Today is my birthday, and my lovely friend Nadia (you can find her over at Niddie’s Nest) made me the most fantastic tutu I have ever seen. She brought it in to work this morning in a HUGE fabric bag that she made just to carry it, and I was so astonished at it’s awesomeness I think I was speechless for about half an hour. I know, me, speechless! That never happens!
This afternoon Nadia and I had fun doing some OOTD shots in the stairwell at work. Mostly because this man climbed past me and my massive tutu four times! In the end we asked him if he wanted to be in the photo, or wear the tutu!
So here are my goofy photos of me in my tutu:
My camera isn’t very good, I think it might be reaching the end of it’s life. Time to buy a new one methinks.
I posted this photo on Facebook and Twitter earlier today:
And I’ve been astonished at the number of fat women who have piped up that they would like a tutu too. I say, make one! Get a friend to make one! Then put it on and pose like a goof in the stairwell at work, or somewhere else that tickles your fancy.
All my life I’ve dreamed of having a tutu. When I was a little kid, I watched ballet on TV and while I didn’t dream of being a ballerina, I wanted the outfit. They were so pretty and feminine, and everything I didn’t feel like. As a young woman, I would see fashion shoots with tutus in them, and long to own one, but I thought I was far too fat to dress like that. I told myself I could only have it if I lost weight. My body won’t lose weight, so for a long time I believed that I could never have a tutu.
But do you know what? I deserve to own and wear a tutu if I want to. So do you. To hell what anyone else thinks. So what if I look like an idiot? I love my tutu and how ridiculously huge and foofy it is. It’s my body, my life and my wardrobe that it’s going to live in, not anyone else’s.
If there’s an item of clothing you’ve always longed for, be it a tutu, a bikini, a biker jacket, knee high Go-Go boots, tight jeans, whatever it is, go out and get it. Find one that fits you that you just love to look at. Get one made if you can’t find what you want in your size. Put it on and rock the damn thing. Surround yourself with “inflaters”, the people who boost you up, not shoot you down, like my friend Nadia, who will support you in having fun with clothes. Strut. Laugh. Dance. Wiggle your arse. Have silly photographs taken of yourself and post them online. But most of all, LIVE.
You deserve it. Yes, even YOU.
My friend, you fuckin’ rock that TuTu – it looks fabulous and I want you to wear it on Sunday!
I would but it is seriously huge and takes up so much space!
But but its your birfday chocolate extravaganza and you need to be extravagant and that tutu embodies extravagance in every way
Yes and I need to be COMFORTABLY attired to enjoy my birthday party. A tutu is not comfortable Brisbane summer afternoon cafe wear I am afraid.
What a gorgeous post with some gorgeous photos. Best bit is the way you are absolutely beaming. Happy Birthday!!
I had so much fun!
ha ha! i’m so glad you like it! it suits you so much and looks so awesome! now you have to take ballet lessons!
I still have no inclination for the ballet lessons Nadia!
Absolutely tu tu cute.Dressing up in fun clothes is seriously good for the soul
I love that tutu, it’s kind of amazing. Your friend is really talented. And I LOVE the idea of friends ‘inflating’ each other this way. How powerful – sharing all that fun and positivity instead of snarking & sniping about bodies and fashion. Also I love that you’re inspiring others with your blog in this way – really powerful, happy-making stuff.
She IS a talented lady. We had so much fun, and one of the best things is she’s one of the people in my life who doesn’t batt an eyelid at a fat lady wanting a giant tattoo. Instead, she just says “I reckon I could make one of those!”
And it IS a really powerful thing to do, to just play and have fun rather than engaging in the usual body/clothing snark that is so rife in our culture. Yet it’s a thousand times easier!
One word – fabulous.
damn- that is the most gorgeous tutu I have ever seen! give it here!! 😛 haha. You look lovely!
*runs away* You can’t have it!
Amazing! I love the volume!
You look so beautiful and happy! I love what Spilt Milk said about sharing that positive experience with your seamstress friend and us. You are amazing. I am inspired.
I quit ballet right before I would have gotten “toe shoes.” I thought I was too fat. I still want those damn shoes!
