How to dress up Rubenesque figures.

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Byline: Apples Aberin Sadhwani

I DON'T know how else to say this so I guess I'll just be blunt. I am extremely overweight! No, not just chubby, fleshy or pleasantly plump, but rather, Oprah-like at her biggest! My problem is that I can't find any ready-to-wear fashionable clothes in the local market. Oftentimes, I find tent- or parachute-like designs that make me feel like a blimp!

I would like to feel and look stylish and feminine, in spite of my size. Do you have any advice on how I should dress or choose my clothes? Can you also recommend stores where I can find plus-sized fashionable clothing?

"Oprah at her biggest" was always dressed fashionably, so take your cue from her. She is wise enough to know that style goes beyond body types and that attitude coupled with a basic fashion sense are what count.

She probably has a battery of stylists, you might think. Well, it's probably true, but without the confidence and ease that she constantly projects (whether she's at her thinnest or most blimp-like), the clothes she wears would be nothing but rags.

To help you out, I've assembled your own team of stylists, so to speak, to give you tips on how to dress up your Rubenesque figure, where to shop for fashionable plus-sized clothing and to remind you that it's really all in the attitude.