What Your Jeans Size Says About You

If you know me at all, then you know I'm a thrifter, through and through, but every once in a while, I make an exception.

Jeans that fit are HARD TO FIND, so when my body changes and I need a new pair of jeans, I’ll try ‘em on anywhere I can find them.

One day, while out shoe shopping for my kids, I spotted a J.Crew Factory store, and decided to pop in to see what they had.

The store was filled with skinny jeans, which tend not to work on my super-triangle-shaped body, but they did have two pairs of boyfriend jean in stock (literally, two pairs - a size 27 and a size 30), so I grabbed the 30's and gave them a go. 

I've been wearing J.Crew jeans for years, and I tend to vacillate between a size 30 and a size 31, so I didn't LOOK at the jeans, I just grabbed the size I thought would work, and headed to the fitting room. But hell if those size 30 jeans were not twice the size of my usual size 30's!  I could have fit a watermelon inside those jeans with me!

(In case you're not familiar with these sizes... a size 27 is generally a size 4, and a size 30 is generally a size 10.  I range between a size 10 and a size 12 on bottom, so the 30's and 31's are usually just about right for me.)

Anyway, when the 30's didn't fit, I went back to the rack and looked at the size 27's and thought... huh, these LOOK like my size, but they can't be!  I tried them on just for the sake of has-vanity-sizing-really-gone-THAT-far and hell if they didn't fit me perfectly! 

Gals, I haven’t been a size 4 since I was 16 years old.  

The sizing is bullshit.  I am not a size 4.  

Hell, I’m not a size anything.  I’m a woman!  Who wears jeans...  jeans that are apparently arbitrarily assigned a size number based on unicorn science. 

J.Crew's very own sizing chart says that a size 27 fits a woman with a 27 inch waist.  My waist is more like... 32 or 33 inches.  When it comes to inches-around-a-waist, that's a pretty big difference.

This sizing hiccup is happening all within one brand!  But geez, most of us have clothes from a bazillion different brands in our closets.  If every brand uses unicorn science to arbitrarily slap a size-number onto an item of clothing, WHY IN HELL DO WE THINK IT MAKES ANY SENSE AT ALL TO HANG OUR HUMAN-WORTH ON SUCH A LOOSEY-GOOSEY, MADE-UP NUMBER!?!

Not only do we hang our human-worth on that number... but we DEFINE ourselves by that number.  We allow that number to influence whether or not we think we’re beautiful.

Gals, this is nonsense!! YOUR JEANS SIZE MEANS ZERO, ZILCH, NADA.

You’re a phenomenal woman, and you certainly can’t be defined by any size - especially when the sizing is based on pure unicorn science!  

I’m not going to let a size 27 thrill me anymore than I'm going to let a size 37 bring me to tears.  Size-shmize.  

My point.  When you go jeans shopping, please remember that the size-numbers are nothing but guess-timations.  NOT even estimations... because again, UNICORN SCIENCE. 

I know, I know.  It's frustrating as all hell.  And I can imagine you're probably thinking... jeans shopping is bad enough, now I have to try on every damn size in every damn store because the numbers are all bullshit!? 

I get it, but here's the thing... a far better tool to rely on when you're looking at clothes to try on is something that you carry with you every single day - and that’s your EYEBALLS.  If you know the general shape and size of your body - then you can figure the general shape and size of the jeans you should be wearing.  Think of it like a game of Paper Dolls.  (Remember those?!)   Visually imagine your body as a paper doll, and then visually imagine what jeans will fit nicely onto your paper doll body.  Make sense? 

Had I LOOKED at those size 30 jeans with my eyeballs, I would’ve known they were going to be too big for me.  But I got lazy, and I relied on the brand being consistent with their sizing.  An amateur mistake, I assure you. 

If you don't trust your eyeball... then a measuring tape is another good tool to carry with you. 

A quick measure of the jeans would have told me that these size 27 jeans will NOT fit a 27" waist, but more like a size 31/32" waist!  (plus some slack since I wasn't pulling these out flat)

Bottom line.  Don't let jean sizing get you down!  Instead, get familiar with your body.  Know what your body looks like.  Study it.  Pay attention to how your body FEELS in the clothes you're wearing.  Get yourself nudey and look in a full length mirror from time to time and get used to seeing your own reflection.  Collect your body's data.  Analyze it.  I mean... it's just data.  Nothing scary about data!  (Fyi, if you’re curious, a huge component of Style School is learning HOW to collect all of the data, body and soul, that holds the key for dressing your one-of-a-kind today body.)

