Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Wardrobe Wednesday

 a sparkly star sticker for those who can spot my Croutons-clad three year old in one of these pics ;-)

Outfit Details:
Dress - Cotton On
Cropped Cardigan - Knitted by my ma
Boots - Number One Shoes 
Feather Bone Carving - Alan Gale  
 
Well.  I didn't expect to find myself back here again, after briefly giving WW a go several years back.  A few things have changed since then.  Firstly, I have had another baby, and now I have a few extra curves to show for it.  Secondly, since first becoming a parent, it has taken me until now to get myself back into the swing of buying/making clothes for myself, and putting effort into my appearance.  I'm not just talking special occasions, I mean (almost) every day wearing-something-that-makes-me-feel-great.  I still have a way to go, for instance, I'm not a hair person.  I literally have no idea what do do with my hair.  Ever.  Hopefully this will change over the next few months.  If not, the 'lazy bun' will remain in residence.

And finally (but most importantly), I have over the past few months, been slowly transforming my ideas about body image and self-confidence.  I've had curves for as long as I remember, and - particularly as a teenage girl - body confidence has been something I have regularly battled with.  No surprise.  There is a wealth of negative messages about body image in our current media.  And, you know, I'm totally over it.  It's time for an alternative ideology.  Yep.  I've been checking out those pretty models on ASOS Curve.  I've been reading these great blogs!  No more apologizing for our [insert body part here] that is 'less than perfect'.  We are, all parts included, beautiful.  Slim, curvy, anything in between. 

Here's to: modelling positive body image to our children; feeling confident and sexy in our own skin; reminding our friends that they are gorgeous NOW, not when they put on/lose weight; and changing the concept of 'socially accepted beauty.'  I am working on developing healthier eating habits, and integrating exercise into my life, because that feels good.  I am working just as hard to feel great in my skin, at all times.  Are ya with me?

p.s. I wore this outfit to see The Eastern play at a local cafe last night - they were SO FAB!!!  I'm quite in love!  If you haven't seen them live before, they are touring at the moment so check out their tour dates for a gig near you.  It is not possible that you will regret it.

Joining in with Wardrobe Wednesday
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26 comments:

  1. She's behind you in the bottom left. Go me!
    And good on you Mama. I'm still on the baggy tee and trakkies path. A place I never thought I'd end up. But I think you just inspired me to make an effort once more. xo

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  2. She's either hiding behind your right leg in that second to last photo or you walked outside with a small child tucked into your skirt :). You look totally gorge.

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  3. Beautiful words...you sing it sister! I lived in an intentional community (ie: commune) for years and so miss the commune's culture of beauty is who you are, rather than the media's restrictive one. No-one wins in that latter version. A friend just sent me this:http://blog.tedx.com/post/36689651349/courageous-beauty-brittany-gibbons

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    1. Thank you Anissa! I think that the more we revel in our bodies, the more that others will feel as though they're allowed to too!

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    2. Absolutely! And you know, even though i have been singing this song awhile, sometimes i still need reminders and your post came at the perfect time. thanks for that!

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  4. I LOVE this post, I think all shapes and sizes should be celebrated, but at the same time size and shape should just fade into the background and not be an issue or something to judge some one on! xxxx Love the dress!!!

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    1. yes, so true! Size should not be an issue at all...

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  5. you look gorgeous, the dark dress really suits you and I WANT YOUR HAIR (cant wait for mine to grow long enough to do something like that with it) x

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    1. aww thanks! normally I just tie my hair in a bun, but I'm determined to try new things with it this year...

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  6. You look great Stella.
    My hair's about the same length as yours and I've been tossing up wether to get it cut short. Like to just above shoulder length. i'm not sure though.
    x

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    1. I thought about cutting mine too, but in the end opted for leaving it long... I just have to remember to do something nice with it sometimes...

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  7. Gorgeous ~ love the blue cardi, so pretty. Jx

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  8. You look great :)
    And I wish my hair was that long. Talia Christine did a cute braid to the side, then bun ~ I'd do that if mine was longer.
    Totally with you on the body image thing. It's so hard. I know I just started weight watchers, but my motivation is not to be skinny, it's to be a healthy weight and to learn the habit of healthy food choices and portion sizes! Hopefully I can pass on these healthy ideas to my girls. I DO NOT want to be on a 'diet' or talking/worrying about my body image when they are older, so I'm trying to loose a couple of kg now, and get to a healthy place while they are still tiny. I feel such a responsibility having two girls to give them skills to eat well, and exercise, and to love themselves and their bodies! (I'm a little nervous about the teenage years already!)
    xxx

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    1. Thanks! Yes I saw that braid-to-bun - Maybes will give that a go sometime...

      Yes, totally. In fact, it was my daughter that motivated me to work on loving my figure NOW rather than waiting for this elusive moment when the baby weight disappeared. I am very keen to model healthy eating and healthy living too, alongside healthy body image. And I figure that taking a bit of pride in my appearance isn't a totally bad thing either...

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  9. love this outfit and I was actually loving your hair. I have the worst approach to hair too - I just call myself low maintenance on the beauty front to excuse my lack of effort. I so agree with you. I love that so many of the join ups on WW are actually all sorts of sizes and not 'models'.
    Thanks for joining in and for sharing your voice x

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    1. Yes I noticed that! Very cool! And the hair thing... I don't know if my relationship to my hair will ever really change. I'm pretty low-maintenance too, hardly ever wear make-up either...

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  10. WOAH Mama! Look at your legs! Gorgeous! (Sorry, that might come across as a bit creepy, but it's true - you have good legs!)
    I'm feeling inspired by this post. I even accessorised my outfit today, for the first time in ages. Thanks you!

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    1. Don't apologize!!! I'm never going to shy away from a compliment like that! Thank you R, I've decided that no matter what anyone else might think about my legs/arms/tummy/etc, I am proud of all of it!

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  11. Totally beautiful, and right on the button with the words as usual. You've inspired me to make an effort during this pregnancy instead of somehow thinking "It'll be magically different once I've had the baby and lost weight". Because that never works out well. Oh, and I feel you on the hair front. Mine's out of control long and ends up (every single day) smooshed in a bun - out of sight, out of mind... Love your side braid. Too hot for long flowing locks!

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    1. Yes, I too had those thoughts. In fact, still do, but gradually I'm retraining my brain. It's amazing!

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  12. Love it - ASOS Curve is awesome! Whenever I feel a bit down I try to get online and check out what they're wearing (and then promptly max out the credit card)

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    1. Yep, I attempted to max out my maxed out card on Modcloth today. It said 'no'.

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  13. Oh my gosh , just googled ASOS Curve. I will be buying! Thank you for this post Stella, I love your words and your outfit : )

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