Wow, it has been a minute since I’ve posted to the blog! I hope everyone is staying happy and safe during this crazy time (that sometimes seems never-ending). The first topic I’m going to tackle on my big return is… fashion — every facet of it, good and bad.
I remember the first time I had to shop through sizes bigger than a large. I was in the “normal” women’s section, clearly coming to the realization that I needed bigger clothes. I had just gained some weight and I was in need of sizes XL and above. So, I had to begrudgingly make my way over to the plus size section. I don’t even remember which store I was in, but I remember shuffling through those clothes so quickly, as not to be seen. But, why did I care about the sizes I was picking up? No one looks at the tags I have on, people just see me out in the world.
But to me at the time, it was discouraging and embarrassing. But that’s because of the pressure put on us from the media and social media. Because of these mediums, we are made to think that being a bigger size is a bad thing. And that’s because 2% of women shown in the media are plus-size. TWO PERCENT. When in reality, 67% of women wear sizes 16 and above (or, what they call “plus size”). So, we’re seeing people who aren’t really reality. But we are made to think they are.
Why are these sizes carried in a separate section? Why are they given the egregious term, “plus-size”? Large and extra large have always had a negative connotation in our society. “I look large” is something constantly said by women when they’re not feeling good about themselves. And when people look thin, it’s celebrated beyond belief.
Lately I’ve been doing a lot of internal work on myself and my connection to my appearance. I’ve put too much emphasis on my appearance and my weight my entire life (something I blame on a lot of factors), but I’m trying to dig deeper beyond my appearance, and no longer correlate my worth to my jeans or dress size. But it’s hard in a society that pushes this thin messaging on us, constantly.
If you look skinny, you’re praised. If you log into Instagram, you’re plagued with models with flat stomachs in two piece bikinis on some island in Greece. You stop to think for a second, even though you don’t want to, “Why can’t I have that?” “Am I enough?”
You question everything. You question if you’re good enough, if you’re thin enough, if you have enough. You might even critique yourself in the process and start the negative self-talk at this point, aloud or in your head.
What I want to do is continue to bring awareness to this through The Curve Confessions. So you and I can continue to check ourselves when we start that negative self-talk. And remind ourselves in those moments that we are enough. We are “hot” enough. We are doing enough. And we have everything we need within us. It’s not material things that make us happy, it’s our inner peace that does. And holy shit, has this year or so helped bring this to the forefront.
I will cover this more in the blog in-depth, but just let this post be a reminder to you… you are enough just the way you are.
While on the topic of fashion, I absolutely love fashion. I love expressing myself through my clothes and accessories. I love feeling sexy in what I’m in. So, here are a few brands that have helped me to do so that you can also jump on:
Armoire – I discovered Armoire through my job, and am so glad that I did. Armoire is a fashion rental brand that allows you to rent, wear, and return clothes — it’s women-founded, size inclusive, and sustainable. Yes, that’s right — size inclusive! You take a quiz and it curates your feed to give you styles and sizes suitable to you. I’m loving it so far. In my last case, I got a Lily Pulitzer dress to wear to a wedding, and my new favorite piece that I wore to a rehearsal dinner (and actually bought myself for my 30th birthday celebration coming up). I have the 7 items per case subscription, but you can get less or more than that! Use my code at armoire.style/refer/kenziep to get 50% off your first month!
Honeylove – This is a brand that I found through Instagram ads, and they have the best spanx I’ve ever encountered in my life. I love how they make me feel solid in my mid-section, which is a huge part of my confidence when I’m wearing tighter items. I don’t have a code, but man I recommend this brand. Here are the spanx I bought and wear religiously (I’m wearing them under my green bridesmaids dress for my sister’s wedding).
There will be more where this came from, I promise! Let me know if you enjoyed this post or have any comments. So excited to be writing again! XOXO, Kenzie
kenziepittman.com 