Been to a department store lately? Been to the dress department? OMG if you are not going to the prom, you are seriously out of luck!
Trying to even navigate past the glitz, the glamour, the straps and the bustiers is painful. I think I have a 2-inch gash from squeezing through the sequins and crystals. Seriously, all this so they can post pics on Facebook? Can you spell overkill? Let’s start with thanking the powers to be that we will never have another prom to go to and let the real shopping begin. Next month that is, when the inventory for mere mortals begins to arrive.
Women are currently clamoring for dresses out of ‘event-necessity’ and most are experiencing mini meltdowns at the thought of embarking on the search and find.
When the call comes in, the conversation goes something like this, “I hate shopping for dresses AND I hate wearing dresses.”
That’s when my mental work begins as I drill down into the real reasons behind this angst, under the cloak of taking a pre-shopping survey in order to make sure we shop for a dress that accentuates the assets and disguises the liabilities.
The conversation goes from head to toe stopping at 6 ‘pain points’ along the way. Pain point is defined as a problem, real or perceived. Ladies, the key word here is perceived because quite honestly some of you are your own worst enemy – gazing in the mirror looking for imperfections that most others don’t ever see!
It’s time to be honest, but kind to yourself. If your imperfection, your pain point, is real OR perceived, there are styling tools to disguise just about anything. Styling tools are defined as trickery! Let’s get to the root and get shopping for that pain-in-the-ass dress that you need! Any of the following 6 points can stop a woman in her tracks once she gets into the dressing room simply because she didn’t consider the issues before she selected the items that she dragged in there with her.
Let’s interview the dresses before you get naked with them in the dressing room. The key is to choose dresses that disguise what you consider to be the liability and highlight what you perceive to be your assets.
Do you love or hate your decolletage?
If you love it, show it! Hate it, bring the neckline up a bit and accent your neck with some fabulous bling. Perhaps bring the attention lower as well by highlighting your tiny waist.
Do you love or hate your arms?
If you have worked hard on them and you love them, then by all means show them and go sleeveless. But if it is your rear that you love and your arms that you hate, shop for a 3/4 sleeve dress that has great styling in the back so you look good when you leave the room!
Do you love or hate (can’t contain) your boobs?
Got great boobs? Show off your shape but be sure they are contained in a professionally fit bra. It’s okay to show off a tad but you don’t want them entering the room 5 minutes before you do. Hate them? Then contain them and draw attention perhaps to your amazing legs by choosing an a-line skirt that swings with movement. Don’t forget some wrist bling to pull the attention away from your chest.
Do you love or hate (can’t find) your waist?
Love your tiny waist? Then belt it! Can’t find your waist? Stop draping (tenting) over it. Look for a dress with an empire waist or with small shoulder pads to add a bit of volume on top and balance out the middle. Look for great details at the neck and hemline.
Do you love or hate your gams (knees, cankles)?
Love your legs? Kudos to you. By all means show them off by selecting a shorter hemline or a dress with a side or back slit. Consider your legs a liability? Adjust the hemline so it falls at the narrowest part of your leg whether that is above, below or in the middle of the knee. Have heavy ankles? Be sure to expose more of your leg above your ankle (no mid-calf dresses for you) and choose a nude shoe with a pointed low toe-box to lengthen the leg (no ankle straps for you – ever).
Do you love or hate your feet (bunions)?
Oftentimes women won’t wear dresses because they hate uncomfortable shoes. News flash – there are actually comfortable dress shoes out there but 9 times out of 10, women buy the dress first and then go searching at the last minute for the shoe and end up getting any (uncomfortable) shoe that matches. Here is a better plan – shop for two pairs of comfortable dress shoes to own in your inventory way before you ever even need a dress. You will be pretty safe owning one black pump and one nude pump, of which there is no shortage of styles and price-points. Chances are pretty good that one of those will go with your new perfectly proportioned dress.
Hoping for a style makeover for Mother’s Day? Stop hoping and take action! Share this link with the special people in your life so they can treat you special! Mother’s Day Makeover Gift Certificates
Have A Love Hate Relationship With Dresses?
