Fatty Unbound

2012-03-01T03:49:00.003-08:00

After seeing suspender tights and hold ups as outerwear around so much lately, I decided to give it a go myself. Hold ups and mini skirts were pretty much my riot grrrrl teenager togs of choice, so I'm considering this a slightly more adult attempt. Funny though, how, despite wearing more tights than I would normally wear, I felt self conscious in this - completely nonsensical.

These hold ups, as a side note, as Autograph brand by M&S, and can be found here. I've owned maybe three pairs in the last three years, and they last FOREVER. They're also the only hold up I've ever gotten along with - they've got height enough to sit right on my upper thighs, never fall down and have a nice, thick band. Okay, £9.50 is a lot for a pair of hold ups, but I reckon with the amount of times I've worn them, they probably cost pennies per wear now.

Shirt, clothes swap, free
Bra, courtesy of Elomi
Shorts, Dorothy Perkins, still on site here £17 (with voucher code)
Hold ups, M&S
Suspender belt, eBay, £30
Boots, Clarks, £40

2012-02-28T10:21:00.003-08:00

I figure everyone needs a MASSIVE fluffy jacket in their life, right. At least that's what I told myself when I bought this. I sold some clothes online recently, and kept the money to update my wardrobe a bit, as my size has changed a bit and some staple pieces needed rebuying. To counteract the buying of useful stuff (like this skinny black trousers, for instance), I allowed myself to splurge on the big fluffy jacket of joy. It's pretty cosy, and makes me feel a little bit like I'm back in my glam teenager days (especially teamed with these black studded flatforms I found at the back of my wardrobe). Dorothy Perkins were having a 25% off everything deal last week too, so I got these pieces at a good discount.

There's something really exciting for me to wear clothes that make me look bigger than I am. I figure it's the most cardinal of sins for fat girls, in the doctrine of flattery that dictates that fitted clothing is pretty much a must to be accepted. More thoughts on that later.

Massive fluffy jacket, Dorothy Perkins, still online here, £26 (with discount code)
Top, Forever 21+, £8
Treggings, Dorothy Perkins, still online here, £13 (with discount code)
Shoes, traded online, free

2012-02-24T03:51:00.003-08:00

When I was down for the Plus London event in February, Claire let me have a rummage through some things she wanted to pass on. This denim should was one of the things I picked up, and I have pretty much lived in it on my off days. I wore this to go to my local WI, and to do some swap planning for March (details are on facebook here for anyone interested still). I'm looking forward to wearing it in a slightly more feminine way, with a nice pleated skirt perhaps.

Denim shirt via Claire! £free
T-shirt, £1, Traid
Leggings, clothes swap, £free
"Leather" vest, Forever 21+, £8 (bought in a BOGOF sale)
Dunlops, £2, car boot sale

An entire outfit for £11 = making my bargainous self pretty happy.

As an aside, I found out recently that an interview with me (and a bunch of other fat positive fashion bloggers) is featured in this month's Bitch magazine, which is pretty exciting for me! The magazine is pretty hard to come by in the UK (I'll scan in the feature when I get my copy for people to see), but is easier to find in the US. Check out Bitch's website to find local stockists to you.

2012-02-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

This was worn to go to another interview last week. The dress is pretty much my go-to tailoring - it's a ponte knit with enough stretch to wear comfortably for hours on end. I don't find that I'm as confident in traditional tailoring - it's something that isn't made well in larger sizes (too many variables I guess - itchy lining, tight arms, no breathing room). However, this season has been great for finding alternatives in ponte knits, which remain smart enough without being uncomfortable.

Dress, Tesco via eBay for £1.70
Black necklace, £2, Primark
Wide belt, £7, Dorothy Perkins
Tights, M&S
Boots, Rocketdogs, £50

Make It Work!

2012-02-20T14:02:00.000-08:00

How's that for a goofy grin?! So today I went to the printers and picked up my zine, Make It Work, at last! I've been working on this for a while now and it's really exciting to see it in paper form at last. Here are some details for you:

Make It Work is a radical fat positive zine centred around DIY fatshion and craft projects. It contains a mixture of personal pieces, tutorials, craft tips, guides to pattern upsizing, event organising and some fairly bad art. Contributors are awesome people from the fat-o-sphere including me (duh), Charlotte Cooper, Claire, Mel, Bronny, Brenda Jean and Kelsey and more.

“Make It Work” has been a mantra within fatshion communities since I can remember, and I’m interested in exploring it as a radical premise of fat positive politics. Fat people have and have always had very limited options in ready-made clothing, and, whilst retailers are starting to produce more on trend pieces, the process is slow and in the meantime, we have to come up with our own radical alternatives – whether it’s making clothes, thrifting, altering clothes or making straight sizes work for us. This zine is about sharing the resources, skills and knowledge that we’ve gained, and for it to provide strategies for people to move forward with.

Half size (A5) with 48 pages total. The zine is hand typed and has a medium pink card cover. Staple binding.

You can buy the zine from etsy here, or, alternatively you can leave your paypal email address and location in the comments below (or let me know it via email at fattyunbound@gmail.com) and I will send you a paypal invoice directly.

2012-02-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hello again! I had a job interview this Monday, and this is what I wore. I posted about this dress last year here, it was a craft project made with my trust V8615 vogue pattern. I had added sleeves to the dress, but hadn't really worn it much because they were a bit tight. In a bit of a whim I decided to take them off, and in hindsight I'm glad I did. I much prefer the option of being able to wear blouses under dresses (it makes them more versatile and work friendly), and it's now a nice summer dress as is!

On a side note (ho ho), I've decided to start actively posting more photographs from different angles. This is because I've realised that focusing only on my front kind of hides my fatness to a certain extent (as much of my chub is concentrated in my perma-pregnant looking belly!), so, both to aid in my own body acceptance and to show how clothes fit me better, I'm going to try and show more sides of me.

Dress, handmade
Blouse, Dorothy Perkins, £12
Belt, clothes swap
Tights, M&S
Heels, Docs, £60

Clothes Swap!

2012-02-16T14:29:00.003-08:00

Hello one and all! As you probably remember, last year I helped to organise a plus sized clothes swap in Leeds - and now we're putting on another!

This time we're in a different, more central venue in Leeds, Wharf Chambers. As well as the zine and reference corner we had last time, this time we're also bringing our sewing machines along for help with alterations, advice and craft fun. You'll also be able to pick up my zine Make It Work (it's still at the printers, but for those who can't come I'll be posting soon about how you can get a copy). The venue has a cafe service with tea and cake, and we welcome clothing for all gender identities. It's probably obvious to state, but the event is body positive and queer friendly!

There's a facebook event here - you can RSVP there if you're on facebook. There's no need to tell us you're coming, however if you can it will give us an idea of the numbers we're expecting. If you have any questions about the event, you can also either post on the facebook wall, or email me at fattyunbound@gmail.com.

We're running from 1-5, and it's £1 to get in. Bring along any clothes in reasonable condition, and you can swap them for ones you want!

Even if you can't make it, please let anyone who might be interested know about the event - any publicity is much appreciated. Otherwise, hope to see people there for more fun chatter and swapping!

2012-02-15T09:34:00.000-08:00

Top picture courtesy of Sarah Price.

Of course, I pretty much had to take the evening event at Plus London Two as an opportunity to wear all of my fanciest clothing at once! I'm quite a quiet person, and I don't go out in the evenings all that often, so blogger events are always a great chance to dress up and swan around shedding feathers everywhere.

The dress was from Torrid via Re/Dress at this year's NOLOSE conference (my first!), and has pretty much been lounging about waiting for an occasion like this. The hat I got at the clothes swap I co-organised last year (news on a second will be revealed soon! Local types might want to keep the end of March free!), and is pretty much the best hat ever. The shoes were an extravagant purchase, from the Doc Martens final sale recently - I've loved them since I first set eyes on them last year, but couldn't justify the price tag for heels which, it must be said, I'm not the best in. However, I'm quite impressed, as I managed to walk around in them for the entire evening without feeling much aching (until the last few minutes) - very unusual for me. As they are docs, they also have good quality sales with grip that makes me feel significantly more confident too, so they will definitely be making an outing again.

Details:
Dress, Torrid via Re/Dress, $30
Feather cape, eBay, £9.00
Hat, clothes swap, £free
Necklace, Primark, £2
Belt, Dorothy Perkins, £7
Bag, market, £5
Tights, M&S
Shoes, Docs, £60

The event was fantastic, and it was great to see so many amazing fat women in one space. I never fail to come away from these events feeling empowered in my body and my fashion. There were also some great brands there, including Elomi Lingerie offering bra fittings (and I was very surprised to discover that I am in fact an E cup!), Red Bows Vintage (whose rails I have been wanting to rummage in for a while!), ASOS, and Simply Be. You can see lots of photos from the event at the Plus London 2 tumblr here, and also check out all of our best blogger poses in the Pop Up Studio here. Thanks again to Claire for organising it, and I hope that there will be many chances to see everyone again in the future.

2012-02-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

Early mornings are never the best time to show off outfits! This is what I wore to head off to London last Saturday, to partake in the lovely Plus London event, organised by Claire of A Monkey Fatshionista. I made the pinafore (having had vintage pinafore lust for several years now) by upsizing a simple 60s pattern I found on eBay for 99p. It was a bit of a hit and miss - thinking it'd work out shorter than it did, I lengthened the bodice and had to do some major adjustments! However, apart from that it was relatively easy to size up, as the pattern had no darts, pleats or additional fanciness. I made it up in a cute purple floral corduroy that I found on sale at my local market, and added the white buttons from my sewing stash.

Blouse, £12, Dorothy Perkins sale
Pinafore, handmade
Tights, M&S
Socks, Primark
Docs, gifted

We spent the morning at Anna Scholz's studio in North West London, having nibbles, chatting and looking over their upcoming collection.

Anna was really welcoming, and I really liked the mix of bold prints in the collection. As an amateur seamstress, it was also really interesting to hear how she designed her prints, and she even explained some fit issues to us that helped me better understand why high street options are often so badly fitting. I also liked the way that Anna designs several different designs using the same pattern, which gives options for a wider variety of body shapes than by using just one design per print. Her clothes are way out of my price range right now, however I found the experience refreshing and totally different to the way other brands have treated the plus size blogging community. It's also nice to hear from a plus size designer who is actually plus size! The discussions we had highlighted the complexities of the industry to me in ways I hadn't often considered - we're a hard bunch to cater to, given that there is little room for variety and so many different ways to be fat!

Evening post to come soon!

2012-02-02T07:14:00.000-08:00

I think I might be breaking some blogger rules by going barefoot in this, but it'd be silly to put on shoes when I don't plan to leave the house. I'm partaking in Fatshion February on tumblr this year, so you can expect a lot more outfits from me during this month. I'm going to try and commit a little more to showing how I dress up and down, so be sure to follow me on tumblr to catch everything I wear. Also, follow the fatshionfebruary tag to catch all of the other entries, because they are ACE, and it is genuinely exciting to see a project which focuses more on everyday embodiment of fat bodies, rather than just showcasing the days when we feel super fancy.

Cardigan, M&S, gifted
Top, Dorothy Perkins via clothes swap, free
Necklace, £2, Primark
Skirt, Forever 21+, £8

2012-02-01T05:08:00.000-08:00

A super dorky post today, because this pinafore is pretty juvenile. I found it at a costume sale at Bradford Playhouse a few years back, and it's still the 60s smock of my daydreams. I wore this to do boring stuff at the job centre and the market.

Also, I dyed my hair! I found some ancient dark brown hair dye in the toiletries stash and decided to go slightly darker on a whim. I had black hair when I was a teenage goth, but have not strayed too far from my light brown natural colour since I got it back. I consider this a reasonable success though!

Dress, £5, costume sale
Blouse, £5ish, eBay
Tights, M&S
Docs, £50

2012-01-30T10:32:00.001-08:00

Just a quick outfit today, worn to do some charity shopping and job hunting. The jumper was a bargain find for £1.50 in a charity shop, and the shorts are from Asos during the sale.

Jumper, charity shop, £1.50
Shirt, clothes swap
Shorts, Asos, £15
Docs, £50

2012-01-28T13:54:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post this evening to feature a skirt I made last night. I was in Leeds market during the week, and I found this ace thick black stretchy material on a £1.50 a metre sale rail (my fabric shopping haunt of choice!). I bought it on a bit of a whim, without a project in mind. I've been looking to replace my black mini of choice recently, as it's a bit small right now, and it occurred to me that I could probably use some of this fabric to make another. I did this by simply tracing around the outline of another mini that fits well (I also drafted a simple waistband also based on the other miniskirts). My fabric has a slightly less stretchy fabric content, so it came out a little tighter (good though, as the other mini is a tad big around my thighs!).