Back to jeans.  Don't let those sizes hurt your feelings.  Hell, don't let jeans that hurt your body hurt your feelings.  Your body is not the problem.  It's the damn pants!!  

xo  Stasia   

How I Turned a Too-Tight Crewneck into a Cardigan

Do you know how to sew?? If you do, consider yourself lucky and madly skilled! If you don't... girl, I feel your frustration! I've always thought that because I didn't know how to wield a needle and thread, I couldn't alter my clothes. I thought a needle and thread was the ONLY way to make alternations, that is, until I started experimenting... with SCISSORS.

Do you remember when I turned my too-small-denim-jacket into a denim vest? If you missed that post, you can click HERE and see how easy it was.

And you KNOW I'm always cutting the necks out of my crewneck t-shirts!  Because let's be honest... crewneck t-shirts, in most cases, are not flattering.

Today I'm going to add to my scissor-alteration-repertoire, by showing you how I transformed a too-small J.Crew crewneck cashmere sweater into a cutie-pie-cardigan!

As you can SEE here, the sweater is a wee bit too small for me. Even when I'm perfectly still, my belly is peeking out from under the waistband, so you know that as soon as I move, that thing is gonna pop up like one of those suction-cup-poppers.

AND, the too-tight-crewneck really emphasizes my triangle body shape, making my hips look wide RELATIVE to my torso.

Since I picked up this sweater for FREE at a clothing swap, I figured I had nothing to lose by CUTTING IT IN HALF, to see how it would work as a cardigan!

So that's exactly what I did. With my son's $1 kid scissors.

WAY better, right?

And you know what, when I hand-washed the sweater, the cut-edge just rolled right in on itself.  It didn't fray, frizzle or fall apart.

Not only does the sweater fit my body better now that it's not so tight, but it also helps balance out my proportions! See how my hips look balanced with my torso?

If you've got a too-small tight-knit cashmere sweater sitting in your donation pile, try cutting it in half to see how it might work as a cardi!  I mean, you've got nothing to lose* by trying, right?

Now that I know how successful this little trick is, I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for honey-I-shrunk-the-cashmere sweaters at the thrift store!

And to be honest, I like the cut, raw edge better than I do buttons. It feels a little more gritty/creative/edgy, and I kinda like those feelings!

What do you think? Would you try this trick at home?

xo Stasia

PS. Gals, this is just a little reminder that YOUR BODY IS NEVER THE PROBLEM. I was feeling wicked-hip-heavy in the crewneck sweater, but as soon as I cut it in half, and balanced out my proportions, my hips felt curvy and delicious!  Whoa, right!  If, for even one second, you wish your body were different than it is, then I'd suggest you consider signing up for the next round of Stasia's Style School, so you can put that nonsense behind you, and learn to appreciate and dress your body, just as it is!  

*Any alterations you make are done at your own risk. I shall not be held liable.

How I turned my too-tight denim jacket into a denim vest

How many of you have a way-too-tight-in-the-sleeves (think sausage arms) denim jacket hanging in your closet? One that you save for occasions when you know you won't have to say, lift up your arms? Here's a picture of me, trying like heck to s-t-r-e-t-c-h out my (relatively new) too-tight denim jacket to MAKE. IT. WORK. But no matter how many awkward praying-mantis type stretches I did, the jacket was STILL too tight.

Since it was destined for donation, I decided to do a little experiment.

I donned a pair of really dull paper scissors (not recommended), cut as close to the sleeve hem as I could, and CUT OFF THE DARN SLEEVES!

No sewing machine. No stitching. Not even a pair of fancy fabric scissors. I just used what I had, and went for it. And I'm totally digging the results.

The denim vest works particularly well on my triangle body shape (torso narrower than my hips and thighs), because it adds oodles of volume to my upper half, creating the illusion of overall body balance!

(NOTE - I am not seeking to recreate a "perfect body". I am seeking balance. The same kind of balance I'm seeking when I arrange decorative pillows on my couch.)

If you're in the market for a denim vest, here are your options:

• buy a fancy one at J.Crew (HERE) for $70

• cut the sleeves off a denim jacket that you already own for FREE

• or buy a denim jacket at the thrift store for a few bucks and then cut the sleeves off

Happy Upcycling!

xo Stasia

How to avoid HANGER NIPPLES

Hanger Nipples. Otherwise known as "Shoulder Nipples". I can't stand them. The way they poke out like that... drives me crazy! You DO know what I'm talking about, right?

