styleshake.com – potential fatshion source
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
In the vast amount of time I spend on the internet (it’s sickening, really) I came across a website called Style Shake which allows you to somewhat design and create your own tops, bottoms, and dresses. Users can choose from UK sizes 6-18, with the ability to customise your measurements exactly with a made to measure option for an $8 fee.
It’s a fantastic concept in my opinion, and I do hope they continue by expanding size and style ranges. Yesterday I sent them a message asking if they went above size 18, and yes they do! All their patterns are digital and to go larger than that they would have to make a manual pattern, which would cost 20 pounds extra. I don’t know what this involves so I can’t really say if it’s a fair price or not, but I really like that there’s a company that doesn’t automatically exclude or not think of larger fats. Hopefully eventually they will have larger plus digital patterns so I wouldn’t have to pay that extra – 20 pounds is a lot of cash when you convert it to australian monies!
I’ve heard from several sources that the quality of their pieces is very high. For me I would prefer fewer quality pieces that last for years as opposed to lots of things that will go meh after several wears, but I do understand that’s more personal choice and finances than anything else. I’ve played around a bit with their style designer, and it’s pretty neat. I love the idea of being able to specifically get something for my style, my body and my taste. The thing about fashion is that it’s different for everyone – it’d be lovely to customise to exactly what I like, yaknow? That being said, I don’t know if my wallet can ever justify the expense… hrm.
So readers, would you pay the extra? Have you had any experience with this company before? Wanna buy me an outfit? Leave a comment below!
Hullaballoons – how should fatshion be designed?
Saturday, October 31st, 2009
Flattering. Fashionable. Stylish.
It has been said more than once that fatshion is none of those things. Yeah, sure, the range of clothing in Australia (and many places internationally) has really improved over the past ten years – but is it where it needs to be? Hell no. I remember being in high school and wearing t-shirts and jeans EVERYWHERE because my fashion choices were so limited. And now? I have more clothing than I do closet space. (Seriously, it’s an addiction. i do believe i might be overcompensating for my lack of fashion choices when i was younger.)
But there is still a big hullaballoo (wow, my spellcheck recognises hullaballoo as a word, neat) about what should actually be produced in the world of fatshion. Some say that we should have the same styles available to us as those in straight sizes – “thin” designs sized up to a plus size. Others say that this technique isn’t going to work, and that designers should be working specifically with fats from the beginning, because what looks good on a six will not look good on a twenty-six.
What do I think? As per usual, I am a little unsure about the whole thing. I love the idea that I can wear exactly the same clothes as my thinner counterparts – the Jane Lamerton brand (Myer) actually does size their straight sized clothing up to plus. I’ve bought several of their dresses that have been sized up. But usually things seem a little wonky with regards to how they have sized up. For example, I bought an awesome swing coat for my mum for christmas and then saw it in my size and freaked out. I mean, awesome, right? I tried it on (though my mum forbade me as she didn’t want to have a matchymatchy mother daughter thing going on) and it looked HORRIBLE. Their proportions had been sized up in such an unusual way; as though only certain body parts got bigger (breasts) while others stayed the same (arms). It was not a great look on me, that’s for sure. Was this just because my proportions didn’t work with the company’s fit model? Maybe. Ignorance on the company’s behalf? You betcha.
I’m torn. I want to wear cute clothes. I want to have the same fashion rights as my smaller counterparts. But I want them to fit properly. And I want to wear clothing that makes me feel fantastic; not just pieces that “hide” my rolls with garish polyester prints (TS14+, i am looking at you!)
A while ago a friend said to me that it isn’t feasible for plus clothing to fit people properly, because fat sits on everyone differently and no two bodies are alike. According to them, that’s why there are so many “loose” styles in fatshion. But aren’t different body types still an issue for straight sizes? I mean, that’s where the whole Trinny and Susannah “dress for your shape not your size” thing came from.
