Last weekend I had the opportunity to go to a swap over in San Francisco – Fatshion… Turn To The Left. A fatty clothing swap with clothes, cupcakes and champagne. A trifecta of awesome. Sounds amazing, right? Well it was!
I headed over to the swap on BART with Alexys and her friend Rachel. We showed up fashionably late to the cute little gallery the swap was being held in. There were tons of fabulous fat ladies going through clothes, talking, laughing and drinking champagne. What more do you need?
I do wish I had taken more pictures. I kind of felt that it was inappropriate to snap away while people were changing, etc. and wanted to make sure people felt comfortable. Despite this, I still got a few!
Alexys and Rachel
Marilyn Wann, Nicole, Sarah
I think the funniest part of the swap was suggesting pieces of clothing to friends and having them reply, “That was mine!” I had it done to me a few times as well. I had to say, “Keep it out of my hands or I might change my mind!” When certain things were on the table, I kind of wanted to reconsider but I didn’t cave in. I tried to bring some pieces that were either brand new or hadn’t been worn in a long time. Yes, I swapped brand new clothes. Someone might as well enjoy it!
Though it did make me happy that people see those pieces of clothing as something I would wear. I mean, I didn’t wear those pieces for various reasons but at least my shopping endeavors aren’t completely off the mark. Lately this has not been the case… I haven’t been happy with things I bought in January/February, so I stopped shopping.
At the swap I had the opportunity to meet people I’ve met through Fatshionista, Flickr, blogs, etc. Like Jessica! And a bunch of other amazing women that I hope to get to know better.
Jessica and Nicole
Before heading out to lunch, Sarah and I took some outfit pictures. Doesn’t she look cute?
You know, every time I wear shoes to San Francisco that cannot be worn for long periods of time… I end up walking for 29387423 blocks. Like the time where I wore a brand new pair of sandals and ended up having to walk 15 blocks in Inner/Outer Sunset to get some change for Muni. It was a Sunday and nothing was open!
Either way, I learned my lesson and decided to create my outfit around one of my most comfortable pairs of boots. And I’m glad I did!
Jacket – Lane Bryant, on clearance for $12
Shirt – Pure Energy via Fatshionxchange
Skirt – Thrifted denim dress, I chopped off the top.
Boots – Fitzwell via 6pm.com
Bangles – Torrid
Tights – We Love Colors, Light Pink (won from Yolanda’s giveaway)
This outfit turned out a lot better than I thought it would. When I got up that morning, I was tired from a family party the day before and had stayed up late to finish homework. The outfit I planned on was going to take too much effort and shoes that weren’t appropriate for walking around in San Francisco.
I’m so glad I went the lazy route.
I thrifted the denim dress a few weeks ago with the intention of turning it into a skirt. Denim fabric is pricey and often a heavier weight than I want for a summer skirt, so when I found this dress – it seemed perfect! It cost $7 but it was still cheaper than it would have been to buy the same amount of fabric. I actually cut off the top and wore it without refinishing the waistband and making it shorter – which I should do. “When” is the problem!
I had fun at the swap and at lunch after. It was great visiting with others and meeting some local fats. Can’t wait until the next one! If you didn’t make it this time around, you can check out the Tumblr and get on their mailing list.
Oh, if you’re wondering what I got – you’ll see it later. I brought one top home with me. Right now I need to focus on cutting out stuff out of my closet – not bringing more in! So I guess 10 for 1 was progress.
The 20+ table definitely seemed like the busiest. And the larger sizes pretty much disappeared as soon as they hit the table. If you’re a size 20+, I would definitely recommend participating in the next one. If this swap was any indication, your stuff is guaranteed to go to a great home!
There are few extra pictures over in my Flickr set.
