Plus London 2013... Fun, Fantastic, Fabulous!

For the past few months I have read blog posts and tweets about the previous Plus London and Plus North events that have taken place. Seeing all the amazing pictures and stories about the fashion, the talks and the festivities of these fantastic events had me eager to go down to one of them for myself! When Plus North came about a couple of months ago I unfortunately couldn't get the time off work, so when I saw that an amazing event was being held in my home town of London, and local to me, I couldn't miss it! I immediately registered for my tickets online and was quickly counting down the days until I was due to go. The question that was on everyone's minds was, 'what should I wear?!'.  I opted for my favourite dress, the Dolores Doll by Collectif! 

The event was comprised into three parts; Brand Day, After Dark and Community Day. 

Two leading plus size brands; Simplybe and Curvissa sponsored the weekend event, and I have to say it was so worth the wait! As soon as I walked through the door I was given a warm welcome and smile by the team,  and I quickly saw a range of familiar faces; bloggers, tweeters and fashionistas who filled the room. I was so pleased to see that even though we were all of "plus size" we all came with our own look and style. I was soon mentally taking notes of some of the fabulous combinations of colours, fabrics and accessories the girls carefully selected to create their outfits. I have to say, I soon ended up with a few ideas for some of my own looks. I'd like to add that for all of those fashion critics who think that the token look for a plus size girl is a black smock with plain and unflattering pants, they could not be more wrong! There was so much individuality, and tons of innovative styles in the room that you couldn't help but be inspired!

A random quadruple selfie with me and the girls 

It was really refreshing to see independent companies networking and showcasing their products along with the mainstream brands that nearly every woman there had in her wardrobe. As we were given the chance to leaf through stands full of fantastic items there was so much going on! Old and new friends were gushing over the new and fantastic lines being presented to them on the stands and we were all taking note of items that we were eager to add to our wardrobes and accessory drawers! I thought it was great that representatives from the brands were happy to have talks with the group and discuss the new and upcoming lines, whilst taking feedback from the bloggers and buyers. It was evident to me that every one in the room all shared the common purpose of making us bigger girls look and feel fantastic about ourselves and I was so pleased to see that everyone came in with a positive outlook and an excitement to be there.

I attended both days of the weekend event and I after taking part in several conversations with the girls there. It got me to thinking about the "plus size" community that I was a part of. I have always been a big girl and I have always been the "big girl" in the group. For the first time I was surrounded by women who had experienced the same troubles, stereotypes and wardrobe malfunctions as myself!. What became apparent to me is how so many of the current fashion brands are embracing us bigger girls as women who can look just as stylish as our smaller counterparts, and that we also deserve that right. It seemed to me that every single person who participated in the event not only wants to look and feel great but knows that it's her personal right to be able to walk down the street with her head held high in the clothes of her choice!

BLAST were there to capture the goings on during Brand Day and After Dark. I was lucky enough to have a slot with them where I asked the gorgeous Sarah to join me for a few snaps. The pictures that were taken of the girls throughout the day looked beautiful from what I saw. At Plus London After Dark, the after party held on the Saturday. Blast held an impromptu fun shoot complete with props and costumes. I was draped in feather bowers and depicted as both an angel and a vixen lol. This was a lot of fun and a really nice addition to the weekend. Check out some of their photography on their website www.blastphoto.co.uk

Me and the gorgeous Sarah H  

Photography by Blast Photo

The panel discussion which took place on Sunday the 3rd was very inspiring and tackled issues such as the sex life of a fat girl, the stereotypes, the media, health and exercise. I love to take part in a good and healthy debate so to hear so many fantastic points of view left me feeling uplifted, inspired and even more confident than I was before the event took place.

Lately it seems that being a plus size woman comes with a stigma, misconceptions and a general negative vibe. I will say though being around all the other women at the event and speaking to some of the other bloggers gave me a sigh of relief. I found the event to be a breath of fresh air and I can honestly say that even though we face our daily struggles it is nice to know that we are moving towards positive things and that we're able to do it together with confidence, a smile and a damn good outfit on our backs! It's nice to know that we are FINALLY starting to not only like who we are but really enjoy who we are. I have NEVER in my entire life been in a room with so many fantastic women and I know that I have gained some great new friends who I may not have met had I not taken part in the weekend.

I really feel that we benefit from events such as this one because it not only gives us a chance to be around others who are similar to ourselves, it's a chance for us to embrace ourselves and celebrate who we are. I can honestly say not one person came with a bad or negative outlook and everyone was sad to see the weekend come to and end. It was obvious to me that a huge amount of work had gone into the preparation of the event and I think it's fair to say that the team outdid themselves in making it all happen and bringing everyone together.

I can't wait for the next one and I hope that I will finally be able to take part in Plus North also.