Noted celebrity stylist Susan Moses knows a thing or two about dressing women with curves. And in her new style guide aptly titled, The Art of Dressing Curves, she reveals some of her best-kept secrets to looking fashionable at any size.

In this exclusive interview with MadameNoire, Moses speaks to the importance of women size 14 and up having a style guide of their own, the one fashion myth that needs to die, and the one item every curvy girl should have in their closet.

MadameNoire: So tell me, how did you end up as a stylist? And more specifically, how did you end up dressing women with curves?

Susan Moses: The way I got into the industry was different than most people because I was in school studying government and public administration. And while at school I became a plus-size model to make the ends meet. And I just kind of fell in love with fashion. I started with working behind the scenes as a dresser at different shows and fashion productions. I worked in retail. So I kind of worked in different aspects. And then I started styling, and I styled women who looked like me – that were curvy, full-figured, plus-size, whatever term you want to use. And I found my niche, and I stayed there because I felt that a lot of times, other stylists, or the fashion industry in general, didn’t understand how to dress a woman who is fuller. And clients are very comfortable with me because when I come in the room, they would understand that I understood what they needed.
MN: I noticed you mentioned all of the identifiers used to described women size 14 and up. Do you have a preference?

Moses: No, not really. I use them all.

MN: Okay, just checking. So, which celebrity clients have you styled that MN readers would recognize?

Moses: I spent about six years styling Queen Latifah. Kathy Bates. I worked with Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Wynonna Judd, Nikki Blonsky and Chaka Khan. I’ve been doing this for about 20 years.

In fact, Brandy was one of my very first big clients. I worked with Brandy for seven years.

And one of the reasons why I use the word “curvy” a lot is because all women have curves. I focus on the more curvaceous, but we all have curves. And from time to time, we all need a little support and a little shaping. And I think that all women basically have the same needs.

MN: Why did you decide to write The Art of Dressing Curves?

Moses: I had always wanted to write a book. But what drove it home for me was when I was on tour for Penningtons, which is the largest retailer in Canada for plus sizes. And during that time, I met so many women who had so many issues around getting dressed. They didn’t know what shapewear worked for their bodies, the type of bras that they should be wearing, what size bra they should be wearing. They were so caught up and thinking they shouldn’t be wearing florals, stripes and all white. And I was going “No, no, no!” That’s when I realized that it was time to write the book. Even when I’m in the store shopping, for some reason, women always come to me and ask me questions like, “Do you know where I can find this?” or “Do you know where I can find that?” or “Um, where did you get your outfit?” And that is when I knew it was time to write the book.

Not to mention that in America alone, over 67 percent of women wear a size 14 and up, and there was no style guide or fashion bible ever written for women who wore a size 14 and up. And when you think about it, the word “sexy” and “glamorous” or “fashionable” for the most part was never said in the same sentence with a curvy woman. So it is time to value all women equally. And raise the bar for fashion for women who are a size 14 and up.

MN: Wait, you’re saying there has never been a style guide for women size 14 and up before now?

Moses: No, not in doing my research. I called different colleges; I called around, and nobody had anything. And I think this is the first style guide written, and it is filled with over 250 fashion-forward photographs. But yeah, there was nothing in the market for us.

MN: The photographs are beautiful. And I see that supermodel Emme Aronson wrote the foreword to the book?

Moses: Emme, yes. She is the first plus-size supermodel, and she is a very good friend of mine. I was blessed to have her write the foreword for the book.

MN: What is the one thing that women with curves should understand about their personal styling?

Moses: That their size is never a roadblock to having great style. A lot of the things we see on the runway, it’s about knowing your body type is and finding the right silhouettes that work for your shape. It’s not about camouflaging your body or trying to make yourself look thinner. It’s about honoring your body with great clothes. And accepting yourself just as you are.

MN: In The Art of Dressing Curves, you focus a lot of your style advice around the five body types (the hourglass, the triangle, the inverted triangle, the rectangle and the oval). Why was that important?

Moses: In the past, when people have written anything regarding larger women or a woman size 14 or up, they wouldn’t even address it like we had different body types. And the result of that is what we saw in the stores. The clothing had no hanger appeal, and they were shapeless. So what that said to me was that they thought we were one body type and that we were all round or a circle.

All women have a shape, and every woman fits into one category of that body type (or even a combination of the two). So when you know your body type, it’s easier for you to get dressed.

MN: In addition to learning your body shape and dressing towards that, you are also a huge proponent of shapewear. In fact, you have an entire chapter dedicated to it. Why is shapewear a necessity? And shouldn’t we be scared of it?

Moses: First of all, today’s shapewear is made so comfortably. It breathes. It’s not like the shapewear our grandmothers wore with all of the boning and tight cinching. It’s a lot more comfortable and you can still get the same incredible results. I think that sometimes when we all put on a garment, we all could use a little smoothing and cinching. It makes you feel a little more secure. I talk about it in my workshops. I’m on my feet a lot – from traveling and standing – and I’m fuller in the bust. So wearing a control tank top makes me remember my posture, and gives me extra support and smoothing.

I think that all women should really have a good shapewear arsenal.

MN: Can you wear it every day, though?

Moses: Because of modern technology when it comes to great fabrication, you can wear shapewear every day and be comfortable. It comes in different weights now. It breathes. It moves. It’s not stiff. Most of them have a certain percentage of Lycra. And in the book, I also talk about the different levels of compression. Some shapewear is a little more heavy duty than others. It all depends on what you’re trying to achieve.

MN: In terms of shapewear, I know you advocate for an arsenal, but is there one particular piece every woman should have in their closet?

Moses: I think a good body briefer. It gives you a nice lift in the bust, smoothes out your back and your waist. And the tummy.

MN: In the book, you also debunk a number of fashion myths around things that curvier women should avoid. What is the one fashion myth you hope women with curves will completely erase from their consciousness?

Moses: You know, the one myth that has been really hard for women is swimwear. I think, right now, swimwear is beautiful; it is fashionable, and it is supportive. For so many years, it was really hard to find a good swimsuit with bust support. And that has totally changed. We should not be on the beach with an oversized T-shirt and ugly bathing suits underneath. There are so many options now.

The Art of Dressing Curves officially goes on sale April 16th. You can pre-order the book at Harpers Collins Publishing or other book distribution sites.

Originally Published on Madame Noire