Cravings

I haven't blogged about accessories in a while, and I wanted to share the ones I'm craving this summer. These things have been hot for a while, but I'm a little behind because I haven't been able to buy much lately.

1) Oversized Men's Watch

Men's watches on women's wrists are becoming more and more popular. Wearing a large-faced metal one (I prefer gold) a little bit loose completes almost any summer time outfit. This Le Chateu watch is on sale for $85 from Overstock.com, but I'm sure you can find something cheaper at your local thrift store or TJMaxx.

2) Nude/Taupe Heels

I don't know how it's possible I don't own a pair yet, it's almost disgraceful. They're super trendy right now, and they look great with everything. Try these Dolce Vita heels (I have them in black, they're fab) for $136

Love these platforms from Bakers for $70. They're calling to me (no really, they're named "Gabbi")

3) Matte Nail Polish

It's time to ditch the glossy stuff; matte polish is what's in! I'm personally lovin' it. If you don't wanna shell out the dough, you can achieve this look by applying your base coat on top of your normal polish--it helps dull the shine. If you wanna buy it, KnockOut Cosmetics makes some great shades like Karen and Calamine (seen below), and OPI launched a matte line this month.

4) Feather Earrings

They have never really gone out of style, but I'm especially digging them right now. Since my hair is now super short, I feel naked without intricate, dangly earrings to make up for the lack of 'fro. The asymmetrical look is hot! A ton of etsy sellers make handmade ones, like these from Azeeta Designs for $12.

5) Clear Umbrella

These have been around for years now, and I've wanted one forever. The rain in NYC has been coming down non-stop, so I think it's time to finally invest in one and stop carrying around my boring black thing. This one from TopShop has cute pink ruffles!

What accessories are on your wishlist this summer?

Teslyn Butler

Teslyn Butler is a gorgeous up and coming plus size model from Arkansas whose print and runway work has gained national recognition. This southern belle's impeccable style is flirty, feminine and totally reminiscent of a vintage vixen. I had the pleasure of meeting her at Full Figured Fashion Week, and she's not only beautiful, but also super sweet. Be on the lookout for Teslyn, I'm sure you'll be seeing much more of her.

Name: Teslyn Butler
Age: 24
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Size: 16
Favorite Places to Shop: Torrid, Ashley Stewart, Monif C, Speigel, H & M and many more
Current Obsession: Lip Gloss, I have been buying all kinds lately!
Advice to other YFF Girls: Follow your dreams no matter what. When people tell you that you can't do something, it should do nothing but motivate and encourage you to follow your dreams even more. Don't ever allow anyone to tell you that you are not good enough because of your size and remember that you have to be confident in yourself before people can see you as confident. Dreams do become a reality.

Alice and the Cat Eye

Alice is a freelance makeup artist from Mississippi and a long-time friend of mine. She can do it all, but she works some serious magic with eyeliner; every time I see a picture of her, I'm asking for another tutorial on how to accomplish the perfect cat eye (my shaky hands leave much to be desired). I've been begging her to guest blog for YFF for months, and she's finally given in! The girl is a genius--if you don't believe me (or even if you do), check out her website: neutralize.org. Her photography, writing and art is breathtaking, much like her beauty. Girl is fly, and hopefully she'll be blogging here in the future (we must get her an account so I don't have to introduce her each time!)

If you want even more Alice, follow her on twitter @neutralizing.

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I'm not an especially flashy dresser. I'm mostly drawn to a somber color palette of greys and blacks with (increasingly occasional) pops of yellow and red. I very rarely find myself attracted to print. I mean, I love print (houndstooth! buffalo plaid! stripes! leopard!), but I usually feel like the prints that are sold to fat women leave, uh, somethin' to be desired. I am so over big floral abstractions that I could puke.

Anyway, that means I need to get my visual interest another way. I ain't tryin' to look boring. My mom is a hairdresser, and I learned from an early age that the details of a look can have just as much impact as the rest. That means clever and style driven accessorizing, hairstyle choice, and make-up, my favorite part of the whole thing.

