The Ultimate #ThrowbackThursday - Famous Plus Size Fashion Bloggers' First Ever Posts

We've all got our favourite bloggers, and some of them have gained significant notoriety in both the plus size and mainstream fashion industry. My own personal style has really evolved over the past two and a half years since I started blogging (I've had some terribly cringe-worthy moments, and some great ones) so I thought it would be interesting to revisit some of my favourite bloggers' first posts. While I was reading, I realized these pictures would make for an amazing #throwbackthursday post, and I got right down to work.

Gabi Gregg of Gabifresh

Marie Denee of The Curvy Fashionista

Nadia Aboulhosn

Stephanie Zwicky of Le Blog de Big Beauty

Allison Teng of Curvy Girl Chic

Jay Miranda of Fatshionable

Tanesha Awasthi of Girl with Curves

Ragini Nag Rao of Curious Fancy

Jessica Kane of Life and Style of Jessica Kane

Lilli Pascuzzi of Frocks and Frou Frou

Rebecca Agosta from The Plus Side of Me

Nicolette Mason

And of course, me!

The difference between the then and now is remarkable - but what makes it so? Is it the use of better cameras (or more-experienced photographers)? Perhaps it's the elevated sense of personal style that the bloggers are exuding? That's certainly a part of it. But no, that's not it. Then what is it?

They have started a revolution. They have come out as proudly fat in a society where the very concept of body positivity is completely foreign to most people, and body shaming runs rampant and (mostly) unchecked. They are visionaries who are leading the way towards a world in which our bodies are our own - a world in which the choices that we make about our body, from what we put in it, to what we put on it, from who we share it with, to who we don't, are our own - where our bodies are no longer up for others' commentary or discussion; where they just are, existing in a world where value is not placed on our physical instantiations - and bodily adjectives are no longer qualified with value (fat/short ≠ bad, skinny/tall ≠ good). Utopia!

The act of dressing well as a fat woman is a politically radical act. These women have made themselves visible in the most beautiful ways, and demanded that they not be overlooked. They have shifted the politics of representation of fat people by using the democratizing force of social media to include their own true and real representation as a part of the dialogue. They have subverted the staid and stale tropes that exist that say that fat women are lazy and/or ill-disciplined slobs who are ashamed of their bodies. They have proclaimed loudly that they are beautiful, strong, fashionable, and unwilling to be ignored by society and the fashion industry.

It's this act of revolution that they are wearing well. And that is the difference between the "Then" and "Now" pictures. They have come into their own as women railing against a largely thin-focused industry and world. They're fighting back. And it's never looked better on them.

#jeansdujour - Look At What I Can Do in Second Denim Yoga Skinny Jeans from Addition Elle!

Hey Everyone!

So it's #jeansdujour day, and this week I thought I would surprise you a bit! It's a little-known fact that I was a ballet dancer for many years. I stopped a couple of years ago because I didn't have enough time for it when I started grad school, but dance was definitely my first love growing up and something I still hope to go back to at some point once things are less busy! Anyway, because of my training, I'm still quite flexible. I just wanted to show you that this pair of plus size skinny jeans from Second Jeans available at Addition Elle can certainly keep up! There's definitely a reason why they're called Yoga Jeans. They are actually comfortable and non-restrictive enough to do yoga (or even ballet) in. They feel like yoga pants but look just like jeans. I could honestly wear these every day. They're so comfortable and cute.

I totally love these jeans and would even wear them to yoga or to dance class. Have any of you guys tried the Yoga Jeans? Aren't they awesome?!

Body Positive!!!

Hey Everyone,

I want to start by saying that this post is not only for the fat, curvy, chubby (or however you want to define yourself) women (or men) out there - it is for everyone. I have yet to meet a person who doesn't have some issue with their perception of themselves or their body. This is one of the most all-encompassing problems women face today. When looking in the mirror, I tend to scrutinize every aspect of my appearance, even down to the microcosmic "problems" like visible pores on my nose, and I know there are a lot of you out there who do the same.

I'm sure some of you are wondering, if she scrutinizes herself this closely, how is she able to proudly post pictures of herself and her style for all the world to see? It comes down to one very simple factor - self affirmation. I cannot change the fact that negative thoughts about my body and myself will surface, but I can change what I do about those thoughts. Usually a trip to the mirror involves this thought process:

Negative Karen: Ugh, my butt is so big, I look like a stuffed sausage in this dress.

Self Affirming Karen: No, I can't think like that. I love my self and my body and appreciate all of the wonderful things that my body does for me. I do not exist solely as an aesthetic object, and my body's worth is not determined solely by my own negative perceptions of its appearance. There is no such thing as perfect, and my perception of beauty is determined by my position in a society that values unattainable or unrealistic aesthetic ideals. These values change and shift over time, which tells me that they are subjective and that I should not place so much credence in them. I am beautiful. I am smart. This looks good on me. I will wear it proudly and be happy. I will post it on the internet so other women will see it and know they can be happy too.

A long thought process? Maybe. But it's worth it. This thought process makes me happy and crazy confident. I acknowledge what I (perhaps inherently) view as my flaws, and I address them. Every time I have a negative thought about my body or my self, I self-correct, telling myself that others do not view the object of my insecurities as a big a problem as I do, and that I am my own harshest critic. The power of positive thought is astounding. There's a quote that I love that goes something like this: "whether you think you can or can't, you're right." It's natural to have negative thoughts about yourself, but once you catch yourself thinking in this way, stop, and challenge your negative thoughts. Maybe think about something that you really love about yourself...

I value each and every day in my body. Think of all the wonderful things your body can do for you - sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. The body even has the power to create another human life! Think of all these amazing things that your body is capable of the next time you have a negative thought about it. Self-esteem does not come naturally. It's a choice that we all have to make every time we look in the mirror. What way will I think of myself? Will I confront the negative thoughts that always seem to surface? I have answered yes to this question and I have finally learned to love myself. It takes some courage to make this leap into self-love, but once you do it, you will finally be at peace with your body (and shouldn't you be at peace with it? You only get one!).Think kindly about yourself. Don't say anything about yourself that you wouldn't say about your best friend. Before I learned to love myself, I used to think things about myself that I wouldn't say about my worst enemy. We all internalize negative perceptions of ourselves, but it is what we do about those internalized perceptions that defines how we carry on. Do you want to always be at odds with your body? It's really the only thing we can actually and permanently own in our lives. Make peace with it and your entire existence will be happier and more beautiful - I promise.

Centre and ground yourself with self-affirmation. Tell yourself that you look beautiful (because you do). Be at peace with yourself. Be happy that you are who you are. Love yourself. You will be happy that you did.