Fat & Fully Expressed

a note on plus size fashion, self expression & weight stigma

A dear friend once told me she wanted to feel 'fully expressed' and I got goosebumps... my body *womped*. I felt it in my soul. It was like everything I'd been craving and searching for my entire life had been explained in two words:

Fully. Expressed.

Since then, I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what that means for me, and one of the ways I wanted to share who I am is through clothing, and accessories. But even though I love fashion, sometimes it feels like fashion doesn't love me.

In order to express myself through clothing, I had to challenge what I believed I was allowed to wear, and what I "should wear".

This year, thanks to a few small business, and buying on Vinted, I've managed to curate a collection of clothes I LOVE... and at the same time clothing brands are dropping their plus size clothes. Not just in store, some are removing them all together.

They do not want to sell plus sizes.

They do not want our money.

They do not believe we want to get dressed too.

I love fashion but it’s so hard to love something that continues to uphold a culture that sees my body as worthless. This is why I share my outfits, because for the longest time I didn’t think I could enjoy clothes unless I was smaller.

I see a lot of folks argue that if we want to wear smaller clothes, we should just be smaller... but (a) the solution to weight stigma is not my weight loss, and (b) even if it were, what do you want me to wear until that time?

Here are some episodes of the podcast where I talk body image and fashion:

Ep 12 - Flattering, Femininity & Fitting In

Ep 6 - 5 Summer Survival Tips from A Fat Gal

Ep 5 - From Pursuing Thinness to Prioritising Body Peace

xo, Melanie