February 8, 2010

It’s Finally Over, My Review Of Not Shopping For 30 Days

The first week of January I took on the challenge of no shopping for 30 days. Click here to see the post, as well as the rules. The 30 days ended this weekend and I hit the stores right away if that tells you anything about how well this went for me. I had only broken the rules once during the 30 days when I picked up some eyeliner one Friday night, I couldn’t help it I had run completely out and Nightrider and I were going out on the town for the first time in ages. Don’t Judge Me! Anyways I guess that means I failed but I still feel like I accomplished the task at hand.

Part of the reason I did this challenge was I wanted to see what I could save money wise. I balanced my checkbook and it looks like by not shopping for 30 days I saved $100. Might not seem like much but it was equivalent to a couple of items I would normally buy. I think the average person could have probably saved more but I really just ended up spending shopping money on dinners and lunches out and other activities. Kinda defeats the purpose right? Phsssh oh well.

Something good that did come out of this was that without all the time I would normally spend shopping I had the time to devote some more energy to my blog. I reached an all time high of posts per month as well as hits and I am proud of myself for that. The transfer of energy got me back on track like I needed to be and that I consider a WIN!

Something interesting I realized about not  allowing myself to shop for 30 days was that it almost kind of felt the same as dieting for 30 days. I felt restricted in my life and like I was depriving myself. Interestingly enough much like when you diet as soon as the time period was done I hit the stores hard and spent far too much money. Sounds a lot like when you go hog-wild (no pun intended) after dieting and binge to your heart’s content doesn’t it? I also became extremely obsessed, even more so then usual, with the idea of shopping with clothes and with fashion. Since I was longing for it so bad & I couldn’t have it I spent a lot of time online window shopping, as well as reading fashion blogs…I love to torture myself. I didn’t love my current wardrobe as much as a normally do, just because I wanted something new, but I did put together some new outfits from pieces I hadn’t worn in a while.

Overall I think it was a learning experience but what I learned was I am far to rebellious for limitations and I feel better mentally when I give into my needs. This did however mature me and made me think a bit more about purchases. Yesterday I spent less at Torrid then I normally would and still came home with some great pieces. I also spent sometime thrifting, which I don’t do much of, and found some great stuff as well. Oh yeah and I ordered the dress I’ve been drooling over from ASOS and a new black bomber jacket. A girls got needs!!!!!

This week should be filled with OOTD  posts and reviews of my new clothes so stay tuned!

Needless to say I won’t giving myself anymore no shopping challenges anytime soon, but more power to ya if you can!

February 5, 2010

Project Happily Fatshionable #5 The Yellow Polkadot Bikini Elephant In The Room

So you know that yogurt commercial where its winter and the lady has hung up a yellow polka dot bikini up on the wall in her house, then she passes it everyday and eats a yogurt? This commercial irritates me and cracks me up all at the same time. That ugly ass bikini is like staring her down everyday and is basically screaming “HEY THUNDER THIGHS, TONS OF FUN, CHUBSTER ,YOU HAVE TO WEAR ME IN 4 MONTHS, EAT YOUR FUCKING YOGURT!” and then at the end of the commercial and 120ish days of yogurt eating it magically fits and OMG it is almost a little to big as you see it slip off her shoulder in an ”OPPS! Thanks INSERT YOGURT BRAND HERE” It seems pretty ridiculous when you actually think about it right? Using a form of clothing LITERALLY hanging on your wall to motivate you to lose weight (which we know was the whole goal of this commercial). Letting that bikini dictate your happiness, your self-worth, and standing as a big elephant in the room not only for anyone who enters your home but also for yourself…its fucking stupid and we all know it.

People do shit like this all the time. Brides are knows for buying too small in motivation to drop weight before their big day. Girls hang photos of themselves in smaller sizes on their refrigerators. People cut out clippings from magazine of what they want to look like (forgetting about all the retouching that goes into play) and all these other  unhealthy motivation tactics to lose weight and its fucking stupid. 