Get ’em paponda! Go buy some! Even if you just take photos of you wearing them.
I love that not only are you wearing an awesome, voluminous tutu, but you’re wearing an awesome, voluminous BLACK tutu. Amazing. ❤
I love your message to wear whatever you want, too! I try not to be afraid, but I still find myself avoiding some things that I think I'd like because I'm fat.
…now who wants to make me a super cute fat Sailor Moon costume?
I chose black because I am buying a black corset to go with it. I really want about 7 more in various colours!
And keep working on that thing of avoiding wearing stuff because you think you are too fat. You are not! Nobody is!
I don’t know you, but I LOVE this. I want a tutu too! (would that be a threetu?)
I believe it’s a FourFour Muse mommy.
This is AMAZING! I love it.
I WANT ONE! WHAAAAAA!!!
PS–> you look amazing. I LOVE it!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
Oh, and this is the very first time in my entire life that I’ve wanted a tutu for myself. Just looking at you having so much fun in it makes it irresistible.
You look fabulous, my dear! Happy Birthday to YOU! I have only recently wanted a tutu and may end up making one for myself since I’d never afford to buy one. Rock on!
I know Nadia did a lot of Googling of patterns until she found that one that she really liked.
Now I, too, want a tutu. You look funtabulously happy, all aglow.
Happy birthday!!
Fan-bleeding –tastic!! I wish you well to wear it!
I wasn’t fat when I was little but I had really short hair which I hated, (people often used to think I was a boy), and my mum insisted I would look ridiculous in pastel colours, ribbons and frills. My party dresses were always austere black or navy velvet affairs.I longed for a tutu with every fibre of my being, just to have. Luckily for me, my paternal grandmother was a dressmaker and when I was about 6, she made me a pastel pink one. The bodice was satin with shiny gold braiding on the shoulder straps and I adored it.
One day my grandfather came to visit and I insisted on dancing for him in said tutu. My mum only told me recently that when she saw me come into the room dressed in my pink tulle finery, for a split second, she didn’t recognise me. She said she suddenly had a strong glimpse of the woman I’d become. I’ve always hated fashion rules and think fondly of that tutu as my first gesture of sartorial rebellion!
Now I want a pastel pink tutu with a satin bodice and shiny gold braiding on the shoulder straps.
NADIA!!
Ooh dear, I don’t know what happened to my formatting there. Sorry!
You look absolutely radiant in your tutu. 🙂 Those pictures are full of pure, unbridled joy!
I had my own “tutu” moment earlier this year. I finally said “YES I DO SUPER DUPER DESERVE THIS” and plunked down money online and bought a plus-sized gothic dress with a foofy skirt and bodice and stuff. And I wore it. And it was awesome. Everything I dreamed it would be.
I think I need a tutu now, too. 😀
Foofy is awesome. I love foofy.
Thank you all for the compliments and birthday wishes too. You all make a tutu’d fat lady feel fabulous!
I’m totally a day late and a dollar short, but happy birthday! Sorry I missed it.
Love the tutu. I keep meaning to make one for the girls but haven’t gotten around to it, I doubt I’d ever get around to making one for myself lol
Thank you Bec! And if you want one for yourself, do it!
You are so adorable in that tutu. It makes me happy to look at you. I did something similar when my daughter could not find a decent belt accessory for a dress she wore to a wedding. I went out with her, found nothing, so dang it, I made one! Then I went out and bought two metal ring belts and put them together and made her another one. I want to really learn to sew, I will never be the prisoner of corporate fashion again.
Thank you Lisa. It was such fun, I was in fits of giggles.
I wish I had the patience to learn to sew, I will just have to butter Nadia up more!
I’m a bit late on this (mid term exams, gah!) but HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 🙂
This was such an uplifting post for me, you look confident and beautiful. 🙂
I made a less poufy pink/fuschia tutu on my old Janome a while back– they’re quite easy to make actually if you have tons of gauzy net fabric, some elastic, and a basic pattern for a flouncy skirt. I think I used a McCall’s roller girl costume skirt pattern.
Thanks Rachel. I love the thought of women around the world whipping out the old Janome and running up some kind of awesome item of clothing that makes them totally happy.
OMG! Love!