Fashionably Fat

Favorite Fall Polish

2009-09-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

A look is never complete without the finishing touches, and that includes nail polish! I've scoped out the new matte polish fad, and I'm not a fan: It chips easily, it looks messy (highlighting every bump and line on your natural nailbed), and it's just boring! Here are some of my favorite polish looks to help you stay stylish right down to your fingertips:

1. TEAL POLISH: Teal is such a beautiful surprise for fall, and it will certainly brighten up any look. OPI's "Teal the Cows Come Home" is great, and a steal here at $5.49.

2. BURNT RUST: A little brown, a little metallic, a lot chic. Try China Glaze's "Soft Sienna Silks," pictured below, for only $6.49 here.

3. DEEP RED: Always great for fall, a classic red in a deep shade will look great while you've got your hands wrapped around a cup of warm cider. China Glaze's "Drastic" is my favorite, available here for $6.49.

4. JET BLACK: This dark, sexy look will go with every outfit you own! Just be warned--removing it can really be a hassle. Essie's "Licorice" will give you a great glossy finish. $8 here.

Want more options? The new fall line by Essie is fabulous in every color. Chic, shiny, and affordable, check out what's available and pick your favorite one (or five!):

Fast Find: Black Stud Skirt

2009-08-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

Studded faux-denim pencil skirt, £25 ($40), Dorothy Perkins. Through US size 20.

I am loving the edgy biker look this season! And, even more, I like taking one of those pieces and softening it up. Here's what I'd pair it with:

Ruffle-neck shell (in champagne), $80, Banana Republic. Through size 16. Tuck it in!

Missoni knit platform pump, $510, Piperlime

OR, BECAUSE I'M POOR...

Risky Business almond-toe pump, $85, Piperlime

Spotlight: Lizzi Miller

2009-08-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

I'm sure, by now, many of you have seen this picture in the September issue of Glamour. It's not on the cover, it's not in the spread, and it's not even in the front of the magazine--but it's causing one hell of a stir. Meet Lizzi:

This picture of 20 year old model Lizzi Miller can be found on p. 194 in the article "What Everyone But You Sees About Your Body." Says Editor in Chief Cindi Leive, "we'd commissioned a story on feeling comfortable in your skin, and I wanted a model who looked like she was."

The article focuses on the sexiness we exude but don't notice, the beauty we overlook in our own bodies because we're too busy bashing ourselves. It offers advice on how to appreciate ourselves from experts who look at women's bodies all day (Read the full article here):

When you focus on the body parts you love, your ‘flaws’ fade away.”

—Madame Athena Chang, portrait photographer

“Self-consciousness is getting in the way of your pleasure.”

—Jennifer Phillips, certified massage therapist

“We have curves for a reason.”

—Sue Baelen, licensed midwife

But it wasn't the article that caused a commotion, prompting responses and interviews like the one below. It was the picture: just a woman sitting in her underwear, smiling. Back in April Lizzi appeared in Glamour in her skivvies as well, but that picture did not nearly cause as much of a stir.

If you'll notice, this picture from April seemed to "hide" the little tummy roll that remains exposed in the newest picture, and I believe that's what makes all the difference. Though April's picture showed a confident plus-size beauty, this month's picture reveals something that everyone has but dares not speak of: a flaw. Yes, that teeny tiny flap of skin has made all the difference, empowering thousands of women and compelling them to speak out in support of this honest and un-airbrushed depiction.

Finally, women are calling for healthy and realistic counterparts in magazines and fashion shows, refusing to accept that only thin=beautiful. And Lizzi is very candid about her views on this subject: "I just think there needs to be more representation for women who don't fit into the 'norm' of the size 2." Lizzi's only 20, but having been a model for over 6 years, she knows all about body image and pressure to conform. "I'm not saying that a size 2 isn't 'normal,' but this is my normal. I'm healthy, I work out, I lead a healthy lifestyle, and this is how I look. And I embrace it."

