It has been awhile, but I'm finally back!  Actually, I have not really been away - just insanely busy at work and busy socially and, well, a wee bit lazy.  OMG FAT STEREOTYPE.

Anyway!  My wonderful parents asked me earlier in the year what I'd like for Christmas, and I replied, "A sewing machine!"

I have fond memories of being poked and prodded with pins and measuring tapes for most my childhood.  My mother is an excellent seamstress, and the bulk of my clothes except for my socks, school uniforms, and some special occasion gear, were made for me until I was about eight or so.  My mother made my senior formal outfit (that's prom, for the non-Australians), medieval costumes when I was at university, the works.

Now, I wanted to be able to alter my own clothes, and begin making my own too.  First I learned how to do the basics - thread the machine, fill a bobbin, and sew straight and zigzag stitches.  Although I've never sewn before, I've spent years around my mother and her machine, so it wasn't too hard.  So I asked my mum to help me make a breezy summer top.  This is what we did:

Made a rough mock-up using one of my tank-tops and an old bedsheet, fitted the mock up, made a pattern out of newspaper, and cut the pieces - one centre back and two centre front pieces. After putting those together at the shoulder seam and sewing the darts, we decided that it needed facings, so cut out armhole and neckline facings, ironed on interfacing paper and added that. Then mum got the bright idea that we should understitch the facings.

It pulls a little oddly on the left shoulder, but given that we drafted the pattern mostly from scratch, I wasn't expecting a perfect fit.  I'm slip-stitching all the facings down at the moment (neck done, one and a half armholes to go!), but other than that it's finished

Apologies for the cruddy webcam headless fatty shots, but my camera was not playing nice this evening with the self-timer for some reason.  Also it is wrinkled, because I had it crushed in my lap while I sewed the facings down and watched The West Wing (which is an awesome show for sewing to, by the by).

I feel inordinately proud myself, and really inspired!  However, it's clear that I need a lot more general sewing experience before I get to the stage that I want to be, which is to be able to draft my own patterns from scratch.  Going by measurements, I am right at the top of the plus-size spectrum in commercial patterns, and I want to have the skill to make what I want, when I want it!

I got rather excited when I saw these two patterns from Simplicity, as I can fit (just) the 28W, and I absolutely adore 1940s vintage stylin'!  I was disappointed to discover that these seemed to be limited to the US as well, though!  Isn't that just awesome - not only is the range of ready-to-wear clothing in Australia shitty, but patterns are equally difficult to find. :/  I'm in love with some of the Burda patterns I've found too, but of course their online store doesn't ship to Australia.  I know Burda is commercially available here; I just hope there's a similarly awesome plus pattern availability.

There's a happy ending though - I found both Simplicity patterns on eBay from a seller who ships worldwide, AND it was cheaper!  I can't wait to try them out, though I'll probably start with the skirt, as it looks the least difficult.  My goal is to channel Katharine Hepburn and make a fabulous pair of high-waisted, wide-legged pants.  First step is to buy some calico or muslin, as I'm far from proportionate, so there'll be adjustments, no doubt.

So tell me!  Do you sew?  What are some of your favourite patterns, tips and tricks?  What do you find most difficult when adjusting for fatness?

(BONUS PHOTO:  I had my hair dyed blonde at the beginning of December.  EXCITING!  I won't apologise for this being a webcam shot, it's from my dailybooth stream)

Flattering. Fashionable. Stylish.

It has been said more than once that fatshion is none of those things. Yeah, sure, the range of clothing in Australia (and many places internationally) has really improved over the past ten years - but is it where it needs to be? Hell no.  I remember being in high school and wearing t-shirts and jeans EVERYWHERE because my fashion choices were so limited.  And now? I have more clothing than I do closet space.  (Seriously, it's an addiction.  i do believe i might be overcompensating for my lack of fashion choices when i was younger.)