I also decided, on another whim, to add a peplum to the skirt, after watching this youtube tutorial, which is really simple and I would fully recommend! I wore it out crafting today and am impressed at how comfortable and clingy it is! I might even yet make a pencil skirt version. It's nice to know that I can make my own basics when I need to. Best of all, this cost me all of about £1 to make as it required less than a metre of fabric!

Teamed with:
Jumper, Primark, £10
Tights, M&S
Boots, Clarks, £40

Advertising

2012-01-28T13:28:00.000-08:00

Anyone not interested in advertising should probably not read this!

Now that this blog is well established, I'm starting to offer small advertising slots on my sidebar. These are available to bloggers, etsy shops, eBay shops, and small and large businesses, and are now up for grabs!

I am offering 125x125 square adverts:

The placing can be seen by viewing my home page. As an advertiser, you will have to supply me with the image itself.

These adverts are currently priced at £15 per calendar month. Additional features such as product giveaways or reviews can be discussed in addition. Please note, however, that I do not feature sponsored posts, and that my product reviews are honest and my own opinion.

I also offer 728x90 leaderboard adverts, and 250x250 square advertisements. Please contact me for a quote on these.

Current Statistics, as of end of January 2012:
Monthly Page Views: 18,000+
Unique Visitors: 8,600+

Followers on Google Friend Connect: 709
Followers on Google Reader: 761
Followers on tumblr: 800

Advertisers are at my own personal discretion, and I am not interested in featuring weight loss or diet related products. I reserve the right to refuse any content that is not appropriate or relevant to this blog's content.

Payment is made via Paypal in advance.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact me directly at fattyunbound@gmail.com.

On bodies, respect and blogging

2012-01-26T03:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, so as a blogger, I consent for my images to enter the public realm. This has been good for the main part, and I've made new friends, established myself in a body positive online community, and gotten a lot of support for my body from lots of people. However, there are horrible aspects too - images being taken without my consent, lots of internet snark, and occasional abusive comments. This also sometimes comes from within the fashion community (sometimes within the plus size blogging community too, which really makes me sad, as that's a space where I believe we shouldn't be exposed to diet/weight loss chatter).

The main thing I've wanted to explore lately is the interconnection between being a fashion blogger, a visible female, and being body positive. More mainstream fashion communities are intensely body policing and based around body hierarchies that mean that one body can look better in another. Even plus size stores like Evans preach dialogues of "flattery" and dressing to "suit your shape", which means that even shopping often involves the ongoing repetition that your body is inferior to others. These communities often seem to fragment our bodies, and I've seen my own body receive the same treatment quite a lot lately, because I don't hide my fattest parts. My belly is on display too much, my necklines are too high, my skirts are too short, and this must make me a bit delusional (because I wouldn't show these parts if someone just pointed my error to me!). We're almost told to "take responsibility" for our bodies and hide these fat parts for the sake of others - as if our bodies are public property that must be managed appropriately.

I've participated in fashion communities for years, when I was dieting and since I've become fat positive. I do so because I like clothes, and that's something I refuse to be made ashamed of. However, I don't believe that as a fat woman, I have to made any sacrifices for my body. Following these set rules and conditions to dress acceptably mean that shopping and dressing is no fun for me, as I'm constantly trying to fit within a strict set of variables, and hey, shopping for fat sized clothes is already tough enough as it is without rules to add to the mix!

I believe that one item of clothing can look amazing on a variety of different shapes. There isn't a body hierarchy to me because of this because of this. I don't believe that, as a female identified person or as a blogger, I am obliged to dress in any way - and I don't believe that anyone else is either. If you're fat and you want to wear spandex, or a unitard, or leggings as pants, or mini skirts, hot pants, body con dresses, and it makes you feel good then wear it. Similarly, I don't believe that anyone is obliged to dress "on trend" or in anything other than what they want to wear. Fashion is fun for me, but if it's not for you, then you don't need to spend time on it. I believe that part of feeling good in your body is finding a way to feel comfortable in it, whether that's dressing high fashion or low maintenance. I'm not interested in making anyone feel bad for having less (or no!) commitment to fashion than me.

It's disrespectful to comment negatively on someone's body in clothing (and out of clothing, and ever!) to me, for a variety of reasons. For one, you don't know what access they have to certain resources (I get pretty angry when people ask me to get a better bra, for instance, because large back small cup bras are pretty hard (and expensive) to come by), or how they feel about their body, or anything about their relationship to themselves. Also, dressing is personal expression for me, and, controversial as this opinion may be, I don't really believe in a right or wrong way to dress - just what works for me, personally. If you don't like the way someone dresses, don't read their blog. Learn to comment in a way that respects the poster (you can constructively criticise an outfit, but in a way that leaves body commentary out). Don't presume you know better than them, or anything about them.

Right now, fashion isn't a democracy (sadly it probably never will be). It's an industry that makes money out of telling people to "better" themselves constantly. Most of us will never be the person in fashion advertisements, but brands will have you believe that with the right amount of money, commitment, and weight loss regimes, we can become that. I believe that blogging can help to shift these attitudes, and help to focus on inspiring people of different shapes, gender identities, colours, abilities to dress the way the want to, not the way they've been told to. I appreciate the diversity I see in fashion blogging now, but I also acknowledge and hope that there could be a lot more. However, this won't happen unless fashion blogging becomes a friendlier, and more respectful, space.

2012-01-21T12:12:00.000-08:00

I've owned this mustard yellow midi skirt for a good few months now, and worn it sparingly. I got it in the Dorothy Perkins sale, but have never quite twigged onto the perfect way to wear it, without it looking a bit frumpy and long (I like my skirts mid-thigh, and this is mid calf!). I twinned it with my black velvet scalloped mini dress (which I think I love more as a top now!) to wear to work this week, and I think finally got the styling right. The wide scalloped neckline of this dress, combined with a full skirt, feels very 50s to me - it's simple with just the right amount of unique detailing. I'd love to be able to master a scallop in my sewing projects, though sadly I don't seem to get along with circular hemming. Hmm.

Scalloped mini, worn as top, £3, charity shop
Belt, Dorothy Perkins, £7
Skirt, Dorothy Perkins, £15
Brooch, Primark, £2
Boots, rocketdogs, £50

2012-01-19T06:33:00.001-08:00

Another absurd work outfit today. I'm really into red, orange and mustard yellow at the minute (you can probably tell?).

Dress (worn as top), Dorothy Perkins, £20
Scalloped collar, romwe, about £6.50
Skirt, handmade
Belt, Dorothy Perkins, £6
Shoes, docs, £50

2012-01-17T13:06:00.000-08:00

I had a lovely Saturday this weekend, pottering around my favourite Yorkshire charity shop haunt (Otley, for those interested - about ten charity shops, most reasonably priced, not to mention some lovely cafes and the best bookshop ever). To celebrate a thrifty day, I wore my most recent find - this black velvet mini, which I found the weekend before for £3 in Nottingham, where my dad has recently moved. I teamed it with my garish stripey tights and a new brooch, from ASOS's sale.

Here's a picture of the neckline:

and a necessary picture of the gigantic piece of white chocolate and lemon cake I consumed:
My finds included a Spare Rib compilation book, a wool kilt, a fab bright red jumper and er, too many books. Good day!

2012-01-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

I have to say, the longer I've been temping, the more brash I'm getting with my clothes. I work in an office currently that's full of pastels and proper workwear, and lately lots of unpleasant healthy lifestyle fat shaming rhetoric, and it's kind of hard on me in some ways. I've been coping with my favourite self care mechanism, which is basically dressing obnoxiously (within certain limits). This pink dress was a sales find from Next, from the maternity section (though my belly fills it minus sprog!), which is definitely a good resource if you are big bellied or pear shaped like me. It's another jersey mix, so comfortable day wear with just the right amount of 60s-ishness and obnoxious loudness for me.

Dress, £12, Next sale
Collar, £6.50, Romwe
Boots, Rocketdogs, £50

2012-01-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

Here's another belated work outfit for you. The waistcoat and shorts were sale buys this year. I tried to focus my sale purchases more around versatile separates to replace long suffering favourites of mine, instead of cooing over all the pretty and ridiculous dresses as per usual!

Peacock waistcoat, Forever 21, £8 (their sale stuff was on buy one get one free over the festive period. HAPPY FACE)
Black tee, clothes swap
Necklace, Primark, £2
Tweed shorts of dreams, £17, very.co.uk
Boots, Rocketdogs, £50

2012-01-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

This was one of those outfits for a day when you accomplish nearly nothing (in my case, a fry up at my local, and loafing around at home) but still fancy looking a bit ridiculous. This detachable collar is my new favourite thing EVER bought from Romwe here (if you do some googling, you can find a few discount codes too! I got this for about £6.50 including shipping.) I've been trying to make my own for a while, but this is really well made with some scalloping that I could never replicate myself. I wore it with my beloved Dorothy Perkins circle dress annnnnnnnd my Christmas present this year, which is a Cambridge Satchel! I've lusted after these since before I went to university (8 years!), but always ended up with vintage satchels instead, even though they tend to break almost instantly. Suffice to say, it's not left my shoulder yet.

Also featured are my January sales splurge on myself - a new pair of Doc Marten shoes, in a lovely garish red floral colour. They were reduced to £50, and I've loved them from afar since they came out, so I consider them a good investment. Here's a close up:

Dress, Dorothy Perkins, £20
Collar, Romwe, about £6.50
Belt, old vintage stock
Satchel, gifted!
Tights, M&S
Shoes, Doc Martens, £50

2012-01-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

I do sometimes find myself wondering if I'll ever grow out of dresses, docs and cardigans. I feel like I've been dressing in this outfit (and variations) since I was a teenager, and it's just so comforting. This cardigan is my new favourite thing ever, unsuprisingly given how much I've posted it, and I'm enjoying living in this interchangable outfit in the cold days and dark mornings, when more elaborate ensembles are too much to deal with.

Cardigan, £5, F&F at Tesco
Dress, George via eBay, £7.50
Scarf, old vintage stock, free
Belt, old vintage stock, free
Docs, gifted

2011

2012-01-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I don't normally do "end of year" or summary posts, but this year has been crazy, and I wanted to do something to say goodbye to it.

I've spent 2011 moving three times, between Brighton and Leeds more often than I'd care, and I've maybe been more inconsistent that I'd like with this blog. Real life has taken over more than I wanted, and I'm hoping that 2012 will allow me to maintain more steady contact on here.

I started this year with a few loyal followers, and through the course of it gained many more (mainly thanks to my television appearance, but also to the many kind people who've linked to me, recommended this blog, and said generally nice things about me). I've become a more visible part of a community of fat positive bloggers, some of who have become good friends, some of who I hope to meet in the future, and all of which continue to inspire and stimulate me (in a fashion sense and also in a badass fat activist way). I've been to awesome events, swaps, conferences, and even organised two of my own! I hope that 2012 will involve more community building, events, and support for each other. I'm personally aspiring to run more swaps, spend more time teaching other fats to sew haphazardly (or even well!), and to improve my own sewing skills to the extend where I can make better clothes for me, and maybe even custom make things for others. 2012 will also be the year I publish my own zine for the first time, and there'll be much more on that subject soon.

Without being emotional, I just wanted to say that I appreciate everyone who reads this blog. I'm glad to be another small piece of an online community of people who are challenging bodily norms and living visibly, proud and powerfully in bodies that are alienated and oppressed by mainstream discourses. I wanted to ask, too, what more you all want to read here. This past month or so I've not been writing much - instead I've put that towards zine making and finishing articles for people. I always want outfit posts to be a big part of this space, but I wanted to open it up to all of you - what else do you want to see more of? Tutorials? Politics? Histories? What do you want to know more about?

2012-01-03T11:20:00.000-08:00

Still wayyyy behind with all of my outfit posts - I still haven't posted about my sales purchases! Here's an outfit I remixed for work before Christmas - the dress is a summer sale purchase, and one of my staple work dresses. I'm not great with tailoring (you might have noticed), mainly because my body completely changes shape when I'm sat down (this move turns most knee length shift dresses into minis! Not good!), so I try and go for smart jersey pieces instead.

Dress, £15, Dorothy Perkins
Cardigan was one I picked up from Rebecca when we met over the summer (summer?! What's that?!), free
Boots, Rocketdog, £50
Necklace, Primark, £2

In other news, I'm super excited about Plus London 2! Claire of Monkey Fatshionista is organising it this year, and it looks great. Brands involved include Domino Dollhouse, One Stop Plus, Simply Be and Anna Scholz, and there's going to be a fashion show, pop up photography studio and a clothes swap (so you know I'm there). Hopefully I'll get my arse into gear and finish my zine in time for it too! It's open to bloggers and friends of bloggers, and you can see the facebook event here and the tumblr here. If you want to attend, drop Claire a line at supermonkey79atgmaildotcom to RSVP. Hope to meet some of you there!