At 180lbs and an admitted size 12-14, Lizzi is a softball player and belly dancer who likes to exercise "when it's fun." She says about growing up chubby: "When I was young I really struggled with my body and how it looked because I didn't understand why my friends were so effortlessly skinny. As I got older I realized that everyone's body is different and not everyone is skinny naturally--me included! I learned to love my body for how it is, every curve of it. I used to be so self-conscious in a bikini because my stomach wasn't perfectly defined. But everyone has different body shapes! And it's not all about the physical! If you walk on the beach in your bikini with confidence and you feel sexy, people will see you that way too."

Watch Lizzi and Cindi's interview on The Today Show and get involved in the debate!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Special Edition: College Discounts at ULTA

2009-08-28T14:24:00.001-07:00

Visit an ULTA near you on Tuesday, September 1st and enjoy exclusive offers for college students only!
• Smashbox Cosmetics: 20% off
• Bare Escentuals Get Started Kits (all shades): 20% off
• Harajukku Lovers Fragrance: 50% off
• TIGI Brand Professional Haircare: 25% off
• Pro Nail Products: 25% off
• Chi Flat Iron Style GF 1001: $99.95
• Maybelline: 25% off on all Maybelline mascara, eye shadows & liners
• Neutrogena: 25% off on Neutrogena Skin Clearing Foundation, concealers & powders
• ULTA Salon: $20.00 Haircut

Show your current college ID on Tuesday, September 1st and every first Tuesday of each month to receive the exclusive college day offers listed above!

We Love Colors, Yes We Do

2009-08-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

We Love Colors offers solid tights in over 51 colors for ladies up to 330lbs! They've also got footless, patterned, striped and fishnets for their curvier clientel. Perfect for accessorizing this fall. Check it out:

Fall Must-Haves

2009-08-23T11:03:00.000-07:00

I came across these items while doing some of my fall 2009 shopping, and I immediately put them on my must-have list! They're some great staples for putting together any look this season:

Black patent stud belt, $20, Torrid. Pair with dress or high-waisted skirt to make the look a little edgier.

Assorted leggings beginning at $20, Torrid, through size 26/28. Here's a great blog entry from Bahrain Poise on how to wear leggings this fall: Leggings.

Diane Von Furstenberg Hayworth Clutch, $395, Diane Von Furstenberg

Leather zip jacket, $199, oldnavy.com, sizes 16/18-20/22. This is such a versatile piece--you can pair it with nearly anything (wear it with something super frilly and feminine to make the look a little edgier, wear it with a pair of boots to achieve the oh-so-in biker look, or style it simple with a basic denim pant and tee)!

Thigh-high suede boot, $110, piperlime.com. Are you daring enough to try this trend? It's not just for the Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman-type, either. Any woman can wear them. If you're not sure how to wear them with an outfit, a simple belted dress is always a great choice (just don't pair them with anything made of fishnet or lycra!).

Cream/black shift dress, £35 ($57), Dorothy Perkins, through US size 20. Nuff said.

Melie Bianco diagonal stitch tote, $79, piperlime.com.

L.A.M.B. open toe ankle boot, $345, piperlime.com. These are a really versatile pair of shoes that can be worn with denim or dresses, day or night--be creative!

Dark denim pencil skirt, $29.50, Old Navy, through size 20. Classic. A staple piece to pair with all those trendy items you purchase.

Get Skinny or Else!

2009-08-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

"We have to be very sensitive and understanding when we tackle America's obesity problem," says Dr. Robert Kushner, Clinical director of Northwestern University's Comprehensive Center on Obesity. "We don't want to stigmatize people and we don't want to make people feel it's their fault."

But in pointing fingers and proclaiming that YOU are different, YOU are unacceptable, isn't that ultimately stigmatizing and scapegoating?

Kushner declares that fighting obesity will be a key component of health care reform in an attempt to "get a handle on the health care costs of this country." He, and many others like him, claim that 'overweight' men and women are a drain on the health care system and a burden to society at large.

Does being fat, however, necessarily equate with being unhealthy? The answer: NO, except in the most extreme circumstances. Weight is an aesthetic, a means of physically identifying and measuring a person's level of attractiveness, but it is certainly not a health barometer. If you're too fat to roll yourself out of bed in the morning, or if your legs are too heavy to be lifted into a consistent stride, you're probably unhealthy. But if you're a size 22 and you can move your body and work it(!), there is nothing unhealthy about you.

