Plus+ Book by Bethany Rutter - Launch & Review



Plus+, the first plus-size street style fashion book edited by Bethany Rutter is out now & you can order your copy here. Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Plus+ book launch in London. Aside from getting to share Bethany's excitement, the morning was overwhelming in the best possible way. Walking into the room, to be greeted by a wall of beautiful images of stylish women, wouldn't usually make me emotional but they were all plus size, not just one token size 14 but all plus-size & as magnificent as they were different.



I've been involved with the plus-size fashion community for a long time now & each year something new is added that changes how we view, buy, or interact with fashion and each other. This is the first time I've seen something that so beautifully encapsulates the diversity of the plus-size community whilst reinforcing why the community was created in the first place, to give a platform to those ostracised by the fashion industry. I can genuinely say, the livejournal Fatshionista community changed my life & it is incredible to see how far we've come. I can only hope someone picks up this book & realises they can wear whatever the hell they like, be whoever they like, with no apologies.



I won't spoilt it by showing you all my favourite outfits or by writing my favourite quotes (there's also potentially too many) but I will say Bethany has put it together beautifully. Each page brings a completely different take on fashion, some see it as a rebellion, others a reflection of identity, some are still discovering their personal style whilst others have honed it. Regardless of how long you've been in the community or how many fashion account you follow, you are guaranteed to come across people you've never seen before. No matter how outlandish or uniform your personal style, you are guaranteed to find inspiration amongst the pages. More importantly, no matter your size, age or race, you can see yourself reflected in the pages & oh, what a wonderful feeling that is.



I know, I know, I said I wasn't going to share quotes but I couldn't let this one go amiss as it really resonated with me:
At various points in my life my outfits have had much to say about what identities I occupied: be it man-eater or psychobilly queen or, as Kendrick says, an 'antisocial extrovert'. The more streamlined, rooted and mature my life becomes the more I veer into minimalism. I still bust out full on 'looks' if my mood dictates it but I no longer feel pressured to perform, a luxury I feel most fat girls aren't afforded.' - @Ushshi
I have a lot of feelings on this, which I will write more on at a later date, but for a group who are continually overlooked, practically invisible even, we are consistently on display & how we dress or act is often down to how we want to appear as opposed to how we actually are. We've come a long way but we have a long way to go and I can't wait to see what's next.

Have you ordered your copy yet?
xxx


1 comment

  1. Wow, this book looks incredible! I‘ve never heard of it before to be honest but you made me really curious so it‘ll definitely wander in my shopping basket next time I‘m on the hunt for new books! Thank you so much for the inspiration!

    xx, Valeria
    http://perfectblvck.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete