It’s really warm today, so for once I didn’t freeze my ass off taking pictures outside. I brought a jacket outside with me, but didn’t even need it. New England weather, I will never understand you. Never.
Friday Links, 2/1/2013
More pictures from Watkins Glen
Happy February! I’m thinking about doing Fatshion February, even though it’s mainly a Tumblr thing and I don’t have Tumblr. We’ll see.
In other news, check out my guest post at Anytime Yoga! I’m also going to be writing at Glorify once the site launches.
Fat Activism
– Another excellent Fatsronauts 101 from Melissa at Shakesville.
-I feel cold just reading this, but it’s a great story: How joining the Coney Island Polar Bear Club taught me to love my body.
–IDEA’s massive yoga no-no.
-Today in fat hatred: a shame-tastic article about “mixed-weight” relationships.
-A great thin privilege checklist.
-I love this fat art.
–At the intersection of survivor and fat.
–Letting go of the thin fantasy.
–“What’s your excuse?” Another meme that I hate.
–Stop congratulating me.
–Myths of weight loss.
Fatshion
–On crossing the line between straight and plus sizes.
-Marianne is looking forward to 40 thanks to these fashion bloggers. Make sure to read the comments for more recommendations!
-This fabric featuring fabulous fatties is adorable.
-This wedding fair photoshoot is pure eye candy.
–More eye candy, with flowers and petticoats galore.
Fatshion blog recommendations
On a related note to my last post, here a few fatshion blogs I’ve discovered recently. I realized that I haven’t updated my blogroll in a while, and I need to do that–and I’m thinking about making a links page instead so it doesn’t clutter up the front of my blog.
In the meantime, check out these blogs:
These Girls Turn Heads
Culture Shocked
Arched Eyebrow
Chubby Guy Swag
Musings of a Curvy Lady
The Busty Traveler
Skittlis Fashion
Updates on online fat communities
A little while ago, I wrote about where we’re going as an online fat community–especially the troublesome-ness of having a lot of important FA discussions in a non-FA space, XOJane.
Lesley and Marianne have been on fire over there. You only have to look at my Friday links posts to see how much amazing writing comes out of that site, week after week. (There’s also some shitty writing, but obviously I’m not linking to it.) And there’s a great community in the comments, as long as you avoid certain posts.
But then Jane posts something like this. And just ew, ew, ewwww. Asking people to click on the site so that the writers can get bonuses feels so wrong and squicky and manipulative. What the hell kind of business model is that?
This is one of the many reasons why I feel torn about reading great writing on a site that, at its core, is about profit. I’m not going to stop reading Marianne, Lesley, s.e., Somer, Kate Conway, or any of the other authors I really like, but I do have issues with the kind of stuff that get done in the name of profit–from things that are merely gross like Jane begging for clicks, to things that are really awful and harmful like promoting Hugo Schwyzer, or cross-posting rape apologism from the Good Men Project. (No, I’m not going to link to either debacle. You can Google if you really want to know more.)
In other words, blargh. I have mixed feelings about XOJane.
But there have been a bunch of promising developments in the fat-o-sphere.
Issa from Love Live Grow is working on a site called Glorify, which will be a basecamp for the fat acceptance web. It’s going to have resources, message boards, a blog, and much more–and I’m going to be writing over there! It’s going to launch on February 14th, so stay tuned, and make sure sign up for the email list.
Also, Redefining Body Image has added a bunch of moderators, and they’ve been posting great stuff. They briefly had Facebook comments, which then disappeared, but I’m hoping they’ll add Disqus or some other way for non-Tumblr-ites to comment soon. There’s definitely a lot of fat acceptance happening on Tumblr, and it’s worth checking out even if you, like me, don’t have an account.
Another blog to keep an eye on is the Nearsighted Owl. Rachele has been posting amazing parodies of weight-loss ads called Shame-Less Ads, and all sorts of other goodness.
There’s been such an explosion of fat activism and fatshion all over the internet lately, and it’s awesome. I miss having a centralized place like Shapely Prose, and I feel kind of queasy about XOJane, but I’m glad to discover new blogs every day.
OOTD: Pink and black
This is pretty much the winterized version of this outfit: just add leggings and a blazer.
Top and blazer: Deb, skirt: Kohl’s, leggings: American Apparel, shoes: Naot, tiny hat and earrings and pearls: So Good, bangles: Torrid
Wednesday Fa(t)shion inspirations, 1/30/13
I love this floral top.
Pink + black + sequins = awesome.
Travel and the environment: can we see the world without killing the planet?
Watkins Glen State Park, New York. Taken on a family vacation in 2006.