I thought I had invented the term, but according to google, I didn't. It's no wonder they have the name that they do, because well, they look like nipples.

My advice around hanger nipples is two-pronged...

First, AVOIDANCE. Second, REMEDY.

HANGER NIPPLE AVOIDANCE.

The bottom line here is this... knits don't belong on hangers. They belong folded up on a shelf or in a drawer.

(In case you don't know, a knit is a textile that results from, well, knitting, like a t-shirt, tank top, sweater or sweatshirt. You can detect a knit by it's stretchability. If it's stretches when you yank on it, it's probably a knit.)

This is how I created the hanger nipples seen above. A few days on this hanger and BOOM. Hanger Nipples. If I had used a metal/wire hanger, the results would be 100 times worse! (Don't do that.)

When you hang a knit garment, it stretches. Not only can you end up with a serious and unsightly case of Hanger Nipple, but the piece itself can actually lose its shape and become droopy if left on the hanger for too long.

All of your sweaters, t-shirts, tank tops, knit-dresses-with-sleeves and hoodies belong folded, in a drawer or on a shelf. They SHOULD NOT be hanging in your closet.

HANGER NIPPLE REMEDY

Hanger Nipples are easy to get rid of, so don't panic. Just machine or hand-wash the piece in question, dry it (either on the line, laying flat, or in the dryer) and then fold.

If you find yourself out in public with Hanger Nipples, or spot a friend with Hanger Nipples, all you need is a little bit of water to tame the protrusion. Wet your fingers, and massage the nipple with your fingers until the nipple subsides.  It won't go away completely, but you can at least tame the beast until the garment can be washed and reshaped.

This is one of those tips you might want to share with your girlfriends. You might even want to share it on Facebook as a Public Service Announcement.

Don't wait until fall is officially upon us to inspect your knits for nipples. If you have any cardigans or long sleeved knit dresses on hangers, remedy the situation NOW so you're ready for the inevitable dip in temperatures.

xo Stasia

PS. Now that you know what Hanger Nipples are, you'll notice them EVERYWHERE!

How to Wear a Hat.

People often ask me how to wear a hat. Or they say something like... "I LOVE hats, but heck if I can wear one". It's a complex issue, and I figured it was time I attack it HEAD on, right here, right now.

Before you click away, convinced that YOU are not a hat-girl, let me ask you this... What would you have done if it were the 1920's and Carson and Mrs. Hughes had invited YOU to their wedding?

SNAP!

You would have found a hat that suited you because there is NO WAY in hell you would have missed THAT wedding!! I mean seriously...

All the women in the cast of Downton Abby have different face shapes, hair styles and body types... and they ALL look lovely in hats. If it's possible for them, it's possible for you too.

What's the old proverb... "Saying you don't look good in a hat is like saying you don't look good in shoes."

So, now that I've proven YOU CAN WEAR A HAT AND LOOK GOOD DOING IT (you just need to find the right one), it's time we talk about WHAT IT TAKES to wear a hat.

To be honest, I'm not sure about all of the how-to-find-the-perfect-hat-for-your-face-shape charts you can find online. I swear my face doesn't fit into any charts, and I'm convinced one must consider more than face shape when buying a hat. But for those of you that are curious, the best resource I found online for finding the right hat for you face shape was HERE on the Goorin Bros website.

Here's MY advice. Go shopping. Try on every single hat you can get your hands on. If you live near a hat shop like Goorin Bros, go there and ask the experts. If you live in small village like me and shopping online is your best bet, then ASK A MILLINER (aka - hat maker)!

That's what I did!

A few weeks back I found fellow Vermonter, Kristen Silverman, a milliner at Silverhill Creative Millinery on Instagram, and messaged her right away and said LET'S COLLABORATE!

All of her hats are HANDMADE, and they are just WOW!

I wasn't sure which hat would work on me, so I asked Kristen, and she suggested a fedora and a cloche.

I could see the cloche, but a fedora?? Am I cool enough to wear a fedora?

I was leery.

The cloche was LOVE at first site. The color was perfect for my skin, the whimsical twirls suited my character and personality, and the style was indeed flattering.

And now, the fedora.

As soon as I put it on, I decided NOPE and took it right off. Then I tried it on again. Still nope. I took it off. I tried it again. Left it on. Walked around the house for a little while. Put on some BOLD lipstick. Added earrings. Then sequins. Checked myself in the mirror about one bajillion times. And then it hit me... I LOVE THIS HAT!

