On Saturday, April 4, 2009, I attended TWSHF’s Reclaiming Healthy Intimacy, Passion and Pleasure seminar as a supporter of the event. I decided to sponsor the seminar because I am a firm believer of women empowering women, and I have to admit I was a bit curious: I had never heard about an organization dedicated to educate women about their sexual health before. The other co-host of the event was Columbia University Medical Center New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.
I was very impressed by the speakers' insightful and inspiring presentations. In particular, Dr Hilda Hutcherson really hit me when she identified body image as one of the issues women are facing in the process of reclaiming healthy intimacy. As a personal stylist, I help my clients explore, understand and make the most of their unique beauty. Dr Hutchinson made me realize an aspect of my work I had never really envisioned before: reclaiming your inner beauty is part of the process of reclaiming healthy intimacy.
The most important aspect in the process of reclaiming your inner beauty is to embrace who you are inside and out, and be proud of your unique beauty. Every woman is beautiful; unfortunately, some of us don't realize it or don't understand it. I believe in empowering women by giving them the tools to understand it, own it and trust it. Remembering the five principles below will definitely help you in this process.
Start focusing on your strengths
Because we live in a society where the media constantly remind us that we are not perfect, women tend to focus on their perceived flaws and lose their best assets in the process of hiding what they feel uncomfortable about. Those ‘perfect’ beauty standards are not a reflection of real women, because truth is, there are no standards, and perfection is a very subjective notion. We are all unique and beautiful. It is all about understanding your shape and dressing to suit it.
Fit matters, not size
Sizes fluctuate from one brand to another and from one cut to another. Even if it feels like navigating in a jungle, make sure the fit is always right whatever the size is. You will look more put together and leaner. Keep in mind that wearing larger or smaller sizes tends to make you look larger than you actually are.
Fabulous at every age
Accept your age and dress to suit it. Dressing younger than your age generally makes you look older. Besides, there is nothing sexier than a woman who embraces her age instead of fighting it. In the same vein, wearing clothes that are coming from another decade will age you.
The right color is your best friend
Some colors just relate to your personal coloring and make you look healthier, younger, slimmer and brighter. They also make you FEEL healthier, younger, slimmer and brighter. Other colors bring out all the flaws in your faces and can overwhelm you, so that people barely see you.
Love what you see in the mirror
If you do, you will feel confident and powerful!
Reclaiming your inner beauty is truly a self-discovery journey of self-acceptance and style-improvement that will lead you to a confident and dazzling you. So don’t be afraid, because this process will certainly be an exciting and rewarding adventure!
Silfath Pinto is the founder of Sense Your Style, LLC, an image consulting and personal style consultancy for men and women. She developed a unique approach, The Style Therapy, to help her clients build a stylish yet smart wardrobe that brings out the best in them, boosts their self-confidence and supports their goals, personal and professional. To read more about Ms. Pinto and her company, go to http://www.senseyourstyle.com/.
Link to blog: http://twshf.blogspot.com/2009/04/guest-blogger-reclaiming-your-inner.html