One of the things I feel most thankful for when I think back to the lack of image confidence I had in my youth is that now I (nearly) always dress solely for myself - unless work or situational politeness makes me feel the need to dress in a more formal fashion. I can't claim that I only ever wore what other people wanted me to (hello goth/punk/psychobilly phases) but I definitely took pains to change pieces with regards to the shapes and length so they fit in more with those that fat women were meant to wear.
A big part of my youth was also taken up by considering whether my boyfriend or prospective partner would like what I was wearing which inevitably ended up with me struggling in club bathrooms trying to get out of my super tight shape wear and tottering around in high heels that I thought made my calves look slimmer.
I'm thoroughly aware that a big part of my current contentment and confidence is because I'm happily married to a supportive loving husband, but I think as you get older that need to fit in and be 'acceptable' wanes as we become more used to our own emotions, our own bodies and our own aspirations.
As I've matured its also become very apparent to me that how a person holds themself has a huge impact on how they look and how they appear to others. I've found that being a person that moves with confidence, stands tall and doesn't shy away into the background makes it matter much less what clothing you're wearing - but a big part of that for me is being comfortable in my clothing so I'm much less likely to wear something that feels awkward or too tight or too shapeless if it doesn't feel right at that time. This outfit really embodies this feeling to me.
The Amethyst One Shoulder Dress With Asymmetric Hem (£20.00*) from Simply Be has to be one of my bargains of the year, I grabbed it from the sale rail a few weeks ago and I've already worn it so much! The shape is just really easy to wear and either dress up or down depending on the occasion. I'm big on pieces that could easily be quite formal that look great when teamed with really casual items like this lovely Bobble Stitch Detail Cardigan (£30.00*) that goes with nearly anything thanks to it's monochrome palette. Naturally I needed to add a few more dashes of glam and so I grabbed a black and gold belt from another dress and these stunning Bella Chelsea Boot Wide E Fit (£25.00*)