2011-12-29T13:07:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, another early morning face. Can you tell I'm not the best with them?!

One Stop Plus contacted me recently, to offer me a piece from their website to review. I'd been ogling the Big Beauty for La Redoute collection before, and thought this would be a nice chance to try the collection out. I chose these stretch trousers, because, well, high waisted anything wins my heart! I love the way the trousers are glammed up in the product shot, but for me, they're great for workwear. I teamed them with a vintage hand knitted waistcoat and my trusty white pussy bow blouse for a vintage inspired work outfit.

I'm really impressed with the quality of the trousers, and would definitely consider the range again. The only complaint I would make is that they're a tad short on me - which, at 5'9", is not uncommon with trousers. I'd maybe recommend these for people a few inches smaller than me for optimum fit - or, as I've just been informed, you can also buy them in a longer length here instead.

Trousers, Big Beauty for La Redoute, still available to buy here, courtesy of One Stop Plus
Waistcoat, vintage via eBay, £6
Blouse, eBay, £3.50
Loafers, Primark, £12

2011-12-28T13:01:00.000-08:00

Hello once again. I hope everyone had a nice festive holiday (if you celebrate, that is!). I spent mine back home in Surrey, with my dad, relaxing, eating and playing scrabble. Here's a work outfit from before Christmas, featuring a new skirt, that I made out of a novelty cat print fabric I bought at a crafting expo I went to in Harrogate. I tried gathering as a technique on this - normally I'm a fan of a full pleated skirt - and was pleasantly surprised at how simple it was. Would anyone be interested in a gathered skirt tutorial?

Handmade skirt (£6 for the fabric, and I used an old zip from my stash)
teamed with

Cardigan, F&F at Tesco, £7
Blouse, £3.50, eBay
Belt, old vintage stock
Loafers, £12, Primark

2011-12-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

Here's another remixed outfit for work this week. I'm finding circle skirts a nice compromise between smart and repetitive - though still finding not being able to be a bit wackier a bit stifling. Thankfully I'm not stuck in tailoring all day, which is something at least! I'll try and be a bit more imaginative this week perhaps.

Nude body, very.co.uk, £12 (sale)
Cami, Dorothy Perkins, £4 (sale)
Skirt, self made with £4 market fabric
Tights, M&S
Boots, Rocketdog, £50

2011-12-12T13:22:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post for me today. I'm temping at the minute, and trying to find my way around corporate/professional wear again, which I fear has resulted in way too many dull outfits. I'm also spending a lot of my spare time trying to make some work wear of my own, but I'll write about my adventures on that front another time. This dress is my favourite work appropriate item of clothing - it's a wool pinafore bought from Jane Bon Bon on etsy in a sample sale about a year and a half ago. I probably don't need to sell leopard print wool to anyone, but I'm still surprised at how well made and well fitted this is. I just had a nosey, and her etsy shop seems to be on ongoing vacation mode, sadly, and I hope this isn't permanent as I'm longing for another of her pieces when I next have money.

And one (badly posed) last picture to show off my winter coat this year! I found it at Leeds market, for the princely sum of £20. It's got a fake fur collar and a swing shape - warm with a nice vintage twinge. Lately I've been teaming it with this vintage hat, found last year in a charity shop for £4! I definitely go for a slightly "eccentric old lady" look during the winter - endless layers and big accessories are the best to keep warm in a cold Yorkshire winter.
Coat, £20, Leeds market
Hat, £4, charity shop
Dress, Jane Bonbon via etsy, £40 (sample sale price)
Black polo neck, Dorothy Perkins, £7
Boots, Rocketdog, £50
Tights, M&S

2011-12-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

Wearing the boots for a second time - this time for some errand running. The cold weather has sadly put a halt to wearing this jacket now - I need a thick alternative with some shearling, as just looking at this is making me shiver now.

Jacket, old vintage stock
Shirt, clothes swap
Leggings, ASOS, £22
Boots, Clarks, £40

Another day, another doctored granny skirt

2011-12-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

Here's my latest doctoring project. I saw some assymetrical skirt in some skinny person shop earlier this year, and I've dreamt of one ever since. This morning I decided to hack up a midi skirt that never really worked for me, cutting it diagonally and making it a little quirkier. I'm happy with the result (though maybe windy Leeds wasn't the best place to debut it!).

Also, I can't help but show off my new boots! I bought them on a bit of a whim, from Clarks in the sale. They're black fleece lined lace ups with a brown clog heel and platform. Despite the heel being larger than I'd ever wear, they're really comfortable because of the big platform. Great to stomp about in!

Deets:

Jacket, old vintage stock
Jumper, clothes swap
Skirt, bought for $5 in an American thrift store this summer
Belt, Dorothy Perkins, £5
Boots, Clarks, £40 (still on sale if you want them)

2011-12-02T08:18:00.001-08:00

Belated post with some interview attire! I find job interviews tough because I'm prone to overdressing and looking a bit silly/not being taken seriously, but I think this is a reasonable compromise.

Tank top, £3 charity shop
Blouse, £4, eBay
Skirt, self made
Loafers, primark, £12

2011-11-28T07:35:00.001-08:00

Just a quick post today, featuring my favourite swap find to date!

Cardigan, £5, tesco
Dress, clothes swap
Belt, old vintage stock
Boots, rocketdog, £50

2011-11-26T05:16:00.000-08:00

Here's my latest craft project for you all. I found this medium brown stretch cotton on sale at the market for £1.50 a metre, and thought it'd make a nice understated circle dress. I used my old faithful vogue pattern (V8615) to make it, this time adding 3/4 length sleeves (a step I've always skipped before). I find the sleeves a bit tight on me, so some upsizing will be needed if I make this again with sleeves. For £4.50 total cost though, it's a perfectly functional dress for work and play.

Dress, handmade
Belt, £6, Dorothy Perkins
Brooch, £2, Primark
Brogues, £12, Primark

2011-11-25T05:09:00.000-08:00

Hey strangers! The past couple of weeks have been busy with job interviews, cooking and zine making, and sadly a little low on the outfit front. Hopefully I'll be a little more active again now.

Dress, clothes swap (this is one of the dresses that Simply Be very kindly donated to the swap I organised!), free
Cardigan, clothes swap, free
Tights, M&S
Loafers, Primark, £12

In other news, I'm getting really excited about putting the zine I'm making together. I've been having fun with bad art and trying out some sewing methods for it. I'm still seeking submissions, so if anyone has any fat/crafty/DIY ideas to put forward then drop me an email. All the details are here, and submissions close on the 30th November (though there's certainly some flexibility there).

2011-11-13T11:34:00.000-08:00

A very badly lit casual outfit for you all today! I scored this button up shirt from the fat clothes swap in October - button up shirts and blouses are perfect everyday wear for me, and jumpers and skinnies make them perfect casual attire. In other news, I er, clearly need to take photographs away from light bulbs in the future.

Jumper, charity shop, £3
Shirt, clothes swap, free
Skinnies, Beth Ditto for Evans, £8
Loafers, Primark, £12

2011-11-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last few weeks going a tad craft-crazy, working on a whole bunch of projects and hitting the fabric sale racks at my local market pretty hard. I've been looking for the right pencil skirt pattern for ages, and found Burda Patterns's Kasia skirt pattern online recently. It doesn't fit up to my size, but I decided to take a chance on some DIY pattern grading with the cut and spread method (here's some information for anyone interested) and attempt to size it up because it was high waisted and had cute details that were perfect for workwear and casual skirts). I used a stretchy ponte knit fabric I scored for £1.50 a metre at the market (this took about 1.5 metres) and some feature stripey buttons:

It came out well for a first try - I ended up making it too large and had to take it in a fair bit, but that might be because of the super stretchy fabric. However, I'll DEFINITELY be making it again (Burda suggest contrast pockets, with sounds great!) in a less conservative pattern.

Jumper, clothes swap, free
Skirt, self made (total cost c. £5.50 including buttons!)
Necklace, Primark, £2
Boots, Rocketdog, £50

2011-11-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

I was window shopping recently on H&M's website, and was pleasantly surprised to notice that a few pieces of the Inclusive range had some pretty hefty reductions. I wasn't keen on the range on it's release, but I did like a few pieces - this skirt and this bodysuit - both still reduced to £7.99 online. I ordered both (though sadly the body didn't work - not surprising, as I've yet to find one made for my 5'9" frame). I ended up having to size up to a size 26 for the skirt (this range runs so small! Size up at least one, probably two sizes, from your average). The ordering and exchanging process was pretty frustrating - to my knowledge, there is no sizing information online for this range, and it took about six weeks and several angry emails to get my exchange sorted! The skirt itself is fantastic, and I'm impressed with the length and fullness of it, but I'm not sure I'd go through such hassle to get an item of clothing again.

Anyway, it's here now, and I debuted it to go gaming with some friends. I teamed it with some basic pieces to make it a feature of the outfit.

Skirt, £7.99, H&M inclusive
Top, £3, Dorothy Perkins
Blazer, £10, Fatshionista sales post
Tights, M&S
Necklace, £2, Primark
Boots, Rocketdog, £50

2011-11-07T03:09:00.000-08:00

I spent yesterday at Golden Acre Park in Leeds, enjoying Autumn at it's fullest! It was a bright but cold day, so I figured I'd do a blogger cliche and take my picture amidst the fallen leaves. It was a quiet day so luckily I managed to avoid feeling incredibly awkward in the process of doing so. Yay!

Top, Primark, £6 (knotted myself)
Skirt, Dorothy Perkins, £12
Belt, Dorothy Perkins, £6
Necklace, £2, Primark
Tights, M&S
Boots, Rocketdog, £50

2011-11-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

I'm fairly certain that October didn't really call for a crop top, but I'm reluctant to give them up quite yet. I wore this to a gig the other week. The skirt was from Evans (back when they weren't scared of mini skirts) and is the best mini I own.

Top, £6, Primark (knotted by myself)
Skirt, second hand, originally from Evans, £10
Tights, M&S
Boots, £50, Rocketdog via eBay

MAKE IT WORK: A DIY fatshion craft zine

2011-11-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I've come to post about a new project that I'd love for anyone to get involved with. Since I've been unemployed for a few weeks now, I've been crafting a lot in between job applications, and I've come across lots of useful plus size craft resources that I'd like to share. I was going to post a series here, but instead I thought I'd make it into a zine! I'm looking for contributions from others too. Here are the details:

Make It Work is a DIY fat radical craft zine, focusing on strategies for resistance, tutorials and craft projects for fellow awesome fats. “Make It Work” has been a mantra within fatshion communities since I can remember, and I’m interested in exploring it as a radical premise of fat positive politics. Fat people have and have always had very limited options in ready-made clothing, and, whilst retailers are starting to produce more on trend pieces, the process is slow and in the meantime, we have to come up with our own radical alternatives – whether it’s making clothes, thrifting, altering clothes or making straight sizes work for us. I want this zine to be about sharing the resources, skills and knowledge that we’ve gained, and for it to provide strategies for people to move forward with.

All contributions are welcome, and here are a few suggestions:

- DIY tutorials (resizing smaller items, designing patterns from scratch, adjusting clothes, costume making, accessories)

- Radical craft projects.

- Craft and fatshion related personal pieces.

- Organising fatshion events – clothes swap, DIY fashion shows, selling on etsy and so on.

- Sewing and crafting on a budget – how to do it, where to find cheap supplies, etc.

- Thrifting tips, shopping guides and etsy recommendations for fat positive sellers.

- Strategies for shopping – how do you find the pieces that you want if they aren’t immediately available? Shopping in straight size stores, vintage shopping, resource guides.

- Dressing queer as a fat person – how does being fat impact your choices? How do dominant aesthetics limit your choices, how do you resist them, and how does your sense of dress interact with these dominant aesthetics?

- Resources for trans and gender queer identified people.

- Letters to high street retailers, commentary on outsizing, plus size ranges and any other rants.

- Pieces on fatshion role models.

- Illustrations (that look good in black and white and are photocopiable!), comics, visual art of any kind.

- Critiques and criticisms of fatshion – how could we be more inclusive? Who do you want to see blogging?

Email any ideas, contributions and questions through to me at fattyunbound@gmail.com. I’m going to set a preliminary deadline of 30^th November for submitting, though that will probably slide and if anyone can’t make that, let me know and I’ll try and set some space aside for you.