When it comes to beauty, trends are worthless. A smoky eye is not hot right now; it's always hot. A bold lip? Always hot. Big hair? Straight hair? A fine brow? A thick brow? Heavy blush? When it comes to beauty, what's important is what compliments your own personal style, not just what plays well with the fashion of the day. If you know a few simple make-up looks that you understand how to modify, you'll be set for life.

One of my all time favorite looks is cat eye liner. Nothing is more versatile. With adjustment, it'll go with everything. Once you know how to execute it, you can try it in different sizes (Winehouse! Jolie!), finishes (creamy! powdery! glossy!) and colors (black is standard, but try aqua blue! grassy green! purple!). I'm going to teach you how I personally do it.


First, find the angle at which your liner should be drawn. Lay a straight edge between your nose and the outside of your eyebrow, being sure it meets the outside corner of your eye. The angle is probably more steep than you would expect, but I find that flatter angles have a different effect on the shape of the eye than I usually like. Experiment!


Using whatever product you want (liquid liner, pencil liner, or powder/cream/gel on an angle brush all work fine), draw a line from along the angle you found before. You can keep your line short or take it further out depending on your taste! I go pretty far out there, partly because I wear glasses. This line needs to be straight on the outside, but you should feel comfortable going over it again if you need to straighten things up! Mistakes will likely be dealt with later.


Starting at the outside tip of your first line, draw a line down onto your eyelid. Check the picture! You want a narrow but not too narrow triangle happening. Again, as long as it's straight outside, you're fine. If you're not comfortable, make this shape a little thinner than you think it needs to be. You can thicken it up later.


Starting near the inside corner of the eye, draw a line that will connect with the shape you drew before. Follow the curve of the eye but don't keep draw the line at your eyelashes unless the wing at the outside corner is very small.


Fill it in! As you fill in your shape, you can smooth out any errors you made before to make sure everything's as smooth as you want it to be.


I like my liner to taper to a very fine point. If you do too, taper it! With just a little product on the brush and very light pressure, extend the corner to a very fine point.


Finish your make-up! I prefer to put foundation on after I do my (or a client's!) eye make-up, which means that I don't need to be as careful when I'm doing the eyes. When wearing a strong cat eye, I wear lots of mascara on my top lashes and none on my bottom lashes. This is a personal preference and another of the many things you can do to personalize something like this for yourself.

If y'all have any questions about this look or any other look you're curious about, tell me or Gabi! I want to help! If I can't explain it to you, I'll come over and do it myself. Pinky swear.

Chop Chop

Your eyes are not deceiving you, I chopped my hair off. I'm going through a sort of quarter life crisis and had a Britney moment. I think it turned out okay, considering I just took handfuls of hair and cut until I was satisfied.

This is what I wore for my very first visit to Topshop (sorry about the crappy lighting--I wish I would have taken these outside). Also, I swear it was bright out and I am not in the habit of wearing sunglasses indoors.

I absolutely adore this outfit; the H&M harem pedal pushers are the most comfortable thing in my closet--I wish the pics showed their slouchy greatness. I layered a white Old Navy tank over a striped spandex dress (which was a gift from Gabby). To complete the look I added my H&M cropped blazer and these amazing Derek Lam wedges (borrowed, don't worry). I had the shoes on for about 6 minutes before my feet were killing and I promptly switched into flats. Oh well.

Oh, and TopShop? Heaven on Earth.

Finally.

Beth Ditto's Evans line has officially launched! I know this stuff isn't everybody's taste, and understandably so, but I dig most of it. I think we'd seen almost everything in the previews, but it's still super exciting to finally have it available for purchase. What are your faves? I love the cropped biker jacket and the stained glass prom dress.

So what's the verdict? Love or hate?

P.S. According to my Twitter sources, you can get £5 off the new line by using code evesu94 before July 14.

Rompin Around

So I realized I am way too impatient to wait until a certain day of the week to show you guys the clothes I want. Instead, I'll just post things here as I find them. Right now, I need this Torrid romper. I hate being poor.

Clutch

And now for a little shameless self-promotion: yesterday Clutch Magazine published an interview with me in their fashion blog, Stylistic.

