Today I caught up on some well needed sewing repairs. As well as the gigantic pile of ripped seams and so on that I've left for months, I also did some alterations on this 60s paisley kaftan. This used to be floor length, but I thought it would work better knee length as it has some fantastic draping that ends around there. Anyway, my picture is rubbish because of my being-out-in-public awkwardness, but it has super awesome batwing sleeves and the draping sort of makes it look like a tulip skirt. This is a perfect house dress, but I think it could also be made to be much more of a statement piece with some heels and a clutch. In any case, it's flouncy and fantastic.

Dress - pilfered from my last lot of vintage stock, £free to me
Shoes - ancient, New Look.

I feel like the kaftan/muu muu/house dress/whatever horrors of former fatty apparel is definitely in need of some reclaiming. Whilst I can't stress how happy I am that there are now outfitters that can actually tailor clothes to my shape and that this isn't my only option, there's something amazing about items of clothing which drape the fat body in such a fantastic brash pattern. I definitely don't think they deserve to be forgotten - in fact I think that wearing one acknowledges a history of apparel that is often dismissed. I also think there's a lot of problematic talk about the "right" way to dress a fat body - and brash, shapeless, bold items like this are pretty against the grain of tailoring and hip skimming dresses, even if originally they were designed to disguise the body. Whether belted, altered or simply flounced about in as is, I definitely think everyone should own at least one.

And just because you're all proving to be such nice readers, here's a picture of a cat for you:

Grumpy cat, courtesy of the house down the road from my old house, who I sadly don't see so often anymore. Broody (for a cat) boyfriend = priceless.