Being Fat.

I apologise in advance for what is going to be a very selfish post all about…me. My life, my experiences and my views.

I’ve been bigger for most of my life.  Not as large as I am now, but compared to my peers I was a heavyweight.  I must have been, or else why would they and my family have constantly found new and interesting ways to bring it to my attention? ‘Heffalumpa’, ‘tree trunk thighs’, ‘Georgie Podgy’ and all manner of other creative terms were flung my way throughout my teenage years.  I sometimes wonder whether I would have loathed my body had no one brought my larger frame to my attention on an almost daily basis, or whether I would have still compared my shape and size to those around me and despaired at it’s apparent heftyness.

These days I have a healthier approach to my body.  Just because I am a larger lady, it doesn’t mean that that is all I am.  I am Georgina.  I am someone’s best friend. I am someone’s girlfriend.  I am a blogger.  I work in marketing.  I have done the odd bit of modelling. I have fat on my body, but I am not fat – a mere lump of the stuff. And so what if I do have a bit of chub? What has my extra wibble stopped me doing? I’ve travelled, bungee jumped, sky dived, danced all night long. I’ve gone swimming in rivers, pools, streams and oceans. I’ve been flirted with, hit on and chatted up enough for me to safely conclude that I am not just an undesirable blubbery mess with no other attributes. I go running sporadically, I can climb several flights of stairs without collapsing and although I could be fitter, I’ve never felt hindered by my physical abilities. I fit comfortably into bus, train, plane and rollercoaster seats, and I’ve never capsized a boat. I have never experiences any ailments or illnesses due to my size. Diabetes? No, I am not a silly nonsensical cliché. Raised blood pressure? Only when people push onto a tube that I am getting off (you think they would see me…) Cholesterol problems? Give me a break! I could go on and on with a smug self important things that I have achieved DESPITE my weight and a list of problems that do not go hand in hand with squishy frame, but I think you all get the picture!

There are only ever two occasions that my lardy body gets my down. The first is when I catch a glimpse of myself in photos not looking my best. I am generally happy with my appearance, but when someone with a camera catches me off guard the end result can be monstrous. I do accept that they are capturing me as I look at that time, but I still get hung up and ‘detag’ myself in photos! Likewise, when I sometimes look in the mirror in something that doesn’t suit me or is too small for me, I feel horrid. I feel ashamed. However, would I still feel that way if I were smaller, but just about other parts of my body rather than my fat? And would I still feel that way if I didn’t live in a country that is obsessed with diets and cellulite and the idea that the only way to be perfect and happy is to be slim? Who can say.
The other thing that gets me down is… other people’s reactions to my size. Because as much as I want to make friends with the word ‘fat’, being branded a ‘fat lazy slag’ or any other random throwing together of seemingly negative words DOES hurt – how can it not? Sometimes I dwell on that hurt for days, sometimes I laugh it off within seconds, but it does make a mark on me and make me mentally regret every bite of chocolate and drunken burger I ever scoffed down. I curse myself for allowing my body to take on this vast form and I wonder how anyone could have ever liked me, loved me, seen me naked and felt anything other than nausea.

However, I do bounce back, more determined than ever to carry on with my life, doing all of the things that most other people do, unhindered by my size. I would like to shed some flab, as I do think that I would feel a little more content with some weight off. But my life will not stop until that point, and nor will the opportunities and amazing experiences that I have had and will encounter. I am not my weight. I am not simply ‘fat’ and every negative connotation that goes with that word. I am so much more than that, just like every other person out there who constantly gets reduced to being nothing more than a body size.

‘Being fat’. It’s not a disability, or the worst thing someone can be. It’s not an adequate singular way to describe a person. It’s not a term for a life half lived. It doesn’t call for the faux concern brigade to start firing out phrases like, “I just worry about how their weight will impact their lives in the future.” It’s just the way some people are.

Get over it.

A Review Of The BiuBiu ‘Marsala’ Dress

Many of you will know that I am a huge fan of BiuBiu. They make bust friendly clothing at very reasonable prices, and I have always found the fit to be excellent and consistent.