If you're not familiar with Clutch Mag or their Stylistic blog, you should be--they feature some amazing up and coming designers, trends and fashionistas. Just in the past few days, they've introduced me to Patricia Field's 5-finger half gloves (must have), a cool jewelry line called Vintage Royalty, and the awesome online boutique, Yannique. Check 'em out (and don't forget to read my interview!)

All images taken from clutchmagonline.com

Gabby

Meet Gabby. Most likely you've seen her around the fat fashion blogosphere (she's quite popular in the wardrobe remix flickr community and she has a fashion blog called Corazones Rojos). Gabby is the queen of skinny pants and vintage dresses and has one of the best developed personal styles around. I like to call it grandma-chic, and I mean that in the best way possible. Plus, we share the same name, so she has to be pretty fuckin' cool.

Name: Gabby
Age: 26
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Size: 14/16
Favorite Places to Shop: Most of the items in my closet are thrifted. I buy a lot of second-hand items and frequent Etsy; but my absolute number one favorite place to shop is a little thrift store in my hometown called The Value Center.
Fashion Icons: Stevie Nicks, Anna Sui, Jane Birkin, Chloe Sevigny, Susie Bubble
Current Obsession: Nast-Magazine, the Lykke Li bun, adding more black items to my closet, and plus-size fashion blogs.
Advice to other YFF Girls: I don't believe in fashion - I believe in personal style. First and foremost, don't rule out any store or trend. The best and most creative outfits are put together with items you never thought you would wear or like. Also, get yourself a simple sewing kit. I always shorten, hem, or cut thrift store items in some way or another to make them fit me better or alter them to my style. And above anything, do not listen to what anyone else says about how you should or should not dress.

Want to be featured as YFF's Girl of the Moment? Email gabi@youngfatandfabulous.com, you could be chosen next!

Dorothy Perkins Premium

If you are an active online shopper (or if you read The Musings of a Fatshionista), you've already seen the new Dorothy Perkins Premium Collection. It is, in a word, amazing. Here are a few of my favorite things:

And in case you didn't know, DP now has maternity clothing! This is awesome news for fat girls who carry more of their weight in their bellies; the extra room makes a huge difference. I will shamelessly tell you that I've shopped in the maternity section at places like Target and Old Navy and I've found some great options that way.

It's cool that UK retailers like Dorothy Perkins already go up to size 22, but let's hope they follow the lead of ASOS and extend their sizing even further.

LaDan's Closet

I know most of us are busy enjoying the sunshine and the last thing on our minds is outerwear, but I have to share another designer I just found out about. LaDan's Closet is launching their first line this fall and just got done shooting their outerwear collection. We all know how hard it can be to find fashionable coats during the colder months, but so far these designs looks very promising! I'll definitely give you more info about this line as I hear about it.

The Carpenter's Daughter

I was super excited to discover the New Zealand plus size brand, The Carpenter's Daughter. Obviously, since the seasons are reversed, right now they're selling their Winter Collection (which was inspired by a New Zealand native bird, the Tui), but I hear the Summer Collection will be released shortly. I can't say I dig everything they offer, but there are definitely some gems. I'm totally loving this feather bolero:

They carry sizes 12-24, and yes, they do ship to the US. I can't wait to see what their summer stuff looks like. In the mean time, check out some amazing images from their winter collection:

The Runway

I need to preface this post by saying this: Full Figured Fashion Week was great. I met some seriously wonderful people, I was inspired by beautiful women, and I got introduced to new designers. However, while I watched the finale fashion show, I found myself so in awe of the gorgeous women on the runway that I soon realized I was clapping for the girls and not the clothes. I quickly had to snap out of it and ask myself: "Would these designs be good enough for Fashion Week at Bryant Park? Am I lowering my standards just because this fashion is for fat women?"

The answer was yes. Most of the lines featured during the finale show consisted of the same dresses we see all the time for plus sizes. Nice? Yes. Innovative? Not so much. Runway shows are supposed to blow us away, they are supposed to show us something we have never seen before, they are supposed to inspire and amaze us. I can't say that was necessarily true for the lines featured during FFFWeek. Seriously, how many flowy chiffon and satin dresses can we see before we get sick of them? They're nice and all, but I like a little variety in my closet. That being said, I respect the fact that FFFWeek even exists and I hope that the event only improves with time.