There was this girl in highschool she was  probably the most stubborn, opinionated and abrasive person I have ever met well aside  from her mother who was down right terrifying. We will call her M. Well M and I were in choir together for years, we were friends when it was convenient , enemies when it came to any type of competition and well I guess you would call us frenemies. Anyhoo during our senior year we were in varsity choir, which made us think we were the shit, and part of being in this choir was that you didn’t have to wear choir robes anymore (PRAISE FEMME!) The boys got to don tuxes and the girls got these black dresses that were sparkly in the bust. They weren’t incredibly fab but as far as choir dresses go they were pretty nice. The school owned the dresses so each year we all were asked our sizes and they choir mormons moms would do everything they could to fit us into a dress that had belonged to someone else from the years prior. Now I remember this day pretty well, any day as a fat girl  in highschool when you have to tell someone your true size or measurements is bad news bears, but i sucked it up and was honest. I knew that the year before us there was only one plus sized girl and that her dress would automatically fit our years largest female and that there would so not be a dress that would fit me, M, or one of the Self-Loathing Downers I mentioned here who were all the plus sized variety. I let the choir mom know my  true size and let her take my measurments to order me a new dress, as did the Self-Loathing Downer. M however called herself a medium, she was the same XL as me, (we shared clothes at one point)  grabbed a dress and ran off to the bathroom to put it on. Later she came out back in her normal clothes and said “Yep, fits like a glove” and pranced off in a braggish manner babbling about how she fit in T’s (the girl who owned it before who was considered a perfect hourglass) dress.  Over the next 3 months before our first concert M skipped meals, exercised like fiend, beat herself down mentally for any lapses in dietary judgement and basically had a pretty shitty life. I on the other chubby hand enjoyed myself, lived happily without stress and pressure to lose weight and opened a brand spanking new dress. Who the hell would want the hand me down anyways? M did manage to fit into the dress in time, just barely, seriously I’m pretty sure she almost passed out in it a couple times. Was she happy about it? Sure, but was it worth it, not from this self loving fatties point of view. By the way saw her a year after we graduated and she had gained all the weight back…proof again DIETS DON”T WORK!

Anyways back to the point using smaller size motivation tactics is bad for your mental health. It promotes negative energy about your size reality, adds pressure to an already extremely high pressure idea to battle the bulge and worst of all takes the fun out of clothes. Why own something you can’t fit into? You are throwing money into something you can’t be 100% positive you are every going to be able to wear. You are allowing an outfit to be the elephant in the room to your self hate. By doing shit like this you are also letting the world know how much you dislike your body and where is the good in that? There is no way that this is going to be a step to a Happily Fatshionable you so cut this shit out right now if you are doing it.

So when shopping buy the size that fits, that is comfortable, that you love and for all the right reasons. That is made to fit a body like yours and don’t play into the idea that there is anything wrong with being exactly as you are, be a Happily Fatshionable YOU!

Next Week I will be wrapping up The Happily Fatshionable Series and will be taking on a new page on this blog called Happily Fatshionably YOU! We will be showcasing girls who embody Happily Fatshionable in their best outfits. If you would like to be a Happily Fatshionably YOU guest please email me at StilettoSiren@live.com with 3 photos of you in your 3 best outfits. Include a small paragraph about where you got the clothes (help a shopping sista out!) and why they make you feel Happily Fatshionable. This will also be an opportunity for you to plug your own site/blog if you have one. Along with this I will be adding a new blog roll to my site and will include the site of any Happily Fatshionably YOU guests.

Please email me and let’s make this a great page where we can see some Happy Fatshionable ladies looking FAB!

February 5, 2010

What I’m Wearing:From The Back Of My Closet

This morning I was feeling a little bit bored with my current wardrobe, probably partly because I am 2 days away from completing my no shopping for 30 days hell that I have been in. So I decided rather than wear one of my normal work pieces I have alternated in and out for the last 3 weeks I would got to the back of my closet and pull together an outfit with one of my spring dresses and make it work! I’m not a huge fan of browns (especially in the winter), but lately I have toyed with the ideas of browns and blacks together and decided to give it a shot today. Here is what I ended up with. I actually am really pleased with the way this ended up coming together and looking pretty HAWT in my opinion.

