Plus Model Ashley Graham Gets Her Very Own Lookalike Barbie (omgeeeeeee)

November 15, 2016 By sammy Leave a Comment

Like thousands of others, I follow plus sized model & swimwear designer Ashley Graham on SnapChat (total fan girl since meeting her at NYC Full Figure Fashion Week years ago)

But seriously, she’s reached new levels of amazingness by collaborating with Mattel to release an Ashley Graham lookalike Barbie, with thighs that touch. LIFE GOALS PEOPLE.

“Does any little girl imagine they’re going to have a Barbie made in their likeness?” she asked.

When Ashley gets excited about something on Snapchat you know its going to be good and boy did she deliver! Just as ‘groundbreaking’ and ‘epic’ as she hinted at during her backstage live snaps.

Image from TheAshleyGraham snapchat

The Barbie was unveiled live on stage at Glamour Woman of The Year Awards with a behind the scenes clip of the design process being played to all guests. This is pretty groundbreaking news guys!

Earlier this year, after 56 years of business Mattel, released a range of tall, petite and curvy variations of the worlds best selling doll, Barbie. This also included seven skin tones, 22 eye colors and 24 hairstyles.

It’s what we have all been wanting. DIVERSITY and totally makes the doll more relatable for girls everywhere.

Graham proudly stood on stage saying that the days are gone where you lusted after looking like Barbie. “Everyone can be Barbie”. If you already follow Ashley you’ll know that #thickthighssavelives is one of her fave hashtags to use. So personally, as a fellow curvy babe with thick thighs I’m stocked to see a Barbie with legs like mine.

AND to make it even more real they even made a cute set of lingerie from Ashley’s range.
Well done Mattel.

“[Ashley] challenges the conversation around body norms, and we think that’s a really important message for girls,” said Lisa McKnight, senior vice president for Mattel’s Barbie brand.

Ashley’s doll will be added to Barbie’s group of Sheroes, a line of dolls that’s featured strong women including director Ava DuVernay, Zendaya, Misty Copeland and Gabby Douglas.

Behind The Scenes: Melbourne Fashion Week Plus

October 20, 2016 By sammy Leave a Comment

Jessica West, Caitlyn Byrne, Karyn Cloonan. Well done team! I love this photo of the event organisers. Captures exactly what the event was about, fashion and laughter

Going backstage at any fashion show can be more exciting than watching the runway shows and presentations. In September I hung out behind the scenes at Melbourne Fashion Week Plus and witnessed first-hand how many people, hours, and stores of energy it takes to pull together a fashion event.

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I was lucky enough to be apart of the media team representing Skorch Magazine and also a model over the four days

As you can imagine, A ton of primping goes into the looks that grace the runway shows, which can last as little as ten minutes.

From the models, the designers, the venue planning the makeup to the music and event, putting together the Melbourne Fashion Week Plus requires incredible coordination. Well done to the organisers for putting together such a fabulous event.

Media night was a huge success. So empowering to be in a room filled with models, designers, bloggers and media all supporting the plus industry.

The models were a mixture of professional models and “street” models – bloggers and everyday people that wanted to take part in the show, which was great as it gave the show much diversity and excitement as some of the girls were walking for the first time ever.

The opening night runway, featuring designers: State of Liberty, Voluptua, Courtney ZOH, Nyata & Estelle Clothing.

The second runway was full of elegance and flowing fabrics. Featuring designers: Chocolat, Alison Dominy Designs, Diane Covino, Lyn-Al, Coral and Co Australia

LYN – AL was a stand out designer in the show. Her designs are based on Fasheaming, meaning fashion dreaming. Dreaming for Aboriginal people is a very spiritual thing. Lyn-Al’s pieces connect with the spirit behind the designs. Each piece was handpainted onto silk making each piece a unique artistic original.

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The Hope&Harvest models and designers straight off the runway

Runway Three brought us the cutting edge of plus size fashion. Featuring designers: 17 Sundays, Remi Ray, Black Mob The Label, th.label, Hope&Harvest & Embody Denim

It takes an army of HUMA behind the scenes to bring the vision to life. This is only a small portion of the Iridis Cosmetics team! (who did a phenomenal job and were sponsors of the event)

Had to giggle at this fabulous Joolz Fashion shirt

The final runway was full of tailoring, colour and fun. Featured designers: Sprinkle Emporium, Juicy Lucy Plus, Joolz Fashion, Miss Scarlett did it, SONSEE Woman, Active Truth, Beyond the Sea Swimwear

Beyond the Sea Swimwear models about to go on stage

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There’s a fair bit of down time between getting ready for the show. Nothing like heading out for lunch all glammed up

Active Truth designers

The Dress That Looks Fabulous on Everyone

September 30, 2016 By sammy 2 Comments

Know I’ve been quiet lately guys but you know how life goes. Have been working on so many projects my CurvySam site had a little holiday. I’m back now and ready to tell you what I’ve been up to.