The show began with Ashley Stewart's line, which impressed me considering what I'd previously seen in-store. The prints were gorgeous, and I was pleasantly surprised with how fresh, flirty and fun the dresses were. The clothing fit the models perfectly, the line was cohesive, and the quality and construction of the garments were impeccable.

Next up was the line Candi Apple Couture, which I hadn't heard of before FFFWeek. I thought there were some hits and misses, but I was moderately happy with most of the items shown (my favorites are below):

I have to say, I was seriously disappointed when I saw the fashion from Agape Goddess Wear. I mean, granted, I'm probably not their target demographic, but I didn't see one thing I liked or would wear. The designs looked amateur, the construction was poor, and the line was not cohesive.

Osun Designs, on the other hand, offered a cultural line while still managing to stay current and somewhat fashionable. Again, I probably wouldn't wear the designs, but I appreciate the aesthetic. That yellow and brown jumpsuit is kind of fly.

If there is one designer who gets it right, it's Monif C. Seeing her line in person solidified why she's made it mainstream. The construction and quality of her clothing is seriously perfect, and I loved the purple floral mini.

For me, the most refreshing line of the night came from LaMaica Fashions. We got a break from the flowy stuff and finally saw some structured pieces, high collars, and fun hats.

Qristyl Frazier also had a few gems. I loved the prints she chose, and she offered some cute jumpsuits to mix things up. The mint and cream maxi was my favorite look of hers:

Sealed With A Kiss (SWAK) Designs offered their usual fun stuff. Lots of jersey knits and accessible, easy to wear outfits.

Big Girls United (BGU) offered a lot of body con dresses (which I'm into right now), and some good options for younger girls who like to party.

Robert E. Knight's line lacked cohesion, but he had a few things I liked. My favorite was the tan dress with the oversized sleeves.

Jewel Shannon Designs closed the show, and I gotta say, it was a great way to end. Tons of white, sparkly swim and resort wear that was perfectly constructed. I could definitely see myself in some of these pieces on the beach.

All photo credit goes to Richard Lew Photography. Check out his site to see all of the pieces that hit the runway (and photos from other events during FFFWeek).

There were some cute things, but overall, a little underwhelming. I'm still waiting for the day when plus size fashion will finally see a designer like Marc Jacobs or Zac Posen. What do you guys think? Fab or drab? What's your favorite?

Oh, and for all you Aussies, supposedly FFFWeek is coming your way soon!

Tetris

I'm currently in love with this Tetris print mini skirt from the Australian retailer, City Chic. Why is it that US plus size stores can't keep up with the stylish designs of their foreign competitors?

I've been thinking about posting an article of clothing I'm digging each Monday as the "Item of the Week," but sadly, I don't even think enough cute plus size options exist for me to choose something new that often. What do you guys think?

Richie Rich Does Plus Sizes

Yesterday I had the pleasure of running into none other than Heatherette designer, Richie Rich (this is why I love being in NYC). As much as I love Heatherette's stuff, I was more than excited to meet Richie because I'd heard that he's coming out with a plus size line! We spoke briefly and he assured me that he's pumped for the launch. Back in April, he told the press “It should be cool. I’m coming out with a plus size line, which I’ve never done before; that I’m really excited about because a lot of the girls that approached me — and guys that approached me — are, um, you know, they’re not little twigs." Richie is one of the first high-fashion designers that is pursuing a line for fat girls (and being vocal about it) and I can't wait to see what's in store!

Hear what he had to say at the White House Black Market Press Preview:

Sittin' Pretty on the Sidelines

The runway last night was fantastic! Some lines were amazing (others were...not), but it was the audience members that wowed me the most. There were three girls in particular that I couldn't take my eyes off of; their steez was incredible. As for me, well, let's just say I was disappointed with how I looked. Long story short, I was in a huge rush and ended up throwing on the dress I wore for my friend's party in Boston. Others assured me I looked great, but I was sad I couldn't bring my best at such an amazing event.

