Plus-Size Lady Bloggers Look Fly, Make Us Want to Go Shopping

When I was a teenager, I couldn’t find cute jeans in my size and so my mom — not a crafty lady, mind you — attempted to make me some. After many nights of sobbing and screaming, we emerged with one pair of “fitted boot cuts” that were more like “Andre the Giant’s larger cousin’s bell bottoms.” In the end, we finally just went to an actual seamstress. Crazy, right? I couldn’t find jeans to wrap around my luscious size 18 thighs and so I had to pay $100 to get them hand sewn. I was just so embarrassed of my bigger body that I’d try anything to fit in — even if it meant spending about 15 days and tons of money to get one fucking pair of American blue jeans. Thankfully, times have changed, and there’s definitely more selection than there ever was before. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than my mom, an old Singer, and ten boxes of double-ply Kleenex.

The New York Times highlights some of the ladies making progress like this possible — the fat fashion bloggers. These women are young, stylish, opinionated, and don’t fuck around when it comes to looking so fione.

Of course, articles like this always have talk about these women being “proud to wear a size in the double digits.” But, is proud the right word here? I think it’s more like comfortable with their bodies and demanding more of fashion, for all women. I’m not sure if any size is something to be “proud” of — just like no figure needs to be “flattered,” you know?

“People around me get uncomfortable when I refer to myself as fat,” said Amanda Valdez, 27, of Fresno, Calif. She writes for the blog Fashion, Love, and Martinis. “I embrace the word ‘fat.’ Fat does not define me, it doesn’t define my character, or where I’ve been in my life. I am just another girl who is posting about her life and style, and I happen to be fat.”

These women are just all about turning it out, and I think the best part is that they’re showing that option to aspiring fashion plates, as well. It’s a choice, a choice that every person gets to make, whether large or small. If you want to walking around in comfy floral muumuus or dressed like a Blockbuster employee because you think navy blue and khaki is an attractive color combo (raises hand) that’s OK. But if you’re into something a little fresher, you can be that, too. Or you can be both. Basically, you have options.

Nadia Aboulhosn, 24, a blogger and model says, “If you’re fashionable, you’re fashionable regardless of size.” Word. The issue now is, WHERE ARE THE HELLA SUPER CUTE CLOTHES AT, HUH?

Sure, selection’s gotten better, but there is still far to go, especially for the larger ladies with high-end and/or on-trend taste. “I would love Marc Jacobs or Topshop or Zara or Urban Outfitters to carry plus sizes,” says blogger Gabi Gregg.

The article claims that trends can take as long as two years to trickle down to plus-size lines, but is that true anymore? With companies like Forever 21 mass producing knock-offs before models even hit runways in the originals, I’m just curious. I think, the real issue, is that some of the more exciting designers — with exceptions, for sure — don’t make clothes beyond straight sizes.

Maybe that’s because the designers think women be dieting and so, what’s the point of dressing some chub-a-lub’s body in anything other than men’s sweat pants and empty family-size pizza boxes.

“When you feel that your current body is temporary, why spend money dressing it well?” said Ragini Nag Rao, 27, who writes for the blog A Curious Fancy from England and India. “Fat women need to realize that their bodies are worth dressing well.”

That is true, it is so true, because when you dress good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you act good, and when you act good, you can dance like no one’s watching. I know you feel me.

And with that, maybe it’s time to shed this navy blue polo in favor of some hot new duds? Where should I head? Simply Be. Or maybe eShakti? Where does everyone here get their fly fat girl fits from? (sorry.) And further, why are there not more stores where we can walk in and shop? If size 14 really is the average American lady size, why are we so underrepresented? So many questions? FAT GIRL RIOT!