Last month I attended and modelled in Melbourne Fashion Week Plus for a week of networking, fashion and all things fabulous. I was busy snapping and social media-ing (is that a word ha?) behind the scenes for Skorch Mag & CurvySam so stay tuned for a few follow up blog posts.

I’d ordered this Society+ skater dress before MFWP. My number one reason was because – IT HAS POCKETS!! Its no wonder that it’s a number one selling style thats been replicated into many pattens and colours.

Their signature fit and flare skater style is perfect for any body type. Made with soft and forgiving scuba fabric, you will be comfortable and confident all day long in any situation! AND. It goes up to a size 32

Now you guys know, I only write about things that I love. Yes I work with brands but I generally buy most of my clothes and post what I like. This dress was a winner for me.

As glamorous as modelling is theres also a fair bit of down time between getting ready and the actual show. Which I don’t mind at all because I got to hang out with so many amazing women who were a similar size to me.

You know what that means guys, we tried each other clothes on. We had shoes, accessories and a rad dress to wear.
Like the adult version of dress ups.

Check out these babes below. The main detail is that we all have completely different body shapes even though we have similar sized bodies.

Jenny Amosa @jennyamosa

Trish Marmo @trishama

Tiffany Vines

Simone Skyes

As you can see all of the babes above look absolutely phenomenal. The dress moulds to each body shape and dare I say it….wearing this dress makes you look and feel skinny.

I can hear you asking, where do I get this dress from? Check out Society+ which is based in the states. They have great international shipping AND this dress comes in many colours and a striped version too. Enjoy!

Disclosure – this is not a sponsored post. Society+ sent me a gift card for my birthday and I purchased lots of goodies

That time I had injections in my face to be less sweaty

June 30, 2016 By sammy 9 Comments

Being a little larger than the average person, it’s fair to say that you sweat a little more. Clinically it’s called Hyperhydrosis. AKA sweaty McGee. When I get hot and sweaty, my hair goes curly, makeup melts off my face, eczema makes my lips swell because I scratch it when I get hot. Sweaty mess. Oh and then I get cranky.

Six months ago I had a form of Botox called ‘Dysport’ injected into my face and it’s significantly improved my life so I thought I would share my experience with you guys. Straight up, I’ll tell you now that I paid $800 over two sessions.

I didn’t really document the process with photos but I wanted to share my experience with you because it’s CHANGED MY LIFE.
To keep it real, I’m going to show you some photos of myself that I had handy on my phone, photos I’d prefer no one to ever see. Might as well put them on the internet hey?

For me, moving from chilly Melbourne to the tropical Whitsundays years ago was a game changer. Not only is it warm all the time, it’s disgustingly humid for 5 months of the year.

The sweatiness effected me the most whilst working at a five star resort coordinating some of the most prestigious celeb events, which was a nightmare because I was constantly outside in my business suit. I’m talking BIG name celebs here guys. I wish I could drop some names.
I had secret stashes of tissues down my bra where I would discreetly turn away from clients to wipe my sweat stash off my face every few minutes.

Seriously it was impossible. And I constantly felt embarrassed and gross.
Luckily I was good friends with the Chefs who let me stand in the empty cool rooms in between meetings.

Right. Sweaty photo time. Bear in mind this was taken after a 14 hour flight where I went straight into volunteer at an animal shelter in the Middle East 50degrees Celsius (I was too excited to sleep)
Short term, there are many facial antiperspirants out there that you can put under your makeup. They are pretty thick and in all honestly not that effective. Which when you live in a hot climate kinda sucks that it was the only option.

I spoke to my doctor about it and he pretty much fobbed off my concerns and said I just needed to loose 30kgs and my body would be back to normal.
URGH. (he’s not my doc anymore)

So for years I suffered with it and wore gluggy face antiperspirant under my makeup. I threw away my mascara and wore eyelash extensions just so I wouldn’t get panda eyes.
Through work, social situations, sex, dancing, as soon as the temp changed sweaty face Sam appeared.

Six months ago I bit the bullet and visited a cosmetologist to discuss my options.
(also like to note here that I in no way wanted to alter my appearance)

I met with a team of industry professionals who took the time to understand what was going on. A dye was placed on my face then talcum powder was placed over the dye to show the main spots I was perspiring from.

