MelodyMae.co.uk » Getting Edgy With It -- Plus Size Alternative Style

Happy Monday, friends!

Hope we’re all doing well! Mercury is in retrograde and things are a bit weird, don’t you think? I’m not a massive believer of those such things, but hey — any excuse to blame something else, right? Anyhow, today I’m switching things up with some plus size alternative style!

Now, I’m not suddenly turning all alternative on you guys, don’t worry. I love my vintage and pin up style a lot, and it’s not a style I’ll grow out of any time soon. But I’m also a massive emo kid inside that loves heavy rock music, getting drunk in fields at pop punk festivals and spending her birthday at post-punk gigs. And sometimes I just want to show that side of me off!

What I will say is that plus size vintage/retro/pin up style has it’s privileges, it really does. As much as being plus size can allow, honestly. Because at least if you’re in the UK18-UK26 bracket, it’s fairly easy to find vintage styled clothes that fit. If that’s not a style you go for — lord, it’s a difficult one. Recently I’ve been to a few gigs and festivals in which I’ve been my emo self outside as well as in. And my basic outfit really is just a band shirt and a midi tube skirt, since that’s all I can really find that fits.

Finding Plus Size Alternative Style

I recently spent an entire day trying to find a denim skirt, or a dungaree dress on the high street. Fairly easy, right? There’s an array of these in fashion right now, so surely I’d find something on the high street that would work? Wrong. Oh. So. Wrong. In my years of wearing vintage-styled clothing, I’d completely forgotten how horrendous shopping as a fat woman was. I’d forgotten the pain of trying every item in every size, just to be disappointed when it doesn’t go up past your knees. And I’d forgotten how frustrating, flustering and frankly gross, trying on clothes is. My plus sized friends wearing non-vintage styles — my heart goes out to you, my friend.

So I never found a denim skirt or a dungaree dress. Even in a plus-sized-specific store — I’m looking at you, Yours Clothing — the cuts were just awful. Where the fuck are the waists? I know some bodies aren’t as hourglassed as mine, but when the waists are clearly bigger than the hips, who on earth are you catering for? Having to size up for my hips whilst having fistfuls of fabric at the waist is just not the one.

So here I am in my trusty midi tube skirt — I have a few, but all of them are from Boohoo Plus, since you can’t beat the price, sizing and quality really. Wearing an Alexisonfire t-shirt that was a birthday present from myself at their show last month. And of course, my trusty Alice Brown’s Cupboard turban. I wear this thing constantly and I LOVE IT. Makes me feel fancy even if I haven’t bothered doing anything with my hair that day.