Were There Times in Your Life When You Felt Beautiful?

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I felt beautiful when I wore Picture Frame Hats. I thought that the large brim made me Grace Kelly like. So, I had a black Felt one, i was especially fond of and wore it with a nice black coat and nice leather gloves. A nice scarf would be showing under the coat, silk of course. This scene was a moment I felt beautiful.. I wore it to church.
God liked it. I wore this in my 20's. Hats don't wear out.

In summer I had a white picture frame hat that I wore with a pink gingham dress. I also wore it to church It came from a wedding where I was a bridesmaid. I loved it. We boxed this hat up when picture frame hats , all hats really, went bye bye.
I also wore that to church. Stunning was I. I was 16 at the time.

I have one other time, but I don't have time now to write about it.

What made you feel beautiful.?

 

[Ally T]

Care to share pictures? I love the sound of picture frame hats! That's not a term I have heard of before in the UK!

 

[nala]

When I look back on my pictures, I can appreciate how beautiful I was—does that count? But at the time, I rarely felt beautiful so I didn’t tinker with make-up or beauty tricks. I did find joy in clothes and would feel confident in certain outfits—but again—not beautiful.

 

[tyty333]

Yep, when I was younger!

I don't think I felt beautiful. I think I felt pretty!

 

[Bron357]

Same as @nala I look back on older photos and think, my goodness i was beautiful.
Sadly at the time I never really felt that. I was always “chasing fashion, chasing trends” due I guess to lack of self confidence. I had gone through a very very difficult time in my late teens and it took me many years to refind my feet.
that’s me, second from the left, late 20s.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I have never thought of myself as beautiful, more cute girl next door type. I felt beautiful on my wedding day though.

Here is a pic from a few years ago with my youngest son. P.S. don’t zoom in on the jewelry, this was before PS

 

[stracci2000]

I have never thought of myself as beautiful, more cute girl next door type. I felt beautiful on my wedding day though.

Here is a pic from a few years ago with my youngest son. P.S. don’t zoom in on the jewelry, this was before PS

Awwww! Both of you are gorgeous!!

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Thanks @stracci2000!

 

[GoldenTouch]

I felt beautiful when I was pregnant. I physically felt very rotten at times…. but I still felt beautiful. I loved all the curves & a big chest!
My skin was amazing as well.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I never felt beautiful growing up. It’s going to sound really shallow, but I only started feeling beautiful once I lost weight, but I wonder if it’s because I also took my mental health into hand at the same time.

 

[missy]

I have always (for the most part) felt comfortable in my own skin and yes there were times I felt more beautiful than other times. But no matter the decade I have been content with my appearance. Then again, I have always known inner beauty outweighs outer beauty many times over so I am grateful to my parents for instilling that in us that at a very young age.

I remember walking down the street one day (in my twenties) feeling especially pretty that day and I felt heads turn. I was happy to get home however as I don't like attention paid to me by strangers. By my loved ones (especially my DH) yes but not by strangers.

Ironically (one could argue youth *is* beauty) I have very few photos of me in my twenties. I didn't start taking photos til Greg brought home a mobile phone with a built in camera (I didn't have a cell phone before that) and insisted I use it. He was tired of not being able to get in touch with me lol. Anyway that is when I started taking photos. Before that nothing and I hated photos being taken of myself anyway. I still sort of feel that way but I realize how time flies and with each passing decade I want to capture what I can while I can...remember we will never look younger than we do today.


A very old photo of me in my 4th grade class picture.
I am sitting in the first row, center. Red tights.





Another old photo at my college dorm. I was 20.




In my 30s.





and skipping to now, my 50s.



I think there is potential beauty in everyone. As long as they are beautiful inside I truly see their outer beauty. I cannot separate the two once I get to know the person.



“Beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin. It's about knowing and accepting who you are.” “True beauty is not related to what color your hair is or what color your eyes are. True beauty is about who you are as a human being, your principles, your moral compass.”

 

[Austina]

No, I’ve never felt beautiful. When your own parents refer to you as “Plain Jane”, well ...................

I think there are times when I’ve felt reasonably attractive, but I’m realistic enough to know there’s no way I could be described as beautiful in a conventional sense.

 

[chrono]

Never felt beautiful, pretty, cute or any other positive adjective. I naively prayed every night that I might grow up to be passably decent.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

@missy wonderful point about inner beauty. I’ve often found that I find others in my life more beautiful once I get to know their personalities and I grow to love them. I wonder why we are so critical with ourselves while still being full of praise for others?

Looking back, I remember the first time I felt beautiful. My best friend at the time was getting into photography and she needed a model to practice on. She asked me to help out and I agreed despite being apprehensive. Most of the pictures showed me looking uncomfortable and awkward and all I could focus on was my arms or my thighs or my stomach. But there was one picture, taken at an extreme close up, where all you can see are my eyes and hair through the gaps in the foliage. She asked me to stand there so I was half hidden so I would be more comfortable. And then asked me to think about someone I loved. It is a lovely picture, and I don’t even recognise myself in it.

I think we are most beautiful when we are happy, comfortable, or in the company of those we love.

 

[rainydaze]

I feel beautiful when I am comfortable - either comfortable and feeling good in my clothing (a must for me as I am incredibly tactile-sensitive, which usually doesn't translate to looking stylish or sharp) or mentally comfortable (in the presence of people I feel good/at ease around, or doing something that makes me feel good).

I also feel beautiful when I wear mascara - silly little thing, but for some reason that boosts my feel-good-about-myself-factor a lot. And when I am having an easy, good-hair day. Crazy how much having my hair cooperate and look good boosts my mood!

