I have to be honest and say I have had this Beth Ditto Domino Dress since it was first released and have NEVER worn it out! I love it so much but when I got it I was not as happy with my body even though I was much thinner then. I did not have the confidence to wear it as it showed all my lumps and bumps and even with one of those horrible "sausage bags" body stocking tight things under it I did not have the confidence so it sat in my wardrobe for years.

It is much tighter on me now and has a full on VBO (Visible Belly Outline) of my DB (Double Belly) but you can't deny this dress is a statement and my statement is I love my body the way it is and I will not save clothes anymore for when I "lose weight". If something is too small I give it away or sell it or take it to a Clothes Swap (NOTE: I am organizing one in Leeds from January! More Details later!)

Keeping clothes that don't fit you does not help you accept your body. If something is a little tight but wearable then WEAR IT! I no longer keep clothes for "Special" I wear what I want when I feel like it. If I feel fancy then I dress fancy. When I am in a not so happy mood I will wear something cheery to make me feel sexy. Make the effort to look awesome and the Domino effect will be that you feel awesome in most cases.

Yes it is that time again! The Yorkshire Rad Fat Collective is yet again getting their Swap On! Previous Swaps have been organized by the lovely Kirsty and Emily but as Kirsty has moved to London and Emily is really busy with Uni Rebecca and I decided we would try our hand at organizing the next one.

You can see my previous Swap posts HERE and HERE. You can join the Yorkshire Rad Fat Collective HERE on facebook to keep up to date with future events.

Basically it will be held at Wharf Chambers in Leeds as always! On Saturday 12 January 2013.
It is not only clothes of size 16 + You can also bring shoes, bags, belts, bras, jewellery, nail varnish.
There is a £1 entry fee to cover cost of the venue and a cafe to buy tea, coffee and cakes.
You can bring as much or as little as you like but please make sure the items that you bring are in good condition and usable.

The amazing Chloe of Lifes Big Canvas and The Marvellous Tea Dance Co. both situated in The Birds Yard just around the corner from the Swap venue Wharf Chambers have been kind enough to provide us with discounts for Swap attendees.

Please link and pass on details to friends and family you think would be interested in coming along. The swap only works if you donate and take away. It is a fun day in a fat safe, no diet talk environment.

A big THANK YOU to Charlie for her cool Poster and Leaflet designs!

I have had this South Diner Dress from Very for quite a while now and have never got around to wearing it yet so thought I would winter it up a bit and see how it looked.
The print is beautiful and so fun and I decided to add gold accents with the Domino Dollhouse Glasses Belt and Gold R2D2 shoes. I am not someone who wears tights as I find it hard to get ones that fit and hate having to pull them up all the time so I tend to stick to leggings with dresses but as this is a summer dress and thought I could do without on a mild day but would probably add red or navy leggings on those really chilly winter days. I added a vintage navy bag and blue felt hat and one of my Jammie Dodger Brooches available HERE.

I was feeling quite emo today and blame hormones as I am not someone who gets upset easily. I have a fairly positive attitude 99.5% of the time. This is why I blame hormones for last nights outburst of tears for no reason. I wanted to watch chick flicks and eat ice cream but decided to glam up and go out instead to try and shake the emo feeling. I was only going to the local working mens club which is not fashion hot spot but putting on my Beth Ditto Polka Dot dress and red lipstick made me feel a little better. So decided to take a few pictures for this post (sorry they are dark. It was night and lighting is terrible in the room). Plus I get to show off my NEW Boots!!! I went to Boundary Mill Stores in Catcliffe Rotherham.which turned out to be more of an old peoples store but they did sell shoes and not too bad prices. I searched for a long while trying on everything and found these pretty patent ankle boots for £39.99 reduced from £69.99. The brand is Pavers which is an old people brand but I am not someone who worries about labels! If I like something then I will wear it not matter how little or much it costs. I loved the patent leather as it gives the boots a more dressy feel rather than utility. The dont have the thickest sole but it is rubber and and nice warm fuzzy insole for comfort. I have worn them twice now and not one blister!!! That is worth £40 to me any day. Have you found winter boots a problem  this year??

On Sunday I met the lovely Lisa & Rebecca for lunch at Meadowhall in Sheffield. I have been having a real problem finding winter boots I like and that fit. I want a thick rubber comfy sole ankle boot in brogue style with laces in brown leather. You would think this would be quite easy but I promise it is impossible unless you have £200 to spend which I dont. I had ordered a pair of gorgeous mens ones from Debenhams in a size 6 and hoped for the best. Sadly the mens 6 is more like a womans 7 and even insoles would not help. If you are looking for this style boots I urge you to look at mens if you have a larger foot! I returned the boots for a refund and spotted this Skull Lego Head for £13. I had never seen a Skull one and had to have it!


We went to TGI Friday and the food and drinks were good but the service was super slow. After much chat and giggles Rebecca went home and left Lisa and I to brave the Primark madness! There were quite a few items on sale and I snapped up these beautiful items below.

I am loving this dress! The New Look Inspire Animal Print Shirred Waist Dress for £19.99 is the same slinky material as the zig zag and skull print ones minus the puffy sleeves. I ordered a size 24 and it fits great. This is the first leopard print dress I have tried and actually love on me. I have seen lots on others that I love but they didn't look right on me. I went for a bit of glam and added the gold tone belt which is like a tiny Slinky and fastens with a hook behind two circles at the front. It is from Matalan and was only £4. The shoes are old and from Primark. Leggings were a pack of two for £10 from Sainsburys. Shrug old new look inspire.

As a FAT woman who is involved in the FAT Blogger Community I come across positive images of FAT people all the time online. As a teenager and I never saw positive images of fat people ever! Being a woman who finds the female form to be a beautiful thing I came across the term BBW fairly quickly and found women who looked like me that were naked and was astounded at how beautiful they looked and SEXY.

Beautiful and SEXY are both things I never saw myself as because I am FAT and had been told through every media that this was not possible. I was interested in seeing myself naked and through other peoples eyes as art. Being able to get naked for a complete stranger was scary and still is to a point but the outcome is what makes it all worth it.





I have been nude for Katie Soze three times now and every shoot we do produces pictures that empower me as a FAT Female. Every stretch mark, scar, roll, lump and bump is on display for the world to see and yet I look at the photos of myself and see a happy confident me who is proud to show people what FAT looks like. It is in all of us and is has nothing do with the type of person you are or the way you live your life.

FAT is not a bad word. I am FAT and I am a woman. I have large breasts and a vagina but none of this tells you who I AM. Photography is a powerful medium that has been the major reason behind my journey of self love and acceptance and the fact that my pictures help not only me but others to love their own bodies is something so special and I could never even imagined when I started on this path.




Please take the time to really look at these images and see how they make you feel about what you see and about yourself. Please feel free to comment. The women in these images are amazing ladies that I am proud to call friends. Body issues are not just a FAT female issue. Everyone has them. Learn to love yourself and your body and be happy in your skin.

You can see more from this shoot and more from Katie at http://katiesoze.tumblr.com
These images are owned by Katie Soze and may not be reproduced without her permission.