I Feel Good

You know sometimes when you spend ages getting ready for a night out, an event or even just a blog post, and the reflection in mirror isn't what you hoped? This challenge is for those times when you look in the mirror, no pre planning involved, and think "I look good today". 

We all have our good days and our bad, but this challenge is to record those good days and to remember that confidence, at any size, is beautiful.

I was looking through my photographs the other day and I came across this photograph from Plus North last year.  I am pretty sure that I didn't share it at the time, hence sharing it with now.  

The dress, as the sign says, is from So Fabulous at +Very.co.uk 

I look so happy and I really did feel good that day.

Abi http://aisforabi.blogspot.co.uk/

Becky http://www.doesmyblogmakemelookfat.com/

Kitty http://misskittykaos.blogspot.co.uk/

Leah http://justmeleah.blogspot.co.uk/

Mookie http://muki7x7.blogspot.co.uk/

Natalie http://awheelbarrowfullofstyle.blogspot.co.uk 
Nikki http://nattynikki.blogspot.com

Vicky http://www.thecurvedopinion.com/

Off to Plus North!

This weekend, along with many other plus size bloggers and lovely ladies (plus a husband or two!) I am heading to Leeds for Plus North. 

To say that I am both massively excited and nervous in equal measures in probably an understatement. 

Plus North last year was a real game changer in my life and the highlight of my year.  Being surrounded by people who had had similar life experiences to myself and knew how it felt was something very new to me. 

Plus North immediately felt like a safe environment where nerves were dissipated upon the first hello with people.  There was a wave of automatic acceptance and a friendliness from everyone that made me feel instantly at home.  I met so many amazing people whom I cannot wait to reconnect with this year as well as some faces that I have yet to meet in person and can't wait to do so. 

I have been lucky enough to be chosen to model again this year and will be on the catwalk, praying I do not fall or trip over, for Yours Clothing and So Fabulous. 

Me modelling for Yours Clothing last year!

If you are reading this, I hope to see you there!  If you are attending this year please give me a wave and a hello.  You may get a glazed look at first as I am horrible with putting names and faces together, even if I follow you online so bear with me!

Model Behaviour

I have been waiting to do this post until I managed to collate a few photographs together of me on the catwalk for Plus North.  I only have a few here which I have managed to grab from other people, but I love them all.  If I get more at a later stage I will add them on.

 

Courtesy of Becca Simmons

 Image Courtesy of Yours Clothing

 

 

It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life walking down the catwalk for Yours Clothing, Curvissa and Evans and is certainly something I will never forgot.

There is one thing that I have been waiting for to happen since Plus North ended which hasn’t happened yet.  I hope it never does.  The come down.

Plus North has boosted me so much, in so many ways that I feel like one person walked into Plus North and another walked out.

For one thing; getting changed.  I had four outfits to model on the day.  There was a side room to get changed in with all the other models, or the disabled toilet if you wanted more privacy.  I hadn’t got changed in front of people like that, even my best friends for more years than I can even count. 

Inspired by the other girls who were just happily getting changed all around me, I threw off my inhibitions and by the second outfit (changed into a millisecond as I was number 12 and 14 on the catwalk!) I didn’t give it a second thought.

The other thing that I have kept with me since Plus North is that I no longer worry about what strangers think of me.  I am me, this is the way that I look and if people don’t like it, they can go to hell.   The first thing my best friend asked me when I called up after the day event was “Please tell me that you were yourself?”  She knows only too well the front that I normally put up in public. 

I am so used to being judged, silently or verbally by strangers about the way that I look that when in public there is always a self preservation wall that I put up.  That wall was torn down within the first ten minutes of being at Plus North.  All thanks to the AMAZING people there.

The sparkle that I felt when modelling has stayed with me.  I even smiled at the cute guy walking down the street this morning.  Unheard of for the girl who always looks down at the floor.

I cannot wait for next year.

 

This is not a Bra Review

This is not a bra review.  I have included a couple of pictures of the bra I am talking about but it is not a proper review.  For that, and proper pictures, I would direct you to Fuller Figure Fuller Bust or Curvy Wordy who do a far better job than I.

When I attended Plus North last week I was measured for and kindly gifted a bra from the Sculptress range from Panache.  I have to tell you that I was a bit in shock whilst getting the fitting, not because there was anything wrong with it, but because it was completely unexpected.  I had wandered into the cubicle with the intention of changing into the first of my model outfits, only to be greeted by a woman telling me to take my bra off!

After the initial "What???" and then realisation, I had the fitting and for the first time, I was given my accurate bra size.