I started thinking about doing something like this after some conversations with Lauren over the weekend, and after some debates that have recently been circulating around twitter and tumblr. I’ve been following fatshion blogs and communities since I discovered the Fatshionista livejournal community in 2007, and I’m really interested in how the community has evolved and shifted in those years. For me, Fatshionista was an amazing space, because it focused on fashion from a radically, politically engaged perspective and because it didn’t permit diet talk of any kind. I’m not saying that it was without problems, but at its peak it was a fantastic entrance point for anyone starting to re-think their body. Now that the community has dwindled, and most people blog instead, this sense of safe space doesn’t really exist anymore, because, whilst there is still a community of sorts, we each control our own spaces. Just because someone runs a plus size fashion blog doesn’t mean that they are fat positive, that the blog won’t involve diet talk or that they engage with politics in remotely the same way that I do. I’m used to fatshion being half about body politics, and half about clothes – however, as different people have entered the community from different backgrounds, the focus has shifted away from politics.

I recognise everyone’s right to bodily autonomy, and I’m not going to argue with anyone losing weight – that’s your choice, just as much as mine was to stop dieting. We all know what’s best for us individually. However, I can’t pretend that I’m not often nostalgic for when fatshion always came with a dose of radical fat acceptance politics. Instead of just ranting about my issues here, I thought I’d try and create something new that would bring some of these resources back into focus.

Winter Uniforms

2011-11-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

This past week, I've been thinking about staple winter outfits. This outfit is probably all of my favourite staples in one outfits - button up blouses, high waisted skirt, round neck jumper and my trusty docs. It really helps with dark mornings to be able to rely on a formula like this, instead of trying to be super stylish every day of the week.

Jumper, clothes swap, free
Scalloped blouse, Dorothy Perkins, £12
High waisted skirt, clothes swap, free
Tights, M&S
Socks, Primark
Docs, gifted

2011-11-01T03:20:00.000-07:00

After a bike-less hiatus in Brighton, I've finally been able to start cycling again now that I'm back in Leeds. I'm still getting used to what I can and cannot wear on it. This outfit is probably an errand running staple - great for cycling through rain and not getting distracted by my clothes.

The boots are Rocketdog Nokouts, bought recently on eBay after I discovered that they still existed! I had these boots when I was in uni (though in brown) and wore them to death. Since they went beyond repair, I've never found another pair of boots to feel the same about - my calves are too wide for most styles, and normally I just end up with a pair from Evans that I don't feel strongly about - so when I discovered that these still existed, I was ecstatic! They retail at about £65-70 online, but I was able to track down a nearly new pair for a bit less. They're available from IShoe for anyone else interested. They fit my wide size 8 and large calves with room to spare.

Sheer cream shirt, clothes swap, free
High waisted jeans, Beth Ditto for Evans, £8
Boots, Rocketdog Nokouts via eBay, £50
Duffel Coat, £12.50, River Island sale

Clothes Swap!

2011-11-01T03:01:00.000-07:00

This Saturday was the day of the fat clothes swap I helped organised! It was an awesome day spent with lots of rad fat women, and as per usual, I nearly entirely forgot to document it! We took over a room in a local pub for the event, strung up bunting and fairy lights, as well as having a zine table and some cakes for munching. We also put together a mailing list to try and start more of a local fat acceptance community locally (if you want to be added, just email me). It was well attended and I think we all went home with some warm fat related feelings and some new clothes, which is amazing. We're hoping to hold another one after Christmas, so keep an eye out for more details. In the mean time, here is my not-so-great attempt at documenting the day:

Clothes!

Zines and books:

I took the day as an opportunity to wear a vintage housecoat I picked up in Portland over the summer, which is the stuff of garish colour lovers' dreams. I sewed up the front to make it a dress instead so it could see more daylight!

Dress, $20, vintage store
Belt, old vintage stock
Tights, M&S
Brogues, Primark, £12
Badge, gifted!

And a last close up of the serious business awesome badge that the lovely Donna made for me, which had to come out for the event! Oh, and my new fancy glasses, which are from Lensway if anyone is interested.

K x

2011-10-21T12:19:00.001-07:00

Hello again! The past three weeks have been a bit crazy for me, finishing a very busy period working at a literature festival, and now lots of job hunting afoot! I'm unemployed right now, which is great for my sewing projects, but not so great otherwise. I spent my last paycheck on a few sales treats for myself, including this gorgeous dress from Dorothy Perkins. Bateau necklines and full skirts are my biggest weakness, and though I can generally make them myself now, the stitching and ponte material of this one made it a worthy purchase.

I'm loving teaming it with my mustard loafers for yellow overload, and it's proved absolutely fantastic to accessorise. I've worn it fairly constantly since it arrived, and am very much enjoying mixing my favourite accessories with it. Here's another look with the same dress:

This time I paired it with a crocheted shawl I picked up for £1 from Leeds market. One of the joys of being unemployed is being able to hit the outdoor market on a Thursday - which brings out the best second hand bargains! Sadly, I am way too poor to buy much, but the £1 piles do bring up some joys!

Dress, £20, Dorothy Perkins - still online (and reduced further! Gah!) here
Belt, Dorothy Perkins, £6
Tights, M&S
Loafers, £12, Primark
First scarf, old vintage stock
Second shawl, £1, Leeds market

Also, just another reminder that I'm co-organising a fat clothes swap in Leeds, on the 29th October! That's next weekend! Check out the event on facebook here and email me if you have any questions. The wonderful Simply Be have also sent me some unsold stock from previous seasons for the swap, which I'm very excited about. I'm sure it'll be an awesome event, and it'd be great to see some of my readers there too. K xx

2011-10-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Sorry for my lack of posting recently, but this last week has been a shocker of twelve hour days, job rejections and getting mugged yesterday (I'm okay). I'm working pretty much 24/7 at the minute, and dressing well is a lower priority than sleeping sometimes. I did however want to show off my latest creation, which is this circle skirt in some brown/grey paisley that I bought at another car boot sale. I'm working on making work friendly pieces at the moment, as I'm job hunting and in desperate need of tailoring. This was overall a success, though the fabric is a bit too light for the purpose perhaps.

Blouse, £14.99, M&S via eBay
Skirt, made from a piece of £4 fabric
Tights, M&S
Shoes, Primark, £12

2011-09-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

Hello one and all! I bring exciting news. Over the past week, I've been helping to plan a fat clothes swap happening in Leeds - and after some doodling and planning last night, we have flyers and further information. The swap will be happening on 29th October upstairs at The Packhorse in Leeds (1-5). It's only £1/50p to get in, and we'll be donating any money we make to a local charity.

This is going to be a body positive event, with feminine and masculine clothing, open to people of any identity. Bring along any items you have to swap (we recommend 5, but bring more or less if you want) and swap them for things you do want! Yay!

You can find the facebook event here and feel free to email me with any questions about the event.

K x

2011-09-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

This week's been a hectic one for me. I'm approaching a busy time with work and blogging hasn't been at the forefront of my mind! I thought I'd post another post-swap outfit in the mean time. This is made up of a top and skirt both from the swap - the skirt I've owned before but sold on because I thought it was too short, but regretted later, so yay for having another one back in my life!

Dress and skirt, free through Fat Swap Shop
Tights, Dorothy Perkins
Shoes, Primark, £12

And another plug (sorry) - some more new eBay listings can be found here

More substance coming soon!
K x

2011-09-18T05:23:00.000-07:00

Hey all! I'm back with another work outfit - I wore this on Friday, then out for some Greek grub with my lovely boyfriend (the memories of which are still making me salivate!). The skirt was another find at the Fat Swap Shop event last weekend. It's a high waisted pleated linen skirt, and I've worn it at least twice this week. It goes with everything!

Top, Primark, £6 (still in stores)
Skirt, free, fat swap shop
Belt, £5, M&S
Tights, M&S
Shoes, Primark, £12

2011-09-13T01:31:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! This weekend I had the privilege of going to a fat clothes swap, organised by Claire in London, and I thought I'd post one of the things I got, which is this grey tailored jacket. I love dressing up my jeans with a smarter blouse, and this jacket makes the look even smarter.

Jacket, free via Fat Swap Shop
Blouse, M&S, £15
Jeans, Beth Ditto for Evans, £8
Loafers, Primark, £8

The event was fantastic, and it was a really affirming space for me (I'm hoping to get something similar happening in Leeds later this year) and a positive experience. I love clothes swaps, but normally don't find much in my size - it was great for this not to be an option! I love the ethos of clothes swapping, and particularly the difference between these environments and traditional high street environments. I feel that particularly in plus size spaces, we're marketed to in particular ways, which stress the importance of "flattering" shapes and disguising our fat (this dress your shape guide from Evans being a perfect example).

High street shopping isn't a particularly fun experience as a fatty - in shops which have a larger size ranges, the larger sizes often aren't in stores (HELLO DOROTHY PERKINS), or the plus size ranges are hidden in the darkest corner of the store, or even only available online. I find that most of the time I now shop online, and that's disappointing and expensive when you factor in postage costs. This is often why, when I go shopping in stores, I hit vintage shops and charity shops - I probably stand the same chance of finding something, but I'm not made to feel inferior by my size being hidden in a corner/not in store/only available online. Everything's together, and I find I have more fun rummaging.

Coming to events like this is both amazing for my wardrobe(!) and for my experience as a fat woman. Instead of constantly having to compromise, the experience is fun and empowering. It's great to see people laughing about clothes, and also being able to see something that doesn't fit one person suiting someone else so well. I consider myself very lucky to know so many awesome people, and to be able to partake in events like this! So thank you very much to Claire for organising, and I'll be posting with more bits and pieces I scored as the week goes on!

2011-09-09T02:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, so apparently trying to get a good picture whilst packing (and without a chance to dry my hair even) and eating some semblance of breakfast does not give a good result. I present to you the obligatory blinking shot, with added carrier bags and broom. But hey, I'm fairly certain no one comes here for my sterling photographic skills anyhow.

I've been stealing my boyfriend's braces constantly recently, pairing them with high waisted skirts, circle skirts and for a more dapper look as per today. They add such a pinch of old school masculinity to an otherwise fairly everyday style.

Shirt, 50p, market stall
Shorts, ASOS, £8
Braces, pinched from my boyfriend
Tights, Evans (spot the holes? Time for a new shop I think)
Loafers, £12, Primark

2011-09-08T04:16:00.000-07:00

Another outing for the polka dot pencil skirt today. I found this bateau neckline top in a draw whilst sorting out clothes for swapping this weekend - it's maybe my oldest charity shop find that still exists in my wardrobe! Everyone knows that I love a bateau, but it really does seem timeless for me.

In other news, I'm listing some bits and pieces on eBay over the next few weeks - you can find the bits and pieces here if interested.

Top, charity shop, £4
Skirt, Dorothy Perkins, £12
Tights, M&S
Shoes, Primark, £12

2011-09-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

So today I finally had my home connected to the internet again! Yay! After many a month without regular access, and with only weeks left at my current job this is a relief for many reasons!

I spent yesterday going through some holiday photographs from my month in the US in July. I was really happy to come back home (though I had an awesome time) to the grey/green landscapes that make me happy to be a Yorkshire resident again, but after a week of solid rain, winter-y temperatures and dark days, I am definitely missing summer (and the two weeks I spent in Southern California with my partner's family). I'll post a few outfits from the trip over the next week or so - here's the first. The dress was an impulse buy in Forever 21, not my usual style but the ruffles swayed me. The t-shirt was something I picked up from Rebecca in Portland, who helpfully let me rummage through some clothes she was giving away!

Dress, Forever 21+, $27 (ish?)
T-shirt, from Rebecca!
Necklace, Primark £2

2011-09-05T01:41:00.000-07:00

Hi again - hope everyone had a nice weekend. Mine was spent working (boo) and then roadtesting my birthday present from my father for this year - a very nice new sewing machine! I've been working with an ancient 70s machine since I started, and, whilst it served my purpose initially, it's proved inadequate as I've progressed onto dressmaking and more elaborate projects. My new machine is such a relief in comparison - no jams, easy threading, and it weighs about a fifth of the weight of my old model!

I spent yesterday catching up with some projects; altering some curtains, starting a new skirt project (well, nearly finishing actually!) and shortening this dress, which was a thrift store buy on my American travels. It was mid calf, and I took it up to knee length and sewed up the front (WHO invented the button up dress? I don't think I've ever owned one that hasn't popped open at every available opportunity). It's got the cutest sailor collar and a cinching back tie:

I'm still not absolutely happy with the fit, but it deserved it's first outing at least.

Dress, $5, thrifted
Loafers, £12, Primark

2011-09-02T01:34:00.000-07:00

Here's my Friday for you. This top was a Primark score in the summer, and is my go to casual top for lazy days - I love teaming oversized tops with skinnies or mini skirts. I also dragged out my uber goth platforms - traded online earlier this year. You totally can't see their amazingness, but they're crazy embellished with a two inch black platform. I traded them initially out of nostalgia - these were my shoes of choice during my teenage years - but they're great to give an edge to an otherwise plain outfit.

