Thought of the Day 2010 #12 - Lurve!

 

eShakti's new spring dress line is sooooo pretty! I pretty much want all of them! Or at the least maybe 7. The prices are inexpensive to start...and they allow for custom sizing for an additional fee. Soooooo awesome. It's like getting Anthropologie type clothing (which I lurve) in large sizes and easily half the price! Can you tell I'm excited by them?! Dang!

Thought of the Day #266 - Planning for Travel

On Thursday, I'm heading to New Jersey for the BBW bash in Springfield.
(If you're going to be there, please say howdy if you see me...) The
weather is going to be chilly -- under 50s for highs. Which means I'm
going to need warmer clothing...which means it's going to take up more
space in my carryon. (Just say no to checked luggage, if you can!) Fat
girl's clothing is larger than average size clothing, right? So, if
you're average size, four day's worth of clothing will easily fit in a
carryon. For me, I've gotta make very careful choices. In the summer, I
can eek out a week's wardrobe in a carryon, but just barely. So, all of
this babble means more planning ahead than my normal of packing the
morning of the flight. Boo. Well, back to my list writing. As you
were...

Thought of the Day #233 - Delicates #2

Continuing along the delicate theme -- undies.
Life is far too short to wear uncomfortable, holey (holy!), wholly too
tight (or loose) underpants/underwear/underroos/panties. Seriously. If
this is your situation, STOP IT!

Thought of the Day #224 - Perms

I'm probably alone in this, but I want perms to come back in style. Not
"granny" tight ball-head perms, but the wash your hair and instantly
have glorious body and subtle curling five minutes out of the
shower...no "product" or anything... Fluff and go!
Eh, by the time they come back in style I'll be forced by my fellow
granny gang members to get the bowling ball cut, dangit.

Thought of the Day #201 - Figure Flaws

Do you first dress to enhance parts of your body, or do you focus first
and foremost on figure flaws?

It's funny that many of us focus on the flaws. We compare ourselves to
some ideal that has been shoved down our necks by the media or other
venues. Who's to say that our flaws are actually flaws? Why aren't body
differences revered as much as differences in artistic expression? Why
do we do this to ourselves?? Why are people so harsh to one another??

I suspect the harshest critics are often the most insecure...be they
internal voices or nasty voices from others.

So, how do we silence them? I wish I had the answer.

Thought of the Day #178 - Buying Fat Clothes Online

I'm a stickler about fabric quality, but what chaps my hide most about
buying fat clothing online? The randomness of the sizing.

All plus-size sites have size charts which should "do the trick" in
finding appropriately sized clothes, but let me tell you...that is NOT
the case. When a clothing item arrives in the mail, the excitement
rises. "Maybe this will be the time when THE perfect fit arrives??" Or
will it be too small? Too large? Or will it obviously be made by a
manufacturer that has no clue how to cut larger sizes. In the last
instance, you'll find arms several inches too long or necklines made
for gorillas because they simply added inches *everywhere*. (Fat people
don't necessarily have larger skeletons than their thin counterparts. I
know, it's shocking.) The sizing is a virtual crapshoot. If you're a
fat woman, you know...oh, yes, you know.

Thought of the Day #170 - Shoes

No matter who you are, if you are wearing shoes that are uncomfortable,
you are a fool.

Thought of the Day #158 - Organic Cotton

Can "organic cotton" really be organic if they process, wash, or water
the crop at any time in city water? Wouldn't they have to completely be
using well or fresh spring water? I mean, if you really, really wanna be
picky about this crap, you better go all the way.

In all seriousness, organic tagging of any product is far more relevant
to marketing than it is to personal or global health.

Thought of the Day #147 - Soylent Green

Despite the fact that I used "green" in the previous TOTD, I am finding the cliched overuse of the term so overwhelming that it's making me question using the color in my wardrobe.

Thought of the Day #87 - 70s Hair

In the 60s and 70s my mom, along with countless other victims, had
their hair styled into bouffants and other styles that were worn for
several days in a row. They slept with it wrapped in scarves and upon
waking, they fluffed the flattened areas. My thought for the
day...Thank gawd we don't do this anymore. 'nuff said.

The Heathers

Riddle me this...why are heathered knits so often poly-cotton? Not
always, of course, but just often enough to be annoying. My personal
anti-poly-cotton knit theory is that clothing manufacturers KNOW that
the frickadellic fabric WILL pill, but they figure on a heathered
fabric no one will notice. Thoughts?

