AW09 Must Haves from the Writer of FatGirlsLikeNiceClothesToo

Oh my goodness me. It’s been a whole twelve months since I started writing and here I am entering the second year. A year?! Where has the time gone? My newborn baby blog has grown into a toddler and I can still remember the first nappy change like it was yesterday. Or something. Fat Girls Like Nice Clothes Too was born out of disappointment and frustration. Disappointment at being largely ignored by an industry I love and frustration at feeling I have something relevant to say but having no-one to say it to. My poor long suffering cat could only take so much talk about hemlines, silhouettes and statement shoes before he rolled onto his back and dozed off so I had to find another outlet.

It has been a fabulous year and blogging has given me the release I needed and I love being able to converse with readers and discuss how fashion relates to those of us who do not meet the industry’s size 6 standard. I try not to harp on too much about the woes of the industry, and how it’s so anti- fat, I just use my little corner of cyberspace as a positive platform to highlight the best that plus size fashion has to offer and to help others by sharing ideas and encouraging conversation . The options available for plus size shoppers are pretty poor but I believe that with a little creative styling and sometimes a little DIY you can turn a basic item into something eye-catching and individual.

So what am I eyeing up this season? Autumn is in full swing and you can’t fail to have noticed that suddenly fashion has gone Dynasty crazy and everywhere you look there are melon size shoulders and heavily sequined garments. Does this work for plus sizes? Too right it does. The key is to make a trend work for you and you don’t have to be too literal to do this. This season’s focus is on the shoulders and how you work with that is entirely up to you. Balmain sent heavily sequined jackets with tennis ball shoulders down their runway but you don’t have to carbon copy to look current.

In real people speak all this means is that shoulders are the new focal point so to get in on the game just look for something with detail at the shoulder whether it’s a sharply angled shoulder like this jacket from Evans,
….puffed sleeves like this dress by Dorothy Perkins
…or just a nod to the trend like this stud detail top from Asda which also adds extra fashion credit by ticking the “glam punk” box which is another big trend for the season.

Now back to the sequin thing for a moment. These are not your mother’s sequins. 2009 sequins have edge, attitude and can even be dressed down and worn in the daytime. A sequin blazer is my hands down winner for key piece this autumn /winter and will update your look in one masterstroke. There are some great ones available from Dorothy Perkins and Yours at prices that won’t make your debit card (credit cards are so passé) weep but if full on Alexis Carrington isn’t for you there are oodles of sequined accessories on the high street that still pack that instant update punch without the full on assault.

Thank you to Diane for taking the time to write a guest article for 100% People. Don’t forget to find our more about whats happening in the plus size fashion world in her blog fat girls like nice clothes too.