I was recently sent two dresses in sizes 44BB/BBB – which translates as ‘size 16 with huge boobies’ – check the BiuBiu size chart for more info on how their sizes work.

The Marsala dress in red.

The Marsala dress in blue.

I found the dresses to fit exactly the same, despite them being different colours.

They have a wonderful high neckline – not so high that create a ‘shelf boob’ look, but high enough to be modest in situations that call for it.

The length is perfect on my 5’7 frame, hitting me at that magical point just below the knee.  The capped sleeves didn’t cut in or make my arms look any bigger than they already are.

The stretchy cotton helps accommodate my figure, and is a nice cool material to wear in this amazing hot weather. I can see me adding a long sleeve tops underneath them, and some leggings and boots in the winter – versatile dresses, perfect all year round.

I wore the red dress to work yesterday, and it really is a perfect office dress. If I were going out after work I could have changed my flat shoes for some heels, instantly the look of the dress.

I did of course add a belt when I wore this dress to work.  As you can see the dress fits amazingly well, but I just wanted that extra bit of definition and something to break the outfit up and match the  dark shoes I had on.

I found that the tulip shaped skirt added a bit of puff to my stomach.  I don’t mind this too much as it also helped conceal it somewhat, but at certain angles it did add some bulk. However, the adding of a simple waist belt did help draw attention away from the puffiness.

In conclusion, I love these dresses.  They really do accommodate my bust whilst still being flattering on my body.  In these photos I paired them with my trusty Maidenform shapewear, a plunge bra from Ewa Michalak and my old Marks and Spencers high heels.

Special thanks goes to the beautiful patient CurvyWordy for taking these photos for me.

If you want to check out another view of the Marsala dress then visit A Sophisticated Pair for her review of the dress.

Women Are Back

If you have been following my social streams as of late you will have seen me gushing on and on and on and on and ON about the fact that I was in Milan! I was flown there by Marina Rinaldi, as myself and eleven other girls were due to spend four days together working on an exciting project – more will be revealed in a few months!  All I can say is that I ate gelato, met some babes, tried on some amazing clothes and had my hair and make up done every day.  It was like a dream!

It was amazing to meet some of my blogging idols, and I absolutely adore every woman I had the pleasure of spending time with over those four perfect days.

I’d love to introduce you to these women if I may, I will go from left to right.

Katya Zharkova. What can I say about this girl!? I’ve wanted to meet her ever since I saw the spread she did for Plus Model Magazine.

She looked so fun and so beautiful, and meeting her proved that she was that and then some! She has fought and fought and fought to become a plus size model for so many years, and she has such a great attitude towards body image and body confidence, and I felt truly inspired to be around her. Plus she was a dream to watch in action on one of her shoots and I can’t wait to meet her again.

Tanesha Awasthi aka Girl With Curves.

Wow is all I can say. What a beautiful graceful woman she was! She had the ability to make everything she wore look sublime, and was always so composed and perfect looking!

Melike Çarpatan was a complete darling.

She brought everyone good luck bracelets from Turkey and looked amazing in her sophisticated outfit choices.

Ditte Vallø – my booby twin! A mother of three who looked too young to even have one! Ditte was so funny and amazing to be around, a really positive effervescent woman.

Roberta Scagnolari was wearing a Marina Rinaldi dress when we met, and seeing how good her busty petite curvy frame suited the garment made me even more excited for the following when when I got to try on everything and anything! This buxom beauty had a knowledge of make up that blew me away!

Iris Tinunin – I love this girl! She was so fiery and fun, a pocket sized Italian beauty.

Gabi Gregg. What plus size blogger doesn’t want to meet this voluptuous legend!? Gabi was so down to earth and fun to be around – and the fact that she is my body shape twin didn’t hurt either!

Shila Kreuzer was an complete babe. She wore the best accessories and had the most beautiful lips.

Stéphanie Zwicky – wow!

