to think knowing about how clothes are cut improves body image?

[GrendelsMum]

I reckon that, thanks to my gran working in a clothes shop, my mum and my sisters have a much more positive self-image when trying on clothes than many women.

Shopping with friends, I've noticed that a lot of women seem to blame themselves if an item of clothing doesn't suit them. They try something on and then say something like 'Oh, I look awful, like an ironing board'. Whereas my gran taught me and my sisters always to consider what it was about the cut of the piece that didn't suit us - so we'll try something on and say 'no, it's cut for someone with a longer body, what a shame'. When I went shopping with a friend and commented that the cut didn't fit her properly and so it didn't make her look good, she said this was an absolute revelation to her.

So I think that my gran's attitude should be taught in schools, to make young women feel more confident about their own appearance, and to be more demanding about the clothes that they buy

[Kaloki]

I've started making my own clothes and it really does help. Changes the way you look at things.

I'm now aware that despite being bigger than is ideal I can find clothes that flatter me, it's just a case of being savvy about it.

I love that on some patterns they have diagrams showing what figures they flatter most.

[pickledmonkey]

it's true! my mum studied dressmaking and was the same. maybe there needs to be a guide somewhere

[BritFish]

true, i think a lot of people feel bad because they follow those guides in magazines, how to dress for your body type or whatever, and it just doesnt work on them!
best thing to do is to put a day aside once in a while, to go into a shop you love, and try on every style there, and maybe even try a bigger or smaller size to see if it hangs differently.
well fitting clothes are key to how good you feel in them

[Kaloki]

The other thing, which I wish I'd been taught at school, is how to adjust clothes. It's often so simple! And can dramatically change how something looks.

But then I'd also love to see an end to vanity sizing, so there isn't this stigma of wearing "big" or "small" sizes, so people would wear their size instead without feeling bad.