 

I really love the pattern of this black brown and cream dress that trifted a few years back. It is also extremely comfortable  loose and is a wrap dress with a silver circular hook that I covered up with the belt. I wore a black body shaping cami underneath that I got from Learner NY&CO, and black cotton leggings that I got from Torrid. The corset belt came from Torrid with another dress that I purchased this year. It is comfortable and I think dresses up my looser fitting dresses.

I brought out my black leather ankle boots that are also from Torrid that I got for Christmas from my parents. They are a great boot, and probably actually the most comfortable I have ever owned, and you gotta love the killer heels! If you buy these and have  wider ankles and calves you will want to try them on first, the patent leather doesnt stretch well and the first few zip ups can be a bit difficult, but they fit much better after a few wears, I even fit skinny jeans inside them last weekend!

Overall I’m feeling pretty good in this outfit and am loving that it feels like something new even though I’ve been sporting this dress in summers past. Also having a pretty damn good hair and make up day too which is always a plus!

On days when I feel well dressed and cute I also seem to have a more balanced day of intuitive eating.  Nightrider recently purchased us a Magic Bullet (shame shame if your head was in the gutter, especially you dirty lezzy readers! lol) Everyone in our family is totally loving it. The kids have made smoothies non stop and I’ve made them for breakfast too. The clean up is easy as pie and I highly recommend this product to anyone! (Magic Bullet creators feel free to send me more cups for giving you this promo HA!)

Here is my lovely strawberry banana smoothie I made this morning. I purchased the Yoplait Smoothie bags that you can find in the frozen section of most grocery stores. Totally yummy, rather than milk, I add a little bit of Minute Maid Tropical Fruit Juice to give it a little extra punch.

Happy Friday!

February 4, 2010

How To Get Rid Of Toxic Friends And Alienate Bitches

Side Note: I have had a lot of caffeine this morning, am running on a shitty night of sleep, am feeling particularly foul-mouthed and rambly. This could be interesting!

Once upon a time there were two frienemies  who we shopping…

BitchyBitchBitch: Oh My God, I am so fat. I can’t believe I’m wearing a size 4!

Me: (while pulling on size 24 jeans) You’re a fucking whore.

And their friendship was never the same again. The End.

Ok so, seriously every fat girl has had that friend at one point, the one who is completely harmful to our self-love and body acceptance. The one who claims that “she really wants to lose 5lbs” when she’s already falling under 100. Then she looks at you like she’s waiting for you to say “Omg, you are so not fat you look great, it’s me who is the fat ass, I would give anything to look like you”. This is where BitchyBitchBitch ends the conversation leaving her feeling better about herself by putting you down. She is a toxic  friend bitch.  Ok maybe not all of our “not so good for us friends” are this extreme. Maybe they are the friend that constantly is shoving healthy eating and excercise in your face because “she cares about your health”, or maybe she is always trying to pull you on whatever dieting bandwagon she happens to be driving at the moment. This friend could possibly be another fattie who puts themself down constantly and makes you question your own self-worth. Or maybe is just someone who puts out a negative energy about anything and everything you do, who you are, and how you look. Why the fuck are you friends with this person? 

Part of loving ourselves and accepting ourselves as fat and fabulous, as smart and funny, and everything AWESOME is surrounding ourselves with friends who feel the same way about us. I don’t know about you but I love when my friends love me as much as I love myself LOVE LOVE LOVE, love is all you need. What’s even better is when those great friends see more good things in me then even I see in myself, and even better than that is when they can see all those things in themselves as well! Now that is friend nirvana. 

Now in this day and age with so much self loathing going around,the critical nature of humans, and the almost always brutal media in play friendship nirvana like I described above is a bit harder to find. But  you know what makes it even harder to find? When you are settling for friends like BitchyBitchBitch and blocking out your chances of finding the most awesome pal ever who will serisouly be the Mac to Your Cheese.  So whats a better idea to keep you loving yourself, and to give you a chance to find miss or mr. Mac? Weed out your toxic friends and start fresh with some like-minded and positive people who make you feel as fabulous as we all know you are!

