Color Analysis and Signature Style for Everyday Fashionistas
  • Home
  • Meet Jeanine
  • Style Services
  • Christmas Gift Ideas
  • Life in Color Blog
  • Home
  • Meet Jeanine
  • Style Services
  • Christmas Gift Ideas
  • Life in Color Blog
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

9/27/2020 4 Comments

The Struggle to Define My Own Signature Style

Picture

The Question I Can't Really Answer


For as long as I can remember, for me, style has been about not looking so fat. Even as a child, it was all I wanted.

And once I became an adult, it became a singular style focus: to do whatever I knew would work, to look thinner, and to camouflage my overly-expanded belly.

Need to hide a pregnancy? I know how!

Other considerations were about damage control - wear the right colors, wear beautiful makeup and the right hairstyle, all in the hope that the first thing people thought about me wouldn't be, "boy, is she fat!" or "what is the deal with her stomach?"

And the question I can't answer is, what would I most want to wear if my weight or my belly weren't issues anymore?

Picture

An Eternal Style Struggle


Believe it or not, in the course of my long adulthood, I have had 5 belly surgeries. Some were because they didn't get it right the first time!

So my "Hitchcock" belly issues are now eternal. 

And right now, I weigh more than I ever have in my life. Menopause has certainly not helped. Nor has medication that - as a side effect - increases your appetite.

But the truth is, I was a comfort food overeater long before I had to contend with either of those issues. And I have not yet resolved that problem, either.
​
Picture

Where I'm at Now, with Style


All we really can do is the best we can with what we have. Can I get an amen?

I'm trying both to lose weight and to get healthier. Not just because I want to look better, but also, because I want to live longer.

Meanwhile, where style is concerned, my emphasis is three-fold...

(1) Wearing myself - reflecting the inside me on the outside.

(2) Aligning with my body - wearing what looks best on the body I have now.

(3) Having as much fun with my style as I possibly can.

​I wear the colors I love, and have a great time mixing prints and patterns, wearing big earrings and creating my own version of big hair!

Have you ever struggled with your weight? And if not, what would you say is your biggest style struggle?

See you tomorrow!

Love, Jeanine

4 Comments
Martha link
9/28/2020 04:43:29 am

I think you are beautiful and a person has to do what makes them feel good, not worry about what others say or think about them. Some can't tell but I have the belly issue also. I camouflage it with my clothes. A few years ago I lost 26 pounds but the belly loved me so much it stayed with me. Now the pounds magically are creeping up because I added too many sweets that I knew weren't healthy for me. ( I blame Lia for that with all her cake and cookie baking) LOL Whatever our shape I do find that by choosing the right clothes it does help. Love you Jeanine!

Reply
Jeanine Byers link
9/28/2020 12:58:24 pm

Thank you so much, Martha! Love you, too!!! I think Lia is a very good reason for pounds coming back for a visit. I mean, of course she's going to want to bake cookies and other sweets. And it would seem weird if you didn't eat them, too. That's the polite and caring thing to do. ;)

Reply
vidya link
10/1/2020 01:53:38 am

I totally agree with Martha.... when I see you, I see a beautiful person, inside and out...
and also agree with Martha on how the belly is in love with me too :) i love the sweets too

Reply
Jeanine Byers link
10/3/2020 08:03:35 am

Oh, Vidya, that's so sweet!! Thank you so much! Girl, I love the sweets, too. I'm actually trying to lose weight right now, but it is slow going. Still, it wouldn't be going at all if I didn't get sweets into the plan. I start out the day every day with Frosted Flakes, and that seems so outrageous that somehow that keeps me from feeling deprived.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture


    ​Hi, I'm Jeanine Byers :)

    I'm an author,  Christian image consultant, proud former homeschool boy mom of a college student, Hallmark movie fan and big cuppa tea drinker. 

    I believe that creating your signature style is a spiritual calling. It's about seeing yourself as God does and delighting in your own beauty and style.

    I'm specializing in color analysis and signature style for black women.

    As women of color, we often aren't analyzed correctly when we receive color analysis. And all of our lives, we have been given sometimes subtle, and sometimes more overt societal messages about not meeting the cultural standards of beauty.

    My mission is to help you discover, embrace and celebrate your own beauty and style. 

    Thanks for dropping by! I'll see you soon.

    Love, Jeanine

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2022
    December 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019

    Categories

    All 10x10 Challenge Capsule Guides Capsule Wardrobe Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette Casual Mom Capsule Wardrobe Celebrity Women Of Color Clear Dominant Closet Detox Color Analysis Color Analysis For Black Skin Color Analysis For Women Of Color Cool Dominant Daily Uniform Deep Dominant Fall Capsule Wardrobe Fashion Mood Board French Capsule Wardrobe French Minimalist Style Gamine Capsule Wardrobe Gamine Style Homebody Outfit Formula Light Dominant Loungewear Capsule Wardrobe Mini Capsule Mini-capsule Mini Capsule Wardrobe Outfit Formula Outfit Formula Capsule Wardrobe Process Outfit Formula Ideas Personalized Color Palette Plus Sized Gamine Capsule Wardrobe Plus-sized Gamine Capsule Wardrobe Signature Style Soft Dominant Spring Capsule Wardrobe Style Challenge Style Personality Tonal Color Analysis Virtual Style Day Warm Dominant Winter Capsule Wardrobe

    RSS Feed


    Disclosure: I sell my own color analysis and signature style services, but am also an affiliate for Fashion Meets Faith. If I color analyze you, and you decide to purchase fabric color swatches or other products through my affiliate link, I will make a commission, for which I will be grateful. :)