In The Thick Of It
Queer fat femme. Fat fashion bargain hunting. Living in Chicago.
Hi Readers!
Sorry for the lack of updates this week! I had my lovely friend Kat in town and I’ve managed to catch a cold.
I promise to have a new outfit post up soon, but in the meantime - here’s a photo of the ever-dapper (just look at those gorgeous buttons on their vest!) Kat and me last week and one below of Kat hanging out on my couch drinking an Old Fashioned!
Plus Size Collection desiger Ashley Nell Tipton
If you would like to see more creation go to http://www.facebook.com/#!/byashleynell and be come my friend
Wow, these clothes are fantastic and I would wear just about everything in this collection. I need to get my hands on these items ASAP.
Chicago folks, I’m looking for LGBTQ-run/owned boutiques and vintage stores - can you tell me who you know? This is for a fashion project I’m working on for The Qu blog :) Also if you’re LGBTQ… and want to model for upcoming shoots, let me know!
I had a reader write in to ask about sports bras for DD+
My top recommendation is the Enell sports bra. This thing will strap you in and keep you there. I can jump up and down without any movement.
I also own a Penache sports bra (goes up to a size H) which I love and recommend
Check out the barenecessities website for a good selection of sports bras in larger sizes (there’s quite a few that go up to an H cup)
Pretty Lace for Spring - from Vive La Femme
This past Saturday, I spent the afternoon at Chicago plus size boutique, Vive La Femme. I had a blast chatting with owner Stephanie and manager Amanda. I tried on tons of things and I just had to share my great finds with you all! All clothing is from Vive la Femme, all accessories are from sister store Violette*.
Shirt - Perch, $50, the new juniors plus size line, sz 2X
Jeans — Goodtime, $50, sz 3x — this is a junior plus size which accounts for the uptick to a 3x. Great line for folks who wear size 12-18
Shoes — GoMax, $39 (all man-made materials, perfect for vegans), size 11
Jewelry — Geranium, $24
*Violette carries an amazing line of shoes size 7-11, and shoes are under $75! Super cute
I’m a 5’9” queer fat femme and approx size 18
Dapper Femme with the red bow
White button up shirt - GAP sz 20
Black wool Jacket - thrifted sz 14
Black Jeans - Target premium denim, sz 18
Red bow - vintage, thrifted
Red hankie - ?
Black suede pumps - Franco Sarto, sz 11 (via DSW)
Glasses - SEE
I’m a 5’9” queer fat femme and approx size 18
I’ve had a lot of questions lately about where to shop for plus size clothes in Chicago. Usually my first recommendation for new clothes (not vintage/thrift - i’ll get to that in another post) is Vive La Femme, the fantastic plus size boutique in the Bucktown neighborhood.
They carry a variety of well-known designer plus size lines, but also carry a lot of independent labels and local designers! There’s really something for everyone. Additionally, their sister store Violette carries shoes up to size 11 in wide widths and wide calf boots - how great is that?
Vive La Femme is currently having a progressive sale, and you really should check it out this month!
It’s January…so it’s time for a MONEY, HONEY! sale at vive la femme and violette!
Progressive markdowns at both stores start at 10% off, then go to 15% off, then to 20% off, all the way to 90% off!
That’s a lot of MONEY, HONEY!
Stock up on dresses, denim, boots, and baubles! ComfyUSA, Zen Knits, Kiyonna, Igigi, NYDJ, are available for adoption at vive la femme. Booties, flats, wedges, jewelry, and scarves are all ready for good homes at violette.
Want more information? Call vive la femme at 773.772.7429 or violette at 773.235.7150. Sale is over when it is, so don’t hesitate to save that MONEY, HONEY!
Vive La Femme
2048 N Damen
Chicago IL
I can’t wait to see everyone’s fatshions again this year. If you have a moment, please signal boost my project to your communities, and if you’re interested in being my co-moderator after reading over my thoughts, think about emailing me!
xo
jd
Dear Tumblr-land, 2011 FatFeb participants, and 2012 FatFeb Hopefuls,
Fatshion February is back for a second round!
In 2011, Fatshion February was born as a labor of love (and breakup healing). I was astounded and overwhelmed by the participation of hundreds of amazing femmes and friends (fat and otherwise bodied). Your fashions inspired me, reblogging your posts gave me something to do every day, and this project challenged me to engage with the politics of fashion in new and complicated ways.
