Susan Moses - The Art of Dressing Curves

CONTENTS

1. Body Talk
   YOUR REFLECTION IS PERFECTION
2. Shapewear
   JUST BREATHE!
3. Bras
   THE MIRACLE WORKERS
4. Wardrobe Essentials
   FIFTEEN TIMELESS PIECES FOR EVERY BODY TYPE
5. Fashion Myths Debunked
   STYLE KNOWS NO SIZE
6. Your Style Personality
   YOU HAVE TO BE YOU
7. Accessories
   THE STYLE MAKERS
8. Glamour
   THE ULTIMATE ESSENTIAL

Courtesy of Susan Moses.

To my parents, Theodore and Virginia Moses, and my grandparents Thomas and Susie Butler for their love for one another and for me

I M HONORED TO WRITE THE FOREWORD TO THE ART OF DRESSING CURVES BY MY DEAR friend and curvy fashion confidante Susan Moses. In these pages she shares the knowledge and unique sensibility that has made her a highly successful, respected, and in-demand stylist in the industryher ability to create art through fashion for every woman she dresses. Guaranteed, this important homage to all curvaceous women is the style bible for those who want the most out of life and to look their best getting it.

The publication of this book marks a time to celebrate, to leave the past behind and welcome the new breath of fresh air coming into fashion today for women with curves. In your hands is a wealth of invaluable advice to draw upon, whether youre getting ready for your moment in the suna cocktail party, a first date, or a job interviewor just dressing your sexy self for the day. For many curvaceous women, pulling together the look of the moment without being too trendy, pairing garments in the right colors for their skin tone, and adding a pinch of spice to keep things interesting without crossing the line for their size has long been a daunting and frustrating experience, for the industry has only recently acknowledged the fashion-consciousness of the millions of curvaceous women worldwide. So when I say that this book is not just another style guide but a vehicle that will propel you into the world of fashion in the close company of your most encouraging, fabulously dressed, very funny, longtime friend Susan Moses, I mean it.

I have been blessed to work with Susan for nearly two decades, but I feel weve known each other even longer. Being dressed by the well-respected and always in-high-demand Divine Miss M helped me set the stage early in my career as the worlds first curvy supermodel. With her guidance, I was able to project an inspiring image time and time again while posing for magazine covers and hosting television shows. She helped make it possible for me to hit the high notes, break down boundaries, unravel perceptions, and reframe the curvy conversation in the media. With her go there attitude, Susans seemingly effortless way of pairing this with that always made it possible for me to make a statementand the ability to do that only comes with many years of experience and an innately keen eye.

A visionary, Susan saw the white space for women with curves and filled it within the marketplace in her singular way. I have seen Susan weave her magic on set, making a model into an industry name and helping a brands garment sell out on television. I love hearing her exclaim Why not? while hidden behind a full rack of clothing, and I love watching her intense expression as her mind whirls while shes pulling looks together. Shes always up for trying new thingsand that attitude sets her apart from those who play it safe or are just not sure how to dress curvy models. In fact, shes always taken chances, and that has made her a standout in the fashion industry, which has embraced her new ideas. Within the close-knit fashion and entertainment circles, Susan is regarded as an berstylist and the fashion queen of self-acceptance.

In The Art of Dressing Curves, your wish is Susans command. All her tricks of the trade for the women she servespop music and R & B darlings, country music royalty, and Hollywood icons, whom she styles for magazine editorials and advertising as well as for red-carpet, stage, television, and award-show appearancesare offered here, ready for you to apply to your own life. Every chapter provides the inside scoop on what makes these women look fantastic so you can too.

Susan helps you understand your shape and connects emotionally, realistically, and adventurously to what your inner fashionista has to sayand then allows her to finally come forth. Whatever your styleclassicist, sophisticate, minimalist, maverick, or bohemianSusans got you covered. By absorbing her sage advice, your current fashion dilemmas will become nonissues as she shows you how to create a wardrobe that is compatible with both your body type and style mood on any given day. And since a girl can never have too many bags or shoes, Susan shares tips for finding those as well.

With The Art of Dressing Curves, you are in the best of hands. You can trust Susans years of experience to stretch your limits, to show you the essentials every curvy woman needs for her closet, and to keep you in line from day to night, week after week, and for any special occasion. Susans most precious style gems, offered in everyday language, sans fashionista jargon, help you to understand that fashion is not just about loving clothes, its about knowing how to wear them.

A final word before you begin: guard your copy of this gorgeous book well. Once friends and family see how fabulous you look, theyll want to borrow your copypermanently!

EMME

I WAS A LARGE BABY. WHEN I WAS BORN, I WEIGHED EIGHT POUNDS, SIX OUNCES, AND was twenty-one inches long, to be exact. In fact, my mother has told me that when I was only one day old, I looked more like one month. Whenever I look at my baby pictures, my pure innocence always speaks to me: there I was, just entering the world with no frame of reference for life, with no idea of what my gender, looks, race, and size would mean for me. I was a beautiful blank canvas waiting to be painted with all of lifes colors.

And life delivered. When I was three and a half, my father died of kidney disease, which ignited a deep fear in me. I became very anxious about losing my mother and grandparents too; if I lost them, I realized I would be alone, with no one to love me. My mother and grandparents did much to make my siblings and me feel secure. At home my mother made sure to give each of us personal time and encouraged us to pursue our interests. We spent every summer in South Carolina with our grandparents, who lavished us with the same love and care we received at home. I am named for my grandmother and was very close to her. Then when I was eleven years old she died too. I was devastated.

July 25, 1964: Here I am at one day old.

Courtesy of Susan Moses.

My father, with his kind and gentle demeanor, always shown in a generous smile, and my grandmother, with her soft-spoken elegance, were always reliable sources of love and comfort. Their deaths, so early in my life, were painful. I didnt know how to manage my anguish, and from an early age I sought comfort in food, despite the fact that my mother stayed strong and was always there for us.

By the time I was twelve, my relationship with food became evident in my clothing size. Growing up in the Bronx, I was able to withstand the occasional teasing about my weight from kids on the playground or in class, thanks to my quick wit and the positive reinforcement I received at home from my motheropenly discussing my weight, exercising with me, and providing a healthy dietself-esteem and confidence were never an issue. In fact, I didnt experience any serious negativity regarding my weight until the end of sixth grade, when I was eleven. My teacher told my best friend to deliver the message that if I didnt lose weight before I entered middle school I wouldnt have any friends. In one sentence everything my mother had worked so hard to instill in me was shattered. I cried profusely as I relayed the incident to her. To this day I believe the depth of my pain came from the fact that it was my teacher who said such an awful thing, because she was the person I expected to uplift and encourage me, not break me down. After my mother paid her a visit, the teacher apologized, but the damage was already done. I no longer looked at myself with the same level of confidence, and long after her apology that cruel message played over and over in my head, leading to yo-yo dieting, an obsession with the scale, and, eventually, bulimia.