all round retro

Hey fam!

Thank you for reaching out after I wrote that extremely personal post about how chronic illness and my injuries have impacted my body positivity in only the best, most surprising of ways 🙂

There is plenty where that comes from, so much to talk about and it will be a running theme on the blog. It’s part of what makes me ME and my road to body positivity.

But this post is a lighthearted one, I had NO fashion concept whatsoever with this hahaha but it seemed like a mish mash of several decades gone by. Hence the title.

I Guess this look is a homage of sorts to my Mother, my Father and Me. I’ll tell you why as I go along ..

flutter sleeved blouse : Forever 21 Plus in size 1X

clear aviator glasses: Ali Express

statement earrings : Ready To Stare (not available anymore, I’m afraid)

high waisted leggings : Asos Curve in size 20

I believe I might have mentioned before that I will no longer be wearing heeled shoes because of my knee so I am still updating my flats collection as I really do not own that many pairs of flats that are comfortable and fashionable – hard to find a mix of that to be honest! This pair of sandals are knock off Birkenstocks haha, from a local store. Very comfortable but I admit I am getting tired of wearing them with everything!

I will always love wearing flutter sleeved, bell sleeved blouses or dresses thanks to being in love with my mother’s bohemian fashion sense when she was a young adult. Even later on, she rocked the hell out of sheer retro dresses and blouses. I remember watching her applying her trademark bright red lipstick for a night out and I loved watching her mix and match from her wardrobe.

My Father no longer wears clear aviator glasses now – he is a sharp dresser with cooler glasses than me! But my earliest memories of him are with a pair of silver aviators that framed his face and Apple cheeks just like they frame mine here. Mom always jokes around that she was the ‘cooler’ one of the two when they were younger but I think dad did pretty okay for himself! A modest and humble man who dressed for function and setting; his style has definitely rubbed off on me in that way. I still remember his monogrammed handkerchiefs he carried for work. Today, he enjoys more casual work wear (which isn’t That casual if you ask me the blogger in pajamas).

I have always been a jeans and T shirt kind of girl. I hated fussing with skirts or dresses, preferring something I could move around with more flexibility .. without having to fidget. Today, I have an eclectic style sense but I still feel most at ease in a pair of jeans. Denim shorts, jeans/jeggings, denim skirts – they have been a staple in my wardrobe for 3 decades. I cannot declare my style androgynous, Nor is it overtly feminine or masculine. It is authentic to who I am.

This shoot was such fun! The seasonal rain was quite literally raining on my parade – I detest gloomy weather. It was the perfect sunny evening and I am so pleased these pictures captured it.

I added a tiny bit of the 80s – the decade I was born in – with statement earrings. They were all the rage back then and they are back in trend now, how about that!

To be honest it doesn’t matter if statement earrings or necklaces ever go out of fashion because I will always adore them.

Makeup for this look was probably the most full coverage I have ever done for a fashion post – it was interesting, certainly fun to dabble but I reckon I will stick to light to medium coverage makeup looks. I prefer a more natural finish. For me, Makeup enhances what is already there and I do not wish to find myself obsessing over how much better I can conceal my facial imperfections. The much darker eye circles will always be there, as will the hyper pigmentation and scars. It’s fine. If they show through the images, I don’t see problems to be fixed – I see a face and a person behind that face who does not always love her reflection but does not hate it either.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this all round retro ensemble! You don’t have to buy all of the trendy things to be stylish; pick and choose what you feel works for you. Make trends work for You instead of the reverse.

Take care of yourselves fam! Sending you so much love.

Aarti xxxo

P.S: I do intend to post less about fashion on the blog as the year progresses although it will still be a part of what I do. So I will not plan elaborate looks as I have done in the past. I would much prefer to focus energy on write-ups and other forms of advocacy. Fashion can be a political statement, but so can other kinds of creative expression.

Curves Becomes Her meets Nyata

Hellooooo! 

It’s been a while hasn’t it? How have you been? I trust you have been keeping well. I’m alright, will update you on all that’s been going on in another blog post. Let me get first started on a few of my fashion posts that have been on the backlog. 

I was approached by Nyata, a plus size store in Australia to sample an item from their collection and that had me excited of course! I have marveled at their collection on Instagram before so this was a pleasant surprise. 

Nyata means real in Indonesian, and I like that the outfits are given pretty names in the language..I learnt Malay from kindergarten until the O levels so I have a decent grasp of the language. And Real is definitely what we want to encourage in body positivity. 

My outfit from the store is quite suitable for my style sense at the moment because I like keeping it pretty casual of late. 

Biarkan Glitter short sleeve dress in size Beautiful 

Yup that’s the size on the website, but don’t worry, their size guide will let you know of the available plus sizes that are pooled under these wonderful descriptors. 

It’s a casual, comfortable yet stylish shirt dress that can be dressed up or down depending on how you want it. It is entirely possible to add some leggings for the bottom with a pair of heels! 

