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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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 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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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