plus-size blogger based in Yorkshire.

Last week for my birthday my friend Lucia (from http://www.ucantwearthat.com) bought me a lovely new dress from New Look. I have to admit that the dress is something that I would have glanced at on the rack and not picked up. But then, hands up, I am guilty of sticking to one style of clothing as much as possible. The lack of sleeves on this dress would have put me off – even though the pattern is beautiful!

Inspire Burgundy Butterfly Skater Dress

That said – I love it!! I love the fit, I love the pattern and SHOCK HORROR I love the sleeves! I know for many people getting their fat arms out is a big deal and I guess I somehow fell under that umbrella, but actually you know what – who cares!


The truth is that, whatever I wear I will look fat! Whether I wear sleeves or no sleeves, I will still look the same shape, so why not wear whatever I like!


The dress is from New Look and goes up to a 32. I found the fit to be a good one although the material doesn’t have much stretch to it, so you should probably bear that in mind when ordering. I really loved that this was patterned and pretty without being too bright – so perfect for the day time! 

On the day I teamed it up with my brand new over the body bag (Thanks little sister!), leggings from Love Ur Curves, cardigan from Yours Clothing and boots from Primark. 


I love that my friends help me push boundaries and wear clothes that make me feel fabulous!! If you love the dress, you can get it here.


Have you ever been ‘forced’ to push the boundaries of fashion and ended up loving it!?


Debz xx

For years I avoided ASOS Curve. I heard from a friend once that they bought something that didn’t fit properly and so I avoided it too! Their bad experience was enough to put me off of even trying it! For me, I went for years of sticking with shops I knew! When you know how a shop cuts their tops and how their jeans fit on you, it can be tempting to stick with them, after all – better the devil you know!


However, I am happy to say I WAS WRONG! My wardrobe is now packed full of delightful ASOS Curve items and my shopping basket on their site full of even more. I genuinely can not get enough of their pretty clothes and sales-goodness! I am sad that I missed out on so many years of happy shopping just because I was too afraid to try.


Being afraid might seem like a big word – perhaps apprehensive is better! But when you’re spending big bucks on clothes, the last thing you want is to have to send them back again. Not only is this a hassle, but you have the disappointment of holding something pretty in your hands that will never be yours!


However… I beg you – try!! If there is a dress, a top, a pair of jeans or anything else you have seen that you liked but though “oh not, that won’t fit me” – try! What’s the worst that could happen? Over the last 12 months I have tried so many new retailers (Topsy Curvy, AX Curve, Excite Clothing….) and I am so glad I did.

On this note, Yours Clothing have let me give you an offer! By using the voucher code “Blogger 6” at their check out you’ll get £10 off of a £20 spend. You must be a new customer and sales items don’t count, but it could be the perfect way for you to try something on the site for size! 


They have loads on offer on their site! I found their sizes pretty true to size, so whatever you are looking for, order in your normal size, use the code ‘Blogger6‘ to save yourself your money and then await your exciting package of clothes to come through the post!

I’d love to know what you bought and what you thought!

Debz x




*Blogger6 gives new customers £10 off of a £20 spend. Non sale items only. Affiliate link.

On the week leading up to the 14th September I heard about the Evans ‘Curvy Street Style’ event that was being held that Saturday. As I haven’t been to their Marble Arch flagship store for ages I thought it would be a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.


When I got to the event I was greeted by two ladies straight away. The lovely ladies explained that every customer had their chance to have their photo taken by a professional photographer that day and be featured on the Evans Curvy Street Style website. 


Of course… I could not resist having my photo taken!

If you follow any aspect of the ‘plus size world’ then the likelihood is that you will have heard of Gemma Cruickshank – Of course it’s still a shame it’s a separate world, but that is another blog post! 


Whether you saw her win the Miss BBW International Beauty Pageant in 2012, you discovered her many ‘self love’ rants on Facebook, you have seen her on Twitter or met her at an event there can be no denying that she will have made an impact. 


I won’t talk about how at a size 22 it is a surprise she is so confident and I won’t take about how she’s pretty for a big girl because we all know being good looking and confident isn’t linked to body size.

What I do want to talk about is the very exciting Gemma Cruickshank Collexions which are due to launch soon! I am very excited to see what Gemma has come up with and I know I won’t be disappointed! Having someone who understands a bigger body design clothes for me is amazing and I can’t wait for the line to be launched!


In a lead up to the launch I caught up with Gemma to talk about fashion and her new line – her is what she had to say!

For anyone who doesn’t know you in the plus-size world (or the ‘normal world’ for that matter) who are you?

My name is Gemma Cruickshank, I am 23 years old and I am an up and coming size-inclusive fashion designer. I graduated last November and have had a whirl wind of a year; I am excited to be sharing the fantastic news that my brainchild ‘Gemma Cruickshank Clothing’ will be launching this October 2013.


Celebrating the curvaceous form and non-commercial silhouette is my passion, I definitely consider myself to be a body confidence and self-esteem activist. I believe that boosting self-esteem enables us to achieve our goals and better our lives. I have done lots of work around size acceptance, body confidence and self-esteem boosting in the run-up to my business launch. 


Being tall and fuller figured myself, and knowing the struggle women of different shapes and sizes face when buying clothes. I initially went to University to study fashion & printed textiles which I knew would equip me with the knowledge I needed to build my dream and enable me to provide quality, size appropriate clothing. 

We’re hearing rumours on Twitter and Facebook of you launching a clothing range, tell us more?

