Hello again Plus Size Friends,
Today, I wanted to begin the journey of this blog by sharing the importance of knowing your measurements to help you in your fashion styling and purchasing going forward. Very few of us actually know what our measurements are and it is almost assumed by all that when it comes to plus sizes those who are plus size will operate under one of the 'corporate size umbrellas' of 'XL, 2XL, 3XL ext... That does work but it can be tricky for shopping online. I confess I have sometimes bought something online in my 'right size' only to have it be too small or too large. Now, that's not a unique experience to the plus size only and slimmer people face this issue too but it has to be acknowledged that it probably happens and is experienced more by those of us who are plus size and this is why we should make a stronger effort to learn what our exact measurements are.
And yes, slimmer people probably don't know their measurements either so why should we plus size have to of they don't? Well because, in my opinion, trying to do things exactly like it is for the slimmer population doesn't really work as well for us. We do have to adjust things to make them fit us really well. I call this thing we need to do 'digivolving'. I didn't coin the term. My nephew, who didn't coin it either, but who when he was 5 years old used it from a cartoon he watched and used it so much that in my family we have used the term to refer to up-cycling, changing or upscaling something we do to this day! I'll post more about that later. But suffice it to say, as we learn more and more about our beautiful plus size bodies we need to be 'digivolving' our approaches. That means as we begin to learn what fashion styles we like, what pieces of clothing and fabrics we like and what suits us, we need to pay a little more attention to what fits us exactly also.
Have you tried to buy something internationally and found the measurement completely different to what you know and have been used to where you live? I am a regular shopper on sites like Ali Express and Light in the Box etc. but you only have to search the measurement boxes at the bottom of the sales item for different shops on that site and it is unbelievable how they wildly differ! I remember buying a 3xl garment in one shop and then when it came to another shop those exact measurements were under the 7xl measurement! And it used to be that in one's own country you could be more or less sure that the measurements would be the same no matter where you shopped, but it's no longer the case. Plus size stores, country by country have differing measurements for sizes so it helps for you to know what your own body measurements are also. If you like an item, pay closer attention to the measurement charts and less the xl size number you normally wear. This way you will know if what you are interested in purchasing will fit you. I mean it isn't the end of the world if you buy something ill fitting as long as it's larger, and if it is for the purpose of 'digivolving', but too often plus size people ruin their look by wearing ill fitting clothes.
So what do you do? You take your measurements.
It seems like a lot to do and it is initially. But once you have these recorded you can store them in your phone, PC, printed and placed in your purse so that when you need to shop you can access it quickly to check if what you're about to purchase will fit you. Make a thing of it. Dedicate an hour or two, an afternoon perhaps to the exercise and perhaps invite a friend you're comfortable with to help you measure the more difficult areas. Pay them with a cup of tea and a cupcake. :) And there are plenty of online templates aside from the one above to guide you.
This is a great foundation for your mission to become stylish and fashionable. It's a boring and maybe irritating job but you will feel so much more empowered when you are in possession of those numbers I tell you!
Ria xoxxo
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