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.