What Fashion Means To Me As A Plus Size Woman

Fashion is an important outlet for self expression but for so many years, fashionable clothes weren’t available in plus sizes.  I know that this really held me back with developing my personal style and I’m sure many other plus size women out there have felt the same way at some point in their lives.

For a long time, I felt as though I used clothing to cover up and hide my body away but now that so many gorgeous clothes are available in plus size and I’ve grown in confidence, I really feel as though I can express myself and my mood through my clothing.  It’s something that I love playing around with.  Fashion is fun and a great outfit can really help to boost my mood and confidence.

With fashion comes pressure unless you fight against it; the pressure to look, dress and act a certain way.  However if we all wore the same clothes and looked the same, life would be pretty boring wouldn’t it?

While I do wear clothes from the New In section of websites, I’m not someone who blindly follows trends.  At the end of the day, everything is inspired by something and styles all filter down from the catwalk to the highstreet season after season.  Trends come around again and again which is something that I’d always heard those a generation or two before me say but when the 90s trends started to come back into fashion with cropped tops, popper tracksuits and double denim a la Justin & Britney, I knew exactly what they were talking about.  Plus, I was hit with the stark reality that I am officially getting older.

Fashion trends will come and go which is why I always suggest having a range of basics and classic staples in your wardrobe that are great quality classics you’ll be reaching for year after year.  The Scalloped Hem Knitted Dress from my #WhatLauraLovesXCurvissa range is the perfect example of a classic piece that you’ll be wearing for years to come.

Available from Curvissa in beige marl, grey marl and black, its a soft knit that holds its shape and looks great whether you’re wearing it to the office or out for drinks.

Together with the Faux Leather Jacket, they make the perfect smart-casual outfit thats wearable for so many different things.  This jacket is a staple piece that you can pair with so many other outfits, be it casual like the day time wear from my collection or you can add it over the top of a party dress to toughen up the look a little.

For me, fashion needs to be wearable.  Looks that are easy to put together save me time and ensure that I feel confident in my wardrobe.  Comfort is key for me too.  The more comfortable I feel in a garment, the more confident I feel.

To me, fashion is an outlet for self expression and it really is all about how you feel in your clothes, not what anyone else thinks about you.  I gave up caring about what anyone else thinks of me in my clothes a long time ago and now I focus on the styles that make me feel happy.  Whether it’s a lace top or a chunky cardigan, if I put it on, look in the mirror and smile, feeling comfortable, happy and confident in the item then I’ll wear it.

I know amazing it feels to get to that point and that’s why I’m so passionate about inspiring women to embrace who they are and to feel confident in expressing themselves through their wardrobe; every person is worthy of wearing the clothes they love, regardless of their size!

What does fashion mean to you?

*Images by India Jackson