This is my first time posting to this community, so hi there! :)  I've been lurking on and off for months, but I recently decided to join you all instead of just hiding in the shadows.

So I've had these tops sitting in a bag in my room for weeks.  Brand new, I haven't even taken the tags off.  Why, you ask?  Simple - I don't know if I should even keep them, let alone actually wear them.

See, when I was younger it was drilled into my head that I was a "fashion don't."  So I did what any self-respecting fat girl would do.  I started to hide in my clothes.  I started buying clothes that were easily 3-6 times bigger than I actually should be wearing.  And for years I dressed that way, hiding in my clothes and most likely looking sloppy while I was at it.  But I had been so brainwashed into believing that I could never be fashionable simply because I'm fat that I had honestly just given up on it.

But recently (before I even heard of you all here), I decided that I couldn't just hide in my clothes anymore.  For one thing, it's just plain stupid.  Why should I hide in my clothes.  For another, I was excited to find a store that not only sold clothes in my size (which is difficult out here), but they were fashionable... and cheap!

So I come to you Fatshionistas seeking advice.  Because I've just hid in my clothes for so long (we're talking like 20 years here), I simply don't know what looks good on me and what doesn't.  Add to that the fact that the only mirror in the house only shows me from about the cleavage up, and I'm absolutely clueless about these things.



The first two tops are very similar.

First, there's the blue top:


and a side view:


then I got a purple top that's a clone of the blue one:


and again, a side view:


and lastly, there's this strange looking number:


again with the side view:


What do you ladies think?  Should I keep them?  Wear them?  Take them back?  I'm really at a loss here as to what to think.  But even though I got them on clearance (only £3 a piece!!), I could take them back, as they don't seem to have a "clearance sales are final" policy.

And just for the heck of it - and because I was already wearing it when I got the camera out - I decided to take a pic of this outfit as well:


It's from the same store I bought the undecided tops from, but I bought it months ago.  And my 13 year old certainly seems to like it.  Every time I walk into the room with it on, she looks me up and down and then gives me a great big grin.  (She's autistic and non-verbal, so a great big grin is a great big communication from her that she likes something.)  My friend May says she doesn't like it on me, but Little Miss Happy Pants (that's what I call my 13 year old) certainly seems to like it, so :-p on her!

Hi! I'm really excited to be a part of this community. I'm always wowed at how fabulous you all look and how confident you are...so much so that I'm a little intimidated.

I'm pretty new to the FA movement (only six months away from my last diet attempt), but I've been reading up at Shapely Prose and doing my best to love my body just as it is. Reading here has been a huge boost to my self-esteem.

Well, that, and finally snagging some clothes that fit. I went up a size recently, and until a few weeks ago my entire wardrobe consisted of one pair of jeans, two button-downs requiring safety pins, a handful of thermals and too-small babydoll t-shirts, and one pair of dress pants, and one dress. I'd been skating along on those, hoping to buy one piece at a time until I had a respectable set.

Then Passover happened. My boyfriend's family always goes to visit friends in Boston, and since Easter didn't conflict this year, I was invited. My boyfriend kept telling me I'd be fine with one dress, but what he really meant was he needed one suit, and he'd never paid attention to what his mother and sisters wore. As it turns out, there were three morning services requiring a skirt, two seders requiring dress clothes, and two dinners where jeans wouldn't be a good idea. I found out about that the morning we left.

Seeing as the whole thing was his fault (and my financial situation was tenuous), he decided to foot the bill for whatever extra clothes I needed... provided I could find them in a suburban mall in the three hours before we had to attend the first dinner.

With that sort of reality-show-style setup, my only real choice was Lane Bryant. This is what I found:

( pictures )

Stats: 5'4", ~200 lb, 43-37-47, size 16, 34G (US)

I also would love to get some advice: Since my wardrobe is still pretty small, what do you all think are the really essential pieces I should try to find first? What can I do to take my style up a notch?