But there is still a big hullaballoo (wow, my spellcheck recognises hullaballoo as a word, neat) about what should actually be produced in the world of fatshion. Some say that we should have the same styles available to us as those in straight sizes - "thin" designs sized up to a plus size. Others say that this technique isn't going to work, and that designers should be working specifically with fats from the beginning, because what looks good on a six will not look good on a twenty-six.

What do I think?  As per usual, I am a little unsure about the whole thing.  I love the idea that I can wear exactly the same clothes as my thinner counterparts - the Jane Lamerton brand (Myer) actually does size their straight sized clothing up to plus. I've bought several of their dresses that have been sized up. But usually things seem a little wonky with regards to how they have sized up. For example, I bought an awesome swing coat for my mum for christmas and then saw it in my size and freaked out.  I mean, awesome, right?  I tried it on (though my mum forbade me as she didn't want to have a matchymatchy mother daughter thing going on) and it looked HORRIBLE.  Their proportions had been sized up in such an unusual way; as though only certain body parts got bigger (breasts) while others stayed the same (arms).   It was not a great look on me, that's for sure. Was this just because my proportions didn't work with the company's fit model?  Maybe. Ignorance on the company's behalf?  You betcha. 

I'm torn.  I want to wear cute clothes. I want to have the same fashion rights as my smaller counterparts.  But I want them to fit properly. And I want to wear clothing that makes me feel fantastic; not just pieces that "hide" my rolls with garish polyester prints (TS14+, i am looking at you!)

A while ago a friend said to me that it isn't feasible for plus clothing to fit people properly, because fat sits on everyone differently and no two bodies are alike. According to them, that's why there are so many "loose" styles in fatshion. But aren't different body types still an issue for straight sizes?  I mean, that's where the whole Trinny and Susannah "dress for your shape not your size" thing came from.

Well, fat-o-sphere? If you were a designer, what would you do? And is there fashion you want that isn't currently available in your size?  Leave your thoughts in the comments.

I am generally an advocate of saving up and dropping decent amounts of cash on quality clothing that will ultimately last, provided that you care for it well. For anyone who follows my Twitter, a fortnight or so ago I tweeted “I get a smug sense of satisfaction when I handwash my clothes. Look! I am prolonging the life of my garments! *SMUG*”. If you have the time, learn to love the handwash.

Anyway, I digress. As much as I love buying gorgeous, high-quality fashion, when it comes to seasonal trends, I'm perfectly happy to buy and cheap and cheerful garments. The best example I have of this recently is harem pants. I know, I know, we called them hammer pants or (ew) poocatchers for a reason, but hear me out! I have two pairs of harem pants, from Dorothy Perkins and – shock horror – Best and Less. Big W also have a pair that I have my eye on.

These are the Dotty P ones:

Tee: Uniqlo (JP)

Jacket: Nissen (JP)

Harem pants: Dorothy Perkins

Sandals: Birkenstock by Papillio

Necklace: Gift

Sour face: Courtesy of my job, I suspect

And these are the Best and Less harem pants:

Tee: Threadless (this is what a girly 2XL looks like on an AU18-20)

Harem pants: Best and Less

Shoes: Melissa

Wrist cuff: Gift

Sunglasses: Christian Dior

Both pairs are pretty different – the Dotty P pants come to a point just below the hip, which causes the drape to the tapered ankle. (I suspect these are actually supposed to hit mid-calf, but that's the joy of being short). The ones from Best and Less, on the other hand, are pleated all around the waistband, and fall to fitted cuff mid-calf. So there's harem pants and harem pants, it's just a matter of finding the pair that work for you. I'm fortunate enough to be able to work in a very casual office, so I often wear mine with a Threadless tee and my Birkenstocks, but you can dress them up or down however you please! I recommend with choosing a fitted or tight top, to balance the volume of the harem pants. That said, I'm itching to try them with a baggy men's shirt and this grey deconstructed vest I have – I shall report back to see if it works.

As a general guide, in my experience, the suburban versions of Big W, Best and Less and Kmart tend to have the best range of trendy clothing in plus-sizes. Big W also gets big props for having several straight-sized pieces reproduced in plus versions. Best and Less currently have wet-look leggings available in plus (!), and Kmart has a very cute retro-esque faux-tankini which I believe Sonya has purchased.

