My big sister was and has always been my hero and favorite teacher. When we were little, sheĀ was my protector. She would shield me from the demons under the bed (though she usually made me sleep on the outer side, just in case). She would protect me from bullyās on my way home from school. She would be my shoulder to cry on and my hero to emulate.
I was browsing online to pass the time, and I came across a piece on the Modcloth blog that said they were eliminating the Plus Size category. I quickly read the details, which detailed that they were still carrying clothing in extended size ranges, but that they were banishing the term “Plus Size” from their website. Though some might see this as a pretty small step forward in the scheme of things, I sat back and realized this was a big, major deal.
It has come to my attention that there’s a lot of negativity on the internet (shocker I know). Scrolling through my Instagram feed, I see a lot of comments about people combatting body shaming and unwelcome criticism, lack of self-confidence, and all around negative energy. And it’s not all that surprising, considering images are paraded in front of our eyes about the women we’re supposed to be, the bodyĀ we’re supposed to have, the items we’re supposed to buy in order to achieveĀ some unrealistic ideal. And when all of these images are clouding our vision, it’s hard to see through it…
I was launching Google awhile backĀ (as you do about 50 times per day) and they had a line on the search page with the hashtag – #DearMe – alongside theĀ query: what advice would you give a younger version of yourself? And I sat back in my chair and stepped away from the day to day and really pondered the question. What WOULD I tell a younger me? Ohh here we go…
I was challenged by Unique Vintage to percolateĀ on self-celebrationĀ for their #iamunique campaign. I was truly honored to be asked to participate in such an incredibleĀ movement, which encourages everyone to embrace their fabulous quirks and putĀ their own unique spin on the world. But, I was alsoĀ terrified. Because as semi-practised as I am speaking my mind and putting myself out there, the thought of contributing to something so powerful was a bit intimidating. But, if I present the challenge every day on this blog to be ourselves, celebrate ourĀ bodies, and wearĀ what weĀ please, then I owed it to myself (and you) to scrunch…
We all have our style comfort zones. Although I like to experiment now and again, I tend to gravitate towards the things that work for me. My body type really suits the fit and flare silhouette – I have a proportionally tiny waist in comparison to my larger bust and then those blessed flared skirts cover all kinds of business (especially the squishy areas we all tend to be most insecure about). So most of the time I stick with that which is comfortable.
I was skipping across campus the other day, my head in the clouds, when a lovely woman stopped me to admire thisĀ 1950’s border print dress. She told me how much she loved the 1950’s style and would killĀ toĀ wear a dress like that. When I asked if she knew of or would like advice on some great vintageĀ shops in the city, she immediately said, “Oh no,” shaking her head with a self-depricating shrug, “I can’tĀ pull that off.”
For my first outfit post up on the blog, I decided it was only right to start with an old favorite. There is just something about drop-waisted dresses that make my heart skip a beat. I’ve had this 1950s eyelet stunner for years and it really embodies the evolution of the way I used to viewĀ my body and the way I celebrate it now.Ā I think that clothing has an amazing ability to turn what we perceive to be negatives into a positive. Ā have always been tall. I was 5’9 when I was 12 years old, and due to a lack…