Kicking toxic friends to the curb is a fine art and can be done in many ways…

There is the blunt approach which is a favorite of mine, but hey I’m loud and brash and really lack tact in life in general. Basically the blunt approach calls for a “You are killing my positivity buzz, peace out”.

Then there is the phase out approach which is just more of separating yourself from that person gradually until that toxic friend is just another number in your cell phone.

Some of you may want to change the friendship, and give it a second chance in a less toxic manner. The best you can do with this one is to lay it all on the table and let this friend know that their actions hurt you, or make you feel negative about yourself. That their words, actions, overall bitchery doesn’t flow with your life plan of self-love and it either needs to change or maybe the friendship will have to end.

Whichever way you do this just make sure that you are leading with your heart and that anything that hurts that heart is harmful to your self-worth.

Now for a little personal experience reflection. I was friends with StupidGirl (serisouly not the brightest crayon in the box) for a lot of my late teen years. She was very superficial, based everything on appearance and was also very controlling. She had the upper hand in our relationship (which is so not my style) and would put me down to bring herself up at every chance she got. She was constantly bringing up issues about weight and size, mine specifically, and one of her favorite things to say was “Hot guys don’t dat fat girls” (maybe instead of StupidGirl we will call her AssholeLady) which we all know isn’t true because I dated some smokin guys and girls over the years. Needless to say this girl obviously had her own issues, was a bit of jerk, and while I did try to preach a bit of self love into her she just wasn’t budging and I had to kick her to the curb. When I stopped being friends with AssholeLady I had to find a bit a of a new circle and I was lucky enough to meet some of the most kick ass chicks I have ever known in the process. TheGetItGirls as I will call them were amazing, and I owe some really great times to them and their fierce attitudes that made me always feel glam and fab and like I could take on the world. They were always upping my self-esteem and I did so for them in return. We would hit the town and would get tons of positive attention, would always land whoever we wanted for a hot date and its was because of the positivity we projected, and the amount of fun we had! Gotta love the TheGetItGirls for helping realize what friend Nirvana could be like and how toxic friends were unnecessary in life.

Here are a couple photos of me with TheGetItGirls

Take sometime to evaluate your friendships, how they make you feel and if they are good for your heart. Pounce any negativity in your life and keep the friends that love you just as you are as you fab self. It will bring you more fun in your life in your friendships and will be good for your complexion, happiness always is.

February 3, 2010

What I’m Wearing Wednesday: Is Purple The New Black?

Is purple the new black? Nope and it will never be, nothing will ever be. Black will always be fab and classy and everything sexy and sassy but purple for me does come in a close second. Purple can be glammed up or glammed down and is a color that makes me feel happy, hot, as well as young and flirty. I own 2 purple dresses and an array of tops but today I am wearing my favorite piece. This dress came from a 50% of Clearance sale at Torrid.com (it was an online only garment) and it is not only comfortable and flattering but I get compliments on it all the time. From the triangular bottom and the built-in belt it has an awesome fashion forward shape and this really great triangle of exposed skin in the back (HAWT!)I paired this dress with black leggings and a black cardigan also from Torrid and these great purple and silver flats I got from Payless about 2 years ago.

Part of the reason I chose this outfit was for the great Payless shoes, they are the comfiest flats I have ever owned and  on a day when I don’t want to run around in heels they work great for the office.

In other news last Friday I cut my hair (if you haven’t noticed it yet), like seriously cut it.

I got it done at Jacko’s Chop Shop in Boise by the lovely Jenna and while I absolutely love it and all its 80’s glam, it is difficult getting use to a new hairstyle and how it coincides with your wardrobe. It has me thinking about some new wardrobe must haves and is seriously giving me an obsession with Jackets. Some purchases will definitely be made soon.

