Hello, darlings!
I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday…this week is flying by! Today, I am styling another gorgeous dress from Chicwish and introducing my second topic for the Real Talk series….body positivity. Body positivity is something we all struggle with, myself included, so I thought it would be a great topic to cover. 🙂
Red Lace Dress Outfit & Real Talk
Outfit Details:
Red Lace Dress: Chicwish c/o | Shoes: Shein (old – love these!) | Bag: Kate Spade (old – similar here)| Necklace | Cuff
When I saw this red lace dress, I immediately thought… princess! It is so regal and beautiful and although, I’m not the hugest fan of wearing red, I thought I could make an exception for this beauty. The lace design is absolutely divine and the quality is amazing. I am definitely the girl that is always over-dressed (obviously) so I know a good special occasion dress when I see one 😉 Of course, this would be a great wedding guest outfit! I wanted to add an element of fun so I styled it with these adorable bow heels. One bow is never enough so I accessorized with an ivory bow crossbody bag. I went a bit conservative on my jewelry by finishing off the look with a small sparkly necklace, dainty pearl cuff and dainty gold ring. Love!
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Okay…real talk time. This might surprise you, but the subject of positive body image is very hard for me to talk about when concerning my own body. I think that I have always been self-conscious of my looks and that stems back to when I was really young. I still remember a lot of things that have been said to me during the years….ignorant people asking if I was plus-size, people always buying clothing at least four times my normal size for gifts, and of course, the ever popular “fat and ugly” comments. Of course, none of these things are true but it does take a toll on a person psychologically when it happens for years on end.
I was never super thin. I’ve always been a bit more on the curvy side….and having curves can be frustrating sometimes when it comes to fashion. I am very pear shaped with wider hips that I have never fully loved, which is part of the reason that I love wearing dresses (the other reason being that dresses are just awesome!). In additional, being under five foot accentuates those curves even more. Now there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with having curves…or not having curves. I just think that sometimes it’s human nature to desire what we don’t have.
When it comes to being active, I have always made this a part of my life. I played soccer and cheered all through high school and after I graduated, I discovered that I loved hiking and yoga. I gained a few extra pounds after high school as most people do and lost it before I got married. I was in the best shape of my life and for once, I was actually proud of my body. Over the last few years, a combination of bad eating habits and lack of time for the gym have contributed to weight gain once again. It has been even more frustrating this time around as the weight just seems to stay no matter what I do. My self esteem was lower than it’s ever been and as crazy as it sounds, I would turn down opportunities because I wasn’t happy with the way I looked. I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror and I would feel so down when I tried on my favorite dresses that no longer fit.
This issue has been weighing so heavily on me. I let myself go because I got too busy taking care of other things that I thought were a priority at the time. It’s so funny….I’m crazy obsessive when it comes to taking care of my skin…organizing and color coordinating my closet…caring for my shoes and handbags….but when it comes to my body, I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing. I am SO bad with eating. Seriously, I must be the pickiest eater. I don’t eat a ton of fast food, but I don’t eat super great either. Vegetables are my arch nemesis. As much as I want to like them, I just can’t seem to get over the texture and taste. And as for the gym, I feel like I have lost all motivation. I haven’t been to my yoga class in over 9 months and I used to up to 5 times a week! And now that I have a little bit of extra time, I am still not motivated to go.
I have been thinking so hard about this and realized that I need to stop making excuses for myself. There are many people out there just as busy as I am that make time to work out. I don’t like the way I look or the way that I have been feeling so I’m going to do something about it. As a perfectionist, this is SO difficult for me and I have not had a ton of support in this area, but I do know that I need to be healthy. I have already started the process of clean eating and getting back into the gym groove and I am already feeling better. Body positivity is definitely a mindset. I know that I am not the only that has or will feel this way, but negative thoughts can consume a person and create unnecessary stress.
I feel like body issues are so common now-a-days, especially on social media. It is huge deal! I feel like it is so important to support one another in our journeys, no matter what that entails. I also feel like it is important to stick up for others when they are being beaten down for the way they look or for doing something they love. I am so glad that I have such a strong and supportive community of women around me to get through this (surprisingly, this is probably my biggest struggle). After beating myself up for the longest time, I have finally come to terms with my body type. I am not going to look a certain way and that is totally fine. I am just so happy and excited about making the healthy lifestyle change that I have been so desperately needing.
With that being said, if you have any great recipes, exercises or eating/workout tips, let me know! I definitely appreciate the help 🙂
Thank you so much for your support!
xo
Love you in red Liz! Stunning dress and shoes. Thanks for your honesty on your body struggles. We all have them. Good for you for taking a step to a healthier life!
http://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Love this outfit you! The shoes with the dress is stunning.
Taking care of your body is so important! I didn’t really start to learn that fully until I got Lyme. Now I’m forced to take care of myself, which has made it more of a habit (otherwise I never would have slowed down). Hopefully you will be able to work some great routines into your schedule. (I can’t exercise, and I miss it soo much!)
Thanks for your honesty about body types. You’d be surprised how being thin, straighter body type doesn’t give you as much fashion access as you’d expect. I commonly find outfits on some curvy and plus size bloggers that I love but that I just don’t have the curves the pull off.
Mary
https://www.themarycurator.com/
That dress is stunning! And I love those red pumps!
xo Jessica
http://www.whatsfordinneresq.com
Thanks for opening up and being honest! And I love this dress on you too…gorgeous!
xo,
Brooke || http://www.kbstyled.com
You look absolutely gorgeous Lizzie! I can totally relate to this as I’m super petite and curves really are accentuated more when you’re short. I think for me, getting into a good workout routine has been golden and focusing on moderation is key, as I love to eat and I don’t ever want to deprive myself of things. I really love popsugar workouts and the fitness blender channel on youtube. There’s so many great options you can do right in your living room to get in a good workout!
