Outfit: what I wore to Sunday Lunch/ Birthday (ode to my Kenji)

 

Blue Long Sleeved Dress: ASOS CURVE

Outside Colourful Dress: Kenji Dress from TS14+

Leggings:  Evening Leggings from TS14+ 

Shoes: Crocs

Necklace: Gift

Does anyone still read this here blog thingy?

Anyway I was wearing what I normally wear when I go out and then I remembered I used to blog this shit and so I pulled out my camera balanced it precariously on my mantle and posed and then looked and saw the photo was blurry and so I set the timer and posed again, and the photo was still blurry, and then I posed again and that photo was half lit and half pitch black and then again and again five more times until I got this picture of me glowering but adeqautely exposed.

Anyway I am ten kinds of obsessed with this dress and a little with TS14+ at the moment, until early last year I really stayed away from TS14+ like the plague it was full of expensive paint spattered Skant monstrosities that was a uniform for pretty much every woman in this country 35+, there is no doubt it is a high quality brand, it's just that patchwork, patterned, jersey asymetric and mesh tunics kept me very much at arms length, this has all changed it began with a mesh skirt on special (more about her another time) and it continued when last year I saw this dress in their catalogue

(ok I realised I pretty much have styled my outfit exactly like this photo this was not deliberate) 

This was from their 2011 Spring Racing collection and this was called "Kenji" after the Melbourne Cup winner, anyhow this dress was sold out everywhere in Sydney, I couldn't get my size online, I couldn't get two sizes smaller online, I left my name at stores and they would call me back advising they couldn't find one and then I gave up, tired and defeated I bought the plain non printed version of the dress and set up a Google alert and an Ebay alert just on the off chance that someone may be parting with their dress... Nothing.

Then one day about a month and a half ago I was in the Myer in Sydney City, I had just spend all my clothing allowance on new season work clothes and then there it was, several months after they were all gone a full rack of "Kenji's" and there was one in my size and I shed tears of joy (slight exaggeration) but I didn't hesitate in the slightest when I spent my electricity bill money on her (yup I paid full price for her)

So that's the story about this dress, I may not be smiling in this picture or when I had to shuffle money from my savings to pay my bills, or when I will no doubt spill acid/ coffee/ vomit onto the dress ruining it forever, but looking at this dress now makes me ever so happy... and that's what counts

Outfit: What I'm wearing to see TuneYards

Jacket: Beth Ditto for Evans 2009, red singlet: avella for Big W, Gilet : TS14+, Trousers Emme at My Size.

Outfit: of the Job Interview/ then straight to after work drinks

So in a cruel twist of fate, I had a job interview on a Friday at my workplace about half an hour before the end of the business day and my friggin' work week! and also straight afterwards, I had a work function, so I had no opportunity to change , so I had the modern day female dilemma!

Can I look like a good time party girl? and also look employable?

The answer is usually no (unless you are a Hilton/ Lohan/ Kardashian) but gosh darn it I gave it a good old college try!

So the centre of the whole outfit was the ASOS curve body-con slashed back dress thingy. When saw it I loved it, I loved it so much I bought it in all three colours, as I knew they were the perfect long sleeve t's for me for the coming year. You see ASOS curve is a great brand and the clothes are cute however if you are over 5'10 and don't like or don't require to show off your pubic mound for work the dresses are really just cute tunics or tops, oh well I still look hot.

Oh yeah this photo was taken in the toilets of a Strip Club whilst I was a touch tipsy, I am after all one classy lassy.


P.S thank you for comments and stuff, it has made my week.

the winter uniform

Blazer: Old Navy

Hoodie: Old Navy

Jeans: Embody Denim

Toilet: Work

Photo edited in "Half-Tone" on my iphone on the way home from work.

 As soon as I bloody start getting ready to write blog, I get offered to apply for a very special person job in a different place so getting ready for that has taken over my schedule, and I'm forced into my winter uniform of jeans, t-shirt, hoodie, and blazer  (cos I iz corporate yo!) for the week because I cannot waste any part of my tiny brain power thinking about clothes, I need to right now think about MONEY, cos that is how I will get more clothes!

So what's been happening for the last while and a bit

In point form naturally cos segue-ways shit me no end I'll go into detail this weekend.

