I’m sure you’ve experienced this same scenario:

You’ve probably shopped till you dropped trying to find clothes that fit, aren’t too tight, and aren’t too revealing. Why is it that you fit in one size at one store and three sizes larger in another? There’s no streamlined measurements, no consistency, and no satisfaction of swiping your card for the perfect outfit.

Over time, I’ve realized the trick is to find a style of dress, for example, that suits your shape. Don’t worry about the size. Don’t worry about the number. Just know what style you’re looking for.

I’m going to use a dress an an example because they are flirty and feminine, and I love wearing them.

So, both my mother and I have an hourglass shape. She gifted me with er, how shall I say it, a bit of junk in the trunk. I’ll wear a tight fitting dress every now and then because heck, I’m young and I can get away with it. But most of the time for day to day wear, I try to not draw attention to my rear end and prefer dresses with long flowy bottoms.

This is a great solution for me. Every time I order a dress with a tighter fitting top and a flowy bottom, I know it’s going to fit. There’s no ordering two sizes and sending one back online. It’s always a go. Basically, I’m saying I know what size the top half of me is. My bottom half (which fluctuates depending on my m&m intake) is another story.

So my recommendation is to try on a few different styles of dresses. Once you find the cut and style you like, stick with it like an old friend.

Here are four that I recently saw on Modcloth that I know would fit if I ordered them today, and that’s such a nice feeling!