In this case a teaching moment refers to that split second when something, someone, somewhere is wearing catches my ADD fueled brain. And makes me look again.
A teaching moment does not have to be negative, just noteworthy.
ex 1) negative
There are a lot of things wrong with this shirt. However some people coullllddd get away with it looking flattering, if not exactly stylish. If you are a bustier girl or have a few extra pounds on the upper half, throw that out of the window. Two major obvious avoids to look out for, and a hidden 3rd:
1. That fabric hugs everything, and I meannn everything.
2. Cowl line and big breasts a good idea in theory (not direct cleavage if you don’t to go that road etc.) but no. It is a trick in reality. The gathering of fabric does nothing but draw attention to how big your front area is… which is now thanks to the fabric nicely outlined along with your undergarmets of choice. You can easily look more inclined to fall over, which unless you were trying to look like Dolly Parton is avoidable.
and 3) That looks to me like ruching down the side. Unless you have a wedding dress or 1 piece swimsuit on, the sure fire way of making something look cheap is to add ruching. Not to mention it is wicked tricky to get it right if you are dealing with a fuller figure; it is either a blessing or a curse. As you would already be considering this shirt with its obvious pitfalls say nothing of the studding on the collar, you would probably not qualify as the best judge on wether or not the ruching is helping or hurting at that point.
So Teaching Moment: Fabric choice is more important than you think, know your body and learn to know what fabrics to reject on site. Cowls are not all the are cracked up to be. Annnd, Ruch at your own risk.
ex 2) positive
I wanted this first post to be as true to form as possible ie. not planned out with hours spent finding the best/worst fashion choices so I could create some credibility for myself. Nope, too impulsive. I did a quick google search for something to the tune of ‘plus sized fashion shirts’ to go along with the negative example.
Shudder. There were some serious traps set there for the unwary. Come on google. Not helpful.
But then it happened, just like this was real life and I saw this lovely lady walk by me at work or whatnot. A legit POSITIVE teaching moment.
Great use of a pattern! Girls above size 2 can in fact embrace this lumberjack trend and run with it. Notice her use of the correct size? Straining buttons on the bust would have ruined this effect. Also the soft hair and leggings were a great touch. Shoe wise a low bootie would be a great compliment, nothing to chunky… let Paul Bunyun do the talking for you.
Teaching moment: Don’t let a trend or pattern scare you off on principal.
So there you have it. These are teaching moments.
I plan to update as one walks in front of me either at work, or around town. I will try to include pictures as close to the mark as possible, because some people are just visual learners, no?
a.teaching.moment 