A Brilliant Idea

The other night, after I saw my waitress with the drawn-on eyebrows, I was thinking that there should be press-on eyebrows. The beauty of this idea is that they could actually look like real brows...not just a line of ink across your face. Either they'd be made up of fine ink "hairs" that would be applied like a wet'n'press tattoo or they could actually be made of fine hairs that are applied with some sort of glue. Both the cheap and high-end press-ons could be printed on a lycra base which could be stretched to the appropriate width. I really like the idea, too, of providing a package of press-on-brows that have a variety of expressions -- if you want to look surprised one day, use the high arch. If you're really depressed or puzzled, get the low, furrowed brow. If you want to look like spock, don the Vulcan version. The possibilities are endless. Just remember, you saw it here first!

Beautiful Igigi

Igigi does it again. (http://www.igigi.com/) I lurrrve this outfit. It's got a sweet French flair, and it's got a simple palette based in black.

By the way, have I ever mentioned why I love wearing black so much? I'm sure that a lot of people believe it's because black is *ahem* slimming. That's somewhat true, but let's be frank...at 400lbs+, you won't look slim no matter what you wear. The truth hurts doesn't it. ;-) The reason is this: When I was growing up I wasn't allowed to wear black. I could go as dark as navy and that's it. My mum thought that black was too adult of a color. Oh, fine. When I started making my own clothes in high school, I opted for black pants quite often...'cuz my mom couldn't stop me! Bwwaaahahah! So, even though I'm a little bit *ahem* past twenty *ahem*, I still love wearing black 'cuz I like to feel like a kid playing an adult from time to time.

By the way, does it drive you as batty as it does me when blacks don't match if you're trying to wear them together? There's reddish black, blue black, true black and the dreaded i've-been-washed-too-many-times faded black. I can't wear two different shades of black together. No way, no how. I just can't!

Foul Fat Chick Fashion!

  You'll need to kill me to get me to wear these hideous offerings from Catherine's. (http://www.catherines.com) I know that Catherine's is supposed to be the fat chick's friend for women over 35, but c'mon, even the over 35 set has taste.

The pink stripy thing with the "nautical" yet "valentine" anchor really makes me see...ahem...sea sick. Let's admit it...the "nautical" look that comes out every stinking spring has really got to set sail to its long overdue death at sea. Secondly, STOP the ugly APPLIQUE insanity! There. I feel better now.

The second top with that hideous "Christmas package applique sweater" look is also supposed to be "nautically inspired". The only thing nautical about it is the feeling that I'd rather walk the plank than wear this.

Ohhhh, the memories...

I was wandering through the Fatshionista Flickr photo pool (link)and came across this skirt. It's made by Revamped Fashion (link). I looove the idea of reusing / repurposing old textiles, and Revamped Fashion does some fun plus size looks (Etsy link) -- gotta love the TMNT skirt. :-)

But, to get back to the memory at hand -- the skirt above brought back a floooood of childhood bedroom memories for me. Picture the print on the flounce as wallpaper. Yup, that's what I lived in for 13+ years. It was also the sheets on my bed. The patchwork portion of the skirt was my comforter. I lived a Holly Hobbie life! There, I admitted it.

I have grown to expect to see crud at antique stores from my childhood. After my most recent trip to Minnie, I even think that with two years and an unlimited budget, I could recreate my entire childhood home just by shopping at antique stores up there. That actually would be a hoot, wouldn't it?

It's just funny seeing things from the past pop-up in unexpected places. Who knew that my old bedsheets could turn up as hipster fashion?

Your GIRTH does not equate to your self WORTH

I feel main purpose of the "size" or "fat" acceptance movement should be trying to assist fat people to see that their self-worth is completely independent of their girth. We can't change a fat person's family, friends, coworkers, or the general public through laws or mandates. Nor can we directly change how others may feel about our fat visage. We CAN, however, make them see that self-worth confidence is not shaken by the potential spewed negativity. In the end, that unshakeable confidence WILL change the way we are treated. No one messes with a force that will not be moved.

So, with that, I came up with this simple slogan. Girth ≠ Worth. (I tried Girth != Worth and Girth <> Worth, too, but I feared only programmers would understand.) Slapped it up in one of my shops at Cafepress. (http://www.cafepress.com/catay) I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, one or two may end up on chests around the world as an aid to another soul who needs to see it.

Fashion Forward

Please tell me that this isn't THE best photo of the jacket. Pretty please? I'm thinking the photographer just submitted the entire collection of photos taken on that day rather than bothering to delete the doltish shots. Then, some art director randomly selected the shot to be used in the ad. Right? I mean, no one would intentionally use a photo like that to sell clothing. Would they? Oh wait! I know that mentally challenged individuals need clothing, too, but I didn't know they were using them as models in fashion photography now. How very fashion forward of them!! By the way, I found it at Nordstrom.com. Be sure to thank them for their extreme diversity in fashion models.

