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Onceee upon a time I got engaged. It was an awesome engagement, and happened on an island in Fiji, with the sun was shining, and my little island skirt was blowing in the wind. My fiance even captured it on video (you can watch it here)! Everything was great. All set to be married, we returned to Utah, and I was endowed in the lovely Manti temple. My Mom came in all the way from Los Angeles, my fiance’s family drove up from Toquerville, and we had a great time! THEN...darkness fell. The evening was approaching, and it was time for me to get all beautified for my bridal shower which was that very same day. I had to put on clothes. But first, I had to put on...GARMENTS.
Let’s just say, it was not a fun time. After trying on multiple outfits I realized something. I would NEVER LOOK CUTE AGAIN. This simple truth took hold and I threw myself on my dirty BYU housing basement carpet floor in a fit of despair. My fiance looked on, trying to comfort me (and probably himself at having gotten engaged to me), telling me I looked great, and that of course I would get used to being 100 degrees hotter constantly! But I wasn’t to be comforted. I laid on the ground and cried for over an HOUR. Eventually I calmed down. But I was more resigned to my dark fate than at peace with my garmented future. I went to my bridal shower and had a great time with great people...but the struggle was real.
I’ve always had a hard time with my body, so making me wear, essentially, a BODY SUIT underneath my clothes was enough to push me right over the edge. Now, after having worn them for 2 years, 2 months, and 13 days, I’ve learned some tips and tricks from my sage friends, superiors, and testing things out myself. I hope this helps you at least a bit, and if you have any other amazing ideas to help us all out, PLEEEASE share your wisdom with us in the comments!! Without further ado…
10 Tips on How to Look Cute While Wearing Garments!
1.) Tailor Your Garments: Fun fact! If you go to the distribution center where you purchase garments, you can actually have a worker take your measurements and order custom fitted garments (at no additional cost), and then ship them right to your house. What? Yes. It's true. Free custom tailoring? I think YES.
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| Such FASHUN. |
2.) Keep it Simple. Get rid of clothes that you know just don’t work with garments. Try to avoid too many awkward layers because T-shirts under sun dresses are basically the equivalent of socks with sandals (haha jkjkkkk but really). Look for classic silhouettes that work for you and that are a good mix of not too tight, which shows garment lines, but not so baggy that it’s shapeless! I think you get the idea :D
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| O hai doge |
3.) Carinessa!! Carinessa is my BFF. We go camping together, take long walks on the beach, and even brush our teeth together :D BESTIES. Carinessa tops are hands down, the best tops for modern girls. I am sooo glad they exist!! They’re more spandexy, so they stay close to your body without poking out and billowing wherever they please. Wear them under your bra to achieve a more natural look. Carinessa bottoms are great to wear with skinny jeans and leggings, because they stay close to your body and don’t roll up as much (or at all). They also travel well because they are extremely wrinkle resistant! Remember that Carinessa is a warmer material and holds in some heat! This is awesome for winter, buuut less awesome for summer. Not that I stop wearing them in summer but theoretically.
4.) Sweaters are Better-s: Big boxy knit sweaters, loose thin drapey sweaters, all the sweaters! All the most fashion-ista-y girls I talked to are huge proponents of the sweater look. Sweaters look great because they are longer, and thicker. They lengthen you out, conceal garment lines, and they’re really simple to match! Both open sweaters (like open fronted cardigans) and pullovers look great. I'm also including tunics here. Tunics are often a great choice! Tunics are essentially longer shirts. One of my main problems with garments is that I feel like they make outfits look bulkier. Tunics are a great way to make you look longer and leaner. Plus, they very easily conceal the line around your waist from the bottoms! But make sure you buy tunics that look good on you! A badly fitting tunic (too clingy, too wide, too long) can be no bueno and make you look more like a big plastic bag than you'd probably like.
5.) Layer it up: Layers! I sometimes hate layers because maybe I am soooo lazy and more layers = pulling more clothes over my head. Also I'm always afraid I'll end up looking a tiny bit homeless. Nevertheless, layers done right can make a good outfit into a great outfit, and your garments will be completely concealed and unobtrusive! There are lots of cute undershirts that you can wear as a base (many girls favorites are from DownEast). Then, layer using fun sweaters, vests, ponchos, or jackets over them. Below, Sarah is showing us how layering is done!
6.) A-lines and pencil skirts: Pencil skirts have high waists that line up with the Carinessa waistline for a smooth long look. These are great for the working ladies out there in professional settings, or anytime you want to look chic, really! Drisilque is also a good material option for the bottoms here, because it’s lighter and keeps you cooler if you are running around to meetings. DriSilque is also a bit higher up on the thigh fyi, so you don’t have to worry about your garments poking out as much.
7.) Get some “extra help”: Skin Tape, Spanx, demi tees- these are all great extra’s that can really make a difference! Skin tape can hold your shirt in place so that your garment doesn’t slip out. You tape your shirt (not your garment) to your skin, so that it doesn’t sashay around wherever it pleases. Skin tape also can be used to close the gaps with button down shirts (hurrah!). Spanx are great when you’ve got any lumpiness going on; you don’t need to wear them to look smaller, but you can definitely wear them to look smoother. Downeast has demi-tees which are thin undershirts that only cover your bra and shoulders (not your stomach). These are great to wear under sheer shirts, and they hide the obvious garment neckline!
8.) Nips and Tucks: If you dislike garment lines on your thighs, then wear the capri length bottoms! These go past your knee so there’s no thigh line to speak of. Also, almost always you should tuck your top into the bottoms!! This stops bunching, movement, and keeps a smooth silhouette. Make sure your bottoms aren’t too tight/small, because if they are, they will create a lovely little pooch from the pressure of the waistband :) Also, get your tops in long, and your bottoms in petite. Long tops make it so much easier to keep your garments tucked in, and if you bend over, nothing will be accidentally revealed to bystanders. Petite bottoms have lower waistlines, so your garments aren't pulled practically up to your chest like "grannie panties"!
9.) Buy ALL the things: One thing that this article can’t do is try on the garments for you! Garments are pretty affordable, so GO CRAZY and try new materials and sizes! From mesh to silk to thermals, garments come in all varieties- they even make special garments for the armed forces! Best case scenario: you find some awesome new garments that fit better with some of your favorite outfits! Worst case scenario: you end up being EXTRA grateful for your Carinessa and DriSilque as you shudder at the garments of the past!
10.) REMEMBER THE WHY!: Why are we wearing garments? We talked about the How, but one thing to always remember is the “why”. Learning about garments can help us to appreciate what they really mean. If garments were merely another layer of clothes to deal with, then why would we wear them? Really thinking about and studying the meaning behind them can make a big impact on how you feel towards your garments on a daily basis. I didn’t think I would, but I really loved the Church’s recent video about them. It helped me connect and relate it to other cultures, and how they value sacred garments as well.
Anyways, oooobviously I am no expert, but I hope this at least gives you somewhere to start! I initially had a way hard time with garments, but now I hardly think about it! I also drew mucho wisdom from my awesome and much more fashionable friends: Natalie, Sarah, Lauren, Jessica, and Megan! Thanks so much for reading! And I wish you a life full of joyful shopping trips ;)
XOxoxoxoxoxo Alyne
