Inspiration is Hard to Find: Plus Size Ladies in Alternative Fashion

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I love alternative fashion, but there is one thing that I really do not love about it: the lack of space for plus size ladies.

Not, of course, that plus size ladies don't exist in these fashions. They are just extraordinarily hard to find and, furthermore, sometimes have rather rude comments aimed at them due to their size. This goes double for fashions that got their start in Japan because the average size of the fashion's originators (though not all of them - rock on, marshmallow girls!) is so much smaller than the average size of the ladies hereabouts.

I hate that.

I also hate that it's hard to find plus size inspiration floating around for Japanese fashion styles.

Especially when the fashions tend heavily toward the waifish silhouette, it can be very useful to have references for different body types. What's a curvy girl to do when mori girl is the desired style? It can be tough to tell when there isn't someone to look to. How do dolly kei looks work with a larger frame? It can be tough to tell.

This is doubly important if you're not comfortable with your own body in clothing. I have a dear friend who will not look at fashions on bodies like her own, and it's an absolute shame because her body is a good body because it is hers and because it is a body. I wish she looked at herself and others shaped like her and thought "Yes, I am wonderful."

While I am smaller than I was previously, it's still sometimes hard to get the inspiration I need on this front, so I'm collecting a few names of ladies who have inspired me. Maybe they'll inspire you, too.

Lolita

I'm not going to go super into lolita here,because I've gone into more detail elsewhere. I will simply point you to my previous post recommending a few plus sized fashion bloggers, and I hope you enjoy it.

Dolly Kei

Guys, I literally could not find one blog to consistently point you to. I know Dolly Kei is still pretty small as subcultures go and it hasn't really blossomed, but that knowledge made me sad. The "plus size dolly kei" tag on Tumblr is likewise nearly empty.

But.

I did go looking through Daily Dolly Kei on livejournal and found this lovely photograph to point you to. This lovely lady has a very hippie-ish look, and I deeply covet her skirt.

I would also recommend checking out Dolly Kei on Facebook, if you're Facebook-inclined. Again, it's not focused on plus size dolly kei in particular, but even dipping my toe into the group I've seen some lovely plus size ladies among the many lovely folks there, and they're very supportive as a whole. I will not post any of their photos because it's Facebook, but you should seriously check them out.

Mori Girl

C4tbus on Tumblr is a darling creature. She's gorgeous, has some really lovely coordinates, and she's a great example of ladies of color rocking a style. She's also got some incredibly fabulous hair. Seriously, check her stuff out if you're in need of some inspiration because she's lovely.

Mette has some absolutely adorable pieces

Zitadevi is a good example of a curvier body type wearing mori girl


Fairy Kei


I'm going to say this right now: fairy kei is not necessarily my bag. I tend more toward the classic in my clothing, and the hyper 80s sugar of fairy kei just isn't for me. But it is fantastic for my friend Kristine, who is a huge fan of retro toys and cute things (though, truth be told, if one could to a TMNT fairy kei look, she'd wear that in a heartbeat).

While I was looking for fairy kei inspiration to show her, I came across the blog Plus Size Fairy Kei, the personal blog of a lovely young lady who is the cutest darn thing.