I'm 5'11" and roughly 320 lbs.  My measurements are 50" bust, 50" waist, and 56" hips. 

So here's my drama.

I only wear long sleeves, even in the summer and it's damn near impossible to find them in clothing that is lightweight enough to wear when it's 90 degrees outside. 

I finally settled on a bunch of long sleeved v-neck tee's from ON that are on clearance for 3.99.  (woo!) and I'm thinking of ordering a bunch of their clearance capri's to wear with the tees.  And flip flops.  Lots of flip flops. 

But according to their size chart, I only need a size 26 to fit my hips, but then the waist would be 1 1/4" smaller than my actual waist measurement.  If I go up to a size 28 to fit my waist, I've got another 4 1/2" of room in the hips/butt area.

My eternal damnation is saggy butt syndrome.  So I've heard that ON sizes run a bit big, but I've never bought pants from them before.  I think I tried on a pair of 26's at the store a few years ago, and while I could get them buttoned, I thought I needed a size bigger, which they didn't have.

For reference, I normally wear a 26 in jeans from LB, a 28 in dress pants. 

So do you think I could get away with a size 26?  I'm thinking the t-shirts are probably going to be a bit loose fitting, so I don't want to look sloppy with baggy capris too. 

A few people have requested help choosing an outfit for a certain event lately, and so I'm jumping on the bandwagon. 

 
ETA: This last entry shows my whole body: http://community.livejournal.com/fatshionista/2668943.html#cutid1

Okay, so here's the thing: I'm fashion-challenged. Part of it stems from an inability to find clothes that fit me properly and another part stems from growing up with a whole lot of brothers and just not caring. I'm married, so I'm not looking to attract guys or anything, but I've recently reached a point where I actually *like* my body and would love to show it off a bit by dressing to flatter. My issue lies in the fact that I don't even know where to start.

I'm ready to take some steps- get a haircut that actually flatters, buy makeup, wear something other than flipflops and sneakers, buy clothes that flatter and don't just cover skin, etc. I just don't know where to start or what is flattering on my body type, etc.


So, what styles of clothing should I be looking for? Where should I be shopping? Are there certain brands that will work better for me? Is anyone else in this boat? Am I insane?

Hey fatties and others. I am way into navy and white for spring. I have never been into navy and white before in my life, and tend to think of navy and white as being kinda preppy, so I'm a little boggled when attempting to accessorize and combine colors. What colors go with navy and white? I don't want to go the nautical route if I can avoid it.

For example, what color/type of shoes might I wear with dresses such as the following:


and/or

(For the record, that second picture is horrible and makes the dress look like a Victorian nightshirt - the dress is actually navy and white striped, and looks far FAR better on a fat body in 3D.)

Red shoes, for sure. I draw a blank after that. I strongly prefer low- to mid-height heels. And please don't suggest sandals of any kind, as I won't wear them to work (I could, some of my colleagues do especially in the summer, but I won't, it's just a stuffy "But I don't feel professional in sandals!" thing I have).

 

Happy new year, fatshionistas! Here's an outfit I wore a few days ago for a high-school friend reunion at the bowling alley:

( yay for clothes! )

hello my lovely ladies!

first post! :D

so, seeing all these posts with haircuts and stuff has made me think about chopping my lengthy locks for something more maintainable. About 2, almost 3 years ago i cut off my hair to shoulder length and donated it to locks of love, and i mean - dont get me wrong, my hair went to a beautiful wonderful cause, but i hated my haircut from it. it was just so short, and i couldn't do much with it. Since then, it's all grown back and then some but my curls seemed to have gone rather flat, and they're not fun or anything. anywho, here is a current photo of me (ignore the facial expression LOL it's more to show my hair right now)
( hair )

so it makes me pose the question of the following:
curly haired girls, what do you use to make your hair look good? right now i'm using 'none of your frizzness' by herbal essences (both shampoo and conditioner), and then frizz ease for a product after. my hair still looks frizzy and kind of dead when its dry, and im not sure what to do about that

also, what kind of cut would look best with my face (a normal photo is in my icon) that would also accept curls once theyre rehabilitated. I have a feeling once the inches of hair are cut off they will spring back up because they arent weighed down. please keep in mind that I would like to be able to pull it off my face every once in a while, and also have the side bangs. my hair color would be like it is now - dark red on top and vibrant red underneath.

any suggestions? :) having short hair with such a round face always seems to pose an issue, but I know you ladies are smart and can help.

thanks in advance!!

