To think you don’t have to be thin to look great.

[PerfectPeony2]

Following on from the thread about looking polished- I noticed a lot of people said that it’s about being slim, toned, a size 10.

No it’s not!! I hope that all the thousands of people reading Mumsnet won’t agree and feel bad about themselves. I used to be one of those people who would put off wearing nice clothes, going out and getting my hair done until I was ‘thin’. I’ve now accepted how I am. Bought clothes that fit, wear the makeup I like, get my hair/ nails done.

I would like to lose a bit of weight in the long term but it’s not a priority. Life is too short and I think you can look great and ‘polished’ whatever your size or shape.

I'm deffo overweight at 14st and under 5ft and can pull of the polished and put together look. Is how you style and carry yourself. Most of it is confidence tbh.

I’m sure I would look better with a few pounds off, but decided many years ago that it was ridiculous waiting until I was thinner to have nice clothes, hair, etc. So now I buy nice clothes that fit, get my hair done, and do my best with what I have. I think it was Susie Orbach who wrote “it is not a criminal offence to tuck your shirt in when overweight”. Most people are too busy worrying about how they look themselves to give more than a fleeting thought to other peoples’ appearance.

Speaking as a someone who has been a size 10 up to a size 18 over the years, I would say it is much harder work to look good when bigger. Not impossible by any means but takes more effort to find clothes that are flattering.

My mother always said that people look at your coat first, your figure second.

And it's true! How many times have you met someone with a really fantastic coat and all you could remember about their appearance afterwards is that great coat?

It helps though .....

You can be skinny and hideously unhealthy as well.

I think thin people have a much bigger range of clothes that look good on them.

That thread is interesting reading.
Looking polished to me is about looking healthy, shiny everything, hair, nails, clear skin, clear eyes and white straight teeth.
Anybody of any size can look polished as long as they wear the right clothes and dress their shape.
If anything very, very thin women can look unwell and gaunt, polished to me means looking healthy and well not having a face full of make up, long false nails and just out of the salon stiff hair.

It's a ridiculous notion that one needs to be thin to look outstanding. I'm into what the younger generation seems to refer to as "thicc" women. That doesn't mean morbidly obese requiring a crane to get out of bed, it just means full figured/curvy.

ken there is a huge difference in health implications between someone classes as overweight and obese. Ridiculous to lump them all together.
I have recently lost 3 stone and I am getting loads of compliments op. Agood cut and colour contributed to this.
I am just approaching the overweigh category so I have a fee stone to go but no way am I as unhealthy as J once was.

never heard of "thicc"

But yes OP, I agree

Thsnk you

I think it depends on your shape, I'm straight up and down, no boobs flat bum, I've been up to a size eighteen and I just get fat around the middle, I don't develop curves. Friend of mine is a size sixteen, curvaceous, flawless skin and hair she's gorgeous at that size and when she's been slimmer didn't look better

I think it's deemed as 'classier' to be thin/slim.

Just look at the Royal wives 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Obviously you can. You could be dying of cancer.

Not just things like cancer. You can have dangerous levels of fat around your organs and be skinny. It’s called thin-fat. Look it up.

I'm thinking of things that stop you looking great. Someone's already mentioned grotty teeth, bad skin etc. "Dowager's hump" is another. I think a good deal of it is about looking fit and healthy. Look unwell or "past-it" old and you don't have a chance.

Oh yep. Eternal youth has to be part of it too unfortunately.

I agree. I do also think that if you’re overweight and unhappy, your confidence is low and that is so obvious sometimes. Owing to that you may not want to make the effort or just feel comfortable in clothes which may not suit you.

I’m also just going to sit here and wait for the @FuckItHurts long story!

I think anyone can look great at any age or size. Most important things for that, imo, are confidence and smiles, and not being obviously conscious of your appearance.

I also think that the older, fatter and shorter you are, probably the more thought you have to give to what you wear and so on. Tall, young, skinny girls can generally look fabulous in anything. Us older, fatter, shorter women can more easily get it badly wrong.

My colleague was so thin she could look good in anything at all. She has since put on a little bit of 'middle aged spread' and still looks good, but it seems strange seeing her with a few pounds on.
I have been overweight for decades, it tends to yo yo and i do have to watch what i eat. I am trying to do something about it and hate clothes shopping, most clothes do not suit me even ones that are meant to hide all the bumps.
I wished i were much thinner, but i know its only me that can do this and it is harder as you age to lose it.
it is deemed classier to be thin, i do agree with this statement!

I'm afraid I'm in the slim looks better camp. People can wear what they like, but generally I think the same outfit on a slim person and a larger person would look better on the slimmer person.