Fade and Focus

“To thine own self be true.” Yup, Shakespeare got it over 400 years ago and some of us still struggle with it today. My concept of Fade and Focus is about knowing yourself, heart and body, and pretty-partying accordingly.

Heart: it’s all about selecting styles that reflect your life style, comfort zone, aesthetic sensibilities as well as that which you aspire to become.

Body: it’s about minimizing and distracting from your larger, puffier areas (fade) and identifying your most attractive areas and putting the spotlight there (focus).

Some women find it difficult to acknowledge their most attractive areas. It isn’t their fault it is the result of a lifetime of media, with the help of Mattel, lauding the virtues of Barbie-doll-proportioned women. Academics from the University of South Australia suggest the likelihood of a woman having Barbie's body shape is one in 100,000. Other reports make Barbie even more unrealistic.

Here’s an exercise I want you to try:

Privately, stand in front of a full-length mirror (dressed is fine.) Emotionally, step outside yourself, stand off to the side and become your best girlfriend, or someone specific, who loves you. From their perspective, tell the person standing in front of the mirror, what her most attractive features are and remind her that she is lovely and you love her. Those are the attributes (face, hair, eyes, skin tone, shoulders, neck, décolletage, arms, hands, legs, etc.) you must trust and highlight!

Here’s a glimpse of Fade and Focus for me in this video. I love my face, hair, décolletage, forearms, hands, legs, ankles and my height. I choose to “fade” my tummy, hips, thighs and upper arms.

Please post - share the attributes that you will be focusing on (spotlighting.) If you’re stuck, post a clear photo and I’ll show you the love you can’t give yourself – yet!

Girlfriends, it is foundational to build your wardrobe by accentuating the positive!

Babe