Rainy Day Taste (curve-challenged)


I'm having trouble labelling my body type; if you're curvy, then what am I? Straight? Boyish? Parallel?

Bodies are so strange. My challenge is creating the look of curves by wearing things that nip in at the waist or broaden my shoulders and/or hips. I thought having two kids would help in the hip department, but no dice. I went right back to parallel.  (We're not even going to discuss what having kids did to the upper curves.)

Here are a couple things I do to achieve both, as featured in my Rainy Day Taste, photographed by my 5 year old. (He is such a funny and slightly bossy photographer).

1. Skinny Jeans.

I was NOT on board for years with the skinnies, but now I am, particularly for boot-wearing weather. Gosh darn if those things aren't the best ever for staying neatly tucked inside rain or any other tall boots. You'd think the skinnies would make me look more parallel, but I don't think so. They make me look like I have more hippy curves and butt than I do. Also, I hate the super tight skinnies. I go for what they call at The Gap Easy Straights. They are semi-skinny jeans for grown up bodies.

Here is my second favorite semi-skinny pant. Make sure you try the Matchstick, not the Toothpick style. I wish I had them in every color for the colder months. My friends at J.Crew really do understand me. (That's where I got the rain boots and umbrella, incidentally; rain boots were off-season, clearance for $19, otherwise I would have not bought them for the whole four days a year it rains here.)

2. Optical Illusion top.


I look for tops that will help me out. If I'm spending money on it, then it better work for me. This cutie top from H&M was very inexpensive, yet has a lot of interesting and helpful detail.  For one, it has a fake wrap waist line, again, creating the illusion that I have a waist. For two, it has feminine, puffy shoulders and some ruffles on the chest, giving me something to subtly broaden my upper body visually. Plain tops emphasize my narrow shoulders and bony frame. Optical illusion tops give me a little somethin' extra.

3. Jacket with a perfect stance. 


Stance. It is ALL about stance. That is a word to describe a jacket's fit and where the buttons hit you. If the stance of a jacket is wrong, put it back on the rack. It should neatly button under the bust, not over it, and should give you a nipped-in waist, creating a more hour-glass shape. Yes. This is magical. Try it.

Mine is Roxy, in a fine-wale corduroy. Everyone makes a cord blazer this time of year. But if money grew on trees, I'd get this one. Shut up with the gold color. Perfection in a jacket.

So there's my Rainy Day Taste!

Now, if only the sun would stop shining.