Beautiful, Well Dressed Fat Women

 

In the past, the fashion industry has ignored and punished the plus sized shopper. When I think about my teenage years, I have a strong sense of dismay and disheartenment when I recall clothes shopping with my mum (I sure as hell didn’t go clothes shopping with my friends – there’s only so long you can stand at the accessories shelf in Supre with growing humiliation). I lived in XL t-shirts from The Disney Shop and cargo pants. That was my wardrobe in the 90s, which I felt was more or less forced on me, as the alternative was knee-length, flowing linen shirts and three quarter length white pants. No, the fashion industry was not kind to the fat teenager. Not many things are.

The day I found what was then called Big City Chic, I remember feeling wonder. Plus size clothing in flattering and trendy styles. It had finally happened. When I first starting getting paid a decent salary, I easily (and happily) spent $200 a week on City Chic clothing. Sure, my wardrobe was primarily satin cocktail dresses and frilly tops, but it was a start. I was starting to feel like I fit in.

After a while, “fitting in” became boring and I wanted to explore different styles. I lost some weight and discovered that going from a size 24 to 16 opens up a lot more options. Most brands go up to 16 and I learned the joy of thrift stores. Fashion became an obsession. And I suddenly loved being a curvy size 16-18.

Needless to say, it’s not only easier for the plus size shopper now, but it’s also kind of exciting. Bizarrely enough, I think part of that excitement is the sense of achievement we have, because we have to look closer to find trend-setting, edgy outfits. As Celeste of The Big Girl Blog says, "I guess it's the old adage of working twice as hard to get half as far". I have a larger sense of accomplishment and adventure when I try a new outfit and it works. Let’s face it; plus size girls have to try harder, shop smarter and face more challenges in regards to perceived fashion rules (e.g. the dreaded “horizontal stripe”).

Bronny, writer of Fat Aus!, wrote, “Recently I was thinking about all that I went through when I was younger and I wished that I’d seen more beautiful, well dressed fat women because maybe that would have helped me realise that to be attractive, you don’t necessarily have to be thin.” When I read that, I didn’t feel so alone in my childhood memories. I grew up feeling awkward and different and certainly unattractive. But somehow, I think “feeling different” has served me well, because now I am not afraid of being different and taking risks with fashion. Yes, I will wear a bow tie to work today. Yes, I will wear Doc Martins and a 70s dress to buy milk.

While the fashion industry still has far to go, there is a tribe of “beautiful, well dressed fat women” out there. And I’m so proud to be a part of that community.