Top, £6, Primark
Skirt, £3, Primark
Leggings, ASOS Curve (£17? I can never remember)
Shoes, traded, £free
Bag, £1.50, car boot sale

Also, some people kindly pointed out that my twitter link on the left was sending everyone to tumblr - I've changed this now, and you can follow me @shecametostay.

K xx

Old favourites

2011-09-01T01:49:00.000-07:00

This dress is possibly my oldest and dearest vintage dress - the only one that's survived eBaying and wardrobe clearouts, and numerous seam breaks and repair jobs. It's a 50s sundress that I treated myself to towards the end of my undergraduate degree - the floral pattern and sweetheart neckline were definitely too much to resist at the time. Sadly summer dresses seem hard to wear in a British summer, but nonetheless it remains dear to me.

Cardigan, £6, vintage
Dress, £40, vintage
Belt, old vintage stock
Loafers, £12, Primark

2011-08-31T03:36:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! The super fantastic We Love Colours offered to send me a pair of tights recently - and being in my stripes obsessed phase I decided to go for these bold ones in black and white. I have trouble finding tights every year, because I'm both tall and fat, and most of the options on the UK high street (bar M&S, who I am now devoutly loyal to!) are hopelessly bad quality. I've always wanted to buy from We Love Colours, but as they're US based the shipping has always held me back. The quality of these is great for me though, and I'm looking forward to clashing them with many different patterns this winter.

Low-fat t-shirt, $7, vintage
Polka dot pencil skirt, £12, Dorothy Perkins
Tights, courtesy of We Love Colours
Shoes, Primark, £12

Twitter
Fan Page
Curvy Fan Page

2011-08-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so bare legs and a mini skirt were probably a little too optimistic for the grey and unseasonably cold that we are experiencing right now, but I am unwilling to resort to tights again. This outfit (and parallels) is a weekend staple for me. I don't think I will ever grow out of my band tees and mini-skirts - chipped nail polish a definite nostalgic accessory for my obsessive music nerd days (though a week spent re-organising my records has definitely reignited this!).

Pixies tee, £1, TRAID sale (a staple shop from my London uni days), knotted
Velvet mini, £3, Primark
Jacket, old vintage stock
Purple loafers, Primark, £12

A shameless plug

2011-08-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

I'm having a wardrobe cleanse at the moment, sorting out clothes that no longer fit me as I wish, picking some pieces to take to the Fat Swap Shop that Claire is organising on the 10th of September, and picking some others to sell. I created a sales blog a few months back, intending to sell some pieces before I moved away from Brighton, but am only just getting round to updating it properly. It can be found here for anyone interested. There are a few bits up there now, and more will come this week.

Shipping is £3 for the first item (within the UK), then £1 extra for each additional item. European and other international buyers should contact me via email at fattyunbound@gmail.com for a more specific quote.

If anyone would like to buy something, comment on a post with your paypal email address and the items you would like to buy, and I will send you an itemised invoice. Once payment has cleared I can post within a couple of days.

2011-08-26T07:03:00.000-07:00

Here's my work outfit for the day for you all. These shorts have proved perfect for the casual offices I work in - comfortable and versatile too. The top was bought on a trip to Edinburgh about a year ago, and is a great 60s tunic style.

Top, £16, Armstrong's vintage
Shorts, £9 Asos sale
Tights, m&s
Shoes, primark, £12 (in stores)

2011-08-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

Right, I wanted to talk a little more in depth about the BBC3 show and some of the responses I’ve had. The experience has been completely overwhelming, and the stories I’ve heard have made me feel such a mixed bag of emotions – anger, sadness, but also joy and delight at the amount of people who’ve started thinking differently about their bodies. All I can say is that (as if I didn’t know this already) there are a hell of a lot of strong, amazing people out there who put up with bullying, abuse, harassment and physical violence because of their bodies and their identities, and that I admire all of you and that you do NOT deserve that. It’s not your body that makes it hard to be fat – it’s the treatment you face from outside society. This treatment is legitimised by institutions, media and generally oppressive attitudes, and we’re made to believe that it’s okay, but it’s not!

I’m trying to get through all my emails at the moment, but without regular net access and a full time job it may be a while before I can reply to everyone! I will do so, though. What I wanted to do is post with a few resources and recommendations to help people who are interested in finding out more about body acceptance. Also, if you have any other questions for me, feel free to post them here and I will get back to them as soon as is possible.

Some notes, strategies and advice for you all:

1. Don’t be afraid of your emotions. There’s a lot of pressure in the body activism movement to be strong and powerful, but if someone hurts you by saying something and you need to cry about it, find a spot where you can and DO (I’m strong, and I cry A LOT). I feel like, as fat people, we’re expected not to react to comments and abuse – we’re not supposed to talk about those situations, or express the emotions they trigger in us. Talking about them and expressing them helps – not only to make other people aware of what we face on a daily basis, but also to help work through our own feelings.

2. On a related note, if someone makes you sad or angry, DO SOMETHING WITH THAT EMOTION. Crying is really cathartic and I often find that my best ideas come out of those moments when I am full of angry sadness. I started this blog part out of wanting to talk about clothes and fatshion strategies for other thrifty types, and partly because I got shouted at a lot, and I wanted to talk about how that felt and share experiences. Society expects us to be ashamed and silent, bent on being as invisible as possible. I don’t believe that’s right, and so I blog about my experiences, I show pictures of myself to a wider audience and I follow and comment on other people’s blogs. Write a zine, make a piece of art, blog, write a song, wear a bright dress, form an activist group with other local misfits, tell someone you know that they’re awesome, or find any way to express pride for your body and for other people’s. It doesn’t have to be a big step, or take up lots of time – it can be any step to show solidarity and care for others who experience hatred or oppression because of their bodies or identities.

3. Try and counter any negativity you face with self-care or positive strategies. Every time someone shouts at you, make sure you do something afterwards that makes you feel good in your body. We’re taught to learn to view our bodies from a distance, as a disassociated part of ourselves, so we can focus on what is presented as an essential need for self improvement. Part of accepting my body was learning to do new things in it – things I’d been taught that I couldn’t do as a fat person – and appreciating my body in those things. For me, self care is wearing clothes I feel good in, going for a swim, cycling, cooking, walking, making music and so on. It might be dancing or singing, competitive sports, yoga, baking, sex, beauty treatments, crafting, anything at all really.

4. Read body positive literature. I used to read fashion magazines obsessively, now instead I read blogs and magazines like Bust – they’re much more diverse (though they could definitely be more so!) and engage with politics I align myself with. I also read tumblrs, zines, books and listen to podcasts.

5. Talk about FAT. Say the word fat out loud, lots, to describe your body (if you’re fat, anyway!). Fat, in itself, is not an insulting term – it just has negative implications because fat = evil monster of death in society’s eyes. Fat is just a descriptive word ultimately, and the more we say it, the more the power of it is taken away from those who oppress people with it.

6. Redefine the way you speak about your body in general. Find words to describe yourself that you like, and reclaim some that have negative implications. Words I like that maybe have horrible implications to some people include chunky, big bums, thunder thighs, tree trunk legs and so on. These words are strong in themselves – we’ve been taught to hate them because they’re what we are not supposed to be – but I think they’re powerful and reflect being a big and strong woman. Find a new vocabulary, and try to describe your body differently when you look in a mirror.

Resources:

Fierce free thinking fatties (feed – this collects together a number of amazing blogs)

Our Skin (which is amazing for anyone out there who is struggling with scars, stretch marks, illness or mobility problems)

Tangled Up in Lace

Obesity Timebomb

All of the blogs I read are shown on the sidebar here as well – there are amazing fat fashion blogs, feminist blogs and more general fashion blogs. I would recommend them all heartily!

And books that anyone should own:

Linda Bacon: Health at Every Size

Marilyn Wann: Fat! So?

Kate Harding and Marianne Kirby - Lessons From The Fatosphere: How to Quit Dieting and Declare a Truce With Your Body

Charlotte Cooper - Fat and Proud: Politics of Size

2011-08-25T01:34:00.000-07:00

Well, last night I allowed myself a whole evening away from my iPhone! Suffice to say we've been glued together these past few days, but a rest and a curry from my local has definitely worked a treat!

This dress was thrifted from the same place my trousers were from yesterday, it's a size medium but stretches well for my not so medium tush! I love it's folksy vibe, and the colour definitely helps on a rainy day like today!

Dress, thrifted, $7
belt, old vintage stock
Bag, £5, vintage fair
Loafers, primark, £12

Kx

2011-08-24T01:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a slightly more every day outfit for you all today. I picked up these tweed cropped trousers from a goodwill in Portland over the summer. They're a modern brand, but the pattern, high waist and pleats make them feel very 60s to me! In an attempt to channel some Audrey I wore them simply with a blouse and loafers.

Trousers, thrifted, $7
blouse, fatshionista sales post, £8.50
Loafers, £12, primark (in store currently and well made for primark!)
Belt, old vintage stock

K x

CLOTHES SWAPPPP

2011-08-23T03:48:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I've forgotten to post this! There's going to be an amaze-balls clothes swap happening in London-town soon - it's an all sizes event organised by the truly wonderful Claire of Monkey Fatshionista on the 10th September. It's going to be held at the Hoop and Grapes in Farringdon, and I am desperately hoping to be there (I've started working Saturdays and still waiting for my rota). In any case, I'm sure there will be some amazing clothes there (especially as Simply Be are donating some bits!). You can find out more information on facebook here or you can go check out Claire's blog for more details.

On another note, I'd love to do something similar in Leeds (where I am now living!), and if anyone fancies helping to organise or forming a badass fatty collective locally then you know where to find me. K x

2011-08-23T00:44:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! Firstly, last night I got featured on a programme on bbc3 (Cherry Healey on body image) - it is available on iplayer if anyone wants to watch but missed it the first time round.

Secondly, hello to all my new followers! I'm completely overwhelmed by the response to the show, and the amount of people who identified with me. I've had a lot of emails and comments which I will get back to individually! I don't have a regular Internet connection right now, so it may be a while before I can catch up, but I will do my best. But seriously, you're all amazing and I got a little teary about it all last night. I'm going to try and put together a list of resources for fat acceptance as well, for those who've just discovered it!

And lastly, here's an outfit for you. I got my first pay cheque for my new job last week, and had a little splurge in primark to celebrate! This dress is a maxi trapeze style, and I loved how bold the stripes were. It's more expensive than primark normally is, but the quality is good. It's a size 20 but really generous (it also has lots of room in the armholes for others with big upper arms) so worth checking out if you're a larger size. I also got some loafers and more striped stuff - somewhat of an obsession beginning I fear!

I dressed it smartly for work (I work somewhere without a dress code but I liked how it worked with a blazer anyhow.

Dress, £32, primark
Blazer, £10, fatshionista sales post
Belt, Dorothy Perkins, £7
Loafers, £12, primark

I also wore my latest car boot find - a metal doggy pin! Everyone who knows me is aware of my dog-sickness, and I couldn't pass it up at £3. Look!

K xx

2011-08-08T00:53:00.001-07:00

Hello again! I'm back from America now, though with a broken camera and no Internet, so for the time being reliant on mobile blogging. It's my first day at a new job today, and I treated myself to this jersey shift from Dorothy Perkins to celebrate! I'm a great fan of jersey tailoring for office jobs - it's so comfortable and still smart enough for office wear.

Dorothy Perkins dress, £15 (current sale item)

Teamed with:
Tuxedo blazer, £10, fatshionista sales post
Black necklace, £2, primark
Tights, m&s
Shoes, Evans, £15
Bag, clothes swap, free!

Hopefully more catch up posts coming soon. X

2011-06-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

Another work outfits featuring a new handmade skirt. This one was made with some fabric sent to me by the lovely Donna sent to me a while back! I've had it made a while, but my waist measurement was fluctuating like crazy and I ended up making it slightly too large the first time (lesson learnt: measure yourself every time you make something). I took it in at last over the past week and decided to team it with this blue cardigan, which is slowly becoming my new favourite neutral item in my wardrobe. It's funny how, when you're gifted something in a colour you wouldn't have bought yourself, you sometimes discover a whole new colour palette - this blue and red seem to be a frequently appearance in my outfits of late.

Blue cardigan, gifted from M&S
Cami, £4, Primark
Red heart badge, traded online
Skirt, made with gifted fabric
Bow belt, £3, M&S
Red flats, £8, Barretts

2011-06-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

Here's another work outfit for you, featuring a new tank top I found at a clothes swap recently. I bagged some new linen peep toes from Primark recently, though I'm sure the foul weather we've had began as soon as I began to attempt to wear them out. For them time being, it looks like they're getting relegated to the holiday packing pile! Curse the British summer!

