Lifestyle Magazine

Style Swap Tuesdays- Celebrating My Body

By Saumya Shiohare @myriadmusings1
Wishing you all a very Happy July 4th. While America celebrates it's independence, I want to celebrate the joy of being alive, being human and being ME.
I always get asked by my readers: " how do you do it all ?", "how can you look good in whatever you wear ?", "how can you look composed all the time ? ", all this and sort. Honestly, I have struggled with my body all my life. My body-perception for self is as worse as what any mom feels about her body post-pregnancy. I am my biggest body-shamer. My body has been a serious mystery: sometimes good but most of the times quirky. In my elementary school levels I was healthy, in high school I was plump, in college I was skinny, around the time I got married I was again plump, then I got skinny and now six years after having my daughter ......: I have stopped doing any body assessment. I am finding solace in what I am and how I am today.
I have my own problem areas and finding ways to address them hasn't been an easy journey. It took me several meltdowns, days of self-criticism and lots of shopping and return trips to finally find the sartorial ways to work around my problem areas, which I thought might be worth bringing up, as a lot of you might associate with them.
MY BODY SHAPE - I sometimes think I have an inverted triangle body shape, meaning my shoulders are broader than my lower body, but when I look up close, I feel I am more straight body type coz I do have a slight nip at the waist. This confusion has never been pleasant sartorially, but the way I combat this issue is by buying dresses that cinch at the waist and flare out from waist down. I usually avoid shoulder pads that would just add more to my already broad shoulders.
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MY FLABBY ARMS- my arms have always been a deal-breaker for me, especially my upper arms. I have never loved my arms and the constant switching between doing weights at the gym and months of zero workout, has left my arms looking more self-repulsive. Now how do I address this problem ??? Well, ruffle sleeves and puffy shoulder pads are a big no-no for me. I don't wear too thin shoulder straps and three-fourth sleeve lengths are my best friend.  
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MY FLAT BUTT- pardon me for being vocal, but this is my nightmare. Thanks to my maternal genes, flat butt runs in her family. I have done all sort of exercises, squats and massages under the sun, but all in vain. Not even pregnancy could bring any goodness there. I have tried padded underwear too, but gosh, it didn't work either. At this point I think only a butt implant can save my ass. But in the meantime, I have made peace with pants and bottoms that have back pocket and button details. Having a back pocket gives the illusion of a plumper butt, which is still better than having nothing. Pleated skirts, for the same reason, have also been a favorite in my close.
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MY PAUNCH- undeniably this is the most common problem for women post-pregnancy. You can loose a lot of your pregnancy fat, but a little fat that sticks around your tummy is the hardest to shed. It has been six years since I gave birth, but as you can tell: some of that weight decided to become my  lifelong friend. I like to wear broad-waist bottoms, which help keep that weight camouflaged. High-waisted bottoms, loose-fitting dresses and tops are not good choices for me. I might sometime depend on the tummy-control pantyhose and tights to give the illusion of a slender tummy, but most of the times broad-waists have been my sartorial savior. 
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MY SHORT TORSO- I am short-waisted, meaning my torso is shorter in proportion to my leg height. Owing to which I sometimes have to shop at the petites section. It is not fun, coz I get stopped by the sales associates, who think I should be shopping in the regular section and not in the petite section. Anyways, I am always on the look out for longer tops and low-waist dresses that kind of make my torso look long and lean. Longer skirt and jeans that sit low on my waist are always a big help. As much as I love wearing a belt, thick wide corset belts are a big no no for me. 
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MY SUPER SKINNY LEGS- it's every girl's dream to have long skinny model like gams. I have em undeniably, but I always wished I had more fat around my thighs. Well, had my shoulders been in proportion to my skinny legs, this wouldn't have been any issue, but now that the truth is different, I want more. Super skinny jeans make my thighs look skinnier and wide leg pants just hang on my thighs, so I always avoid them, Straight jeans, that are just fitted thigh to ankle work best on me. I can also get around with wearing an A-line mini or a midi skirt too.
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I AM WEARING 
swim costume - Target, buy same ( love this and this one ) cape- from India ( similar ) silver cuff- from India  sailor hat- American eagle outfitters
happy july 4th, happy independence day, fashion, gingham one piece swim costume, blue star print cape, target costume , myriad musings, ootd, atlantic city vacation, beach photo shoot
SHOP MY LOOK 

Congratulations to Alma of The Style Cheapskate,  she is the featured blogger of the week. 
STYLE SWAP TUESDAYS- CELEBRATING MY BODY
Now it is your turn to share your favorite looks....
An InLinkz Link-up


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