This is part of the sales collection and they have a new collection up, I love the use of geometric patterns they have going on in a few of the outfits. 

Little Details

I decided to pair the dress with a pair of denim plimsolls and not accessorise the look up, because I was going for something casual and carefree. 

Makeup was really simple as well; some rouge on the lips and eyeliner at the lower lash line. This has been the most I’ve gone with makeup since the start of my blogging break! 

This is a short and sweet fashion post to dip my feet back into blogging, it feels strange and yet familiar. I will check back in with another post in a short while, see you then! 

Til then, much love xxxo

Olive green and Rust

Heya fam, 

I wasn’t planning on doing an outfit of the day post but I realised I had one to shoot for Already Pretty – I contribute fashion posts there once in a while. This is not the same look for that post, I obviously cannot divulge those pictures before they get published on AP. I thought, why not get one done for my blog? No time like the present! 

I enjoy mixing and matching colours and figuring out which combos I love, which ones I don’t mind and the ones I feel meh about. This was one idea I had in mind for a while. I normally lay in bed conjuring up styles possible outfit of the day ensembles instead of getting some quality shut-eye…one of the many thought processes that keep me up at night! 

   

 
 
  

Olive green maxi dress, Rust cardigan – Forever 21 Plus 

ankle boots – Zalora Singapore 

I don’t own that many cardigans because I don’t see the need for it in this humid climate but it is definitely handy to have around for travel. The dress was purchased a few months ago and what I like about it is the lining – jersey dresses can be quite unforgiving but the quality of the lining and thickness of the jersey for this dress makes it less so. Not that I mind VBO, I just don’t like outfits that can have someone discern the intimates you have on! 

Boots are one of my favourite kinds of footwear, so when this pair was on sale online there was little deliberation. Admittedly I was nervous when it arrived because I do not typically shop for shoes online. My injured wide feet are not of the same size (one is half a size smaller than the other) so you see my predicament. Thankfully this fit very well and yes it is faux leather ! I have never worn real leather and I never will. 

   
 
Makeup wasn’t too complicated. Dark lipsticks are really beginning to grow on me again and this particular one from Jeffree Starr looks much better in person. The photos just do not do it justice. 

  
This is me for now, will update the blog when my AP post is published! Have a good weekend! 

xxxo Aarti Olivia 

Curves Become Her turns 3 – a belated blogiversary edition

My dear CBH Fam,

I hope you have been keeping well and that the year end is coming along nicely. It’s been quite a year hasn’t it? All I hope for everyday is respite for weary souls and a little more understanding between people. Be it 2015 or 2020.

It has been a while since the Halloween post! While the eerieness of those photographs was exactly what I was hoping to capture, it was a last minute decision in all honesty. Halloween and Diwali give me the annual ultimatum of Which festival will you dress for?? My answer to that for 2015 was Neither! Forgoing the usual route of an ethnic top or Punjabi suit, this time I rustled up a festive dress from my Dec 2014 shopping haul and made it work..

Diwali 2015

  

bardot sleeved dress – Pink Clove, maroon shrug – Marks & Spencer’s earrings – Ankara at Tekka Mall, Little India

My mother who has been doing rather poorly this year had yet another fall a few days after Diwali. She sustained a right hip bone fracture and underwent surgery for a steel placement where the fracture happened. Mom had one too many falls this year which slowed down her walking a fair bit and made her quite miserable with having to manage the pain. Thankfully she is a tough cookie and within two days of surgery she stood on her two feet with the walker but my little family unit was understandably distressed during this period. November passed by in the blink of an eye and I had other things to attend to..so the blogiversary post just did not happen.

What has kept me so busy? For starters I have been writing weekly articles for US online magazine Wear Your Voice. The issues I tackle in those write-ups are diverse and are not limited to ones of a body positive nature. I have written articles from the perspective of being part of the South East Asian and South Asian diaspora. I have penned posts about the agency for body positivity in my region. It’s been a great platform to speak up and I could not ask for a better editor in chief and colleagues. They are so supportive of my pitches and ideas, they encourage me to be outspoken and to harness all that anguish I harbour into words. The team is so dynamic and they discuss topics ranging from politics LGBT issues to intersectional feminism to pop culture. You can check out my latest article pertaining to body image in Asia here.

It’s a learning curve; migrating from writing informally on the blog to penning articles with an air of professionalism. But it feels So Good. Okay I’ve said that already but yes it’s exciting for me 😀

Honestly I would not have made that leap had it not been for my editor-in-chief Ravneet. If she hadn’t reached out to ask me if I was interested in writing for WYV, I might have stayed in my rut. It’s difficult for me to self promote and I know that’s what we have to do in order to get ahead but loves I have not done anything of that sort in my life. It’s hard for me to see my strengths or capabilities like an outsider can, I’m sure some of you know the feeling.