Working Through Grief With Fabric

Since Kipper died, I've been on a fabric binge. We won't talk about the chocolate binging...no...none of that! I've been buying fabric. Lots of fabric. I think I'm up to about 10 different yardages. Most are patterned in retro floral, as shown above. My fav of the purchases has to be the poplin shown on the left. It's fresh, fun and big ass floral! I've really been taken by the dresses and tops shown at Anthropologie lately. Just gorgeous, young, fresh stuff! Of course it doesn't come even close to my size, so I've got to do what I've got to do...make my own of course. If you said "give up binging on chocolate," you were so very wrong. ;-) I really like the Uptown Paint By Number birdy fabric (the last one pictured), but not so sure it would work as a clothing option. We'll have to see on that.

To make room for all of this new finery, I've cleaned out my closets and have placed a whole heapin' load of stuff up for sale. You can see it ~here~. All told, three garbage bags full. Whee!

Mo' Bad Fat Chick Fashion

Fat chicks, I DARE you to wear this "cropped vest" and try to look "normal". If you hear people laughing/pointing in your general dirction and then hear "Look, shamu has outgrown her mooring, " don't blame me. Even if they're not anti-fat, upon first glance, they'll see a denim bra over your shirt. Or maybe a denim swim suit top over a white shirt. Now, maybe, just maybe it would look good on a chick sans shirt and with tiny, pert boobs, but probably not.

Fat Girl Fashions that *Almost* Hit the Mark.

This is from Ulla Popken. I really do dig a lot of her European looks. I even sneak into Ulla France website for more goodies. Anyway, this ditty is an *almost* for one reason. The jacket. What hippy fat chick looks good with a rounded jacket like this? Well, I guess if you're trying to make your hips larger, this would do the trick. For the rest of us, get the skirt (which I think is quite dashing) and wear the black shirt alone with it.

Also from Ulla Popken. I really like this. I really do. It's different than the same ol' same ol'. I was tempted to order it even. But then...then I realized that on a girl my size, the cut of the dress really won't work. I'll just look like a deflated balloon, with velvet accents, of course.

A couple of things from my trip to San Diego/Las Vegas...

Worthy of note:

• While being seated at a little hole-in-the wall restaurant in San Diego, the host says, "Have you been here before?" Ivan, answering someone else in our party says, "Yes." Host says, "Huh, I don't remember seeing you before." Apparently, said host lives 24-7 at the restaurant and has a brilliant memory.
• Odd jewelry still amuses me. While at the antique bottle show, I came across a woman selling vintage jewelry. We spotted a vermeil fish pendant from the 30s. What makes it odd and cool? The thing is 3-D and the tail moves much like a real fish does. Also the mouth opens and closes shut. Hard to explain, really. Suffice it to say that whomever designed it had a keen sense of architectural integrity and a love for the odd, much like me. Yeah, so I *had to* buy it.
• Money enters slot machines easier than it comes out.
• The Point Loma cemetery in San Diego made me think that there are far more dead people than alive and yet looking at a military cemetary of this magnitude makes me wonder where all of the bodies are. I mean, the cemetary is HUGE, but in reality it's a drop in the dead body bucket.
• Big Things are hidden everywhere. I did some research and asked on web boards about BIG things in San Diego and between SD and Las Vegas. No one mentioned the giant fireman hat in Barstow. We just accidentally found it while looking around the town. Yay! I love finding the little known ones. Kinda like finding hidden treasure.

Good Lookin', Wrong Continent

Ok, why does it always seem that eye-catching fashion-forward looks for fat chicks can only be found in Europe? Look at this. Look at the jacket details. or the skirt details? Do you ever see something like this in Ulla Popken's USA catalog? No wayyyyyy. No, we're not soffistikated enough for it. Dang! Anyway, for ya'll hanging in the "old country," consider yourself lucky! http://www.ullapopken.fr/

Ugly Fat Clothes

I really do like Ulla Popken...usually. I buy more of my basic wardrobe from Ulla than anywhere. Most of her stuff is natural fibers and clean lines and I like that. Every once in a while, however, something like this comes along. A monstrosity of great proportions, and I'm not just talking about the size range! I can't even begin to tell you how much this article of clothing makes me want to puke. Maybe it's the print...or maybe it's the random strings of sequins...or maybe it's the length... I really don't know where to begin. It's just wrong in so many ways. I just want to scream, "Don't you dream of buying it," to the poor woman on the other end of the internet who thinks that it's a cool-hip-fashion-forward option for her fat self. I'm pleading with you....DON'T DO IT!

Oh, wow, my Right to Bare Arms is not just a personal/fat acceptance struggle. Read this. The right to bare arms is apparently a universal struggle. I'm so *au current*. :-)