January 28, 2010

Project Happily Fatshionable #4 Size Is Just A Number

I have some serious love for Stacy London she hosts one of my favorite shows What Not To Wear has the same passion for fashion and love for high heels that I do and can be a blunt bitch when necessary and sweet as pie the next minute.  She is a great spokeswoman for Pantene hair products and does it even with a contract that allows her to keep her streak of grey hair that she has had since she was 11 due to her medical condition psoriasis. She also is a spokesperson for  National Psoriasis Foundation which i think is a great use of her fame. Stacy loves herself, which i think is how we should all be and has stated “I have been every size in my life. I’ve been smaller than a zero, up through a size 16. I’ve had lots of issues with body image and weight my whole life and it really took a great deal of work to recognize that at all those weights, no matter how I felt, I could still find a dress that made me feel sexy and powerful.” See why I love her?

Anyhoo, i came across a great quote by Stacy last week and I thought it would be the nice starting point for this Project HF post.

“Don’t get hung up on the size. If you feel bad about yourself because a 12 is what fits, take a Sharpie, and write ‘6′ on the label”

A lot of us really get way too  hung up on the label. Some people consider that an indicator of their personal health and a detriminent to our happiness too. It’s the same as people who freak out over 10 new pounds on the scale that can’t handle going up a size in clothes either and it is just as ridiculous. Your opinion of yourself and whether your healthy and beautiful or not should not be based on how you fall into the scheme of things size wise compared to a fit model. It’s just dumb. Sizes are supposed to be there so we at least have a starting point when shopping for clothes and trying things on and thats it.

So lets say you’ve always been a size 14 and on your last shopping venture nothing in that size fit right. It was too tight in the thighs or didn’t button unless you held your breath. ”But I’m a size 14!” you groan out in anger. Well apparently maybe in that store, or that fit, or hell maybe you’ve just grown a bit, you need to move up a size. Don’t be in size denial just because you don’t like the idea of a larger number on a stupid tag that no one is going to see anyways!  What service is it going to be to you or anyone else trying to squeeze into that smaller size just because the tag is more to your liking? First off if you do wear it your going to be uncomfortable, secondly if it’s too tight it’s probably going to synch in weird places and not be very attractive on you. Give in go up a size and work it, no one but you is going to know that it’s a size 24 instead of a 22, and even if they did who the fuck cares?

Something I love about alot of  plus sized stores (especially my local favorite Torrid) is that they have changed their sizing to a different scale that I think promotes size acceptance and also helps us to feel better about ourselves. Torrid which in regular size patterns starts at a size 10 calls that a 0 then sizes go up respectively to 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on. I really enjoy the fact that I can put on a dress that the tag will read size 2. Any possible negative thoughts about myself that could arise (we all have our moments) just don’t when I am shopping this size scale. Their sizing is not threatening, embarrassing and makes for a more positive shopping experience in my opinion. Another reason shopping at plus sized stores is WONDERFUL!

Lets say you are at a point where you are in between sizes. Something great about ignoring the number and  going up a size is it gives you a chance to tailor and make it fit YOUR body perfectly not just the fit models. When you buy something a bit bigger rather than too tight it allows you to take control of the garment instead of letting the garment control you.  Think about it, when you buy an item that is a bit too snug, it is in complete control, you can’t bend and move to your heart’s content, sometimes you can’t breath as deeply as you like, you end up pulling it down and tugging at it all day… see it’s not only controlling you but also  putting a damper in your day! If you buy something, lets say a dress,  bigger its your choice what you do with it. Maybe you wear it a bit loose & go for that comfortable hobo chic look, or maybe you pair it with a great belt to bring it in at the waist and accent your curves, maybe you take it to a tailor and get it taken-in in all the right places…bottom line is what you do with the garment is up to you, YOU ARE IN CONTROL. Isn’t being the boss of your own wardrobe fabulous?

So still can’t get see past the number on the tag than hell follow Stacy’s idea get out that Sharpie and write over it with the size you like. Either way figure it out and feel Happily Fatshionable in your clothes no matter what the size!