Winter is coming - I'm so excited! But, I need a coat, and I'm having trouble finding one I like. I want something with a little personality that will look alright with dressier office clothes. I'm 26, and I don't want to look 40 - or 16. Etc. I also probably want around a size 18, based on some furtive trying on of coats in various stores.

( many illustrative pictures )

Opinions, links, etc, welcome! I would especially love a nice structured wool coat with interesting architecture in a sky blue, deep purple, delicious orange, engaging green, or light and misty grey. Asymmetry, superfluous hardware, and inventive necklines a plus!

eta: In writing this up, I realized that the "antique hardware" coat I linked above, which I thought only went to 16, only goes to 16 in black, but goes to 20 in brown and charcoal. So, I put in an order for it in brown, and I have my fingers crossed. I may need to return it. On the site, the brown looks pretty bad, but the photo quality is bad, so it might be better in person. Do you all think I could pair the hat with it? I am tempted to say "yes, though people will ask you where you left the calvary."

Ok, this is a bit of a whine ,but I do have some specific questions. I'll number them so they don't get lost :-) 

#1 Is there anyone here who is very large busted who has any recommendations for bras? I'm either a 42 G or 42 H depending on the brand. It's very frustrating having to mail order everything and then deal with the shipping and returning and all that jazz. I went to Cacique in the mall the other day and even they didn't have the 42H in stock and had to order it for me. I did buy a 42G from them in one style and it fit! Until I got it home and wore it for 10 minutes and realized it was the itchiest bra I've ever worn. And of course I didn't realize that til after the tags were cut off. Sigh.  (I'll have to check and see if I can still return it).

#2 And (even bigger stretch) is there anyone here who is very lopsided? My right breast is probably a good two cup sizes larger than my left. It wasn't so noticeable when I was younger and slimmer but the first place I gain weight is my bust so yeah, it's pretty obvious now LOL! For years I thought "well, when I lose weight I'll have a bra that fits". Heh. Years wasted with silly self-hate. Nope, this is me :-D But  I'm worried the answer is a $200 custom made bra or something else that isn't going to happen but hey, it's worth asking. It's frustrating to have bras that fit perfectly on one side and are too small or too big on the other. Less constructed bras work better for this but then, they aren't usually very supportive.

#3 - (ok, this is the whine part) I feel like I need a fabulous fat girlfriend to hold my hand, pat me on the head and say "it's ok, I'll show you what to do" LOL! I'm clueless when it comes to fashion. I want to be comfortable and I want to be practical (I'm a SAH mom of two so I need things to run around playgrounds with - not stuff to go clubbing in :-D ) but I no longer am content being schlumpy and frumpy. There's no reason I can't look good *and* be practical and comfortable right? 

If anyone here is going to the Fat Girl Flea Market in NYC and you see a curly haired woman with a clueless look on her face, take pity on me and help me find something to wear ok? :-D

Hey fatshionistas! I need your help!

Do any of you know where I can get some cute cropped cardigans or jackets? I'm envisioning big buttons and maybe a bulky knit. I need them so I can use all the fab sleeveless dresses I got this summer in the fall. I usually wear a generous 2x to a stingy 4x on top. About a size 24. I've tried all the usual suspects (LB, the avenue, Torrid, alight) and all I could find were some boleros and one sort of cropped cardi at Torrid. Please help a dress lovin' lady out!