I have to say she was a little intimidating at first, but I soon got to know her and discovered a very sweet warm loving woman. My favourite moment from the trip happened when a little old lady in the Marina Rinaldi store asked me what us girls were doing in the store. She mentioned that she read a blog by a French lady called Stéphanie, and I excitedly told her she was in the store! Stéphanie could not believe that this lady in Italy read her blog, and moments after meeting her she burst into emotional tears. ‘This is why I do it. This is why I blog. I get told I’m fat, too fat to wear nice things. But I don’t care. I blog for women like her.’ – I think we all started crying at this, and Iris summed it up with ‘Your emotion; it’s beautiful.’ Stéphanie recently launched her new collection, and she looked amazing wearing a few of the items from it when in Milan.

Marie Denee – it was so good to see her again! Marie and I first met when we worked together on the Evans campaign, and I was so glad to see her name amongst the others, as I was a little dubious about meeting so many new people. She was as fun and beautiful and sassy as ever, and seeing her work it for the camera was something really special!

Edith Dohmen – the girl with the lost luggage! I felt so sorry for Edith, turning up to Milan to find her bags a few hours behind her! Luckily it arrived, and so did she looking as beautiful as she does on her blog. I really enjoyed her attitude and outlook on the plus size world. She is more of an ‘inbetweeny’ at her size, something that she covers a lot on her amazing blog, and with her amazing brand of clothing.

So there you have it! The eleven women I spent time with last week! The Marina Rinaldi gang were also a dream to be around, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Milan, exhausting as it was! I ate great food, had my photo taken by Riccardo Vimercati and Max Cardelli. These photos and accompanying interviews will be appearing on huge posters and in magazine in a few short months, something that I’m even more excited about!  And best of all I finally got to try some beautiful Marina Rinaldi clothes – the links and reviews of which I will also post in a few months. I caught myself crying several times during the trip, and on the way home. I feel so lucky to have been given such a wonderful opportunity with some truly fabulous women, and although I can’t reveal everything about the trip just yet, I can share a few photos with you. Enjoy!

A Little Lovedrobe In My Wardrobe

SUMMER IS ACTUALLY HERE!!!! I can’t quite believe it! And that means Pimms, beer gardens, and a spot of sun bathing! I’m lucky enough to have a communal private garden that no one else in my block of flats cares to visit, and so last weekend I threw on a bikini and set off to my little spot of sunshine to settle down with a good book and some iced water. And what better dress to throw on over my bikini than this one:

The Lovedrobe beige antique inspired lace and floral dress.


I went for a size 20 in this dress, and it didn’t look overly generous in the bust. I was spot on with this prediction, and even in a 20 it proved touch and go size wise.

I think a 22 may have been better in this dress, but with my non padded bikini and loose fitting belt, the 20 sufficed nicely.

The dress is a gorgeous floral print with pretty lace detailing. The lace around the neckline did feel a little scratchy and rough, and I feel like it may have irritated me had I wore it for much longer than I did.

The length was ideal for a casual day of sunbathing in my garden with very few people around, however, I would probably start to feel paranoid about my legs if I were out and about somewhere busier.

The sleeves are nice and spacious and not at all restrictive.

The dress has three buttons on the bust, making it perfect for showing a bit of cleavage and ideal for breast feeding mummies.

The skirt hung nicely, and didn’t blow up and overall the dress was nice and light. It really was a perfect dress for a hot summer’s day!

If you also fancy trying out this dress or anything else on the Livedrobe site then you have until the end of the month to get 15% off. Use the code ‘FFFB’ at the checkout.

Excite Clothing’s Ruched Bodycon Printed Dresses

When it comes to fun, varied well priced plus size items Excite Clothing ticks all of the boxes. I first discovered them when I was on the hunt for some plus size boleros, and they haven’t let me down yet!

They recently gave their website a wee make over and added loads of scrummy items. Claire from Excite was generous enough to send me two size 18 ruched bodycon dresses.

I think that it’s very clear that I love a good bodycon dress, and so I was excited to see how these would fit!

The dresses are made out of a silky stretch material that clings to my figure without showing off my lesser loved lumps.

