This lady has the most amazing style ever. Make sure to click through and look at her other outfits!
Hello Kitty + gold bow + pink cardi = awesome.
I learn so much from Twitter: why marriage matters
My new favorite Twitter-er is madgastronomer, who writes about all sorts of interesting things (and in the last few days, has made references to both the Muppets and Dr. Who! Huzzah!). A few days ago, she did an amazing job taking down some privileged, more-radical-than-thou bullshit from Jenn Levya of Fat, Smart, and Pretty.
The conversation started with this tweet from Jenn:
If you’re getting married, I want to know why you aren’t searching for radical alternatives that subvert capitalism and misogyny.
Madgastronomer responded that, for her, marrying another woman is radical–and there’s no alternative that would convey the same protections. She summed up her thoughts in this series of tweets:
I used to be all for abolishing all legal marriage and using contracts instead. And then I did some actual research into the rights and protections granted by legal marriage, and the fact that a huge number of them cannot be granted through any other means, and honestly some of them, like the right to not be forced to testify against a spouse, SHOULD [not] be grantable by contract. And many of these protections serve to protect marginalized people — or can, invoked at the right time.
And as I became more informed, I realized that we would always need something analogous to marriage, something that could be used to put most or all of these protections in place all at once. And then I realized that no matter what you call it on paper, such a thing will continue to be called marriage by most people.
Fa(t)shion Inspirations, Petticoat edition
It’s time for another special edition of Fa(t)shion Inspirations! This time, it’s all about petticoats, in all their sheer chiffon glory. Whether worn under a dress or alone, they give any outfit that extra oomph.
Petticoat buddies! 🙂
I love Luna Del Ray’s Marie Antoinette costume, featuring a Domino Dollhouse petticoat.
More thinking about the commercialization of fatshion
(Earlier posts here, here, here, and here.)
I read another interesting response to Natalie’s piece, from Kath of Fat Heffalump. She argues that:
Fatshion is so much more than mainstream fashion up-sized to fit a size 16 or 18. Fatshion belongs to us, not to the fashion industry. Fatshion will always be outside the margins, and will always be radical. Fatshion belongs to here and now, not the past. Fatshion is about finding your own style and rocking the hell out of it, flying in the face of a world that tells us we should never be seen.
I don’t agree with the premise that fatshion is always radical–I think that it, like almost anything else, can be co-opted. When fatshion becomes all about following trends, having the latest popular pieces, stoking an endless cycle of consumerist desires…then yeah. Not so radical. It’s a fine line, but I’ve seen a lot of fatshion going on that direction, and I’ve experienced that consumerist pull myself. It’s really tricky, and I don’t think that fatshion should be inherently immune from criticism.
But I do agree that there’s an amazing diversity of fatshion blogs, beyond the big names and the more commercially-oriented smaller names (some of who do have awesome style). And I agree that those bloggers shouldn’t be conflated with the small elite world of professional fatshionistas.
DAREcember
Through Natalie (from Extra Large as Life)’s Twitter, I found out about a daily fashion challenge for the month of December called DAREcember. It sounded like fun, so I decided to give it a try!
I’ll post a roundup of my photos every week or so. Here are the first two:
1.) Pink lipstick
I used Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Backstage Bambi, which is one of my favorites.
Also, I really enjoy those pink zipper earrings, and should wear them more often!
2.) Denim
Wearing this shirt reminded me that I need more yellow in my life. Next time I have money for clothes, I should forget about all the black and silver and purple things I’ve been ogling, and go for citrus-y colors instead.
OOTD: Holiday glamour
The Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, one of my friends invited me over for a holiday feast. Although I knew most of the guests would be dressed casually, it was a perfect excuse for me to get glammed up.
Happily, I was not the only one dressed up for the occasion–my friend’s sister was wearing a gorgeous gothic-inspired Betsey Johnson top, and her husband was wearing a fez! They both have fabulous, steampunk- and vintage- inspired style, and always know I can count on them to show up dressed with panache. They were likewise unsurprised to see that I was dressed up. 🙂
Dress: Macy’s, fishnets and shawl and boa: not sure, shoes: Naot, fascinator and earrings and short rhinestone necklace: So Good, long rhinestone necklace: Buffalo Exchange, medium rhinestone necklace: Target, pearls and rose bangle: H&M, crystals: my great-grandmother’s, silver/black bangles: Torrid and Deb, rhinestone bracelet: Forever 21, heart rhinestone ring: the Toy Chest, rose ring: Claire’s
OOTD: Purple, black, and a glitter bow
Purple and black is my default cold-weather color combination. They just go together so well, and have such a fall/winter feel.