Blouse, £15, Marks and Spencer
Tank top, £free, clothes swap
Skirt, self-made with some charity shop curtains
Belt, old vintage stock
Peep toes, Primark, £6

2011-06-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

Here's another remixed work outfit for you all. I wore this last Friday, switching the skirt for my disco pants for the evening. I have to say this pencil skirt is definitely continuing to give and give. It has to be the most versatile and comfortable work item I own, and I love how form fitting it is on me. A good pencil skirt is hard to find!

T-shirt, Topshop, £3
Cami, Primark, £3
Necklace, Primark, £2
Tuxedo jacket, Dorothy Perkins via Fatshion Exchange, £10
Skirt, ASOS, £8
Shoes, Deichmann, £15

2011-06-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

Disco pants!

Okay, so I've been packing all my stuff up (I type this at my parent's house in Surrey, surrounded by boxes) and well, having that realisation that I have every time I move, that I clearly have wayyyyy to many clothes. However, despite four suitcases and several shopper bags of clothes, somehow I found myself in River Island trying these on anyway. They're a super generous size 16, and I'm certain they're not supposed to be quite so skin tight, but they're the garish skinnies of my dreams and I'm a happy bunny as a result.

This was worn for a dinner and leaving drinks at my flat! Boo! Bye bye Brighton.

Top, Topshop, £3
Black cami, £4, Primark
Black necklace, £2, Primark
Belts, £6 for both, Marks and Spencer
Trousers, £22, River Island

2011-06-14T04:09:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to be a post about how amazing these trousers are. They were a £5 score from a sale rail in a Brighton vintage shop, and I was in love with them. Last night I washed them for the first time, and they are now ill fitting pedal pushers. I'm an idiot, and most certainly in mourning mood today. However, here are the two ways I managed to wear them before chaos ensued :(

Blouse, Primark

Strapless bra, £7, Evans

Trousers, £5, vintage

Shoes, New Look

Belt, old vintage stock

Lace body, £13, very.co.uk

Cami, £4, Primark

Trousers and belt, as above

Shoes, Deichmann, £15

2011-06-10T01:12:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about this dress. I stared at it lustily most of last year in the straight size section of ASOS, but at £65 and only going up to a size 18, it was always way out of my budget and too risky to chance on. Then, a week or two ago, I decided to look at the straight size clearance section and lo and behold, there was one left, size 18, reduced to £15! Needless to say, it was fate, and when it arrived it conspired to fit perfectly! It's a fancy dress and the lace it really beautiful. I wore it backwards here (with the bow front facing) and attempted to dress it down in a grunge-y style with a charity shop blazer and docs. I'd love a nice pair of wedges and a clutch to do it eveningwear justice.

Dress, ASOS, £15.20

Blazer, charity shop, £2

Belt, old vintage stock

Docs, gifted

2011-06-09T01:44:00.000-07:00

Here's another British summer outfit for you! I hit a clothes swap at the Cowley Club the other week, and decided to drag out this blanket cape I scored in a charity shop over winter. This is normally my hangover outfit of choice (it's so comfortable!), but also worked well for swapping as I could take off the cape and try things on over my cami and leggings. My scores weren't hugely thrilling, mainly vests and a nice denim mini, but at least I have some basics in my wardrobe again (more money for absurdities!).

Blanket cape, £4.99, charity shop

Cami, £4, Primark

Belt, old vintage stock

Leggings, ASOS, £20 (I think?)

Shoes, New Look, £22

Big Beach Bums - outfit

2011-06-07T08:25:00.001-07:00

Okay, so my second belated BBB post has arrived! This is what I wore on the day. I had dreams of crop tops and short shorts but sadly the weather called for a shift in my plans. I even had to bring my tights back out for the day!

This dress is my latest sewing project. It's made from a vintage 1960s shift pattern I bought on eBay earlier this year, with some 60s patterned polyester I bought at Brighton Marina car boot sale in January this year for £1! The pattern features a contrasting section for which I used the reverse of the fabric, and added a small bow made from some old white scrap fabric. The collar went a little wrong, and the dress needed shortening to fit me (for some reason it came out calf length, even though the picture argued otherwise. Whoops!). It was a step up from my normal sewing projects, though the stretchy fabric meant I could avoid zip fitting.

Teamed with bright blue tights and clashing red shoes.

Dress, handmade (total cost £7.50 including the reusable pattern!)

Tights, M&S XL

Shoes, Priceless, £10

...and a bonus styling method, from when I debuted it at work earlier that week on a sunnier day:

This time teamed with bare legs and some vintage peep toes I bought from Otley car boot sale in Leeds last year for £1.50!

Big Beach Bums

2011-06-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hello once again!

I'm sadly still without internet (though my laptop has been repaired at last), so posts around here may be a little thin on the ground for a while. I did, however, want to devote some time to talking about Big Beach Bums, which happened over a week ago now. Of course, I was useless and didn't really take any photographs, so instead I've pinched a few from the lovely Claire and Ragini, who both posted about the day also.

We were a small group of five after a few people dropped out. This actually proved great as it met we could all go around the shops together, and I also really enjoyed being able to get to know everyone much easier! The day was absolutely foul, so sadly we kept our pottering to the shops and later a pub to avoid being swept off our feet on the beach! Oh, the joys of British weather...

Anyway, here are some photographs taken from other posts:

My boyfriend (who lasted all of about half an hour on the vintage front, haha), Rebecca, me, Claire and Nadia after first meeting up.

The cavernous Beyond Retro! We did the bulk of our rummaging here and came up with a good haul including:

this rather spectacularly garish jersey tie dye affair, which I actually could not resist (Belly swirls are the best)

Ragini

After this we headed off and ate some cheap grub at Pompoko, and then hit the bargain rails on Sydney Street (where I scored a lovely plaid 40s-esque dress, and Ragini found a lovely coral trench for £5!), before hitting a coffee shop for some well deserved rest and chattering.

After this we headed to meet up with our other halves in the pub for some more drinks. Overall it was a lovely day, and great to get to hang out with everyone for so long! I only wish I could spend more time with such awesome fats on a more regular basis.

Outfit post to follow shortly!

2011-05-26T05:42:00.000-07:00

Hello one and all!

Just another quick post to say that I'm still awaiting laptop repair (and I've lost my internet connection at home for the time being. Great.), so it may well be a little while before you see my face again. I get a bit of time to update my tumblr on lunch breaks, so follow me there for image related stuff and more personal updates.

In the mean time, I'm super excited to see everyone who's coming on Saturday. The weather isn't looking all that great, but I'm sure we'll all have fun anyway. For anyone who hasn't seen, the final details are on a post just further down this page. Any last minute additions are more than welcome!

K x

2011-05-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

'My body is soft. My curves are generous. My clothes are snug, and my breasts are noticeable. My chin is round. My belly is plump. My arms are expansive. Yes, I have a fine road map of stretch marks, and no baby to blame them on. My body reflects my experience and the fine

meals I have shared with family and friends.'

(I am a Fat Girl zine, issue three: 13)

The above was a quote I used when I was writing my MA dissertation. I’d highly recommend the series of zines it came from, which can be found at this etsy shop.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about histories lately. This has come from further self-reflection, spending time thinking about my own body, and the parts of it I show and the parts of it I don’t. I’ve also become interested in fat bodies and marked bodies as corporeal histories, and how this is represented as threatening by society, because as people (particularly as women I guess) we’re supposed to be unmarked - we’re supposed to aspire to look clean and new, as if we’ve never fluctuated in size, taken part in physical activity, fallen over or, realistically, left the house!

I’m a marked person - scarred (both accidentally and intentionally), with stretch marks, cellulite and varicose veins. I’m lumpy and bumpy, and I can’t claim to have a body of smooth feminine lines.

To elaborate a little further with a case study: I have varicose veins around the back of my calfs, just below my knees. I wanted to photograph them for this post, but sadly my laptop is still fucked - in any case, they’re sizeable, bumpy and blue, and they’re noticeable whenever I wear a skirt. They’re something that I’ve known to run in my family, and something I despised when I was younger. I remember first noticing them about the time I was 14 - about the time I began inspecting my body in more detail. They were something I knew well from my relatives, so I knew they were there to stay.

I was really ashamed of these marks. To me, I associated them with coming from a family who worked on their feet - which I know to make them protrude more and colour more. I grew up ashamed of my working class roots, largely because I came of age in a middle class suburb, around friends who never seemed to struggle or have to work or walk anywhere. Now, I’m proud of the estate I grew up on, but back then, my roots were something I tried to hide. I felt that the marks betrayed me, somehow, which I know sounds absurd, but they made me feel more different than I already was, and they connected me, physically, to a history I didn’t want to claim. I dressed for these veins - everything I owned had to cover them. No one ever mentioned them (in fact, only two people have ever brought them up with me, both recently), but because I noticed them, I couldn’t let anyone else see them. They made me feel vulnerable, and different, and I guess to an already insecure teenager with militant defense mechanisms, it made sense to cover them.

Two things changed to make me stop doing this - firstly, I realised that I didn’t care about these marks on other people. Actually, in all truth I realised that I liked them - that I found them attractive in other people, and that as such I was applying double standards to the way I looked at my own body. The qualities that I perceived as weaknesses, imperfections and faults were unique differences on others. This is something I later learnt to apply when I thought about my fat - why was I letting it control how I viewed myself, when it made so little difference when I looked at others? Secondly, I guess I decided that I wasn’t going to let me enjoyment of anything (clothes, spaces etc) be hampered by a set of veins that I couldn’t even see! The back of my leg was not going to control my wardrobe preferences.

Your body is a history - it’s a visual representation of where you came from, where you’ve been, how you’ve felt and who you have become. It’s one of a kind, and those differences are what make it unique. Don’t be ashamed of your experiences. Think of your stretch marks as tiger stripes, your varicose veins and scarring as a landscape. Next time you look at yourself in a mirror, or next time you talk about them, change your vocabulary. Speak about them as part of you, rather than as a dissociative, abject substance. Just as your past has shaped who you are, so has it shaped your body. Don’t be ashamed of this.

Also, for more skin related thoughts, check out the tumblr Our Skin, which is really super awesome. /end rant

2011-05-16T06:52:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that I'll not be posting outfits for a little while! My laptop charger (I hope, it might be the laptop!) died this weekend, and I'm waiting for a replacement to arrive. This week I'll try to keep the more text-based posts up, but as I only have lunch breaks to do so until I can rely on my computer again, I'm not sure how successful I'll be.

Without being all doom and gloom, I do at least have some good news! I found out that last week I've been granted a scholarship to go to NOLOSE this year. I'll be travelling about America (mainly California, with some time in Portland and Vegas) between 1st July and 4th August, so I'm so thrilled that I'll be able to experience NOLOSE in my time there! Now to outfit plan....

2011-05-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

Another day, another horrifically exposed photograph! Oh dear. This was mainly to show off some over the knee socks I made by altering a pair of cable knit tights that didn't work for me (Dorothy Perkins, I'm looking at you right now!), adding some elastic and some haphazard hemming.

Cardigan, £6, Dorothy Perkins via ThriftstoreUK
Camisole, £4, Primark
Skirt, handmade from a charity shop curtain
Socks, remade tights from Dorothy Perkins
Shoes, Deichmann, £15

BIG BEACH BUMS - maps and plans!

2011-05-10T01:26:00.000-07:00

Another BBB post for anyone who's interested in attending (see here for the original post for any further information. It's a fat positive meet up, with vintage shopping and hang outs on Brighton beach. Anyone is welcome! Just let me know if you plan to attend by emailing me at fattyunbound@gmail.com).

I've spent the last few weeks researching where to take us on our big day out (this has been a thinly veiled excuse to go vintage shopping a lot), and I've finally got a plan and a map! Hurrah!

The interactive map with all points marked can be viewed here. I've put the itinerary information, along with a screen cap of the map with all of our shopping streets (I've put stars next to the shops I recommend), and some names of recommended eating places, in a PDF file, which can be seen downloaded here from megaupload for all attending.

The itinerary is as follows (please check the map to cross-reference where the locations are!):

11:00 - Meet in Pelham Square, which is a couple of minutes walk from Brighton rail station. It's a nice leaft square with benches, so we can all have a catch up while we wait for the others.

11:30 - We’ll all walk to Beyond Retro as a group to commence the shopping. Beyond Retro is the biggest vintage shop in Brighton - it’s not the cheapest, but it will be a nice large space for us to start rummaging.

