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FEATURE ARTICLE
How To
Accentuate The Positive
I was recently
with a group of people that included a woman who had a really nice
behind. Slightly curvy, firm, and encased in a well-fitting pair of
pants, it showed off her trim thighs perfectly and drew admiring
glances from men of all ages.
So what's so
unusual about that?
The behind and
legs in question belonged to a grandmother in her sixties!
When I saw her
being watched by men from three different generations, and drawing
jealous glares from women in the older two, I nearly laughed out
loud. This woman didn't have a perfect figure, but she knew how to
show off what she DID have while cleverly camouflaging the rest.
Which just goes to show you that knowing yourself and having
confidence in your assets is alluring at any age.
So let me ask
you something: What do you like about YOU?
What is it
about your physical self that makes you stand out from the crowd?
Lustrous hair?
Amazing eyes? Beautiful skin? Awesome shoulders? Tiny waist? Great
legs? Beautiful hands? Trim figure?
What?
Most women shy
away from that question. They can usually offer a laundry list of
things they DON'T like about themselves, but very few can pinpoint
what they DO like.
I understand.
As women,
we're raised to be demure and modest. We prefer to have others notice
our beautiful features without calling attention to them, and we
typically dislike it when other women flaunt their assets (or
perceived assets) inappropriately in suggestive clothing or a
"look at me!" manner.
I don't blame
you. I live near a college campus and can tell you that I've usually
had my fill of overexposed body parts before 8 am.
What I'm
suggesting is a completely different approach.
Take a few
minutes as you're changing out of your clothes to bathe or put on
your pajamas to take a good look at yourself in a full-length mirror.
Look at yourself from front, side, and back angles.
Now make a
mental list of what you like about yourself.
Is it:
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Your face?
Find a
hairstyle that compliments your face or pull it off your face
completely with a ponytail or chignon. Find tops and earrings that
draw attention to your face.
Your shoulders?
Find tops and
jackets that show off your shoulders (nothing too daring for work)
and reemphasize your authority and allure. |
Lane
Bryant |
Your waist?
Look for
garments that taper in at the waist instead of hiding it behind a
bulk of fabric. Add a belt, scarf, or ribbon at the waist to draw
attention there.
Your legs?
Wear skirts
and pants that flatter your legs and finish it off with a great-looking
shoe. Don't hide your gams behind ankle-length skirts or shapeless,
non-descript pants.
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Your hands?
Keep your
nails polished and your jewelry simple (and clean!) to emphasize the
beauty of your hands. Wear sleeves with wrist details that call
attention to the hands, like ruffles, embroidery, or cuffs.
See how easy
this is?
You don't have
to have a perfect figure to draw attention to the things you like
about yourself. Simply emphasize what you like, and hide what you don't. |
Spiegel |
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As the old
song goes,
"You've
got to accentuate the positive,
Eliminate
the negative,
Latch on to
the affirmative,
Don't mess
with Mister In-Between"
(Johnny Mercer
and Harold Arlen, 1944) |
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Unfortunately,
most women DO mess with "Mister In-Between." If they like
their waist but not their hips, they wear a tent-like top over all of
it. Love the calves but hate the thighs? It's shapeless pants or an
ankle-length skirt. Have lifeless hair but flawless skin? They do
nothing from the neck up.
What a shame!
With
self-esteem running at an all-time low in this world, you need to
latch on to those things that are going to draw compliments and
bolster your confidence. Kind words from others or a long, lingering
glance from a handsome man half your age may be just the tonic you
need to face another long commute, another run-in with the office
know-it-all, or another evening with small children who won't
appreciate all you do for them until they're parents with small
children of their own.
So why don't
you give it a try?
Find something
that you like about yourself and make an effort to show it off over
the next few weeks in a positive, flattering way. Make note of the
comments you get and see how it makes you feel. You may be surprised
at what it does for your self-esteem.
Who knows?
Maybe like the
grandma with the amazing behind, you can master the art of
accentuating YOUR positive and draw both admiring -- and envious --
glances for years to come!
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Need some more
help in finding ways to "accentuate the positive?" Download
a copy of WARDROBE MAGIC,
http://www.wardrobemagic.com
to see how
easy dressing well can be. |
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