Category Archives: Burning Man Plus Size

Torrid Size 4 – Fit and Flare! Best Skirt EVER!

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10 year patchTorrid Size 4 – Fit and Flare! Best Skirt EVER!

If you have been following along you know that I go to Burning Man. As you can see I have a rhinestone Burning Man on my cami, from about 10 years ago. I wore it because I was at Burning Man Headquarters where they gave me a patch for 10 years of volunteering (you might remember that they gave me The Affinity Award several years ago). So I wore my favorite cami, and the cutest skirt I have EVER owned. And yes that little hand on my mouth means I might have been crying a little.

torrid sheer skirtI am wearing a Size 4, and it fits perfectly. A stiffish elastic waist, with a little zipper in the back. Unfortunately Torrid only has skirts in sizes 00 – 2 in stock. It took me several weeks to wear it because it just borders on dressy with the stiffness of the body, and the shiny sheerness of the fabric. Can I say one more time, this is my favorite skirt EVER?

sox hackSock Hack (to show more color, and balance the outfit)
I bought some green socks that I hoped would peek out of the boot, just to add a little matching color to the outfit, but they were way too bulky to wear under my boots. Great thin socks are always a struggle in plus sizes. I later had the thought that I could have cut the foot off of them and worn them like short leg warmers, since all I really cared about was adding a little color to the bottom half of my legs (I will wear the foot portion to sleep in so no waste here). So I gave it a try and it worked.

10 year patchAnd here is a photo of my Burning Man 10 Year Volunteer Patch. I think I will put it on my hoodie.

Torrid Sheer Fit & Flare Skirt – Size 4X
Jean Jacket – Size 4X (similar)
Re/Dress Teggings – Regular length
Torrid Combat Boots – 10.5 W

Peace…Affinity

photo: Allison Hastings

ASOS Curve US Size 26/28 PlaySuits – Review

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I grew up in Palm Springs where it is quite warm, sometimes over 100º, so I love desert clothes, but when I moved to San Francisco, where it is often in the 60ºs in the summertime, I gave up all those skimpy clothes. But now we live across the Bay where it is often in the 80ºs and 90ºs I started eyeing rompers again. And ASOS Curve had several that I HAD to have. The strapless romper above is my favorite. it is made from a stretch cotton jersey, and I love the wide legged shorts. I tried it in a US Size 24 and it was really too big so I ordered the US Size 22. AND TAKE NOTE: They even have it to a SIZE 28.

I also love the Playsuit with buttons in a size US 24. It had cute detailing, but it was difficult to get in and out of so I returned it, and now it is sold out.

I of course had to try the edgy one with the lattice back.

It is easy to get in and out of because the back is so flexible, and I get compliments on it wherever I wear it. But I don’t feel like I have found the best styling for it. ASOS still has it to a US Size 20, but I think that would easily fit a US Size 24, since I am wearing a US Size 22 and I am a solid Size 26/28.

To compare my measurements to yours, click HERE.

I think the strapless one will be part of my Burning Man wardrobe, although it requires a strapless bra, but it remains my favorite. Which one do you like?

Peace…affinity

photos: Leori Gill

Emerald Wearing eShakti Plus Size at Burning Man Headquarters

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Emerald wearing eShakti - Customized

Emerald wearing eShakti – Customized

My friend Emerald, who works at Burning Man Headquarters, asked me about my blog a few months ago, and then perused it. She then told me she had ordered from eShakti, here is her story:

With a Burning Man identity of “Emerald” and finding myself blessed with a job at the headquarters in San Francisco I decided to splurge on a dress.   It turned out not to be quite a splurge as this dress was on sale and I had a first-time-buyer discount.  I paid a total of $23.90.

Here are the measurements I provided to eShakti:

  • Lengthofarm:Short
  • Upperarm:15
  • Hip:55
  • Waist:45
  • Underbust:41
  • Bust:45
  • Chest:44
  • Shoulder:17
  • I’m 5 feet tall and weigh ~210.
I get a lot of compliments on this outfit.  It’s comfortable and fun to wear.   The only measurement I have a problem with is shoulder-to-shoulder and I need to go back and re-measure myself.  The dress crosses from front to back too close to my shoulder and you can’t pull it in because of the design.   I wear a blouse under it (most of the time anyway) as it is cut lower than I would wear it during the day.
Overall I am thrilled to get a dress cut to size that I really enjoy.

