Sometimes, you need a boostI have recently had custom swimming togs and several clothes made for me by local sewists, and I didn't want to sell their hard work short by not having them photographed properly - plus, I am making some big changes in my life, so this was a great time to take a second and celebrate. Body positivityMy weight has fluctuated over the years, with all kinds of causes - medication, mental illness, sports injuries, and simple lack of time getting in the way of permanent progress. These are all reasons - I have the choice whether or not to also use them as excuses.
1 Comment
Waaaay back to the beginningA comparatively long time ago, in the scale of "the life of Copper Catkin", I decided that I wanted to give big people a better selection of work apparel. Those who present male can generally find something suitable, but for women? Ugh. It's really hard to find something that isn't just a sack made of discount fabric, because we are more expensive, and more complicated, to cover.
I wanted to join the movement that empowered people to feel great about themselves, by wearing things that boosted their mood, regardless of their size, and I started to investigate plus-size clothing - that's how I started designing all these fabrics! #thestruggleThere's no way around it. Shopping as a big girl is an exercise in depression management.
Finding decent swimming togs is hard, in general, and finding nice togs that flatter, fit, and still allow you to actually swim? The STRUGGLE. Add in being a larger person, and it becomes a complete nightmare. So I decided to find someone who could make me the perfect pair of togs, using my own fabric designs. That's how I came across Swanwear again - in October last year - at the Underground Markets. I had seen the stall before, but just assumed it wasn't going to have anything that fit. It's a protective mechanism - if I assume nothing will fit, I won't be hurt when yet another place considers a NZ size 14 "plus size". And I am NOT a size 14. I had a quick chat with Annemiek, and she said that she could help, and then, things being busy and money being tight, it went on the backburner for a few months, as tends to happen with our personal projects at Copper Catkin HQ. |
AuthorCat Drayer Archives
December 2019
Categories
All
|