2 weeks into my new post as weekly blogger for Wear Your Voice, I took another leap of faith. I reached out to Velvet D’Amour, whom many of you familiar with the plus size industry would know was The model who walked the runway for Jean-Paul Gaultier in 2007. She is an acclaimed fashion photographer and editor-in-chief of magazine Volup2. She was looking for weekly guest bloggers for her magazine and the chance to work with Velvet was too good to pass up on. I would have been kicking myself if I let my insecurities get to the better of me and let this go. To my surprise, she was enthusiastic about having me on board and you can read my latest article where I interview Corissa of the blog Fat Girl Flow here. I look forward to my weekly write-ups for both magazines and promise to share them here for your reading pleasure 🙂

So as you can see, there has been some settling in to do aside from my personal life. Which unfortunately left my blog unattended but it is a matter of time before I manage it all with more ease.

Before I launch into my Blogiversary Outfit of the Day look, there is another announcement I have to make. A lot of you must be well aware of who Tess Holliday is and her successful Eff Your Beauty Standards movement. (This is when I say, kindly leave your opinions of Tess out of my comments section because I know people are testy about her right now). She was enquiring for bloggers who would be interested in representing Asia along with the rest of the EYBS team. I thought I’d let her know that I would be keen, it is so important to rope Asia into the body positive movement..we have a lot of work ahead of us here. When she signed me on along with the wonderful Harnaam Kaur, it felt surreal that I was doing all these things I had not dared to venture into. Which also means, MORE effective time management!

I Cannot even think about forsaking my blog any longer than I have. I have missed my little nook and it’s just so comforting to write from this space. This is where it all began. What an adventure these 3 years have been!

Righto so Onwards (finally) with my belated blogiversary outfit of the day look that I shot over the weekend :

thats me screaming Happy Blogiversary to Meeee!!!

 

Can I just say after the weeks of sitting with bed head and my fingers typing away from the laptop, this was a welcome breath of fresh air! There should be a scent concocted that makes you feel exuberant as if you are dresses to the nines because it is a delectable feeling.

I am beginning to veer away from ‘fast fashion’ because of what I am learning about ethical fashion consumerism but I had to wince and get some items from Forever 21 Plus for Nov-Dec because my medical and dental bills were not going to get paid by a mysterious donor (I wish. Actually I don’t. Sounds creepy).

Plus Size Velvet Tonal Sequin Dress in 1X

Rubi black pump heels

Lovisa beaded green earrings

I was in the mood for a glitzy party dress and aside from this number on plus size store Jibri ‘s website that was just far too expensive for me, this mermaid-like number caught my eye.

Not wanting to take attention away from the dress, I opted not to accessorise as much (you must be quite accustomed to my accessocrazynes). But I did go for a bold lip from my LA Splash liquid liner collection. This was from the Hocus Pocussed bundle that was released during Halloween. The shade I am wearing is Til Midnight. Aptly named.

Hurrah! The blogiversary post is done! Ootd posts are just so much fun and I cannot wait to get more done in the near future.

Thank You for the love, the support, the well wishes through my meandering as a plus size woman rediscovering aspects of herself that were previously buried beneath self loathing and fear. I am constantly learning so much and although it can get challenging, I know I am right where I want to be.

Chat Soon 🙂                                          

All my love xxxo

Aarti Olivia

 

maxi season

Heya

Sharing the latest fashion post I’ve done as contributor on blog Already Pretty. 

It’s about a dress style that seems to inhabit my wardrobe a lot more of late – the maxi dress. 

  
 

  
Maxi dress in the shade of Rust – Forever 21 Plus

Choker necklace – Lovisa 

Metal cuff bangle – Diva

What I love about the maxi skirt/dress since trying them 2 years ago is that they are surprisingly comfortable and hot climate-friendly (the latter is So important because of where I reside). As someone of a shorter stature, I was hesitant to try on a much longer skirt thinking that it would make me appear shorter but that myth is So Untrue. If anything it lends an air of chic. 

   

I seem to veer towards outfits in bold colours instead of prints this season and you’ll see that preference in the fashion posts to come. I love All colours but there does seem to be an affinity for deeper hues at the moment. This shade of orange is not a common outfit colour for me and I really, really like how it sets off the natural tan of my skin. Which is why I decided to go semi-formal with the accessories, to lend a Roman/Grecian style with this ensemble. 

   
 

I was having a really god awful migraine and it took every ounce of my will to prep my hair and makeup, so it was left relatively simple but still done decently..phew! The unpredictable weather changes here are seriously messing with my allergies. 

I have a few body positive posts coming up – 2 Unconditional Body Beautiful posts, 1 Curves Around the World post. But I will pepper in a fashion post in between 🙂 

What’s your dress style for this season? Are there particular prints that catch your eye right now that you’d like to try? 

I know it’s been a while and I thank you for being patient! I hope you’ve been well, sending you lots and lots of love. 

Remember: Be Kind to yourself. Speak kindly about your body. 

xxxo Aarti Olivia