As soon as I saw Ose, I squealed. The girl gets it. She's so stylish, I found it no surprise when she told me she works at TopShop (that's where the majority of her outfit is from). When I asked her whether fat women could fit into things there, she said "you'd be surprised. I make things work!" That's when I knew she was my kind of girl. And those fab bow earrings? Yeah, she made 'em. 

When Huny walked into the room, everyone literally stopped and stared. Her outfit was impeccably executed, giving her that edgy-chic look that others (including myself) try so hard to emulate. Her top is from Macy's, her belt is from Ashley Stewart, and she found that amazing crinoline skirt (that I must buy) on ebay. I love nothing more than a girl who knows how to mix fun pieces and create something totally inspiring. 

My favorite outfit of the night belonged to Meilee. Her vintage cropped sequins jacket (with bow details on the sleeves!) made my mouth water. The high-waisted pedal pushers are from the Goodwill and the ruffle top is from Ross! Now that's innovation---if you told me someone was wearing khakis from the Goodwill and a top from Ross, I'd never imagine it would look this good: 

Don't fret, the official runway photos are coming soon...

Nikki Blonsky and Others at FFFWeek

Thursday kicked off Full-Figured Fashion Week, and yesterday I had the pleasure of attending The State of the Curvy Community discussion. Honestly, it was even better than expected; the speakers were inspirational, the crowd was lively, and I met some pretty amazing people. 

The consensus among the panelists seemed to be that plus size designers and retailers need to listen to their customers and truly show they care about our desires and complaints. Celebrity stylist Susan Moses said it best: "I think the biggest problem today is a lot of ignorance... and a lot of companies just wanting to take our dollars, but not speak to us, not show us any love." 

Unfortunately, I didn't get to record the entire thing, but here's what Nikki Blonsky had to say about her experience as a fat girl:

Nikki Blonsky at FFFWeek from gabi gregg on Vimeo.

She was super sweet! Hairspray is one of my favorite movies, so this was especially exciting for me.

Susan was also wonderful and helpful, I should be meeting with her soon for some tips.

For the first time ever, I had people recognize me from YFF! They asked to take a picture with me, it was a humbling moment:

After the discussion, I headed to the press party at Taj Lounge, where I mingled with more beautiful women. Model Mia Amber looked amazing in her Igigi maxi dress:

I also hung out with the model from SWAK Designs

And I had to get a picture of this cutie in her H&M outfit (by the way, that's where my top is from too):

All in all, I'm having a blast. I can't wait for the runway show tonight (even though I have no idea what I'm wearing...)

Whitney Thompson



Last Tuesday, I attended the red carpet of Samsung's 8th Annual Four Seasons of Hope Gala to interview Whitney Thompson (the first plus size winner of America's Next Top Model). Let me just get this out of the way and say what everyone's thinking: this girl is nowhere near plus size---I'm guessing she's a size 8, at most.

I almost felt weird asking her questions regarding her size, because the truth is, no matter what I asked, her answers would in no way relate to the experiences of true plus size women in America. I mean, really, what will I (or my readers) gain by knowing her favorite places to shop? Nevertheless, I was invited there to ask her a few questions, so I did my duty. Red carpet "interviews" are approximately 45 seconds anyway; I was just happy I got to stand within three feet of John Legend (big crush) and Kelis (bigger crush).

(I'm excusing Kelis for this fug outfit because she's 8 months pregnant)

Anyway, back to Whitney. She was wearing a cute bodycon dress and her makeup was flawless, but something was a little off. She looked super uncomfortable and wouldn't stop fidgeting, not to mention her answers to my questions were less than impressive. Read for yourselves:

YFF: What has been your experience in the plus size modeling industry so far?
WT: Um, yeah, everything has been really great since I won the show. I've gotten a lot of support and it's a wonderful show because it's in 140 countries, which I think a lot of people don't realize. And a lot of people associate Americans with being overweight, which is just ridiculous because people deal with these issues all the time all over the world...so I get fan mail from people in Hong Kong and Australia and New Zealand and it's just really cool because I feel like I'm making an impact.

YFF: Cool. So what have you been doing since the show ended?
WT: I've been busy! I'm writing a memoir and I'm shooting a pilot for my cooking show, and I'm just doing a lot of stuff. I'm also signed with Wilhelmina now as well...so yeah, life is good.

