Oh, For The Love of a Skirt (Dressing For Our Bodies vs. Dressing For Ourselves)

Do you ever feel a disconnect between what you know looks good on your body and what you like to wear?  

Skirt:  The Limited (Available here)

Jacket:  Forever 21+ (old)

I tend to feel that I look my best thinnest when I wear clothing that is form fitted and accentuates my curves; however, I find that I typically opt for comfort or fashion preferences over showing those curves. 

Firstly, I reject the notion that I have to show off my form for a male gaze or to follow anyone else's fashion/body ideals.  Whether it's the burqa or the bikini, women's clothing choices are so often the subject of social and cultural scrutiny.  I abhor this.  Our bodies belong to ourselves, and we owe no one the authority to decide for us how to adorn them.  Sometimes I love wearing form fitting clothes or exposing certain body parts.  More often at this phase of my life, I love loose, drapey clothing that is comfortable but also fashion-forward.

Boots:  Payless (old)

Cami:  The Limited (Available here)

Clutch:  Target (Available here)

This desire for comfort in my clothing is multifaceted - since I sit in an office all day, I have found it increasingly important to wear clothing that doesn't bind or bunch during the day.  Loose fitting or stretchy clothing generally fits this need.

Cuff:  Express

But, sometimes, the preference for comfort is borne out of a desire to camouflage the areas of the body that one is simply not comfortable with. 

As much as I've come to love my body in its entirety, I'm not really one to show off my extra belly fluff.  In an effort to disguise a larger tummy profile that I'd like, I often sacrifice showing off my curves, opting instead to skim over them with a blazer.

I've been loving my faux leather pencil skirt this season because it seems to give me the best of everything.  It fits perfectly into my personal fashion vision.  While the heavier fabric can get a little binding sitting in the office all day, it is fairly comfortable (I have worn this skirt to work), and it certainly is comfortable enough to wear out for an event or date.  The heavier fabric also allows me shows off my curves while it smoothes over my midsection. 

I can tone the skirt down with a relaxed top, or if I desire, I can use it as a base to accentuate my curves as I did here today.  The stretchy fitted camisole tucked into the skirt accentuates my waist and shows off my bustline.  The cropped jacket adds a little coverage and warmth (it WAS snowing!  LOL) but doesn't break up the silhouette.

This mix of faux leather, curves, and my favorite color to wear makes me feel very commanding and powerful.  While trapeze dresses, cozy sweaters, and blazers will get much more rotation in my life than a look like this, sometimes it is quite fun to amp things up.

And, that's why we should always dress for ourselves.  Dressing for what makes us look tallest, thinnest, etc. limits us from enjoying a variety of fashion.  Dressing for others traps us into a mold of other people's expectations. 

I think it's much more fun to defy our own!  :-)

How important is comfort in your wardrobe, and what does being comfortable mean to you?

For the skirt in other looks, see here, here, here, and here.
For the blazer in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.