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“At any given time, my body tells a story”: How the Fashion Journal team dress for weight fluctuation

WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT

“You’ve got to be kind to yourself when you’re not feeling your best.”

I’d like to think the closet meltdown is a universal experience. It’s a goblin day (there are days when you feel like a princess and days when you feel like a goblin. This applies to all genders; I won’t be taking any questions). You were supposed to leave 15 minutes ago, but the pair of pants you loved last month are now fighting you at the zipper, threatening to pop a button if you squeeze any harder. Often this is followed by tears and in bad cases, a cancellation text.


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Weight fluctuation is frequent, susceptible and entirely normal. Depending on your sleep, diet, exercise and stress levels, the average adult’s weight changes by around two kilograms a day. You might gain or lose a more significant amount over time, leaving your clothing fitting differently than the last try-on. It happens to all of us. Below, the Fashion Journal team shares how they dress for weight fluctuation.

Izzy Wight, Fashion Journal’s Features Editor

 

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While I haven’t had any major body changes in the last few years, like most women, my weight is constantly moving in small increments up and down. It took a decade of unlearning bad habits for me to stop buying clothing a size too small. After going through an eating disorder in high school, it was difficult for me to accept my ‘new size’, and I would often purchase pieces I knew weren’t going to fit – a force of habit, I suppose.

Now, I understand that sizing is all over the place, and I can often fluctuate an entire size or two between brands. I like to wear baggier pants, so I’ll usually get a generous size – this works well when I’m bloated/ovulating/experiencing a weight spike. Big T-shirts are also a go-to or a button-down I can throw over a singlet or boob tube on the days I want extra coverage. Sometimes I’ll feel like wearing something skin-tight, so I’ll do that. I try not to set arbitrary rules around my weight and wardrobe, and instead find an outfit that makes me feel confident and stylish.

@izzy.wight

Molly Griffin, Fashion Journal Advertising and Partnerships Manager

I can not remember a time in my life when I didn’t feel like the ‘bigger one’. Coming from a family of smaller curvy women but inheriting my father’s height, I always felt a little bit bigger and a little bit out of place. In my teens when I was going through puberty, I shot up and ended up with the body composition of a string bean. In a country town with not a lot of access to different clothing options, I was always in short dresses and playsuits (it was 2012). I loved when people would tell me I looked “so skinny” and told me to “eat a dessert”.

As I moved into my twenties and started treating my body with a bit more love and nourishment, I grew the curves I always dreamed of – but no one tells you if you finally get breasts you might also get thighs and a bit of a tummy. I spent a lot of time and money in my new body trying to dress to micro trends and make the clothes that looked good on some look good on me. It’s taken years of experimenting with styles but I now shop for certain silhouettes and fabrics that I know suit me and invest in high-quality pieces that can be worn even if I’m feeling a bit off in the body.

@mollygriffo

Kaya Martin, staff writer at Fashion Journal

 

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Anyone who knows me well knows I never wear pants. Like, never. I gave up on pants altogether three years ago, although I’d never liked them very much to begin with – they always look weird on me and they feel too restrictive. Because of this, my wardrobe is accidentally very well-tailored to weight fluctuation, filled with long skirts and flowy dresses. I’m lucky to not experience extreme weight fluctuation, but I do get bloated from time to time (hormones, love them). When that happens, I steer clear of anything too tight and opt for comfort over style [and] maybe a cozy sweater or scarf. You’ve got to be kind to yourself when you’re not feeling your best!

@kikidreamgrl

Giulia Brugliera, Fashion Journal’s Managing Editor

My weight has bounced up and down for as long as I can remember. As an athletic child who was hit hard by puberty, danced long hours in my adolescence, stress ate during exams and then experienced and recovered from an eating disorder, I never quite knew where my body was ‘meant’ to be. While my weight still fluctuates, the swings are less extreme. I now have a much stronger sense of my body shape and size, and finally understand that at any given time, my body tells a story.

Right now I’m injured and enjoying all of life’s other spoils, so I’m a little softer and rounder than I’ve been in recent years. All of this means I’m pretty well-versed in dressing my body, however it looks. My main point for anyone who experiences weight fluctuation is that it’s important to have clothing to fit your body at any given time. Don’t wait until you lose or gain weight to buy nice clothes, and don’t buy a size smaller or bigger to inspire you.

Fashion is one of the best ways to feel confident in how you look (it was imperative in my eating disorder recovery), so make sure you’re wearing clothes that make you feel good. If you’ve bought clothes at the height of a weight fluctuation, make sure you keep them. Don’t toss clothing because it doesn’t fit you anymore, as it might help you to feel great again in future years. The one exception to this is keeping clothing that is way too small and may harm your mental health. I clung onto jeans too small for years, keeping them as a ‘goal’.

My personal style lends itself nicely to weight fluctuation, as I tend towards oversized silhouettes. Even if you don’t though, I’ve found the pieces that move best with my changing body are those that have a nice bit of stretch. It helps to shop like a pregnant person and ask, ’ Will this have room for a growing belly, boobs and hips?’, as those are the areas that tend to shift for most people. Drawstring or elastic waists, stretchy fabrics and oversized button-up shirts layered with elastic-based tanks are your best friends.

Weirdly, I’ve also found custom-tailored pieces work well for minor weight fluctuations. While your size might shift slightly, your proportions tend to remain the same. It’s worthwhile getting a pair of pants tailored when you’re slightly bigger, as these will still sit beautifully as your frame becomes smaller and leave you some growing room.

@giuliabrugliera

Cait Emma Burke, Fashion Journal’s Editor

 

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I’ve always fluctuated slightly weight-wise – only up or down about five or six kilos, but it’s enough to make my clothes fit differently, particularly pants. Over the years, I’ve found that buying pants that aren’t too tight is key. I always want my pants to have a little wiggle room, so when I’m smaller I can just add a belt to keep them fitting properly. I’ve also always been into layering, particularly layering things like boob tubes over tops and shirts and skirts over pants when I’m bigger and things aren’t fitting quite the way I want. Layering in this way can disguise a zipper that won’t quite close or a button that’s stretching across my bust.

@caitemmaburke

For more on dressing for weight fluctuation, head here.

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