Plaid Power

I’ve been reading Aarti’s blog, Curves Become Her, for quite a while now and am overjoyed that she has agreed to become an Already Pretty contributor! She is a body image warrior with a huge heart and a fabulous sense of style. Please welcome her!

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Hello everyone!!

It is such a pleasure to be working with Sally and the team of Already Pretty contributors! I’d like to thank Weesha for introducing Sally to me and Sally for asking me if I’d be interested in this endeavour. Of course I said yes! I follow this blog ardently so this is an immense honour. Looking forward to sharing my body of work on AP.

Onwards to the post proper!

I am a bonafide 90’s chick, so plaid clothing and tartan patterns will always be wardrobe staples. Growing up as a tomboy with newly emerging curves was tricky. I felt awkward in this new silhouette and my ‘comfort clothing’ consisted of oversized plaid blouses and grunge-y, tattered, light denim bootcut jeans. Accessorised with Doc Martens, but of course, and a cropped hair cut.

Last year saw the revival of 90s fashion and with that rushed in old memories of my teenage wardrobe! So even though 2014 has passed, I feel inspired to indulge in sojourns down memory lane. Trends are fun, but I do not follow them with fervour unless something catches my eye.

So the question is, How do you keep an old trend updated? The answer: Integrate it where your style sense is now and search for inspiration.

The Look

Plaid blouse in black and white – Asos Curve (uk 18)

skinny leopard printed belt – Cotton On (size L)

black dress with tulle skirt – Asos Curve (uk 18)

black pumps – Rubi (EU 39)

With this look, I mixed the old fondness for plaid with my current feminine penchant for tulle. The addition of a darkened gold chunky necklace and the belt breaks the monochrome monotony – not like there is anything wrong with monotone, I love it. You will never see me in really adventurous footwear like stiletto heels or high platforms because of irreversible foot injuries sustained in the past. So sturdy black pump wedge heels it is.

The fit of the plaid blouse is pretty amazing and soft to touch, as plaid should be. The tulle dress actually has a spaghetti strap top with it but I have sneakily folded it away under the fullness of the skirt. I quite enjoy making my clothing multifunctional, as you will discover in later posts to come. I have shied away from tulle for years because I was under the impression that it would not flatter my figure. How wrong I was! Consider me a convert.

The purple Revlon matte lipstick that I have on is my ode to International Women’s Day and to the month of March as Women’s History Month. The colour purple is one-third of the Suffragettes’ colour scheme and it symbolises justice and dignity.

Little Details

Are you a fan of plaid clothing and tartan patterns? How do you normally style it up?

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Having struggled with ‘weighty’ issues most of my life, I made the decision to stop hating my body and to embrace it when I turned 30. Curves Become Her is where I talk about plus size fashion, being body positive, encourage female empowerment, and share personal anecdotes.

I am a first generation Singaporean with Indian origins. My academic background is in psychology and psychotherapy. I consider myself a writer, feminist, and activist aside from being a plus size blogger.

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