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We’re long-time fans of Katie Sturino, the woman behind the fashion blog The 12ish Style and the Megababe body-care brand. Katie is known for recreating celebrity outfits with plus-size pieces that prove how easy (and fun!) fashion can be. Her fashion motto is simple: “I just wear what makes me happy.” Here, she shares five of her favorite looks…
Top: KULE, similar. Leggings: Girlfriend Collective, similar. Sneakers: Reebok.
“It took me a while to find striped tops like this in my size, and then I found these ones from KULE. They’re actually from the men’s collection. And the Reeboks are awesome — I love a pump sneaker. They’re super supportive, which is important for me. I have bad feet so I’m really lucky the whole ugly-sneaker trend is still happening.”
Blazer: LOFT. Tee: Giovanna Engelbert. Pants: LOFT. Bag: Parker Thatch, similar. Pom: Parker Thatch, similar. Shoes: Naturalizer.
“I love a suit, especially if I have a meeting. I’ve noticed everyone’s making check-print suits lately, and I was excited to try one, but I also wanted to make it feel like my own — hence the T-shirt, the shoes, the monogrammed bag. I’m very into these low, white heels, which remind me of my mom’s work shoes from the 80s. I’m constantly looking for shoes for big feet, since I wear a size 12. Naturalizer makes nice simple flats that don’t feel cheap. For heels, my go-to is Margaux. They have a great range of sizes.”
Jacket: ASOS. Sweater: Polo Ralph Lauren. Pants: LOFT, similar. Shoes: Grenson.
“This is the kind of outfit I’d wear for pretty much anything — walking the dogs, going to dinner, whatever. I love everything about it: the bright pants, the nostalgic teddy bear sweater (if you grew up in the 80s, you might know that bear!). I’m also wearing my Megababe products, which I created to help with boob sweat and thigh chafe. I was tired of using men’s products or weird hacks, and when I looked at the market, I realized that no one is talking about these types of problems because the people in charge don’t think they exist. Women are told they should be aiming for a thigh gap… so why would anyone need an anti-friction stick? That type of thinking leaves women feeling alone and that somehow their bodies are wrong. Megababe aims to not only de-stigmatize these issues, but also our name is empowering and our packaging is cute. There is nothing shameful about it!”
Sweater: J.Crew. Skirt: Madewell. Sunglasses: Forever 21. Earrings: Christie Nicolaides. Lips pin: Yazbukey. Tote: Fendi, similar. Shoes: Margaux.
“I’ve noticed a lot of plus-size women steer clear of pencil skirts because they think they’ll be too form fitting or that they’ll look weird on their bodies. I totally disagree. And same with sweaters! We’re told not to wear big sweaters like this, because it’ll be ‘bulky.’ Personally, I love the look of this outfit. It’s put together but also so, so cozy. What I really like is that it breaks all those so-called rules. Some of my favorite places to shop are Madewell extended, Warp and Weft jeans, Good American jeans, 11 Honoré and CoEdition.”
Coat: J.Crew, similar. Sweater: Lingua Franca. Skirt: Sonia Rykiel, similar. Socks: Ban.do. Shoes: Naturalizer.
“As you can see, I like my colors BRIGHT. Fashion often pushes women — especially plus-size women — to wear black. Like we’re supposed to hide inside that lack of color. I have plenty of friends who do prefer to wear all black or all grey, but that’s just not my vibe. There is no destination when it comes to size. So often women live as if life will start when they lose 10 pounds or if they achieve a certain pant size. The truth is that if you don’t accept your body as you are, you will never get off the merry go round. I just wear what makes me happy.”
Thank you so much, Katie!
P.S. More women share their weeks of outfits, including an architect who loves color and a marketing manager in Oregon.
(Photos by Christine Han for Cup of Jo. Thank you to Katie’s three rescue dogs — Muppet, Cheese and Crumb — for modeling:)