So I guess for me it's not 'a time in my life' but rather a rolling thing. Some days, moments, I feel beautiful, others I do not, but it evolves with me. Sure I look back at pictures of younger me and think 'wow, I did not appreciate my appearance back then!' but overall I see beauty in all ages and so far I have been able to apply that to myself as well. (By no means do I fit the standard US definition of beautiful. Just an average gal, who has better days than others both in terms of inner beauty and outer beauty and who can appreciate all the varieties of beauty including beautiful-for-me.)

ETA: I usually have several blemishes on my face/neck. I have tried all kinds of products, but I can never quite achieve completely clear skin. On the rare occasions where my face has been clear or mostly clear I feel beautiful, glowing. If only it would last!

 

[elizat]

No, not really. I can't say that I ever have. Not in the past and certainly not now.

 

[VRBeauty]

There have been times when I’ve felt confident in my appearance. I think there were times when I felt beautiful when I was younger, but those have largely faded from memory.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

Alex, think large Floppy wide brimmed beach Hats meant to shield you from the sun.. Think other fabrics and you have a Picture Frame Hat. I used to wear sunglasses as well, winter or summer. What a look! Movie Stars, move over.

Bron you were beautiful. Yada Yada Yadas tag line expresses a wonderful sentiment about the good ole days..

I do not know when I show my inner beauty, I was writing about when we feel we look beautiful. I kinda expected more people would say "Wedding Day". And we don't have to really be beautiful. I certainly am not.

Annette

 

[TooPatient]

Deleted a long answer that was beneficial for me to type but unnecessary to post. Short answer is no. Not ever. Not even for my wedding.

 

[dk168]

When I reached my 40s some time ago, I became more confident in myself and cared less about what others would think of me in appearance or otherwise.

When I reached my 50s a few years ago, I cared even less about what others may think of me, and felt my days of having to do anything in order to make my CV/resumé look good was over.

I value health over appearance, and shall not deprive myself of the pleasures I get from good food and drinks in moderations.

I am confident in myself and my own abilities, and would like to believe it shows outwardly.

DK

 

[AprilBaby]

I feel more beautiful now in my 60’s than ever. I weigh more than ever but I’m happy. Give me a tube of red lipstick and I look amazing!

 

[Jambalaya]

Ha, well, back when I was young and weighed 110 pounds (I'm 5.3.5), I was also very aware that I had frizzy orange hair and crappy clothes. And I certainly don't feel beautiful at my current weight. (Have lost eight pounds in the last month, tho!)

So no, I don't remember a time when I felt beautiful, but I certainly felt better thinner!

 

[FL_runner]

I feel beautiful most of the time even though objectively I’m pretty average and now middle aged. I was always more cute/girl next door looks wise but very athletic and in good shape (totally in the “covid 15 club” from stress related weight gain right now and hating it tho ) I don’t photograph well, always accidentally making some sort of face but usually because I’m laughing or just enjoying the moment. I’m usually pretty comfortable with myself and focused more on other people.

 

[stracci2000]

I felt beautiful today when a lady approached me to say that she loved my graying hair!

 

[bright&shiny]

I used to feel beautiful most of the time. But then: the tough aftermath of a divorce, recovering from open heart surgery, marrying into a family that doesn’t particularly care for me, turning 50 and then more health issues…. I rarely feel attractive at all, much less beautiful. I’m hopeful I will again some day, but maybe it’s not so important anymore. Amazing how fleeting beauty really is - even if only the belief in ones own beauty….

 

[Beautiful-disaster]

Yes. But a lot of things have to come together for this to happen. I can present very well easily as I have a slim figure and a very impressive closet …. But it takes more then clothes and a hairdresser to make me *feel* beautiful.
I feel beautiful when I’m on a cruise to the pacific islands. I’m relaxed, tanned, well fed and rested, entertained and generally in my happy place.
I love this picture of us because we are genuinely happy (I have little to no makeup on) and we both look and feel great.

 

[Calliecake]

@YadaYadaYada , You look beautiful and your son is adorable! The picture beams happiness.


@Beautiful-disaster, You look glowing!!! You both look beautiful.

 

[doberman]

John F Kennedy would make a joke about how on the political trail he had to listen to other candidates one by one talk about how they had come up the hard way. So he, the son of a multi-millionaire, would get up to the microphone and start off by saying "Hi, I'm the one who didn't come up the hard way". He had a great sense of humor.

Well I'm the one that didn't come up the hard way. I was always beautiful, and I. From the age of 16 on, I was made very aware of how I looked to other people. I was literally the woman who walked into a room and conversation stopped. So many weird things happened to me because of my appearance.

I'm older now but there are times things happen that weird me out. We met my son's fiance's parents a couple years ago and her mother said 'Doberman-son, you didn't tell me that your mother is so beautiful and gorgeous!". It was very kindly meant, because she is a great person, but I still felt that little frisson of anxiety.

 

[Jambalaya]

So many weird things happened to me because of my appearance.

That doesn't sound so fun! What happened?? I'd have thought being a beauty would be fun. And, can we see a picture of you in your glory days? I hope you made some money on the side as a model! I'd have tried, in your shoes. Better than waitressing!

Maybe there's something in here that you can relate to. I thought it was an interesting read about what it's like to go through life as a really beautiful woman. Did you have the same experiences as the writer with other women, when you were younger?

https://www.thecut.com/2018/04/what-its-like-to-be-a-really-beautiful-woman.html

 

[CoffeeAndDiamonds]

When I moved to Ireland in my twenties, all of a sudden my midwestern all-American girl looks suddenly jumped up a couple points on the attractiveness scale. It was really odd, and for the first few weeks I felt out of place and that I must have spilled something on myself since so many men were staring at me. I didn't like it, and am much happier here at home blending in at casually pretty lol.