dress for success – Betsy Schow

Full Body: Its not a Pageant

I’ve renamed Dress for Success to Full Body. So Wednesdays can be the post day for all things image and body related.

Today’s post is a little pet peeve of mine. I see it at the gym, on the road, even at the marathon. Beauty queen dropouts.

I get trying to look your best no matter where you are. But the starting line is not the place for full makeup and round brushing your bangs then shoving your cosmetics in a stuff sack to pick up at the finish. FYI chick in the plaid pink sports bra and skirt, when I passed you at mile 14, your mile high hair looked like a nest and your mascara was dripping and streaking right along with your fake tan.

If you do it right, working out is not pretty. It’s sweaty and full of grunts and the occasional curse. Its not a beauty pageant. There is no prize at the end if your hair is still schellacked on your head.

You don’t need to make yourself up like a doll to be pretty. Being healthy is beautiful. Red sweaty face and all.

Plus the makeup mingled sweat seeps into your pores and makes you breakout. Just saying.

Dress for Success: Swimsuit hell

Having lost all this weight, I thought, hey, it’s swimsuit season. I need a cute bathing suit. And I got all excited. For once, I wouldn’t have to order out of the big girl’s catalog. I could actually find something in the store!! I was really excited to find a suit that would show off my new littler body. Silly me.

I have now determined, that swimsuit shopping is hell, no matter what your size. At the store, I immediately dismissed two categories of swimwear. The muumuu swimdress, masquerading as a bathing suit. And the bikini, because I may be smaller, but I’m still not delusional. That left me with one pieces and the tankini.

I tried the one piece first. Thought I could look all svelte and catwoman like. Not so much. I have a very long torso, so they all either crawled up the butt or the bust hit about the ribcage. I’ll even own up, that just for kicks, I tried on the one piece with the sides cut out. Even supermodels don’t look good in those bondage bandaid swimsuit wannabes.

So I tried the tankini. The first store I went to, sold them in sets. Unfortunately my top half is a size larger than my bottom half. So either my bottoms fell off or gave me plumbers butt. Or my top was squeezing all the left over fat up and out. Then I discovered the separates. Praise be to whoever thought that one up. So I finally found a cute little boy short for the bottom. But what to do for the top? Halter. Racerback. Midriff baring (uh no), Deep V, (again, no) padding (yes please. Because the first place I lost my weight was off the rack). Too many combinations and none of them looked right. None of them made me look like the girl on Maxim magazine.

She didn’t have a droopy butt, or an extra flap skin under the arms. I decided, Screw this, I should wear a wetsuit. Then all my little extra bits would be tucked in.

Cue the super skinny girl in the dressing room next to me. Size 0, and moaning about all the exact same things. Her thighs looked flabby. The suit cut across her butt in the wrong place. She had a little bit of a belly. (not that I saw)

Point is, unless you have makeup artists and somebody that can airbrush your photos later, swimsuit shopping is hell. For everyone.

Dress for Success: Running Shoes

Did you know that running shoes have an expiration date? Now before you go checking the label, I don’t mean literally. Every shoe has a limited number of miles in them before they become a liability. As you’ve porbably guessed, higher quality shoes tend to get more miles, around 450 miles total. Cheap bargain shoes rarely make it to 300. But there are exceptions. Just because its spendy, doesn’t mean its made well.

When your shoes have given up the ghost so to speak, you are more prone to get injured. Knee problems, ankle problems. etc. This stems from the wear patterns and decreased shock absorption.

So how do you know when your shoes should be laid to rest? Do you wait until the rubber is falling off? Here’s the easiest ways to tell:

Do your legs feel a little more beat up then normal?

If you grab the top and bootom of your shoe, does it twist easily? (meaning the center of the sole has broken down. )

Is the tread really worn on one side, making the shoe tilt?

Is it just not comfy anymore?

Yep, you are the best barometer. If it doesn’t feel good, get a new shoe. Otherwise, you might be at risk for overuse injuries. A heavier person will need to replace their shoes more often. I know, its not fair. Tell me about it. Light little waifs can get away with every 450 miles or so.

Keep track of your miles, and really start to pay attention around mile 300.

Another good tip is to find a shoe you like, then buy a spare set. Rotate. Makes them last longer.

And never wear new shoes to a race. Just saying.