Shirt: Marshall’s, sweater and necklace: Target, skirt: Deb, leggings: American Apparel, shoes: Naot, hair bow: Crown and Glory
I love wearing my Crown and Glory glitter bows both because they’re a lot of fun, and because they literally always get compliments. When I wore this outfit, I got compliments on my bow from one of my coworkers, and three of the people making the burritos at the place I went to for lunch! It’s nice to know how many people appreciate glitter. 🙂
Update on Ariel’s Idea
Unicorn shirts for all!
#AddOntoASOSCurve has begun!
Right now, we’re tweeting to @ASOS using the hashtag #AddOntoASOSCurve, asking if they’d be interested in expanding their size range.
If you’re on Twitter, feel free to join in!
If not, you can contact ASOS via their website or their Facebook page.
Friday Links, 11/30/12
Fa(t)shion
-On fat prejudice at the hairdresser’s, and the eventual triumph of a fat girl who wanted a pixie cut.
-Aoife’s proposed rules of when and how to comment on other people’s clothing are PERFECT.
-Check out these adorable doggies wearing hair flowers, and this one wearing a dress!
-Domino Dollhouse explains why the prices of their Astralnauts Collection Part 1 are higher than usual.
–25 plus size little black dresses for the holidays.
-If you’re near Leeds, England, check out this plus size clothing swap!
-I enjoy reading wedding blogs mostly for the fashion. Check out the amazing hot pink hair on these bridesmaids, and this roundup of chubby grooms wearing some awesome outfits.
-Fashion inspiration from a Japanese magazine.
FA
-Lindy West is the best. Really.
-Frances of Corpulent got an article published in a magazine for teen girls! Huzzah!
-Another installment in Shakesville’s Fatstronauts 101 series. If you haven’t yet, read them all!
-Issa answers the question, “Did I break my ability to be skinny?”
-What do we promote when we compliment weight loss?
So much glitter!
Other
-Remember when I mentioned climbing a playground rope structure while blindfolded? You can read more about the adventure here, on my friend Anna’s travel blog.
–Please don’t volunteer on Thanksgiving: a former shelter worker tells all.
-It’s officially time to freak out about global warming. Also read Bill McKibben’s piece about the terrifying new math of global warming. He wrote it back in July, and basically predicted Hurricane Sandy.
-Two awesome examples of people organizing to make a difference this week: fast food workers striking in NYC, and college students pushing their schools to divest from fossil fuels.
–The tech world, internet, and games industry are becoming better places for women. Here’s #1reasonwhy.
Continue reading
More on the advertising/activism divide, and why I’m not monetizing my blog
The internet just keeps being interesting.
Bronny at Fat Aus has a great post about how earning money from her blog sucked all the fun out of it. Between her piece, and a similar piece I read a while back (I can’t find it again, but I originally found it through an Already Pretty link roundup, and it was written by a woman who blogs about parenting, domestic stuff, DIYing home goods, etc.), I’ve made up my mind pretty decisively that making money from blogging isn’t for me.
It’s something I considered for a while–I’ve read a great deal about the world of professional blogging, especially on a site that I love for its all-around glamour and colorfulness, Rock n’ Roll Bride. I’ve spent some time studying the advertising pages of blogs like Scathingly Brilliant and the Offbeat Empire.
I’ve fantasized about free pretty things and glamorous events, about a source of supplemental income based solely on my love of shiny objects. But after all my recent reading and reflection, I’ve realized it’s just not right for me.
This is not to say I would 100% rule out any kind of advertising or working with a brand. As I mentioned in my last post, I currently have one ad on my blog, for an independent hair-accessory-maker who gives me a discount in exchange for running it. I wouldn’t be averse to putting up similar ads from other indie designers who I genuinely like, and if someday someone wants to send me free stuff? Well, I like free stuff.
But I’m not seeking it out. I’m not blogging with the intent to monetize, and I’m not interested in diluting my voice by writing sponsored posts. I’m not judging others who do–it can definitely be done ethically, and if it works for you, great! But it’s not for me, for so many reasons: both the personal ones and the larger concerns about the commercialization of fatshion.
On another note related to Natalie’s post, Ariel of Kiddotrue has proposed a fatshion activist idea:
We are trying to place the focus back on the brands and hold them more accountable, right?
Why don’t we pick ONE brand to focus our energy on and put our resources into getting more than a standard stock answer from about extending their size range. It may not work, but it would be lovely to see everyone work together on something to try and change the system, even in a relatively minor way.
She suggests ASOS Curve as an initial choice, for multiple reasons. I really like this idea, and I hope it turns into a full-fledged project. I’m glad to see that Natalie’s reflections have sparked at least one idea for action!
Tutus And Tiny Hats 