Well, fat-o-sphere? If you were a designer, what would you do? And is there fashion you want that isn’t currently available in your size? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Trendy, Chic and Cheap
Monday, October 5th, 2009
I am generally an advocate of saving up and dropping decent amounts of cash on quality clothing that will ultimately last, provided that you care for it well. For anyone who follows my Twitter, a fortnight or so ago I tweeted “I get a smug sense of satisfaction when I handwash my clothes. Look! I am prolonging the life of my garments! *SMUG*”. If you have the time, learn to love the handwash.
Anyway, I digress. As much as I love buying gorgeous, high-quality fashion, when it comes to seasonal trends, I’m perfectly happy to buy and cheap and cheerful garments. The best example I have of this recently is harem pants. I know, I know, we called them hammer pants or (ew) poocatchers for a reason, but hear me out! I have two pairs of harem pants, from Dorothy Perkins and – shock horror – Best and Less. Big W also have a pair that I have my eye on.
These are the Dotty P ones:
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Tee: Uniqlo (JP)
Jacket: Nissen (JP)
Harem pants: Dorothy Perkins
Sandals: Birkenstock by Papillio
Necklace: Gift
Sour face: Courtesy of my job, I suspect
And these are the Best and Less harem pants:
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Tee: Threadless (this is what a girly 2XL looks like on an AU18-20)
Harem pants: Best and Less
Shoes: Melissa
Wrist cuff: Gift
Sunglasses: Christian Dior
Both pairs are pretty different – the Dotty P pants come to a point just below the hip, which causes the drape to the tapered ankle. (I suspect these are actually supposed to hit mid-calf, but that’s the joy of being short). The ones from Best and Less, on the other hand, are pleated all around the waistband, and fall to fitted cuff mid-calf. So there’s harem pants and harem pants, it’s just a matter of finding the pair that work for you. I’m fortunate enough to be able to work in a very casual office, so I often wear mine with a Threadless tee and my Birkenstocks, but you can dress them up or down however you please! I recommend with choosing a fitted or tight top, to balance the volume of the harem pants. That said, I’m itching to try them with a baggy men’s shirt and this grey deconstructed vest I have – I shall report back to see if it works.
As a general guide, in my experience, the suburban versions of Big W, Best and Less and Kmart tend to have the best range of trendy clothing in plus-sizes. Big W also gets big props for having several straight-sized pieces reproduced in plus versions. Best and Less currently have wet-look leggings available in plus (!), and Kmart has a very cute retro-esque faux-tankini which I believe Sonya has purchased.
I don’t advocate getting all your clothing from these kinds of stores – the quality tends to be fair to middling, and there’s a lot of polyester. They still tend to make work pants cropped just above the ankle, an absolute pet hate of mine, and there are still plenty of fuggo graphic prints around. But all in all, for cheap, cheerful, trendy clothes, you really can’t go past Big W, Best and Less, and Kmart.
Things I hate about plus-size fashion
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
I’m in a sassy mood today, and I’ve been looking at online plus-size fashion retailers while trying to help a friend find a dress to wear to a wedding. It’s SO frustrating! Even though the plus-size fashion market has improved, I still see a lot of things that bother me – the most of all being that some labels and manufacturers only consider fit models with a certain body type and don’t pay a thought to those of us who do not have a “classic hourglass shape”. In the spirit of snark and temper tantrums, I bring you “Things I hate about plus-size fashion”!
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Fake necklaces
Fat women are not too lazy to put their own accessories on. This is insulting. Also, the chain is typically full of nickel, which I have an allergy to. It’s gross and insulting, way to go!
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Short dresses
Sure, tiny hemlines are progressive, if you slept through the 60s. However, some of us prefer to wear more modest hemlines when we have certain social engagements. Too many retailers are chopping off skirts on otherwise beautiful garments and still charging the same amount.
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Tops with bandeau hems or gathered waists
I have a big tummy, there is no way I want to be wrestling with elastic or a thick waist/ hip band all day. There are only two ways these styles work on me – they either slide up to sit under my boobs or down to sit on my thighs. FAIL.