The fedora connected me to that part of myself that is LIVING AT HER GROWING EDGE.

The risk taker. The rule bender. The fierce lover.

The cloche connected me to my fun and whimsy, which is easy and comfortable for me. Like tinted chapstick.

The fedora, on the other hand, was like the first time I wore red lipstick. At first I panicked and said NO WAY, and then after a few tries, I fell IN LOVE!

I AM one of those gals that can wear a fedora!! Who knew!

With Love & Gratitude, xo Stasia

How to Wear Jeans + a T-shirt and still look CUTE!

I'm a jeans and t-shirt gal. Always have been. Probably always will be. In the past, before I figured out this whole style 'thang, my jeans and t-shirt look was... simple. It was comfortable, but it sure wasn't cute.

Comfortable used to be my litmus. The ONLY factor I considered when getting dressed. Then I discovered Inside-Out Congruency, and realized I was selling myself short.

OF COURSE I WANT TO BE COMFORTABLE. I'm NOT a fan of pants that make my crotch hurt when I sit down, or shirts that I have to keep tugging on because the booby darts are fitting me in the wrong place.

So may I present to you my latest jeans and t-shirt combo, that is comfortable AND cute!

I'm wearing one of my FAV (comfy) t-shirts that I thrifted this summer.  It HAD a crewneck... until I cut the neck out and made it a wee bit more edgy. Then I paired it with a (comfortable) fits-me-perfectly black blazer, sleeves rolled and collar popped, and slipped on my faaavorite no-muffin-top-here bootcut jeans.

At first I accessorized with a long necklace and a pair of tear-drop-shaped earrings, but something was off. There was a lack of harmony between the tear-drop-shape of the earrings and the looooong necklace, so I swapped out the tear-drops for these looooong earrings and knew immediately I had a winner!  The long line of the necklace needed an accompanying long line!

But something was still off, so I studied my look in the mirror for a second and realized aha - the neckline on the tee was a little low, so I layered on another, shorter necklace and voila... PERFECT!

I felt bold, confident, edgy and a little mysterious all day.  ;)  Oh, and comfortable.

Now do me a favor and scan over my outfit description above, noticing ONLY THE HIGHLIGHTED WORDS.

When you get dressed in jeans and a tee, are you doing any of these quick 10 second steps? Could you imagine yourself doing them?

Sometimes we THINK feeling good in our clothes takes a TON of effort, when really, a few ten-second-tweaks here and there can make ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

Style begins on the INSIDE, we all know that - but it's the little details of how we put things together on the outside that pull it all together.

xo Stasia

Pattern Mixing Made Easy!!

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times! "How do you know which patterns to mix together, Stasia? I can't figure it out! Every time I try, I look like I got dressed in the dark."

There are lots of "pattern mixing" rules out there. Magazine articles will show you 25 ways to mix patterns like a pro, which if you ask me, just leads to overwhelm and a feeling of fashion-inadequacy. So, I'm going to make pattern mixing real simple for you and focus on only two things - PATTERN SCALE + COLOR.

PATTERN SCALE

There are two kinds of patterns: MAJOR PATTERNS + MINOR PATTERNS. MAJOR PATTERNS can be seen clearly from over 5 feet away. Minor Patterns blend in when viewed from 5 feet away.

Hold on to your seat because I'm about to rock your world. The trick to beginner pattern mixing is that you want to mix a MAJOR PATTERN with a minor pattern. NOT two MAJOR PATTERNS. NOT two minor patterns. But a MAJOR PATTERN and a minor pattern. That's it.

MAJOR-minor.

(Hold on, I'll show you what I mean in a second.)

COLOR

When you’re first diving into pattern mixing, you might wanna consider keeping your patterns in the same color family.

I've pulled together some pics so you can see what I'm talking about.

Example 1
Scale - MAJOR PATTERN: PLAID PANTS / minor pattern: polka dotted shirt
Color - the shirt that I'm wearing is white with black polka dots, and in the world of pattern mixing, black and white is basically a neutral, because it pretty much goes with anything!
Note - I've read that you can't pattern mix with plaids, but that's bananas. Of course you can.

Example 2
Scale - MAJOR PATTERN: PLAID TIE / minor pattern: gingham check shirts
Color - the blue found in the shirt is ALSO found in the tie, plus, that blue/white/green combo totally "goes" together. 

