FFFWeek Day 6 - The Boutiques'/Retailers' Runway Show

Day 6 of Full Figured Fashion Week brought the runway finale - a showcase of the newest boutiques and most prominent retailers in the plus industry. Everyone gets fully glitzed out for this event since it is the finale, and I wanted something with a good bit of sparkle and a vintage feel, so I picked out a Patra gown from Bloomingdales. I got my hair done at DreamDry (but I much preferred Drybar!) and my make-up done by Danielle (instagram: hollywoodmua) at the MAC inside Macy's at 34th and 7th. I love the red lip with exaggerated cupid's bow she gave me!

Dress - Patra via Bloomingdales/Shoes - Marc Fisher via Macy's/Jewellery - Your Big Sister's Closet/Minaudiere - Jessica McClintock via Hudson's Bay

Fellow Fashion Front Bloggers (L to R) Jennifer from Jasiferlionsclub, Lilli from Frocks and Frou Frou, and Ashley from This is Ashley Rose

Fashion Front Organizer Marie Denee of The Curvy Fashionista with Plus Model Mag's Editor in Chief, Madeline Figueroa Jones

Me with plus size model Alison McGevna

Me with plus super model Ashley Graham (you might recognize her from everywhere! LOL)

Me with awesome blogger Marcy Guevara from The Marcy Minute and Marie Claire's Big Girl in a Skinny World

There were loads of amazing fashions on the runway, as well as off! Here are a few of my faves.

Curvezz

Curvy Couture

Dean of Fashion

Evans

Kaylene

Lane Bryant

Sonsi

Swimsuits For All

After the show, I went out for dinner with Marcy, Ashley, and her hubby Justin. It's becoming a bit of a FFFWeek tradition between us! Only my own hubby, Peter, was missing this time around because he had to man the store... By day 6 I was missing him terribly, but we still had a great time! 

FFFWeek Day 5, Part 2 - The Indie Designers' Showcase

I'm FINALLY resuming my coverage of Full Figured Fashion Week! Things have gotten so busy over the summer, and I've been meaning to post about the runway shows forever... Things have settled down a bit so I'm getting around to it at last!

It was really great to be in New York for this event. I am always so totally blown away by my fellow attendees' fashion, and this year was no different! It's also so wonderful to be amongst a community of like-minded and like-bodied women, even if it's only for a week!!!

I wore a fitted Adriana Papell dress with my Michael Kors purse, my pointy nude Marc Fischer pumps, and a chunky gold vintage necklace. I got my make up done at the Sephora at 7th and 34th, and my hair done at the Drybar on East 34th. Sonsi gave us an absolutely amazing FFFWeek Survival Kit at the beginning of the week, and in it (amongst lots of other super-awesome and useful goodies) was a gift card for Drybar, so I wanted to make sure I got my blowout in before my week in NYC was up! It was such a lovely experience and I was very happy with the results!

Dress - Adrianna Papell via Bloomingdales/Purse - Michael Kors via Holt Renfew/Bracelets - Addition Elle/Necklace - Vintage

On the Red Carpet with FFFWeek Founder, Gwen DeVoe

Monique from Curves and Chaos, looking adorable!

Me, Monique, and Olivia from Wait Until the Sunset

The lovely Gaelle from The Curvy and Curly Closet

Taking my seat for the show!

Here are some of my favourite looks from the runway. Many, many thanks to Estrella from Estrella Fashion Report for the photos - I couldn't get clear shots from where we were sitting, and hers are amazing!

AMIIEE

Nakimuli

Huudaverti

OnOz 

Rue 114

Sean Anthony Designs

Youtheary Khmer

So which designer is your favourite?

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.

The Fall Collection from Paris has landed at Your Big Sister's Closet!

Hey Guys!

So most of you probably know by now that I opened my own plus size store in Toronto, Your Big Sister's Closet, early this year. I found this stunning line from Paris at a trade show several months ago, and I placed a big order! We've been anticipating this collection for so long, and it's finally here! I created a lookbook so you can all take a look and see what's in store. I absolutely adore this collection - the romantic and bohemian-yet-sophisticated details are just stunning.

So what do you think?

FFFWeek Day 5, Part 1 - Just My Size Blogger Breakfast and Curves in the City Shopping Event

Hey Guys,

So I finally have time to pick up my coverage of FFFWeek! Day 5 was great, and started off with the JMS blogger breakfast. Just My Size is a major intimate apparel company for the plus size consumer. You've probably already got some undies from them and might not even know it. Their brand is sold by major retailers like Walmart and Target.

They hosted a breakfast at the Affinia hotel for many of the bloggers in attendance at FFFWeek, and it was a lot of fun! I got to chat and catch up with several blogger buddies that I hadn't had a chance to earlier in the week, and JMS had amazing personalized gift bags with loads of goodies in our size! Doesn't everyone look amazing?

Gaelle from the Curvy and Curly Closet (right) and Rebecca (centre) from The Plus Side of Me chatting with the ladies from JMS (left)

Step and Repeat fun! Dani from Danimezza

Lilli from Frocks and Frou Frou

Rebecca from The Plus Side of Me

And a detail shot of her fantastic belt, from the now-closed Eloquii =(

And ME! Blouse, Belt and Skirt - ASOS Curve/Earrings and Shoes- New Look/Handbag - Michael Kors via Holt Renfrew/Bracelet - Your Big Sister's Closet

I'm actually really a fan of this outfit! I love the skirt SOOO much and I got so many compliments on it. I loved it so much, I bought it in two more colours! Is that bad? I couldn't help it! I bought the navy and the red (wearing the red right now, actually!) because I thought they be great with some knee highs for the Fall. ASOS is killing my wallet right now, but I still love them! 

After the breakfast, a few of us wandered across the hall to the Curves in the City shopping event. Lots of great jewellery, and I definitely picked up a few bras from Curvy Couture, who was having a 50% off sale!

And I ran into Marcy Guevara from HelloStyle for Marie Claire. We hung out at FFFWeek 2012, so it was great to see her again. She was doing some work for Lane Bryant TV and she even interviewed me! Check it out - I'm on at about 1:00.