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Necklines that ignore my boobs.
This is a double pronged attack – I hate necklines that are too low, and too high. There are LOADS of styles of tops and dresses that incorporate my most hated thing – the cross-over bust. It’s a cheap and nasty manufacturing ploy, because the pattern doesn’t need to be drafted as much to fit the bust through shaping and darts. It means that the neckline basically sits below the bust and shows off miles of your bra if you have larger breasts. Necklines that are too high also bother me. Do I not have a chest? Someone needs to find the Goldilocks solution to this problem so they can have all of my money.
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Giant graphic print tops
I have seen so many different abominable prints on plus size clothing ranging from news print to butterflies to “empowering” words. Gross. Get it away from me.
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Bedazzled jeans
I want to wear plain denim jeans, maybe with a rivet in each corner of the pocket. That’s all. I do not want you to harass my jeans with a bedazzler, sequins, glittery embroidery or your label’s name across my glorious arse.
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All of this
Diagonal lines, awful massive prints, sheer fabrics, etc. In the words of my friend “I really despair at TS (Australian label TS14+)”. In the words of me, “It looks like a shitty graphic designer vomited all over her”. Even their cardigans are wonky. It’s insanity.
Obviously, we all have our own list of things we’d prefer not to ever wear – and I’m fairly certain a few people will actually like the garments that bother me so much! What are your fashion hates?
Skinny Jeans: The People’s Jeans
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
Skinny jeans are not just for skinny people. Skinny jeans became for me when I found them in my size (actually, Zoe found them in my size – in Japan of all places!) Now, you might consider me to be the sort of person who loves her body unconditionally and while it’s definitely something I aspire to, I do cast a very critical eye over myself and always seem to end up glaring at one part in particular. My knees.
The idea of my knees in skinny jeans used to be preposterous. Ridiculous! Sheer absurdity! Now I have to admit, it was because I could not ever imagine my legs in skinny jeans – because they simply weren’t available in a size that could contain my legs. When Zoe mentioned that she’d bought a pair from a label called “Smile Land” I was initially hesitant, but then warmed to the idea as I actually pictured myself in outfits designed around the notion of skinny jeans.
In the months since I got that first pair of bottle green skinny jeans, I’ve bought another pair in black and worn them happily, joyously, on numerous occasions. I’ve also realised how silly I was to think that I could not wear skinny jeans. I wear tights, I love tights! Tights emphasize the shape of my legs much more than jeans, yet I had no issue wearing them for years and years! In fact, I’ve posted OOTD (Outfit Of The Day) photos on Flickr, Fatshionista and FUCKYEAHDEATHFATTIES (PS submit to FYDF!) and received heaps of compliments.
I’ve also received enraged comments from concern trolls slapping away furiously at their keyboards, telling me that “Oh noes, skinny jeans are for skinny jeans! Think of your heath!” And you know what? I’ve laughed at them and pulled my jeans on once more. Skinny jeans are so named because the cut is skinny. Straight cut jeans don’t discriminate if you’re gay. Boot cut jeans don’t mind if you wear them with flats. Slouch jeans probably look fantastic with a collared shirt and vest too. Haters gotta hate and don’t mind if I giggle at you, while I look fabulous in my skinny jeans.
Style Inspiration
Monday, August 17th, 2009
I like to think of myself as rather a stylish woman. As I have previously mentioned, I follow a fair number of fashion blogs, as well as cultivating my own fashion sense through trial and error. And oh boy, there has been some error over the years. I mean, who talked me into tencel and hypercolour?! Luckily I have burned the evidence.