The cosmetologists did their research, spoke to other industry professionals and a month later they came back to me with a plan which involved injecting small amounts of dysport in my face, not to alter my appearance but to effect the sweat glands.

I’m terrified of needles. Like I panic and faint. (thanks to having needles under my feet as a 10 year old being held down by four adults, totally traumatised)

Basically I laid down, was given some happy gas (which takes the care factor away just like drinking a bottle of bubbly), closed my eyes and had two wonderful women assume me that they weren’t using needles but ‘magic wands’ that wouldn’t hurt me. Small amounts of dysport was injected into various spots in my face. My upper lip, hairline (which hurt the most), under my eyes and my brow. It stung but I had someone holding my hand and an ice cube in my other hand to distract me.
I’ve had two treatments a month apart and have full movement in my face. It hurt for a few minutes but it was worth it.
I still sweat on my face, it doesn’t magically disappear. But I no longer bead and drip sweat the second I step into the heat.

My face still goes pink when I work out. I’d say I sweat more on my neck now or maybe I’m just noticing it more. After a massive gym session, I was so hot that I jumped straight into the pool fully clothed when I got home. In this photo you can see where they’ve injected my Dysport (white dots). I think the cold water shocked my skin so it was a little more noticeable.

If this is something you would consider. Don’t get someone who just has the license to inject, like a dentist or a GP. See an experienced professional who deals with cases like this everyday as your underlying facial expression muscles will be affected if they stuff it up.

Getting Active

May 30, 2016 By sammy 2 Comments

Recently I posted about how I joined a gym and how it wasn’t working for me. {read post here}

The wonderful team at Active Truth read my post and reached out to me to gift a pair of leggings. I’m in training to climb a giant mountain, which I’m equally excited and terrified about. {By climb I mean walk for 6+ hours at a steep incline.} It’s been on the bucket list for a while so it’s handy to have a couple of pairs of my fave leggings to wear.

You’ll rarely see me wearing plain black workout leggings. Just because you are plus size doesn’t mean that you can’t wear fun prints. Gone are the days where I’ve tried to cram my body into Lorna Jane etc just so I don’t have to wear black.

I’d rather spend the money with businesses who have tailored their designs to fit a plus size body and not just ‘upsized’ their designs. So anytime I see a brand that makes colourful workout leggings specifically for plus sized women, I get SUPER excited.
When I buy leggings I want to be able to bend over and move without them rolling down below my belly.

I’ve had these confetti style leggings for a month now and thoroughly tested them out. I’d planned to take photos every time I wore them but you know…..I forgot most of the time.

Working out at the gym, yoga class and shopping for food before camping

Every time I wear them women stop me and ask where they are from. I pretty much had to do a fashion show at the local hairdressers because everyone wanted to see them.

High firm waistband holds the tummy in

When it comes to the top, I always wear a vneck cotton tshirt. My go to shirts at the moment are from Target and Sussans. I especially love the relaxed fit of the Sussan tops and they have a longer back. (not pictured)

Now many of you frequently ask these questions when I post about work out gear. So here’s the details for the Active Truth leggings.
– Aussie made and designed
– Breathable and moisture-wicking compression fabric keeps you cool and dry
– Flat and minimal seams to reduce chaffing
– Double-layer high supportive waistband
– Smooth ultra-flat, superior-coverage fabric with matt finish
– 78% Recycled Polyester, 22% Xtra Life LYCRA®
– UV protective

Size wise I’m an 18, wear a M in CityChic and wearing a 2XL which are quite roomy. I could comfortably go down a size.

{my car is super filthy and dusty after camping on the weekend}

I just love Winter in the tropics. It’s the time of year where I love to get active! So be prepared to see lots of social media posts of me out an about. Especially with Swifty. (that’s my car)

Disclosure – this is not a sponsored post. I was gifted the leggings and loved them so I wrote about them

Ashley Graham Launches Sexy Swimsuit Collection

May 24, 2016 By sammy 1 Comment

Ashley Graham has launched her own swimwear line in collaboration with USA retailer Swimsuitsforall.

The 11 piece collection is available to buy right now. And, I have to say, these suits are seriously sexy! AG swim is statement resort style at its hottest. It’s the plus size James Bond elegance we’ve all been dreaming of.

Relax behind your shades and clock the envious looks as you strut from beach to bar.

Featuring glamorous string bikinis, sexy mesh swimsuits and a bejeweled bikini made with Swarovski crystals – style it up and carry on into the night, the collection is made for the pool and designed for the party.

With each style, it’s clear Graham intended to provide women a variety of sexy styles that suit every body type. From itty bitty bikinis to strappy and studded one-pieces, the line was certainly designed with curvy women’s bodies in mind.