Next on Project Happily Fatshionable the The Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini Elephant In The Room.  STAY TUNED!

January 26, 2010

Idaho Schools To Promote Fat Hate

Today I was scanning the local newspaper and came across this small article. Now don’t get me wrong I agree that the schools should be teaching nutrition, physical education, and health and that some strides need to be taken to improve these things but I do however have some serious problems with they way our community and schools are handling the subject of child obesity.

Let me tell you a little story. The last day of school before Christmas break our kids come home and one of our 11 year  old twins goes on to tell me about an announcement that was made in school that day. Apparently the announcements had said something along the lines of “We are starting a new health and fitness club available to all 6th 7th and 8th grade GIRLS  to help any of those who have gained weight over the holidays”. Now our child who informed me of this is a very intelligent boy, who saw the problem with the way this was worded and the ramifications a statement like this could have, so I know he wasnt rephrasing it.  Needless to say I was LIVID that they were doing this in the schools. I have no problem with a health and fitness club being made available but the way it was proposed was atrocious. Firstly this is not helping the issues these young girls are already dealing with in regards to their weight and to make them feel that gaining weight at age 11, 12, or 13 when they are still growing is a cause to be concerned, especially primarily concerned about ”getting fat” is so unbelieveably FUCKED UP!  Secondly what does this teach our young boys? That girls need to be skinny and if not then they need to go on a diet? Wow, i’m sure glad we are raising our kids with better values then that. I think it is ridiculous the focus of this message wasnt about health but had to be turned into something about weight. As a kid who was fat by societies standards growing up it is hard enough to no be teased, bullied and judged for the way we look but giving the kids even more amunition by broadcasting this crap in schools could be even more detrimental.

Now about this  Idaho School plan to help kids shed pounds, i see the same problems, this should be about health and providing information on nutriton, more physical education and should also include classes on self esteem and mental health as well. 1 semester of PE a year isnt enough, and nutrition is an elective in most schools when it should be a main part of the health curriculum. Also they are doing absolutely nothing in our schools to teach our children to have any type of self esteem, diversity, or a good perspective when it comes to their bodies and their health. I also find it incredibly troubling that my middle school age children have pizza as an available option for lunch everyday (this was something that was also going on when I was in high school as well). Maybe a healther lunch menu, and involving the children in choosing nutritional options for those menu’s would be a better service.

I really have to wonder what the Idaho Schools plan to do to stomp obesity. Will they only be offering these new services to children that are obese, in that case singleing them out even more? Will they be creating such an emphasis on ideal weight and the perfect body that more children will be developing eating disorders.  I sure as hell hope not.

January 26, 2010

Project Happily Fatshionable #3 Finding Shopping Nirvana!

Now that we have cleaned out our closets, and picked up some flattering and correctly fitting bras and panties it is time to hit the racks and refill that closet with clothes that fit you and make you feel sexy,sassy, fatshionable  and overall HAPPPY!  Maybe some of you have been shopping in plus size stores for years or maybe you have never ventured out of a straight size store out of fear, embarassment, or just not knowing where to shop. Either way we all need a little reminder every now and then about why as fatshionable women whether you be a size 16 or a 36 it is important to spend your shopping time in stores that fit your body as well as keep things trendy, and lucky enough there are a pleathera of plus sized stores both right there in your local mall as well as tons of  great online retailer that are there to fit your needs!