I don't advocate getting all your clothing from these kinds of stores – the quality tends to be fair to middling, and there's a lot of polyester. They still tend to make work pants cropped just above the ankle, an absolute pet hate of mine, and there are still plenty of fuggo graphic prints around. But all in all, for cheap, cheerful, trendy clothes, you really can't go past Big W, Best and Less, and Kmart.

I'm in a sassy mood today, and I've been looking at online plus-size fashion retailers while trying to help a friend find a dress to wear to a wedding. It's SO frustrating!  Even though the plus-size fashion market has improved, I still see a lot of things that bother me  - the most of all being that some labels and manufacturers only consider fit models with a certain body type and don't pay a thought to those of us who do not have a "classic hourglass shape". In the spirit of snark and temper tantrums, I bring you "Things I hate about plus-size fashion"!

Fake necklaces

Fat women are not too lazy to put their own accessories on. This is insulting. Also, the chain is typically full of nickel, which I have an allergy to. It's gross and insulting, way to go!

Short dresses

Sure, tiny hemlines are progressive, if you slept through the 60s. However, some of us prefer to wear more modest hemlines when we have certain social engagements. Too many retailers are chopping off skirts on otherwise beautiful garments and still charging the same amount.

Tops with bandeau hems or gathered waists

I have a big tummy, there is no way I want to be wrestling with elastic or a thick waist/ hip band all day. There are only two ways these styles work on me - they either slide up to sit under my boobs or down to sit on my thighs. FAIL.

Necklines that ignore my boobs.

This is a double pronged attack - I hate necklines that are too low, and too high. There are LOADS of styles of tops and dresses that incorporate my most hated thing - the cross-over bust. It's a cheap and nasty manufacturing ploy, because the pattern doesn't need to be drafted as much to fit the bust through shaping and darts. It means that the neckline basically sits below the bust and shows off miles of your bra if you have larger breasts. Necklines that are too high also bother me. Do I not have a chest? Someone needs to find the Goldilocks solution to this problem so they can have all of my money.

Giant graphic print tops

I have seen so many different abominable prints on plus size clothing ranging from news print to butterflies to "empowering" words. Gross. Get it away from me.

Bedazzled jeans

I want to wear plain denim jeans, maybe with a rivet in each corner of the pocket. That's all. I do not want you to harass my jeans with a bedazzler, sequins, glittery embroidery or your label's name across my glorious arse.

All of this

Diagonal lines, awful massive prints, sheer fabrics, etc. In the words of my friend "I really despair at TS (Australian label TS14+)". In the words of me, "It looks like a shitty graphic designer vomited all over her". Even their cardigans are wonky. It's insanity.

Obviously, we all have our own list of things we'd prefer not to ever wear - and I'm fairly certain a few people will actually like the garments that bother me so much! What are your fashion hates?

MinkPink Tunic

As a fat person, numbers have ruled me for a significant portion of my life.  The number on the scale, the number on my blood-pressure readings, the number of slices of cake I can eat... the list goes on.

The number that often has the most power, not just for fat women but for women of all sizes, though, is the number (or letter) on the tags of your clothing.

You are not going to die if you have to wear an XXL instead of an XL, or a 14 instead of a 12.

These little numbers can buoy us up to great heights, or pull us down into the deepest pits of despair - if you let them.  When I was in highschool and at the height of my food restriction, I managed to shoehorn myself into a pair of size 13 jeans.  It was possibly one of the greatest moments of my life.  Conversely, a year or two later when I went into Portmans and couldn't zip up a size 16 skirt, I was devastated for over a week.

I am not defined by numbers - and neither are you.  Don't be afraid to tell people what you weigh or what size you are (usually).  I'll put my money where my mouth is: I weigh 106 kilograms, and wear Australian sizes 18-22 (usually - my closet has items from a 14 to a 22). 

