OoTD(s) #2, #3, #4: THE DENIM JACKET

Ola! :)

The past weekend, Danah and I went to Mega Mall to check out the opening of the first branch (ever) of Forever 21 (AND YES, JUST NOW!!!). But to our surprise, the waiting line to be able to shop inside was ridiculously long. Since we weren't really dying to check it out, we decided to go some other time, when the craze has died down.

We went to Gap instead, and fell in love instantly with this awesome denim jacket:

[For weeks I've been wanting to revamp my wardrobe and style, and Jaya of Heebie Jeebies (you can check out our feature of her here) definitely epitomizes the cool, laid back vibe that I want to emit through putting together a whole ensemble. SHE ROCKZ.]

After much research on different styles, I decided that a denim jacket would be an essential addition to my closet. And thankfully Gap manufactured the perfect one for me. YAY! I LOVE IT SO MUCH! So much that it inspired me (well, more of forced me) to get creative and mix and match it with the pieces I already own so I could wear it consecutively for three days. :D

Here are the different outfits I've been able to assemble starring the denim jacket:

(#1)

Top: Zara TRF

Shorts: Danah's closet

Shoes: Parisan Plus (SM Mega Mall Dept. Store)

(#2)

Photographed by: Joey Roquim

Dress: Gift from a dear friend

Shoes: Old Navy

(Sorry, I know, this part wasn't very useful :D)

(#3)

with Tedi the poodle

Top and pants: Both stolen from Danah's closet, but originally bought from a random tiangge in Greenhills :D

Shiny flats: Melissa shoes (Singapore)

Current accessory I love: The transparent/pink wayfarer eyeglasses

I am not really a fan of the color pink, but (I think) I can pull it off pretty OK. :D Every pink stuff I own was given to me by my mother who adores the hue. (Forgive the overrated pouty pose. I actually liked the shade of my lipstick, and I felt the need to give a smooch to my camera lens to stress the lips. :D)

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I AM SO HAPPY TODAY! After my Introduction to Literature class, my seat mate told that me and my sister are stylish. :D Three days of taking time and effort in putting together an outfit and already I'm stylish! HELLZ YEAH, THE EFFORT IS PAYING OFF! :) But seriously, I thanked her and told her that the reason behind the extra drive in gussying up is because we want to be genuine and utter advocates of this cause (body appreciation/body acceptance) even through simply how we look. In a way we want to inspire women of our size (and bigger) to realize that you don't have to shrink your body first in order to be fashionable--or fatshionable for that matter. ;)

Stacy

P.S.

I need to find a new addition to work with what I have in my closet before my jacket gets worn out in less than a month's time. *coughMOMINEEDSHOPPINGMOOLAHcough*

My belly roll's a show off.

Here are some shots of me hosting the party (with my lovely twin, of course!) "Drive-Thru" that we organized for the freshmen students of our university.

...and my belly roll shared the spotlight with me. :)

GASP! BULGING FAT! EEEEEEEW. (Me mocking people who are contemptuous of fat people or anything fat-related.)

Seriously, I don't care. I saw this photo uploaded by my friend in his Facebook account, and if it were the insecure old me who saw this, I would probably be texting and begging my friend to delete the damn unflattering photo. But, I've learned (AND

definitely still learning) to accept my flaws bit by bit and not be ashamed of them. Besides, most women have hidden flaws, I just prefer not to keep on fussing over mine to conceal it. :)

Okay, let me explain this picture. :)) As an ice breaker, we played games, and the game masters picked me to judge who among them boyz has the "pinaka-matigas na bicep (hardest bicep)."

This is me judging one of the contestants and not being able to withhold the overwhelming emotion I felt after having a feel of his chiseled arm. HAHA! I am such a dork. Couldn't even control my fez. OH WELL, WHAT'S NEW.