First off lets go over the pros of shopping at plus size retailers

  • The clothes will fit you- no squeezing into the largest size on the rack in these stores. Clothes made by plus sized retailers are made to fit a curvy girl like yourself.
  • Less scouring the rack for your size- Your true size will be available! How many times have you been in straight store going through hanger after hanger praying for an XL and only finding a sea of smalls. Plus size retailers from my experience keep well stocked on all of their available sizes and once again are catering to fat girls of every size!
  • A less messy atmosphere- I’ve noticed that plus sized stores tend to be much more organized and less of a mess, even on sale days. I think this is because as larger women we have more respect for clothes because we have to spend more time finding the right sizes and taking care of our best pieces, ofcourse were going to respect the retailers we depend on to keep us clothed and trendy.
  • Employees that respect you and identify with you- Everytime i walk into a plus sized store in my area I am thrilled to see not only other plus sized princess’ shopping there but they also work there! Plus sized retailers tend to hire other plus sized women which first off helps us find our comfort zone. If something doesnt zip or if I’m not sure about something I’m not having to hide from some size 2 who is scoffing at my weight. The employees of plus sized stores know how the clothes they sell fit a womans body and can be of help to you without making you feel judged. Another great thing is they typically wear the fashions they are selling and you get to see how different women incorporate the peices they are selling into their own personal style. ( I owe some of my greatest outfit compilations to the girls at the Boise Torrid who always keep me creative and fabulous!)
  • Fat girls are nice to other fat girls-  Ever been in a dressing room in a straight sized store and terrified to come out because of what some skinny bitch next door might think of you? In plus sized stores I always feel comfortable coming out and taking a look in the big mirrors and getting some real opinions from other ladies. By the way its also a great time to spead some happy and compliment some other girls on their purchases that they look fab in!

Now a list of some great stores to check out either online or in your community- (Some of this list came from the book Lessons From The Fat-O-Sphere by Kate Harding & Marianne Kirby, I have put ** by stores I personally love and have had good experience with)

Alight, Alloy**, August Max, B & Lu**, Casual Plus, Ebay**, Eddie Bauer, Evans**, Fashion Overdose, Goodwill & Other Thirftstores****, Re/dress, New York (Those of you lucky enough to be in NYC), IGIGI, Jessica London, Kohls ** (Try anything Simply Vera), Just My Size, Kiyonna **, L. L. Bean, Lands End **, Lane Bryant **, Monif C **, Old Navy **, Size Appeal **, Target **, Torrid**********, Voluptous Vixen, Dress Barn**, Maurices** AND THERE ARE PLENTY MORE JUST GET LOOKING!

In the next Project Happily Fatshionable we will be talking some more about the actual shopping you do and how to find good pieces and keep a good perspective now that we are shopping in the correct stores for our bodies!  STAY TUNED!

January 25, 2010

Fitting In Straight Sizes At $15 Dollar Store

Hey Fatshionable Ladies in The Fat-O-Sphere! I have a question for you. We have seen some great posts today about fitting into straight sizes and I was wondering what your throughts were on the dresses at http://www.15dollarstore.com. If you have never been to this site before I highly recommend checking it out atleast for shoe and handbag purposes! So they do have a plus size department but its super tiny and alot of the stuff is U- G -L -Y! So I was taking a peek at the dresses in straight sizes and saw 3 dresses I would like that are similar to this one  . These dresses only go up to a size large but I’m wondering if I could work with them to fit my body. I typically can wear a size 16 in dresses and these dresses are 100% polyester.  I have a fairly small waist so i’m thinking the only problem that I could have would be fitting the girls and maybe around the arms.  Anyone have any experience with this site or any advice they would like to give?

Thanks Mucho From One Curvy Sista To Another!

January 22, 2010

Project Happily Fatshionable #2: All The Way Down To Your Undies

The foundation of any outfit for most of us, well atleast those of us who don’t go commando, is underwear. A good pair of panties and a well fitting bra are the starting point to any good fatshionable outfit and they way we shop for these important items can make or break us. I highly reccommend putting aside some money for new panties atleast once every quarter (3 months) if thats not possible atleast try to change out your undergarmet wardrobe atleast twice a year. Now i’m not talking about lingerie or your fiesty sexy time attire, but your everyday panties and bras need to be updated, replaced and replenished(wheather the dryer ate them or you left them at the home of a one night stand i’m sure your missinga few pairs)  atleast a couple times a year.

First things first, lets talk about bras. As a plus sized woman bras are even more important for us then for others. Many of us are carting some pretty good sized breasts and support is key.  A supportive bra that fits us correctly is necessary. If your bra isnt cutting it, or is cutting in, it is likely you need to stop living in size denial. Just like it can hinder you to be in size denial in your outfits, when it comes to bras, squeezing into your high school or college bra size when you have certainly surpassed it isnt healthy for you mentally or physically.