Certain health officials would have you believe that being fat is a serious risk for certain factors such as diabetes or heart disease, but where is the proof? There is no scientific evidence directly linking weight with any of these illnesses. In fact, research done by the American Heart Association found that fatter cardiac patients were more likely to survive hospital visits or invasive treatments than their thinner counterparts, even when considering age and other contributing factors.

Dr. Paul Ernsberger, of Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, led a review of nearly 400 studies that was published in the Journal of Obesity and Weight Regulation in 1987 which corroborated these results. “The idea that fat strains the heart has no scientific basis,” he said. “As far as I can tell, the idea comes from diet books, not scientific books. Unfortunately, some doctors read diet books.” In April 2006, researchers at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles reported their clinical study of 14,739 patients with coronary artery disease, that had been confirmed on tomography, who were followed for over three years. They found that “obese” and “overweight” patients were at significantly lower risks for cardiac death than “normal” weight patients.

Though it has not been proven that being overweight can produce negative health effects, is hasbeen proven that fat can protect against infections, heart disease, lung disease, cancer, osteoporosis, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. As fat blogger Kate Harding points out, poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle do cause health problems for individuals, both thin and fat, being overweight is not synonymous with an debilitating lifestyle. Nurse Sandy Szwarc, who authors the Junkfood Science blog, explains it best when she discusses the media's ceaseless efforts to link our weight, favorite foods, and lifestyles to one horrible disease or other. Says Szwarc:

Epidemiological (observational) studies - which use computer models to dredge through information on a group of people to find correlations - are most rife with misinterpreted statistics, errors, and biases, and are most easily manipulated to arrive at whatever conclusions researchers set out to find... No matter how popular, impressive or intuitively correct it might seem, a correlation to a disease is not evidence that it's the cause.

I'll say it again: A CORRELATION TO A DISEASE IS NOT EVIDENCE THAT IT'S THE CAUSE. I.e. an arbitrary, computer-generated correlation between obesity and heart disease DOES NOT indicate that obesity is the cause of heart disease.

Kate Harding also brings up a very valid point: there are fat people who eat well, exercise often, and still remain "fat." There are diseases that cause a weight gain in previously healthy people. Genetics, hormones, stress, etc. are all huge contributing factors to a person's weight, so it is impossible to pinpoint ONE cause--say, that a person is eating too much; therefore, it is impossible to come up with any one solution--PUT DOWN THE BURGER AND GET ON A TREADMILL.

I spent the better part of my childhood convinced that I was overweight because it was a character flaw, that I just wasn't trying hard enough, until I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome at 17. And even at my healthiest weight (5'3", 145 lbs, size 7 jeans), when I could run a 10 minute mile and do a standing half split like nobody's business, the BMI charts still told me I was overweight and in danger. Today the BMI is finally being recognized as an unrealistic and often implausible measure of health; Aveen Bannon of the Dublin Nutrition Centre said that it can be used as a rough guide, but it can often be inaccurate. "For example," she says," a rugby player, who has a strong build made up of heavy muscle, will always have a high BMI and fall into the overweight category." Bannon says that she has also seen cases where a person's BMI was low, but they had a high amount of body fat.

For me, I've decided that as long as I'm healthy and happy it doesn't matter how much I weigh. But not everyone feels this way. Centers for disease control and prevention say obesity leads to $147 billion dollars per year in medical costs, and it looks as though weight loss will become something of a federal mandate. They want to focus on "preventative care" rather than "illness care," but can obesity really be considered an illness? Dr. Kushner is insisting that obesity interferes with work productivity and quality of life, but the last time I checked my BMI of 39 is not keeping me from shuffling my paperwork or lounging on the beach. And you know, I don't want to be "tackled" by the health care system, because I don't feel obligated to lose a goddamn pound. I don't have heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, and I don't have a problem with the way I look. If there is a problem here, it's not with me. Get out of my kitchen, back off my body, and go "tackle" a real issue!

