The plus size community seems to be at antsy with itself lately and it is a sad thing to see.
Bloggers are being accused of various things to include: peacocking about working with brands, having too many gifted items on their blogs, always going on about going to events and generally saying that everything is "gorgeous" as long as it is free. They are also accused of encouraging consumerism and killing fairies. Ok, not the last one, but such negatively towards people in the same community as yourself makes me rant a little.
Bloggers are being accused of various things to include: peacocking about working with brands, having too many gifted items on their blogs, always going on about going to events and generally saying that everything is "gorgeous" as long as it is free. They are also accused of encouraging consumerism and killing fairies. Ok, not the last one, but such negatively towards people in the same community as yourself makes me rant a little.
I properly started blogging about fashion about a year and a half ago. I started because I caught sight of Becky's blog, saw all the fabulous, colourful and fashionable clothes that she was wearing and her awesome attitude and thought to myself, I want a piece of that. Not the free clothes, the confidence and her attitude.
The number of plus size fashion blogs I read grows on a daily basis. I don't pick and choose based on their brand interaction, I chose on the basis of if I find their blog interesting and also the kinds of clothes that they wear. Seeing how clothes work on different bodies is extremely helpful to a plus size person and also seeing someone wearing something that you would not have dared to, encourages you to be a little more adventurous and jump out of your comfort zone.
One of the unexpected perks that has arisen is that occasionally I get opportunities from brands in order to review clothes or maybe attend an event. This isn't something I expect or court, but when it does happen, it is obviously extremely exciting. When I see other bloggers doing similar things, I feel happy for them also.
The biggest perk I have gained from blogging though is this: I am so much more than the shadow of the person that I used to be. Fashion blogging has completely changed my life. I am no longer hiding and I wear the clothes that I want to, not the clothes that I "should".
Someone said on Twitter today that wearing clothes doesn't give you confidence, but they are wrong. Fashion can take you out of your safe place, which often can be the very place that you are hiding in, and into places that you could never dream of.
The other bloggers in the community continue to inspire me and I draw my own confidence from them. I don't care if the clothes they show are free, paid for, stolen or borrowed, what makes me continue to read their blogs is their confidence and their friendliness to others.
The plus size community has always been a supportive and friendly one and it is a shame when discomfort arises because some work with brands and others don't. Blogging is hard work and time consuming, especially if you are working too, or have children, or both! If someone gets a perk from doing their blog then well done to them.
I love writing my blog, both my opinion posts and my fashion posts. If I stop loving it, I'll stop, simple as that. If you don't kind reading someone's blog, then don't read it.
This is just a little of my perspective, but I urge you to check out Hanna's post and Leah's post
*Edit
Having read Gina's comments on the Facebook feed
*Edit
Having read Gina's comments on the Facebook feed