Hello all,
I'm looking for places to take my soon to be 10 year old niece shopping.
She takes after her mom (and me) and is a little bit heavier than an average 10year old, mostly in the tummy and rear end. She's also on the tall side, already wearing adult-sized shoes.
My sister is going through a rough divorce and has gained 130 lbs in the last 2 years, so her body image is kinda shot right now and shopping for her daughter has been very stressful this last year. It seems like all of my niece's clothes are a little worn and a little too tight.
The other problem: my very tom-boy sister has a very girly-girl. She loves pink, sparkles, lacy, ruffly things. Think Hello Kitty, princess stuff and glitter, but still able to play a pick-up game of soccer.
I would just like to find some fun and age-appropriate clothes for her birthday and back-to school.
Thanks for any suggestions you have.

Oh, I'm in the mid-west, stateside, if that helps with suggestions.

I am. Sort of. It seems like a million years away, of course. I live for summer and summer clothes, but I was just looking in my closet the other day and realizing that I've got like 15 summer dresses and two that are good for cold weather. I pretty much don't wear anything else but dresses at this point in my life, well, maybe skirts sometimes and I do own three pairs of jeans and some tops, but it's been since April or May that they've been on my body.

So, anyway, back to the topic at hand. A month and a half, two months from now, it's going to be too cold for about eighty percent of my wardrobe. The sleeveless cotton print dresses I've been living in won't look right either probably. So I guess my topic is two fold.

How do you determine what summer dresses/outfits can transition to cooler weather and what is everyone's favorite way to do this. I know there's been a lot of leggings debate today, some hating on them, some liking them. What about leggings used under a dress, but with, say, knee length boots over them, so that only a couple of inches show between hem and boot top? It seems it'd be bunches warmer than opaque tights and they're available in many more colors in my size. And how about this, is there a way to layer a dress that's more interesting than the old throw a cardi over thing which I've done for years now it seems.

Secondly, has anyone seen any really cool dresses for fall yet? Or failing that, summer dresses that can transition? Ideally, it'd be made out of anything but polyester. Oh, and I don't wear black, ever. I'm thinking that this one would be awesome for early fall, but knowing what I do about the thinness of blueplate cotton, it probably wouldn't be good for the colder weather of later fall.

http://www.alight.com/10112638.html

Okay ladies, gents, and everybody in between! I have a slight dilemma.

You see, this coming Friday I am seeing my favorite band ever in the world, Incubus, in concert. My boy/friend/whatever you want to call him, for my birthday two months ago, won us a set of THESE - I'm seeing the show from the second row, and for about a half hour before the show, GOING BACKSTAGE TO MEET THE BAND!!! Now, it is pertinent to know that I have pretty much been obsessed (in as far from a teeny-bopper way as possible... but not really haha) with Brandon Boyd, the singer, since I started listening to them. I am going to meet the man who has been the basis and inspiration for my fantasies for the past 8 years. *cough* I mean... what? O:)

So you understand that I need to look FABULOUS. Not only just fabulous, but we're talkin' super fuckin' hott. I just... have NO IDEA WHAT TO WEAR.

I'm generally a cami-v-neck shirt-hoodie(love layering!)-jeans-flippies kinda girl. I will not do JUST a tank top with nothing over it - I'm all about upper-arm love, for other people haha. I don't love my upper arms. We are in a fight and currently not speaking. So, they stay hidden. I'm going to be in the 2nd row and I'm not positive but I don't think there will be a pit, so I don't think sneakers are necessary (I think I should be fine in my flippies). I love accessorizing!

Ideas? GO!

Thanks in advance! :)
♥Kathleen

Hi! I'm delurking to introduce myself, and honestly, I'm a little nervous but you kids seem pretty freaking incredible. My name is Kayla and I'm 24. I live in Illinois, and I'm in banking, at least until I can go back to school to finish my degree in political science. I'm an 18 on top and 22 on bottom thanks to my obnoxious booty, which I've recently learned to flaunt instead of hide.