Take a look at this dialog between Fat Blogger Kate Harding and Dr. Kushner and tell me what you think:

Plus Size Jewelry by Emitations

2009-08-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

Big girls need to accessorize too, and Emitations has some fabulous choices in rings, bracelets and necklaces in extended sizes! Keep in mind that some of the biggest trends for the Fall '09 season are Russian Folklore, Biker Chic, hoop earrings, chains, statement necklaces/other pieces, bold colors and nature-inspired items. Check out some of my favorites, all available on the website:

Rings (the second one is perfectly reminiscent of Kate Spade's '09 faux pearl ring):

Necklaces:

Bracelets:

Fast Find: Cross-back Stripe Dress

2009-08-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

Soft cotton print dress from ASOS with draped neckline and full skirt, button detail on back; through UK size 20 (US 18); £35 ($59)

Vogue's Most Wanted Wardrobe: Plus Size Edition

2009-08-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

So, as I'm sure most of you have already noticed, Vogue does not exactly offer plus-size friendly shopping tips. It's fun to peruse the pages and get an idea of what's in, but it's not very practical in the way of commercialism if you're over a size 8. That's why I decided to translate Vogue's "Most Wanted" into big girl language: I've pictured Vogue's Most Wanted items for summer partying and offered you an affordable plus size alternative for each. Hope this makes shopping (and styling) a little easier this summer!

1. Skinny Jeans in Color

Their Take:

The Rogan Slim Pant, available in sizes 25-30 (US 2-8), $240

My Take:

Torrid's Tripp Skinny Leg Twill Pant, available in sizes 12-26, $48

2. Pleated Wrap Dress

Their Take:

VPL Flex Foil Wrap, available in sizes XS-Med., $645

My Take:

ASOS tie-front wrap dress, available through UK size 20 (US 16/18), £28 ($46)

3. Relaxed-Silhouette Dress

Their Take:

3.1 Phillip Lim silk chiffon, available in sizes 0-10, $475

My Take(s):

Old Navy belted kimono-sleeve dress, sizes 1X-4X, $36.50

OR Delia's chiffon dress, sizes 0-16/18, $30.50

4. Fitted-waist Print Dress

Their Take

Alexandra Vidal dress, $486, sizes available upon request

My Take:

Evans' floral jersey dress, size 10-28, $66

5. Summer Sweater

Their Take:

Topshop striped jumper, $80, size not available

My Take:

Gap striped crewneck, sizes XS-XXL, $39.50

6. Vibrant Tunic

Their Take:

Janavi print tunic, XS-L, $385

My Take:

Ralph Lauren silk belted tunic, 1X-3X, $111

7. Plaid Shirt

Their Take:

Steven Alan boyfriend shirt, $160, size not listed

My Take:

Torrid's rolled-sleeve buffalo check top, sizes 14/16 and 18/20, $44

8. Sexy Draped Dress

Their Take:

Tomas Maier cross strap jersey dress, through size 12, £396.38 ($656)

My Take:

Delia's strappy knit dress, through size 16/18, $34.50

Head Nod: JIBRI

2009-07-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

While googling my head off and researching the world of the plus-sized and fashionable, I came across JIBRI, Jasmine Elder's online-based fashion label for the curvy and style-conscious. The tagline for the label is "dream big," and that's exactly what Elder has done, creating what she describes as "a perfect combination of high fashion chic and urban street sleek in sizes 14-24."

Perhaps the best part about shopping JIBRI is that the line is available on Etsy, an online handmade market, and you are able to send Elder your size request and personal measurements to customize the fit of each piece.

Check out some of my favorite items:

High-waist flair skirt, $85

Hand painted Spring Jacket, $320

Satin Swing Dress, $170

Fast Find: Military Blazer in Assorted Colors

2009-07-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

From Alloy, this double-breasted french terry blazer is a great find! You'll appreciate the detail of the ornamental epaulets, back pleats, and high neck collar. Available in red, navy, and black from size XS-XXXL. $44.09-$46.90.

I recommend pairing with a stylish tee and either a skinny jean or dress short. Jazz it up with a sassy shoe, like the gladiator sandal featured below, $39.90 (also from Alloy)!

Fast Find: Stylish Peplum Tank Dress

2009-07-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

This soft grey tweed number has a pleated scoop neck and a tunic-style overskirt that wraps around the back. Comes with skinny black accent belt. Kick pleat, zips in back. It's available in sizes 12-26 for a steal at $64 online at here at Torrid.