When I was in high school I was a good 70lbs lighter then i am now and was wearing a 36C bra size. I was on the very end of still being able to purchase bras in non plus stores like Victoria’s Secret and Fredricks Of Hollywood and considered myself lucky to still be shopping there. I had always loved my breasts, used cleavage as part of my personal style, and enjoyed the way those bras made them look. When I started dating Nightrider a few years back she, who like the good ol’ dyke she is hardly ever wears a bra and when she does its of the sport variety, commented that I needed to invest in a couple new bras that fit me correctly. I scoffed at her and argued that my still 36C bra’s fit just fine and gave me great cleavage. She then pointed out to me the indents the bras in question had made all over my breasts into my rib cage and the horrible red lines  that appeared every time i took them off. She also pointed out that the second i got home I was taking off said bras and letting out a huge breath indicating that I probably had been holding my breath for the most part all day. I thought back on it knowing she was right but muttered something about beauty being pain and ended the discussion. It wasn’t until about a year later that I knew it was time to give in and get resized. Nightrider and I were eating dinner at our local Olive Garden one night and I was wearing a great bright red Fredrick’s Extreme Clevage bra and panty set. We had been waiting for a table for about an hour when we finally were seated and got our drinks and salads. Suddenly I got very pale in the face and started hyperventalating at the table. Knowing something was surely wrong Nightrider told me to go out to the car and breathe slowly while she got our orders boxed up and took care of the tab. I went out to the car and began crying and hyperventalting even worse….I was having a panic attack. Nightrider joined me in the car  and helped me to focus and slow my breathing down, I told her i couldn’t breathe and that my chest was hurting and I didn’t know what had set me off. She then to reached her arm down the back of my dress and unhooked my bra, almost instantly I felt better.  It was time to give in and get fitted for a new, correctly sized bra.

The next day we went to Torrid and Lane Bryant and checked out the bras, ylooked rather large to me and even though I bought all my other clothes in plus sized stores I was still struggling with my breast size denial. Finally the girls at Lane Bryant measured me and reported that I was measuring a 44DD.  HOLY SHIT! I freaked out, there was no way I had been wearing that incorrect of a bra size for such a long time. I tried on some bras in that size and while the 44 was fitting the DD was swallowing the girls. I eventually ended up fitting perfectly into a 44C and left with new and actually really cute and supportive bras and a new breathing capability I never knew I had. I highly reccommend going in and getting measured and seeing for youself if you have been wearing the wrong size and feeling the difference of a bra that fits correctly. It will change you life!

Something that I hear fat women complain about alot is that we don’t have as many cute options when it comes to bras, especially for the cute bra and panty sets that we see our skinny counterparts sporting.  I agree that this is true for the most part while there are some great options at some of my favorite plus sized stores there isnt really alot of sets out there . However  that doesnt mean you cant make what is available work. If you shop in the right places, in the right sizes you can find something that is cute and sassy that fits and then find a panty that will go with it rather nicely. Something I do is stick to solid colors with a bit of lace. Take a black bra with black lace and pair it with a black lacy boyshort and you got sexy! Same could really work with any color or style of lacy panty. I prefer boyshorts since they come up a bit higher and control the muffin top without being a granny panty and  I enjoy the way they leave a bit of the booty hanging out.  I find them flattering and comfortable and that is whats important. If you are a bikini girl, or hell even a thong wearer its your choice just make sure again you are buying the correct size from stores that specialize in fitting larger bodies and you will be set.

How can you expect to feel good and happily fatshionable if you are not wearing the right sizes? I can’t stress this enough being comfortable in clothes that fit and knowing where to buy them is one of the most important steps too becoming happily fatshionable.

Where are those stores and how do you get comfortable shopping as a plus size woman? That will be the topic next week so stay tuned for more of the Project Happily Fatshionable Series!