 | Felicity
Plus-Size Expert
Our Plus-Size Fashion Expert Felicity knows that size doesn't matter... fashion is for everybody! So put down that celery stick and get fashionable! |
Self-Esteem: Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are
12/20/99
I was sifting through many of the reader's questions I've accumulated over the past few months, and I've noticed a pretty common underlying thread. It seems to me that many of you gals are lacking something essential to being a fashion diva. Now would be a great time for me to explain the reasons for which I am writing this column.
For the better part of my life, I was a "big girl." Unfortunately the only magazines I could look to were Vogue and Cosmo, so you can imagine the image that I had of myself. There was no way I could wear any of the clothes they showed. Not only were the magazines lacking, there were absolutely no stores that had trendy plus-size clothing. I had all of the fashionable clothing of a 60-year-old woman! Pretty sad if I do say so myself.
So how did I get here? I responded to an ad for a freelance teenage fashion columnist. There was no mention of a plus-size column, though I knew that was where my expertise lied. No doubt I had to work a little harder to present my idea, but I had a great deal of ambition. Since there was no one in such a position of "fashion authority" while I was growing up, I wanted to be that girl.
It is clear that the fashion industry has come a long way in the past 10 years or so. Many designers have begun to open their eyes and designs to those of us who are a little more ample. Mode magazine (www.modemag.com) is a wonderful resource for fashionable finds, as is Big, Beautiful Woman (www.bbwmagazine.com). You're not going to find answers about how to drop those last 10 pounds like your favorite celebrity. Both of these publications are a wonderful example of how to appreciate the size and shape that you are and not feel as though you have to be a size 4 in order to be fashionable.
After reading through some of my fellow experts' columns, I must admit that I was a bit saddened. In many of them, readers' questions about their own personal imperfections were answered with a remedy of diet and exercise. To me, this represents the Vogue ideal. On the other hand, my perspective is simple. Everyone should appreciate the body that they were given.
Not everyone is going to look the same, and that is expected. However, I find that there are far too many girls who want to look like Kate Moss and don't appreciate the beauty of looking like Emme.
What I want out of my column is to change just one person's perception of that. If just one person can truly say that they are comfortable with the way that they look, I will feel satisfied. There is much time to reflect now that the holidays are upon us. Use this time to find your self-esteem and appreciate yourself for the terrific woman that you are!
Happy Holidays,
--Felicity
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