Newsreel: Too Fat to be Surgeon General?

2009-07-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

Have you heard the news? This woman, Dr. Regina Benjamin, is too fat to be our Surgeon General.

Let's disregard the fact that she's got both an M.D. from the University of Alabama and an MBA from Tulane University, that she served as associate dean for rural health at USA's College of Medicine, or that she was the first physician under 40 to be elected to the AMA's board of trustees in 1995. Forget all the committees and commissions for health that she has served on, that she is the founder and CEO of her own health clinic (which she rebuilt TWICE after hurricane Katrina and a fire destroyed it), or that she was the U.S. recipient of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights in 1998. She's probably a size 12, and that's just not cool.

The controversy stems from the fact that Benjamin LOOKS "overweight," and that she shouldn't be telling other people how to be healthy if she can't be healthy herself. Firstly, I'd like to point out that, no matter how much she weighs, her pounds do not suddenly cancel out her medical degree or her myriad qualifications. And last I checked her weight was not getting in the way of her doing her job. Is she suffering from diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or any other disease that we believe weight may contribute to (but not actually cause)? Is she unable to walk, move around, or function in her day to day life? As far as I'm concerned, the problem here is with the way Benjamin LOOKS, and not how healthy she is.

If all employers were allowed to discriminate based on appearance (namely weight), more than 50% of U.S. citizens would be out of a job. Should people be denied promotions if they aren't physically fit? Are M.D.'s to be rescinded when a doctor hits a certain weight? Yes, I believe that you should not be hired if you are so physically unhealthy that you are incapable of completing your duties, but that is clearly not the case here.

"We want to influence young people to live a healthy lifestyle and be physically active and eat healthy food," said Lillie Shockney, director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Breast Centre. Acknowledging that Dr Benjamin's weight was not "horrific" or "over the top", she added: "I want an image of wellness [as surgeon general] because young people will hear her better if she is practising what we expect her to preach."

(If weight really does govern a medical professional's ability to dispense health advice, how does Lillie Shockney, left, get off talking about Dr. Benjamin? Doesn't SHE also appear to be overweight according to her own standards?)

Marcia Angell, a lecturer at Harvard University Medical School, told ABC News: "At a time when a lot of public health concern is about the national epidemic of obesity, having a surgeon general who is noticeably overweight raises questions in people's minds."

A doctor commenting on a medical blog said Dr Benjamin looked obese, with a body mass index of over 30, if not a morbidly obese rate of over 40.

One commentator estimated she would take at least a British size 20 in clothes.

Sarah Reed, another family doctor, who said she kept her own BMI at 19, said: "I am disappointed that Dr Regina Benjamin is obese. Obesity is the number one problem in my own practice and I make it a very high priority to lead by example. Although her credentials speak for themselves, her weight cannot be overlooked. Shame on her!"

Seriously? Is there going to be a weigh-in at her hearing? Is the AMA going to measure her waist and slap her on the wrist for wearing a bad Lane Bryant suit? There are so many myths surrounding weight and health, with the idea that a woman of a certain size cannot be healthy or that she lacks a degree of self control. And yes, I understand that the Surgeon General is all about promoting health, but healthy women come in all shapes and sizes.

The F Word

2009-07-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

In the writing and research of my new blogging endeavor, I recently came across something of an argument about the word "fat" between two lady-bloggers. Mars, who authors the blog Chicken Dinner Candybar, featured fellow author Marie of Agent Lover in a post she called "Fat Love Friday." The post, written to show love to the fashionable ladies in the larger sizes, obviously offended Marie--because the word "fat" was used. Marie commented on the post, saying, " I have to be honest, I'm a bit offended that you're categorizing me in something called Fat Love Friday."

She went on to tell Mars, "I would NEVER put another blogger or really anyone else for that matter underneath a title with such a negative connotation." But why not? What's the big deal about the F word?

As I'm sure you've noticed, not only have I used the word FAT in the title of my blog, but I've identified myself as FAT as well in my introductory post. It's a word, just like "plus size" and "large" and "curvy" and "rubenesque," and hey, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So why, if all of these terms refer to the same type of woman, is that one word--the F word--so very offensive?

