Style & Dressing FAQs

Cancer can transform so many things, including how you see yourself and how you feel in your clothes. After so much change, wearing clothing that helps you feel like your favourite version of the new you can be empowering.

I believe when you are feeling disconnected from your body, it is a perfect time to drape it in clothing that is going to make you feel put together. And maybe that means treating ourselves to an amazing pair of PJs or great underwear.

The key place to start is with defining who you are right now and how you want to show up. You want to get super clear on your ideal style and what that looks like (and what it doesn’t).

My recommendation is to start a vision board of outfits that you resonate with. Don’t worry about the models matching you or your body at all, just think of them as mannequins. Start with searching by your style icon or a piece of clothing you used to love to wear, then save all the pictures you pause on.

Once you have 12 or more, take notice of similarities and pieces that you may already own. Use these as your recipes for style. Try shopping your own closet with them first and then take them in store to try them on. Then ask a friend or family member to use a few words to try and describe the style of your style vision board. This will help you get a sense of whether people are describing your style in a way that you want to be seen.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for this unfortunately. It depends on whether you want to draw attention to your flat chest or balance it. The key thing to think about here is your focal points. Where do you want the eye to be drawn?

If you are looking to add volume at the chest, breast pockets, high necklines or horizontal lines are great. If you would like to draw the eye towards the shoulders, puff sleeves, shoulder pads or epaulettes will work well. Prefer to draw the eye towards the waist? Belts, details or rises that end in the smallest part of your torso work well to show off your natural waist. If your legs are your favourite asset, then I suggest a more streamlined pant or lighter colours or patterns on the bottom.

I recommend using diagonals and focal points to balance your tummy area. Princess seams, ruched shirts or wrap dress are all examples of diagonals built right into clothing. You can also add them on with a blazer, cardigan, or jacket. When left open, they create great verticals and diagonals that carve out where we want people to look.

You want to decide where you want people to look and place your details there. Whether it is an accent colour, or pattern or maybe a detail like a pocket or bow, you can decide where the eye is drawn in any of your outfits.

It is always amazing to hear how many of my clients don’t know their body shape even though we live and dress our bodies every day. So, the best advice I can give, is to get to know your new body and what shape it is, then decide if you want to emphasize that shape and follow the lines or use clothes to create the illusion of a different shape.

For example, a person with an A body shape could decide to emphasize that A shape with tight tops and pants or create more of an X body shape by adding more volume on the top half with a puff shoulder and high neckline. Whatever styles you choose, try fabrics that mimic and follow the lines of your body.

I recommend fabrics and styles with stretch and drape to allow your clothes to adapt well to a changing body. You should also find a local tailor that you can trust. There are so many tricks to allow waistbands to be taken in and out (think of the elastic they put in kid’s clothes). Tailors are worth their weight in gold.

I recommend building a core capsule of pieces you love and feel great in. One layering piece, two bottoms, three tops and four accessories that all work together effortlessly. The key thing is to ensure that all the pieces match in colour and your ideal style.

I recommend a professional colour analysis for anyone who wants to identify the specific tones, tints or shades of the colours that work best for you. But there are a few tips or tricks that you can try at home as well.

Colour analysis palettes are broken up into cold and warm colours, so you can look at whether gold or silver compliments you to try and decipher which side you may belong on.

Another tip is to use an online makeup site to try on lipsticks in various hues to see what harmonizes with you and what washes you out. You can also check the description if you use a foundation or concealer to see if it describes your skin as warm, cold or neutral.

The key thing is to find fabrics that breath and don’t cling.

• 100% Cotton (organic would be great if possible): Soft and breathable, helping to keep skin cool and irritation down.
• Linen: Has great airflow and natural moisture wicking. It is ideal if your skin reacts to heat and sweat.
• Bamboo/bamboo-derived fabrics: Naturally smooth and antibacterial, it is often very comfortable on sensitive skin.
• TENCEL/Lyocell/Modal: Hypoallergenic, soft, and breathable with good moisture management.
• Silk (washable is great too): Has a light smooth surface that minimizes friction and irritation.

You’ll want to avoid anything that ties or zips or buttons along the back. Wrap tops or loose layering pieces are great. If you find any pieces you love with buttons or frustrating closures, you can also take them to your tailor to have velcro or magnets applied to make them easier to get on or off.

To feel as comfortable as possible when wearing compression garments or medical devices you’ll want to focus on fabrics that drape or flow over them rather than restrict you. I also recommend looking for natural fabrics that breath since the compression garments generally do not.

The best way to have a successful shopping trip is to shop with intention and with a list. That means taking stock of what you have at home and what you need. It also means checking out the stores stock online beforehand to plan what you are going to try on.

I recommend trying a capsule wardrobe so you can buy less but wear more. A capsule wardrobe is a small wardrobe that mixes and matches and multitasks. Every piece works with every other piece, so you can close your eyes, pick two pieces and know that they work together.