Thanks Emerald for taking the time to share with us how eShakti worked for you and you look fabulous in your dress.
Peace…affinity

Plus Size Goes to the Burning Man at the Global Leadership Conference v.1

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My husband and I have been the registrars for the Burning Man Global Leadership Conference for all eight of them. So on his birthday, day two of the conference, we found ourselves sitting behind a desk, greeting people from all over the world, people who are thrilled to be at an event like this, and then my friend and fabulous photographer, Sidney Erthal, offered to take a few photos for Affatshionista. It was a great break, fun and of course some fabulous photos.

You’ll notice I am still wearing a knee brace at two months post-op from my knee replacement surgery, but I thought it best to wear it for one of my first really long days. I wish I had thought to wear it on the inside of the leggings, LOL.  And that gorgeous necklace is a loan from my fabulous friend Jennifer Raiser, for a shoot for this outfit. I thought it safest if I wore it rather than put it in my purse.

Gloria Lamb

Gloria Lamb

I took a photo of Gloria Lamb two years ago at this conference, and my phone got stolen that night, so I am thrilled to have this photo, and of course it is SO much better since Sidney took it.

Moxie in Hell Bunny

Toni Menconi in Hell Bunny

And Toni was just hanging out by to door and we grabbed her, she looked so cute.  It was the first time I had met her and I love her style.

Peace…affinity

photos: Sidney Erthal Photography 
(Thanks Sidney, the photos are gorgeous, and I love the graffiti background)

Burning Man Plus Size DIY

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marzy2It was Tuesday afternoon, and my favorite event at Burning Man.  I was at the Cultural Collaborators Party hosted by Burning Man Project, I am their Social Media Coordinator.  It is very sumptuous (the ice cream made using liquid nitrogen, was the best I had ever had) and I was standing talking to someone and I heard in my ear “Aren’t you Affinity? I read your blog!”.  Well, there are few words that make me happier than hearing that someone is actually reading my blog, and I turned and there stood this fabulous person, Marzy.  We chatted, had our picture taken but never received a copy, so she sent me this “In the City” version of her outfit with a description.

Here is the recreation of the outfit I  was wearing at Burning Man.  My necklace was made by me (a brass escutcheon from an old dresser).  My hat, made by ME, of silk ties, lace, ribbons, etc.  My “corset”  is a Frederick’s of Hollywood thrift store find that started out white, but then I dyed it black and the different panels took on the dye differently.  It turned out gray & brown. The ruffled wifebeater underneath is another creation by me.  What started as a plain white tank top ended up with vintage satin/lace ruffles from a thrift store robe and an antique-ish brass button cluster.  The black crinoline was a $5 thrift store find.  My boots were, yes, another thrift store find, and still covered in playa dust!  After writing all of this down, I realize what fun I have customizing plain old clothes into something fabulous!  May this serve as inspiration to all to not accept the plain boring clothes put on the racks in our size!  Make a leap of faith and go out and turn the ordinary extraordinary!

Marzy

marzy crop hat I have included a close up of her hat so you could see that she has taken elements of various ties to decorate her hat. I have not seen this kind of assemblage before and I love it.

Marzy, what a delight to meet you and you look gorgeous in your photo, thanks for making the effort to say Hello and send the photo! I love DIY so it is all just perfect.

Peace…affinity

Plus Size at Burning Man 2013

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Mother and Daughter Both Staff at Burning Man

Molly and Annie
Both Staff at Burning Man

As many of you know, if you have been following along, I go to Burning Man.  And when I meet women they always want to know what women wear, especially if they are plus size. So here are some of my friends, both plus size, and not.

Above are my friends Molly and Annie. Molly is famous for not wearing skirts, so this is a pretty fun photo of her.  Molly’s friend made the tutu, but I do have several places I can send you, Just with Tulle makes custom tutus in a variety of sizes and has add on prices for plus sizes and length. And my fellow blogger at Tutus & Tiny Hats likes Sister’s of the Moon Design, also custom made.