I mean, let's face it, with all the in-your-face "skinny is beautiful" media madness, and the constant guilt-trips fatties face with those "love handles that nobody loves" infomercials and news pieces, it's impossible to pretend that you don't notice if you're even the slightest bit "overweight." If you're not a size four, honey, you've heard the word fat at least once in your life.

Marie said she was angry because she doesn't like to put labels on her body, but the truth is that whether or not we put those labels on our bodies, other people are doing it all the time--and when we take offense to them, we're buying into that mess and giving meaning and truth to those labels that we work so hard to fight against.

I like to look at women and bodies through a feminist lens because, as a woman, I feel like women writing about women's bodies is empowering and enlightening. Susan Bordo's take on the female form is especially useful here: "The body – what we eat, how we dress, the daily rituals through which we attend to the body – is a medium of culture." When we buy into that crap everyone is telling us all the time--that only thin is beautiful, that our nails always have to be perfectly polished, that strict maintenance of any and all body hair is essential, that only uber-feminine is acceptable for female bodies--our bodies are not our own anymore. Bordo's analogy of the body as a text of culture makes so much sense because, when we are letting society write its beauty rules all over us, we become a metaphor instead of a person.

It's true: my body is less than "perfect." I've struggled with weight my whole life, tried every diet known to man, and frequently bought into the body shame that is heaped upon the socially perceived "fat." I would forgo parties and beach trips because I didn't want anyone to see what was tucked away beneath my size 16 jeans. I didn't want to call attention to my body, full of flaws. I kept saying, "I'll take that vacation when I lose ten pounds," or "I'll get that tattoo when I've dropped a dress size." And you know what? I was never taking vacations or getting tattoos, and I was always miserable. I would starve myself for weeks, lose ten pounds, and get so fed up that I would go on a weeks-long binge and gain 15 pounds!

Finally, after years of punishing myself and trying desperately to camouflage those extra pounds, I had a realization: my body is just that, MY body. I've reclaimed it, just like I've reclaimed the F word. Your ideal might be a size 2, but mine isn't. My ideal is a body with strong legs and wide, proud hips that aren't embarrassed to knock a chair or two out of my way. My ideal body is one that can indulge in a few slices of pizza without shame, but can walk the half mile to work in the next minute. My ideal is a healthy, curvy, sexy body. Maybe even a fat body ;)

Notions of this socially constructed ideal body are linked with the economy: I mean, so many businesses out there thrive on this desire we have for thinness. In order to create any kind of market for their product they also have to make women feel ashamed about their of inadequate bodies; of course, their product will get rid of those "unsightly" rolls, tuck in your tummy fat, camouflage your flaws, cover up whatever shouldn't be seen. We have to be attractive to be happy and successful, and only thin people are attractive.

I'm not giving in to this, and neither should you. I'm not going to support companies that refuse to make clothes I can wear. I'm not going to spend my money buying earrings at Cache or handbags at Bebe when they overlook me as a consumer. That is part of the reason that I have created this blog: it's so hard being a plus size woman and navigating the world of fashion, as I know from personal experience. I want to make these resources more readily available, to learn more from some of the fabulous plus-size blogs that I am now discovering, and to dialog about the world of the Fashionably Fat.

I'd love to hear what you think! What's your take on the word fat? Where do you like to shop? Let me know!

xoxo Lauren

Questions PSA from NEDA on Vimeo.

Newsreel: Plus Size Designer on Project Runway!

2009-07-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Attention! Attention!

Project Runway's Season 6 delivers its first plus-size Designer, Qristyl Frazier. Check out her bio on the show's new Lifetime Website, or shop her designs here.

Fast Find: Chic 50's Floral Dress

2009-07-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

From Fath21, Forever 21's Plus Size Line, comes this sweet pink dirndl dress. Through size 14. Available for $22.80 at Forever 21.

Fast Find: Skinny Jeans in COLOR

2009-07-25T00:39:00.000-07:00

Skinny Jeans in Teal, Purple, and Fuchsia. Available in sizes 14/16-22/24 at Size Appeal.