See size tags for what they are: completely and utterly arbitrary.  In this photograph, I'm wearing one of my newest favourite tunics, by Sydney label MinkPink.  It's a size 14.  I haven't been a size 14 in many years, so don't let tags deceive you.  Try things on - judge by how the garment looks, not the tag number.  Size up or down as the fit requires.  If you can't, due to a narrow size range, let it go.  Don't buy it and attempt to berate yourself into losing weight to wear it.  That never ends well.

Numbers are just that - numbers.  They are not a measure of your worth as a person. 

For the curious: tunic is by MinkPink via 360 Degrees in West End, size 14, tights are by We Love Colors and are a size C-D, shoes are by Miu Miu via Jean Brown and are a 40 1/2.  Guitar sneakily borrowed from my roommate.

I like to think of myself as rather a stylish woman. As I have previously mentioned, I follow a fair number of fashion blogs, as well as cultivating my own fashion sense through trial and error.  And oh boy, there has been some error over the years.  I mean, who talked me into tencel and hypercolour?! Luckily I have burned the evidence.

My biggest inspiration these days is watching runway shows, where I get ideas and sketch out how I would improve/modify the designs for my own body. I plan to one day have my ideas made up by a dressmaker, but until then it's retail only for me. I loooove chanel, prada and tommy hilfiger, as well as a fair bit of valentino - oh how I wish these brands would make clothing in my size. To translate these fairly clean lines into my own wardrobe I have a lot of pieces that accentuate my favourite parts (which are usually my breasts and decolletage.) I tend to minimise accessories, in one part because they drive me nuts, and another because i feel as though they detract from who I am. My one accessory indulgence is generally hats - I can look fabulous in most hats that others would look ridiculous in.  It's great, though it does mean I continually expand my chapeau collection - not such a good thing when you're in a limited space.

Aaaaanyway, I now ask for a little bit of indulgence from the AoF readership. Tell me: where do you get your style inspiration from?  Do you have a particular designer/person that influences the way you dress? Or are you inspired in other ways?  Remember - just because it's unconventional doesn't mean it's not a style - it's all about finding a way of expressing who you are, and being comfortable with that. And that doesn't necessarily mean clothing, either!

Leave your thoughts in the comments, i'd really love to know.

So today I wrote an email to my most favourite underwear company. Oh, they don't really make cute underwear in my size - so technically i've never purchased my favourite underwear from them.  But when I was a teenager I always envied my sister and her friends.  They got cute funky fun undies.  I got lace encrusted high waistedness - if I was lucky.  It's enough to make a girl go commando, honestly.

Can you guess which one is the plus size option?

Today I realised that nothing is ever going to change if we don't pipe up about it. So once a week from this day forward, I plan to write a letter to a fashion label that does not cater to my fashion desires.  Bonds, while making a small selection of plus clothing, has limited their fat underwear to what is affectionately known as "The Grundie". Bonds Cottontails; for women who like to wear their underpants up to their breasts. I'm not saying they're a bad choice (hell I've worn 'em) but it's more the fact that it's your only choice if you're over a size 16.  And that sucks big donkey balls. But it's not going to change unless more of us tell retailers that there is a market for their product; after all, a good businessperson isn't going to sell a product if they think nobody wants to buy it. We need to educate the uninformed - be as vocal as you can about wanting to spend your fat dollar on their product. That is the only way they will listen.

So with that in mind, here's the email I sent to Bonds about ten minutes ago:

"I'm a big fan of the look of Bonds products. It saddens me (and quite a few of my friends) greatly that 90% of your underwear lines do not progress past a size 16. The styles over a size 16 that are made by your company appear to be for grandmothers. (Original Cottontails, i'm looking at you.) 

You're not only missing out on a sizeable portion of the underwear market, you're also enabling a stereotype that fat men and women can't be beautiful, and aren't allowed to wear cute things solely due to their size. While I respect that the company is about business first and foremost, I do know a large number of men and women who would buy your products if they were made (and advertised) in their sizes.  

