When shopping for a plus size body, sometimes it can seem like society doesn’t quite recognize that we do like to be on trend as well, and not shrouded in a cotton and jersey outfit with the tightest Spanx on. While a myriad of plus shops have opened its door (hello, Universal Standard, Premme, and God I love Torrid“>, it should’t be left up to “specialty shops” to create clothing for women who make up the majority of the United States. Recent stats have found that the average American woman is no longer a size 14, but a 16, and even though this is the case, plus size women only make up 2% of the images that we see in the media (Refinery 29“>.
So what’s next in Plus size fashion? And where do we find clothes that make us feel good and look good, without breaking the bank? Cue Forever 21 Plus. A long runner in the quick fashion game, I have found that their plus size section is hands down one of my faves to shop in. I often like to peep in here for my cute little going out outfits or when I want to find something that I have seen on a model elsewhere, and know F21 will have a reproduction of it, or when I am looking for a good casual piece that I can layer. Yes, I know they ripoff styles, but that’s a convo for another day. For a solid price point though, I’m coming out with a faux fur sweatshirt, boyfriend jeans with pearl embellishments, a white bootie to match, and probably some gold hoops. #Yassss
For this outfit though, I really wanted to play on the trend that thick women can’t wear stripes, or whatever little idiosyncrasy that society tries to place on my comfortably soft, but still beautiful body. So I went my version of bold, mixing a ruffled yellow top, with black, red, and white striped pants, and of course a mule, but hello velvet and mustard!! To accessorize, I “borrowed” a backpack from my mom (she won’t be getting this back”>, channeled my best John Lennon in round sunnies, and you know ya girl had to rock a mean red lip!
Entire outfit, 80 bucks. I did that honey.
I try with my fashion to be a visible influence to others around me, because I have too often seen and felt the snide remarks from others about my body or towards someone else’s. And as a confident plus size woman, it wasn’t always easy to walk into a store and:
- Find something to wear, and then
- 2. Be happy with how it looked once it was on.
Being bigger is hard. I am not going to paint that it isn’t. But don’t think I am unhealthy due to my genetic disposition, and trust, I can still lift more than you can.
In this fit, I felt powerful. I was comfortable and stylish at the same time! The wide legs on the pants were a dream and I loved that I could dress the top up or down. This day, I felt like fashion got me, as a multidimensional human being that is a size 16+ and digs personal style. So thank you, F21 Plus. You were a dream. If you are looking for a cute clothes, on trend, and affordable, I say hit up your local F21. Your weekend selfies will thank you! ;”>
This post is not sponsored by Forever 21. I just really like shopping.
All photos by @Cassandra_Jk
Hair by @prettyeyegirl_mzcuts