Example 3
Scale - MAJOR PATTERN: FLORAL SHIRT / minor pattern: silk scarf
Color - both patterns are cream/black so you've got instant harmony right there

Example 4
Scale - MAJOR PATTERN: FLORAL TUNIC / minor pattern: striped sweater
Color - the chartreuse-white color combo found in the sweater is also found in the tunic, making the florals and stripes easy on the eye, despite their loudness

Example 5
Scale - MAJOR PATTERN: STRIPED SWEATER / minor pattern: polka dot shirt
Color - once again, black and white is a pattern/color neutral here, and goes effortlessly with the chartreuse and white stripes.
Note - see how the striped chartreuse sweater is the "major pattern" here, where in the photo above, it was the "minor pattern"!

There are of course other, more BOLD ways to mix patterns that you can explore and play with…

But if you’re just starting out, and you want some easy tips to follow, hold tight to the major-minor rule + shared color palette and start playing!

Anyway, now that you've read this far, it's time I tell you that the acquisition of knowledge requires action. In other words, I want you to practice.

TOMORROW, I want you to try pattern mixing. If you follow the MAJOR-minor / stay-in-the-same-color-family rule-of-thumb, you'll come up with a winning combination for sure!

Think for a moment how many NEW OUTFITS you can create, OUT OF WHAT YOU ALREADY OWN, if you can master the art of pattern mixing!!  You can actually expand your wardrobe without spending a dime!!!

xo Stasia

PS. This is the kind of goodness we practice daily in Stasia's Style School!

HOW TO wear Jeans and a Cardi and NOT look like you're wearing a mommy uniform!

The Mommy Uniform. Ahhhhhhh! After my daughter was born, I sunk into the JEANS + CARDI mommy uniform. It might as well have been droopy yoga pants and a hoodie because it did NOTHING for me. Well, it did for about a minute, until I started wearing the same plain t-shirt/cardi/jeans combo over and over again, without any knowledge of how to mix it up and keep it vibrant.

I've got pep. And spunk. And zip. And I wasn't feeling ANY it.

Thankfully, I became a personal stylist and figured it all out through lots of trial and error.  ;)

So now let's talk about HOW TO WEAR JEANS & A CARDI and not look like you're wearing a tired mommy uniform.

It's not hard to do. And you don't need a million cardigans to pull it off either.

To illustrate my point, I'm wearing the SAME JEANS AND CARDIGAN in three completely different looks - keeping things fresh and spunky!

LOOK ONE

MIX PATTERNS - you can almost never go wrong when you're mixing polka dots and stripes, so if you're new to pattern mixing, start there! REPEAT PATTERNS - there is something visually calming to the eye when repeat patterns are seen (in an outfit, or nature, or a living room). It's cohesion at its finest. Notice how I wore earrings that repeated the same polka dot pattern found in my shirt!!

LOOK TWO

ADD 3D TEXTURE - don't just throw on a plain cotton t-shirt for goodness sake, wear something with a little bit of three dimensional texture! Shirts with ruffles, scrunches or ruches are a dime a dozen at thrift stores (and retail stores), so make sure you've got a few in your closet for some additional vavavavoom.

REPEAT PATTERNS - Did you notice how my bracelet is repeating the same pattern as the stripes in the sweater? Coincidence? Hardly!!

Or how my wire human-form-earrings pair nicely with the wire-woven necklace I'm wearing? ADORN WITH FUNKY JEWELRY - my earrings, necklace and bracelet add character and whim to my look, without overpowering the outfit.

LOOK THREE

WEAR JEWELRY THAT STEELS THE SHOW - sometimes, our clothing can settle into the background while our accessories do all the work. Like a lobster is simply a vehicle for butter, the jeans + cardi combo here are simply a vehicle for some BOLD STATEMENT jewelry.

ADD TEXTURE - this time of the shiny variety! Throw in some metallics to liven things up, and do it more than once, as seen here with my silver shirt AND silver earrings.

Easy RIGHT?

Mix + Repeat Patterns. Add Texture, 3D and otherwise. Wear Jewelry that either Steals the Show or acts as a great set of back-up vocals.

Of course, you also have to make sure that your jeans fit (and don't give you muffin top) and your cardigans aren't too long or too short for your body shape. Baggy jeans with a too long cardi probably won’t give you the FEELS you wanna FEEL.

In case you're wondering, we practice THIS KINDA STUFF in Stasia's Style School, every single day, for five whole weeks! Yep, I said practice. Because learning how to do this TAKES PRACTICE!

xo Stasia

FLIRT more. FIDGET less.

