Tag Archives: plus size clothing

Domino Dollhouse Redux

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In celebration of Domino Dollhouse getting a tune-up on the TV show on the Sundance Channel, Joe Zee – All on the Line I want to show you my favorites in their line because I want Domino Dollhouse to succeed because I LOVE their edge.  I have been watching Joe Zee since the beginning of the series and although I would not want him to criticize me personally I think he has a great eye for making a designer’s work more commercial and often helps improve the quality.

Everytime I wear the Size 4 striped sweater above I get compliments on it.  They still have it but only in a size 1X, but I will certainly be looking for the next one and will buy it when I see it.  Just fun and comfy.

This black size 26 jeans jacket is fun also.  They still have this jacket but in limited sizes. I love the cropping and it think it is similar in cut and size to the black and white heart denim jacket.

And the sheer shirt I just posted about a few weeks ago is the size 4X Lana Blouse, which I would love to have in lavender, but I do not have a lot of opportunity to wear it.

And a special shout out goes to Domino Dollhouse’s owner Tracy Broxterman’s Blog Post about her Betsey Johnson find, an oversize sweater.  Just thinking I could own a Betsey Johnson made me happy, and LOVE is just so me.

Thanks to Joe Zee, Domino Dollhouse is now working with Lane Bryant to bring some of her look to their stores and it seems that she is continuing to design her own line, so I am pleased.  Good luck in the transition Domino Dollhouse, but we can always say “we knew you when”.  Ciao Bellas…affinity 

The Fat Girl’s Guide to Living: a life hacker for the full-figured set

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How could I not love a blog that is named The Fat Girl’s Guide to Living: a life hacker for the full-figured set. This was an epiphany for me.  There is a group of women out there checking things out for women my size.  YAY!

After I discovered this blog at 2am, I woke up with this post in my head/heart, so here we go.  I was skinny until puberty and then I started to gain weight and diet, I had boyfriends, I married right out of high school, always trying to lose weight.  I did Weight Watchers, Thin Within, and then I went to college and law school.  After that I started swimming at the Richmond plunge at a women’s “fat” swim (we rented a pool and only women over 200 lbs. were invited – you remember that era of divisiveness, 1982.)  I was mid size by their standards, at 275 lbs.  Yes. I have weighed 275 since at least 1990, per my Dr.’s records. And during that period I became radicalized.  I could love myself just the way I am.  Perhaps eat healthier and by then I was exercizing often with either Dr. Deb Burgard or Cinder Ernst, but it did not have to be about my weight.  I had a couple of periods of weight loss, when I fell in love with MonkeyBoy and one winter when I had the flu, but the weight returned.

So that is how Affatshionista evolved into a pragmatic guide to making clothes work at just a little larger than standard plus sizes.  The standard for “Plus Size” is a Size 24 or a 3X.  I am a Size 26 – 28 and a 4x, as I have been for over 20 years. So the blog’s question has become, how do I find clothes that work for me and you?

But size and mobility touch every part of my life.  When I was 45 years old and exactly this size and weight, it was just a social inconvenience but that is no longer true.  It is now a mobility issue and although it has not manifested, perhaps a health issue.  I chose a funny time to give up exercising which I have done for the last two years.  But there is a segue in here, that is where the The Fat Girl’s Guide to Living: a life hacker for the full-figured set come in. I love their ABOUT page, asking questions about all the things I might choose not attempt because I am fat.  I bet you have seen me do that, but you also see me living large.  Which is really interesting since MonkeyBoy and I just had a LONG talk about the viability of going on a cruise next fall for my 65th birthday, longer and harder than the one we just came home from.  I had thought I was going to have my knees done this winter, but that has not worked out.

But somehow I feel some relief that there are these young women out there to speak the things I am up against but not verbalizing to the world.  What is the workaround for? What do I need to know about before?  Thanks for being there for ME!  Yep, that is why my AFFINITY photo is the lead, this resource feels like it helps me and my peeps.  Check it out. Ciao Bellas!…affinity

Cult of California – A Review – Size 5x

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Since the first moment I heard about Cult of California I knew I had to have some of their clothes, the question was, would it fit?  I bought tights, 2 jackets, 2 styles of sports bras and my very favorite, a sheer and opaque striped tank with a racer back.  I weigh 280 lbs., I wear a size 26-28 sometimes a 30 and carry a lot of weight in my torso. I have had very mixed results with the Cult of California sizing, but I am really glad I bought some because I love the pieces that have worked.

Black & Turquoise Sports Bra: 4X – Precious, fits well, not as much support as the Black racerback..

Black Racer-Back Sports Bra: Let me tell you how cute this bra is, although it will never be seen. It has beading on the cross straps in both the front and the back.  It fits well and I have been wearing it a lot.

Tights – Sheer/Opaque:  I love these but the 5X is too big and I have sold them, but I am going to buy them in a 4X.

Moto Jacket: 5X but the jacket will not zip because I have a large waist/hips.

Hooded Jacket: 5X fits, but of all the pieces this feels the least like me.  I have not actually worn it yet, so I don’t know whether I am going to keep it or sell it.

Sheer/Opaque Tank Top (Black Shadow Stripe): My very favorite item and it fits, I always get compliments when I wear it, and I am going to buy another one.  I am looking for a racer-back t-shirt to wear under it.

I would love to know if you have tried any Cult of California pieces and how they worked for you.  Ciao Bellas…affinity

Domino Dollhouse – After a Swim

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I have been waiting for a chance to wear my sheer shirt from Domino Dollhouse as a cover up.  I am sure there are other uses for it but that has been my vision since it is cut very generously.  Sometimes I cannot wear their 4x because I have such a large waist and many of their clothes have more of an hourglass shape (which I love).