Here's the last photo taken of me and my bulging stomach. This was when I was talking to some freshmen students, trying with all my best to make them feel comfortable in the most un-awkward way I could. :D

I know some people might find this so shameless of me, to post photos of myself starring my flaws. But the truth of the matter is, I've stopped worrying about what other people will think of me. I've stopped being overly conscious of how people see me-- if they find me attractive enough, if they think I'm "hot" enough, if they think I'm good enough.

As I've matured, I realized that my body and my looks are just the tip of the huge iceberg of the totality of who I am (no pun intended). It saddens me when people stereotype and put me in a box. OH PLEASE DON'T PUT ME IN A BOX. I AM TOO BIG TO FIT IN SMALL BOXES. There is definitely much more to who I am than my body.

Personally speaking, I feel much more freer not conforming to the fascism standards of beauty dictated by whoever-the-hell group of people imposed it. I like the way the I look, and I've started (and currently continuing) living a healthy lifestyle. If people think my protruding belly is such a disgrace, it's their problem, and it's their choice to stop looking at me, and my body.

Stacy

Verbatim (#1)

I really like quoting substantial people with their take on body appreciation/body issues.

This commences a new section of our blog, which I'll simply entitle "Verbatim."

A society where women are applauded for their ability to become smaller, I have realised, is something that poses more danger than I would have imagined. It is thinness, not health, trimness, not intelligence, that is still portrayed as the true measure of success.

-- Helen Dring

Come to think of it, what she said was entirely true. Sad. But true.

More entries coming this week! :)

Stacy

I'm a BEFORE photo, and I am happy.

I passed along EDSA the other day, and after being saturated with chiselled abdomens and half-naked girls, I came across a billboard of a slimming company that had two photos on it: BEFORE AND AFTER.

I couldn’t help but scoff at the context being presented by the advertisement. The fat woman on the before photo looked so shy and ashamed, dressed not so stylishly as the photo on the right, with her hair tied back in a ponytail and her eyes full of despair. Then there was the after photo, all glammed up and obviously thinner than the previous one, with eyes full of victory, confidence and glory.

Here comes the BIG question: WHY IS FAT OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH SADNESS, SHAME AND DISCONTENT? I was annoyed, until the light bulb lit up and the situation instantly gave me a topic to blog about.

So many women I know, who are corpulent and plump, are often too conscious about their bodies, feeling so offended and shameful about themselves. I am confident and very sure that the media and the images they send out the society is ONE HUGE FACTOR why this is so.

I really hate the association of fat with depression, self-pity or an unfortunate circumstance happening in one’s life. I’m not saying it doesn’t occur; yes, weight gain may have been the effect of such things, but what gives any person the right to judge another, based on his/her turning to food for comfort? Before I digress, let’s go back to the point: Why is fat more often than not associated with terrible things?

Fat to me means happiness, celebration and wealth. I’m not saying you have to fit the description in order to feel so. NO. It’s not that. It’s just that weight gain MAY ALSO occur after a season of celebrations, feasts and good times, not just after a season of sadness, despair and depression. It maybe after giving birth to your first baby, or maybe after a season of endless gastronomic dates with your new found love. Perhaps it's the effect of eating more without the guilt and self-pity (or sticking down a finger down your throat), when you have looked at your body, learning that you are supposed to be different. I loathe how the media makes women feel so guilty about weight gain. They make it seem like it’s a personal failure of some sort.

Fat is happy! When I started loving my body more, I look back at the moments I have tremendously enjoyed the laughter and awesome memories I have shared with others that inevitably came along with the feastings. My size right now is the accumulation of wonderful, exciting and delectable moments with the ones I love the deepest. Most of all, it's the result of the decision I have made to be honest with my body and more importantly, with myself.

Just like every other woman out there, I used to believe that I couldn't be happy in the shape I was in. I felt like every girl in her before photo-- sad, ugly and unsatisfied. This is why I find it so freeing to accept that my body is beautiful, and that I CAN AND DESERVE TO LOVE MY BODY NOW, without the pressures of having an after photo. Sure, there may be days I want to have an after photo, but I definitely will not let that take away the joy I have with what I am now. I am still on the journey to TOTAL body acceptance.

