I really want to be the kind of woman who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of what’s she’s wearing and just wears what she loves without considering whether it’s the most flattering choice from every angle. But I’m also a Gen X girl who grew up with Kate Moss when ultra thinness was presented as the ultimate goal. And where women like Sarah Ferguson and Oprah Winfrey were publicly mocked for their weight in tabloids like it was entertainment. Those messages got in deep. So even now, there’s still a part of me that instinctively thinks about whether something makes me look slimmer, smaller, or more conventionally flattering. But there’s also this other part of me that just wants the freedom to wear what I genuinely think is cute without giving it a second thought. To wear the cap sleeves. The eye-catching thick horizontal stripes. The outfit that feels magnetic. This is the bind that many women live with. For me, it’s a work in progress. Right now I cope by making “flattering” the priority in situations where I feel more vulnerable to judgment from others and want to feel more at ease. And other times I just want to show up as me. 📏For reference, I’m midsized, 5’6”, slightly short-waisted, 36-B bust, and wear a small or medium top with size 10 jeans. LTKOver40