As a member of the fat community, I wish to help you understand that we like to look and feel just as great as those who are smaller sizes. I appreciate the company's endeavours into creating plus size clothing - I'm currently wearing a Bonds hoodie after all - but please PLEASE take the next step and start making fun young plus sized underwear. Or at the very least do the market research, and look statistically at how many young fat people there are who are starving for underwear that is cute but comfortable. 

Cheers,

Janey"

It may not ever be read by anyone who will care, I admit.  But if we fats rally together.... I mean, if we contact designers and retailers for more options in our sizes that don't look like potato sacks, it might show them that making fatshion is economically viable. 

I will be sending out one email a week to companies that I wished made clothing in my size. I will continue this mission until fats are treated equitably by the fashion industry. This is my pledge.

Okay, so it's been pretty well established that I have nice clothes, and tend to wear pretty fun and awesome outfits.  I get compliments on my clothing relatively frequently.  Most recently, I bought a coat from Asos, a really cute beige, tulip-skirted mac.  And the compliments rolled in, and often ended in the question, "Where did you find that?"Asos coat

And when I reply that I purchased it online, from an international retailer, most (not all) people seem genuinely shocked that it's possible to purchase clothing online. I will often get responses along the lines of, "But how do you know it will fit?"

For a lot of people, knowing exactly what the measurements of one's body are can be a highly daunting thing.  Tags on clothes might lie, but the measuring tape doesn't.  I suspect a lot of women my age haven't even thought that one's bust, waist and hip measurements actually are supposed to correspond to the arbitrary numbers on size tags.  Actually knowing what size you are, and matching it up to size chart online might be frightening, particularly if one is not keen on having to size up for things to fit.  I've known people who have insisted they are a size __, no matter what, and if they need to size up for something to fit, they won't buy it.

Funnily enough, they don't seem to have a problem with going down a size if the garment is too big.

The most infuriating comments, though, are these:

Me: "Oh yeah, I bought this from [online store], I really like it!"

Them: "That's pretty cool, but I don't really get why you shop online?  Isn't just easier to go into a real shop and buy something?"

Me: "... it would be if I could find anything to fit, that wasn't ugly as hell and that every single other fat girl isn't wearing."

This is what we in Australia particularly, but that fat people the world over have to deal with.  Our choices are so ridiculously limited that if you want to dress in a fashion-forward way, we are relegated to online shopping.  Sure, it's great to have unique stuff, but what if I just need a pair of, let's say, black trousers.  A staple of most women's wardrobes.  If you go into Target's straight size section, you will find at least ten styles, all available in Short, Average and Tall.

In the plus sections?  Two or three styles, and all stupidly long or ridiculous cropped shit.  And this is just one low to mid-range department store.  Women who can wear straight sizes have a myriad of choices for their clothing, at various price points.  For fatties, we have a choice of paying $35 at Big W, or $250 at Myer.  Where's the middle ground?  Autograph?  No way; just say no to mounds of printed polyester garbage.

I am so sick of having to pay at least $20 extra in shipping costs for the privilege of purchasing well fitting, comfortable, fashion-forward clothing.  When I hear people joking about or discussing "fat taxes", I feel like screaming that I already pay a fucking fat tax - it's called International Shipping.  Some stores are more reasonable than others (Torrid, I'm looking at you and your extortionate shipping costs), but ultimately, I pay more than smaller people for my clothes. 

I'm not asking for much.  I would love to see more brick-and-mortar stores stocking plus size clothing.  Places like Dogstar, an Australian brand that I would seriously buy so much stuff from, if they just extended their size range.  Or if the few Australian fatshion places could open up more stores, like Towanda, or DreamDiva.  Or if Autograph could start producing more tailored, on-trend pieces.

It is not that hard.  Fat people are here, with Fat Dollars to spend.  We want the same options as our straight-size counterparts, across all styles and all price points. 

I want to be able to walk into Target and find a pair of black, short length, wide-legged, mid-rise, natural-fibre trousers.

