There was a time when I was probably the most fashionable girl in college.
At least, that's how I liked to think of myself.
I loved putting outfits together.
I followed trends.
I experimented with different styles.
Getting dressed felt fun.
Then I started working.
I gained weight.
And somewhere along the way, the girl who enjoyed fashion slowly turned into someone who wore the same safe outfits on repeat.
Not because I stopped liking clothes.
But because I stopped knowing how to dress myself.
Then I gained weight.
And suddenly, none of the rules I thought I understood about fashion seemed to apply anymore.
The outfits I used to wear didn't feel the same.
The brands I loved didn't fit the same.
The styles I automatically reached for didn't look the same.
And if I'm being honest, I spent a long time feeling frustrated about it.
Not because my body had changed.
But because I didn't know how to dress this version of myself.
Looking back now, I think that's where my real personal style journey began.
Not when I was wearing the smallest size of my life.
But when I had to stop relying on old fashion habits and start understanding what actually worked for me.
Fashion Isn't Just Crop Tops And High-Waisted Jeans
If social media has taught us anything, it's that every fashion trend eventually starts looking the same.
Open Instagram and you'll see endless versions of:
- Crop tops.
- High-waisted jeans.
- Oversized shirts.
- Chunky sneakers.
- Minimal jewellery.
And for a long time, I genuinely believed that was what looking stylish meant.
Because that's what we were constantly shown.
But one of the biggest lessons weight gain and fashion taught me is that personal style isn't about recreating somebody else's outfit formula.
It's about understanding your own body.
There was a point where I kept trying to wear outfits simply because they were trendy.
Not because they suited me.
Not because they were comfortable.
Not because they reflected my style.
Just because everyone else seemed to be wearing them.
Most of them never felt like me.
Weight gain forced me to stop chasing aesthetics and start paying attention to fit.
Because no trend looks good if you're uncomfortable wearing it.
Nobody Talks About How Important Fit Actually Is
I used to think finding the right size was enough.
Now I know better.
Because finding the right size and finding the right fit are two completely different things.
One of the most frustrating things I've experienced while shopping is finding something that technically fits.
The bust fits perfectly.
The waist fits perfectly.
But the armholes?
Massive.
Almost as if the designer assumed that if your bust size increases, everything else automatically doubles too.
I can't tell you how many tops, kurtas, and dresses I've put back because of this exact issue.
That's when I realized many brands still don't understand how different women's proportions can be.
A garment can fit your body and still fit badly.
That's a lesson I wish more people talked about.
Because fashion after weight gain isn't just about sizing up.
It's about finding clothes designed with your proportions in mind.
If You Hate High-Waisted Bottoms, You're Going To Struggle
This is probably my most controversial fashion opinion.
I know people either love high-waisted jeans or absolutely hate them.
But if you've experienced weight gain around your stomach area, regular-rise jeans can become a full-time job.
- Constant pulling.
- Constant adjusting.
- Constant checking.
- Constant discomfort.
I spent years refusing to buy high-waisted trousers because I didn't think they were for me.
Now I understand why they're popular.
Not because they're trendy.
Because they're practical.
- The right pair creates support.
- The right pair stays in place.
- The right pair allows you to move comfortably.
Comfort matters.
Probably more than trends.
The Most Underrated Fashion Purchase Is A Good Bra
If there's one thing weight gain taught me, it's that the wrong bra can ruin an entire outfit.
You can have:
- The perfect kurta.
- The perfect dress.
- The perfect top.
- The perfect shirt.
And somehow everything still looks slightly off.
For the longest time, I blamed the clothes.
Turns out, the problem was often underneath them.
The wrong bra changes proportions.
The wrong bra changes how fabric sits.
The wrong bra changes how structured clothing falls on your body.
The right bra, on the other hand, can completely transform how an outfit looks.
And yet it's something so many of us overlook.
We spend thousands on clothes.
Then wear them with bras that should have been replaced years ago.
Not Every Kurta Is Meant For Every Body
This realization genuinely changed how I shop.
There was a time when I thought if I liked a kurta, it should automatically work for me.
Apparently not.
- Some kurtas make me look taller.
- Some make me look shorter.
- Some create shape.
- Some remove it completely.
- Some feel elegant.
- Some make me feel like I've borrowed someone else's clothes.
Once I stopped focusing on whether I liked the kurta and started focusing on whether it liked me back, shopping became much easier.
The truth is, not every silhouette works for every person.
That's not a flaw.
That's just styling.
Fashion after weight gain taught me that understanding silhouettes is far more valuable than understanding trends.
Weight Gain Forced Me To Build Body Confidence Differently
For a long time, I thought body confidence would arrive once I lost weight.
Once I reached a certain number.
Once I fit into a certain size.
Once I looked like an older version of myself.
But that day never came.
Because confidence doesn't magically appear at a goal weight.
It has to exist in the present too.
You deserve clothes that fit you now.
You deserve outfits that make you feel good now.
You deserve style now.
Not ten kilos later.
Not six months later.
Now.
The moment I stopped treating my current body like a temporary inconvenience, everything started changing.
Including my relationship with fashion.
Personal Style Isn't About Looking Smaller
For years, I thought styling was about creating the illusion of being thinner.
Now I think styling is about creating the feeling of being yourself.
Those are very different goals.
One comes from insecurity.
The other comes from confidence.
When I stopped asking:
"Does this make me look slimmer?"
And started asking:
"Do I feel good wearing this?"
Fashion became a lot more enjoyable.
And a lot less exhausting.
What Weight Gain Really Taught Me About Personal Style
Looking back, weight gain changed a lot more than my clothing size.
It changed how I shop.
How I think about trends.
How I understand fit.
How I approach body confidence.
How I define personal style.
Today, I don't think personal style is about following fashion rules.
I think it's about understanding yourself.
- Understanding your lifestyle.
- Understanding your body.
- Understanding what makes you feel comfortable.
- Understanding what makes you feel confident.
Personal style isn't something you find when your body is perfect.
Personal style is something you build while learning to accept the body you have right now.
And honestly?
That's a much more meaningful journey than fitting into an old pair of jeans.