So first of all let me say a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU and FUCK YEAH to everyone who shared my “H&M Sucks” post, and who has been using the hashtag #whatfatgirlsACTUALLYwear. What I REALLY want to do, ultimately, is to collect a sort of “visual petition board” of plus size women who a) have radical style, and b) believe that the pathetic offerings from these huge companies is just NOT good enough, and alongside some of the comments i’ve been getting: actually approach a few of the companies and say “HERE YOU GO – here are our voices, loud and clear. WOULD YOU LIKE THESE WOMEN’S CASH OR NOT?” I’m sure they’ve been told before, i’d just like to do a big roundup and see if we can’t get a bit of a collective momentum happening…
Now look, I really want the chance to explain to y’all that I strongly and firmly believe in first and foremost supporting small and indie designers. I have lots of pieces made by the likes of Candy Strike, Chubby Cartwheels, Pho Sizzle Threads, Domino Dollhouse, Rue 107, Bombshell Vintage etc etc. I also thrift A LOT because, well, I love finding unique pieces that nobody else is going to have, on top of the more important issue of trying to reduce landfill and shitting (even more) on our glorious planet. But also – unique pieces!
But I am also a realist, and I know that sometimes fast fashion just cannot be avoided. For some people, it is purely a matter of finances/economic struggles. My recent issue (for those who haven’t been following along at home) is that I temporarily moved to America with practically no clothes because I thought it was a shopping mecca (it isn’t), and I’m not in a position to spend a huge chunk of cash on summer clothes to see me through a span of about 6 -8 weeks in which it’s still really hot. I will be getting (and have already begun to organise) certain pieces from certain designers that I will be able to wear when it gets cooler, but a bitch can’t be naked or feeling completely deprived of creative style until then?! Explanatory note: personally, fashion is a strong form of creativity and I feel wretched when I can’t express myself in this medium.
On top of all of that, this is also an issue of having the right to shop in brick and mortar stores along with the straight sizes. In the comments section on the Facebook post I had a few people telling me to “just shop somewhere else” and then listing online stores. Like, guys, I KNOW how to use Google, okay? THAT’S NOT THE POINT! I even had one woman go so far as to tell me “fighting this to want them to make skinny girl clothes in our sizes is like trying to push back on a meteor. Not gonna happen”. Well, not with that bloody attitude, that’s for sure!
So yeah, i’m pushing against a friggin’ meteor, but i’m pushing alongside a bunch of other incredible women (and men – although I don’t have direct contact with them) who are fighting the good fight, in an attempt to create some semblance of a more diverse and inclusive retail landscape. We may never win. That prospect makes me sad, but it only makes me want to fight harder and longer.
Who’s with us?!
A few questions and comments about the photo on the right lead me to realise that I actually photographed this outfit, but totally forgot to blog it!! The photos were taken by my good friend Jacqui’s good friend Kristie – on an afternoon a good number of months ago.
The crop top (it very cheekily says “I’m a Blogger Too #noshade) is from Rue 107 (no longer available, sadly) and used to be a crop sweater. Well, the weather was too hot so I chopped them sleeves off! HAR HAR.
The skirt, I made myself, and there’s a cute story to it: I bought this exact tablecloth/ant print fabric from a dingey old shop in Brisbane when I was about 14, and I made a pretty crap skirt out of it (I mentioned I was 14, right?). A couple of years later, the skirt has seen better days and gets thrown out. Last year, my Nana very sadly passed away and she left me her fabric, and in the pile was metres of the exact same fabric!! I just knew I had to make another, better, skirt (now that I know how to box pleat!) and to always remember my Nan when I wear it.
Speaking of which, this red coat came out of my nan’s cupboard and I don’t remember the brand but it’s a rather generic old lady brand like Miller’s or something, and I just added green fur to the colour.
The sunglasses can be found everywhere on the internet, just search “Mr Quiffy Sunglasses”, and the adorable strawberry headband was made by my friend Jacqui, mentioned above. You can also get yourself some similar cherry earrings right here!