I am indeed launching a clothing range, it is something I am so excited and so passionate about. I am lucky enough to be the proud occupant of a BA Hons in fashion and printed textiles.  I am literally now turning my dreams into my reality. I am currently working with the Prince’s Trust to build my business, which I am launching on the evening of Tuesday 8th October 2013. This will be a fantastic opportunity for me to meet all the fabulous people who have been supporting me for the past year, release my first official collection and celebrate the launch of my awaited website.

Did you do all the designs yourself?

I do everything myself which I love, initially, I am a digital printer which means I am able to design my fabric surfaces myself, which enables me to get the exact fabric design I want to use. I design all my own stuff, pattern cut, sew and finish all myself. Up until now, I have been doing bespoke orders but the time is definitely here to unleash a small collection of my own little ‘Gems’. As my business is growing and the only way is up I will be on the lookout to grow #TeamGemma, I am looking for skilled pattern cutters and seamstresses to join my team.
   
Who will your range be aimed at?

I would hate to limit my range and say it’s only made for one group of people or a specific person. I would never produce anything I wouldn’t wear myself, and it is open for everybody to enjoy. 


Although I am plus size myself, I feel it is very important for us to be included in the fashion industry this is why I am doing size inclusion which covers 12-30. I want to be the change I want to see, I would love for fuller figure ladies to be able to shop at the same places as their petite friends, and be able to buy something because they really like it not because they have to, because it’s their size. I am open to everyone who wants to enjoy my passion.

Where do you get your design inspiration from?

Being part of my own target market means I am continuously inspired, I am a very visual person, I love the feminine form, I love the feel of fabrics, I get excited by colour, and I love the endless opportunities. It never gets boring, I love what I do, I love the wave of fuller figured women who are all doing their own bit for our community and showing that just because you are bigger doesn’t mean you can’t be beautiful – that to me is one of the most inspiring things ever and something I am so grateful to be a part of.

 Where can I find out more?

I love a bit of social media, I can be found exclusively at www.GemmaCruickshank.com
I can be found on my official Facebook page www.facebook.com/IAmGemmaC
I can be followed and tweeted www.twitter.com/IAmGemmaC – @IAmGemmaC

I can be contacted directly through all of these, I am known as IAmGemmaC via social media, if it’s not IAmGemmaC it’s not me 😀
  
Where, when and how will I be able to buy your clothes!?

Starting Small, My clothes will be available to buy via my own website under the Boutique heading – www.GemmaCruickshank.com & www.GemmaCruickshank.co.uk 

Got my fingers crossed and I would love to work with a bigger brand either expanding their own plus size range or introducing a new one!! I am always open to new ideas and love a challenge. 



So there you have it – a VERY exciting new business venture by a lovely lady who knows what she is talking about. By living and breathing the clothes she is designing you can feel sure that her passion, experience and qualifications will make sure that the clothes line is worth checking out!


I’m going to the launch on the 8th October so I’ll bring you all the gossip and news from there ASAP!


What would you like to see as part of Gemmas new collection?


Debz xx

I spent this weekend in Manchester at the hen party weekend of my very beautiful friend Gemma 🙂


14 of us packed into a two bedroom apartment – yes it was chaos for a pyjama party on Friday night. Such a lovely night full of onesies, wine, pizza, silly games and some of my favourite people in the world – what more could a girl need?

On Saturday we went to the MASSIVE boots store in the town centre for makeovers. I was put on the Max Factor counter and asked by the lovely girl what I wanted. Apart from not very ‘orange’ foundation I basically gave her free reign to do what she wanted – to say I was happy with the results in an understatement – I loved it!

Before and After 🙂




For the Saturday night we went for dinner and drinks in the Printworks in Manchester. 

I opted to wear this noughts and crosses from ASOS Curve which I bought a few weeks ago and hadn’t had a chance to wear yet. I loved the pattern and thought it would be the perfect dress for a weekend of celebration.

I have to say – I loved the dress when I wore it, but on reflection, I’m not 100% happy with the style. I think the neck comes out to wide which makes me look much broader than I am. I did love wearing the dress and its a great fit (I sized down from what I normally wear) it’s just the neckline that puts me off!


I had a fabulous weekend though! What did you get up to?


Debz 

Two posts in one day – you lucky lot! – As you know, on Wednesday evening I attended a bloggers event for Pink Clove. For a few days before I ummed and ahhed over what to wear. With so many fabulous bloggers in attendance, I knew I wanted to make sure that I was 100% happy with my outfit. I also wanted to try and minimize the chance of anyone else wearing the same outfit as me!

In the end I opted for this leopard print gaga dress from Yours Clothing. I have had this dress for ages and so I thought, the chances of someone else wearing it would be minimal.

Strike a Pose.

Belt: Yours Clothing
Leggings: Simply Be
Shoes: Primark
Bracelet: eBay
Necklace: Black Heart Creatives
Earrings: Primark
Handbag (pictured below): Primark

The event was held at Hush Restaurant in Mayfair, which was really lovely! The setting outside was really nice, walking down a cobbled street into the courtyard was beautiful!

Posing in Mayfair

I had a really nice night and the pieces on offer from Pink Clove are lovely – I thoroughly recommend checking them out!

I attended the event with Leighanne from Bump and Beyond and Lucia from U Can’t Wear That. Here we are all dressed up and ready to go, before leaving the house!

Me, Leighanne and Lucia

What have you been up to this week?

Debz