Fat Girl Fancy Has Moved to Tumblr

Since I already have a personal blog there, it just made more sense to maintain this blog there as well.  It's easier for me and my followers.

Shopping on Budget

Plus size clothes are not cheap.  Especially if you are in the larger sizes and can’t fit into clothes from the cheaper stores like Forever 21 or Gstage.  And sometimes when you are on a tight budget it’s really hard to see all of these great fatshion bloggers buying new things all of the time and showing off all of their new outfits in haul videos and photo shoots.  Realistically, a lot of us can’t do that.  We don’t have the money to be buying new clothes all of the time.  And our lack of extra cash flow can discourage us from being part of the fatshion community because we can’t keep up with new trends.  I have felt it and I still feel it.  I start to look at what I have and think it’s old and not good enough, but that’s simply not true.  But the seasons are changing for a lot of us. Spring is here and summer is close by, so a lot of us are going to want to buy at least a few new items to prepare for warmer weather. So I compiled a small list of tips on buying clothing on a budget.  

• Always check the clearance sections first.  You would be surprised at what you might find.  Most of my clothing comes from sales and clearance.  I haven’t bought an item at full price in a very long time. Target and ASOS are two of my favorite places to shop because their sales are always excellent.  And ASOS has free shipping!
• Try things on.  If you are like me, trying things on can be a nightmare. For a long time trying things on meant having to come to terms with how awfully things fit right there on the spot.  It often left me feeling dejected and I would leave the store feeling worthless.  These days, it’s a lot easier for me personally to find things to wear because the selections are so much better than they used to be (and they still suck, so imagine being a fat teen in the 90’s when nothing fit).  Anyway, back to the point at hand… TRY THINGS ON.  If you leave the store without trying something on, you risk it not fitting or you just not liking how it looks on you and that sometimes means you won’t take it back or you will forget to take it back or lose the reciept or whatever.  Or maybe the store you bought it from can’t return the money to your card or in cash so you have to have store credit.  And a lot of times if you bought the item on clearance, it’s nonreturnable. Either way, try it on and save yourself the hassle of wasting money on something that doesn’t fit or you don’t like.
• If you are shopping online always look and see if there is a promotion code or coupon code out there in internet land.  All you have to do is google “(insert store name) coupon code” and lots of different sites will come up with options.  Some of them might not work for what you are ordering, but it’s always worth a try.  Even if it is just for free shipping or 10% off, you will be saving money.  And the nice thing is, most of the sites are fairly up-to-date and tell you if people have used the codes that day and were successful.  
• When shopping online, sort the items you are looking at by price “low-high.”  The option is always at the top and it’s become the first thing I do when shopping/browsing online.  It’s helpful because it shows you the things if your price range first and when the items start to get too high in price, you can just stop looking. Some shops like ASOS even have a little price slide bar that lets you to sort the items in price ranges. So if you know you only can spend $30, just slide the bar to only show items up to that cost.  Even if you are like me and torture yourself by looking at items out of your budget, being able to see what you can afford rather than what you can’t is a nice feature.
• Don’t buy something you only kind of like.  I have done this and it is very rare that I actually like it enough to wear it regularly. There is no point in wasting money on something you are on the fence about it.  It’s a waste of money.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve bought something I was iffy about and then it just sat in my closet or dresser for 3 years only to have me give it away or donate it.  Save your money for something you love.
• Don’t buy something that doesn’t fit.  Just don’t do it.  Wearing something that doesn’t fit, will make you feel uncomfortable and you won’t ever want to wear it and it will be a waste of money.  If you buy something that is tight or cut too high or low or whatever but that’s what you want you love the way you look and feel in it, then by all means, do your thing but if you are uncomfortable and don’t feel good in it… it’s not for you.  
• Go back in your closet and look at things you haven’t worn in a long time.  You might find some gems that you forgot about and are suddenly like a new item.  Maybe the fit is better on you, maybe it’s just more your style now, maybe you just want to give it a try again or maybe you are crafty and can alter it.  Sometimes old items can be like new when you take another look at them.
• Check out discount retailers.  Stores like Marshall’s, TJ MAXX, and Ross all have plus size sections and they often offer really great items for really cheap.  For me personally, I have had the most luck at Ross.  They have sizes that go up to about a 24 or 26 and their dresses are usually very cute.  
• Since it is almost summer, go to garage sales.  Craigslist is a great place to look at local yard sales/garage sales and a lot of times, they will give a description of items they will be selling. One of my favorite items is from a yard sale that my neighbor was having a couple of years ago (my awesome “Super Model” tank) and it was only .50 cents.  
• Clothing swaps can be a useful resource.  Facebook is a great place to find plus size clothing swaps.  The items are usually very cheap and include shipping.  I have never personally used them, but I know of a lot of people who have (not just clothing either).  
• Thrifting is always worth a try.  While thrifting can be hit or miss, going into Goodwill or whatever store might be near you might be worth it that day.  And if you are crafty, you might find something you can at least alter.  Or you know, if you can’t find clothes maybe you will leave there with a nice new coffee mug or some VHS tapes.  

