Body Conscious?

I watch a lot of fashion-theme TV shows where experts tell women about what to wear, what not, and why. I like that good information is being passed, but I wonder how much of it is really being heeded. When I look around my local area, what I see most is a dedication to 'comfort' and a 'throw it on/out the door' attitude. And I see a lot of Muffin Tops!! I have fallen into these traps myself and I realize that comfort for busy people is a key element to how they choose to dress. I say choose to dress because it is definitely a choice. While I was struggling to lose weight, a meeting leader at Weight Watchers once told our group to not wear any elastic waist pants when trying to reduce your waistline. Aside from that being good all-around weight loss advice (elastic waist pants are almost a free-pass to overeat) it was also sound fashion advice for everyone. Every day you get an opportunity to clothe your body in whatever you have available. Why not skip the elastic waists and reach for something that has structure and fits you well? I recently browsed the racks at a local Macy's and found several lightweight cotton trouser front pairs of shorts (appropriate length for my height and age) on sale for $19. I invested $40 and bought two pair. They were on a rack next to some lightweight cotton knit elastic waist capri pants. I tried on a pair of those too, and I will honestly tell you that not only did I look better in the structured lightweight cotton shorts, but I felt better too. My posture was better, I wasn't tugging at my shirt to cover the 'comfort' line (muffin top) of the elastic waist. I was also pleased to see that the more structured shorts gave me a slimmer look (no muffin top). I think that as we choose what we cover our assets with, we should remember that comfort is not always about 'throwing something on'. It is more about a way of feeling good about oneself and easing your way through the day without compromising that confidence.