And now I am off to wear an outfit that will no doubt consist of a significant amount of clothing purchased online.

I can feel a rant coming on.

I have a love-hate relationship with the fashion industry.  I love fashion, you see. Clothing, shoes, handbags, jewellery - I salivate just thinking about it. I grew up reading Vogue, watching trends emerge and then change just as rapidly. We have stacks of books at my place on the history of fashion. My mum and I watch old Hollywood musicals, just so we can talk about the clothing. Well, also to ogle Fred Astaire; he's dreeeeamy. Fashion though? It's something I have grown up with. The idea of wearing something beautifully crafted that enhances my (let's face it) already pretty fabulous body makes me tingle with excitement.  I even recently downloaded an Iphone application that lets me view shots from fashion shows around the world. 

The fashion industry, as most people already know, are notorious for their unrealistic and often unhealthy body image ideals. Eating disorders, size-ism, drug addiction, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. The fat-hatred bombards both ready-to-wear and couture lines, with nearly everything in higher-end stopping at or below size twelve Australian. Oh my god, the RAGE.  Do you know how I feel?  I feel like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, when those bitchy saleswomen wouldn't let her shop.  Her kind wasn't welcome, despite having money to spend.  Hey fashion designers?  I HAVE MONEY TO SPEND, DAMMIT.  WHY WONT YOU TAKE MY MONEY?!?!  Granted, it's not as much money as I would like, but what I do have, I plan on investing in fashion.  Because it's an investment in myself. Wearing something I love makes me feel UHMAZING, in so many different ways. 

I have a stunning red dress that I spent a very pretty penny on last year, but was happy to do so because the garment looks fantastic on me.  I call it "Magic Dress" because every time I wear it people smile at me, and luck always turns my way. Of course this has nothing to do with the dress itself; I know that.  But when I wear something that fits me properly, something that feels as though it was made for me, my confidence skyrockets.  Unfortunately even when I have the dosh, the pickings are slim here in Australia. (haha, slim.)

It appears to me fatties aren't welcome in fashion.  We are chunkier versions of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.  Our kind?  Not welcome here. Particularly in Australia, it seems fat people aren't seen as fashion forward or daring with their style choices.  All our choices are to hide and cover up and "flatter" our bodies. Australian fashion's definition of flatter is cover up, it seems.  Maude forbid we be proud of our appearance. I mean, isn't it society's problem if they don't like my jiggly bits? Why do I need to change myself??  Why can't I wear what I want to wear? 

Fat women are given potato sacks with asymmetrical everything and newspaper print polyester. Fat men are given Hawaiian shirts that are not only fug, but also terrible quality. If you like asymmetrical polyester hawaiian prints, then hey have at it. But that's all there is.  THAT IS ALL THERE IS FOR US.  If we want to wear something different, our choices are to pay through the nose and have it custom made, or have it shipped from overseas (usually with high shipping prices, and the likelihood that the item may not even fit when it arrives.)

I know so many people who are fabulous and STYLISH fats, despite the severe lack of fashion choices. Each of these men and women have personalities as different as the bajillion designers out there. It is so frustrating to me (and I'm sure them) that there are comparatively few options for fats, given the number of us in the world. I mean, if the obesity epidemic (OOGA BOOGA) is increasing, why aren't our fashion choices? Perhaps it's because there isn't an obesity epidemic - but i digress.

How do we fix this?  Designers say that larger sizes aren't catered to because it costs too much to produce, and/or that there aren't enough sales within the area to financially justify production. I don't know about you, but I buy clothing a LOT.  And I'd be prepared to pay more and buy more if it's good quality and well designed. There just hasn't been anything out there that's nice enough to buy. Believe me, I know, I look nearly every day. And sure I'd like low cost options TOO, but it shouldn't be one or the other, you know? I feel cheated if I purchase accessories from somewhere like Guess or Chanel, when I know full well that plus size clothing at those stores aren't available to me. 

