Self acceptance: What have you had to learn to accept about yourself and how have you managed to do it (fashion and beauty wise)?

[Downsizeddumpling]

I have had to accept that I have a stomach that is never going to be flat and that I need to accept (working on this ever day) or disguise (not really working on this although open to tips and tricks).

I basically show off the best bits of my body: great legs from the knee down, really nice hands and wrists, cracking boobs and a flat stomach.

I have chubby upper legs and heavy arms so hide these.

I like my eyes and my hair. It's oily but a nice natural blonde

That I have a large frame and stocky build and no matter what I weigh I'll never look delicate and lithe - I look like a skinny cow, not a gazelle. But I learned to love my muscles, which are also really easy to build for me.

That no matter how I look leaving the house, 30 minutes later I'll look like a right mess. My hair will never be neat and tidy because it's curly, my eyebrows will always be uneven (I have a scar), that god gave me big boobs.

But that's okay, I'm happy with that. There's no point worrying about it.

I’m 5’2” and have quite chunky legs, especially thighs, and have only just accepted that I can do nothing to make them longer and it would far too much hassle to make them noticeably leaner (I have healthy BMI, exercise regularly, blah blah blah). I just simply avoid styles of jeans/trousers that highlight the chunkiness.
A C-section 3 years ago means that I’ll always have that bit of skin so anything body-con like is out for me (relieved at that anyway haha). there’s nothing I can do about these two things so I try to let it worry me.
I do, however, constantly fret about the things I am able to change but am just too lazy to do so.

I will always have small boobs , I had a massive hang up about them when I was younger.

I have grown to love my tiny boobs! They don't make bras small enough for me (or designed in a way that fit me?) - so I wear crop tops and bralettes. So comfortable!

When I was younger I always wore padded/push up bras that gaped/dug in, just so I had a bit of shape in clothes.

That nobody really cares. They notice prints, colours, bags and shoes only. So basically wear what you like- nobody else really cares if it makes you look thin or fat or dead or alive or in or out. They might notice if you’re extremely under or over dressed for the occasion or if your clothes are dirty or smelly, but that’s it.

Mind you, I still have a total blind spot over jumpsuits. There must be one out there somewhere and I won’t rest untilI find it!

Siobhan McSherry on Great British Throwdown wears them a lot and mostly looks incredible. I know some of her smarter ones came from Next. Still not brave enough myself as I can't get past the toilet thing!

@GonnaGetGoingReturns

Have you seen the Manners London bardot tops? They're designed for big boobs and being braless. I've got a couple of their things and I'm a GG cup and happily braless in them.

This has to be studied as a scientific phenomenon. I'm exactly the same, work out every day, think I look good in the mirror, hate photos. Recently I stood in front of a mirror in my bikini and thought, hmm, looking good. Did not move any part of my body apart from my arm to lift up my camera, and the resulting photo was of a hideous blob. Why??????

That I have an awful auto-immune disease which left me with scars in unexpected areas of body. I will never again wear a bikini (not because I care about other people's opinions of my scars but because I don't want to be constantly reminded of painful flareups when on holiday) and that's ok. In the grand scheme of things - my condition is not life threatening and I find swim-dresses more flattering either way.

Accepted stomach Will never be flat again and it's such a (pardon the pun) weight off.

The way my body fat is composed the fat goes from my stomach last so I'd have to be gaunt and emaciated everywhere else which just isn't worth it.

I’m still battling with the fact that I am not Jane Birkin and look terrible in androgynous clothes. There are no jeans that will make dumpy, stumpy legs look good. In fact I have concluded that I hate jeans. Tight waist and your circulation is cut off if you kneel down.

I have also made my peace with not being a Scandi ceramicist. My hair would never stay in an artfully casual up-do and anything unstructured - just no.

I will determinedly revert to my ideal period: Lorelei Gilmore early 2000s. Oh, for wrap dresses and three-quarter-length sleeves!

I am very very very pale and always will be. Most fake tans look ridiculous on me. I have to just accept being pale and dress for my colouring

I learned to accept that my hourglass figure might not suit current fashion&beauty standards, so I shouldn't try to squeeze into tube tops, very short skirts or shorts, and instead embrace my body which honestly looks good. It's not my fault fashion industry used to embrace something else. I started to love my bigger breasts, my shaped, but not skinny legs and choose clothes that fit me. I don't try to fit current trends anymore.

That I have stumpy little legs and virtually all trousers and maxi dresses are too long for me 😁

Two things: I will never have a conventionally shaped body (and I include my hands, head and feet) and that no matter what I try and do will my hair within an hour it will look like a frizzy mess.

I adapted.

That I have a hang dog face and people judge me because of it . But if they want to form an opinion about me because solely because of what I look like then the problem is theirs.

I have shite, thin, not-curly-but-not-straight hair.

I am average-looking at best.

My boobs are wonky and droopy.

Several stone overweight - this I am actually working on.

But you know what? I am late 30s and I accept myself. I have plenty of redeeming features I can focus on. I am NEVER going to be skinny or pretty, (not without a LOT of time, money and effort). But I have the love of a good family who like me as I am. That's priceless.

This is such a refreshing feel good thread!

I’ve been thinking about this recently. Colleagues and friends putting photos on social media with the usual replies - ‘stunning’ or beautiful babes’ etc. it dawned on me that that would never be said about me. It doesn’t bother me, I’m comfortable with who I am but I’m not a girly girl, never wear dresses, don’t wear make up and actually never put photos on social media. But if I did I know for a fact these words would never be used.

I don’t care about my pale (almost blue) legs (or pale skin in general). I actually didn’t care that much to be fair but I started reading here and people saying how without a tan you don’t look stylish, expensive etc. or bemoaning that they can’t wear summer dresses, shorts, blah blah. Being pale gets slagged off relentlessly on here.

The constant sun creaming might be a pain but I don’t see why I should be embarrassed for my natural skin tone.

This is the tragic story of my life

That weight loss has been great for me in so many ways but I am left with reminders of the ‘before’ my transformation ( and it has been a transformation) in the form of loose skin which has made me self conscious about my upper arms, but I am fine with that.

Crap legs. Lumpy and with an overhang of fat at the knee. I never wear shorts.

Not even a size-related issue. They looked crap when I was a size 8 and they look crap now I'm a 14....

My boobs on the other hand....