Ok. So. *deep breath* I am really. super. pumped about this and I am just DYING to let y’all know about a project i’ve been busy preparing behind the scenes with my pals @hantisedeloubli and @a0k!
* drum roll *
It’s a new Instagram account called What Fat Girls Actually Wear (@whatfatgirlsactuallywear), and it’s a space for size and style inclusivity with the aim of helping babes (that’s you!) find currently available and off the charts cool threads – IN SIZE FAT.
ARGH. I haven’t taken enough deep breaths. Struggling to form sentences. Ok I’m just gonna do a WWWWWH breakdown on this baby:
WHO
ALL THE FAT BABES. And I mean ALL. From inbetweenies to super fats, from people who consider their own style to be conservative to trendy to just plain “weird”. If you have a strong aesthetic and own your looks, you are welcome. And if you don’t (just yet) – we want you too! And hopefully you will soon… *grins*
WHAT
The three of us are going to be featuring girls and their OOTD posts with the places to shop tagged in the photo, with the goal for it to be all currently available, or as recent as possible. We’re also going to be keeping you up to date on new collections that launch, as well as “loving this piece from this designer” kind of things. Heck, maybe even some polyvore boards/flat lay kind of stuff if we’re feeling extra snazzy and inspired! There’ll probs even be some makeup-y, nail-y type stuff involved too – after all, Stacey is a Sephora babe and Lexie is a total glamour queen! Me, i’m just over here like “is there lipstick on my teeth?!” But I will cheer from the sidelines – hehe.
WHEN
Ok, there’s not really a when. Just – NOW. We launched the page very recently, so get amongst it!
WHERE
WHY – i’m so glad you asked
As you may know, last year I wrote a blog post about how much H&M sucks for pretending to have a plus size section (ie. asking for our money) but never actually providing us with anything other than shapeless sacks and khaki crap while the rest of their store is heavin’ with sequins, minis and all other manner of adorableness. I encouraged people to use a new hashtag – #whatfatgirlsactuallywear – as a way of expressing their style, promoting solidarity, and acting as a visual petition against those kinds of companies and people who try to keep us in that box.
Fast forward to now, and there have been some spectacularly awesome and regular contributors! Any time I flick through the tag I am legit overwhelmed by some of the sensational style happening over there!!
I honestly find so much inspiration there, just as I do with the #alternativecurves spaces – but as my style (and brain space) has evolved, i’m feeling a move away from the term “alternative” as my identity. I’ve also had it pointed out that some people (whom I consider to have KILLER and UNIQUE personal style) feel kind of intimidated by that label because they don’t have body mods and so don’t feel welcome to participate, and that really gets me down.
I guess for me the idea of “alternative” is just anything that differentiates from the norm – but as fat positive spaces are opening up and becoming readily available, i’m feeling more and more inspired by the fact that ALL FAT WOMEN WHO CHOOSE TO WEAR EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT TO ARE ALTERNATIVE TO THE MAINSTREAM CULTURE OF SIZE OPPRESSION AND BODY-SHAMING. That just SCREAMS alternative, in every way.
On top of everything else I just wrote (i’m shutting up soon, I promise), i’ve found in my own blogging experiences that a lot of people ask me where they can source certain pieces that i’m wearing, but because A) I thrift so much, and B) I’m in the opposite season to most other places (Australia), I’m not always wearing currently available stuff in my photos. So I really want an outlet to help girls find rad stuff as it becomes available, because nothing gives me greater joy than seeing fat babes rocking their very own personal brand of awesome – whatever that may be!
HOW to get involved
1. Use the hasthag #whatfatgirlsACTUALLYwear. The capital letters are obviously void of any additional search power, but they give a certain emphasis and OOMPH that I totally get down on!
2. DM us your photos – but be sure that all tags are included in the message.
3. Alert us to items you love on your fav designers accounts (ie. “@whatfatgirlsactuallywear check this amaze skirt out!!”)
4. Feeling super snazzy? Send us your outfit wishlist in polyvore board/flat lay style! I might even do a blog tutorial on how I like to use Polyvore, but in the meantime this is a pretty straightforward beginners’ tutorial.
Lastly, but certainly not least(ly?), I’d like to say a tonne of thanks to Alysse Dalessandro of Ready to Stare for letting us use her gloriously manicured hand as our DP. I really admire Alysse and think she perfectly represents the rebellious and triumphant spirit that I hope will be reflected in WFGAW. And am constantly in awe of her gorgeous claws, to boot!
Here’s our adorable team, we hope to see you over there! x
