My Outfit: Fall is here!

1. Dress - Goodwill

2. V-Neck Tshirt - Old Navy

3. Cardigan - Torrid

5. Tights - Torrid

6. Belt - Vintage, originally my moms.

7. Boots - Goodwill

Hello, you faithful followers that are still here after months of no posts! Maybe you are here just because you forgot I existed! Whatever the reason may be, I am so glad you are here. It has been a wonderful summer of fun and fashion! Fall has arrived with little warning and I am just not ready to say goodbye to my dresses!

Tights seem to be the key factor when transitioning from summer to fall. I am hoping to go to the local Torrid this week to stock up on fun tights.

I will try my best to start being more consistent with my blogging. In the mean time, feel free to share your tips for bringing your summer wardrobe into the fall. Happy Monday!

My Outfit: The Zebra Returns

What I Was Wearing:
1. Teal and Lace Vintage Top - Thrifted, gift from BFF
2. Zebra Cardigan ($39)- Lane Bryant
3. Skinny Jeans ($52) - Torrid
4. Classified Sandals ($19) - Shoe Carnival
5. Sequin Headband ($5.80)- For Love 21

I love that lace like collar on the shirt! It ended up getting really warm later in the day and I had to ditch the cardigan. Looks like I am going to start transitioning my wardrobe. I have reached the point where cardigans are a no go. Sad. They are my favorite.

What do you guys think is a good "staple" item for our summer wardrobe?

Just some info...

I had a lovely lady send me a link through formspring last night. She sent me a video explaining a body confidence workshop being hosted in the UK. I don't think any of my readers are in the UK, but the video still had a great message of the importance of confidence, and of course I don't mind spreading news about that! So go ahead and check out her video, and if you have anything you want to share or ask, don't forget about the formspring account :)

Also, another reader sent me an email with an invite to fashion website. It is a place to discuss outfits, ask for advice, and offer advice. I started my account today and I am still getting the feel for things, so no feedback to offer yet. The website is called LOOKVILLE, and membership is by invite only. It is a free website. I have 5 invites I can share, so if you are interested just leave your email in a comment below.

That is all for the updates. I hope all of you are having a fabulous Tuesday.

Inspiration: Beth Ditto

Beth Ditto is a musician from the band Gossip. She is talented. She is fashionable. She is plus size.

I have been thinking about how the media puts a huge emphasis on body image and the desire of being skinny. So I have decided to do some inspiration posts of beautiful successful plus size women in the media.

You can check out their wiki page for some factoids.

I love Beth Ditto's style, confidence, and especially her music.

via

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She has developed a clothing line , but for some reason I am having trouble accessing it.

I hope you ladies have found some inspiration here, if you have anyone in mind you would like me to post on the blog, let me know!

Style Council: Sizes and Numbers

I figured I should tell you guys that I am a size 22 in pants and 5'11" tall. This is just a reference for when you see the "My Outfit" posts. Every body is different and everything looks different on everyone's body. It is important to keep that fact in mind when reading fashion blogs and fashion articles. Read fashion tips for inspiration not for imitation.

Ok, now that I have said that here is my point/advice for the day. It is important to try everything on when you are shopping. I rarely find an item that looks the same way on me that it did on the hanger. Watch where the seams fall, where is the hem line? Is it laying on your widest part?? Then don't buy it!

Part of the reason shopping for plus size clothing is so difficult is because the people doing the designing are not plus size (some stores excluded). They are making clothes they think we want to wear. So either the clothes are frumpy because they think we want to hide our curves, or they are "skinny" clothes that have just been blown up, clothes that are not flattering to our body types. This is why I recommend trying everything on.

Also, your clothing size is just a reference number. Every store seems to have a different number guide for their clothing.  In reality it seems you are a different size for every store. I know at Lane Bryant I am between a 18/20 22/24 in tops, and at Torrid I am between a 2 or a 3 and it still depends on the style of the top. But then if I go to Old Navy or Target, I feel like I wear a bigger size. So don't be afraid to go a size up, it is just a number, your actual size has not changed.

I feel bad for the girls that are too worried about numbers and they end up looking worse because they squeezed into something that did not fit them. No one knows your numbers except you. Unless you are me and share it on a blog on the internet for the whole world to know :P

So ladies, keep this is mind when you are shopping! Also, if you have any experiences with sizing issues feel free to share them! I am sure everyone can relate and you probably now have new found advice to share.

Lastly, thank you everyone who came from Plats. I appreciate you joining us!

Designer Feature: Platipuses

Good Morning! I need to tell you guys something, I am on a mission. I want this to be the best blog ever. So I have been hard at work trying to figure out ways to make that happen. I have a whole list of ideas to bring here, so there shouldn't be a shortage of posts. I just need to find some readers! Hopefully, they will come with time. :)

Some of my planning is already paying off and I am super excited to feature a plus size clothing designer today!

