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Sunday, March 27, 2011

Stylish Sunday: Rebecca

For this week's Stylish Sunday, I was really happy to be able to interview Rebecca of We Are Large, People. I positively love Rebecca's style and I'm excited to be featuring her. Read on for Rebecca's interview and a taste of her fun sense of style.

stylishrebecca1

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I am fat in and around Seattle right now with my husband and our adorable dog named Waffles. I grew up in the southern US (Georgia). By day I work in advertising, but by night/weekend I own my own business as a fashion consultant. Shameless plug: come check it out at wearelargepeople.com!

How long have you been posting photos of your outfits online? What made you decide to start?

I started posted in the fatshionista.livejournal.com community in 2009 (here's my first ever post). A friend introduced me to Manolo for the Big Girl, and from there I found the fatshionista flickr group as well as the livejournal community and Leslie Kinzel's now-changed blog Fatshionista.com (she now blogs at twowholecakes.com). It was a total epiphany for me - here were awesome folks that looked like me, had my body shape, and were rocking and awesome and stylish. It changed my life, which sounds like an overdramatic statement, but it honestly did. I wanted to be a part of changing other people's lives through being visible as a fat person, and posting pictures of myself online is a huge (ha!) part of normalizing fat bodies. In 2009 I started blogging my outfits - what an amazing experience it has been! I have friends all over the world now, we swap clothes and books and fashion tips and encourage each other - it has blown me away. I never thought blogging could be so fun and could lead to so many new friendships and opportunities. My blog is at wearelargepeople.blogspot.com if anyone wants to check it out!

Who inspires you the most?

This is hard to answer - I am inspired by lots of people! Fashion-wise, one of my old friends Stephanie (she doesn't blog, sadly) was a huge inspiration to me, and really the catalyst for me to start thinking in terms of a personal style, and developing a style, rather than just buying what was available in my size. I still think that I dress pretty similarly to her - she's so stylish and fun and encouraging.

stylishrebecca2

What are your feelings on style versus fashion?

I feel like style is something deeper, whereas fashion is just what you wear at the time. Style is the personal mantra and reasoning you have behind your outfit choices and way of life. Fashion is awesome too, but it's just the clothing that enables the style. My personal style has evolved quite a bit, from DIY hippie patchwork sundresses and dreadlocks, to boy jeans and t-shirts and piercings, to trying to be "professional" and dressing like a lane bryant mannequin (lord save us from polyester), to being inspired by friends and communities like fatshionista and lookbook.nu and other blogs that I read. Now I feel like my style is kind of old lady/prairie chic. Petticoats, broaches, cardigans, boots, scarves. mixed with 50s silhouettes like blouses with colors and button-up cardigans over them, pencil skirts, etc.

How does the country in which you live affect your clothing choices, both with regards to personal style and access to clothing in your size?

I'm fortunate to live in the US, where plus sized clothing is readily available via online ordering (most countries ship to the US too, so I have lots of options for clothing from UK manufacturers like Asos, Evans, Dorothy Perkins, etc. Brick and mortar stores that carry my size, which is around a 20-24, are limited, but still much more than other countries. I can go to the mall and find something to wear, if that mall has a Torrid or a Lane Bryant. I've found, since moving away from the southern US, that plus sized clothing is harder to find, and there aren't as many plus sized folks here in Seattle as there were in Atlanta. That makes me uncomfortable sometimes, because I feel like I don't fit in here (ha, literally!), but my blogging and development of my personal style has really helped.

What do you love the most about living in Seattle?

Seattle is beautiful, and it doesn't rain nearly as much as people say. There's so much to do around here, and it's also very dog-friendly, so there are always cute dogs to play with! We've also found such a great group of friends here that I just feel lucky to be living here. I've definitely lived places where it was hard to find friends and been very lonely (California was like that to an extent for me), but here we don't even have enough time to hang out with all the people we want to hang out with! It's a nice problem to have.

stylishrebecca3

What is your favourite item of clothing and why?

Oh goodness, that would be like picking a favorite child (if I had children). Right now, I think it's this black shift dress I got at a thrift store. It's super thick cotton jersey with on-seam pockets. I can wear a bow-tie blouse under it, or a cardigan over it. I can belt it, put a petticoat under it - it's so versatile and comfy! And it only cost $4.