Well last weekend we went to a fabulous party in Healdsburg and it was 100°, so I waited for the shade to come over the pool (I hate the sun) and spent several hours in the water. It was fabulous.  And then I was able to make my exit in my coverup.  Ciao Bellas…affinity

Coverup: Domino Dollhouse – Size 4
Bathing Suit: Size 24 – 10 years old, my first ever Bedazzler project

Being Bees on the Playa

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The theme at the festival on the desert I go to was Fertility 2.0 this year.  My personal take on it is that because the event is spreading into the world they thought Fertility 2.0 was a good theme.  I do not usually pay much attention to the theme but I was asked to help with registration at a party and could we please dress as bees or flowers or some such thing.  Well guess what, no one else showed up in a costume, but it is a party, right, so we put our smiles on our faces and had fun.

I had not intended to write this post because there is not a perfect photo that is becoming and shows my wings and antennae and outfit.  But we had so much fun and it so makes me smile that I decided to go ahead and write a post.  I bought 2 pairs of antennae and a pair of wings, and then I wrapped my black skirt and tshirt in yellow masking tape, and wrapped up Edgie, who was helping me with registration and has my friend for over 20 years, right at the party.  After the party I took off the masking tape and gave the wings and antenna to a 10 year old who was thrilled to have them, so it was a win all around.  Sometimes it is okay to just be a little silly.  Ciao Bellas…affinity

Our Guest – Jenny Strauss

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I fell in love with these photos of Jenny on Facebook and ask if I could blog them.  She is a fashionista in her own right and blogs and writes.  I have never met Jenny, she is a friend of a very beloved friend of mine and I appreciate her sharing her amazing style with us.  I love her poses (I could learn a lot from her) and her willingness to be strong and vulnerable at the same time.  On this particular night she was out at the Malcolm X Elementary School Dance Benefit and Auction Party – photos by Eugene Chan.

Jenny said her dress is from a second hand plus size store in Seattle, that she got in 2005 and that she had to quit wearing the shoes, because she fell down several times on this night alone. Ciao Bellas…affinity

Twitter Togs

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Since I am helping with various communications for the Burning Man Project, they suggested I go to a presentation at the David All Group (DAG).  This was the first of a series of events that will take place synchronously between the DAG Washington, DC and San Francisco teams.  I was live in the San Francisco office, which I loved. The event focused on “The Essentials of Twitter”.  I have not tweeted much either for myself nor for any of the entities that I run social media for, so I had a lot to learn and as usual I most enjoyed learning about metrics or the suggested frequency and timing for the optimization of your tweets.

Sometime yesterday (perhaps posted by the David All Group) I ran across this Twitter Outfit (below) from Social Media Inspired Outfits.  So of course I had to put together my darker version of the Twitter Inspired Outfit, including the Twitter Bird logo (see the photo above with David All). My outfit is not exactly a match but I thought the Twitter Outfit was a little corporate for my taste.

Here are the deets:
Bird Pendant: Designed by my good friend Laura Kimpton as gifts for Burning Man 2009
Cami: Very Old 2X Emme
Skirt: Tripp Size 5x from Torrid
You can’t see them but I also have capri leggings and boots of course as well as the bracelets I have been wearing everyday for a month.  I like to think of this outfit as the funky Twitter look. LOL

I am going to download DAG’s “Essentials of Pinterest” because I feel like I would love Pinterest but just have not taken the time to check it out, so you may see my version of that outfit too.  So thanks to the David All Group for having me come to their offices.  Hope to see you at Burning Man.

Ciao Bellas…affinity

Torrid! Torrid! Torrid! and a little ASOS Curve

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I am not really a floral kind of girl, but I just had to try this sweater because it came out in spring and I thought it might be really light, and guess what, it is.  Is is half the weight of similar sweaters I own like this and this.  It was 68° here in San Francisco so I wanted a little something to cover up with and to brighten up my dress. I love the silver sparkle, floral leggings except that the size is weird.  They are a 2X and a 1X would actually fit better and the are from Torrid, where I wear a 5X dress.  And you may have noticed that these big bracelets are my staple this month.  Just liking the weight and fun on my wrist. Here are the deets…affinity

Sweater: Torrid Size 4X
Footless leggings: Torrid Size 2X
Bangle Bracelets: Torrid
Balloon Skater Dress: ASOS Curve Size 22
Elyse Boots: Avenue Size 9.5W

Roaman’s – a Review – Capri Leggings

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I made a little fashion mistake last week.  I ordered a size 4X leggings from Roaman’s.  I did not review their size chart, I did not look at any notes I might have had about sizing for Roaman’s.  But guess what, Roaman’s runs VERY large.  According to their size chart a 4X is equal to a 34-36, not a 26-28, which is what I usually wear.  Good to know, doncha think? So I am off on my vacation to Europe without tights to match my new Forever 21 t-shirts, which you will be seeing soon…affinity

Chic Star Vintage – A Review

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The vintage look is all the rage right now and one on-line store I have been looking at Chic Star hails from China.  One of my favorite aspects of Chic Star is that they solicit designs from the public and pay them a small fee if the design is used, thus the designs have quite a bit of breadth.  In addition, as lots of on-line stores are doing right now they encourage buyers to send in their photos.

Their size range includes a 4X with a bust size up to 56 inches,  but the waist is only 48 inches, seems like the designs might work better on an hourglass figure rather than an apple shaped size 26-28 like me. I am concerned that the waist will not fit, and that has kept me from buying one of these fun dresses.  I would love to hear about it if you have a Chic Star dress…affinity