Channeling Rae Earl OOTD

Last week, most of the My Mad Fat Diary fandom was able to see the series 2 finale.  Now, it doesn't actual air until today but Channel 4 uploads them early.  The main character Rae Earl reminds me so much of myself and how I was in high school.  So I wanted to do an OOTD inspired by Rae's style but with my own touches.  Now, the dress that I was used is actually a dress that Rae wears on the show. It was from ASOS last summer and I managed to get it for like $20.  

Now Rae Earl would and did not wear this dress without leggings under it.  She is a 16 year old girl with some pretty serious body image issues.  And I get it.  I was the same way.  But not only could I not find my black leggings, but I think not wearing them reflects my own personal style and how far I have come with my own body image.

Rae is a very important character to me because she is so much of what I was in high school.  She is self conscious and very aware of her body and how people treat fat people, especially fat women.  It's hard to show skin when you hate your body.  Like Rae, layering was my friend in high school too. Whoever it is that does the wardrobe for the show, they get it.  They know how a 16 year old fat girl with body issues would dress and I appreciate that more than I am able to express.  

Outfit Details:

Jacket - Target, size 3x

Dress - ASOS Curve, size 22

Shoes - They are Levi's and a men's size 9 1/2 but 

I can't remember where I got them.

"If it looks like wallpaper, I want to wear it."

A couple of posts ago, I ranted on about fashion rules and how they hold us back, especially as fat people.  Bold prints are notorious for being a fashion no-no for us because they draw attention to our bodies.  But like, so?  This dress from ASOS almost wasn't purchased because I was afraid of breaking fashion rule.  I am so glad I ignored it though because it has come to be one of my favorite dresses.  It's comfortable and cute and my only regret is that I didn't size down (which is a common issue with ASOS's plus size items).  

I am a sucker for anything reminiscent of Barque style and so I fell in love with the print when I first saw it.  I also really love those beautiful and bold pre-Raphaelite Arts & Crafts prints that were used for things like wallpaper and textiles in the late 19th century.  I have a whole book of William Morris prints and I still maintain that if I am ever rich, I am going to have a whole room done in the Arts & Crafts style, complete with a mission style chair. 

I guess what I am saying is that if it looks like wallpaper, I want to wear it (queue scene from Garden State where Zach Braff's shirt blends into the bathroom wallpaper).  

Outfit Details

Dress: ASOS

Belt: Torrid

Shoes: Target

The Only Red Dress I Own: An OOTD

I don't own a lot of red.  I purchased this red dress out of necessity because I needed it to get into the Red Dress Party at Badlands in Sacramento.  I couldn't find anything red in my closet.  I was kind of baffled that I had neglected the color for so long, considering how much I love bold colors and really, colors in general.  I do have a tendency to favor other colors (give me all of the mint green) and so I guess red just wasn't something that caught my eye.  But, I love this dress and I really should try and add more red into my wardrobe.  