Shop the looks here

How to feel incredible and confident {whilst naked}

February 9, 2016 By sammy 1 Comment

I can honestly say that it’s taken me a long time to be confident being naked either around others or with myself. It is something that I have spent years and years working on.

This applies to everybody not just us plus size babes. We all have our own insecurities, the important thing is to embrace what you’ve got and focus on the good.

When you are comfortable with your body, you act more confidently which makes you happy. As you gain confidence and actually feel sexier, then this will boost your confidence throughout the day too.

Here’s my tips to feeling like a babe whilst in the nude

Image taken by the amazing http://www.katieharmsworth.com

Spend some time looking in the mirror
If you’re unhappy with your looks, you might go to extremes to avoid mirrors. But the truth is, your mirror can be your best friend, helping you gain self-confidence. Get to know your body, every lump, every bump.

Identify body parts you like
Make sure you’re focusing on the things that you love about yourself.
Some people look at themselves in the mirror and say horrible things. Seriously, don’t do it you’ll just make yourself feel crap.
Pick the features about yourself that you love—your eyes, your smile, your butt—and make that the focus when you think about yourself. Choose to see the good in yourself, not just with your appearance but with the core of who you are.

Adjust the lighting
Seriously….fluro lights aren’t flattering on anyone. Soft ambient lighting is key.
Light a couple of candles, turn on a couple of lamps. If there’s a romantic moment there where you want to get naked, don’t ruin the moment by turning off the lights and hiding away. (And at the end of the day the other person isn’t going to be thinking about your body the way you are)

Sleep naked
Okay, the truth is, at first you are going to feel self-conscious. Since you may already have issues with your body, letting it all hang out can be a daunting task. However, over time, you will get more confident with your body and sleeping nude will just be the norm.

Fake it until you make it
One of the best ways to gain confidence is to fake it. If you want to have a booty like JLo then act and hold yourself as she would. There’s nothing wrong with having an alterego to get you through when you feel insecure.

Stand tall
Put on your fave shoes and stand strong and tall. Body language is everything. If you have your arms folded to hide your stomach, look down and have your back slumped then you aren’t going to feel great. Shake off that poor posture and stand tall – your body and your confidence will thank you for it. You will instantly feel more awake, in control and confident.

Just breathe
Deep breathing is a powerful relaxer. If you’re feeling stressed or nervous about a situation, take a few slow, deep breaths from your tummy– not your chest. Rather than “suck in,” allow yourself to breathe. You’ll feel stronger and more peaceful as a result.

Let me know if you have any other handy tips to feeling confident in the buff

via GIPHY

Behind The Scenes: Scarlett&Jo {London}

January 19, 2016 By sammy Leave a Comment

In December I popped past the Scarlett & Jo‘s new London office to meet the team and preview their new range. I’ve always loved the femininity of Scarlett & Jo’s garments so was super excited to see behind the scenes.

In the midst of the excitement I totally forgot to take some decent photos. Whopps. Worst blogger ever I know.

Fitting the sexy hourglass body shape is what Scarlett & Jo dresses are all about. Their dresses are meant to flatter this perfect body type and make women feel fun and fearless. The dresses are cut to fit, true to size, and guaranteed to turn heads!

One stand out features from this brand is that they use plus size mannequins {size 24 to be exact} and decent plus size models to promote their range. You may recognised UK blogger George, Fuller Figure Fuller Bust who is a often models for S&J.

And because they use a model that I can relate to, it just makes me want to buy more even all the way in Aus because I know that her and I have similar body shape. Whilst the team were shooting some items for a lookbook I tried on some of the garments. No shame here guys I’ll strip off anywhere, anytime. Thats also why I have no shoes on. Ha. Classic Queenslander!

It’s like all of the clothes were made for my body. They especially suit larger busts too. And thats because they actually are made for plus size women. There’s a team of plus size women working behind the scenes who make sure everything is perfect for a plus size body.

Scarlett & Jo’s extraordinary dresses are designed and made to make you feel like a million dollars. They have a multitude of beautiful dress options in sumptuous fabrics and fabulous prints for any dress up or dress down occasion during any time of year.

When I was there the team were in the midst of taking photos of their new couture wedding dress range. Scarlett & Jo’s wedding dresses are a selection of key retro-inspired romantic shapes : full skirted 50’s style; Body con full length with a delicate train 1930’s inspired; A discreet sweetheart neck, cut to produce an hour glass look; and a little boudoir delicate wrap over bodice dress featuring a waterfall frill skirt.