Her name is Christi, but she is known as Plats at Platipuses on Etsy. I first found out about her on Ebay a few years back and even purchased a skirt from her! I will make sure to feature it sometime. One thing I love about her, she makes clothes that fit from a size large all the way to 4x!  I am so excited she agreed to answer a few questions and  share them here. So, here we go!

How would you describe the style of your clothing line? Where do you get your inspiration?
I would describe my clothing to be badass loveliness for fat girls. It's punk/rockabilly/nerd. anything that will make curvy ladies feel awesome. I just get my inspiration from what fabric I have/like.


How long have you been designing plus size fashion? How did you get your start?
I've been designing for about 5 years I think. I started just by being sick of there never being any cool looking stuff in the 'Plus Size' areas in stores. It was all for old ladies.

summer lovin dress.

  Where do you see yourself in relation to your clothing design in the future?
I want to keep doing the same thing, designing, modeling, and making all the stuff myself.

What is your favorite article of clothing? Why?
I have a Conan O'Brien hoodie that I just got at his show here in Seattle a few weeks back. It's not the best looking thing, but I love the memories it brings back!

What is one thing every plus size woman should have in their closet?
A killer hoodie.


Where are your favorite places to shop? On etsy and/or elsewhere.
I like going to Thrift stores, that's where I get most of my clothing.

Lastly, any advice or final words you would like to share with the readers?
Well, if you want to start sewing, do it! It's fun and pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Also, there is no reason to dress like a frump just because you are plus size, dressing adorably will make you feel adorable. And that's all that matters.


                                                                                                                    the comfy hoodie.
                                                                                                             

Christi's clothes are so fun and playful, and a little bit hardcore. If you want to make a statement, these are the things to wear. I am going to be honest, I was a little hesitant adding the first dress, I want it for myself! What I have pictured here is only a small portion of what is in her shop, so make sure to stop over at Platipuses and do a little shopping for yourself!

Other Places you can find Plats: twitter, flickr, facebook.

Clothing Store Reference Guide

This will be our shopping reference post. I am going to list all the clothing stores that sell plus size clothing with initial reactions/thoughts about the store. The list will never be complete, so as we shop more places - even if they are only regional- we will add them here. So, if you have any new stores be sure to share!

Lane Bryant - Great professional clothes and occasionally you can find a great "piece" for your wardrobe. Usually high quality and will last a while.

Torrid - Probably the most modern plus size store. Their seasonal collections can be unpredictable, and quality clothing is not always up to par. This is wear I buy all of my skinny jeans. Also, you can sign up for a free Dive Style card which give you 5% off every purchase.

Avenue - Very similar to Lane Bryant, but less variety - may be directed at an older demographic.

Fashion Bug - Basically a "bargain" Lane Bryant. I believe they are sister companies. Lower quality, but still variety.

Deb - They now have a plus size section. Their sizing runs small and quality is low - but great for low cost items and plus size teens. This is where I bought my formal dresses in high school. It is not easy to find a low cost prom dress in plus size.

Dress Barn - I have never found something to buy here as I feel it is not very modern but I always look because their clothes seem to have quality and sometimes you can get lucky!

Old Navy - Love their style, and affordable! Sometimes the clothes run small.

Catherine's - I have never shopped here, but it is a sister store to Lane Bryant and Fashion Bug.

Target - (Submitted by reader Lauren)  Target is a store I'd like to add. Depending on your local store, the plus section can be a loaded with goodies or sparse- for me its the latter. Either way, target.com has been a great resource for a even bigger selection of plus items if you don’t mind paying a little extra for shipping. I totally agree. I checked out target the other day, fashionable items at a great cost.  

Don't be afraid to go into stores that seem 'too old" or "too young" or "too whatever", because style and fashion is about creativity, what an article of clothing may look like on a hanger can transform into something completely different on you and if paired with accessories.

Okay - that is all I have for now. Make sure to share, so we can see this list grow.

An Introduction.

This is a blog to focus on fashion for the curvy plus size lady.

I am going to start by saying that I am in no way a fashion expert.

Now, with that being said I will say that I have been plus size my whole life (23 years) with a constant passion for fashion. So... you could consider me an expert in relevance to my experience.

This blog will not be a place to tell you how you need to dress or how you should dress, or how you are doing it wrong.

This blog will be a place for ideas, inspiration, and helpful tips that I have come across over the years.

I want to spark confidence and creativity within everyone.

Learning how to dress for your body type is a skill everyone should posses and once you get the basics down it is a free for all.

Things to look forward to (hopefully) are tips for clothes, make up, and accessorizing. Maybe interviews from plus size clothing designers, product reviews, and who knows what else.

One thing I can guarantee is complete honesty. I will share shopping woes and successes. Problems and solutions. And affordable fashion.

This blog will be an adventure with constant improvement, all I ask of you is to enjoy the ride.