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What Not to Wear
By Mary Dance '07
STAFF WRITER

It is not a rare morning/afternoon/evening that I have watched people walk into Prothro/class/a residence hall flaunting more than I needed to see. From too-short shorts, to too-tight jeans, to too-tiny shirts – regardless of the wardrobe choice, I always have the same reaction: I wish I had that much self-confidence. And I do; I wish I had enough self-confidence to flaunt my body 24-7. However, I firmly believe that the best way to exhibit that confidence, that pride in one’s body, is not to show as much of it as often as possible.

On that note, I advise you to keep in mind the following clothing “no-nos”:

1.) Too-tight pants: Any article of clothing should never be so tight that it affects other parts of your body.
There are two (particularly unattractive) tell-tale signs that clothing is too tight: if the waist of your jeans is so tight that it augments or creates love-handles, they are absolutely too tight. Likewise, if the hips and thighs of pants are so tight that they affect the way you walk, they are absolutely too tight. Clothing taken to such an extreme fit does not make your body look any smaller. If you appear to be poured into your jeans, you look larger than you actually are.

2.) Teeny-tiny shorts: I have seen very few people pull these off. Ever. That’s not a risk I want to take. Short shorts are one thing, but if you risk accidentally showing off other…areas because of the length of your shorts, put them away, and try again.

3.) Too-short shirts: “Belly shirts” went out with Kelly Kapowski and Saved by the Bell. There’s just no way around that. Trends aside, they just don’t flatter anyone. Attractiveness weighs heavily upon the traditional conception of proportion: a shirt that creeps up your stomach makes your torso look virtually nonexistent, and creates a very funny body shape.

4.) The lack of a bra: As Sweet Briar women often pride themselves on going to class in pajamas, this goes particularly for us. I am not sure why you would choose not to wear a bra. However, if you make that choice, please, please do so in a way that does not allow others to know you are not wearing one. Tight white t-shirts + no bra + cold classroom = bad news. Put on a bra or at least put on a sweatshirt.

The best solution for these common offenses is really quite simple. To show of your body, choose clothing that more discreetly highlights the flauntable parts. Choose shirts that not only cover your stomach, but allow you to sit down and move comfortably. Choose pants and jeans that are form fitting but do not create any of the aforementioned tightness issues. Overall, choose clothing in an appropriate size and fit. It matters not what size you are but merely that you dress to fit that size and make wise choices about what you flaunt and how you flaunt it.