Thanks so much Cara! Yes, it’s accentuated so much more on us shorties lol! These are such great recommendations! I will look into to them. Thanks so much!
So pretty!! I have struggled too with weight gain in the past few years. My only tip I have for a busy person like you is to try the YouTube videos like PopSugar Fitness but to do them first thing in the morning so that your workout is done for the day. I used to hate morning workouts but I swear I love them now. I feel much better and more energized after. It is worth it to wake up even just 20 minutes earlier!
Jenn B.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DestinationInvite
Oh wow! I didn’t even know they had workout videos! I will definitely be checking them out! Thank you so much for the recommendation!
I’m so proud of you for putting yourself as a priority! I need to get back in the gym too! This is giving me some much needed inspiration!
Good for you babe! It can be so hard to take that control. And I adore this dress on you, red is so your color!
XO
Lee Anne
http://www.lifebylee.com
Your dress is so pretty I love it with the red shoes
xo
http://www.laurajaneatelier.com
I don’t normally wear lace but I love this dress and love how you styled it with the all red shoes! Kudos
Thanks so much Ashley!
First –this dress is gorgeous Liz!
And second, sure it’s important to take care of ourselves, but learning to love our bodies is so important. Especially as we get older and have our bodies change (out of our control)!!
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Very nice. It only gets harder when you het older…. It s niet fun!😂😂 I used to can eat everything, now I really have to watch what I eat!
OH NO! That’s what I hear lol! My body has changed too. I used to be able to eat all kinds of things and now, I bloat or gain five pounds from eating one slice of pizza haha
Hello Lizzie. I’ve been through struggle of loosing weight myself and not feeling comfortable with my body. However, I manage to change that a little bit. I am not a fan of gym and neither of diets but instead of gym for example I bike everyday or walk no matter what 30 mins minimum. And when it comes to food, since I hate diets I tried the method of counting calories. I lost around 7 kilos with this method. There are many websites that can help you do that. So basically, you say how much you want to loose in a period and they tell you how many calories per day you should eat in order to loose that. All the time you eat something you must put it in the app, the best about this was that if I was in the mood for a burger for example I could have it if i had calories enough for it and so on. I can give you more details if you are interested let me know.
https://mihabalan.com/2017/06/01/9-habits-succesful-women-2017/
What great tips, Miha! Thanks so much! I think being active is super important and I will try to incorporate more “fun” activities into my day. I’ve never counting calories, but I’ll give it a try. More details are always a welcome!
Ahh dear I can totally relate in this struggle. I also gain weight after I stopped going to my zumba class and food was my favorite buddy. Now I’m back on my healthy lifestyle. I would like to share to you my eating tips. I always eat more breakfast because it’s the most important meal of the day and I make sure to eat less during lunch and dinner. Sometimes I only eat two boiled eggs with milk at night. I stopped eating unhealthy snacks and replaced it with fruits. Just be positive babe. I know you can do it! Sending you love dear.💕💗
http://ootdbytim.wordpress.com
Oh wow! You look absolutely amazing!! I also wanna say that although I may be small, I have been neglecting my health/body a lot lately myself. I used to go work out and stay in shape. Now a days I’m winded going up a flight of steps and with everyone talking about the summer…the thought freaks me out. I do get a bit self conscious myself. I think the best thing to do is to take small steps and make those things happen. For me, right now it’s eating better and limiting certain junk foods! Then go to the gym if I have time
Thanks so much Meghan! I feel the same way. I have started eating better, cut out junk foods and started back up at the gym. It will take a while, but I think it’s a step in the right direction.
I’m absolutely obsessed with all of your dresses! You’re so beautiful, and those shoes are gorgeous!
What a great dress! I’m with you on the post-school weight gain. My biggest downfall is snacking, so I’m trying to curb that and exercise more. If only the weight fell off as fast as it packed on lol.
Wow, what a precious dress! I love the details, they are sooo stunning and glamorous! 😀
Amazing look!
http://thewonderfashion.blogspot.com
What a beautiful dress! I definitely hear you, and I think that our uniqueness is what makes us beautiful. Lovely post. <3
FASHION TALES
LOVE that red dress. Positive body image is definitely a tricky one sometimes, and one that I think we ALL as bloggers struggle with at least from time to time. (I know I do!) You are totally gorge and look amazing. I’m currently in a heavier phase right now too and am struggling! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Stephanie! We all go through it so it’s nice to have support from one another. <3
Such a real post! Body positivity is so hard for so many people, including me! You are beautiful! Love this dress xo
Love this blog post babe! Keeping going strong love! I use Toneitup.com for meals and exercise ideas. Xo, Ellese
Rock.Paper.Glam.
Love the red and the pretty detailing on this dress. I can identify with you as I had some hurtful things said to me when I was young as well.
Amy Ann
Straight A Style
This dress is so gorgeous – I absolutely love how your stye is so feminine! You are a stunner in red!
xx,
Lauren
http://www.discodaydream.com
Thanks so much Lucinda!
Thanks so much Jenny!
Thanks so much Annissa! I’ve never tried Keto! I’ll have to look into it. I agree. I want to be active at an old age. I think it’s super important!
Such a gorgeous dress and your bow shoes complimented it so well! You look amazing as always Liz!
Edwige | http://www.hypnozglam.com
Thank you lovely for sharing this. It’s been on my mind for a long time to share as well. You are gorgeous, and that dress is super gorgeous. Hope you get back into your good /happy routine again. When I don’t feel like going to the gym I try and switch it up by may be taking a walk or going swimming. 😊💗💗