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I like special occasions most of the time, except for the fact that I have to dress up.
It's a royal hassle. You have to iron the clothes (especially pants), it's hard enough to find jeans that actually fit me (I'm a slim but super tall woman at 5'11), and the shoes are always uncomfortable, if I can find them in my size (10.5 ). I can't walk in heels, it's horrible for the body, and all flats give me horrible blisters no matter what. I also don't like dresses or skirts at all, especially since they usually make me look like a hoochie mama since I'm so tall. And dresses always make me look boxy, even though my waist is 26 inches and my hips are 38.
Then the hair. I have no idea what to do with my hair. It's long thick and wavy, and I don't have any heat tools, or clips. Just two hair ties and a brush.
Makeup...I suck at doing it. Nuff said.
I don't like having a bunch of crap. I literally have only 7 tops, 5 pants (trousers), and two pairs of shoes. For makeup, only BB cream, blusher, and chapstick. That's it.
Even when I try to dress up nice, I don't look nearly as polished as everyone else does.
How do people make it less of a hassle to dress up nice? I'm clean and my clothes are clean and in good shape, but I just dread dressing up and go as casual as I can get away with.
Part of it is practice. You need to take a stab at dressing up a couple of times a week. Work on one area or another, like make-up or hair. You need a couple of hair clips; since you have a simple style anyway just pick out a couple that are very simple, one in a tortiseshell and the other gold or silver, depending which you wear most. comb or brush your hair back from your face, lift with your thumbs up from just in front of the ears and pull back to the back top of your head and clip into place. Voila, a simple half-up/half-down style, done.
For shoes, take a look at footsmart.com. They carry only comfort shoes and a huge variety of sizes. A simple black ballerina flat will be a good starting point. Also, I have seen size 10.5 shoes at Talbots, but I don't know if they have stores in your area.
For dresses, look at ones marked "midi" as they will fall just at the knee or a bit below for your height. Look for a style with ruching or a faux wrap style or body con to accentuate your shape. http://us.dorothyperkins.com/en/dpus...846?bi=0&ps=20
For makeup, to your regular routine add a lip stain, a medium brown eyeshadow in the crease of your eye for starters. You probably would go nuts with mascara or eyeliner yet.
The way to like dressing up is to have clothes that make you look and feel fabulous. If you don't know how to select those clothes, find a good dress shop with employees who look good. These employees would be adults who can put outfits together. You might also be able to find a professional shopper who can put outfits together.
Find a good hair dresser/salon that also does makeup applications. Get some ideas from them.
None of this has to cost a fortune. One makeup palette that goes from day to evening will suffice. You only need a few good pieces of clothing to dress up what you probably already have in your closet. Donate clothes that you really don't like. Too often we keep those clothes because we remember how much we paid for them. If you don't at least like them then they should go.
If you feel good about how you look, then you will always want to look good.
Natural waves can be gorgeous if properly styled. Get a $9 book called The Curly Girl Handbook. You can probably find it used for less than that. Well worth the $.
Simple makeup is fine. You might want to use a tiny bit of eye makeup when you go out, like a mascara in a color that's natural for you.
Simple clothing can be great too. Get a simple dress or skirt/top. You can find many things nowadays that don't wrinkle. Get a simple print or solid color and it can look stunning with 1 piece of jewelry.
Shoes...I feel your pain. Unless you have naturally narrow feet and pointy toes, they are all uncomfortable and bad for your feet. Even sneakers are too pointy for most people and cause bunions. One thing that has helped is to buy shoes half a size bigger--that way I have extra room.
In summer, I wear a patent leather pair of thong sandals with a back strap. They are very simple and I get a lot of compliments. They don't squeeze your feet at all.
For winter, I have some dress booties that are super comfortable. I also wear high top "sneakers" that are sort of dressy and have "fur" inside. I have worn those for an edgy/dressy look with "leather" leggings.
