fat girl fashion

Holy Plus Size Clothes Fatman!

I don’t know how this is possible, but finally the facebook ads worked for me. I was browsing around on your newfeed (yes, you there) and I saw an ad pop up. Usually these ads are about getting gastric bypass surgery or about other juice diets. But here is what I found… (I almost don’t want to tell you) A store called Gwynnie Bee. They had me with the name since by BFF from high school is Gwyn. Something with this store that can’t be right! A mail order plus size clothes rental store? This sounds like Tom Haverford’s store in Pawnee, only it is not for kids AND it isn’t in a make believe town in Indiana. It is online and it is for ME, ME, ME, and big girls like me.

I am the type of person that goes to the store and buys a new dress, I wear it a few times and then the shimmer and glimmer from the newness of it all quickly fades. With this, I can wear it once, twice, or not at all and then I send it back. They’ll then send me another. Like Netflix. Of course there is a monthly fee, but the first month is free! I am going to try this out and let you know how it works out. Please, please, please, if you decide to try it out, use this link. This is not joke, they call it clothing without commitment.

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When I opened the package today, and I saw that thing, I was like.. “yay!”

I have been on a quest lately to find high quality tailored clothes that rock and wear like art.  So, I went a little Etsy hunting and got this piece that I LOVE so much I almost don’t want to share it with you cause I don’t want anyone else in my neighborhood wearing it.  But, alas, I have to share the details.

The dress I fell in love with on Concertino.

In late September I found the shop Concertino.    Her tag line says “all items in my shop can be make plus size!”  I LOVE this woman.  I was curious to see what she could make in plus size, what she couldn’t, how she could tailor and change items to make them exactly how I want.  For all of these questions I got immediate, polite responses.  I headed out to a tailor and had all of my measurements taken (which I keep with me all of the time….just in case I see something great.)  On October 16, I e-mailed my order to Concertino with my measurements and a special request to make the front of the dress a little longer than is shown in the photo.  She promptly sent me an invoice and added $9 for the customization.  She kept in constant contact with me, updated me when it was in the mail and sent a tracking number.  Yesterday when I opened the package I was seriously jumping for joy.  The dress is a piece of art.  I have had  compliments on it already.   I don’t want to take it off.

Me in my dress. In my head, I look JUST like the girl above. 

I am going to order a coat.  I have to have one.  So beautiful.

I can barely contain myself…

The skirt party was such a blast.  The mix of women was outstanding and Lisa did such a great job.  She really knows how to encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new.  I ordered a pencil skirt (crazy, I know) but she talked me into it and by saying it is a perfect shape to figure flatter.  She talked me into a shirt…no idea how that’ll look, but I love the shimmery fabric we chose and it matches my Fatbaby boots perfectly.  I also have the A line skirt on order with some cute trim that she’s going to chose for me.  Here is a photo of the fabric for the a line skirt.

This will be made into an A line skirt. It a rich textured fabric. I LOVE it!

Even little Aida ordered a skirt.  I also really want the jacket I showed you last post.  So, I’ll be owing her a million dollars once this is all said and done, but I can’t wait to see the finished projects.

I loved that Lisa wasn’t pushy at all, in fact she asked me to tell the gals who didn’t order anything not to feel bad.  So VERY cute of her.  I can’t wait to hear how she’s going to roll this all out.  We had such a nice chat about tailored clothes, sewing as a community connection and multi-generational relationships. I really like this woman.  I forsee a spring/summer skirt party when we bring out the dresses!!!!!  Here is her Pintrest board with tons of amazing fabrics and patterns.  I couldn’t see Aida’s skirt fabric or my shirt fabric.  Will post photos when she has them.

Skirt Party Prep

I am so excited to have the skirt party this Friday.  Some of you may remember earlier this year when I met the amazing sewist Poldapop and her beautiful fabrics.  What, you may ask, is a skirt party?  Well, Lisa fashions custom-made skirts, dresses, and handbags to each person’s specifications. You can design your own skirt, dress, or handbag with creative input from Lisa. She has a great eye for fabric and will make sure that the finished product is exactly what you want. I visited her home a couple of weeks ago to go through her fabrics and select a pattern.   I’ll be her first plus sized gal to work with and she set up a plus size board.  I can’t find the skirt pattern on her Pinterest board right now, but I do know that THIS is the next thing I hope she’ll make for me.