Where are your favourite places to shop?

Online, for sure. Asos Curve, Dorothy Perkins, eshakti. To a lesser extent Old Navy. Brick and mortar: Target (even though their plus size section is literally only 3 racks), Torrid (though they are a little young for my style, they have great patterned tights and jeans!). I also really love shopping etsy for gifts, jewelry, vintage clothing. I even have my own etsy shop (wearelargepeople.etsy.com) where I sell plus size vintage clothing because I needed to finance my etsy addiction :)

What is your favourite fashion rule to break?

Oh goodness, I don't even know if I know the fashion rules anymore! Aren't fat people only supposed to wear muumuus and be miserable? I suppose by being happy I am a rule breaker. Also, I love wearing muumuus.

Is there anything else you’d like to say to readers of Anomalous Allure?

My image of myself really changed for the better when I started appreciating people of every size as beautiful, rather than being upset at people thinner than me because I felt like they had it easier. There's not a competition for beauty or goodness, there is enough of it to go around, and I don't have to make other people less so I can be more, if that makes sense. I've started making it a point to compliment people on their style, their shoes, their glasses, anything! I basically just try to see the good in everyone. It's made me see the good in myself much more readily.



A big thanks to Rebecca for letting me feature her, and don't forget to follow her blog We Are Large, People.

3 Outfits

Hey all! I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in so long, school is so ridiculosuly hectic right now. I do have three outfits that I've worn in the past little while that I thought I'd share. I hope you enjoy!

I wore this a few weeks ago, just for a casual Friday that included a car ride to Edmonton.

owl topowl

Cardigan - Walmart size 2X
Owl top - Forever 21+ size 3X
Grey layering tank - Warehouse One size XXL
Jeggings - Old Navy size 18

I wore this when I went to a 50s style diner with my friends a few weekends ago. This is my new polka dot dress from Domino Dollhouse. I really love it, but it's too big so I'll need to get it taken in. I ordered it in a size 24 (which is said to fit a 50" bust) but it was falling off of my 52" bust. I really wanted to wear it, so I just pinned it in the back for now. I haven't posted about it, but I was really happy with my Domino Dollhouse purchase.

polka dotsdomino dollhouse dress

Dress - Domino Dollhouse size 24
Cardigan - Alloy size XXXL
Cardigan clip - local antique store
Flats - Payless size 11

And my last outfit, which I believe I wore last Saturday.

casualcasual2

T-shirt - Righteous Babe store, AA unisex size XL
Striped tank - Forever 21 size L
Black pants - Old Navy size 18
Boots - Walmart size 10W
Hat - Ardene's


Again, I'm super sorry for being such a bad blogger lately. I'll be back later today with the Stylish Sunday feature though!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Stylish Sunday: Kaelah Bee

Hey all! I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in over 10 days, I love blogging and I love my readers but it's so easy to get caught up in school and let my blog take the backseat. That being said, I'm really excited for this post as I was able to interview none other than the lovely Kaelah Bee. Kaelah posts about her outfits, as well as photography, pretty weddings, music, and everything else you can imagine, at her blog Little Chief Honeybee. I've been fan of Kaelah's cute style for ages now, and I'm really happy that I was able to feature her in this weeks Stylish Sunday. Read on for the interview and a peak at her feminine style and I promise you'll be as smitten with her as I am.

kaelah bee

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I'm Kaelah and I'm a 22 year old (23 on March 30th!) freelance graphic designer living in southern Tennessee. I write a lifestyle-personal blog called Little Chief Honeybee where I post my favorite music, adventures, and outfits. I'm recently engaged to my photographer beau, Mike. We have 2 precious and fat bulldogs to call our own.

How long have you been posting photos of your outfits online? What made you decide to start?

I've had my blog since May of 2009 but I'm not too sure when I decided to do outfits! It was just part of my life so I'd take a few photos here and there, but I know I made the decision to take good-quality outfit photos starting in February 2010. I wasn't as consistent as I'd have liked but now I'm keeping up with it fairly well!