I thought op was speaking of dressing up for social events, such as a night at a formal opening or debut. this though is different
Go to a high end store where they have clothiers assistance. They have a knack for understanding fashion, fit and your personal choices. You don't need to buy there, just grace them with questions
natural is enhanced in subtle ways... The right tossed of the hair, the glow of skin, the stature. Finesse' tends to make the person be comfortable, even when wearing jeans and a pressed shirt. Ask Bo Derrick.
I iron so as not to waste energy from a dryer.. Two minutes in the dryer ...vs ironing. Yeah I 'll save the energy and press a perfect shirt
I like special occasions most of the time, except for the fact that I have to dress up.
It's a royal hassle. You have to iron the clothes (especially pants), it's hard enough to find jeans that actually fit me (I'm a slim but super tall woman at 5'11), and the shoes are always uncomfortable, if I can find them in my size (10.5 ). I can't walk in heels, it's horrible for the body, and all flats give me horrible blisters no matter what. I also don't like dresses or skirts at all, especially since they usually make me look like a hoochie mama since I'm so tall. And dresses always make me look boxy, even though my waist is 26 inches and my hips are 38.
Then the hair. I have no idea what to do with my hair. It's long thick and wavy, and I don't have any heat tools, or clips. Just two hair ties and a brush.
Makeup...I suck at doing it. Nuff said.
I don't like having a bunch of crap. I literally have only 7 tops, 5 pants (trousers), and two pairs of shoes. For makeup, only BB cream, blusher, and chapstick. That's it.
Even when I try to dress up nice, I don't look nearly as polished as everyone else does.
How do people make it less of a hassle to dress up nice? I'm clean and my clothes are clean and in good shape, but I just dread dressing up and go as casual as I can get away with.
Find dressy attire that is comfortable. I love dressing up if it means I get to wear flowing maxi dresses that feel like nighties. Not so much if it means an uncomfortable, constricting pantsuit, painful heels, or (ugh) pantyhose. I don't own a single items of clothing that requires ironing, and haven't for years. Tailored items are not my style. Nothing I own, even dress-up attire, is something that can't be rolled up, transported in a duffel bag, and unrolled and shaken out and being ready to wear.
Embrace simple, classic hairstyles. I was recently a bridesmaid at my best friend's wedding. The other bridesmaids asked me how I was doing my hair (they were all doing sprayed updos, etc.)...I said, "Like this" (down, straight/smooth, with a dab of anti-frizz glossing serum to keep it sleek). They were like "Oh! Why didn't WE think of that. It was a very hot, humid day, an outdoor wedding, and fighting natural texture just wasn't worth it, plus, who wants to pin up an updo with a million bobby pins?
In terms of makeup, not much is necessary if you have pretty good skin. If you don't have skin tone that requires evening out, you can look pretty polished (and better than a caked on-face, anyway) with a dab of blush, some mascara to darken lashes if they are light-colored, and some tinted gloss on lips. If you have uneven skin or dark circles, etc., some additional product might be needed in order to look polished. But there are a lot of products that do double duty (like a sheer tint that works for both lips and cheek, a BB cream that is a concealer and sheer foundation all in one, etc.). I find that moisturizing/skin care is much more important than makeup.
I'm a perpetual shopper. I have to be because I have very long legs (35" inseam) and wear a 9 1/2 narrow shoe.
My shoes are comfortable. I may have to go shopping three or four times for those shoes, but there's no way that I'm going to suffer because I have to cover my feet. I buy pants wherever and whenever I can find them. I have no idea what I'm going to do now that the store which sold designer clothing at a heavily discounted price closed.
Seven tops and five pairs of pants. You really aren't interested.
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). I can't walk in heels, it's horrible for the body, and all flats give me horrible blisters no matter what. I also don't like dresses or skirts at all, especially since they usually make me look like a hoochie mama since I'm so tall. And dresses always make me look boxy, even though my waist is 26 inches and my hips are 38.