The little capped sleeves fit perfectly over my arms and don’t dig in or feel uncomfortable.

I loved the patterns on the dresses. Plus size women can sometimes be stuck with butterflies and small floral prints, but these dresses were something very different and an exciting choice to have!

I loved how the dresses fit me, and although I did add a belt when I wore the blue one to work, I *almost* don’t need one.

The length is a tiny bit shorter than I am happy with, and I will no doubt only ever pair the dresses with tights and leggings. Pairing silky materials with leggings can mean a slight riding up issue, especially when you run for as many trains and buses as I do…

The neckline was rather flattering, despite being quite high. I think that the capped sleeves help balance out the look, and overall it is quite versatile.

My favourite dress is the blue as it is so dainty and pretty. My boyfriend favoured the other, as he loves red and black. He also commented at how well these dresses fitted without a belt, but definitely preferred it when I added one.

These dresses are stocked in UK size 16 – 32 and I feel sure they will be flying off the virtual shelves this summer!

Have you been inspired to try these yourself? or anything else on the website? If so use the code ‘FULLERFIGURE10’ and get a 10% discount off anything on the Excite Clothing site. Code expires on August the 1st 2013.

I paired these dresses with my Freya Deco, my Maidenform shapewear and my shoes from M&S that are now several seasons old.

Inspired By New Look

When you’re a fat girl, shopping on the high street can be a royal pain in the arse. Some shops stop at a 16, some at an 18, and some have plus size lines that in no way reflect the gorgeousness of their smaller clothes.

One shop that I have always found to fall in that latter category is New Look. New Look are famed for selling amazing affordable fashionable high street pieces, and yet their plus size line always seemed so…frumpy. So boring. So safe. And so I avoided them!

Recently I was asked if I would review some items from New Look, and I instantly thought of the Inspire range. I has seen some more impressive pieces from them on a recent shopping trip, and I felt it was time to see if they had some more appealing pieces in stock.

I selected several items and some shoes to go with them, and excitedly waited for them to arrive. It wasn’t long before they did, and this is how I got on…

The first item that I tried, and tested on a lovely sunny day was this Aztec dress.

I got it in a size 18, and the fit was great – although ideally a 16 would have been better.

The dress was a perfect length on me, and I loved the modest neckline.

The pattern was so unlike anything I have ever tried before, but I loved it! I was worried that it may be a bit too much, but it was surprisingly flattering.

This dress looks complete with a nice thick waist belt added too it, and it is a versatile dress that will look great on many occasions all year round.

The shoes I added to the dress were these gorgeous wide fit sandals:

My feet are of the wider variety, and these sandals were ideal and gorgeous looking! My only gripe is that the soles have absolutely zero grip, and so be careful how you go if you are inspired to buy a pair!

I was really excited to try the Aztec print skirt and I chose to pair it with a peplum top.

I found the size 18 skirt to look and feel great, and I have already worn it many times with several different tops and shoes.

I didn’t find the peplum top to be as flattering as I had first envisioned, and I feel it will take a bit of experimentation to make it work for me.

The skirt sat nicely on my waist, and it is figure huggingly flattering.

The shoes that I teamed with this look were these cork wedges.

These wedges are AMAZING! Them being wide fit means that the straps actually fit which is fab, and they look great with everything! They are very sturdy and comfy to walk in and I think I need the black pair…

My last purchase was a nice light raincoat. The was my first foray into trying some coats and jackets at New Look and this plum number in a size 20 was a great choice.

It’s not quite as smart as I had hoped for due to the material being rather soft, but it fits fabulously with room for a jumper or more layers underneath.

The colour is great for a mucky pup like me, and the deep pockets are great for storing my phone and oyster card in.

I have worn it over a variety of outfits, and it dries quickly and folds up neatly to fit into my handbag.

Overall I am extremely impressed with my haul from New Look’s Inspire and wide fit range. I have already had so much wear out of my outfits and I can’t wait to see what Inspire come out with next season – if only their instore range was extensive as the online selection…