12:15-ish: More shopping! Vintage shops in Brighton are pinpointed on the map to the on the following page. Depending on how many of us there are by this point, we can either walk around as a group or alternatively split off into smaller groups.

2:00: Reassemble in Pelham Square to compare finds, catch up with any late arrivals and have another chatter.

2:30-ish: Luncheon! Either bring sandwiches and some nibbles, and we’ll all go for a picnic on the beach, or otherwise there are some recommended eateries further down with the map details. Brighton is a fantastic place to eat, so

3:30: Beach time! We’ll meet in Jubilee Square this time, then wander down to the beach as a whole, where we can party rad fat style to our heart’s content!

As people have trains and whatnot to catch, I’ve left the evening relatively free/unplanned, but for those who are staying late or overnight, maybe we could partake in a drink or two? I know of at least one 241 cocktail deal!

Sunday:

If anyone is in Brighton overnight, I’d wholeheartedly recommend the Brighton Antiques Fair and Car Boot sale which takes place in Brighton Marina car park on Sundays from 7am-1pm. It is easily reached by buses from the train station (any that are going to the Marina), or alternatively you can get the Volks Electric Railway from Brighton pier (this runs every 15 minutes from 10:15) to Brighton Marina. I’ll certainly be going along, so if anyone fancies accompanying let me know!

If anyone would let any further recommendations for things to do locally, let me know! My contact details are included on the PDF (phone, email, twitter), and I'm happy to answer any questions about the day or provide any information which is lacking. Anyone can join at any point of the day - just call or text me if you're arriving later into the day, and I can arrange for you to convene with the group.

So, yes, spread the word, and I'll be seeing you all soon! Huzzah!

2011-05-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

Another casual outfit for you today, with bonus fat girl in horizontal stripes points! Life is a bit hard at the minute - I'm dealing with a bully landlord, job applications and trying to finish all my craft projects too (the last one involved a jumper skirt, a quilt, a knitted cushion cover, a pleated skirt, a shirt for my boyfriend and some alterations - why did I start them all again?!) - so I've been mainly acting like a hermit in my room in particularly unglamourous outfits. Today, however, I'm pushing on and actually making progress! I've also just finished the itinerary for the Big Beach Bums meet up in Brighton, so once I can turn it into a PDF at work tomorrow, expect a slightly more exciting and upbeat post!

Blazer, Dorothy Perkins via Fatshion Exchange on Livejournal, £10
Stripey tee - Primark, £1
Necklace - Primark, £2
Jeans - Beth Ditto for Evans, £8
Dunlops - car boot sale, £2

2011-05-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

One work outfit today. This grey pinafore (60s I believe) was a score from the last round of vintage stock I sold. Sad times! I found it when I was interviewing last year, and it's served me amazingly as a professional dress. This outfit *almost* makes me like dressing professionally, until I realise that there's really no need to do that when you spend your days hunting around in dusty vaults, as I do!

Dress, old vintage stock
Blouse, £14.99 M&S via ebay
Belt, old vintage stock
Shoes, Deichmann, £15

2011-05-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

I'm being filmed! Here's my outfit for today, spent working and then being filmed for aforementioned documentary.

Dress, handmade
Tights, M&S, £6
Brogues, Primark, £12
Belt - old vintage stock

Tutorial: Pleated skirts!

2011-05-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

After my last post featuring my most recent remade skirt, I had some interest from others in a tutorial for the skirt. Whilst I didn't take enough details to make an in depth tutorial for the skirt, I thought I would nonetheless share those I had, and give a few tips about remaking items on a budget.

This skirt began life as a £1 skirt I found in a local charity shop. Here's the original skirt:
It had a fitted waist (far too small for me!), but a very very full skirt, and enough length for me to be able to construct another skirt after chopped the waistband off the original. This particularly skirt had a button up front and pockets, both of which I sewed up before starting. If you're just starting off remaking an item, I wouldn't recommend starting with a skirt with pockets or a pocket up front - instead just look for a long-ish skirt with a waist that can easily be removed, and a very full skirt (I find old granny skirts with gathered or pleated waists to be good for this, and they're always on a £1 rail!).

I make my skirts using this tutorial, originally penned by DIY Couture (who publish an amazing series of books, without sized patterns - check them out!). Before I go on, please do have a look through this guide for a more detailed guide to planning the size of your pleats and waistband pieces. For reference, I tend to use either six or eight pleats on either side of my skirts.

Begin by cutting the waistband off the original skirt:

You then need to cut a portion off to use for your waistband at a later point. You can be approximate about this, but remember that you will need to fold the fabric for the waistband over twice (as per the DIY Couture book) and allow a seam allowance of about 3cm.

Here was my waistband piece, and what would become the main body of my skirt.

You will now need to cut the fabric for the main body in half - do this by unpicking the seams from the sides of the original skirt, or by cutting them out neatly, so you end up with two rectangles of (approximately!) the same size.

Do the same with the waistband pieces, and then cut them down to two thin rectangles which both equal (in length) half your waist measurement plus about 3cm for seams. Width-wise, they will need to be double the measurement of your intended waistband width, again with a small seam allowance. Again, please refer to the DIY couture book for a slightly more articulate explanation of how to measure how wide and long your waistband. Sorry I don't have a picture of the waist band, but you'll need to set them aside for the moment anyway.

Creating pleats! Do this on both rectangles by marking the centre of the fabric and creating small folds on either side of this centre point. DIY couture recommends calculating the size of your pleats, but I found when working with skirts that I could approximate this process by creating pleats, measuring and adjusting where necessary, until I reached the desired measurement (this will be the same as your waistband). Create a pleat by making a vertical fold in the top of the fabric, and pinning, as shown. Eventually it looks like this:

Then, you'll need to sew, with a line of straight stitch, along the top of the skirt, fixing these pleats into place. Do this with both rectangles.

Now, take your waistband pieces again, and fold them in half, with the right side of the fabric showing. Like this:

Take the waistband, and pin it to the right side of your skirt body pieces, with the raw edges facing up. Like this:

With both waistbands pinned to the skirt body, now run another line of straight stitch along the length of the waistband - this will secure the waistband into place. Flip the waistband up at this point, and you will have the front and back of your skirt! Huzzah!

I stopped taking pictures at this point (d'oh!), but basically what happens next is as follows:

With the right sides of both pieces facing towards each other (and the wrong sides facing outwards), tack together one of the sides of the skirt. You can run a line of straight stitch up this side, from top to bottom including the waistband to fix this into place.
Pin the second side together in a similar fashion, but with a slight difference. If you want to fit a zip here, you will need to place your zip along by the waistband. Mark the point at which the zip ends, and pin the fabric together below this point (so you still have an unfinished seam for the space of the zip), and then as before, run another line of straight stitch up to this point.
FITTING ZIPS. I'm quite rubbish at this (it's not hard, just fiddly, and it takes patience that I generally lack, haha), so I'm not even going to try and explain it. It is covered in the DIY Couture PDF, and there are also numerous youtube tutorials which can help.
At this point, having fitted the zip, you will have you skirt *almost* finished. At this stage, try on the skirt, making sure that it fits okay and that you don't need to take the waistband in any further. Once you've confirmed this, you'll just need to hem the skirt - simply done by turning the raw edging of the skirt from right to wrong side, then pinning into place and running a simple line of straight stitch into place.
Wear your skirt!

I hope that all makes sense! Please do check the DIY couture booklet, as it explains things in a slightly less muddled fashion and should answer any questions you have. I just wanted to frame this within how to remake a skirt, which is so so much cheap than buying fabric from a shop, and also a skill which I find is super handy to know as a fatty working on a budget. This skirt cost me £2.30 (plus some thread, which I took from my stash) to make, including the original skirt and a zip, so it was very cost effective!

2011-05-04T02:59:00.000-07:00

This was worn for a Sunday morning spent car booting with my other half. I went to Brighton Antiques Market and Car Boot Sale and bought some amazing bits including a monstrous 70s maxi (£1), a green wool hat (50p), some records and a rather amazing gauze summer hat (£5, but I fell in love and my bargain hunting head was quieted. Perfect for Big Beach Bums!). I got very sunburnt, and sadly still feeling it, oh dear.

I always make mistakes when dressing for a car boot, and today was no exception. The dress flapped about everywhere and I think half of Brighton saw my underwear! More than slightly frustrating, though I hope I've learnt my lesson and will stick to my trusty shorts in the future.

Dress, New Look via ThriftstoreUK (on livejournal), £12

Cardigan, Dorothy Perkins via ThriftstoreUK, £6

Bag, gifted by the lovely Caroline

Shoes, New Look, £22

Belt, Dorothy Perkins, £5

2011-05-02T01:21:00.000-07:00

Lace shirt, Primark, £12
Zip up dress, vintage via Leeds Affordable Vintage Fair, £14
Shoes, New Look, £22

Another Big Beach Bums update

2011-04-28T02:31:00.000-07:00

So I've been a bit busy of late. I was mentioned to a producer making a show for the BBC on body image by Lauren and Kat. Yesterday we met, and it looks like I'm going to be filmed for the part of the show focusing on body acceptance. The show is going to involve the presenter going round the country speaking to different women with different opinions about their bodies, and I'll be the last one. Speaking to the producer, it seems like they want to get a body positive message across, they're very much behind what this blog (and the many other amazing blogs out there) is about, so I'm excited (and terrified). The chance to get any fat acceptance dialogue on a mainstream television show over here would be amazing, even if it is amidst different messages.

The producer knows about Big Beach Bums through her research, and has stated an interest in coming along to film and speak to us all. As I'm very concerned that the meet up remains a safe space, and that everyone is comfortable with the day, I haven't said yes. I also haven't said no, because I'd like to speak to you all in more detail about it.

The producer said that they would be able to film selectively, so only the people who want to be featured would be (if this is necessary). They're interested in coming to the beach meet up, so we'd be able to shop first, chatter, and then do the filming.

Basically, if anyone, for any reason, doesn't want this, I understand entirely and I won't say yes. I wanted to open up the dialogue because I think it would be interesting to be able to feature our community, but I also want any decision I make to be made with the collective consensus of the group.

So, thoughts anyone? Would anyone like to be featured?

2011-04-26T00:56:00.000-07:00

Hello again!
Sorry for my immediate disappearance, this was attributed to a rather lovely holiday in Amsterdam and a week off, spent mainly avoiding the world and reading/knitting in parks. Somehow blogging didn't quite factor into it. Oh dear! Since the weather got a bit fancier, I have mainly been living in shorts and tees anyhow, so there hasn't been a whole amount to report.

T-shirt, Topshop sale, £3
Shorts, clothes swap, £free
Shoes, New Look, £22

This week I have another week off! Yay! I'll be spending it finishing up the research for Big Beach Bums, which approaches in about a month, hurrah! I'm just collecting details from shops, and hope to have a mini map/itinerary available within the week. I'm so excited to see everyone again, and to meet those I haven't already :)

2011-04-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

One very belated outfit today, worn to work one day last week. I'm all behind on outfits right now, because I'm packing for a holiday! Tomorrow night I'm off to see my partner in Leeds, then to Amsterdam with a friend, so all is chaos right now. Normal service will resume soon.

Blouse, £6, vintage via eBay
Skirt, ASOS curve, £8
Tights, Primark (before they made them low waisted, now they aren't long enough for me! Sob!)
Shoes, Deichmann, £15

Big Beach Bums - an update!

2011-04-12T00:49:00.000-07:00

On the Big Beach Bums front, I have a well needed update! Here's are the blogger attendees that I have so far confirmed:

Rebecca - wearelargepeople.blogspot.com

Claire - amonkeyfatshionista.wordpress.com

Lauren - www.pocketrocketfashion.com

Kat - plussizebeauty07.blogspot.com

Wendy - 52-46-54.blogspot.com/

Meryl - pluseyes.tumblr.com

Mel - melasaurus.tumblr.com

Raigini - www.acuriousfancy.com

Nadia - http://mystylishlife-vintagegirl87.blogspot.com/

Lauren - http://biggerdeal.wordpress.c om/

Isha - http://catwoman25.tumblr.com/

and me, of course! These are only people who've said definitely yes, there are still a few maybes and some non-bloggers too (whose names I haven't listed). I reckon we'll have about 30 people in total, with respective friends, partners and relatives. So a nice manageable number, and a fantastic swarm of rad fats to hit Brighton with ;)

If anyone else wants to come, please let me know, either by RSVP-ing on facebook here, or dropping me an email at fattyunbound@gmail.com. I'm collecting numbers just so I have an idea of how many of us there will be, so I can better plan the map. If you have a blog, also let me know the URL and I'll add you to the list.