•  After the Fierce Flesh incident I was admittedly laying low, but in November the computer gods punished me by destroying my blog computer (read 5 year old laptop that was always leaving scorch marks on coffee tables) also in an unrelated incident secondary blogging device (iPhone ) dying within weeks so I lost everything kinda sort of blog related, including my original email address and a facebook under the name Kiki Why, so if you tried to add / communicate with me and wondered why I didn't respond it's because I saved all my logins and passwords one the same device and i hae no idea what the frig I used as my backup email is in an attempt to be annonymous and also I'm stupid and non tech savvy. Plus I never go onto facebook, seriously

•  you can add me on Facebook at my personal profile "Ki Richard" using my new improved and apt email address "whykikiwhywouldyoudothat@gmail.com"

•  close friends and family members died in last year and that put me into a bit of a tizzy

•  I caught the depression a while back (I know it's not contagious) But I'm being treated and feeling betterish... then worse, then meh, then sleepy and then thirsty but I'm OK

•  I started lifting proper grown up man weights at the Gym and it is seriously the most fun that I now want to become a Strong Lady Man. I have set the goal of being able to lift a fridge and I WILL do it.

•  I started knitting yet another scarf and forgot about it and cannot find it

•  My brother moved in with me

•  Bought some crap from ASOS, Evans, Op Shops, Ebay,

•  I just pulled a hair out of my mouth and I don't think it's mine

•  I'm deciding on maybe a new layout and maybe moving to Wordpress/ Tumblr so if you are or know a designer who isn't naff tell me where to go and what to do.

•  How good are bars in Sydney now? like seriously improved

•  There is a great plus sized clothing swap going on this Sunday in Newtown and hopefully I get to go cos I have lots of clothing to unload but I also have a City to friggin Surf gathering to support stupid running friends and family.. gah!

•  Dressed for Success Sydney however has a prior claim for any work clothing though and they have a massive shortage of Plus Size interview wear at the moment so if you have any to spare swing on by and donate and help a fat lady get a foot in the door.

• I'm going to bed

Jacket: Beth Ditto for Evans
Jumper: ASOS Curve


Because I know you have been missing bad grainy taken in public toilet Outfit posts

I'm alive

This is a quick post for a lovely Newtown net cafe to say I'm still alive and will be responding to correspondence and soon I hope.

Unfortunately my life, my stupidly hectic work schedule (stupid top secret projects...GAH!) , a broken Iphone, a damaged home internet connection and computer, and a death in the family have converged to make a perfect storm of internet isolation ( I haven't been on facebook for almost a month... gasp!) but Iphone is returned tomorrow, technician visits on Wednesday and I should be able to actually spend time playing catch up and doing what I want/need to do.

Fierce Flesh: Fabulous, Picture Heavy, NSFW

I was super lucky to go with the amzingsuperwonderful Frances to the "Fierce Flesh" in one of my favourite performance spaces in Sydney The Red Rattler.

I have been asked to remove the images of the night and I'm going to, In a moment sheer naievety stupidity I forgot about the people whose images I had taken and posted, I wanted to share how great a night it was with folks who couldn't attend. I stupidly thought of that the other people taking snaps would be sharing theirs on their blogs and facebooks and it would be fine... but alas it was not. Fierce Flesh was a small community event in a protected space any by posting images of the event without consent I have voilated that space even thought my intention was to share the greatness of the event.


I am taking steps now and have removed all images from here and my tumblr and emailing or asking everyone who sees it to email me and advise me so I can request removal or request removal yourself.


Again I am sorry for this to all the people involved about the way I did this.

Fat Fashion Feft: City Chic Responded, now I respond to them (about bloody time ) with added snark

First of I should of written this earlier but I'm a busy individual with a full time job and weekends devoted to drinking cask wine and catching up on my stories  various philanthropic ventures and so pointing out things which I think are injustices in the plus size fashion world just fell to the back burner but I am back and I have time to spare before Jersey Shore Joan Sutherland in Lakme comes on the television.

Anyway if you missed out the previous episodes on Why Kiki? Why? I wrote this  then I tweeted this then the amaxing Zoe from Axis of Fat wrote this then some lovely folk linked me on here and then City Chic responded. Easy huh?

And here is their response.

Thanks so much for your feedback, we are flattered that you think of our brand with fantastic designers like JIBRI. We support all plus fashion brands and want the fashion industry to include plus designers more in the industry to give them opportunity to grow their business.

My name is Lucy Doyle and I am the senior Designer at City chic, and I am also a size 18 and wear all of our clothes. I am very passionate about the plus size industry and our brand and our customers. The first response in our facebook page was from our social media team, I would like to give my response to the blog post.

In relation to the inspiration for the Plus Size ruffle Front Halter you are saying we “Copied” from Jibri I can assure you that this was not the case. The styling in black and white is classic, the halter neck shape and fitted body are shapes that work for our customer and the pleating trim is a very important trend this season. Any likeness to another design is purely coincidental and in some ways not surprising as the elements of this style are both classic and on trend.