Trying to even navigate past the glitz, the glamour, the straps and the bustiers is painful. I think I have a 2-inch gash from squeezing through the sequins and crystals. Seriously, all this so they can post pics on Facebook? Can you spell overkill? Let’s start with thanking the powers to be that we will never have another prom to go to and let the real shopping begin. Next month that is, when the inventory for mere mortals begins to arrive.
Women are currently clamoring for dresses out of ‘event-necessity’ and most are experiencing mini meltdowns at the thought of embarking on the search and find.
When the call comes in, the conversation goes something like this, “I hate shopping for dresses AND I hate wearing dresses.”
That’s when my mental work begins as I drill down into the real reasons behind this angst, under the cloak of taking a pre-shopping survey in order to make sure we shop for a dress that accentuates the assets and disguises the liabilities.
The conversation goes from head to toe stopping at 6 ‘pain points’ along the way. Pain point is defined as a problem, real or perceived. Ladies, the key word here is perceived because quite honestly some of you are your own worst enemy – gazing in the mirror looking for imperfections that most others don’t ever see!
It’s time to be honest, but kind to yourself. If your imperfection, your pain point, is real OR perceived, there are styling tools to disguise just about anything. Styling tools are defined as trickery! Let’s get to the root and get shopping for that pain-in-the-ass dress that you need! Any of the following 6 points can stop a woman in her tracks once she gets into the dressing room simply because she didn’t consider the issues before she selected the items that she dragged in there with her.
Let’s interview the dresses before you get naked with them in the dressing room. The key is to choose dresses that disguise what you consider to be the liability and highlight what you perceive to be your assets.
Do you love or hate your decolletage?
If you love it, show it! Hate it, bring the neckline up a bit and accent your neck with some fabulous bling. Perhaps bring the attention lower as well by highlighting your tiny waist.
Do you love or hate your arms?
If you have worked hard on them and you love them, then by all means show them and go sleeveless. But if it is your rear that you love and your arms that you hate, shop for a 3/4 sleeve dress that has great styling in the back so you look good when you leave the room!
Do you love or hate (can’t contain) your boobs?
Got great boobs? Show off your shape but be sure they are contained in a professionally fit bra. It’s okay to show off a tad but you don’t want them entering the room 5 minutes before you do. Hate them? Then contain them and draw attention perhaps to your amazing legs by choosing an a-line skirt that swings with movement. Don’t forget some wrist bling to pull the attention away from your chest.
Do you love or hate (can’t find) your waist?
Love your tiny waist? Then belt it! Can’t find your waist? Stop draping (tenting) over it. Look for a dress with an empire waist or with small shoulder pads to add a bit of volume on top and balance out the middle. Look for great details at the neck and hemline.
Do you love or hate your gams (knees, cankles)?
Love your legs? Kudos to you. By all means show them off by selecting a shorter hemline or a dress with a side or back slit. Consider your legs a liability? Adjust the hemline so it falls at the narrowest part of your leg whether that is above, below or in the middle of the knee. Have heavy ankles? Be sure to expose more of your leg above your ankle (no mid-calf dresses for you) and choose a nude shoe with a pointed low toe-box to lengthen the leg (no ankle straps for you – ever).
Do you love or hate your feet (bunions)?
Oftentimes women won’t wear dresses because they hate uncomfortable shoes. News flash – there are actually comfortable dress shoes out there but 9 times out of 10, women buy the dress first and then go searching at the last minute for the shoe and end up getting any (uncomfortable) shoe that matches. Here is a better plan – shop for two pairs of comfortable dress shoes to own in your inventory way before you ever even need a dress. You will be pretty safe owning one black pump and one nude pump, of which there is no shortage of styles and price-points. Chances are pretty good that one of those will go with your new perfectly proportioned dress.
Hoping for a style makeover for Mother’s Day? Stop hoping and take action! Share this link with the special people in your life so they can treat you special! Mother’s Day Makeover Gift Certificates