Fringe, Pleats and Curves

By Courtney Marshall
On Jun 28, 2015

This post appears in the Fringe Benefits campaign.

Although I would kill for warm weather once we hit January, the start of Spring and thought of an inevitable bikini season, always brings out my self-conscious side. Snow aside, Winter means big sweaters, thick scarves and the ability to hide anything excess hanging out since pulling the Christmas cookies out of the oven.Shopping for new Spring clothes is always a treat, but this year I was more hesitant to bare my bomber jacket to try on a crop top.

I had been feeling the effects of some extra Winter weight for weeks, avoiding my reflection and wearing heels constantly to elongate my torso. Being someone who isn't afraid to give myself a swift kick in the ass when needed, I recently decided to suck it up and also give myself a good hard look in the mirror. It was then that I formed a new appreciation for my curves, for the first time seeing myself as a woman instead of a petite twenty-something who constantly gets mistaken for a high school student.

For this post, Tammy and I happened to shoot at a location consisting of many mirror-glass windows. I couldn't help notice how prominent my curves were in this outfit, with my belted mid-section and pleated Maxi skirt. My initial reaction was to inquire about Tammy's Photoshop skills, but stopped myself, remembering to embrace my appearance.

So bring on the shorts, skirts and swimwear! I might not have the abs to accent my favorite bikini, but I did have some good damn cinnamon rolls for breakfast that were well worth the calories!