These dresses are made with a special stretch soft ivory chiffon triple lined featuring antique laces, and mesh to make lovely brides feel beautiful & glamorous on their big day!

Visit the Scarlet & Jo website

I fell in love with a sample, so the team kindly gifted it to me. I wrote all about it here. It’s still to this day one of my most popular posts. And one of my favourite memories seeing my two best friends get married. Love is love.

What I Wore ~ Tropical Romper

August 3, 2015 By curvysam 7 Comments

Colour. Tropics. Plus fashion. Flared sleeves. These are a few of my favourite things.

I pre ordered this ‘Irie’ Romper as soon as LA plus brand ‘Zelie for She’ posted some preview photos on Instagram. Vibrant prints are a must have for any wardrobe. I was quietly excited to see that the new collection had so much colour.
I could just picture myself wearing it around my tropical FNQ home town in Winter.
Now you all know I’m a dress kinda gal so the idea of wearing a romper worried me a little. To start with I have a large bust and hold my weight in my tummy area and have seen other women with similar body shapes post photos of them wearing rompers and every part of me said NOPE. That style is not for me. For an outfit to be fabulous it has to be flattering, enhance my curves and not make me look rounder than I already am. (each to their own of course)

As soon as it arrived I tried it on and I loved it. It’s equal amounts of sassy & sexy.

I’ve worn it quite a few times over the last couple of months and thought I would take some pics to share with you all. Nothing fancy here guys. Minimal makeup, fluffy hair and raw images uploaded.

One of the key differences (in my opinion) is that this romper is designed and made for plus size women by a plus size woman. I first met designer Elann Zelie at Full Figure Fashion Week in NYC. This fashionsta had major style. So I had 100% trust that her garments would be fabulously designed and fit like a dream.

There’s a tie at the back and with the generous neckline so it’s quite easy to step into the romper.
You’ve probably noticed from the photos that this garment has some serious bell sleeves going on.
This is one of those effortless outfits that doesn’t need accessorising as the print is bold enough. I wore yellow Colette Hayman stud earrings, yellow shoes I picked up in NYC a couple of years ago and a pair of oversized ASOS sunglasses.

Shop for your own ZELIE FOR SHE romper here

Plus Size Fitness ~ When Strangers Offer Encouragement

August 1, 2015 By curvysam 2 Comments

Believe it or not I’m a pretty active person. I walk many times a week, sometimes it’s a casual stroll and other times I work up a sweat walking up to the local lookout.

Us Aussies, we are a friendly bunch, especially when exercising. Frequently people congratulate me for exercising, give me the thumbs up as they pass me or if I’m lucky I get a wink. YES A WINK. Weird I know.

By frequently I mean MANY people comment or make some kind of gesture. And I’m kinda over it.

I don’t need encouragement, winks, thumbs up and random health tips from strangers whilst I’m exercising.

Part of me thinks that its oh so nice these strangers are encouraging me to walk up the hill I tackle a couple of times a week. The other part of me finds it patronizing.

It just kind of makes me feel like I’m a kid being patted on the head by an experienced adult. I shrug it off, because it was obviously meant to be a nice gesture, but it got me to thinking about how other plus size people would react to this.

If someone said the same to you, would you find it encouraging or a little frustrating?

When the size 6, perfectly toned woman from my yoga class says to me as I arrive ‘oh you’re here again…good for you darl’ in her husky voice whilst finishing her last cigarette before the class. I grin and politely respond when I really want to make a witty comment back about the irony of chain smoking before and after a health class. (In my mind it would be to the tone of Kath & Kim)

I don’t understand why people feel the need to comment and provide encouragement to an overweight stranger minding their own business. So for a while now I’ve been exercising before dawn or after dark when there aren’t as many people around.

Is it because I’m bigger than everyone else? Do strangers see my wiggle and jiggle on my size 18 body and think wow she’s big I should say something to help her. I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT.

Don’t get me wrong there’s a certain amount of comradely in the fitness world. I’m a positive person and take all the comments in a positive way. But seriously…..its getting a little to much.

So to the strangers who see me minding my own business, on my own, powering up the hill with a pink (moreso purple) face squinting at the sweat stinging my eyeballs. Please don’t wink at me. Please don’t give me the thumbs up. Because I find it condescending.

Don’t look at larger people whilst they are working out and pity them. They are out there enjoying life.

(I respect that in certain situations such as group fitness encouragement can be very motivating – this post is more directed at strangers commenting when I am alone and minding my own business)

Here’s my tips to feeling like a babe whilst in the nude

Colour. Tropics. Plus fashion. Flared sleeves. These are a few of my favourite things.

Curvy babes, have you experienced this whilst working out?