Plus Size Effortless Style

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I’ve been thinking about the term “effortless style” and wondering how I might achieve this effect (or affect) with my own wardrobe. The basic idea is to look amazing, but totally “effortless,” like you didn’t try too hard- or at all- to achieve your look. We’ve all seen the photos of off-duty models and celebrities on Pinterest. There are those outfits that draw from more classic elements: blazers, button-downs, loafers, classic handbags, and simple jewelry.

My husband worked with a woman who was tall, Nordic, and around 19 years old who always looked like a walking J. Crew ad- a perfect example of the “classic” effortless look. Upon anyone commenting on how great she looked, she’d say something like,”Oh, yeah. I thrifted this sweater,” neglecting to mention how her impeccably disheveled style was achieved. It seemed completely, well, effortless for her. Whether or not this is actually true, I’ll never know, but she certainly pulled it off.

Then there are the slightly edgier looks- the “I rolled out of bed like this” looks.

I once had a roommate in NY who had an edgy, effortless look; Natalia was her name. She had gorgeous, long, shiny hair and perfectly clear skin. She appeared to own about 3 pairs of tights, some black shorts, a pair of ballet flats, and maybe a scarf- and that was it. But somehow she always looked utterly stylish. She literally picked clothes out off the floor, threw them on, ate a Snickers for breakfast, and was off to work at a so-cool-I-couldn’t-even-walk-in-there designer retail shop. Her look was definitely effortless, yet somehow finely tuned to the edge of where fashion was heading, possibly creating trends herself from our modest Williamsburg (Brooklyn) apartment.

So when I started thinking about this whole “effortless” concept in relation to my own wardrobe, I wasn’t terribly hopeful. First of all, I’m plus-size. There are far fewer “effortless fashion” icons in the plus size world. My searches on Pinterest tended to turn up photos kind of like this- wholesome, matchy-matchy, blown out hair and heavy makeup:

The other type of photo that came up often was also trying too hard: the ultra-sexy, high heels and body-con look:

And I was reminded of a video (go to 3:00 in) where I saw a YouTuber talking about her discomfort on camera when she wasn’t made up- wearing a full face of heavy makeup with meticulously styled long hair, dressed in trendy clothes. She noted how she felt she had to compensate for being fat by having perfect hair, makeup, and clothes all the time. And she suggests that this could be an issue for other plus size women- the fear that if we don’t get mani-pedis and curl our hair, we’ll be seen as sloppy, lazy, or that we “don’t take care of ourselves.” Being immaculately made up and carrying an expensive handbag can be, for certain women, a sort of apology to society for being fat. And I obviously can’t get on board with that. I guess I never have, no matter my size. If anything, I have the opposite problem: there’s a bit of, “Well I’m fat anyway, so why even try?” I never do my hair or makeup, I rarely wear jewelry, and I keep forgetting to tuck my shirt in in the front (a “styling trick” I recently picked up). So I guess I’m looking for some middle ground with this whole “effortless style” idea. I’d like to look more put together, less like I’ve spent the last two years in pajamas, but I want to be sure I’m not apologizing for anything about my body. As far as clothes go, I think my minimalist/menswear tastes lend themselves to effortlessness. I think my baggy pants and simple T-shirts are certainly not trying too hard, but can look a little sloppy because I’m not styling myself. And I’m no fool- those women who pull off effortless style are probably still styling their hair- blowing it out straight, then creating beachy waves with a flat iron. This is something I could explore. And there’s always some minimal makeup involved: mascara, lip gloss, concealer. And sunglasses for sure. A belt seems to go a long way- and some delicate jewelry (gold is definitely on trend). Oh, and not having a job helps a lot. I don’t have any kind of uniform or office dress code to adhere to (this look is strictly for those in creative fields: bloggers, actresses, magazine editors). Here are some (plus-size) inspiration photos that are just what I had in mind, some classic:

And some edgier: