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Jeanette working the Red Carpet with the two directors of the Haute Curves Fashion Show for LA Fashion Week: Angela Rene’ AKA “The Purple Diva”, CEO of PurpleDivaDesigns.com and Jasmine Epperson, CEO at Kris Eliza Boutique

On the list of things we big girls are told we will never experience, you can add wearing beautiful clothes. As a kid, I never thought I’d get to wear gorgeous things and the idea that there would be plus-sized models seemed extremely remote.

So in my week of saying “neener, neener, neener” to the list of stuff we fluffy folk “shouldn’t expect to enjoy,” I’m telling you that the models ROCKED THE HOUSE at this past weekend’s Haute Curves fashion show for LA Fashion Week. For over two hours we watched unbelievably gorgeous men and women of all sizes, small to super-sized, strut down the runway in some extremely gorgeous clothes. And folks, these were not your mama’s muumuus. There was an awful lot of extremely beautiful clothes from delightfully weird to sporty to super sexy on that runway. Angela and Rene put on an absolutely spectacular event!

The Fat Chick near the runway at the Haute Curves fashion show.

So besides the need to feed my considerable ego by showing you pictures of the cool thing I got to do on Saturday night, why am I sharing this with you? I think it’s important to bust myths about what people of size can expect for their lives. I know for me, the panic over the things I thought I would miss as a plus-sized woman, like true love and a kickin’ black leather skirt I could wear, once filled me with feelings of panic. And I think in some cases our loved ones (especially our parents) are unduly fearful of the things we will miss out on or can’t have if our bodies are larger than societal ideals.

It took several decades, but I now realize that there is virtually nothing completely unavailable to me as a person of size. (Well maybe a comfortable coach-class airplane seat, but I’m not sure ANYBODY feels comfortable in one of those.) And it has taken several decades, but those who love me most have come to realize that I can do all that I want and have all that I dreamed of without losing 100 pounds first. And let me share with you, it has been an absolute blessing and a joy for all of us to just calm the heck down about the whole thing.

Yes Virginia, there is a Sexy Santa Claus costume just for you. There’s even a fabulous black leather skirt in your size, just waiting for you to claim it.

Love,

The Fat Chick

Hello my chicklettes! I’m back from a crazy whirlwind trip to New York City where we recently performed our Hot Flash Mob in honor of Menopause Awareness Month. While there I also stopped off at Plus Night Out, a size-friendly version of Fashion Night Out. I’m here on the red carpet with Aida Romaine, a spokesperson for healthy eating that is associated with Divabetic–a diabetes outreach group for women. I ended up wearing my blue shirt to the event because the US Airways lost my luggage and that oh so fashionable number is all I had to wear. But despite my difficulties, I have to admit the event was super fun, and there were a lot of amazing designers and gorgeous models rocking the runway.

All in all it felt like progress. It was exciting to have an event for people of ALL sizes to enjoy fun and fashion together. But I look forward to a day where we don’t have to have separate fashion events. I look towards a day where there isn’t petite fashions and plus-sized fashions and straight-sized fashions but just fashions. And I can’t wait for the day when every runway rocks models of all shapes and sizes. Nevertheless, I’m glad I got to rock the red carpet with the lettuce lady. Maybe next time my suitcase will arrive and I’ll manage some slightly fancier dressing.

Love,

The Fat Chick