Re-Watch: What Not to Wear

 

There are 1,000,000 different shows to watch - across all the apps. But I feel like so many of the "hot" shows are dark, deep and cerebral. What I need now is light brain candy. I have already re-watched Ted Lasso many times, also all of Top Chefs and Great British Bake Offs. Then I discovered all 12 seasons of What Not To Wear on Discovery+.

My friend Stella asked me what I learned by rewatching, so here goes:

1. EVERY SINGLE WOMAN - of all ages and sizes, in every season of life, has some aspect of their body that they dislike and are convinced makes it impossible to find well fitting clothes. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Why are we all unhappy? That's a question for another post.

2. A good bra is worth its weight in gold. Your body changes, elastic doesn't last forever, so a refresh at a store that does bra fittings is a good idea. I've been digging Soma lately, Stella prefers Third Love.

3. If you do have a body that is tough to fit, buy something that fits the biggest part of you and then have it tailored. This is less expensive than you might think - fashion icon Tan France also preaches this.

3.a. My personal tweak on this - when you find a brand/size that fits you, lean in. For me Old Navy curvy fit (now called pop icon) skinny jeans in size 12 fit me really well and are often on sale - I have bought them all...

4. Buy clothes to fit the body you have, not the body you were, or want to have. Clothes that fit well always look more put together, even your work from home outfits. 

5. A good haircut is also worth its weight in gold and make-up for a non-celebrity can be done in 5 minutes. Just trust me on both of these.

Right now you are thinking - what. the. hell. Who needs added pressure to look nice when we are still figuring out how to live in this post-pandemic world? I hear you. 

But when I went to pack for a trip this summer and looked through a stuffed closet with clothes that don't fit, or no longer make me happy, or I will never need to wear again (I'm looking at you office attire) it stressed me out. So I plowed through it all, donating anything that I couldn't see myself wearing ever again. It felt great.

For inspiration on de-cluttering, check out The Home Edit on Netflix. Capsule wardrobe creator Outfit Formulas ("shop your closet first") is also great. 

If you are looking to do some shopping after decluttering your closet, Costco Casual is so awesome. I mean, you are there already, right? Also did you know you can thrift shop from the comfort of you own home? Check out Salvation Army and ThreadUp. Hot tip on ThreadUp from my friend Angela: click the "new with tags" filter - she finds awesome shoes that way.