I am excited to announce that this year, we’re back for round two! I’ve spent much of the past 12 months thinking about this project, what worked last time, and what I can do better this time around. So here’s the scoop.
This year, I aim to be more explicitly inclusive of several groups.
- QPOC - last year’s blog was overwhelmingly white. Queer folks of color, I want to see your outfits! Please submit. Fashion, especially fat fashion, is wildly political, and I want to hold space for you here.
- gender-non-conforming & masculine-of-center queer folk - I want to see your fatshion! Fashion/access to fashion spaces that represent me is one of the few areas of queer community in which I hold privilege as a femme. There is a dearth of blogs representing accessible, personal fashion for non-femme queer folk. If you don’t ID as femme, I want to see what you are wearing on your body.
I’d like to note that if you are femme, you are absolutely, 100% welcome and encouraged to still participate in this project. I mention the two groups above to broaden our scope here, not to close anyone previously welcome out.
So, let’s talk technicalities!
Some new guidelines:
- This year, I won’t be religiously reblogging posts with the tag #fatshionfebruary. I will still follow this tag, but if you would like your fashions featured on the blog, please use the submit link, and I will queue your submissions! I will enable email submissions for those who don’t wish to join Tumblr. This policy is an act of self care, and love for my time, and I appreciate your understanding in advance.
- I am actively seeking a queer, fat-identified co-moderator of this space. I would prefer for that person to be a person of color and/or someone GNC/masculine-of-center, but I will for sure consider lady-femme moderators as well. If you are interested, please shoot me an email at jessiedress@gmail.com and tell me a little something about yourself/your tumblr name/if you participated last year/what kind of time you have to dedicate to the project. You’d be responsible for posting your fatshions directly to the blog each day, helping queue posts, and doing some (consensual) processing with me about how this project affects us all!
Incredibly excited for round two with you all! I want to see your hot ass! I want to see people wearing work clothes, or house clothes, or going out to dance clothes. I want to know where you got what you’re wearing, and what you did to make it fit your body and your life. Let’s make this shit huge. Let’s make fashion what we want to see! Its going to be super rad and hot. I can feel it.
Please signal boost this to your communities, and reach out to me with any questions. Can’t wait to see you all come February 1.
So much fat/queer love!
XOXOXO
Jessie Dress
I hope y’all participate, I will be!
Kinzie Corridor Art Show - Collage and Comics
Last night was my first gallery art show (see my digital collage work here). Of course it was a thrilling thing to have happen in general, but I wanted to share my outfit with you all. I needed something simple that would go from art show to a birthday party later in the evening. And also I had to run errands all day before the show - so I needed something I could move around in easily.
Black Wool Jacket - Thrifted, sz 16
Green/Black leopard Shirt - Forever 21, sz 2XL
Black Jeans - Target, sz 18
Green Suede Shoes - Faryl Robin, sz 11
Necklace - Forever 21
I’m a 5’9” queer fat femme and approx size 18
i love her clothes and stuff and also the tumblr I’m going to repost this from BUT BUT BUT looking at her it’s more inspiring to me to lose weight than all that skinny bitches, because the clothes cover but the rest seems GROSS :s
I want to do a tatto on the same place she has but I was always scared that I had a bit cellulite BUT this is kinda gross :( compared with me. she’s all bumps on her body. I’m being mean? :(
Hey folks, so normally I don’t respond to all the random commentary I get on my site, but I received this comment to one of my recent posts. This sentiment is exactly the sort of fat-phobic crap that I spend my life fighting against. Here’s the deal: If you’re the sort of person who reblogs my photos with this sort of commentary, please do us both a favor and stop following/reblogging my images.
To the commenter - “Skinny bitches” have cellulite too - cellulite has nothing to do with weight. But while we’re on the topic, there’s nothing wrong with cellulite. It doesn’t make anyone less-than, it doesn’t make anyone “gross.”
And yes, you’re being mean, you’re shaming bodies, and you’re being judgey. My blog is about body positivity regardless of size. If you’re going to reblog my photos with such commentary, I suggest you do it in a way that I cannot see it because I will continue to call you out on your shitty body-shaming ways.
