As someone who loves glitter, sequins, trippy prints, and a good slogan T-shirt, "basics" have always translated to "boring" in my mind. I mean, why would you wear a plain denim dress when you could wear an all-over sequin jumpsuit? But since working full time, my style has admittedly made room for the simpler things in life.
Before moving back to New York for work in late 2014, I hadn't worn jeans in years (at least more than, like, twice a month), and certainly not plain tees. I'd tossed any dress aside that reminded me a little too much of the department store options in my hometown mall in Jersey. Basically, anything that didn't make me feel glam and queenly and overtly fatshionable was off the table.
But then I started my job, which involves a 90-minute commute one way. And all those grown-up, real-world worries I'd had previously about less time spent with my partner and friends, less time to focus on personal projects, less time to get ready in the morning proved more or less true. It's not that the contemporary work schedule leaves no time for anything outside of your employment. It's more that in the time I do have (which is more limited than when I was a student and freelancer), my priorities have shifted.
Much like "Netflix and chill" has become priceless in the evenings, 30 extra minutes of sleep in the morning are now invaluable. Most days, I'd rather wear something comfortable, cute, and easy that doesn't require a lot of time to put together or think about.
That's kind of why I like a lot of the London Times Curve collection at Maggy London. Many of the dresses remind me of those you might find in plus sections of the aforementioned hometown mall department stores, but I mean that in a genuinely kind way.
There's a city brunch vibe to the pieces that, when combined with bolder accessories, is pretty perfect for a Millennial's day at the office. They're the kind of outfits I can dress up to look more or less bold, depending on the occasion or how visible I want to be on any given day. And most have just enough detailing to avoid blending in and going sartorially unnoticed. I definitely think that's true of this Denim Lace T-Shirt Dress.
The sleeves are my favorite part. They remind me of a lot of things I used to wear in high school, so I can't help but feeling kind of young and carefree in it.
Granted, plus size fashion options were so painfully limited back then that I cringe to think of half the shit I used to wear. But I do know that a staple in my life from ages 15 to 18 was the T-shirt dress. The ones of my youth were always pretty doldrum, though: The kind of things you'd buy for $5 at Costco or BJs because the grocery store was apparently where fat women had been relegated to shop. This T-shirt dress doesn't feel like that. It just feels like the solution to all those mornings when I want to feel like a cutie but can't be bothered with zips or strings or tightness or buttons or any kind of unnecessary constriction.
I paired the look with the Lucy Layered Chainbelt in Gold from Ready To Stare. Designer and writer Alysse Dalessandro fights for the visibility of fat women in everything she does, and her chain belts are the perfect example. They're the kind of accessory that demands attention. They're not the sort of thing you'd wear to "hide" your body or pretend to be "slimmer" in. In this case, the Lucy Chainbelt was just the thing to elevate a more classic closet staple into levels of subtle edginess. I always love to feel like I'm breaking a so-called plus size fashion rule when I get dressed in the morning. And this belt helped me do just that while staying perfectly comfy in the denim dress.
Maybe a month ago, Ariel (Kiddotrue), one of the most poignant, real voices on social media, wrote a status about how it's not uncommon for straight size bloggers to post outfits that are more or less simple — think jeans and striped tees, or the most basic dress. But that it's a lot rarer to see plus bloggers do the same.
For me, posting "simpler" ensembles has always felt challenging. Maybe as a fat woman, I feel like I always have to be "interesting" in order to be more accepted in Cyberspace. Or maybe it's the age-old adage of not wanting to feel like I'm not ~trying at life.~ But the truth is that I don't always want to dress in the OTT looks, and I don't. My real life isn't always tutus and polka dots and platform sweater shoes. Sometimes it's all about a simple dress. And I'm digging this one and the nostalgia feels its happening to evoke.