Just call me Casual Perkins.

Posted on Author NataliePosted in Fashion36 Replies

I love seeing casual outfits on bloggers. I don’t mean “oh I just slipped on these really expensive wedges and woops everything coordinates perfectly and how convenient it is that I have a full face of make up and perfect hair” kind of outfits. That’s not casual for me. My brand of casual is an outfit you can roll around on the floor with your pet in, an outfit you put on to answer the door when the postie comes, or something you wear while washing the dishes.

A photo of Miffy and I standing on a groyne at the beach. I'm wearing a black singlet under a cream crochet top with denim shorts and I'm holding an orange bag.

Even as I write this, I’m thinking this outfit is a little TOO dressed up because I’m wearing that crochet top, shoes and a bra. It goes to show that even though I really really want to show realism, there are little extra lengths I will go to when going outside and/ or posting photos to this blog. Do I show you photos of me wearing a daggy dress with no bra? Nope! Why? I guess because, for me personally, I already feel disadvantaged by not being a conventionally attractive blogger type so what I post is really just the cream skimmed off the surface in my sartorial life. That might be true even for the conventionally attractive blogger types too!

One day, I promise to show you what I really wear on a day to day basis. A singlet and a skirt, bed hair, no bra and no make up. There’s this belief that fashion is aspirational, that is, that the types of people excluded from participating in fashion and being represented in magazines, on tv, through blogs, etc, aren’t the type of people most people want to look like. And the only thing that sells clothes is the idea that maybe, just maybe, we could look just like the type of person we aren’t. However, I know just through blogging that even us purportedly unaspirational fat people can get units shifted; that is, I know plus size bloggers are called upon by retailers more than ever to wear their clothes on their blogs so that readers will buy more clothes.

So what if I want to know where to buy casual clothes, nighties, undies and what not? And what if I want to see people like me who don’t have a load of money to spend on glamorous pseudo-casual clothes (and don’t get the “giftage” from retailers!) These are totally unfleshed out thoughts, but I’m sure somewhere in here is a middle finger aimed in the general direction of the fashion industry, popular blogging practices, the beauty ideal and capitalism. So just pretend I wrote something very smart and concise along those lines, and enjoy these photos of our day at the beach.

A photo of Miffy standing on a big rock with her tongue hanging out and licking her nose.
A photo of Nick holding Miffy as the wind sweeps her ears back.
A photo of me looking down, the crochet top I'm wearing is clearer in this photo than the first one and it has a big crochet flower on the front of it.
A photo of Miffy sniffing the ground with my legs walking behind her.

Singlet: Yours Clothing
Crochet top: Yours Clothing
Shorts: Best & Less
Shoes: Grasshoppers
Necklace: Made by me
Bag: Made by my neighbour

36 comments

  1. I haven’t been doing outfit posts on my (current) blog because I don’t really go anywhere much at the moment, but reading this makes me think I’d love to just document my everyday clothes. I used to read a lot of fashion blogs that would post their carefully put together, ultra stylish ‘around the house’ outfits and it always made me feel like I must be doing things wrong. Now I just want to post photos of myself all sweaty and braless in a singlet and granny knickers washing dishes or hunched over my craft desk because that’s my reality and there’s nothing wrong with it.

  3. Oh Miffy is adorable!

    I understand what you mean, i’ve been in a depressed funk so a day when I get out of some sort of pajama get up is a good one. I do have a OOTD post going live later today in what I have been wearing if I get dressed, but I admit, I did put on a bra to take the photos. 

  4. I agree with you on several points: I also get kind of tired of seeing the fatshion pics of people in “gifted” couture-wear, with styled hair and makeup, etc.  I also like seeing pics of fat folks in more ‘casual’ outfits – jeans, shorts, an outfit they wore to go to the beach, go grocery shopping, run errands, etc, as opposed to a planned and coordinated outfit for a specific occasion.  That said, though, I don’t find it particularly inspiring to see pics of fat people in outfits SO casual and SO unplanned, they barely look pulled together, or like they just rolled out of bed.  When I look at fat folks’ outfit pics, I like to get a little inspiration for myself to ‘keep fighting the good fight,’ keep showing up for myself and the rest of the world in outfits that I enjoy putting together and enjoy wearing for myself and others to see.  I enjoy seeing myself in outfits that make me happy to be me, and I look for that same inspiration in other fat folks’ outfit pics. 

    Which means that you won’t see pics of me in my house clothes, which usually consist of loose-fitting yoga or sweat pants, a baggy, shapeless t-shirt, no bra, and flip-flops or slippers.  When I’m wearing my house clothes, I’m dressing to be (very) casual and comfortable, and not necessarily trying to inspire anyone, including myself, to be anything other than comfortable.  But even when I just go down the street to the corner market for milk or whatever, I try to put myself together a little bit, wear a bra, wear a nicer top and better fitting yoga pants or jeans.  You won’t catch me in my house clothes outside of the house. 

    I guess my point is, I’m not necessarily into seeing pics of fat folks in haute couture all the time, and I much prefer seeing pics of people in ‘every day’ clothes.  But I don’t get inspired by pics of fat folks in outfits SO casual that it kind of seems like there’s really no point in even wearing clothes.

  5. I think what kind of bothers me about the “too fancy to be worn for realsy” outfits is that it reinforces that women, especially fat women, have to work harder (read: wear better clothes and look more ~acceptable~) to be taken seriously/ avoid getting bitched about. I don’t like that vibe, and wish that the “everyday casual” could be just fine. I wish we could obliterate that kind of horizontal oppression and the negative self talk that seems to be linked with this kind of feminine performance.

  6. I think what kind of bothers me about the “too fancy to be worn for realsy” outfits is that it reinforces that women, especially fat women, have to work harder (read: wear better clothes and look more ~acceptable~) to be taken seriously/ avoid getting bitched about. I don’t like that vibe, and wish that the “everyday casual” could be just fine. I wish we could obliterate that kind of horizontal oppression and the negative self talk that seems to be linked with this kind of feminine performance.

  7. You know, the best thing I saw on tumblr was a graphic that said something about “just getting through the day and surviving” being an achievement if you’re sick. I wish we could celebrate that more! And sometimes pajamas are the best and most comfortable attire to celebrate surviving the day in… except we’re taught to feel ashamed of it. Surely that can NOT help people with mental illness (I know it doesn’t help me!)

  8. You know, the best thing I saw on tumblr was a graphic that said something about “just getting through the day and surviving” being an achievement if you’re sick. I wish we could celebrate that more! And sometimes pajamas are the best and most comfortable attire to celebrate surviving the day in… except we’re taught to feel ashamed of it. Surely that can NOT help people with mental illness (I know it doesn’t help me!)

  10. Ever since ive started reading more fatshion blogs ive noticed a whole lot more “gifted from ” posts, and it makes me wonder do the posters really wear half the stuff they post outside the house?

    Yes its nice to be given gifts once and a while, but if all you post is freebies, does it really give a true indication of the bloggers real life, or something made up to look like a life, in fancy packaging?

  31. ohhhh ! “You know what, miss natalie” you looks so fabulous in that dress! you even look younger and those photos are so nice your dog “miffy” is so cute! you do really love miffy huh” and i am so happy to read these blog it inspires me to be myself! thanks a lot miss natalie! you do great things and i really appreciate that! more power to you. :)
    xoxo , Farrah
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