I AM #UNASHAMED

This afternoon my attention was brought to an article on the Daily Fail website. It was written by Linda Kelsey who doesn't like happy fat people.

Why SHOULD we be?

Seemingly with the intention of filling a gap left by Katie Hopkins since everyone got bored of talking about her, Kelsey, a self-confessed fattist, writes about 3 young ladies who appear to be in their early twenties and are happy and excited to be going on their holidays. They were going to a hot country so they wore shorts. They were also (according to Kelsey) "a size 18 at least" and not concerned or ashamed for being fat or wearing appropriate holiday clothing - Something Kelsey finds outrageous.

Why is this kind of body-shaming still acceptable? 

And what sort of message is this sending out to young girls (and boys)? That if you don't fit Linda Kelsey's ideal for the perfect body then you should hide away in a box of self-loathing and shame until such a time that she deems you "acceptable" by her standards? 

Sod that.

Fat, thin, gay, straight, black, white, male, female, Christian, Muslim, tattooed, pierced... These are the things that define you. Never let anyone tell you that you should be ashamed to be yourself.

I am Katt.

I am fat. 

I am happy. 

And I am unashamed.

Be who you are. Be whoever you want to be.

Don't let the bitches get you down. 

Hump Day Blues

Happy Hump Day, my lovelies!
Is it just me or does banning yourself from something make it that much harder to resist? Had this been a normal month I probably would have gone through the past two days not really thinking about spending money. But this isn't a normal month. This is No Spend July. I have banned myself from fashion and beauty shopping which means I want to do it more than ever. Especially since the new Lady V dresses are screaming at me to buy them ALL this week.

One thing I can do is window shopping. Wishlists will get me through.
This first of probably several No Spend July wishlists, was put together because of a serious lack of pretty blue things in my possession. I hope you see something you like.

Vintage Inspired Blues

Lindy Bop Ophelia Sky Blue Floral / Hell Bunny Francine / Lindy Bop Ophelia Blue Polka Dot

China Blue

Oriental Blue Floral Tea Dress / Jan Constantine Mini Bag

 I definitely need more blue in my wardrobe. What's your favourite dress from this wishlist?
Maybe, just maybe I'll treat myself to one of these when the ban is over. We shall see.

Yours Clothing, Bluewater

Have you ever had one of those experiences that leaves you beaming with confidence and feeling better than ever?

When visiting the new Yours Clothing store at Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent last month, that's exactly what happened to me.

Yours has such a wide range that this shop is bursting at the seams with a variety of basic and on-trend styles, colours and patterns. The sheer amount of clothing can be a little hard to navigate when you first walk in. I didn't quite know where to start, but once I found my rhythm there was no stopping me as I scurried from rack to rack picking up all manner of things to try on.

The gorgeous Abi (staff member and fantastic blogger over at aisforabi) treated me to the Worlds Biggest Changing Room. Plenty of room for groups, wheelchair users, mums with buggies or a cat swinging convention. Or, as was the case for me, enough space to go crazy trying on too many clothes.

But the size of the changing room isn't what impressed me the most. The greatest thing about my trip to Yours Clothing that day was the people. I've already mentioned the fabulous Abi (expect a blogger meet up in the future, I need to hang out with that girl!) but the experience doesn't even stop with staff. No, it was everyone. The staff made customers happy and in turn the happiness bounced off every single shopper in the changing room.

I felt so good I even put on a maxi dress!
Sadly it didnt fit my 5ft 3in, big boobied frame.

I've never experienced such community in a fitting room before. Everybody was chatting, comparing sizes, giving opinions and tips and swapping clothes. I tried on things I wouldn't normally dare to because I felt secure in knowing that there would be no fat-shaming or body snarking. Everybody was just themselves. (Or a happier version thereof.) I was stripped to my bra and leggings and comfortable enough to let the other women in the adjacent rooms wander in and see how I was getting on. With the exception of my husband and children, it's the most naked I've been in front of anyone for years!

I don't know what happened to this picture- it's so fuzzy-
but I neeeed this blazer.

Thanks to the amazing people at Yours Clothing,  Bluewater, I tried some new things, met some great people and had the best shopping experience possibly ever. Excellent! Bring on the new Ashford and Maidstone stores!