My biggest inspiration these days is watching runway shows, where I get ideas and sketch out how I would improve/modify the designs for my own body. I plan to one day have my ideas made up by a dressmaker, but until then it’s retail only for me. I loooove chanel, prada and tommy hilfiger, as well as a fair bit of valentino – oh how I wish these brands would make clothing in my size. To translate these fairly clean lines into my own wardrobe I have a lot of pieces that accentuate my favourite parts (which are usually my breasts and decolletage.) I tend to minimise accessories, in one part because they drive me nuts, and another because i feel as though they detract from who I am. My one accessory indulgence is generally hats – I can look fabulous in most hats that others would look ridiculous in. It’s great, though it does mean I continually expand my chapeau collection – not such a good thing when you’re in a limited space.
Aaaaanyway, I now ask for a little bit of indulgence from the AoF readership. Tell me: where do you get your style inspiration from? Do you have a particular designer/person that influences the way you dress? Or are you inspired in other ways? Remember – just because it’s unconventional doesn’t mean it’s not a style – it’s all about finding a way of expressing who you are, and being comfortable with that. And that doesn’t necessarily mean clothing, either!
Leave your thoughts in the comments, i’d really love to know.
An epiphany regarding fat apparel.
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
So today I wrote an email to my most favourite underwear company. Oh, they don’t really make cute underwear in my size – so technically i’ve never purchased my favourite underwear from them. But when I was a teenager I always envied my sister and her friends. They got cute funky fun undies. I got lace encrusted high waistedness – if I was lucky. It’s enough to make a girl go commando, honestly.
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Today I realised that nothing is ever going to change if we don’t pipe up about it. So once a week from this day forward, I plan to write a letter to a fashion label that does not cater to my fashion desires. Bonds, while making a small selection of plus clothing, has limited their fat underwear to what is affectionately known as “The Grundie”. Bonds Cottontails; for women who like to wear their underpants up to their breasts. I’m not saying they’re a bad choice (hell I’ve worn ‘em) but it’s more the fact that it’s your only choice if you’re over a size 16. And that sucks big donkey balls. But it’s not going to change unless more of us tell retailers that there is a market for their product; after all, a good businessperson isn’t going to sell a product if they think nobody wants to buy it. We need to educate the uninformed – be as vocal as you can about wanting to spend your fat dollar on their product. That is the only way they will listen.
So with that in mind, here’s the email I sent to Bonds about ten minutes ago:
“I’m a big fan of the look of Bonds products. It saddens me (and quite a few of my friends) greatly that 90% of your underwear lines do not progress past a size 16. The styles over a size 16 that are made by your company appear to be for grandmothers. (Original Cottontails, i’m looking at you.)
You’re not only missing out on a sizeable portion of the underwear market, you’re also enabling a stereotype that fat men and women can’t be beautiful, and aren’t allowed to wear cute things solely due to their size. While I respect that the company is about business first and foremost, I do know a large number of men and women who would buy your products if they were made (and advertised) in their sizes.
As a member of the fat community, I wish to help you understand that we like to look and feel just as great as those who are smaller sizes. I appreciate the company’s endeavours into creating plus size clothing – I’m currently wearing a Bonds hoodie after all – but please PLEASE take the next step and start making fun young plus sized underwear. Or at the very least do the market research, and look statistically at how many young fat people there are who are starving for underwear that is cute but comfortable.
Cheers,
Janey”
It may not ever be read by anyone who will care, I admit. But if we fats rally together…. I mean, if we contact designers and retailers for more options in our sizes that don’t look like potato sacks, it might show them that making fatshion is economically viable.
I will be sending out one email a week to companies that I wished made clothing in my size. I will continue this mission until fats are treated equitably by the fashion industry. This is my pledge.
Shopping on the INTERNET?! Surely you jest!
Monday, August 3rd, 2009
Okay, so it’s been pretty well established that I have nice clothes, and tend to wear pretty fun and awesome outfits. I get compliments on my clothing relatively frequently. Most recently, I bought a coat from Asos, a really cute beige, tulip-skirted mac. And the compliments rolled in, and often ended in the question, “Where did you find that?”[img_assist|nid=74|title=Asos coat|desc=|link=popup|align=left|width=300|height=400]
And when I reply that I purchased it online, from an international retailer, most (not all) people seem genuinely shocked that it’s possible to purchase clothing online. I will often get responses along the lines of, “But how do you know it will fit?”