YFF: Sounds great! Who inspires your fashion and style?
WT: You know, I'm pretty bad at styling anything. I'm really bad at hair and makeup and dressing myself... I depend on a lot of people. But, I've always looked up to, you know, the old classic icons, Tyra Banks, Cindy Crawford, and just people who were leaders in the fashion industry but aren't necessarily uh...

YFF: Fashionistas?
WT: Yeah, yeah, not the Kate Mosses, you know? I'm not walking around in my mini shorts and crop tops.

YFF: Got it! Well, thank you so much for your time, it was great meeting you.
WT: Thank you, nice meeting you too.

I don't know how I feel about Whit. She's obviously a total sweetheart, but I can't help but be a little bitter that she's touted as ANTM's first plus size winner, as if she somehow proves that the modeling industry is okay with bigger girls. I guess in theory I should be happy that someone above a size 4 finally won ANTM, but I can't say I'm impressed. I hope Tyra and the gang eventually choose a (competent and confident) winner above a size 10.

Hepburn Style

Kind of like, I don't know, everyone else in the entire world, one of my favorite fashion icons is the ever-inspiring Audrey Hepburn. For as long as I can remember, I've heard people talk about how amazing she looked in her signature cigarette pants. And like clockwork, they always add "but only women with a body like hers could pull those off." I love proving people wrong.

I know I already featured Sakina on YFF, but I can't help but share another outfit of hers. When I saw her in these perfectly tailored pants, I knew I had to spread the word: fat girls look hot in ankle-length skinnies. I totally think she does Ms. Hepburn proud.

Make It Work

You know the whole, "whatever size you are, buy clothes that fit properly" mantra? Well, yeah, I've never actually believed in that. I'm more into the Tim Gunn school of thought--in other words, make it work. If I restricted myself to only buying clothing with my size on the tag, I'd be stuck paying hundreds of dollars for calf-length polyester dresses.

Instead, I go to mainstream stores and hunt for things that look like they might, by the grace of God, work for me. The other day, I went into Forever21 and found so many cute tops, none of which they even had in a size large. Instead of walking out disappointed, I grabbed the mediums and brought them in the fitting room. Each and every single thing looked great...I mean, I didn't end up buying anything, but that was because I had no money, not because the tops were too tight. I need everyone to understand this: just because stuff may not "fit" the way the designer intended, does not mean we can't wear it. Creativity is the one thing that has saved my style as a fat girl.

While at H&M, I saw the most amazing pair of stretchy acid wash denim pants (I warned you I'd be wearing acid wash this summer), and I knew I had to have them. It was no surprise that the largest size they had in stock was a 12. According to most size charts, I should wear a size 20/22 in pants. According to experience, I wear a solid 18. Either way, I think it's safe to assume there is no way I'm anywhere near a size 12.

I bought them. After a little stretching and a lot of jumping up and down while pulling upwards, you better believe I made them work for me.

I can't lie, they do create a bit of a muffin top, but whatever--the layering of my long H&M burnout tee paired with my blazer (why yes, I do wear it everyday) quickly fixed that problem. The black Zinc wedges and neon pink f21 headband perfectly complete the outfit. I've been wearing some version of this for the past week or so (hey, I'm living out of a carry-on suitcase), and it's my new favorite day time look.

Asos!

If I could fill my entire closet with clothing from only one store, it would undoubtedly be Asos.com. Honestly, there is no other place that has that many things I am completely in love with; I think it's safe to say I would gladly wear 99% of what they offer. So you can imagine my reaction when I found out from a very reliable source (read: Twitter) that Asos is considering adding a plus size line! If this happens, I can die happy. They already offer sizes up to UK20, but extending the range further would make a huge difference. As far as I know, things are still in the early planning stages; in fact, they are asking for feedback and advice from people like us. Please participate in the survey and be sure to comment on their blog--I want us to do all we can so that 1) they see there is a desire for this line, and 2) we can avoid disaster a la Faith21.

Also, more Beth Ditto for Evans pictures have surfaced, check out The Musings of a Fatshionista to see the images.