I’m gonna come right out and say it... there's a good chance you're wearing clothes that are TOO BIG for you. Sounds bold, doesn't it, to assert such a thing, when I don't even know you. But I've been paying attention lately to women and their wardrobes, and it's a phenomenon I'm seeing EVERYWHERE.

And what intrigues me the most, is that most women don't even know their clothes don't fit properly.

Wearing TOO BIG clothing usually means...

1. You’re trying to HIDE your body

2. You’re wearing the WRONG cut/style/silhouette for your body shape

3. You’re unsure HOW clothes are SUPPOSED to fit

4. You’ve stopped caring, because it’s TOO DAMN COMPLICATED

There is a (slight) chance that TOO BIG clothing is an aesthetic that you truly LOVE, and it makes you feel sexy, confident, elusive, and straight-up badass. BUT, this is an exception. NOT the rule. Women tell me all the time that too-big is “their style” and they love it... but it’s bologna. Their body language tells me otherwise.

Do you want to know HOW I KNOW when somebody is fooling themselves into thinking TOO BIG is their style?

They TUG!! They adjust and pull, shift and shimmy, tug and tussle.

(Pay attention to YOUR body language. Do YOU do that???)

All that fidgeting happens so frequently, it takes me about 10 seconds to see what's happening. It's as plain as day, when you know the tell tale signs.

A few weeks ago my husband and I went out to dinner (date night... WOOO!) and we were sitting I-can-hear-your-whole-conversation close to another couple. They were on a first date (you could tell by the conversation), and the woman, who was sitting next to me, was clearly very nervous. She was tall, beautiful, curvy… and completely uncomfortable in her fancy date-night outfit. I could see that she was spending WAY MORE TIME fidgeting with her clothing, than paying attention to her cutie-pie date.

She seemed to enjoy his company (the giggling and blushing told me that), so I don’t think it was a get-me-the-hell-out-of-here-because-you’re-a-total-creep kind of fidget. It was a I’m-ashamed-of-my-body kind of fidget.

I'm practically an expert at spotting this type of fidget. Because it's so damn common.

It took every ounce of strength that I had not to do an intervention. Right there. Right then.

With a few quick tips and a little bit of know-how, she could have ROCKED her date-night outfit and spent MORE TIME FLIRTING, AND LESS TIME FIDGETING.

If I had done a 5-minute intervention, here's what I would have told her:

1. Your shoulder seam should hit you at the curve of your actual shoulder, not above or below. Don't waiver on this (unless your shirt is of the dropped shoulder variety, like this one).

2. Your boobie-buttons should never pull. Ever.

3. In most cases, muffin-top is completely avoidable. Make sure your jeans/pants/shorts are long enough in the rise for YOUR body, AND be sure to wear the right sized pants! TOO-BIG pants will slouch, fall and result in muffin top, and TOO SMALL pants will sqeeze you in too tight and ALSO result in muffin top.

Pants are hard. I get it. They are hard for almost everybody. Buck up, and find pants that fit.

4. STOP TRYING TO HIDE!! It doesn't work. In fact, it can actually ACCENTUATE exactly what you're trying to hide. DON'T DO THAT. I see women tug their shirts way down to hide their hips and rump all the time (see picture below). IT DOESN'T WORK! It actually makes your hips look W-I-D-E-R.

5. Avoid baggy-boob-darts if you can. My breasts are small and low on my body, so I know the Herculean effort it takes to find shirts/jackets/dresses that don't give you puckery-boobie-darts.

6. Sleeves that are too long look frumpy. If you LOVE your wrists (many women do) keep your sleeves short and show off those wrists! (Plus, shorter sleeves make your legs look longer. No joke!)

And p-lease, I don't want to hear any... it's easy for YOU, Stasia. But my body is different.

Do you have any idea how many pairs of jeans I tried on before I found the cut/style/brands that fit my body? Over 100. ONE. HUNDRED.

Do you know how many shirts I've put back on the rack because the boobie-darts were designed for breasts WAY larger than mine. About a million.

THIS is EXACTLY why my wardrobe is so small. Because it's HARD to find stuff that fits MY body. I don't get discouraged or pissed off. I have enough, and I don’t need more in my closet than “enough”.

Start paying attention to how you interact and engage with your clothing. Do you tug and pull? Yank and shimmy? If you do (and I'm guessing you probably do), STOP and ask yourself WHY.

xo Stasia