To me, fat is beautiful, it's worth celebrating, flaunting and being comfortable in (I find it totally hilarious that some people get uncomfortable with how comfortable I am in my skin). Fat is worth dressing, styling and gussying up.

*THIS IS THE MOMENT I FLAUNT LIKE A FRISKY KITTEH (cue music: I'm too sexy by Right Said Fred)

Plump Love,

Danah

Sweet, cold things that I wish would make a comeback

I only remember few things from my childhood (TRUE), but these things I will not forget.

I wish I could taste these things again.

1. Maxibon

I remember being in elementary school and using up all my lunch money for this ice cream sandwich. I'd get hungry a few minutes after devouring this treat, but it was very much worth every penny. Besides, I was 9 then. Squandering money on sweets with poor nutritional value was totally OK. Of course my mom didn't know. :D

2. Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwich

Apparently I love ice cream sandwiches. I'd choose Maxibon over Mickey anytime, it's just that it's more fun to eat Mickey's face.

3. T.G.I.Friday's Outrageous Dessert

I thought Google could show me everything I searched. Too bad I couldn't find photos of my all-time favorite dessert when I was a kid. :( But to paint you a picture (and a delicious one at that) of the Outrageous Dessert, imagine a slice of warm classic chocolate Malt Cake, heap on two scoops of rich vanilla and chocolate ice cream, ladle on strawberries, mound on whipped cream and top it off with pieces of chocolate bar. Now I made myself drool.

4. Closeup's ChocoLoco toothpaste

I still categorized this last item on the list right! It's sweet and cold. Anyway, I miss using this toothpaste. It actually made the mundane task of brushing my teeth yummy and enjoyable.

These are the only things that I can recall and reminisce of, as of the moment.

I like things that are chocolate-y, obviously.

If you did enjoy these treats too, leave a comment! Or better yet, share the sweet and cold things that you wish would make a comeback. :)

Zaftig Lovin',

Stacy

She puts the UMP in PLUMP (#6)

We were lucky enough to find someone as awesome as our sixth feature of this blog's section.

I'll be blatant with my introduction to this kick-ass Pinay who resides in California.

SHE ROCKS!!! AND I THINK SHE'S GONNA BE ONE OF MY IDOLS WHEN IT COMES TO FAH-ZHION FROM NOW ON!

Here's Jaya of the blog Heebie Jeebies!

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What is your size? I'm usually a size US 16/18.

Who is your style icon? I don't really have a personal style icon that I fawn and obsess over but I do kind of have hardcore girl crushes on Kate Lanphear and the Beckerman sisters. I love that Kate Lanphear stays ridiculously true to the rock n' roll grunge style while the Beckerman girls explore different looks constantly.

Favorite store? Honestly, I don't have a favorite brick and mortar store that I frequent on a regular basis. I love the local flea markets -- PCC Flea Market and Melrose Trading Post especially for clothes -- because looking good doesn't have to be expensive and staid which is always a problem with current plus-sized fashion retailers. And really, who enjoys seeing someone else wear your exact same outfit? It's a BUMMMMER.

Favorite pieces of clothing to wear? Hands down, blacker than the blackest black denim. It's a crutch... and, like, the BEST THING EVER. Hahaha it's a little SADFACE but whatever. It's one piece of clothing that I know will never let me down and, at the same time, I will always search for a better pair.

How do you want people to see your style? The first thing I want people to think is 'DAMN, she make lazy look good.' JOKING. Kind of. I'm at heart a jeans and tee kind of girl (damn you, Southern California lifestyle!) but I want people to see the sum of all of these boring parts and think, Huh, she looks a little different and zazzy, you know what I mean? Also, I love men's fashion a little more than women's and I think that influences a lot of my layering, proportion, and color choices. I want other plus-size girls to see that looking good and feeling pretty doesn't have to exclusively associate with flowers and unicorns all the time!

