VOL•UP•2 • A Plus Size Fashion Magazine

Screen Shot 2013-02-28 at 9.08.57 AMThis morning I woke up to a note from Velvet d’amour, the first super size fashion model and now the publisher of VOL•UP•2, a French Fashion Magazine, asking that I share their magazine if I liked it (no compensation involved).  This is what they have to say about it:

Created by supermodel Velvet d’Amour, the first supersize-plus model to infiltrate the elite world of Parisian couture,encourages readers to revel in their every “imperfection” and celebrate their bodies in their glorious entirety. Born out of Ms. d’Amour’s work to expand society’s limited notion of beauty by building awareness about women of every size and shape, the magazine is a visual celebration of full-figured beauty, combined with a self-affirming message of inspiration.

I loved looking at it, it provides an editorial look at plus sizes, which I love and is worth it just for the beauty and all that voluptuousness. AND, I will support it by buying it online each month because if we want plus size clothing to flourish then we have to support the accoutrements that will make plus size clothing legitimate, like fashion magazines.

Peace…affinity

Size 24+ Fashion Bloggers on The Plus Size of Me

Screen Shot 2013-02-28 at 8.46.38 AMYesterday I was included in a post about Size 24+ Fashion Bloggers on The Plus Side of Me.  Since I love her blog, I was especially pleased to be included and I am thrilled to have other bloggers in my size range to follow.  You will see some of them on my “Blogs I Love” list when I update it. Thanks to the Plus Side of Me, YAY!

Peace…affinity

Beth Ditto Inspired Necklace

Beth Ditto NecklaceOMG!  As many of you know Beth Ditto is my fashion hero as well as my fatshion hero.  She wears whatever she wants and it all looks fabulous and she does not appear to care about the rules.  But I must admit that I was surprised to see a Beth Ditto inspired necklace.  I am curious if the necklace has her blessing, or can anyone call something “inspired by…”?

The necklace, in my opinion, does not seem to reflect her big, outrageous style, and is only 18 inches long, which would barely be large enough for my neck, and I would kind of assume hers, but I thought you might be amused to see it, I was.

If you are a Beth Ditto fan, as I am, do look at this post of her big, outrageous style, it is a wonderful deconstruction of her style and how you might achieve it.  The examples are not plus size, and certainly not super plus size, but the concepts are all there, and I am hoping it will make me braver.

Peace…affinity 

Torrid Sizes 1X – 4X Bathing Suits

Chelsea Vest

Chelsea Vest

I had not planned on posting about bathing suits this time of year, but I saw two fabulous photos on FatToo Anonymous which is a chat room for members of the FatToo groups on Facebook and I just had to share them.  Doesn’t she look fabulous! This is what Chelsea said about her Torrid bikini. She is wearing a size 1 on the top and size 2 bottom:

My first bikini EVER! I fell in love and even cried cause I am cry baby LOL. I just never thought I would be able to wear one of these EVER but I felt like a million!

And then a few minutes later there was Brianna Smith Leonard trying on this Size 4X. It looks like it might run a little on the small side because she usually wears a size 3X but they did not have one to try on. She just looks precious. If you want to read more from Brianna she has a blog, just click here.

Briana Smith Leonard

Briana Smith Leonard

I know it is a little early, but I love these choices and am so pleased to be able to post about the real world. Thanks Chelsea and Briana for letting me share your photos.

Stina Scott

Stina Scott

Update February 25, 2013: Christina Scott was kind enough to send me her photo in her Torrid one-piece cherry fabric suit, which I love.  I think she looks awesome.  This is what she said about how it fits.

This is the Torrid cherry suit in a size 3. I normally would take a 4. I like my suits tight and this just fits me. I’m a 22/24 top and 26 bottom.
Stina

Well it becomes obvious that Torrid is the place to buy a bathing suit this year, whether it is a one piece, two piece or bikini. When I bought this suit over 10 years ago (pre Torrid) it was so boring I HAD to put rhinestones (which you can barely see in this photo) on it before I could even wear it.

Thanks again for sharing your photos with me and my blog, you have no idea how happy it makes me.

Update March 2, 2013: Still getting mixed reviews about sizing of Torrid suits this year but I just read this on Facebook;

If anyone plans on getting one of the one piece bathing suits from Torrid, make sure you size up!! I had to go a size up and honestly I could have done two sizes up if they would have had it in store!

Peace…affinity

Plus Size Yoek Review – Alphabet Top – Fashion Failure

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I have always loved to read and thus have always loved words, letters and fonts. Even my Affatshionista logo is made up of words.  So when I saw Skorch Magazine’s post by Bellas Styles that she had purchased an Alphabet Skirt from Yoek in the Netherlands, I had to have one.  I am not much of a pencil skirt girl, I like my skirts short and fluffy or pleated so I opted to an Alphabet “Tunic”.  And I cannot even tell you how much I loved that the letters in the print were in curvy lines, so fun.  I hope it is long enough to wear with tights.

I love that Yoek’s Plus Size is a size US 28-30, and the description of the item says This shirt has a flare fit.

So the top has arrived and it is just not very becoming.  In general I do not wear flowy clothing and it is 95% Polyester and 5% Elastic.  I am going to return it since it cost $113 Euros, which is about $150.  I do love the print but it is unlikely I will order from Yoek again.  Do you think it might have looked better if I had ordered a smaller size?

Screen Shot 2012-11-29 at 2.03.18 PM

Ciao Bellas…affinity

VooDoo Doll Costume – D.I.Y.

So last night we went to a Voodoo Luau Birthday Party.  We had a great time, my friend was turning 39 and had a new deck with a view of the city.  So of course I had to make a new costume.

