A Plus Size Dress from “My Baby Jo” at Rehearsal for Jerk Church

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Jennifer Raiser's photo of her feature on Jerk Church in the SF Chronicle

Jennifer Raiser’s photo of her feature on Jerk Church in the SF Chronicle

A few weeks ago I was hanging out in a backyard in Oakland, my brand new neighborhood.  It was hot, I was in the shade, and there was a rehearsal for Jerk Church, a creative musical learning community for musicians and non-musicians alike that gather each Sunday to break bread, share a cup and a song. I was there to hang out with my good friend Jennifer Raiser whom you have met here and here and here and here before.  Jennifer was writing this fabulous piece about Jerk Church that you can and should read right HERE.  The Church started as a group of friends just hanging out together, and have turned into performers who were going to perform that very evening, and they have a Hymnal so you can sing along if you like.

ChurchInTheYardThese men and women were dressed mainly in “Sunday Go to Meetin’ ” clothes, retro dress for the most part, either vintage or new, one of my favorite looks, and the men also looked like they could have stepped out of a backyard party that my grandmother might have given.  There were pies, and cakes, and little sandwiches and deviled eggs, my favorite, and beer and cold drinks.

kaitlin braidinglizards braidThen I turned and there was Kaitlan Hutchinson, braiding her friend Lizard’s hair in a fishtail braid (the tattoo on Lizard’s back is a Tibetan prayer).  Kaitlan was wearing a fabulous teal dress, beautifully made, and of course I had to know more about it.   The dress is a Size 1X Haute Milan Dress in Lake from My Baby Jo in Los Angeles and the material had a wonderful hand to it.  I love the crisscross in the front and the beautiful way the waist is tailored so the skirt flows into semi-pleats. I love it, and it is such a treat to just be out and about and see someone wearing something so beautiful and accessible.  And of course the hat was an extra bonus.

kaitlin better

Peace…affinity

13 thoughts on “A Plus Size Dress from “My Baby Jo” at Rehearsal for Jerk Church”

  1. I’ve been lurking for a little bit, and I love your blog and your style. I’m also a plus size burner and I have to say you’ve inspired me to move beyond what I call “fancy pants uniform” – boring pajama pants made of interesting fabrics. Anyway, I got this catalog in the mail today – the Pyramid Collection – and was about to toss it in the recycle bin when I saw the cover declared, “We offer goddess sizes at no extra cost!” Perusing the catalog, it seems many of their offerings go up to a 26-28 (which they call a 3X, but then some of the other 3X items are a 24). Do you have any experience with clothing from this company? Some of the stuff is really interesting. Thanks again for such a wonderful blog.

    • Yep, that was me. The Pyramid Collection has various flavors of “alternative” fashion, including bohemian, new-age hippie, goth, Lolita-lite, renaissance and steampunk-inspired fashion, as well as accessories, some costume items, bedding, crystals, books etc etc . I’ve bought a bunch of stuff from them. Their sizes are fairly consistent, and in their + section, most items go up to 26-28 (tho some do stop at 18-20). It’s generally a little better made than the clothing I’ve bought from Torrid in the past. Their customer service is decent and their deliveries are dependable. I haven’t had to return anything, so I’m not sure how that goes. Hope that helps!

  2. You made my day, thanks. I have not ordered anything from them but I think I have a friend who does. I will email her and if she knows more about it she can comment here. Thanks so much for commenting, it makes it all so much more fun.

  3. Thank you so much for responding and for finding someone who had experience with the Pyramid Company. I’m actually in the process of trying to find a personal, professional style. I work on a college campus so I want to be able to wear clothes that set me apart from students (I’m often mistaken for one even though I’m 36), but I can’t wear traditional professional clothes (not that I’d want to) because I have some stomach issues that make my waist size fluctuate by 3-4 inches in a single day (sometimes I’m hourglass shaped and sometimes I’m apple-shaped). I really need stretchy fabrics or elastic waistbands but I can only seem to find things that are casual or “old lady-ish”. I’m really frustrated with the lack of variety in plus size fashion. I’m interested in developing an elegant, flowing style, sort of yoga-ish, but also put together, maybe sort of a tailored bohemian look. Do you have any suggestions on lines/companies that might have what I’m looking for? I’m a size 18 so I can also wear straight sizes if they go up to an xxl. I live in East Bay so local suggestions work too.

    Thank you again for your blog. I’ve already learned about so many new companies and options!

  4. My friend Sharon owns “In Full Swing” in Oakland and she is great with helping people find their style. She is almost always in the store on Saturdays. At a size 18 you should have lots of options. I will look at a couple of sites and get back to you. And thanks again Nicole for the info on Pyramid. Nicole and I hope to do a little photo shoot of some of her clothes soon, maybe that will also be helpful. Watch this space.

  5. SimplySara: Macy’s tends to be my fall back position for women who can wear a size 3X or under because they have such breadth. They do have a work section that does not really express the flowy aesthetic you are talking about but you might find some things that you like, and they often have good sales.
    http://www1.macys.com/m/campaign/trendreport/work-your-wardrobe/plus/index

    The only boho chic clothes I could find are a little too extreme for work but I loved a lot of them so I thought I would include a link.
    http://www.soul-flower.com/organic/plus/plus+size+hippie+clothing.html

    Good luck.

    • Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and even do a little research. I am going to check out “In Full Swing” next weekend. I didn’t know about it and local stores tend to have things that aren’t run of the mill. Thanks again!

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