As you can see at the links below, this fashion trend has been very strong in the regular size fashion brands this season with brands like BCBG MAX AZRIA (Bottom of Form) adopting this style.

http://bit.ly/c1CmCd
http://bit.ly/a2SDCl
http://bit.ly/a4ZqP2

We ordered this garment in March this year as we predicted this as a trend for the season. Jibri bough this out on June the 28th and by this stage we had almost completed sampling. It was not physically possible for us to have copied the garment as you state as we had designed this before JIBRI offered it for sale.
The fact that you consider us to be as on trend and fashion forward as an up and coming designer is flattering for city chic. I review each piece of our range and focus on getting the trend and fit right for our customer, and it is great to know we are up there with the top designers.

In regards to price the $90 US price does not include tax and would relate to about $100 AUD after exchange rate. If you then add the 10% GST we need to charge in Australia it would be $110. Our price at $79.95 is 30% cheaper to provide you the same quality in a retail store environment that involves significantly greater cost than on-line only retailing.

We take all feedback very seriously at City Chic and want to say thanks for being part of the plus fashion industry.

Lucy 


Now back to a normal font... now maybe a little bolder



Dear Lucy, and the rest of City Chic and any other kind people reading hey! thanks for taking the time to respond to my rantings.




Yes theres no such thing as copyright in design, and yes suggesting that you stole the design was probably strong phrase to use but there are the reasons why I was pissed off.


I was am upset because deep down inside my optimistic self would like to think that designers like yourself would be immersed as much as I am (and countless others)  in the plus size fashion market space would be aware of what the other brands both independent and chain store are bringing out into the market and taking considered measures to make sure that nobody is stepping on anybody's toes, The plus size fashion industry is small and "Stupid Optimistic Kiki" thought there was some kind of bond between the brands as you are all catering for a far too long neglected demographic.  Not to mention Bloggers that you have tried to affiliate and align with your brand and about four hundred other bloggers have referred to this design and designer several times well before the June 28th date that you refer to in your response, here, here, here and here (just do a google blog search for Jibri theres a bucket load)


I'm just going to assume someone in your design department saw it once forgot about it and then thought about it again earlier this year. I know you believe something to the contrary but logical ol me would prefer to think of it that way, and it's really the nicest and most plausible outcome.


Oh yeah while I'm here can someone talk to someone in the "naming of clothing department" because this pair of  skinny jeans should not have the same name as another Australian designers plus size skinny jeans


Love 


Kiki


P.S can you send me some free stuff, you know you wanna.

Outfit: meh it's missing my legs and and blurry but it shows my new haircut

 Dress : ASOS Curve

Jacket: Beth Ditto 2009 collection

Sunglasses: Karen Walker: Sir Bookies in Clear 

Scarf: Found it on the street

On my legs are opaque stockings on my feet are in Evans flats (but you'll have to take my word for that)

Yeah not I got me a short back and sides y'know so I'm like Rhianna except without the autotune. so any opinions about my new do? eh like I care I can't re grow it in a hurry.

Oh yeah so also whilst I was buying gluten free hippy crap at the markets I got tapped on the shoulder by the fabulous Kelli Jean Drinkwater handing out pamphlets for this fab event  a couple of days after being told about it by the Awesome Frances I bit my tounge and was trying to be all cool but yeah I was all squealy on the inside she is soo hot in person. so yeah I'll be going... WILL YOU?

  Ooh and because everyone who reads a fashion blog likes to see a picture of the exact same thing but at a slightly different angle here's another photo. I look serious and according to my brother a touch haggard without my make-up on.

 

Ok these were really my brother fooling around taking photos before we went to the markets. but yeah it counts as a considered outfit blog post.

There's this thought amongst various sub cultures and groups in Australia that the size of the hoop of your earrings is directionally proportionate to how much of a slut you are (or how big your clacker is love). This thought really has driven me away from wearing hoop earrings, that and they always got tangled in my hair and my clothes and they just are so obvious but now with my new shorn do, I'm gonna be all about the earrings until I get injured trying to take a t-shirt off with them on.

I must say a most heartfelt thankyou for the responses, comments, repostings and tweets re: my last entry about City Chic and they have taken the time to answer. I'm trying to compose an eloquent and composed response but those are two qualities that I don't possess when it comes to issues such as these but it shall be up in a few days depending on my day to day life. I have actually been taking a blog holiday this last few weeks basically because it's nice to have a break so I havent' read a single thing that a blogger has posted (with the exception of the great story about the CityChic vs Jibri thing here on Axis of Fat ) so I have avoided all this Beth Ditto hullabaloo and whatever else has been happening on the interwebz, I plan on catching up tomorrow... or drinking and watching Invader Zim