Dress for Success: Comfortable blues

This is a piece of advice I have just started implementing in my own life. Lately I have been busy certifying as a Sport Yoga trainer. My wardrobe has been 24/7 yoga pants and clothes. They’re comfortable and loose, and I like the fit. However, I do look a bit schlubby.

When we feel a little down about our size or shape, we tend to reach for comfort things. Comfort food and comfort clothes. If I feel a little bloated, I avoid jeans like the plague. I want my nice capri yoga pants. Sure I’m comfortable, but in my scrubbies I only feel worse about myself.

So starting today, when I feel a bit frumpy, I am going to get dolled up. Even if it’s just to sit in front of my computer. I’m not dressing up for anyone else, I’m doing it for me. If I feel crappy, that’s probably when I need to pull out those jeans that I know make my butt look great. I may not feel like it, but I bet I will feel better when I look in the mirror and see a put together woman instead of the bed headed schlub.

Not my kid, but I saw this on the web and it was too cute not to use. So thank you anonymous kid for showing exactly how I feel some days.

Dress for Success: Bra Fit

Sorry boys, this post is ladies only.

An ill fitting bra can ruin any size woman’s figure. We’ve all seen the signs. Saggy boobs. Or worse… back boobs. Then there are the falling straps, or the ones that cut off circulation. Heaven forbid, you can even fall out.

Every woman should have regular bra fittings. I like the Nordstrom ladies personally. I know its scary and a embarrassing. If you absolutely can’t bring yourself to do it, then use these tips to find the right size. And remember to Try on, try on , try on. Just because you have the right size, doesn’t mean every brand bra will be cut or fit right for your shape.

Step 1. Make sure the bra band is comfortable but snug. You should be able to fit 2 fingers underneath by stretching a little. A regular bra should not be trying to make you smaller. That would be a corset. An entirely different undergarment.

Step 2. Make sure the band is parallel and horizontal all the way around. The back should be part should be as low as the front. No riding up. Cuz if the back goes up, the front goes down.This makes for saggy boobs.

Step 3. Underwires are your friend. And friends don’t pinch or poke. Make sure the under wire contours your body snug to the ribcage without sticking out.

Step 4. Use the Goldilocks test on the cups. Not too small, not too big, just right. There shouldn’t be extra space in the cup. On the other hand there shouldn’t be spillage either. If it doesn’t fit in the cup, move up a cup. Play with different styles until you find the cup shape that fits your breast. Some cups are very narrow, and this causes side spillage if you have a wider breast area.

Step 5. Give it the jiggle test. Raise your arms ups and down. Are the girls safe locked and loaded? Or do they pop up or the cup wrinkles?

If at first you don’t succeed, keep trying different brands. A good bra is the foundation for your frame. Crappy bra, crappy contours. Good luck and happy hunting.

Dress for Success: Lose the baggy

My friend has lost around 18-20 pounds. She is still wearing the exact same sweats we worked out in a year ago. They are just baggier now. Problem is, she has trouble remembering what they looked like 20 pounds ago. So when she looks in the mirror, she can’t see any change.

It’s tempting to say, “But I want to lose more weight, so I don’t want to buy new clothes”. Money is always an issue, I know. But sometimes, your eyes will lie to you and you’ll see yourself in those same XL sweats and think you are still XL. Uh uh, oh no. Be proud of your changing shape, bite the bullet, and get something that fits well. It’s easier to see the improvements when they are not hiding under the same clothes you felt fat it.

A word of warning: I’m not talking about doubling up on spandex for the gym either. If it feels like sausage casing, it probably looks that way too.

Dress for Success: Fitted Blazers

Here’s a tip for the ladies: a nice fitted blazer can class up a casual outfit as well as emphasis the smallest part of your waist.

This is on my mind because I just bought one for my speaking engagements I have coming up. In trying on a few I came across things to look for and things to avoid.

Avoid Boxy shapes. It’s tempting to try and hide, but if it looks like a box on the hanger, it will look like a box on you.

Look for darting and tailoring panels along the front and back. They look like little curves and emphasize your curves.

Avoid overly tight bodices. If your girls look like they are going to bust out of the top, you either need a different cut or a larger size and have the waistline tailored in.

Look for a flattering neckline for your shape. Try on a few styles and see how they fit you. Make sure the button lines up correctly without pulling or puckering.

Watch the ties. A well placed one can make your waist look tiny, a bulky one only adds unnecessary girth to you. When in doubt, TRY IT ON!!