Where Did the Idea of “Flattering Clothes” Come From?
As a woman, the concept of “flattering” fits and styles in fashion is a concept we’re all familiar with but have you ever questioned it? In this blog we're going to debunk "flattering" fashion and instead show you four ways you can fill your wardrobe with feel good fashion, including sustainable fashion tips such as shopping second hand and fashion rental.
Historically, clothing was designed to emphasise certain parts of women’s bodies as a show of social class and beauty standards at the time. For example, in the 18th and 19th centuries, garments such as corsets, structured bodices and layered skirts were used to create highly structured silhouettes. Personal preference and comfort were at the bottom of the pecking order!
But it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that the idea of “flattering” truly became a mainstream part of women’s fashion culture to the levels we see now. Women’s magazines, department stores and globalised fashion retailers began offering guidance on how to dress for specific body shapes.
Gok Wan’s fashion fix jumps to mind when we hear the phrases “hourglass” “pear” and “apple” with regards to women’s bodies. The emergence of women’s body categories was designed to make shopping easier. The goal was to help women choose clothes that would create a visually balanced silhouette.
While these guidelines helped make ready-to-wear fashion more accessible to all body types, they were also shaped by narrow beauty ideals. The concept of flattering clothes became closely tied to achieving a particular look, rather than reflecting individual style or comfort.
Flattering vs Feel Good: What’s the Difference?
Flattering clothes are typically chosen based on how they visually shape or enhance the body based on a set of manufactured ideals on how certain clothes should fit each body type, rather than how the outfit or piece of clothing makes you feel.
Feel good clothing, on the other hand, prioritises the wearer’s experience. This includes comfort, confidence and personal identity. Rather than asking “Does this make me look slimmer or taller?”, the focus shifts to “Do I feel comfortable and like myself in this?”
The two approaches are not mutually exclusive. A piece of clothing can be both flattering and feel good. However, relying solely on flattering guidelines can narrow your options, whereas focusing on feel good choices often opens up a wider range of styles and allows you to tap into your own personal style without worry of sticking to made up rules.
4 Tips for Choosing Feel Good Women’s Clothes
Prioritise comfort and wearability
Comfort plays a key role in how often clothes are worn. Women’s clothes that feel restrictive, scratchy or difficult to move in are less likely to become wardrobe staples, regardless of how flattering they may appear, ultimately leading to them wasting away at the back of your wardrobe or worse, in landfill.
Focus on breathable fabrics such as cotton, linen or wool blends, and look for cuts that allow ease of movement. Whether it’s a relaxed fit dress or a well-cut pair of trousers, elasticating waistbands, comfort directly impacts confidence and wearability.
Whoever said that comfortable clothes can’t be stylish was lying through their teeth! Advancements in fashion production and textiles allows even the most fashionable pieces to be comfortable to wear. Clothing that feels good on you is more likely to be worn repeatedly, helping reduce unnecessary purchases and fashion waste.
Choose clothes that make you feeeel
In the way that a certain song can take you straight back to a particular moment in your life and make you feel something indescribable, choose clothes that do the same. Creating an emotional connection with your clothes guarantees that your wardrobe will be a beacon of joy.
When getting dressed in the morning, you want your clothes for that day to brighten up your morning. Choosing clothes purely on how they look in the eyes of other people, regardless of how they make you feel, won’t bring you any joy. Instead, you’ll find yourself on a winless quest to make other people feel, instead of yourself.
Experiment beyond “flattering” rules with fashion rental
Many traditional flattering guidelines encourage sticking to specific shapes, colours or silhouettes to suit your body shape, essentially discouraging the experimentation of new styles. Experimenting with feel good fashion when you’ve only ever focused on buying the same styles based on “flattering” rules, doesn’t have to cost the earth.
One of our favourite ways to try new styles, prevent fashion waste and save money is fashion rental. Online fashion rental platforms such as ByRotation and HURR allow you to try new styles, fits and brands without the commitment of buying. A great way to do this is to pick an upcoming event, a wedding, special birthday or holiday and choose a rental outfit for that occasion by focusing only on what you think will make you feel good as opposed to what will look flattering.
This approach gives you the freedom to try before you buy and prevents fashion waste. Discovering new styles that you feel good in takes time, experimentation and a few risks!
Choose second hand clothes for variety
Beyond fashion rental of the most practical ways to move beyond flattering fashion rules is to shop second hand clothes. Second hand shopping offers access to a much wider range of styles, eras and brands than typical high street and fast fashion collections.
Instead of being limited to current trends, second hand clothes allow you to explore different fits and silhouettes at a range of price points. This makes experimentation more accessible, without the pressure of investing in brand new pieces that may not suit your style long term.
The environmental benefits linked to second hand clothes is a huge added bonus that makes every preloved purchase have an added impact. Whilst the fashion industry produces millions of tonnes of textile waste each year, with a significant amount ending up in landfill, by choosing second hand, you are extending the life of existing garments and reducing demand for new production.
Find feel good preloved fashion
Final Thoughts
Flattering clothes have long shaped the way women approach fashion, offering guidance on fit, proportion and styling. While these ideas helped simplify shopping in the past, they were built on standardised sizing and narrow beauty ideals that are completely out of touch with how women view their bodies and personal style in the modern day.
Shifting towards feel good clothing creates more flexibility in how you build your wardrobe. Whether that’s prioritising comfort, experimenting with new styles through rental or exploring second hand clothes, this approach allows for a more personal and practical way of dressing.
Rather than relying solely on outdated and impersonal flattering rules, combining both perspectives can help you create a wardrobe that not only looks good, but feels right to wear every day.
