Also, for everyone talking about tights, Julia posted a kickass guide to tights on LJ Fats recently. Check it out. (Related note: does anyone know if the straight size We Love Colors tights are more like the old crappy plus ones, or the new good ones?)

I just received my first order from We Love Colors yesterday, and I assume the straight-sized tights must be like the new good plus-sized ones, because the ones I got are really nice. I ordered the microfiber tights in Maroon and Emerald, and I am really pleased with the fit and quality. They’re nice and soft, the waistband didn’t seem too restrictive (I had to cut out the waistbands on my Old Navy tights because I like breathing and all), they stretched evenly on my legs. I tossed them right in the wash so I can wear them this weekend, and they came out just as color-saturated as they were pre-laundry.

Thanks for the tips – I’ll have a look at those sites.

I’ve always bought my clothes from stores because I could fit them on first. I have a big butt and I find that clothes that would fit my waist won’t get past my butt and clothes that fit my butt gape at the waist (sigh).

But I should take a chance. As soon as my budget looks a little healthier I’ll take the plunge (just heard this morning that the SA Rand has fallen to R9.00 to the US Dollar) :-(

Your advice to ditch “women’s” magazines…thank you! I came to that conclusion years ago when I realised I literally felt depressed after reading one. So I ditched them and never regretted it for a moment. Now I mostly read news, science, literature and business magazines.

As far as I know there is no magazine in South Africa that focuses on fashion for fat women. Some of them have “special issues” occasionally or throw in a few pics here and there but basically the fashion industry here caters for the thin (and this in Africa, where we’re supposed to celebrate curves).

The shops that have plus-sized clothing ranges – grrrr – why do they think fat people don’t want to look sexy? Why must we all wear shapeless tunic-type tops? And if I see one more floral design. (By now steam is coming out of my ears.)

There are boutiques that apparently sell sexy, funky clothes for bigger women (I’ve heard of these, never actually seen one) but they’re expensive.

So my solution is to find an affordable and competent dressmaker and get her to make a stylish basic set of clothes that I can mix and match with store-bought clothes.

The search continues. Wish me luck!

My roommate told me recently that I dress “whimsically,” which is kind of true. I like bold patterns and prints–polka dots, stripes, hearts, apples. I like mixing colors that supposedly don’t go together (oh pink and red!). I have a belt that is made of little gold elephants. The more I think about this, the more I become convinced that my fashion sense is regressing to where it was around age eight, before I absorbed the Official Rules Of Clothes.

And I adore thrift stores more than anything. My latest greatest score is a red, black, and gray skirt with this fantastic pattern–it’s like part plaid and part argyle. It’s plaidgyle!

Currently my main problem is being jobless, though my mom kindly took pity on my hoodie-wearing self and bought me a great corduroy trench from Target. (The plus sizes aren’t on the website, strangely, but they had them in our store.) It’s this great dark teal color. Cyan, even. Now I don’t have to look like a teenager skipping sixth period!

I turned 21 on the 12th and my dad bought me an outfit that made me feel like that for my birthday. I never know what’s fashionable but I know what I like. This means I have an outrageous amount of black dresses in my wardrobe, but they make me feel good and that’s the important thing. I feel like a person when I wear them. I feel like I count.

I haven’t dared post before, I’m jealous of the way all you commentators can write and talk here. This is taking dutch courage to post. I’ve never dieted but this blog has changed my life, because every time I do weigh myself, I have a reason not to beat myself up about it. I can come here and read about people so different from where I live.

I’m sorry about the off-topicness.