Editor’s Note: In a funny coincidence, this article – which was supposed to go up two weeks ago – ended up being delayed until today, so it expands upon some of the issues discussed in the plus-sized models post we did yesterday. We didn’t originally intend to post these articles back to back, but we hope this post will help fuel the positive discussions we’ve been having about the issues surrounding fashion and body image.
With the rise of the internet and fashion blogging, today, many of us are more inspired by what we see on the pages of a blog than by fashion magazines. We are inspired by real girls, with real bodies, who look like us, and who create looks we can all emulate.
In this series, I’ve been interviewing some of my favorite fashion bloggers and finding inspiration in their styles. So far, we have met Maria of Lulu Letty, and Elizabeth of Delightfully Tacky. This week, our featured blogger is Georgina of Cupcake’s Clothes.
Table of Contents
About Georgina
After my first two fashion blogger features, many of you commented that you wanted to see inspiration from plus-sized bloggers. Here at CF, we like to represent beauty and style in all shapes and sizes, so for this week’s post, I decided to feature one of my favorite of the (self-described) “Fatshion” bloggers.
Georgina is a girl after my own heart – her style is fun, girly and all from the British High Street. On one hand, she isn’t afraid to try new trends, but on the other, her style remains completely “her.” I love her unexpected clothing combinations and her amazing ability to pair pieces that you’d never think would work together, with fabulous results.
Georgina describes her style as “very unique,” adding, “I love to mix & match key trends with my own cute/quirky twist. Not everyone will like it, but it is inherently me & I love dressing only for myself!” She told us she started her blog after joining “Fatshion” Livejournal groups, and that her self-confidence has grown as a result of finding a community in which “fat people celebrated their bodies, instead of being ashamed.”
Read on to hear more about Georgina, her style, and what inspires her!
Interview with Georgina
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself (who you are, what you do, where you’re from, etc.).
“I’m Georgina, I’m 21 & from the UK. I have a fa(t)shion blog called Cupcake’s Clothes. I also run a little online jewellery store called Dolly Mixx.”
2. How would you define your style?
“My style in two words is quirky & cute. I love bows, bright colours, frills, lace, pastels, bunnies (especially on clothing!). I like to combine these elements into different looks. Some people have said that my outfits look lolita-inspired, which I’d say is probably true for most of them. I just buy whatever I like, & put things together in my own way. My staple outfit, though, is a dress, cardigan, tights & ballerina pumps.”
3. What inspired you to start a style blog? What motivates you?
“I joined the Fatshionista Livejournal community in 2009, & it helped me realize that just because I don’t look like a model, that doesn’t mean I can’t dress well. I started posting outfit photos there, & generally got a positive reaction, which helped my self esteem. Eventually I started Cupcake’s Clothes to have somewhere of my own to post. I’m not sure I’d call it a ‘style blog’ though. It’s true I post mainly outfit shots there, but it’s more to showcase my own style, than to preach or influence others.”
4. What makes your blog different than those of other bloggers? How do you demonstrate your individuality through your blog?
“I’m not really sure that my blog is different from any other blog, other than the fact that I’m a different person behind the text & photos. I demonstrate my individuality best through my outfits, rather than the text.”
5. Did you go to college? What was your college experience like?
“I did go to college (Editor’s Note: In the UK, “college” usually refers to the UK equivalent of US high school, while “university” usually refers to post-secondary education), but not university. I studied art & design, which was enjoyable, much more so than school. I’d love to go to university though, I’d imagine the experience would be much more intense.”
6. Where do you like to shop?
“I basically always shop online, there is so little plus size choice on the high street, & it is usually cheaper too, as discount codes are usually fairly easy to come by. My favourite places to shop online are ASOS (namely from their Curve range), Littlewood’s, Simply Be, Dorothy Perkins, & Evans.”
7. What advice do you have for students looking to be stylish on a college budget?
“I’d say to pick & choose pieces carefully, & make sure that they work with other items in your wardrobe. As a student, I never had bountiful amounts of clothes, but the pieces I did have could all be interchanged with each other, creating multiple outfits on a tiny budget. I wasn’t the most stylish of students though, hehe! Nowadays I do tend to go a little crazy & buy almost anything I like, because I hate regretting not buying something I like!”
8. Who or what inspires you?
“I don’t have just one answer to this question, because there are many many people whose fashion blogs I follow, or am a fan of on LookBook, etc. Most of my inspiration just comes from my own likes – I don’t try to dress like other people. Of course there are certain pieces I see on other people’s blogs, or ways in which they are wearing items that I might not have seen before that inspire me, but most of the time I just go on what looks aesthetically pleasing to my eye.”
9. What are the pieces you can’t live without?
“Knitwear is my number one answer here. I love knitwear; I wish I could knit well so I could knit myself everything I ever dreamed of!”
10. What advice do you have for new bloggers or people considering starting a style blog?
“You have to be committed to whatever it is you are blogging about, because it is harder work than it looks. I myself am guilty of not posting as much as I would like, but blogging does suck up a lot of time. If you are passionate though, you will be okay.”
11. What advice can you give to bigger girls on finding their own sense of style?
“I really am useless at giving advice, but definitely visit the Fatshionista Livejournal. It helped me, it can help you too!”