Who inspires you the most?

Other bloggers definitely. They seem to have a different approach to personal style and fashion, and I appreciate that. There is such a wide variety of who and what you can find online. I don't have any one specific person in mind, but definitely all of the blogs that I subscribe to. One may inspire the way I decorate or cook, while the other inspires the way I do my hair or try something new. That's the beauty of it!

What are your feelings on style versus fashion?

I think style is more important than fashion. What I mean is that anyone can rock a vintage YSL top and designer jeans… it doesn't take much to make YSL look good. But it takes more ingenuity to make a 50 cent Goodwill dress really pop. Fashion also has a date. Style is much more eternal and you can rock a 90's denim jacket in a stylish way 20 years later.

kaelah bee

How does the country in which you live affect your clothing choices, both with regards to personal style and access to clothing in your size?

I don't have any trouble finding clothing to fit luckily. I'm not sure if that's because I'm in America and a size 12 is fairly average or if there's just a wider array of sizes available. I'm a pear shape so my upper body is a lot smaller than my hips/thighs. I don't shop for jeans because they just don't fit into my personal aesthetic but luckily dresses are readily available and accessible. Plus, I can wear down to a size 4 in a dress when I'd need a 12 in jeans, so why not capitalize on that?! Just means more options to choose from!

What do you love the most about living in Tennessee?

The simple fact that there is a huge array of stores, brands, etc. Things are much easier to access in America. It's a little harder to say that here in Tennessee, but I can still get something if I want/need to.

What is your favourite item or clothing and why?

I doubt I could narrow it down. I'm very fond of my dresses. Maybe it's silly to say but when our home flooded in May 2010 and we lost everything, I made it a priority to save 1) my dog, 2) my computer and 3) a hefty chunk of my dress collection. Nothing can make me feel as feminine and pretty as a nice dress. They can be dressed up, dressed down, worn in any season, etc. Perfect!

kaelah bee

Where are your favourite places to shop?

I get a lot of my clothing from Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, H&M, Charlotte Russe, Target, and random thrift stores.

What is your favourite fashion rule to break?

All of them! I wear black and brown, I mix the colors or shades of my belt and shoes. I wear white after Labor Day and heels with socks. If it's a rule, it's meant to be broken!

Is there anything else you’d like to say to readers of Anomalous Allure?

Just don't let anyone else's opinions or feelings dictate how you feel about yourself or how you dress. Wear what makes you feel good! Don't feel like you have to squeeze yourself into a size 6 when you really need a size 10. No one is going to see that tag. It's about how you feel! Dress in a way that flatters your body and be confident in it! Don't be afraid to try something new and "out there"!



A big thanks to Kaelah for allowing me to interview her! Don't forget to follow her blog Little Chief Honeybee for your daily dose of cute!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Floral, leopard, purple

This is what I wore yesterday, but after pulling an all-nighter the night before I fell asleep before I was able to post it. I hadn't worn this skirt since summer, I guess I'd forgotten how much I love it. I really like it with this scarf too; it might be the colours or it might just be that I love mixing prints. I was planning on wearing black tights but I noticed a huge run in my only pair, so purple it is. These purple tights have lasted me over two years, while all of my other tights rip and run after a few months. They're certainly hardy!

floraleopard

floraleopard & purple

pins

tuesday outfit

detail

so stoked on my brows

Skirt - thrifted
T-shirt - Old Navy size XXL
Tights - Addition Elle size 3X
Belt - Northern Reflections size XL
Boots - Naturalizer size 11
Scarf - Winners
Owl button - self made (in art class, I love art class!)
F is for Feminist button - UBC's women's centre, courtesy of my sister
Tegan & Sara button - T&S's Maple Music shop

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Stylish Sunday: Cara

Hello all! I'm really excited to introduce a new weekly feature on my blog called Stylish Sunday. Every Sunday I'll share an interview with someone who posts their outfits online, and who's style I adore. First up is the wonderful Cara, who posts her outfits (among other lovely things) at I Like Pretty Clothes. Read on for the interview, as well as a sneak peak of her gorgeous style.

carablog2

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I am from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada originally, but have lived in Wellington, New Zealand for the last year and a bit. I am married to my best friend in the world and feel very lucky for that. I work in the administration office of a professional theatre and absolutely love it - the arts are my passion, although I am not a performer myself. I have written a book - Supernatural Winnipeg: A Guide to a Ghostly Vacation - which is on its 4th printing, but is only available now through a ghost tour company in Winnipeg. (Clearly my writing skills don't translate to interviews - sorry!) I love the theatre, movies, books, drinking far too much lovely New Zealand wine, traveling, spending time with cool people, browsing the internet for far too much time each day and, most importantly, shopping.

