AS A SOCIETY WE ARE OBSESSED WITH THE SIZE OF OUR CLOTHING. IT HAS TO BE A SPECIFIC SIZE THAT WE THINK WE SHOULD FIT INTO, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE CLOTHES ACTUALLY FIT OUR BODIES.

I was recently at a clothing line launch and was talking to a couple of women about image, confidence and happiness. I was struck at how fixated they were on being a particular size that they were in their 20's and thought that they still should be. They have had since found that they had moved to the next size in their 30's and after having had children. All the women were beautiful, amazing women who looked fantastic. For one of these ladies, it was more important to squeeze into her perceived size rather than think about how the clothing looked on her.

For a lot of us, we tend to find that our weight fluctuates, especially when we get older. I think it is important for us to appreciate our bodies for what they are. What works for us in our 20's is not always relevant or appropriate as we move into our 30's and beyond. Trends change as we get older and move forward in our lives and careers and I believe that our fashion styles should move and evolve with us.

Clothes that are too small or tight are the quickest way to make you look larger than you are and worse, they often make you look like you have put on some additional weight. They hug and squeeze in all the wrong places and draw attention to areas we often want to hide. The parts of your body that you squeeze into a pair of pants or skirt or dress that are too small for you, still have to go somewhere. In reality when you squeeze into the pants or skirts that are too small, your stomach tends to pop out over the waist band to become what is commonly called the ‘muffin top'. The ‘muffin top' has a tendency to add several kilos to your perceived body weight.

Often all we need to do is try on the next size to see how much better fit the garment is and how much better it makes us look. If the next size still does not fit then maybe the style is not right for you. Try on another design instead. Your body should fit nicely into the clothes, giving you clean, smooth lines that help make you look taller and slimmer. Rather than being caught up with size, focus on the fit of your clothes. Not only that but each designer has their own sizing range and what might fit you as a size 12 for one designer may be a size 14 for another designer. Both garments fit; it is just that the label states a different number. It is crazy that there are so many different sizes but if you focus on fit rather than size, you will step out in style every time. Besides, no one else needs to know what size your clothing is unless you really want to tell them.

Anna is the co-founder of Izziana Image Consultants and is a great believer that personal image is an important part of increasing people's confidence, self-esteem and wellbeing. Izziana Image specializes in assisting individuals to enhance their personal image and confidence through their fashion style. For further information contact Izziana Image on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.izzianaimage.com.au