Where do you get your confidence from? I get a lot of it from my twin sister, Kaya. She is BRUTALLY honest (but never ever callus) and provides a lot of constructive criticism when I'm too blinded with love over a piece of clothing to see it's not working out. She pushes the 'girly' out of me which I appreciate because I would probably never do it myself. Also, after a while you just stop giving a fuck about what other people think and you just wear what you want to wear. You have to remember that the people on the street giving you dirty looks -- you will most likely never see them again. Revel in the fact that your weird little outfit made their day a little bit more fun.

How important are other people’s perception of you to you? I think after I turned 25 -- I'm 27 now -- I learned to understand that it REALLY doesn't matter what other people think of you. It was a combination of age (fully developed prefrontal cortex! Hahaha I love listening to science-y podcasts! NERD.) and a lot of wasted time trying to figure out why it seems like no one will ever totally understand you or why others will never see you the way you see yourself. So, ya know, what's the point of worrying? It's easier to focus on the attitude you have of yourself and how you project to others rather than trying to change other people's perceptions.

Message to other Plump Pinays: Be fearless! I know that it's easier said than done but it really can be freeing to do whatever the hell you want -- sartorial or otherwise. If you're feeling like you want to dress a balls-out cra-zazy, DO IT! 5-inch wedges with some pattern-on-pattern action going on? AWESOME. Nothing will be scarier than not living up to your potential.

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After the interview I've instantly become her fan. I love her style, and I love her to-hell-with-what-strangers-think attitude. She rocks my socks. Period.

Zaftig Lovin',

Stacy

P.S.

I think it's so friggin' cool that she's a twin too. :)

SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE HATERS!

So news got to us that a lot of gossipmongers have been ridiculing and condemning this blog.

Well, I can't say I'm really upset about them hating our blog, but what really gets to me is the LACK OF MATURITY of such readers. Obviously, this blog IS ALL ABOUT BODY ACCEPTANCE. Yes, we do post things that digress a bit from the topic like FOOD and whatnots, but it's to urge all body-conscious women that IT IS DEFINITELY OK TO EAT. There is nothing disgusting with eating and reveling in it.

I know that whatever we (my sister and me) do, there will ALWAYS be people who will mock and strongly dislike our undertaking, but we will PRESS ON. :) We know that our cause TO MAKE WOMEN FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEIR BODY NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE AND SIZE THEY ARE IS REFRESHING and NEW, AND THERE IS CERTAINLY NOTHING WRONG WITH IT.

It just really saddens me that people like to twist this and claim that we're promoting things that are UNHEALTHY.

Again, I won't get tired repeating this: WE ARE ALL ABOUT BODY ACCEPTANCE. Is that too hard to imbibe? MATURITY, READERS, MATURITY.

What deeply saddens me is that some people CONSTANTLY FIND THE NEED to PULL OTHER PEOPLE DOWN in order to feel good about themselves. They care and look so much at what other people do and find something to hate about it no matter how innocuous, great, and sincere the act is (besides, why do they even bother at all???). They want to give themselves a sense of being better than others, while building their self-esteem on a terrible foundation of minimizing, hating, and derogating others.

And I think THAT is what's UNHEALTHY.

I don't mind having haters read our blog from time to time though, it generates more clicks on our site! :)

But let me repeat what I've said, READING THIS BLOG REQUIRES MATURITY, and I highly doubt a lot of people have it.

Now to all our supporters, continue following this blog and spreading the love. Repost our link/s in order for us to reach more plumpinays! :) We do what we do because of you guys. We love hearing from you so don't hesitate leaving comments. :*

Before I go, let me share one of my favorite quotes for them haterz.

Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.

--Eleanor Roosevelt

♥,

Stacy