Tag: plus size

Fall Weekend Getaway (feat. Gwynnie Bee)

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Last weekend I got to head over to Lancaster, Pennsylvania with two friends and my mother. A retreat of sorts, it was a trip I wasn’t expecting to go on until my mentor casually mentioned that she had purchased my ticket because I deserved to take some time to unwind. (I truly really am blessed with some great friends.) I had to travel light so I looked to Gwynnie Bee to help me make a decision as to what to pack. Gwynnie Bee is a subscription box service that allows you to try different styles and brands for an affordable rental fee.  For my first box I got these two beautiful printed dresses that were just perfect for the occasion especially since they both go well with my favorite crossbody satchel.

Day 1-  Pennsylvania Dutch Country Sightseeing and Shopping

One we entered Pennsylvania our first stop was Kitchen Kettle Village. A very picturesque countryside attraction with small shops and restaurants,  I got to sample authentic Amish jams, and window shop scented candles, soap, hand-carved signs, handmade quilts, and leather goods. I totally missed my chance to take a buggy ride tour of the nearby Amish farms, but I guess there’s always next time.

20160930_130044This Hemant & Nandita print A-line dress is meant to be worn in the summer yet when paired with a turtleneck or denim jacket, can easily be worn during these early fall days when the temps are just beginning to drop into the mid-60s.  The pattern and colors are stunning in person so I highlighted this with black tights and boots. (Style notes: I would suggest either sizing down or wearing this dress with a belt because it runs a bit large. As it is not lined I wore a slip underneath, this helped with the static, but it did cause the dress to twist on occasion.) Continue reading →

Why Fa(t)shion?

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I have been very fortunate to have major support for what I do here on this blog. I’ve had friends and family help me pick out blog shoot sites, take pictures and point out new industry updates that I may have missed due to my hectic schedule.  And every once in a while they question what I decide to feature in my posts, but with recent events being what they are, I’ve noticed that these private exchanges have shifted. I’ve begun to get messages saying that with my academic background and intellect, my time and efforts would be better spent writing about social injustices instead of fashion. To be honest, I have been anticipating that comment for a while now. The very act of  getting dressed is considered to be a necessary, yet  frivolous, part of everyday life, so the pointing out that  fashion plays a central role in society is met with denial and ambivalence. The thing is culture, race, socioeconomics, gender, capitalism/consumerism and even politics all intersect in fashion.

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Everyone whether black, white, rich, poor, male, female, adult, child or teen interact with it in some capacity.  Just think about  the amount of effort we put into figuring out what to wear for everyday occasions like going to work,  job interviews, graduations, dates,  quinceañera parties and of course weddings. Fashion, even at its most simple, conveys culture, social status, income level, education, age, sexuality, and even nationalism.  Continue reading →

+Size Matters: My Top 5 Positive Animated Plus Size Characters

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It’s been a while since my last post and if you follow me on Facebook and Instagram, you know about the unexpected death of my beloved laptop. (Poor thing was only 2 years old…) However, thanks to my good friend and mentor, I now have a borrowed laptop to work on which has allowed me access to resume work on my blog. And I’m happy to report that I have a few outfit posts in the works as well so stay tuned for that. That said, let’s move on to today’s discussion: animated plus size characters.

Animation is an often snubbed form of media as it is usually geared towards children. For the most part this is our first introduction to Western standards of beauty (or at least it is here in the US) with fat bodies not being the norm. These often negative portrayals, though many are brief, tend to perpetuate negative stereotypes and body image perception, even more than live action portrayals. Media on a whole reflects society’s standards and beliefs of body image, but animators usually exaggerate it as they see fit, usually for a “comedic effect.”

I present to you Exhibit A. 

So when we are continuously fed this idea that being bigger makes a plus size person undesirable and the punchline to a joke, it limits what they are capable of which is not a message you’d want for any kid.  Fortunately, there were a few positive representations that do make it to the screen that helps change this visual practice. By “positive” characters I mean that their characterizations and story lines are not specially linked to their size or limited to archetypes like comedic relief, instead they are truly fleshed out personalities. As one can expect these characters had brief appearances  in their respective films or series, but they do leave  quite the impression as they challenge the controlled image of what a plus size character is. With that in mind, here are my top 5 positive animated plus size characters.

**It stands to reason that there are spoilers ahead, so consider yourself warned.**

Disclaimer: This list is completely made up of female characters, however, I am considering making another list specifically about plus size men in the near future.

Continue reading →

Too FAT For Short Hair?

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TOO FAT for short hair- Blog picMy hair and I are like Ross and Rachel (yes, I finally got around to watching Friends while I was in college and have since reference the series when appropriate). Admittedly, part of this complicated love-hate relationship is due to the fact that it is thick and curly, thought that is a topic for a future post.  My hair is a dull shade of dark brown and has a mind of its own, to the point that I refer to wash day as “taming the beast.”  Even still my hair has been considered my most beautiful feature. This was only cemented by how people reacted to it on a daily basis – – with awe and compliments. Continue reading →

Full Figured Fashion Week Day 4*

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While my morning started at theCurvyCon, I made my way over to Lord & Taylor for my last FFFweek event. I got to spend time with my new blogger friends at the VIP reception where we got to spend some time with the models prior to their summer fashion presentation.

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Emily from Something Gold, Something Blue blog and I at the Lord & Taylor VIP reception. It took all week but we finally got some downtime to take a selfie together.

The fashion show included pieces from brands available for sale at Lord & Taylor. The outfits covered almost every situation you can think of such as sleep, going to the gym, working in an office and date night.  Take a look at some of my favorite styles below. While Lord & Taylor isn’t  always budget-friendly, now is the best time to shop there because they are having their friends and family sale until tomorrow, June 20 so if any of the styles from this “Best of Spring 2016” presentation peaks your interest go to your  nearest Lord & Taylor location and try to nab them for a lower price! Continue reading →