I don’t live in a place where it’s unusual to be fat. I’ve grown up seeing fat women everywhere, having fat friends and despite a serious lack of shopping options, always feeling like I was fashionable. In recent years, I’ve noticed a shift here in Windsor. I see fewer and fewer fashionable fat ladies on the streets, plus size stores are closing or changing – there are no independent plus size stores at all! Events that used to have a fat presence no longer do, no designers are creating plus size clothes or featuring plus size models in their shows. The burlesque community remains one that welcome fat ladies, and I hope that never changes, but even then I see fewer and fewer fat women on stage. I started feeling like a big red flag walking down the street. I felt exposed and lonely. Being the fattest person in the room is old hat, but being the only fat girl for miles is new and uncomfortable. I have no idea how or why it happened, but I decided I was going to change it. The Windsor-Essex Fat Babe Squad facebook group was originally just supposed to be a fun way for me to build myself a big squad of rad fat women, but now I’m listening to these women saying all the same things I’ve been feeling – that they just don’t feel they have a place here.
The Fat Babe Squad will be working to increase fat visibility in Windsor, and having a good time while we do it. It’s time for us to dress to the nines and show up at fashion related events, walk in fashion shows, hit the plus size stores in groups – proving we’re a larger market than people thought, and showing these women that we know are out there that it’s ok to be proud of who you are and that there are other women who think you’re perfect just the way you are.
So if you’re a fat babe in Windsor-Essex County, Ontario you should look us up! Come out for a drink or a slice, hit the shops and flew your fabulous fatness.