Spotlight: Beth Ditto

2009-07-24T21:44:00.000-07:00

Ever since I got into The Gossip's sassy, sultry sound in early 2006, I have not been able to take my eyes off Beth Ditto. She is a fascinating, inspiring, beautiful woman, and she is one of Plus Size Fashion's top icons. Let's take a look at her influence in the fashion world and some of her best looks:

"Over the last three years Ms. Ditto has gone from nobody to superstar. She has been hailed as an icon by everyone from women weight activists to gay rights campaigners. She has appeared nude on a glossy magazine cover and has attacked major fashion brands for not selling clothes in big sizes.

Now the fashion industry has decided it can’t get enough of her. The Arkansas-born singer has been a fixture at this week’s fashion events. Whether at Stella McCartneyorChanel, rarely a day has gone by without her sitting in a front row seat at an exclusive runway show." (wsj.com)

What I love most about her is that she's not afraid to bare it all, whether it be onstage during one of her killer concerts, or on the cover of one of the many mags she's graced in the past six years.

Starting with her topless cover on On Our Backs in June/July 2003, Ditto has shown that she's not shy about baring some skin--and I love it!

Since then she has continued to shock (and titillate) with her revealing photo shoots, from June 2007's NME...

...to February's edition of Conde Nast LOVE Magazine. Ditto is getting more glamorous all the time. We've seen her as an edgy rocker chick, and lately we've been able to see her softer side:

This month's issue of Attitude boasts a clothed (though no less sassy) Ditto:

This month also saw the release of Ditto's own fashion line, available online through Evans, offering jumpsuits, biker jackets, and fat girl friendly leggings! Of course, this line is not for the faint of heart, and it requires a lot of attitude, but the dresses are friendly for most any figure.

Says Ditto on her fashion line: "I like wearing clothes, so it made sense." And her fashion makes sense as well. Never afraid to wear something because of perceived "size" limitations, Ditto does not shy away from spandex, excess fabric, or short skirts, which are hammered home as fashion DON'T's for big girls. Some of her best looks include those where she is breaking the most "rules" for plus-size attire:

Here Ditto is rocking a custom-made chiffon gown by Alexander McQueen. McQueen was so inspired by her that he has promised to create a number of designs for Ditto. He said, "I have three words for Beth: heart and soul."

Beth struts her stuff at the 2008 Brit Music Awards in this stunning custom-made tulle dress by Luella. The dress is adorable and it makes her shoulders look great! Besides, that is one HOT color.

Look at these moves! Beth looks like she could kick some serious ass in this lycra number from Johnny Blue Eye's House of Blue Eyes. Curve-hugging and outrageous, it makes her breasts look amazing, and I'm sold on any outfit that will allow me to move like that!

This June 2009 draped Miu Miu dress is the perfect blend of feminine and funky, and Beth looks brilliant! It shows off her arms (with her hot tats!), compliments her fair skin, and even looks super comfortable. The uneven hemline paired with the statement necklace gives this gown an edgy look.

I think what's most important about Beth's sense of style, what makes her a fashion icon, is that she has a great confidence about her and is not afraid to try anything. In fact, it was her series of bold nude magazine covers that got her all those invites to fashion shows. Says Ditto, "It’s funny how something so normal and mundane that you see every day—your body—can be controversial. The shock value is intense. It’s like carrying an art piece around with you all the time. I don’t really care about other people’s prejudices. I don’t take things super personally, unless it’s someone I really respect. It’s really about making an art piece out of what you’ve been handed. It is about being resourceful. When all you have is an ugly sweater-vest, cut it up and make a really cool skirt out of it! When all you have are these really hateful people, cut them up and make something funny out of them."

I am Fashionably Fat

2009-07-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

I'm Lauren. I'm fat, I care about fashion (when I'm not too annoyed with the masses of stores that refuse to carry anything above a size 7), and I'm trying to make those few fabulous plus size resources accessible to all of us fabulous fat ladies!

I've been searching and researching for months to find good blogs that would help me along the way: you know, tips on where to shop, what looks good, what's in, and just updates on the plus-size fashion world. But the truth is that there's not a lot out there. There are so few fatty fashion blogs out there (though I've linked you to some amazing ones!), so I've decided to create my own. Love it, hate it, laugh at it; I don't care. I'm tired of my fashion needs taking a back seat to those of my size two friends, and I refuse to let that get in the way of my looking fabulous.