At work I have to wear semi-professional attire, which I have no problem with. It's a pretty fun range to play with, and I'm way into skirts and heels. On the weekends, I still usually end up wearing skirts, usually with flowy camis and flipflops or some sort of glittery or printed flats.

On that note, I present to you my first OOTD!

( Be gentle... )

While I'm at it, there's a tunic dress I'm really interested from b&lu. Opinions would be great!

( I'm way into colors. )

Random stuff: I'm obsessed with current events as well as pop culture, and I'm volunteering for Barack Obama's campaign. I go to a ton of concerts, especially hiphop shows, and I watch SNL religiously. I'm way into what I affectionately call "Jew humor", so Andy Samberg, Jon Stewart and Sacha Baron Cohen are the greatest things on the planet to me. I think that's it! Feel free to ask me whatever or tell me something about you!

Has anyone ever purchased anything from http://www.cherished-woman.com?
Mainly the SVOBODA jeans...

It's been said before that any fashion can be recreated for any body type.

I'm trying to put this to the test, though.

I love (love love!) the style of Free People.

That whole mixy-matchy wear-anything-with-anything with adorable little details just wins me over any time I go to a store that HAS Free People. (I sit around and make up what I'd wear in my head, seriously.)


So...where on Earth do I find stuff like that, fatshionistas?


(P.S. Anthropologie totally works, too. :D )


For reference, I'm an 18-20 on top and a 24 on bottom. Since I've been asked.

This is not fashion related, but I started thinking about the great advice this community could give me on chosing an outfit to wear to the situation explained below. Then I thought maybe you all could help me even more with what I am actually anxious about.

I have a question about feelings/reactions regarding meeting a significant other’s parents. Here is my current situation: My semi-serious, semi-monogamous boyfriend really wants me to meet his parents. It is a very casual situation, we all live in the same town, and he is very close to them. It is not one of those intense, extravagant “I want you to meet you future family” kinds of things (thank god). The thing is- I am terrified that they will judge me because of my weight.

I am pro-fat, pro-body positive, to the core. I have a strong self-esteem and am completely able to recognize my beauty and worth. So basically, I don’t what the hell is wrong with me. I feel stupid for being hesitant, and a little ashamed that I am so worried about what they will think about me. I am good person, with a good heart. I am working on my Master’s, have a good head on my shoulders and have a great job working in the child abuse prevention field. On paper, I know I am a catch. So why is it that the only thing I think they will see is my fat?

I have a bad experience in the past, having my ex-husband’s family be very open about their disapproval of me because they didn’t think I was pretty enough for their son. Of course I realize what shallow assholes they all are, but unfortunately I think it stuck with me.

My boyfriend’s parents are both total health nuts. His step-mom is a nutrition nurse and a marathon runner. I know she has made comments about my boyfriend needing to get in better shape and he is 6ft and barely 200lbs. I am 6ft and rocking 385lbs. Ha. I have expressed my feelings of apprehension to my boyfriend and he has assured me that they will love me and that if she were ever to say anything bad about my weight he would tell her to go to hell. I am his first fat girlfriend. He acknowledged that he can see why I would be worried, and has continued to tell me that I am beautiful and that they can’t wait to meet me. Damn it.

So does anyone have any experience with this kind of fear? Do any partners of a large person have any experience with their family reacting to their partner’s weight? Any tips to help me pull my head out of my ass? Thank you all for being here.

So. I'm looking for attractive, closed-toed, low-heeled shoes to wear with suits for business. I have size 10 fat feet. ( Any shoe solutions you'd recommend? )

this question is so basic i'm embarassed to be asking it. what the hell do you wear with pants that aren't jeans? i'm lost. in a recent move towards dressing more like a grown up lady i recently bought some slacks (trousers?) and i tried wearing them with a tank top and it seemed all wrong somehow. maybe the fit is just bad for me? maybe i'm just not used to wearing pants so i feel like i look weird? any advice? see pic below cut.

( Read more... )

Dear Zipper,

( Why must you always fall down on the job? )

Love, Dawn