How long have you been posting photos of your outfits online? What made you decide to start?

I think I started in September last year. I am one of the countless few who have always had tons of issues with my weight; I had very little esteem about my appearance despite having a gorgeous husband who told me daily that I was beautiful. He always hated how awful I was to myself, but we were both at a loss as to what to do to change it (since losing weight certainly didn't - I lost significant amounts of weight on two separate occasions, and not only did I still feel bad about myself at my lowest weight - it was never enough - but also I gained it all back and them some both times). Sam started reading FA blogs online and introduced me to them. The effect was almost immediate - it was like a light went off in my head and I realized how sick I was of wasting my life worrying about not being skinny. It suddenly seemed like such a ridiculous thing to worry about, particularly when life is so short and it is so much more enjoyable to be happy. I will never be skinny, and I had to learn to love myself regardless so I could start fully enjoying every part of my life. Let me tell you, it was like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders, pun intended. Part of my discovery of the online FA community included the Fatshionista group on Flickr, and since I have always been so in love with clothes and shopping, after a while I decided to start posting my own outfit photos. Shortly after I started posting on Flickr, I discovered tumblr and decided to start my own blog, I Like Pretty Clothes, dedicated to clothes and fatshion in particular.

Who inspires you the most?

One of the first FA blogs I started to follow was Tangled Up in Lace - Jessica had a Blogspot blog before she switched to tumblr, and I was an avid reader. She is definitely a huge inspiration, because reading about her take on size and fat acceptance really helped me to start on the road to my own self acceptance. I think there are a lot of people who could say the same thing about her. I don't know her personally, of course, but I am so thankful to her for putting herself out there and giving us all the benefit of her opinions and views on life. She's a wise, wise woman. Plus, she has mad style and is one hot bitch. :) I still miss her long form blog. Sigh. There are a lot of other gorgeous vixens on tumblr and elsewhere on the internet who are also inspirational, both in terms of FA and fatshion: Kyla the Great, Riots not Diets, The Fat Girl's Guide, Frocks and Frou Frou, Young Fat and Fabulous, Pearl Concubine, Fuck Yeah Chubby Fashion, and too many more to name them all.

carablog1

What are your feelings on style versus fashion?

I am so not the right person to answer this question. I don't feel qualified to answer it, as I don't really have strong feelings about one versus the other. My approach to clothes is sort of gluttonous - I want pretty much everything, I can go into almost any store and find multiple things that I have to have. I don't really have a specific taste in clothes, I am kind of an equal opportunist in terms of my clothes. As such, I don't think I have a distinct style. In fact, I often mix styles. I look at other people and admire their style, their unique and distinct way of dressing that seems to speak directly to their personality. My 'style' changes from one day to the next. I kind of feel like my wardrobe is all over the place, and a little over the top sometimes. Which I suppose does convey my personality, come to think of it! lol Don't get me wrong, I love my clothes and wouldn't change anything about the way I shop. I just don't feel that I have a style. Am I stylish? Maybe, sometimes. And sometimes really not. The term 'fashion' just scares me. It makes me think of designers and haute couture and all that stuff that is out of my league, over my head and just so not of interest to me. I guess I just think in terms of clothes and outfits that I like, not fashion and style. If that makes any sense at all.

How does the country in which you live affect your clothing choices, both with regards to personal style and access to clothing in your size?

