Fat girl summer - let's slay 💅

[Lwrenn]

So, for those of us who are chunky yet funky, what's the plan ladies?

Shall we give no fucks and wear nice comfy summery clothes or do we worry about keeping every inch of us covered head to toe in black until we sweat so hard we melt? What's the plan?

Currently a size 20/22 myself, unlikely to get down to a magical size 14 by July so I'm looking at the nice comfy looking linen pants, few maxi dresses, shorts because I'm a wee chubby pale rebel and to really go wild a jumpsuit or two.

Simply be has some lovely things at the moment including shoes, asos curve is looking alright and vinted is my best pal.

I'm 35 for a few more months and don't want to have another summer in my 30s hating my body, so this year I'm going to embrace it. Anyone with me?

@GoingDownDown that's lush!

bigger than you and twice your age but my favourite summer time things are the jeans I got from Landsend a few years back - and it looks like they're still selling them. i got one pair that are pale green, another that are lilac and a pair that are florescent orange. The last in particular almost always get commented on. (ex colleague used to joke and cover his face as if blinded and shriek "my eyes, my eyes!" he truly meant it in a nice way) I tend to wear these with a bright coloured rock band tshirt of some sort. And I'm fortunate that this is considered acceptable at work as well as when I'm out and about.

For the paler jeans I've got a selection of plain coloured tshirts and over a hundred bright coloured scarves to match them up so lilac trousers, yellow top, iris blue cardi and a multi coloured silk scarf - again always gets a comment.

if you are going for these note that I get the UK 26 which is a US 22
Women's Water Conserve High Waisted Slim Ankle Jeans | Lands' End (landsend.co.uk)

Sounds lovely, @SmudgeButt
Some of those are down to £20 on Landsend just now!

I love the spoons plates😂. Seriously though that is a very pretty dress. I have to clean my bedroom and put all the clean washing away today. I also need to find an an outfit in my wardrobe to wear to Green Day next month.

Ooh I like those @SmudgeButt . Would you say they’re true to size? Looking at the size chart suggests I should order a size larger than normal.

Which reminds me, my top online shopping tip is PayPal Pay in 3. It’s not a credit thing like Klarna. PayPal pay your order and bill you over three months. I use it a lot to order multiple sizes - by the time my second payment is due, I’ve returned what I don’t want. It makes it possible to order a variety, which I find so necessary when using new shops with unpredictable sizing. Obviously don’t use it to spend beyond what you can afford!

Well I don't take 26 anywhere else. Unless it's M&S which tend to be very small in my opinion. Might actually be a 24 but my weight yo-yos and frankly I tend to buy more across the pond than in the UK as most stuff here is shite particularly for the larger sizes. There I'm normally looking at 20 or 22.

Weirdly I stopped undoing my trousers about 2 years back as I can slip them on/off without unzipping but sometimes tend to put some elastic in the back waist band to snug them in to my waist but keeping my big butt covered. Otherwise I can feel my jeans heading south if I have my phone in one pocket, wallet in another, keys in the front with some change - all weighed down!!

I like your elastic plan. Being able to adapt your own clothes is brilliant.

@ChishiyaBat there is a woman on Instagram her handle is mandyboser and she looks like a wee rock queen, check out how she's styled, I'd do that for a gig!

Just got a massive H&M order - size 18/20/22 depending on the shop. Most XL’s fitted me in my order.

Got some linen mix trousers that are lovely on for the summer. I now have black, khaki and navy.

In the XL they don’t look as baggy on me but I feel the XXL are a little big. They are more of a tapered trouser. Could wear to work or casual depending on what I wear with them.

https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.1213659002.html

I checked her out, she isn't really my style, but thank you.
I have 4 rails of clothes and i've narrowed it down to 3 choices so i'm doing good😂.

I love that dress, and it looks AMAZING on! You have a really nice shape.

I've bought a few things today. My poor dh, but he seems to very much be liking the fitted things, so perhaps not so poor after all. But op, you're both a fabulous influence, and also a bad one on our bank accounts!