And is it a "Chicken or the Egg" scenario?  Fats don't purchase the fashion out there because the fashion out there is fug, and then businesses think there isn't a market and thus stop producing it. How do we pass on the message that we'd purchase their clothing if they simply made larger versions of the straight sizes, instead of creating clothing especially for fats that mainly consist of tent-clothing. Can someone please get it into retailers and designers heads that fats have just as much style as straight size?  I know the fat-o-sphere  are amazing in terms of expressing their individual styles, but sometimes I want to shake the fashion industry and go "Hey! Fats are people too!" I'd ask whether or not straight size people would ever wear the options we are given. Why are fats relegated the realm of fugitude when everybody else gets to look all shiny and tailored? 

We deserve the right to own clothing that makes us feel awesome. We deserve the right to own the different styles and makes that thinner people get to choose from.  We deserve fashion rights, full stop.

Tiara linked me to a post on Agent Lover wherein the heroine of the piece thought she'd slap the wrist of a fellow blogger who included her pictures in a "Fat Love Friday" post without permission. Mars from Chicken Dinner Candybar apologised and offered to remove the photos, but this offer was not taken up. I'll blog about this since Marie from Agent Lover thought it was fair enough to bring into the public sphere, and because I have a few important issues to raise. Like my fist, as I shake it into the sky.

Sort your shit out privately.

It's not "brave" to have a whinge about this when you've already dealt with the author of the "offending" post. What's your intention? Publically shaming Chicken Dinner Candybar by directing your readership over there isn't very mature. Your large readership could now very well have a negative bias towards the "offending" blogger and a strengthened bias against the notion of fatness. That shit is for Livejournal, dear Maude!

That isn't the way to spread body acceptance.

I'm not sure body acceptance even registers as an issue for Agent Lover, because she admits that "fat" is a negative word. The fat-o-sphere has been around the internet for a few years, plus yannow, we're fat so we're super visible! As a blogger, Marie must have some powerful blinders on. The fat-o-sphere doesn't just encompass fat people either - there's a range of body types blogging about the topic and these authors self identify as "fat allies", "inbetweenies", "deathfatties" and other titles using fat with and without the ph.

Fat isn't a pejorative to a lot of people.

"No matter how many times anyone tries to empower the word, the word fat ain’t going to be thought of as positive unless it’s spelled with a PH, ok?"

I guess I missed that memo. A lot of us did. The tricky thing about saying "never" is that one day you're going to have to eat your hat. Chicken Dinner Candybar obviously considers fat to be a positive word, she blogs about it at least every Friday! The thing Marie forgot to take into consideration was context. If my pictures were posted all over a site that obviously talked disparagingly about fat, I would not only email them but spread my wrath throughout the bloggerverse. That's not what happened here. While Marie has every right to be upset, she does not have the right to decree that other people can't ever empower fatness.

Personally, I hate it when people use euphemisms for fat. Fluffy, BBW, curvaceous - they all make me cringe. I'm fat, I'm empowered and I'm doing pretty well, thanks very much!

You put your picture on the internet.

You have very little control over where it goes from there, or what people associate with your body. In this case it well-intentioned but poorly received. It could have been way worse. I post my photos on FUCKYEAHDEATHFATTIES and I've seen some very nasty comments as people reblog my photos. But you know what? I suck it up, because I know I'm fucking fancy!

You don't just see a fat person's style, you see their body too.

Don't negate it, and don't pretend it doesn't exist. If style was the most visible thing about people, many of us would be walking down catwalks. The truth is that body shape is a HUGE FACTOR and denying that it's a political battlefield is tantamount to plugging your head in the sand and showing everyone your pantaloons.

Whether one self identifies as fat or not, one does not have the right to declare unilaterally that fat is a negative word for absolutely every body. We've been conditioned to accept certain words (and indeed body types!) as positive or negative, and it's really important to understand that human thoughts and prejudices aren't set in stone. We can gradually accept a notion that challenges our conditioning by being open and asking questions and participating - not by digging into the ground, crying offense and refusing to grow.