5 Tips for Looking Great While Gaining Weight Pt 2/2

Recently I attended two weddings in one day and a convention for work.  As I previously blogged about, dressing up can be tough when you’re gaining weight and you know you’re probably not going to lose it any time soon because of your illness, treatment, or medications (hello Prednisone!–the drug so many of us cancer and autoimmune patients hate).  Thankfully there are solutions.  You don’t need to wear big boxy black dresses or sweatpants everyday.

5 Rules for Looking Great While Gaining Weight

6.  Don’t wear fabric that reflects light.

In these two pictures–the left shows me at 5 mg of Prednisone and the right was taken last month at 8 mg, which made me three dress sizes bigger.  Just as color is important (no to white dresses and white suits), fabric is also very important.  Blouses and dresses that reflect light (like my purple dress) make us look heavier when we’re already bloated, but solids that don’t reflect light (like my blue lace dress) make us look slimmer.  Today I wouldn’t wear a dress like the purple cocktail dress even if it was my size.

7.  Use belts and necklaces.  Both big chunky belts and tiny belts can be used to make you look slimmer. They accentuate the waist and enhance an hourglass figure.  I keep an LBD (Little Black Dress) from becoming boring by pairing it with a red belt and red lips.  Another slimming accessory is necklaces.  In my navy blue dress, I’m wearing a necklace that almost reaches my belly button.  The multicolored necklace keeps the solid colored dress from being drab.  It also lengthens the frame making it look slimmer.  (In my previous post here, I talked about choosing solids over prints.)

8.  Wear the right bra.  You can get a fitting at department stores like Nordstrom’s.  Bra sizes can change often when you’re ill.  Mine must have changed three times over the past five years.  Wearing a bra that fits properly keeps the girls up and the waist looking trim.  In addition to looking good, wearing the right size bra is essential to being comfortable.  Nordstrom’s also has bra fit specialists who have expertise helping cancer survivors who’ve had mastectomies.  Check out my article on Spanx’s comfortable Bra-llelujah All Hoisery, which is made of 100% hosiery.  It’s comfortable because it has no underwire, hooks, or snaps.

9.  Always wear dark denim.  Never wear light blue denim.  If the cast of Beverly Hills 90210 (Luke Perry, Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, and company) couldn’t pull it off, nobody can.  Light blue denim even makes slender people look wide–they stretch out the thighs and make the hips and tummy look disproportionately larger in comparison to the calves.

10.  Take advantage of bronzer and highlighter.  In this picture, I’ve swept Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Bronzer in the shade Park Avenue Princess on my cheeks in a diagonal fashion from the apples of my cheeks to my hairline (see it here at Tarte’s website, $29.00).  On top of the bronzer, I put on Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powder (in Champagne) also extending diagonally to my hairline.   All the products featured in Tarte’s Amazonian Clay collection last 12 hours!

Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Bronzer & Shimmering Powder

 

 

 

Stay cool and confident!

–Your Stylist, Jessica Gimeno

JessicaGimeno

Hi there! I am a patient advocate, writer, and public speaker most well known for my TEDx Talk, “How to Get Stuff Done When You Are Depressed.” As someone who is juggling 5 illnesses: bipolar 2, myasthenia gravis, endometriosis, psoriasis, and asthma, I’m passionate about helping people who navigate life with both chronic physical & emotional pain. If you’re interested in hiring me to speak at your event, check out the CONTACT tab.

One thought on “5 Tips for Looking Great While Gaining Weight Pt 2/2

  • May 29, 2017 at 5:50 pm
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    I think it is awesome you have this blog for all the ladies out there. I stumbled on it while searching for support groups for MG. Keep up the good work young lady!! Your message is great and uplifting.

    Reply

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