Fashion Feature: Jeans

~*~Jeans!~*~

This is basically what my jeans look like! They're Opal Low Rise Jeans from Charlotte Russe. They're pretty low on my waist, but they worked with my brace well. Low rise jeans are probably the best choice for a brace. The only problem I had was that if I bent straight over, the back of my jeans would pop under my brace.

They fit me really well, and I still wear them! As long as I had a shirt that was long enough to cover the back, I was fine.  

 

Flare, Bootcut, Skinny... it shouldn't make a difference. It's only the very top that matters! The rest can look however you want. 

What NOT to wear:

Jeggings! These would make it sooo much easier to see your brace. (And they're not very flattering anyway.)

Nicole Marquez - True Inspiration

Nicole Marquez is a dancer from Mississippi who was living in New York until she accidentally fell 6 floors outside her apartment, and wasn't discovered for days. She came to speak to my school last year. Some teachers knew her, and we had all been praying for her for months.

When she spoke at out school, I was amazed at her absolute determination to get her life back.

Here's her amazing story:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThCK-93wAME

Good News!

     A few days ago, I went in to my doctor for my four-month check-up like usual. I had been wearing my brace 8 hours a day (so I just slept in it). My back had been really sore lately, so I was expecting to be told I would have to wear the brace full time again. 

     But instead, he told me that I was done with the brace. For good.

     So, I'm out of my brace!!!!! I got it a month before 8th grade, and got it off four months into 10th grade. That's about two years with a scoliosis back brace. When I got the news, I just couldn't stop smiling.

     It's been hard. I've cried a lot and I've gotten angry, but I've also smiled and been thankful. I believe that God only puts us in situations that we have the strength to handle. And I have proven to myself that I have the strength to handle scoliosis and all that comes with it.  Here are a few things I've learned and would like to pass on to you:
     1.) Walk with confidence. You are you, and if anyone has a problem with that, well, screw them. They can just deal with it, can't they? ;)
     2.) Listen to people when they tell you about their problems. Relate them to yours. You'll understand them better.
     3.) Let scoliosis make you better. Kind of an oxymoron, but if you let it bring you down, it's not your back that's failed you, it's your heart.
     4.) Learn to appreciate hugging people. And dancing like a lunatic. And simply standing up. 
     5.) Don't hold yourself in. Don't let emotions build up inside of you. If you are feeling bad, talk to someone. Find that one best friend (of group of friends) that you know will listen, and at least try to understand. 

     I will keep posting on this blog, because scoliosis is still a part of me. And just because I love doing it. If you ever want to talk, please email me! I would LOVE to hear from you!!

~*~Ava~*~ 

BoA

Singer/Dancer from Korea, BoA...I love her songs and videos, and when I came across this one, I realized that she's pretty much wearing a corset in this video, and still looks AWESOME dancing! If only I could look half that good even without my brace... :)
Enjoy the random video!
BoA Energetic

Keeping It Secret

Once again, Colee asked a great question that should be answered for everyone: How do you explain your brace to someone who hugs you and (usually VERY loudly) says "WHAT'S THAT?" (It's kind of funny how it happens exactly the same way every time. Their eyes get wide, they cock their heads to one side, they start to poke your brace, and then say it.)
Trust me, I've had to deal with this a lot. And it's usually been in a room filled with people that I don't want to know about my brace.
So, what do you do? I usually just shake my head and say "I'll tell you later," quietly. They'll get the message from your expression and tone of voice and nod and leave you alone. But after class or wherever it happened I pull them aside and say, "It's a back brace I have to wear for a while. I didn't tell you in there because I don't really want a lot of people to know. So could you please not tell anyone?"
Most people will apologize and not bring it up again. But then there are the people who think it's cool that you get to wear a plastic corset all the time, and they'll drum on it, or poke you, or say things like "Hey come feel Ava's rock hard abs...haha...plastic hard!" and totally put you in an awful situation. With these kind of people, you have to make it very clear that scoliosis is not some fun, easy thing, and they're offending you.
I'd like to say that after 2 years of wearing a back brace everywhere (I wear it 8 hours a day now), no one knew about it except my friends, family, and people that asked because of hugging, etc. It did not become a widely known fact around school, which was my goal.
One thing to remember when people ask you endless questions about your brace is that they just don't know. They're probably not trying to be mean or nosy, they're just curious and ignorant about it. I found that you have to kind of treat them like kindergarteners, you know? Always asking questions. And you have to be the kind, patient adult that explains everything in a simple way. :)

Colee's Comment

Colee commented on "Fashion Feature: Ruffled Skirts" asking how to get clothes for less money. I am on a budget for clothing too, because I usually pay for them myself (and I don't get an allowance). I usually shop at Charlotte Russe, an awesome store that has sales and inexpensive clothes all the time. I also shop at Rue 21, which has even more inexpensive clothes...they have $10, $8, and $3 sale racks! I've read about and seen online how cool Forever 21 is. My friend told me that she went to a Forever 21 and a whole floor was filled with $10 clothes. Sadly, we don't have one where i live :(. I also got some hand-me-downs from my cousin, like those blue shorts I'm wearing with the peasant blouse in the pictures. If you take time to look, thrift stores and second-hand stores have some finds too. I shop at Dillard's, Penney's, Wal-Mart... I'm always looking for sales and clearance items.
I hope this helped, Colee! Good luck at school!
~*~Ava~*~

www.charlotterusse.com
www.rue21.com
www.forever21.com

Underneath

Under my brace I wear Jockey camisoles this these:

They're smooth and stretchy and don't wrinkle under the brace.

For underwear, I had to get lowrise panties because anything else would get stuck under the edges of my brace.