Shoes are very important because the Event is on a lake bed (we call it the Playa) and is very alkaline, and the dust can be hard on your feet. Lots of people wear boots, but the surfaces are uneven so I tend to wear what is comfortable. And of course a hat, to keep you out of the sun…

Selfie of my photographer, Leori Gill

Selfie of my photographer, Leori Gill

I love this selfie of Leori. She is so talented.  She also took the photo of Molly and Annie, and does most of the photography for this blog. And did I mention it was Tutu Tuesday? You get extra points, be you male or female for wearing a tutu on the Tuesday of the Event.

aff_decom_crop smudgeI have no idea why I do not have any photos of me from Burning Man this year but here is one from San Francisco Decompression just a couple of weeks ago.

I am wearing a fit and flare, cotton stretch fabric ASOS Curve Size 22 Dress.  It has a very high waistline so I wear this wide Torrid Size 5 belt to cover that up.

The leggings are a Torrid Size 2, 100% polyester. They do not have any stretch and they seem to have stopped making them.  It is odd that these fit since I cannot wear their Size 3/4. If I were buying these today I would try THESE in a Size 3, and I notice they now have some spandex, which is good.

These are my go to Boots HERE. Two years later Avenue is still making these exact boots. I would love to have taller boots, but I have never found a boot that fit my skinny ankle and wide calf, so I just try to love the ones I’ve got.

pendants 2013And here is a photo of my jewelry from the event. It is made up of gifts and schwag for supporting the artists.

believe SidneyThe B in the photo is part of the art installation from Burning Man by my friends Laura Kimpton and Jeff Schomberg. The photo was taken after a storm and the “I” had fallen over leaving a 60′ tall woman, Truth is Beauty to replace it.

Well that is this episode of Burning Man, plus size, more to come.

Peace…affinity

photo: BELIEVE/Truth is Beauty: Sidney Erthal Photography

Have YOU Tried customPlus T-shirts?

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affat tshirt leoriI had wanted an AffatshionistA t-shirt for awhile, but the custom design sites did not have my size, and then I happened upon customPLUS last year and here is my t-shirt and I love it.  How fun is it to have a t-shirt with my logo on it, in my size?

IMG_8951See the red logo t-shirt above? I have t-shirts made for our theme camp at Burning Man every year.  To get one to fit ME I have to find a t-shirt the same color, cut out the logo from one of the men’s t-shirts, and then sew it onto the t-shirt I have in the same color.  I know there are places I could have a 4X t-shirt made but they don’t really fit me. They are not usually “women’s” in shape, and they are bulky in all the wrong places. So this is what I have been doing for several years to have a Burning Man t-shirt like my campmates.

That said, YAY, you can make your own, you can buy one of their graphic tees, you can even buy a Wonder Woman t-shirt and use it as the basis of your Halloween costume with a couple of accessories (if you are a DIY kind of girl), that I tell you how to make right here.

The customPLUS 4X Tank that you can design is $25.99, with free shipping to the U.S., runs quite large, and they are great to interact with, so go out there and design an outrageous t-shirt for YOU to wear.

Peace…affinity

photo: AffatshionistA tee – Leori Gill

OMG eShakti Makes a Tulle Skirt in MY Size!

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eshakti crinolineAs you probably know if you have visited my blog before, I go to Burning Man and I am the Social Media Coordinator for Burning Man Project, so you might expect that I would love a tutu. I have a couple and wear them as costumes.  But I have been yearning for a tulle skirt for several years.

jane by design hot 2013-08-15 at 11.32.36 PMAnd then I watched Jane By Design, because I love all things fashion, and the first skirt Jane wears in the credits is a burgandy tulle skirt, and it made me want one even more. Not a black one, not a white one, but some lovely color that would be fun and feminine, and yes, a little funky.

