About the Author

About me…First of all, welcome to my website! My name is Heidi and I’d like to share some information about myself so you know a little bit about the person behind PlusSizeSOS.com and why this website came to be. Here I go…I am proud to say I am in my 40’s, I am a mother of two young, active boys, I am a wife and I hold a full time job in addition to creating, writing and doing research for my website. Bottom line, I am a busy woman just like you and everyone else. About my weight…It is my best kept secret. I can’t keep many secrets, but this is one I can keep. No one on this planet (except for my doctor) knows the forbidden number.

At age eleven, the number on the scale became front and center in my world. It only took one hurtful comment to the start the yo-yo. Since then, I have tried every known diet, healthy and not so healthy to achieve the magic number. 

And yes, I even succumbed to the “cabbage soup” diet. Years of dieting only brought disappointment; I was never able to maintain the lost weight for very long. I know what it feels like to be plus size; I've been there. But I also know what it is like to be thin. Today, I am not plus size, but the very fashion tips I give throughout my website are ones I follow too. My silhouette is far from perfect so I too need to follow my own advice.

Today, I still struggle with my weight. I don't (can't) follow  diets anymore probably because I am just too burned out with dieting in general. The mere mention of the word makes me crave sweets. My goal is to eat healthier and live a healthier lifestyle so that I can be a good example to my family.

What is my body type…Even though everyone thinks having an hourglass figure is the ultimate in body types, I disagree. I’ve struggled over the years to hide my bust, hips and butt. When I was younger, my standard uniform consisted of baggy clothing, turtlenecks, long, bulky sweaters that I thought looked good, but I am here to say I have photo proof that I did not! What I didn’t know early on was how to make fashion choices to accentuate my positives and minimize the negatives. I’ll give myself some slack here since I grew up in the 80’s. It’s been and still is a learning process because fashion changes so fast. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. You just need to know your body type, know your measurements and be aware of designs and styles that will flatter your silhouette.

My personal style…For me, I find that classic styles work the best and look the best on my frame. I have classic pieces that are the foundation of my wardrobe and then I add trendy, new fashion pieces to look current, but always classy. Oh, I should mention I love black clothing (not because it is slimming, just because I find it timeless and elegant) so I apologize in advance if I end up including too many black outfits throughout my website.

Why I created this website….I’ve always loved and admired fashion. I guess looking back my mom had a big influence in developing this interest. She was and still is an excellent seamstress. She has been sewing since she was a little girl and she would never settle for anything less than perfection. Growing up, we would go to the fabric store and pick out patterns together and find the most perfect fabric for her to make me an outfit. I would also spend a lot of time (so it seemed) standing still with my arms at my sides being measured, pinned, spun around and looking straight ahead. I learned early on how clothes should fit. She was so good at her skill, that I would sometimes make a request on the type of dress, skirt, etc. I wanted, and she would make it without even using a pattern. She is a true and rare talent. Thanks Mom, for all the beautiful clothes you made me over the years! Sadly though, I never learned how to sew so I never followed in her footsteps.

I mentioned earlier that I struggled with weight; therefore, I also struggled with finding clothes that made me feel good and look good. Not to mention the many important women in my life who I see struggle as well. This is where my website comes in. I want you to be able to know there are options in plus size clothing to make you look beautiful; to use this website as a guide to help you make the right choices so you buy and wear what you love and feel good in. Every woman has the right to feel and look beautiful!

My approach is just to be helpful and provide useful information. I spend a great deal of my time searching and finding outfits posted online that are good examples of the tips and descriptions I talk about. I used to be a trainer so I know people in general learn better when they can visually see something as opposed to reading text.

I also think it is important to include pictures of plus size women wearing plus size clothes. Easy, right? That would be a gigantic NO. Many retailers and designers still use skinny models to show plus size fashion. Women really want to get an idea how a dress, blouse, etc. would look on them. A size "0" model wearing an outfit that comes in a plus size just doesn't cut it. In addition to possibly showing too many black outfits, I apologize if I include photos of women who you don't consider to be plus size. 

Final thoughts…Throughout my website there are places you can leave comments. This is where I hope you feel comfortable sharing information, tips and offer suggestions on what you would like to see included in the website. I just have one simple request. Please do not use this website as a forum to be nasty, hurtful or hateful. Constructive criticism is one thing, but crossing that line doesn’t help anyone. Be respectful. Be kind. Have fun!

Love who you are and only good will follow.

Thanks for visiting!

-Heidi

Plus size clothing>About Me