I'm not even going to beat around the bush. I've put on a few (read 10) pounds lately. It's not like I'm surprised or anything. It's not my son finishing all the french fries on his plate, or the cake part of the cupcake that he only licks the icing off of, then discards to the side as if it were trash (a crime!). I would like to blame being raised to believe that you shouldn't waste food. I would love nothing more than to blame my father (he's so easy to blame) for making me eat everything on my plate because he had paid good money for it. But I'm not going to lie to you or myself. I ate because the food was delicious and because I exhibited zero self-control. Now I'm back on the watching-what-I-eat and exercise wagon. But in the interim I needed to address some very self-destructive behavior.

I've gotten to a point where my "go to" jeans are a little too snug. They still look okay on, but they feel tight. I've noticed that I'm loathe to put them on because in my head I hear "you're so fat you can't even get these on". And that's just not a healthy dialogue to have in my head! My initial inclination was to buy shoes. But that doesn't solve the issue, so I decided to practice what I preach to my clients. I bought the "Curvy" fit jeans from the Gap ($69.50), along with a new tee-shirt in a shade of red that's flattering to me and brings out the pink tones in my skin. (PS, I also got a pair of shoes... hee, hee.) Although I'm still a little upset with myself for acting like a human garbage can, I have at least staved off the evil voices in my head a little bit. And an added bonus... when I was trying on the jeans I stepped out of the dressing room to ask the twenty-something boy... um, man?.... for another style of jeans they carry. He responded with, "but I really like these jeans on you. They look great on your curves." Let me just say, I don't care if he was lying. I don't care if they pay him extra to say those things. Lie to me baby!

The point is, if you feel like the clothes you wear are bringing you down, don't settle. Forgive yourself and get a size that fits. If you lose weight and end up fitting back into the previous pair... then great. But don't feel the need to punish yourself in the meantime. Ultimately you will feel much better about yourself, believe me, I know what I'm talking about.

If you, or someone you know, are not living up to your style potential, consider finding your Style Success! http://www.stylesuccess.net

Have a phenomenal week!!

Jodi

of GQ.com... plaid shirts for men.

I can hear it now... Michigan men everywhere calling their wives, "See! I told you plaid was sexy!"

Before you start with the "I told you so"s, let me clarify. If you would wear it hunting, that's NOT what I mean. The trend for spring is a cotton WELL-FITTING plaid shirt. The shoulder seams should be at your actual shoulders (not two inches down the arm) and the sides of the shirt should be close to the sides of your body, not billowing out. Another tip to keep the shirt looking stylish is to roll up the sleeves about two-thirds the way up the forearm, then push them the rest of the way up to the elbow.

Here are some styles to try:

Wear it ironed and tucked in to FLAT FRONT khakis, or just tumbled dry and out over jeans. Also looks great with boat shoes.

Your personal style is meant to be an outer expression of who you are on the inside. If you're in southeast Michigan and in need of a little assistance finding the styles that are right for you, please consider finding Style Success. Wherever you are, I hope that the weather for you is better than here! But most of all I just hope that you have a wonderful week!!

Tuesday Tips & Tricks: Retail Therapy

Tuesday Tips & Tricks: From the Pages...