Stylish Sunday swap - Sonia from Anomalous Allure

Hello everyone! This week, Sonia from Anomalous Allure and I decided to feature each other for her weekly "Stylish Sunday" feature. So, if you really want to know more about me (and who doesn't?), head on over to her post.

I've been a big fan of Sonia's style for the past year - she's actually the one that got me into wearing floral prints!

Here Sonia is, in all of her adorable Canadian glory:


(seriously, what a cutie)

On to the interview!

Tell me a little bit about yourself: where you’re from, what you do...

I’m Sonia, an 18 year-old university student with an undeclared major. I’m hoping to major in visual arts and minor in math or women’s/gender studies. Eventually, I’d like to get a Master of Library and Information Science degree and work in a public library. I’m really passionate about pottery and have been smitten with clay for the past three years. I was born in Inuvik, NWT (the farthest north you can drive in Canada on a road!) but have spent most of my life in Alberta. I call Edmonton how, although right now I live in a dorm in a small city, and go to a university that has fewer students than my high school did!


How long have you been posting photos of your outfits online? What made you decide to start?

Long before I was aware of fat acceptance or fatshion, when others were likely using LiveJournal, I was using Nexopia. I guess I always chose Nexopia over LiveJournal because Nexopia was created and is based in Edmonton. Aside from keeping up with friends – and making new ones – Nexopia was great for forums. I initially was posting in a forum for self-proclaimed “picture addicts” but after receiving a lot of fat hate I quit posting. I eventually found some forums for beauty & make-up that were frequented by a group of really lovely girls, and it was there that I first started posting photos of my outfits. That was in grade 10, so in 2007. About a year later, after dealing with a lot of mental health issues I deleted Nexopia and took a break from the internet altogether. A link on the Feministing community sent me to Fatshionista.com in early 2009 and in the summer of 2009 I discovered the Fatshionista LiveJournal Community. I started posting older outfit photos of mine, and eventually became confident enough to start taking outfit photos again. I received a lot of positive feedbacks and decided to start a fashion blog on September 2009. Now, I post outfit photos all over the internet.



Who inspires you the most?

I’m inspired by fierce fat femmes who work to live life as fabulously as possible. I could name multiple names, but in general I am just inspired by other people whom I can relate to in some way or another.


What are your feelings on style versus fashion?

To me, fashion seems all business and, to be quite honest, totally goes over my head. The world of high fashion leaves me clueless. I’m not so naive to think it doesn’t affect my clothing choices, but fashion isn’t really something I’m interest in. I feel that style, on the other hand, is this really personal thing that allows people to express themselves, their personality and their politics. To put it simply, fashion is bought and style is found.



How does the country in which you live affect your clothing choices, both with regards to personal style and access to clothing in your size?

Canada has very limited options for plus-size clothes. Penningtons and Addition-Elle would be the two most obvious but they’re sister store, over-priced, and don’t have a lot of clothes for younger people. Shipping from international retailers, even places in the US like Torrid, can be ridiculously expensive. That being said, I have access to more than enough clothing because I can fit into a size XXL at some straight size stores, but in general Canadian plus-size clothing is seriously lacking. Living in Alberta definitely influences my personal style, though it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how it influences me. In general Albertans dress practically, quite casually, and have a prairie/cowboy/western thing going on. It’s very easy to feel over-dressed, and if you’re not dressed for the cold weather you’ll get a lot of disapproving comments.



What do you love the most about living where you do?

Edmonton definitely has its downsides, but I really love living here. The summer brings endless outdoor festivals, and it’s a bit of a “small world” in that you can go for a walk or for coffee and bump into friends and acquaintances (which is especially special for a large city). Plus, Alberta has bits and pieces that are ridiculously gorgeous. The Rocky Mountains are a sight to see!


What is your favourite item or clothing and why?

My favourite item of clothing is my black floral skirt that I thrifted as a pair of shorts and altered, by hand, into a lovely skirt. This was just before I started my blog, and the skirt made me feel all fabulous and confident. It also made me realise that I can make clothes work for me. The skirt has a brilliant print and a very nice shape. It’s quite worn out but it’s still my favourite, and I’ll continue mending it and wearing it (and mending it and wearing it) for a long time.



Where are your favourite places to shop?

I like shopping at thrift stores, Old Navy, and Ricki’s the most. I also buy clothes from Walmart and Penningtons/Addition-Elle. I’m not much for shopping online, but I was happy with my clothes from Faith 21+ and Domino Dollhouse. In general, I much prefer shopping in person.


What is your favourite fashion rule to break?

I break every fashion rule. I wear horizontal stripes, wear skinny jeans, mix prints, pair black and brown… If it’s a rule, it’s meant to be broken. Mixing prints a bit obnoxiously would have to be my favourite rule to break.


Is there anything else you’d like to say to readers of We Are Large People?

Wear clothes that make you feel good, work hard at loving yourself, and allow your personality to show through in your clothing choices.



Thanks so much Sonia! Be sure to go check out her blog, Anomalous Allure.

If you'd like to see how I answered the same questions, feel free to head on over to her interview of me!