharing this post from last year without a paywall because it is one of the more helpful and practical articles I’ve ever written about how to dress when your body has changed.
Most of my 40+ clients are experiencing midlife changes, and the #1 thing they share with me is being bummed out about age-related weight gain.
It’s really hard when your clothes suddenly don’t fit.
BUT.
If you’ve gained weight (like most humans do at one point or another and almost all female humans do at some point in their 40’s) there’s no need to punish yourself. In fact, I believe being kind to yourself is the path to all good things. ❤️
What if you flip that script in your head that says you don’t “deserve” to feel better and change it to: wouldn’t it be great to feel better RIGHT NOW? (Instead of waiting a month or six months or a year or… forever?)
I’ve talked a lot about this on Instagram and thought I would share an article here compiling many of my tips and advice on how to dress when you’ve put on a few (or more) pounds!
Spend a little extra time on hair and makeup. Increasing things I DO like in the mirror helps me feel better about the thing I DON’T like in the mirror. More in the video below.
DO NOT punish yourself by wearing clothes that are too tight and think that doing so will motivate you to lose weight. 😫
That might actually do the opposite, because when you wear clothes that don’t fit, you are sending messages to your body that IT is the problem, IT is the wrong size - when really it’s the clothes that are the wrong size. And when you send those negative messages to yourself, it doesn’t tend to lead to positive change.
Wearing clothing that fits you (at any size) is a form of self-love. And some would argue that when you are kind to yourself, THAT’S when you make the most positive changes, NOT the other way around.
Get rid of your ”goal weight” clothes. if you feel, REALISTICALLY, that you might get back into them, re-home them in a bin anywhere in your home that is not your main closet.
Get yourself a couple of nice outfits that fit you NOW. Worse case scenario, you lose the weight and you have to replace those clothes, but best case scenario you feel good NOW, and that is worth everything.
Lean into stretch fabrics and jeans with elastane.
🚫DON’T wait to go shopping until you lose the weight.
Got muffin top? Here are 3 ways to hide it! I’ve been a muffin top owner since the birth of my first child, who is now in college, so I am highly experienced in this particular area:
✔️ Wearing a blazer provides a little bit of extra coverage when we’re worried about things busting over the side of our pants particularly from the side view!
✔️Pattern keeps the eye moving so that it never rests in one spot. This is a great trick to use anywhere that you have lumps and bumps you’d like to conceal.
✔️Tuck in your tops. Stay with me on this one. I know, you think you can’t. But, give it a try. With the right flowy material, a top will tuck into your pants and when you pull it back out a bit / blouse that thing over the tummy area, there is no muffin top to be found. 🙌
Consider alterations. For example, if muffin top is an ongoing problem for you as it is for me, you can have your waistbands altered. It is a wonderful thing!
Sometimes a part of your body is a little bigger or smaller than some of the clothes that you buy. The problem is not with you, it’s with the clothes! And you can work with it.
There is no shame in nipping something in (or letting it out) to fit your body. With the shorts in the video below, my choice was to leave them as is - digging into my tummy all day - or give myself some breathing room.
I loved the shorts, so I decided to have them altered. The result? I don’t have a waistband cutting into me all day, making me feel like my tummy is too big. Instead I get to breathe easy and think about more important things. ;)
Utilize dopamine dressing! Simply put, dopamine dressing is using an outfit to actively influence your mood. It’s not about wearing the latest trends but rather about your own individuality.
Need some ideas? Try wearing a bright color (only if it makes you feel good), a fun pattern, something new and out of your comfort zone, a bold shoe or handbag – anything that brings you joy and boosts your mood.
As always, please wear what makes you happy! If you don’t know what that is, I can help.
Schedule a free call with me to talk it out!