Why It’s So Important to Embrace with Style: Try New Things, but Most Importantly, Accept Yourself

There’s something magical about the moment you stop dressing to hide and start dressing to shine.

As a curvy woman myself, I spent years chasing the illusion of “flattering.” You know the rules, the ones whispered in fitting rooms and shouted in every glossy magazine: wear black, it’s slimming; avoid fitted dresses; hide your arms. For the longest time, I obeyed those rules religiously. My wardrobe was chic, sure, but it wasn’t me.

It wasn’t until I turned thirty that I decided to change the conversation, not just with my closet, but with myself. This year became the year I finally chose to embrace me, every curve, every soft edge, every fluctuation. Because the truth is, your size can change, but your worth never does.

When I was at my thinnest, a UK 12, obsessively counting calories, starving myself by day and binge-eating by night, I still hated what I saw in the mirror. Now, as a UK 14–16, I feel more radiant, confident, and free than ever before. Because now, I dress for joy, not for judgment.

If I’m hungry, I eat. If I want to wear something bold and bright, I do. Because style isn’t about shrinking yourself, it’s about expanding into who you really are.

So before you overhaul your wardrobe, pause and check in with your mindset. Ask yourself: Am I dressing to disappear, or to be seen? Because you can spend all the money in the world on new clothes, but if you don’t love the woman wearing them, nothing will ever fit quite right.

At the end of the day, remember this: love yourself first, and then wear the clothes, don’t let them wear you.