As I said, this isn't a bra review.  It isn't a how to get your bra size fitted post either.  Although if you do measure yourself and want one of those online calculator programmes, Butterfly Bras is very good.

This post is for the people who have read all the advice, done the measuring but still aren't true believers that you really can get a bra that will fit you the way it's supposed to.  The bra that doesn't leave angry red marks where your straps have been, the cup that supports your breast enclosing everything in, the band that actually does support you, not the straps like you always thought.

I was kindly given the Panache Sculptress Willow Bra which can be bought online for £35.00 in various lingerie websites.

Source

Here are a few snippets of me wearing the bra, but I'm not a lingerie model so snippets is all you get!

Sitting on my shoulder, not cutting into my shoulder

Such a beautiful colour!

Enclosed and well fitting

 So the advice for Friday is do it!  Get your bra fitted!!  You don't have to suffer uncomfortable bras that dig in, leave nasty lines and don't support you properly.  You can be comfortable.  I have been wearing this bra all day and have felt comfortable, secure and maintained a great shape.

If your back aches with your large breasts, you are wearing the wrong bra.
If you have red welts in your shoulders after taking your bra off, you are wearing the wrong bra.
If you can fit your whole hand behind the band at the back, you are wearing the wrong bra.

Go forth and buy new bras!

The Plus Sides of Plus North

I started plus size fashion blogging with the idea of improving my confidence in myself, in what I wore and hopefully finding some inspiration and new places to shop.  What I ended up finding was myself.  I know that sounds corny as hell, but it’s true.  It has taken so very very long but finally I have the confidence to be exactly who I am, with no apologies.  I wear what I want and I am happier now than I have ever been in my life.

In a very large part I have the plus size blogging community to thank for that.  The encouragement, the comments and the friends that I have found within the community have helped to support me and hold me up when I was at a low ebb.  They were my backbone before I grew one of my own.

No matter what your confidence level is, a place where you can feel comfortable enough to be completely yourself is a very special thing.    That for me is what Plus North turned out to be.

When I first bought tickets I was more than a little scared about meeting so many people I didn’t know.  Add the fact that I had been chosen to be one of the models and I was fully expectant of being a nervous wreck on the day. 

The plus size blogging community has from the start been an accepting and friendly place.  Everyone I have spoken to has been brilliant and supportive, but when everything is online, you can’t help but wonder what will happen in real life.   In turns out, in real life, everything was even better.

I met so many wonderful people and made a lot of great memories.  Kathryn's amazing hugs and how much she cheered for everyone, the fabulous Nikki who was my co-model and who I laughed with all day; particularly when getting ready for the Evans catwalk and I took seven attempts to get one top on.  

It was brilliant to meet Becky, Emma and her husband Chris, Kaye and her husband Andy, Beth and Steph and the lovely Sel Walker to name just a few.

What Becky and Toni have achieved in Plus North is nothing short of amazing.  It was a day that I don’t think I will ever forget.  Happiness, excitement, pride in how far I’ve come and sheer joy were only a few of the feelings I had whilst walking down the catwalk for the first time.    

I didn't manage to take any photos at the event, bad blogger, but here is one of me in the dress I bought from Sorrento Clothing which I wore for the after party.

Roll on next year!

Averting a Fashion Disaster

Ok, so I’ve had a fashion disaster. 

You plan the perfect dress for an event that you have been looking forward to for months.  You store it away, pick the perfect shoes; get the right jewellery; all is well.  You have the perfect flesh coloured bra to go under it that is practically new so you don’t need to buy a new one.

 

Two days before the event you try on the entire ensemble to make sure that everything looks right.  Then, the disaster.  The bra.  Something’s happened to it in the washing machine.  It’s broken.  Panic.

 

So the red lace dress I was going to wear is now in the back of the wardrobe.  Nothing else looks right under it and I don’t have time to get a replacement before the event.  Time to improvise.

 

Luckily for me I have been on a bit of a buying spree this week.  One dress that I hadn’t thought would be suitable for Plus North now turns out to be the one I am going to wear.  It’s a magic dress.

 

Why magic?  Because I feel amazing in it.  You know when sometimes you try on a dress and the moment you look in a mirror, a massive smile appears on your face?  This dress did that for me. 

 

So whilst I am not wearing my confident red dress that I wanted, I have something else that makes me feel even better.  Also, wearing this dress (black and grey leopard print); it gives me the ideal opportunity to wear the one thing in the world that my heart truly belongs to.  Red shoes.

 

 

Looking forward to meeting you all at PlusNorth!