Top: Torrid – 4X with a heart pin cushion from ebay with stick pins in it, and a few stitches I added of lavender yarn
Skirt: (sorry no photo, it must be in someone else’s camera) 3X Jaclyn Smith from Kmart
Gloves: Amazon – Lace Gloves – Good fit and I love that they were already laced with ribbon.  I like these gloves even better and they look like you could actually adjust the size if you were larger, and they are less expensive.

Ciao Bellas…affinity

D.I.Y. Plus Size 26 or 4X Wonder Woman Costume

I got it in my head that I wanted to be Wonder Woman for Halloween this year and I could not find a costume large enough so I made my own.  I wore it to a little art event on Sunday.  I had fun in my costume and I have included a little tutorial below.  Ciao Bellas…affinity

Cami: Avenue Size 26-28
Skirt: Kmart Love Your Style, Size 3X, elastic waist, not fitted skirt
Boots: Lane Bryant Size 10W, over 30 years old
Tights: We Love Color, Size C/D
Belt: Bob’s Belts, Size 3X, I have worn these belts for years, they are comfortable but the 3X is the largest, and it just fits my size 28 waist, even with the stretch.
Wonder Woman Lasso: Amazon, I purchased it since it could be purchased as a standalone accessory and size was not an issue.  I taped the ends together but next time I wear it I will attach the tacked ends of the rope to the inside of the little hanger loop that was provided so the rope stays in four little loops.

I considered purchasing the Wonder Woman accessories but I found them to be either VERY expensive or made from felt for $8 or $10.  I did not like either option so I decided to make my own.

1.  Wonder Woman Top: I found a Wonder Woman logo which I printed, cut out and cut on all of the black lines and then drew all of the black lines on the cami using a black Sharpie.  I used gold leaf because I have gold leafed for years, but it would have been much easier with gold fabric paint like Pebeo.  It dries well and is easy to use. Like most fabric paint it can be fixed by either ironing (cotton position), for 5 minutes, on the reverse side of the fabric; or in the oven, for 5 minutes at 300˚.  Of course you could use any red t-shirt, I happened to have the cami and I like sleeveless tops because I get too warm.

I just found this Wonder Woman t-shirt at Torrid. I generally wear their 4X in tops, but it also comes in a 5X, it would be a good base for a casual costume.

2. Wonder Woman Skirt: For the skirt I used a black skirt I had (I used it for my bee costume this summer) and used fabric paint to paint it blue.  I liked the effect but it of course would be MUCH easier to use a blue skirt.  I also found more traditional fabric (royal blue fabric with white stars, like the American Flag) but since I do not sew, making a skirt was not an option.  I also found some larger skirts at Jessica London that might have worked but by then I had run out of time.  I purchased a star stencil and used gold spray paint, but a better choice would have been non-spray fabric paint since you would not have an over-spray problem.

3. I found a tiara template, so I used it to cut out the cardboard.  Then I gold leafed it and used the red star from the template and just glued it on.  I used Velcro to fasten it in the back and this template was more than large enough for my head, which I found surprising, but I tightened it a little too much.  After I wore the tiara the first time I trimmed about 1/4 inch along the bottom edge.  It was much more becoming, sorry I did not get a photo of the change.

4. For the cuffs I just wrapped some cardboard around my arms and cut it out and gold leafed it.  I then printed the tiara template a couple of more times and cut out the red star and glued it to the cuffs, although you could just trace around the star from the tiara template and color it in.

5. The belt I painted with gold spray paint although of course it would be easier to just wear a gold belt.  I have always worn belts but have a problem finding them in a size 26-28 since I am my biggest at my waist, so creating a gold belt was easier than trying to buy one.

The cardboard did not hold up very well at the daytime event where it was hot.  So before Halloween night I put a little shellac (could use Mod Podge) to make the cuffs and tiara a little more robust and give them a little more body.

photos: Taken at Peralta Junction
Middle photo: Leori Gill
Bottom Photo: Frankie Norstad

Domino Dollhouse Redux

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 

Glynda’s Birthday

Recently (stretching that word a little) my friend Glynda had a birthday.  I love this photo.  You know how it is just easy to be friends with some people, well Glynda is like that, she wants to like you.  You met Glynda previously HERE, and I love her style and how she puts outfits together so I thought I would share her birthday with you.

Glynda is wearing a dress that was a hand-me-down (and don’t we love those), with a little attached petticoat, with last season’s shimmer fishnets from Torrid.   I am wearing ASOS Curve, a size US 22, which is their largest size.  I love it with tights, it is comfy and easy to wear.  They have this look now and then in a stretchy sheath, right now their version is sold out in the larger sizes, I am wearing a 22 (I usually wear a Size 26-28), but it is a look they often carry.   If you like it you can watch for it.

This is my favorite shot of Glynda. She loves stars, and in this shot I feel like she is channeling Wonder Woman, one of my heroes. Ciao Bellas…affinity

Getting Ready for an Urban Art Festival

As most of you know I volunteer for the Burning Man Project, so yesterday my husband and I went to Oakland to help prep the ArtIsMobilUs, a school bus turned mobile art gallery. They removed the previous mural and put up new wood so a collaborative mural can be created on the first night of the Central Market Arts Festival, located at 6th Street and Market on Friday September 28. I took photos and as usual, he did the hard work.

This t-shirt is so me. I love the theme of peace and change and I did not even realize it had little studs and rhinestones when I bought it on line.

T-shirt: Lane Bryant size 26-28 purchased on FatToo
Jeans: Torrid Tripp NYC size 28
Bracelets: Torrid
Shoes: Lane Bryant, worn with ruffled anklets

Close up of the t-shirt pattern