For fitness and function, I’m completely in love with my new workout tank by Lucy. Getting it was a tale of survival. I’d gone to a grand-opening for a TJ Maxx, and almost cursed finding it, as the line for the registers had reached epic proportions! I nearly gave up, but it just looked so perfect that I didn’t even try it on. The size XL fits wonderfully and it’s got the strongest, yet still comfortable power fabric in the front. It contains both the boobs and the belly – necessary for jumping jacks. I find that with these workout tanks, I can wear a comfortable regular bra and haven’t had to bother with sports bras. They often compress and flatten, which hurts before you start. I’m surprised with all the shape-wear (girdles) being sold now, that there isn’t more attention to workout wear which supports the belly. Anyone who’s lost weight or had a baby or just lived life knows it’s the jiggle in the middle. You need something supportive to be able to work on those abs.

Until I come up with an occasion for a dress (someone throw a wedding), I’ll just be looking, but there’s some lovely, shapely stuff at about $130 or so. A look at the size charts heads  a warning. Do measure and consider, as they are showing sizes 14-18 as 2X, 3X or 4X.

(I know it’s just a number, but for those of us who are down from US plus sizes, it comes with memories we wish forgotten. Oh that there could be a new sizing system!)

The sleeveless and cap sleeve designs would look adorable with a vintage cropped cardigan if you don’t wish to go bare. Ah, the pattern I like is out of stock, they truly are limited editions.

XL ≠ FAT

Yes, many women wearing sizes 10, 12, 14, 16 have fat on their bodies. I do, hello!

Women who take smaller sizes may be skinny or chubby. Size does not always equal fatness. Part of it is your frame size. Not everyone can “drop 5 dress sizes”, or should. Some women are petite and slight, others are EXTRA LARGE.

All our natural, fit shapes and sizes are beautiful. (And size positive bloggers don’t hate me, but yes you should have confidence and self-worth, but no, carrying an unhealthy weight and being out of shape is not a good thing.)

I’m fed up with constant talk of the “obesity” crisis (which is very real and heartbreaking in both sense) but with no mention that height and bone mass have increased dramatically in the past few years, and using 1950s health insurance charts to measure body fat is very misguided. I used to be considered fairly tall at 5’7″ but so many women now tower over me, enough that I’ve felt short in crowds of younger people.

Excess fat is not healthy, but let’s stop talking weight and arbitrary clothing sizes and focus on nutrition and pure health and fitness. Let’s accept our beauty and variety. Let’s give up that mental image of the petite woman being swept off her feet by a man, that little equals cute and lovable, and that big is intimidating and undesired.

I’m working hard to cut down body fat and increase fitness, but I am, and will remain a curvaceous, statuesque, athletic proud XL woman!

I don’t think I have obscure taste. I don’t always love what I see in magazines, there’s a lot of trends I can do without, but I generally love clothes, in a wide variety of styles. I stop myselfBut the shops seemed just filled with…blah, dreck, ick.

Is it me?

Note that they offer size US14/16 dress, plus other designs “sized generously” offered in XL, WS and WM. (I’m assuming that means Women’s Small and Women’s Medium, similar to 1X and 2X.) Do be careful, as sale items are not returnable (boo).

Bridesmaid dresses come in quite a variety of styles and some very affordable prices, but not all come in larger sizes. It’s good now that far-flung attendents scattered across the globe can order online.

When I saw Jessica’s Look Better Naked video, I bought it because the title made me laugh. And it’s great! There are beginner modifications, but you can also do a more challenging track, with alternating days of cardio and strength. She telegraphs the moves well and gives just the right amount of encouragement, that while you know it’s pre-recorded, it feels like she’s talking to you. I’ve used this DVD for a year now, and while I’ll try others for a few days, I always come back to it and it hasn’t made me crazy from repetition.

You can try a beginner’s workout featuring her Mom and her dog, on jessicasmith.tv and she’s many more titles recently, including her challenging 10 Pounds Down series and the unusual Yin Yang Fusion DVD,.

A gym is great if you can afford it and get to it regularly, a trip to the park is wonderful, but it’s a real revelation that you can get sweaty and sculpt some powerful muscles in a little spot in front of your TV.

Taking an in-depth look at many of the works, I’m don’t agree that designing for a curvier, fuller figure is too challenging. So many of the designs I saw would work in larger sizes. And there’s so many unique things you can do with shaping and draping on an ultra-curvy figure (hello Christina Hendricks, Selma Hayek, and more). In the exhibit, it appeared that some of the designers worked hard it seems to grant the illusion of even more curves. You have to wonder what wonderful things would happen should some of these designs be fitted to a super-curvy, woman.

As a child I dreamed up the odd look, although I could never sketch. Starting from around 9, I sewed many things. But I didn’t step too far from construction into pure design. Even back then, sewing was an expensive hobby and so much could go woefully wrong. I think I got discouraged by a few mistakes, although I did make some lovely and complex pieces. I look at them now, when I struggle to fix a loose button and wonder who made those beautiful things with in-set lace and bound buttonholes!

Project Runway and the searching for style in size 16s is re-sparking my interest in clothes design. I still can’t sketch, but I’m sure there’s now an “app for that!”