Writing and Art by Rachel Gorman-Cooper
Every year, I feel more secure in my fashion identity; I dress bolder, experimenting with styles and prints. I add or subtract accessories and paint my nails in different colors. But one thing that I always leave untouched is the cut and shape of my clothes. So this year I vowed to go where I had never gone. And it’s no big mystery why I had never before gone there- addressing the way that my clothes fit me inevitably would involve limiting myself to flattering clothing. Which leads me to beg the question: what is flattery?
When I search for “flattering” clothing, I am seeking clothes that hide my stomach, wide shoulders, big thighs, and short build. The goal is to hide my natural body type, not embrace it.
But once I strip away the shameful implications, flattery takes on a new form. In other words, flattery is anything that flatters the true shape of a person’s body. What if we wore clothing that fit us? Sadly, this is a revolutionary concept.
Unfortunately, I have wired my brain to feel good when wearing traditionally flattering clothing. Wearing loose clothes, lengthening my body by avoiding tucked shirts at all costs and rocking high waist jeans are habits that may die hard.
The only time that we should be basing our clothing off of specific body parts is when we are accentuating those areas, not distracting from them. The more I reflect on this topic, the more I realize that flattery as it is today is a hoax, but the concept has potential to begin anew- in a completely different light.
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