Then I was introduced to eShakti, and lo and behold they had crinolines, and on occasion, the Dahlia Crinoline, in burgundy. I could choose the length and the very best part, IT COMES IN MY SIZE.  They custom make their clothing to a size 6X and I am wearing a 4X. I love it and I hope you will too.

Peace…affinity

photo: Leori Gill

Plus Size Clothing at the Burning Man Global Leadership Conference

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Gloria Lamb

Gloria Lamb

We had been in our new condo for two days when it was time for the Burning Man Global Leadership Conference.  Since we had volunteered for all five previous conferences to be the registrars, we set aside our unpacking and off we went.  I had a chance to take a couple of shots of the attendees and I wanted to share them with you, since I love their style.  Gloria Lamb, aka LaLa, is the Burning Man Regional Contact for Los Angeles. Love the scarf and boots.

RealGirl

RealGirl

This shot of Debbie ‘RealGirl’ von Huene, the Regional Contact for the South Bay, is fun.  She happens to be wearing the Leg Avenue bustle that I featured in my DIY Steampunk post and you can see how well it works with a jacket and matching purple sweater or t-shirt.

Jalapeña, Michelle Ochoa

Jalapeña, Michelle Ochoa

Jalapeña aka Michelle Ochoa, is the Operations Manager for Black Rock Solar which is part of a network of non-profit groups working to grow the Burning Man cultural movement. She’s wearing horizontal stripes, one of my favorite looks this year, and I love the cut-out in the back.

aff BWB tshirt glcAnd in a very casual look for me, no jewelry or accessories, (since everything was packed), I am wearing a cami, size 26-28 from avenue, to which I had appliquéd a logo from a man’s t-shirt, bordering it with some trim and including a couple of rhinestones. The pants are TrippNYC, size 30, from Torrid, which I do not see in a size 30 much these days.

BWB tshirtHere is a close up of the cami.  Why do I have this logo on a cami? When Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans area in 2005, a group of “Burners” banded together their collective skills, and over the next eight months gifted over $1 million worth of reconstruction and debris removal to the residents of Mississippi, and Burners Without Borders was born.  When the leader of the crew showed up with t-shirts at a Burning Man staff meeting, as a fundraising tool to keep the crew fed, I just had to have one. So I cut up the t-shirt and put them on a cami that I had in my drawer.  The first of many DIY projects to bring Burning Man schwag into my life.

Peace…affinity

Styling a Plus Size Maxi Dress or the DIY Plus Size Statement Necklace

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Affinity & April Photo: James Saint James Pell

Affinity & April Photo: James Saint James Pell

On Saturday night my friends hosted a table at the Crucible’s Fire & Light Soiree and Art Auction and were sweet enough to include me. As you can see, I dressed up a black dress with a fascinator I purchased in a little shop down the street and a lot of jewelry that I  upcycled.

photo: Ed Jay

photo: Ed Jay

Our friend, Dennis Bartels, the Executive Director of the Exploratorium, was being honored for his enthusiastic support of the art community so I wanted to dress up, and I knew it was an opportunity to be a little over the top since it is a pretty arty crowd.

photo: Ed Jay

photo: Ed Jay

I love this photo of Suzi Bartels and I, it was so fun to spend a little time with her.

maxi dress YC LGYours Clothing sent me the black maxi dress.  It is a UK size 30-32 or a US size 26-28 and I am quite sure a US size 30-32 could wear it. It is a light jersey, very easy to wear, the armholes run fairly large and since I am 5″5″ tall, I had to shorten it a little. It is difficult to see but there is a twisted front that is a nice detail in the torso area.  It was a great piece to accessorize and I loved that I was so comfortable and I thought the dress looked very elegant.

photo: Leori Gill

photo: Leori Gill

I think I am going to "silver leaf: this before I wear it again. photo: Leori Gill

I think I am going to “silver leaf: this before I wear it again. photo: Leori Gill

photo: Leori Gill

photo: Leori Gill

Here are the close ups of the jewelry, mostly made from vintage or thrift store finds (on Etsy) or left-overs in my jewelry box. A tutorial to come, I promise.

It was a fabulous fun filled evening and I loved being a little outrageous in my style, and have a vision for making the look a little more who I am.

Peace…affinity