Big girl style

Wendy’s tips for big girl style: Attitude. Break the rules. Finish the look. Have fun. F* the fatshaming.

Life is different for girls who clothes retailers deem plus-size. Somewhere in the past, it was decided for us that we aren’t desirable. Men who flock to us for friendship would never lower themselves to dating a big girl, although they might have a fling at a pinch.

I’m going to give you fat chicks out there some advice you can actually use from a happy and healthy member of the club.

Curvy girl? Break the rules.

I have received advice from experts, friends, and family. I’ve tried to look slimmer by wearing vertical stripes. I’ve disguised my curves and bulges and tried diets to get down to an unrealistic 130 pounds; my Scandinavian body rebelled and I wondered what I was doing wrong. All of these rules restrict what I can and can’t do, eat, and wear.

When I started to break the rules, people started to notice. Vertical stripes zigzag over my body. When I started to wear horizontal stripes (a fashion faux pas), these strange patterns were smoothed out, and the stripes gave me a clean look. Instead of covering myself with tarp-like clothing, I wear tight fabrics that hug my breasts and hips. Instead of being hissed off the streets, I’m appreciated for the beauty I share, instead of hiding myself away.

Big style is all about attitude.

Most people don’t realize that when a model is walking down the runway, she usually doesn’t have a choice in what she wears. In my own shows and photos, I have worn clothes I’ve adored, but I’ve also had my share of outfits that horrified me when I put on the finished product. This has gone a long way in giving me confidence.

I have shown skin and modeled dresses that had to be ripped open to fit me inside and were never sewn back up. Every time, I have walked onto the runway portraying myself as a confident woman, because in the end, I’m just another way for the designer to get her look across.

The moral of the story: if you think you look good, you do. Period.

Finish your look.

Accessories and makeup go a long way, if you’re into them. From funky, chunky bracelets to dark raccoon eyes from the 70s, a look doesn’t come from wearing the right clothes. You have to have a vision and be able to piece everything together. A bright patchwork skirt does not a hippie make. Headscarves, copper jewelry, and wooden sandals create a Bohemian feel that screams free spirit. Festivals and thrift stores are great places to pick up unique trimmings.

Embrace the silly, and have fun.

The average fashionista might wear the latest styles and worry what others think of her. Mooks don’t. Mooks wear the colourful pasta necklaces their little sisters make in school with pride, and hold their heads up high as others scramble for the latest Gucci knockoffs. And we know that mucking around is more exciting than turning heads with a look we were told to wear but don’t feel good in.