For a lot of people, knowing exactly what the measurements of one’s body are can be a highly daunting thing. Tags on clothes might lie, but the measuring tape doesn’t. I suspect a lot of women my age haven’t even thought that one’s bust, waist and hip measurements actually are supposed to correspond to the arbitrary numbers on size tags. Actually knowing what size you are, and matching it up to size chart online might be frightening, particularly if one is not keen on having to size up for things to fit. I’ve known people who have insisted they are a size __, no matter what, and if they need to size up for something to fit, they won’t buy it.
Funnily enough, they don’t seem to have a problem with going down a size if the garment is too big.
The most infuriating comments, though, are these:
Me: “Oh yeah, I bought this from [online store], I really like it!”
Them: “That’s pretty cool, but I don’t really get why you shop online? Isn’t just easier to go into a real shop and buy something?”
Me: “… it would be if I could find anything to fit, that wasn’t ugly as hell and that every single other fat girl isn’t wearing.”
This is what we in Australia particularly, but that fat people the world over have to deal with. Our choices are so ridiculously limited that if you want to dress in a fashion-forward way, we are relegated to online shopping. Sure, it’s great to have unique stuff, but what if I just need a pair of, let’s say, black trousers. A staple of most women’s wardrobes. If you go into Target’s straight size section, you will find at least ten styles, all available in Short, Average and Tall.
In the plus sections? Two or three styles, and all stupidly long or ridiculous cropped shit. And this is just one low to mid-range department store. Women who can wear straight sizes have a myriad of choices for their clothing, at various price points. For fatties, we have a choice of paying $35 at Big W, or $250 at Myer. Where’s the middle ground? Autograph? No way; just say no to mounds of printed polyester garbage.
I am so sick of having to pay at least $20 extra in shipping costs for the privilege of purchasing well fitting, comfortable, fashion-forward clothing. When I hear people joking about or discussing “fat taxes”, I feel like screaming that I already pay a fucking fat tax – it’s called International Shipping. Some stores are more reasonable than others (Torrid, I’m looking at you and your extortionate shipping costs), but ultimately, I pay more than smaller people for my clothes.
I’m not asking for much. I would love to see more brick-and-mortar stores stocking plus size clothing. Places like Dogstar, an Australian brand that I would seriously buy so much stuff from, if they just extended their size range. Or if the few Australian fatshion places could open up more stores, like Towanda, or DreamDiva. Or if Autograph could start producing more tailored, on-trend pieces.
It is not that hard. Fat people are here, with Fat Dollars to spend. We want the same options as our straight-size counterparts, across all styles and all price points.
I want to be able to walk into Target and find a pair of black, short length, wide-legged, mid-rise, natural-fibre trousers.
And now I am off to wear an outfit that will no doubt consist of a significant amount of clothing purchased online.
Fat Fashion – I can feel a rant coming on.
Sunday, August 2nd, 2009
I can feel a rant coming on.
I have a love-hate relationship with the fashion industry. I love fashion, you see. Clothing, shoes, handbags, jewellery – I salivate just thinking about it. I grew up reading Vogue, watching trends emerge and then change just as rapidly. We have stacks of books at my place on the history of fashion. My mum and I watch old Hollywood musicals, just so we can talk about the clothing. Well, also to ogle Fred Astaire; he’s dreeeeamy. Fashion though? It’s something I have grown up with. The idea of wearing something beautifully crafted that enhances my (let’s face it) already pretty fabulous body makes me tingle with excitement. I even recently downloaded an Iphone application that lets me view shots from fashion shows around the world.
