Marie Claire Adds Plus Size Writer To Fashion Roster

The fashion world is not ready for Ashley Falcon. In the new Marie Claire column "Big Girl in a Skinny World," Falcon doles out fashion advice for those of us who are far beyond sample sizes.

Making her debut with a full-length picture looking all kinds of fierce, Falcon's column immediately earned points with me for daring to call out designers for equating larger sizes to shapeless, non flattering cuts and for embracing "ass-hugging" as necessary quality for the perfect jeans.

As much as I love, love, love Falcon's column (I'm already rethinking my stance on my now-canceled subscription) there were a couple of lines in the article that immediately jumped out at me.

Now, maybe I'm a little too accustomed to the fashion blogs I read which cater to a variety of sizes without apology (Clutch, The Fashion Bomb, Fatshionista/LJ holla!) But I couldn't decide if Falcon was keeping it real about her experiences or starting to pander a bit to a smaller audience who expects a more self-depreciating big girl:

Of course, it surprised no one that I decided to pursue a career as a fashion stylist-though at 5'2" and 220 pounds, I'd need an elaborate pulley system and a can of Crisco to shimmy into the clothes I dress models in.

Big girls love accessories-they always fit, no size tags required.

Let's face it, it's a maddening task for girls even half my size, but I go through at least a few pairs of jeans every year, routinely wearing holes in the area where my thighs rub together.

Again, I'm not sure where to fall on these. After all, that last bit about wearing holes in jeans is something that happens to me as well, all the time. And the jeans she recommends are cute. But some of the big girl platitudes don't jive with my experiences . For one, accessories don't always fit which is why I have to trek to Torrid for bangles, and live in slouch styles since most other boots never make it up my calves. Purses too - large arms means I always need to check the strap. In addition, glamming up a basic outfit with luxury accessories is a bit beyond my reach - but I'll chalk that up to the priorities of the fashionable. It's clear that Falcon has made piece with her body (after all, she dresses beautifully) but her column seems more practical than celebratory when it comes to the transformative power of fashion.

But that's a minor quibble - I'm excited to see a size eighteen woman like myself seen as an expert on fashion and selecting clothes and outfits that would actually work for women my size. I'm excited that she's bringing more than size diversity to the fashion glossies.

And most of all, I'm excited to see next month's recommendations on cocktail chic.

(Image Credit: Marie Claire)

Big Girl In A Skinny World [Marie Claire]
Official Site [Clutch Magazine]
Official Site [The Fashion Bomb]
Official Site [Fatshionista]
Live Journal Community [Fatshionista]

Send an email to Latoya, the author of this post, at latoya@racialicious.com.

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