Style fixations and beauty obsessions, straight from the FASHION editors
Featuring a mindset shift before materialism, the ultimate plus size style playbook, and kissing our winter jackets goodbye!
CURATED BY: Meredith Shaw, Freelance Contributor to Fashion Magazine
Image credit: ©Garrett Naccarato
Meredith in the press — fashion fwd:
IN TODAY’S EDITION
1. Mindset before materialism
2. The ultimate plus size style playbook
3. We're ready to kiss our winter jackets goodbye
FASHION FIXATION
Get up, get dressed and get on with it
I love fashion, but it doesn’t always feel like it loves me. As a plus-size woman who has worked in the fashion and media space for over 20 years, I’m seeing a lot of things that bring me right back to being a teenager in the early 2000s. Brands aren’t as willing to stock extended sizes in store (some have eliminated them altogether!), runways and campaigns are not as open to casting models of all sizes, social media algorithms are favouring non-body positive voices. And don’t even get me started on the Tyra of it all.
So, if you’re starting to feel slightly at war with your wardrobe, you’re not alone. That moment you open up your closet and don’t see who you are reflected at you...I get it. Style, after all, isn’t only defined by what we put on our body. It incorporates how we feel about it and, in turn, how others feel about us.
“A wardrobe is always communicating on our behalf, so let’s make sure it’s having the right conversation.”
This isn’t about seeking outside approval; this is about cultivating inner affirmation.
Here are three steps to hit refresh on your wardrobe:
GET CLEAR about what you don’t wear and let it go. No matter what it cost you in money, it costs you more in remorse every time you see it.
GET INSPIRED, and not just by fashion. What do you love in home decor, book covers or nature? Find that same vibe in your clothing.
GET SELECTIVE. Your standard for bringing pieces into your wardrobe needs to be higher—and yes, I'm especially talking to my plus-size babes. Don’t just buy it because it fits; you deserve better than that. Buying more of what doesn’t work doesn’t solve that problem.
Which of your pieces do you actually wear most? Photos via Launchmetrics/Spotlight
Now that we’re clear, inspired and selective, we can start to build your playbook, a.k.a. the non-negotiable pieces that anchor your style.
My playbook over the years has taken me through lots of early morning call times, hosting national television shows, long days on set shooting campaigns as a model, designing my own collection, hosting syndicated radio shows, work travel, events and of course, school drop-offs. Comfort is key. Structure is my friend. And because we don’t gatekeep, here are my style must-haves:
A bright matching set. Easy to grab, no styling required. Why bright? Because it always starts a conversation. That’s how to make your style work for you—it's an automatic icebreaker.
A moto jacket. I love pairing this with my more elevated pieces. Good style always includes a little bit of contrast.
An athleisure bodysuit. The easiest thing I’ve ever put on my body. It has built-in support, moves with you and is easy to layer. This is a piece that I will re-buy for years to come
A denim shacket. The ultimate topper for any 'fit. An absolute (Canadian) staple, eh?
A wrap dress. There’s a reason why this shape is iconic; it works with your body in every era! If you’re in doubt when buying a dress, make it a wrap.
A three-piece suit. Investment dressing at its finest, definitely pay a tailor to make this fit you just right. I couldn't find the right one on the market, so I designed one with PENN (it sold out!).
THE DROP
The latest releases, editor-approved
The Springtime Dress
by Brunette The Label
$34, Available in sizes XS to 5X 🇨🇦
Fresh off a Paris Fashion Week debut, this Canadian brand is building an international reputation for elevated loungewear that makes you feel like the best version of yourself. I am going to be living in this tiered polkadot dress as the spring temps set in. Shall we twin?
Shop Now
The Foolproof Shacket
by Free Label
$198, Available in sizes XS to 5X 🇨🇦
If you want to move your wardrobe away from plastic fibres and towards natural ones, look no further than the Canadian-made Free Label. I love how intentional their designs are. The silhouette of this linen shacket is totally dreamy. Worn as a set or separately, these are the building blocks of a quality closet.
Shop Now
The Easy Pant
by Lane Bryant
$109, Available in sizes 16 to 24
Circle of truth? I hate pants. They just never seem to fit me correctly, and I end up defeated. (Oh, what the changing room walls have seen!) So when I find a pair that I love, I tell everyone.
Shop Now
This editorial piece was published for Fashion Fwd: by Fashion Magazine. Prices for items listed in The Drop may be different at the time of purchase.
