In case you didn’t know, I’m a solid size 12.
For some reason, people say, “Wow, you really don’t look like a size 12,” as if that’s supposed to either shrink me or that I am ashamed to be this size. First of all, I look GOODT in my clothes, and even my little FUPA doesn’t bother me anymore. However, although the majority of women in the USA are a size 16, there are still a LOT of brands and businesses that don’t sell past a certain size, usually an 8 or even a 10.
So, the question I am always asked: How do you find personal style, and what are your favorite places to shop?
In no particular order, here are a few places I thoroughly enjoy for clothes:
- Thrift — I have been thrifting since high school, and it’s honestly my favorite thing. It does take a while to get used to the run and feel of how ‘thrifting’ works, especially if you’re someone who needs more order and stability when you’re shopping. I’ll definitely do a separate post on this, but thrifting is God’s gift to mankind and I can’t thank him enough.
- Forever 21 — This one took my breath away because I had sworn off Forever 21 for YEARS. No real reason why, I just felt as I got older that I had ‘graduated’ onto places like H&M and Zara. Forever 21 has done an amazing job of rebranding and really offering selections for other sizes and body types. This blazer I’m sporting (excuse the slight nip slip) is from Forever 21 and I’m actually inclined to wear it like every day.
- ASOS — Everyone and their mama knows that me and ASOS have a love/hate relationship. The only hate there is that I continuously give them my money, money that I do not have to spend. Not only do they carry a variety of brands at slightly discounted rates (vs. if you went straight to the brand to buy), but they also offer ASOS CURVE, which features a ton of the same garments up to size 24. That’s SO important to me, knowing that other curvy girls can get the same look without compromising on quality or money to get it.
- MissGuided — I love MissGuided for staple items like my white tees, black mules, blazers, and quick pieces. They have definitely improved tremendously over the years, and I love to see how they are constantly at the forefront of the fashion industry so that you can get some trendy pieces in real time.
- Topshop — You may not necessarily hear me talk about Topshop a lot, and that’s only because it’s bloody expensive *in my English accent*. But something like this belt is SO ME, that like…I’ll deal, lol. I recently had the opportunity to work with the brand and I really got to see that they have a ton of options, even for girls with hips and booty like me. There were a few instances I was the largest size they had in something, which gave me a bit of room for a side-eye, but I could still appreciate that the clothes and quality had stretch to them. Again, they could do more, but they’re doing great.
Some honorable mentions to this list include ModCloth, Old Navy, and Urban Outfitters, all brands that I have begun working with and seeing what they have in store. Now is the time for brands to really get behind us “plus-size” influencers, and realize that we are not a trend. My money is green just like everyone else 🙂
Blazer: Forever 21
Belt: TopShop
Jeans: Old Navy
Shoes: MissGuided
Photo: Taylor Miller