I bought a 'run and fly' dungarees mini dress today. I like it because it hides my tummy, but shows off the bits I like more.

This is my favourite ever mum's net thread.

OP, your post about your son saying 'I love you daddy' had both me and dh laughing out loud!

@Lwrenn mothers are so bloody cruel. As a side note, so spoons have patterned plates? It's literally 20 years since I last ate in one.

@Lovethistimeofyear I have the linen mix wide leg trousers from hm. I got xxl as xl were out of stock. They're too big really, but at least they have a drawstring waist, so I tie as tight as possible. And avoid putting stuff in my pockets! Think I'm going to order some more colours (I've black and navy so far) for the summer. I've dropped a couple.of pounds, so I'll see if that stays off before ordering again.

@Seaside3 this is a wetherspoons plate, I think they are lovely.

So I have 3 outfits to choose from. The 1st one is a red&black zipped and buckled pinafore with skulls and a silver kimono style cardigan. The 2nd is a hell bunny limited edition pandas in space print(has pockets), again with the silver kimono cardi, I would also wear this with a 50s style petticoat. 3rd is a bat print full sleeved dress I would also wear with a 50's style petticoat underneath and a corset belt. I am leaning towards 1 or 2, but my daughter says 3😂. So I don't know what do you all think?

I treated myself to a nice colourful pair from Sweaty Betty (I used to love going in there before but didn't think that I would fit anything in there now). The staff in the shop were really lovely and I didn't feel too anxious or scared going in there. The shorts are the Tempo run shorts in the palm print. They weren't cheap, but the stuff I've had from there in the past has lasted years without issue. They come up to mid thigh on me (I'm 5ft 4). I was in my mid 20's and a size 6 when I last wore shorts of that length. Been too anxious to wear anything like that in years.

Annoyingly, I found a similar styled pair (but all black) in Sports Direct for a fraction of the price. Bought that pair too. So now I have two pairs of shorts that I'm not too scared to wear, and are actually comfy too.

We head off on holiday tomorrow, and (for the first time in five years), I'm not feeling too anxious about my summer wardrobe. This thread has been a tonic for my confidence! A poster earlier in the thread said that they should feel the sun on their skin too. Absolutely bloody right, why shouldn't we all? I'm fed up of wearing stuff that completely covers me.

When I get home, I'm clearing out some of the "tent" like clothing I have and will try to wear the nicer things I bought instead.

@Lovethistimeofyear I like those linen joggers . I'm wondering if there would be a lot of spare fabric as I'm fairly short. How tall are you and how do they fall ?

@ChishiyaBat I like the black dress with the bats on for a gig.

@Lwrenn I think the blue patterned dress is lovely . I like blue and white for summer . I've got a blue patterned maxi kaftan dress sitting in my 'favourites' on Next at the moment .

@ChishiyaBat unless the long sleeves may be a bit hot ?

That is what I am thinking, plus they are super flappy about which may get annoying, I wore it out at Christmas time and they did my head in all night😂. Thing is it's outside, if it's hot which it could well be then I will boil, I just don't know Manchester in June is tricky, i've been to gigs in June where it's 34degrees, then others where it's been 16 and pissing down with rain😂.

I really miss Henry Holland clothes you. Got in Debenhams , I was see to wear them a lot in the summer. Sadly all fallen apart , I've m a size 18 I wear a lot of jersey dresses as so comfy and handy when you have kids to run after .
I buy mostly from vinted now. A pair of H&M denim shorts also so comfy . I fit. Really have any going out clothes .
In may treat myself to a jumpsuit or similar

That’s Burleigh, isn’t it? Or similar. Lovely pattern. Would happily wear that as clothing!

Yes I think so, I know you can buy the plates. It is a lovely pattern and blue and white is a lovely combination for summer.

If a Wetherspoon’s plate is the first thing she thinks of then she obviously spends way too much time there.

@ChishiyaBat well, thank you! Learn something new every day.

And she empties her plate a long time before her companions if she sits looking at the plate design long enough to remember it !