Two things I’ve been thinking and reading* a lot about lately are climate change–and how we can mitigate this already-occurring disaster by developing more sustainable ways to live–and travel. I’m having trouble reconciling my feelings about them.
On the personal level, my brightest-burning desire right now is to see the world. I’ve been outside the Northeastern US only a few times in my life, and I really want to see more of both my own country and other countries. I love New England–in fact, I’m pretty sure my veins run with maple syrup–and I know I want to settle down here eventually. This is my home, my community. The land I feel in my bones. I know that’s a gift: to be so connected to a place in this age of disconnection and displacement.
But I know I can’t settle down without experiencing at least a few of the natural beauties, and the cultures, of other places. I’m still working out the practicalities, but it’s definitely something I want to do.
And yet. I know that traveling, especially by airplane, has a huge carbon footprint.**
There’s just no way that regular international or even intra-national travel is sustainable–even at current levels, let alone if everyone in the US started doing it.
CT mall adventures part 2: Torrid
After getting way too excited in Deb–and acquiring some great work-appropriate basics, including a super-comfy black blazer–I discovered that the mall also contained a Torrid store!
I’ve been buying clothing online from Torrid for years, but had never made it to a real-life store. And although their clothing is much less exciting than it used to be–less goth/punk/alternative, more expensive, lower quality–they still have some stuff I like. Just walking into any non-Lane Bryant plus size store is a little too exciting.
Hell yeah Hello Kitty!
CT mall adventures part 1: Deb
My experience with clothing stores in NYC may have been unfortunate, but I had a much better time at a mall in Connecticut, where we were visiting Steve’s parents on the way down. Steve and I are both from CT, but from different areas, so this was a mall I’d never been to before.
This mall contained not only Lane Bryant (which we don’t even have anymore in Boston), but Torrid and Deb!
PROM DRESSES IN MY SIZE HOLY CRAP.
When I walked into Deb, it was so exciting I almost wanted to cry. Here was a store full of trendy, colorful, fun–if cheaply-made–clothing, and I could actually try on half of it!
I loved the twirliness of this one. It would be perfect for contra prom!
Friday Links, 1/25/13
This makes me so happy. (source: Living ~400 lbs.)
Lots and lots of links this week. For whatever reason, the internet has been unusually full of interesting. Enjoy!
Fa(t)shion
–5x DIY plus size Edwardian or steampunk costumes.
-I just came across the Etsy shop Youniquely Chic, which has gorgeous–and indeed unique–steampunk and industrial jewelry.
-Check out the DAMN GIRL THAT STYLE IS FAT! zine.
–What fashion’s “ethnic” prints are really called.
–My history with a headscarf.
-I like this Etsy treasury of galaxy-print things.
–Statement necklaces are the best.
–Geeky tees for Valentine’s Day!
-Betty Le Bonbon has an amazing collection of plus size retro clothing.
-If you’re in Cleveland, Ohio, you can shop Rachel Kacenjar’s closet. She has deeply discounted clothing mostly in sizes 12-24, and it all sounds fabulous–I wish I could teleport there!
–Feminist fashion frustration of the day.
-This crystallized prosthetic leg is gorgeous.
-So, I know this post isn’t actually about Kat’s tutu, but…PINK OMBRE TUTU. WANT.
–Stop commenting on my chipped nails.
-The new issue of Skorch Magazine is out!
-A woman at Arisia, a sci-fi convention here in Boston, made an amazing TARDIS dress. (Small world story: one of my coworkers is friends with her, and the coworker’s husband helped her paint the dress!) Unfortunately, some people have been insulting her size, which is idiotic and disappointing. She rocks, so much.
Fat Activism
–Falsely filling in the story: on the bullshit of assuming that a fictitious fat, disabled woman must have “brought it on herself.”
-If you’re in Brisbane, join other fabulous fatties for a Chunky Dunk swimming party!
-Also in Australia (Newtown) is the world premiere of a documentary about a fat femme synchronized swimming team.
-Huzzah for fat burlesque!
-Also huzzah for fat pole-dancing. That shit requires amazing upper-body and core strength. I’ve tried aerial acrobatics, which is similar, a few times–it’s really hard.
-And, even more awesome fat dancing!
-Lesley Kinzel answers the question, How can I stop believing my life will be better if I lose weight?
–The HAES files: from dieter to diet survivor.
-Reflections on Lena Dunham’s “thin for Detroit” remark.
-This story of a girl who almost died due to medical fat-phobia is terrifying. Just terrifying.
–Looking the part.
A store window display in New York
Tutus And Tiny Hats 