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

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

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!

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

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

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

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