The itinerary is still being worked on, but will likely involve a chat/catch up, then shops, then lunch, then beach! I'll be putting the final touches to the map over the last weekend in April and first weekend in May, when I have some time off.

If anyone wants to tweet about the event, the hash tag is #BIGBEACHBUMS

Jeans and a casual rant

2011-04-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

Wide legged jeans! I can honestly say I never though I'd see the day when I gave up my skinnies. Well, I haven't at all really, but with the 70s silouhettes I'm loving for the summer I wanted another option to wear with my luxurious flowing tops (and because I love dressing like a 70s nerd, complete with flares, big glasses and a tank top. Ohhhh yes.). Dorothy Perkins have £5 off all their jeans in store and online at the minute, and after the style I wanted sold out online but appeared in a branch local to where I work, I jumped on them. These are a size 20/short fitting, which is particularly odd given that I am neither a size 20 or particularly short at 5'9"! I wore this to travel to another archive to prepare some nitrate film for scanning, which is hazardous and potentially explosive, so needless to say I was dressed for comfort and ease above anything else.

Jumper, £3, charity shop

Belt, old vintage stock

Wide leg jeans, £21, Dorothy Perkins

Dunlops, £2, car boot sale

Duffel coat, £12.50, River Island sale (though it was way too hot for this in the end! Yay for sunny weather!)

Also, on a related note I wanted to say how awesome I thought this post on Corpulent was. There is a tension, I feel, in the fatosphere about posting casual outfits. As I have moved back to embracing wider legs and baggier silouhettes, I'm really interested in this debate. Is dressing up a comment on our bodies as inferior when dressed down? Obviously as a person who overdresses frequently, I don't believe this is true (I do it for many other reasons though - to amuse myself, sometimes to engender responses from others and mainly to feel fantastic in myself), however I do feel that there is a pressure on fat bloggers to dress up. This is certainly connected to the stereotype of the fat slob in jeans and tracksuits. It's a tricky balance to strike - by posting pictures of ourselves dressed up, we are refuting this stereotype, but, at the same time, I don't believe that as a fat person, I should be obligated to dress up in order to make my body acceptable or attractive to people who wouldn't otherwise deem it so. Jeans and t-shirts can look amazing on any body, and neither should cultural implications of a particular style of dress make you avoid such clothing. This is why I enjoyed fatshion february so much - it presented images of fat femmes on both up and down days - I felt like it was more of a representation of lived experiences in clothing than more formal blogs.

I post the outfits I wear most days - mainly otherwise they're repeats, hideous mistakes or else I'm sat in my pajamas! This blog is about everyday dressing for me - that's why my photographs and editing are haphazard, and why I sometimes don't post huge chunks of text. I would rather there were lots of outfits updated regularly, which show how I live and what I live in as a fat woman, than more formal photoshoots (though I like these on other blogs also, it's just a personal preference).

I'm always faffing on about this, but the only person I believe you should dress for (as a fat person or otherwise) is yourself. Dressing for me is a way of showing that I like my body, and before that, a strategy of acceptance. Don't dress to make anyone else happy! Wear something that makes you feel fantastic, that you love, and that fits you as well as is possible, and that you feel comfortable in. This could be jeans and a t-shirt or it could be a sequinned ballgown! I feel that wearing the right clothes for you (whatever it may be, regardless of fashion, cultural implications as a fat person or any other social pressures) is one of the most amazing things to do along the way to self acceptance and love.

Peter Pan collars!

2011-04-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post here to show off some crafting action. I made this Peter Pan collar out of some faux fur remnants bought for £1.30 from a local sewing shop (I have enough for another!) and some fabric scraps for lining + a 69p piece of cord bought from a haberdashery shop. The pattern I used can be seen here. It's cosy and suitably garish for my tastes. That said, it's yet to prove particularly versatile with my wardrobe, hence why I haven't posted it in an outfit yet.

2011-04-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

Some 90s gone goth gone grunge for you today, complete with bruises and war wounded knees. This was what I pottered about Brighton in last Saturday. An acquired taste no doubt, but this summer seems to be calling for bare midriffs and see through tops.

Tee, Topshop sale, £3
Bra, M&S
Belt, old vintage stock
Skirt, reconstructed from a £1 charity shop skirt (is anyone interested in a tutorial for this?)
Docs, gifted

A fatty's guide to thrifting

2011-04-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

With the advent of Big Beach Bums (which, by the way, there is a facebook event for here. Please RSVP! I’ve been a bit quiet on it since the initial post, this is because I’m busy looking around trying to note down options for the day. I have nearly three weeks off approaching (!) so there will be many a finite detail approaching then), I’ve had a few requests for a how to thrift post.

Thrifting in size fat is always hard. I so wish the UK could have anywhere as amazing as Re/Dress or Fat Fancy over in America, but, bar wonderful events such as the Big Bum Jumble, for the main part there aren’t any places to go specifically for plus size vintage. Finding good stuff is really hard, and if you don’t have the patience in you (or the time) to rummage, then it's really hard going. I hate to start off negatively, but there are always disappointments, and what is available in plus sizes inevitably depends on what stock is in. This is hard to deal with when compared to high street/online shopping, when generally you know what is available and there is normally a way to source the items you want in the right size.

Thrifting for me is embedded in my history. It comes from an upbringing with a “make do and mend” attitude, and spending my teenage years in a suburb with 10+ charity shops and very few friends and/or ways to occupy myself in my spare time. For me thrifting is inspiring, because it’s all about possibility, imagination and re-envisioning. It’s about making something amazing happen out of a finite and limited amount of resources. I don’t have magic fingers, I don’t always find something, and sometimes there are weeks on end full of disappointments. Others are so full of surprises and finds thatI almost can't believe my luck. I understand that the disappointments are maybe too much for a lot of people, but for me it's all part of the challenge.

Always look. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve sworn off a store for being too pricey or never having plus size items in, then I’ve been in with a friend and found something perfect. Vintage for fats isn’t in ready supply, you can’t ever count on finding anything, but at the same time I’ve not known any places refusing to accept plus size stock, so it is available.
Never pay attention to size tags. This goes without saying really, but vintage sizes =/= modern sizes. Earlier items size up as significantly smaller than their modern equivalents, and also, as with a lot of contemporary stores, some straight size items will fit much larger than they might suggest. I put them up to my body to get a sense, but you could take a tape measure to get more accurate estimates.
Persist! Dig through bargain bins, through all the rails and take your time looking. Thrifting isn't really something you can do in a flash - it's something that takes time and leisure. Don't get put off if you don't immediately see anything that would fit - most vintage dresses are teeny tiny, but the options are out there.
Take a friend! Take someone who is a different size to you, preferably, so you can hunt for each other as well as yourselves. Some of my best dresses were found by thinner friends with similar taste in clothes. A second pair of eyes always helps when rummaging.
Look for stretchy fabrics, elastic waistbands and oversized dresses - these all fit differently on fat bodies, so you might find something intended for a smaller sized person fits you like a glove when otherwise it would be a baggy fit.
Try things on! Pile yourself high with possibilities, and take chances. Try on ridiculous things. Have fun with shopping. It's harder to tell what will fit and what won't without sizing, so the dressing room is definitely your friend.
For bargain hunting recommendations, check out jumble sales, car boot sales and local charity events close to you. These are my favourite haunts - as charity shops have now upped their prices (and sometimes jumped on the vintage wagon), car boots/jumbles seem to have maintained a budget ethos which I find really comforting. Go along to an event with a budget - I used to take £10/sometimes £20 in change to a car boot and just see what I came out with. Often a tenner would get me bulging bags of things, clothes and otherwise.

2011-03-30T00:13:00.000-07:00

I've been staring at this top in the topshop sale many lunchtimes since the January sales passed. It's a white assymmetrical style with a crop top front and a low back, and cut out squares over the front. I was a very happy bunny to discover it had been cut from £15 to £3 last week! It's a size 16, but the style is super oversized, so worth looking at for fellow fats. I actually find that topshop's range of crop tops fit me fairly well, so it shows that it's always worth checking out straight size stores once in a while!

Tee, £3, Topshop sale
Belt, old vintage stock
Jeans, Beth Ditto for Evans, £8
Flats, New Look, £22

2011-03-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

Oh dorky grins. I had a nice weekend, though has not been helped by having to wake up an hour earlier this morning! Here's what I wore to have a pleasant potter yesterday, eat gorgeous dumplings and ice cream by the sea.

Jumper, Dorothy Perkins
Blouse, Dorothy Perkins, £7
Tie, my old school uniform!
Belt, old vintage stock
Shorts, clothes swap, £free
Tights, M&S
Socks, Primark
Docs, gifted

Some more info about Big Beach Bums approaches! Right now, I'm off to finish making a dalmatian print detachable Peter Pan collar. Ohhhh yes.

2011-03-26T05:48:00.000-07:00

Dress, £6, New Look sale (straight size range) - this was a winter sale purchase over Christmas, it's a very generous size 18! And has been waiting in my wardrobe for an outing ever since.
Cardigan, gifted
Tights, M&S
Socks, Primark
Docs, gifted

2011-03-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

Apparently I'm now becoming entirely unwilling to embrace the summery weather? In any case, I realised I hadn't had a chance to wear this dress properly this winter, despite working to fix it up over the summer. Oh dear. I think I felt it required heels, but instead I chose my brogues for a proper school marm-esque look.

Dress, old vintage stock, DIY-ed around the skirt
Belt, old vintage stock
Brogues, Primark, £13

2011-03-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

Another largely remixed outfit, incorporating a nice neutral blue cardigan I got for Christmas. It's not a colour I have lots of in my wardrobe, but it suited my cream/brown/grey palette of the moment.

Cardigan, M&S, gifted at Christmas
Blouse, ASOS curve via Fatshion Exchange, £8.50
Shorts, ASOS curve, £9
Tights, M&S
Brogues, Primark, £13
Belt,
Brooch, Primark, £2
Skinny brown belt, old vintage stock

Big Beach Bums

2011-03-22T02:15:00.000-07:00

On twitter recently, speaking with some of the lovely ladies from Plus London, I’ve been discussing the prospect of another rad fats meet up! There was a lovely amount of momentum after Plus London and it would be great to keep this going and make use of the collective energy created.

So, I am tentatively proposing another meet, this time in Brighton. Quite a few people have asked to come thrifting with me in the future, so my thoughts are as such:

We could meet up, late morning-ish, for a cup of tea and get to know each other.
I’ll create a second hand trail through Brighton, which we can follow loosely, and people can join at some point over the day.
We could then convene for lunch somewhere. My suggestion would likely be to all bring some bits and pieces to have a picnic on the beach with. Otherwise, I’ll make some suggestions for cheap eats in the locality, of which there are many.
As a follow up, we could all head to the beach! I’m reluctant to plan the day around the beach, because, as everyone knows, it’s a bad idea to plan for good weather! But if it is sunny, we could all finish the day by re-congregating at the beach for some sun, sea and possibly swimming and ice cream! Those who aren’t bothered about shopping would be welcome to join at this point instead, which will be later in the afternoon.
If it’s not sunny, I’ll make some suggestions for places to head for drinks (I know of at least one place with 241 cocktails, and many a good pub) or more grub.
Anyone who fancies making a weekend of it, I’ll make some recommendations for other things to do (there’s a pretty mean car boot on a Sunday morning for the more hardcore of us! haha).

The proposed date is 28th May! All I need to do now is garner any idea of who would be interested in coming. It’d also be great to enlist any willing helpers! Mainly I will just need people to spread the word, but it’d also be nice to form a collective who could help with organising, and some brainstorming for the day. So, if anyone wants to join this collective, just drop me an email at fattyunbound@gmail.com and I’ll start an email list up for us to talk on.

I want this to be open to anyone who wants to come - you don’t have to be a blogger. It’ll be a positive and inclusive meet open to both fats (of any age, gender, sexuality, ability) and fat positive allies (so feel free to bring friends, partners, anyone who fancies spending the day with us!). The second hand trail I’ll create will include places to buy masculine and feminine clothing, and are mainly unisex shops. I’ll plan the map with details of the levels of access available.

Obviously I can’t guarantee there’ll be any awesome finds, but we can have fun trying and it’s a great excuse to all hang out together again.

Bloggers, tumblr-ers, social media enthusiasts - please repost these details! I only reach so far into the fat-o-sphere, and need all the help I can get to spread the message about x

2011-03-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, this Monday does NOT agree with me. Exciting stuff to talk about soon. In the mean time, here's my latest etsy purchases, the 70s maxi shirt dress of dreams. Needless to say, I felt pretty fancy swanning around in this Saturday afternoon, though the skirt is more than slightly sheer so requires some shorts beneath!

Dress, $20 via this etsy shop
Brown belt, old vintage stock
Shoes, £15, Deichmann