Well, New Zealand does not have a lot of options for cute plus sized clothes, unless you are an old lady or a fan of long, drapey, shapeless pieces. It's really rather unfortunate. City Chic is about the only plus sized store around with really cute clothes. Thankfully, I can buy stuff in straight-sized stores - I'm about a size 16 or 18. But I do most of my shopping online - the variety is just so much better. And although the cost of shipping can be a bitch, NZ is an expensive place to live/shop, so I know that were I able to get the kind of clothes I buy online in a store here, I would pay the same or more as I do online including shipping.

What do you love the most about living in New Zealand?

Ha ha, this has nothing to do with clothes, but my favourite thing about living in Wellington is being so close to the sea! I am a Prairie girl born and raised, so the ocean is still such a novelty for me.

carablog

What is your favourite item of clothing and why?

I have so many favourite pieces, but my absolute favourite is my royal blue vintage coat. It is so lush and just such a beautiful, vibrant colour that people comment on it - and pet it, since it's kind of a plush material - whenever I wear it. I haven't worn it in an outfit post yet since my parents just brought it over from Canada for me and it has been too warm to wear it here yet. But I will post it as soon as I'm able to so my tumblr friends can see it's luxurious gorgeousness. As long as it still fits, of course, I haven't worn or tried it on in a long time. Damn, I hope it still fits!

Where are your favourite places to shop?

As anyone who reads my tumblr knows, I am a huge Pinup Girl Clothing addict. Such beautiful clothes of such gorgeous quality! I've also recently discovered Dorothy Perkins and love their dresses. And City Chic has beautiful stuff too.

What is your favourite fashion rule to break?

I over accessorize. I can't help it, I love jewelry and wear a lot of it. Although, I think I am doing this less. I used to wear a huge pair of earrings with a big chunky necklace and many rings and bracelets on almost a daily basis, and I don't do this anymore. I have been wearing really small earrings lately and will often not even wear a necklace if the top I'm wearing has an embellishment. But I still feel a tendency to over accessorize sometimes, and give into it whenever the mood strikes.

Is there anything else you’d like to say to readers of Anomalous Allure?

Hmmm, I guess I would just say to wear whatever you like, and not worry about rules or styles or trends. Wear what you want and what makes you feel good, and screw anyone who says otherwise. Just like no one has the right to police your body, no one has the right to police your wardrobe.

Don't forget to follow Cara at her blog I Like Pretty Clothes!


A big thanks to Cara for agreeing to be interviewed for the first ever Stylish Sunday! If you like to be featured, e-mail me at anomalous_allure AT hotmail DOT com

Friday, March 4, 2011

Teal

My friends and I went to Boston Pizza for dinner and drinks last night, and my friend Nicole was kind enough to take a few photos of my outfit. I was a bit silly to wear heels and a mini skirt, but I was totally in the mood to dress up.


Thursday's the new Friday

teal blazer

teal & black

makeup

Blazer - thrifted size 18, cut off the sleeves
Tunic - Addition Elle size 4X
Skirt - Ricki's size 18
Teal tights - Addition Elle size 3X
Fishnet tights - Spanx size 3X (sent to me by a company who were difficult to work with and eventually quit corresponding with me so whatever)
Heels - Payless size 11

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Pretty in Paisley

I've seen a few other people wear the belted-scarf look so I thought I'd give it a try. I really like it! I originally imagined this outfit with cuffed jeans and flats, but the fact that it's still winter (and March!) meant I had to swap in boots. Seriously, it's cold (about -40°C with the wind chill). And that sound of snow crunching underneath your footsteps? It's starting to give me a headache.

I didn't mean to start complaining there, but y'all now how I feel about February and March in Alberta. In other news, I wrote my psych midterm today and it was awful! And the final exam schedule is out. I don't have a week without a major assignment or exam until April 28th! (Wait, am I still complaining? Sorry!)

Okay, basically, here's what I wore today and I felt cute as a button. I bought this shirt a few months ago but didn't wear it until today. I love it!

paisley scarf

ring

today's outfit

face

Striped top - Ricki's size XXL
Grey tank - Warehouse One size XXL
Jeggings - Old Navy size 18
Vintage scarf - Divine
Belt - Northern Reflections size XL
Boots - Naturalizer size 11
Ring - Penningtons

KEEP ON BROWSING!

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