Big Hopes for Faith21

As I've said before when I've mentioned plus-size fashion, I am not a plus-size woman. By the standards of a lot of brain-washed females, myself included, I am big, fat, chubby, etc. A few of years ago, I did the hell out of Weight Watchers and lost about 30 pounds, but I've gained it all back since then (gradually, allowing myself to enjoy certain foods with less restraint and not exercise as much backfired on me... oops). I find myself at a place where I realize that, even then at my skinniest, I thought I was a cow and didn't appreciate size 4 or 6 jeans and wearing a bikini with no qualms, and that that perhaps suggests I am battling my body-image moreso than the weight itself. I find myself at a place where I feel more attract now than I did at my thinnest, perhaps purely because my boyfriend makes it known that he thinks I'm gorgeous just the way I am and that I don't need to wear those size 4 or 6 jeans to make him happy. I also find myself at a place where I am, as of late, battling anxieties about my figure that make me want to do things like take diet pills for a quick fix instead of face the slower progress that comes with going back to Weight Watchers (again, my boyfriend is a big reason I haven't picked up any Hydroxycut or something-- I am so thankful that he listens to my rants and acts as my voice of reason). Even though I am not plus-size according to the clothing industry, since I still fit a large, maybe a medium, in most stores, I know what it feels like to have to reach for a larger size when I thought I'd fit the smaller, or how it feels to leave the store with nothing because if I can't fit those size x jeans, I won't buy any at all until I fit the size x, or how it feels to love a piece of clothing and it comes in every size but yours because they just don't sell that size in the store. It's all very frustrating in one's head and in the world of fashion when you're overweight. Fashion is just not a friendly place for anyone who deviates from their sense of the norm-- or rather the extreme ideal.

I am so refreshed to see a store like Forever21 that is popular with a lot of young, fashionable people and affordable to everyone announcing that they will soon be carrying a plus-size line called Faith21. I first picked up the story from Fatshionista.com, and wanted to share it with you guys, because I think this is wonderful and important and fabulous and amazing. There's an article about it here. I was especially excited to read that the line won't be online-exclusive (when it comes to plus clothes, I find the idea of "online exclusive" less cool-exclusive and more offensively we-don't-want-fat-ugly-clothes-in-our-store-exclusive)-- it will be available in an L.A. mall starting on May 1st. I'm hoping that if it's popular over in L.A., Faith21 will be available in stores all around the country. I mean, I might not wear plus-size clothing, but being an--ahem-- ample-bosomed-and-bottomed woman makes it hard to fit some of Forever21's styles, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Faith21 could be a solution for a lot of girls' problems with regular sized Forever21 stuff, which only goes up to their kinda small size Large (Faith21 will start at Extra Large).

looks like Faith21 will be very much in the spirit of its sister store.

Forever21, I love you, and I hope I love Faith21 just as much. I also hope that more stores with youth-appeal will begin embracing the idea of plus, and as such, the idea that you can look good and feel comfortable at any size.