Outfit Details:

Red Dress: Old Navy

Black Cardigan Thingy: Old Navy

Shoes: Target

Lipstick: Lime Crime

Fuck Flattering and Fuck the Rules

There are too many rules in fashion.  And when it comes to being a fat person, there are even more rules tacked on to the already long list.  There is a constant reminder that we must wear things that are flattering.  And we all know that flattering means to look thin.  There are all of these tips and tricks to make us feel like we are hiding out fatness (black is slimming!).  If you walk into most plus size shops, their are racks on racks of hideous clothing for fat women that is supposed to help us disappear into the wall so no one notices our body.  And you know what?

Fuck.  That.

It doesn't matter what color I wear.  It doesn't matter how I wear my hair.  It doesn't matter what the cut of my jeans are or how tight or lose the clothes I am wearing are.  I am fat.  And I will always look that way and that's okay.  We really need to stop making fat people feel like they have to wear certain things to hide (but not really) their fatness.  By being made to feel like I should hide my body is to be told that I am not good enough.  And that is nowhere near the truth.

So many of us have spent so much of our lives hiding in clothes that were too big and too boring so that we would go unnoticed.  We have spent too many shopping trips going through racks of clothes that hide our arms and legs and looking at too many clothes with dull colors and prints too keep us hidden. 

I hate that when I put on something that hugs my curves, I still think to myself, "I hope nobody notices my belly line," or "I hope this is appropriate."  When I think those things, it upsets me because I am so far into this whole body positive/fat positive movement and yet thoughts like that still pop-up.  I still have to remind myself that I am worthy of dressing how I want to dress because I spent so many years being shamed for my body.  

So when it comes to following the rules, don't do it.  As Admiral Ackbar would say, "IT'S A TRAP." If you are standing there looking in your closet trying to figure out what to wear and you keep skimming over that short skirt because you are afraid to show some leg, wear it.  If you want to wear the brown boots with black leggings, do it.  If you are afraid to buy the horizontal striped shirt because everyone says fat shouldn't wear horizontal stripes, buy it.  Wear bold prints, cut your hair short, wear crop tops, don't be afraid to show some VBO (visible belly outline), and don't be fooled by the "rules." Do what you want and wear what you love.  People who judge you for your choice of clothes aren't worth your time anyway.  

My Mad Fat Diary

I am taking a break from posting about fatshion for a moment so I can discuss this little show called My Mad Fat Diary.  Series 1 premiered early last year on Channel 4 in the UK and has pretty much won the hearts of many and quickly spread throughout the fat positive community on Tumblr (which is how I came across it).

The show takes place in 1996 England with a 16 year old girl who just got out of a psychiatric ward. Rae Earl has some pretty serious mental health issues including issues with anxiety, binge eating, self harm, and suicidal tendencies.  After being released, Rae reconnects with a childhood friend who introduces her to a new group of friends.  Rae has to cope with being out in the world and trying to be normal when she clearly still has a lot of things that she is dealing with, one of which... is being fat.

The show is heavy, in terms of how it (fairly accurately) portrays being mentally ill and having some serious self images issues but the show is also hilarious.  Rae is a charming character who most of the time is just like most teenage girls.  She thinks about boys, sex, and music most of the time and is constantly trying to figure out where she fits in.  She is the most relatable character I have ever seen in terms of what it's like to be a fat teenager.  The show so accurately portrays what it is like to constantly feel like you are being made fun and being talked about because of what your body looks like and how, as someone who is fat, we try and figure out what we do and don't deserve.

Rae's childhood friend, Chloe is this thin pretty girl and it's clear that Rae spent most of her life in this girl's shadow, constantly feeling jealous of the way she looks and the attention she gets because of it.  When I first started watching this show, I related to that so much, even now... at 29 years old, I recall so much of my high school days being jealous of girls who were "prettier" or thinner than I was.  I had friends who would attract boys everywhere we went and I was always the one who sat on the sidelines wondering what it would be like to have guys chase after me.  Even if someone did take an interest in me, I didn't feel like I deserved it because my body wasn't good enough.

This show is so important in terms of fat visibility.  Rae is fun, has hopes and dreams, desires, and is wanted.  And her ability to connect with an audience that relates to her is just beautiful.

Series 2 started this past week and one episode in, the show still had amazing things to offer.  It's laugh out loud hilarious, relatable, sad, and all of the things that me want to continue watching.  I can't wait to see what this new season holds.