The fashion industry, as most people already know, are notorious for their unrealistic and often unhealthy body image ideals. Eating disorders, size-ism, drug addiction, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The fat-hatred bombards both ready-to-wear and couture lines, with nearly everything in higher-end stopping at or below size twelve Australian. Oh my god, the RAGE. Do you know how I feel? I feel like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, when those bitchy saleswomen wouldn’t let her shop. Her kind wasn’t welcome, despite having money to spend. Hey fashion designers? I HAVE MONEY TO SPEND, DAMMIT. WHY WONT YOU TAKE MY MONEY?!?! Granted, it’s not as much money as I would like, but what I do have, I plan on investing in fashion. Because it’s an investment in myself. Wearing something I love makes me feel UHMAZING, in so many different ways.
I have a stunning red dress that I spent a very pretty penny on last year, but was happy to do so because the garment looks fantastic on me. I call it “Magic Dress” because every time I wear it people smile at me, and luck always turns my way. Of course this has nothing to do with the dress itself; I know that. But when I wear something that fits me properly, something that feels as though it was made for me, my confidence skyrockets. Unfortunately even when I have the dosh, the pickings are slim here in Australia. (haha, slim.)
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It appears to me fatties aren’t welcome in fashion. We are chunkier versions of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Our kind? Not welcome here. Particularly in Australia, it seems fat people aren’t seen as fashion forward or daring with their style choices. All our choices are to hide and cover up and “flatter” our bodies. Australian fashion’s definition of flatter is cover up, it seems. Maude forbid we be proud of our appearance. I mean, isn’t it society’s problem if they don’t like my jiggly bits? Why do I need to change myself?? Why can’t I wear what I want to wear?
Fat women are given potato sacks with asymmetrical everything and newspaper print polyester. Fat men are given Hawaiian shirts that are not only fug, but also terrible quality. If you like asymmetrical polyester hawaiian prints, then hey have at it. But that’s all there is. THAT IS ALL THERE IS FOR US. If we want to wear something different, our choices are to pay through the nose and have it custom made, or have it shipped from overseas (usually with high shipping prices, and the likelihood that the item may not even fit when it arrives.)
I know so many people who are fabulous and STYLISH fats, despite the severe lack of fashion choices. Each of these men and women have personalities as different as the bajillion designers out there. It is so frustrating to me (and I’m sure them) that there are comparatively few options for fats, given the number of us in the world. I mean, if the obesity epidemic (OOGA BOOGA) is increasing, why aren’t our fashion choices? Perhaps it’s because there isn’t an obesity epidemic – but i digress.
How do we fix this? Designers say that larger sizes aren’t catered to because it costs too much to produce, and/or that there aren’t enough sales within the area to financially justify production. I don’t know about you, but I buy clothing a LOT. And I’d be prepared to pay more and buy more if it’s good quality and well designed. There just hasn’t been anything out there that’s nice enough to buy. Believe me, I know, I look nearly every day. And sure I’d like low cost options TOO, but it shouldn’t be one or the other, you know? I feel cheated if I purchase accessories from somewhere like Guess or Chanel, when I know full well that plus size clothing at those stores aren’t available to me.
And is it a “Chicken or the Egg” scenario? Fats don’t purchase the fashion out there because the fashion out there is fug, and then businesses think there isn’t a market and thus stop producing it. How do we pass on the message that we’d purchase their clothing if they simply made larger versions of the straight sizes, instead of creating clothing especially for fats that mainly consist of tent-clothing. Can someone please get it into retailers and designers heads that fats have just as much style as straight size? I know the fat-o-sphere are amazing in terms of expressing their individual styles, but sometimes I want to shake the fashion industry and go “Hey! Fats are people too!” I’d ask whether or not straight size people would ever wear the options we are given. Why are fats relegated the realm of fugitude when everybody else gets to look all shiny and tailored?
We deserve the right to own clothing that makes us feel awesome. We deserve the right to own the different styles and makes that thinner people get to choose from. We deserve fashion rights, full stop.