 

To see examples of Lisa’s work, visit her PoldaPop blog. You’ll see what she’s currently working on and find links to photos of the skirts, dresses, and handbags she has created for others.  She has a lot of great Pinterest boards as well.

To my local friends, if you didn’t get invited, it is only because space is very limited.  She can only handle so many projects at once.  I’ll try to have another party in the spring or contact her yourself.  I’ll happily join you!!

I have a dream…Plus Size Leggings and Tights

It is that time of year again. Fall is here and my quest for comfortable leggings and tights is upon me. Not sure how I became the woman who wears dresses and skirts all winter long, but if last year is anything like this year, I am going to need some new leg adornments. In the past, I have been hopeful about plus size tights only to find that it seems they only considered the length of the tights. Hello people, I am short and fat…adding 3 inches to the length does nothing for me. I need ample hip coverage, thighs that don’t create a tourniquet, and the proper length. Any suggestions form the plus size ladies out there would be awesome. Oh, and I’ll tell you which don’t work as I go through my quest.

I want my MAJAMAS!!!

I actually believe that plus size women want to wear stylish clothes. I know this is shocking to the world that the big girls would like to wear something that doesn’t look like a table cloth or oversized  Hanes t-shirt dress. We like to look good and feel good in our clothes. I have seen some cute clothes on the racks of stores that ignore my bigness. It seems to me that it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch (no pun intended) to tailor some for the big girl.

A local designer and chic wear specialist told me last week that we (meaning fat girls) don’t buy the clothes. “I couldn’t give the plus sized stuff away.” she said. I would have loved to have been there when she was passing these items out.

I am telling you and the rest of the world. We are dying for the cute clothes, especially in those fabrics you have over there lady Majama.  Make a Rosarito and a Genevieve in my size!! Give me a Cabo or a Quince!!! Give us a try once again. Throw in some yoga pants, leggings and other stuff and we’ll even wear it!!

Maybe we’ll even help you market it!!!!

Legwarmers = bulging thigh girl superhero for the fat girl
Here is an example of a pair of legwarmers. Reminder, if I wore these they would hit just above my knees....very sexy

Here is an example of a pair of legwarmers. If I wore these they would hit just above my knees....very sexy

Last night as I was  waiting for the fierce blizzard that never came but kept me up all night, I was thinking about appropriate, fashionable items for someone my size to wear during the winter.   There was a time when I didn’t think of these things at all, but alas one day on the way to work I looked at myself in a glass storefront window and the bottom back of my skirt was safely tucked into the waist of my long underwear.  Yes, my ass was hanging out for not just a walk to work from the el, but the walk from home to the el and an entire train ride.  How did I not notice, you may ask?  Layering my friends, much layering.  By the way, thanks to those of you who saw me and said nothing.  Anyway, as I think about that faux pas, I start to go through winter wardrobe do’s and don’ts for us big chicks. 

Coat?  Yes, that is acceptable clothing.  And I say for Chicago winters, any shape size is a go.  Stadium, puffy, short, ski, go for it.

Sweater?  Yep, that is too, acceptable.

Gloves?  OOOHHH getting getting risque, maybe mittens. 

Legwarmers?   Ye….yes, I said legwarmers.   So here is the nitty gritty truth of the matter.  I LOVE legwarmers, especially the styles (are they really?) of legwarmers I see the 20 somethings out there wearing on my way to the train.  How convenient as well, I bet they really keep those calves warm…oohh I am jealous.  But here is my question.  I am 5 ‘ 3″ tall.  You figure a pair of legwarmers are at least a foot high.  On me that comes to my knees.  Combine that with a sweater on top and jeans on the bottom and I am essentially bulging thigh girl in leg warmers.  Mind you, I have tried none of this out.  I am simply trying to sort through appropriate cold weather gear waiting for the blizzard.   Here is my decision. 

On some days, what you wear and how you look never matter, at least to the people that I know and even to the citizens of Chicago who watched me prance around with my ass hanging out in the long underwear.  Those days, I may be able to get away with legwarmers.  Most days though, I think I would just look like BULGING THIGH GIRL THE SUPERHERO!!!.  But you know what, even if I did, at least I’d be warm.  I also bet someone out there would be checking out my legwarmers thinking….”legwarmers?  I just love legwarmers.”