12. Where do you think the future is headed for plus size girls within the fashion industry? Do you think bloggers have had an impact on how plus size fashion is perceived? What would you like to see change in the future?
“Hopefully there will be more & more fashion options for fat people. The start of ASOS Curve, & also the H&M ‘Inclusive line’ are signs that some major fashion retailers are starting to take a look in our direction, & realizing that fat people need clothes too, & not just shapeless sacks! I’m not sure if bloggers have had an impact on this, I haven’t really been part of the fatshion blogging community long enough to tell. (My blog is only a year old!) Blogging does make us visible to the retailers though, & I can only hope they do take note of what their customers want.”
13. Since you’re British (like me!), how would you define British style? How do you think it compares with the styles seen in other countries?
“I haven’t visited enough countries to really compare our fashion/style with anywhere else’s. I will say that the UK does seem to have the most fashion-forward clothes for plus size girls, compared to some of the offerings I have seen in other countries’ online shops. The UK still has plenty of room for improvement, though!”
How to Dress Like Georgina
1. Keep it girly.
Georgina’s style is very girly and feminine, featuring lots of tulle, lace and pastel colors. She also lives in light, airy skirts and dresses – you never see her in jeans or pants on her blog!
2. Play with layering.
Even in the middle of summer, England isn’t the warmest country, but instead of just throwing on a coat and jeans to battle the weather, Georgina integrates cardigans, tights, and jackets into her summer outfits. She is a huge fan of cute, feminine cardigans and classic opaque tights.
3. Be aware of trends, but stay unique.
One thing I love about Georgina’s blog is that she does follow trends, but gives them her own twist. She definitely loved the nude trend last year, and I love her interpretation of the lace sock trend.
4. Fashion should be fun!
If I had to pick one word to describe Georgina’s style, it would definitely be fun. Her outfits are well put together, but they always have an unexpected, exciting element, like clashing shoes or mixed prints. She demonstrates that style doesn’t have to be a chore, but that by putting surprising pieces together you can come up with something great.
5. Accessorize!
All of Georgina’s outfits are perfectly polished with accessories – she even rocks gorgeous nail art to finish off her looks! This girl really makes the effort to look “done” with cute headbands, belts and her trademark glasses.
Outfits Inspired by Georgina
dress/cardigan/tights/ballet flats/cupcake bracelet/headband
This outfit is perfect if you like Georgina’s pretty, girly style. I love this pink lace dress, especially when paired with the feminine cardigan and ballet flats. (The dress would look equally great with a leather jacket and military boots, if edgy chic is more your thing!) Finally, I couldn’t resist adding a cupcake bracelet for a nod to Georgina’s site!
cardigan/pink shirt/skirt/tights/ballet flats/ring
Like Georgina’s fun, bright looks? This is the outfit for you. I love the vibrant pink of this shirt, and it looks great against this polka dot cardigan, which represents a perfect way to add patterns and prints to any simple outfit. I also added bow-embellished flats, and this cute, kitschy ring for a fun little touch.
What do you think?
Are you inspired by Georgina’s style? Are you happy to see a plus sized blogger featured here? Plus size readers, what are your favorite places to shop? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
I LOVE the fact that she wears colors! 🙂 Skirts & cardigans are my favorites, as well!
Love, love, lover her style. Thanks for sharing!
I find it interesting that the outfit ideas in a post about a plus size fashion blogger aren’t plus sized themselves. Hum…
I’m a size 0, and I ADORE her style! I am definitely going to copy a few of these looks. Good for her for being so confident and not using weight as an excuse to forego fashion!
I know plenty of plus sized girls that just hide anyway in baggy sweatshirts and jeans, and THIS girl ought to be inspiration to all of them!
Being a fashionista of course 🙂
Her style is SO SO cute! Oh my goodness. I would die to have her closet and style. In love with the bows, ribbons, and over-the-top girly in a wonderful sense.
Like we ever limit talking about alcohol because we’re afraid of promoting an unhealthy lifestyle, like we ever tell people to stop eating bio genetically engineered fruits… come off it. This is sizeism at isn’t finest and most of these girls here are only toning down their resentment of plus-sized girls. I can’t even imagine what they think when they see them walking down the street.
Girls, people out there don’t agree with the things that you do. Some of them want you to remain celibate, some of them want you in the kitchen, some want you to tone down your style… are you going to listen to them? No. Because people who say that to you are usually uninformed and insecure.
How would you feel if someone called your a skank for wearing a short skirt? Or poor for wearing torn jeans? Or a delinquent for dying your hair black?
This what you’re doing. You know nothing about these women’s lifestyles and you’re making judgments on them. You’re telling them that they shouldn’t be happy with themselves. You’re telling them that they’re doing something wrong even though you know NOTHING about them.
My biggest pet peeve used to be ingratitude, now it’s definitely girl-on-girl hate.
i like this post. Georgina, you are so inspiring. i love your style, really really cute 🙂
Her style is cute and quirky, but I don’t agree with her idea “fatshion” and unhealthy lifestyles being “celebrated”. I don’t think overweight people should be shamed, but their lifestyle shouldn’t be promoted. I may catch flack for this but weight and weight related illnesses are a serious issue at the moment.