Hey all! Pat yourselves on the back! You made it through another work week, and now, it’s time for your weekly Fashion Blogger Spotlight! If you missed our spotlight last week, you can catch up with The Dreamy Realist, but first learn about today’s spotlight – the fabulous Katie Sturino of The 12ish Style! If you recognize Katie, it might be from her multiple collaborations with ELOQUII or from her fun Project Runway recap videos. Between her background in fashion PR and animal rescue work, Katie stays busy, and she brings those diverse experiences and knowledge to her blog followers. She is a plus size blogger YOU NEED TO KNOW!!!
Meet Katie of The 12ish Style!!!
Blog: The 12ish Style
Height: 5’10”
Location: NYC
How long have you been blogging?
3 years!
What or who inspired you to become a fashion blogger? What led you to it?
I was sick of not seeing my body type represented anywhere and was craving style inspo that I just wasn’t finding, so I created it myself.
Share your evolution!
Do you blog full-time, for fun, as a hobby?
A little background is that I’ve been working for myself since I graduated college, and for me, juggling a few things at once is pretty normal! For years, I ran my own boutique fashion PR firm. That led to doing puppy PR for my rescue dogs, @toastmeetsworld, @underpantsthedog and @muppetsrevenge. About 3 years ago I started The 12ish Style, and then this past summer I launched an athleisure beauty brand called Megababe and released two products that I’ve always needed and could never find: Thigh Rescue, an anti-thigh-chafe stick, and Bust Dust, an anti-boob-sweat spray (more products coming soon!). Currently, I spend my days blogging, growing Megababe and and raising dog rescue awareness. It’s a lot, but I’m super passionate about everything I do, so for me, it works!
What is your favorite asset? Your legs, arms, waist? How do you play that up?
I’m not sure I have a favorite, but I appreciate my muscular thighs (I was an athlete growing up) and how they carry me around NYC. And I think showing tasteful cleavage is always sexy!
Challenges
What are the challenges, if any, you face regarding being plus size?
While there are more shopping options for plus-size women than 10 years ago (thanks especially to new-ish brands like ELOQUII and Good American), there’s still a long way to go. I’m dying to invest in quality, well-made clothing but so few high-end designers seem to want my money! This makes no sense to me… women at every size want to shop and look & feel good, but so many brands continue to look the other way… leaving a lot of money on the table. There’s a potential win-win out there that just hasn’t been figured out yet.
THE FAVES
What’s your favorite thing about being plus size?
I love how my social platform lets me connect one-on-one with so many women. Whether it’s offering a simple style tip or shopping hack or helping women to love and appreciate their bodies a little more, nothing feels better than making a difference, even a small one.
What’s your favorite thing about being a blogger?
I love the creative freedom and how good it feels to find an audience who’s into the same things I am!
Who/what are your favorite designers/brands?
So many, and it’s always changing! ELOQUII for the trends; men’s shoes for my size 12 feet from brands like Gucci and Saint Laurent; loose-cut silhouettes from IRO; Good American for jeans; Kate Spade for statement prints; Monogram for graphic t-shirts… the list goes on and on but these are some of my current faves.
Who Are You?
Describe your personal style.
Fun, bold, athletic & flirty!
Which bloggers inspire you? Plus or straight size! Any bloggers currently on your radar?
I love how Leandra Medine puts pieces together — Man Repeller is a favorite for styling inspo. I think Kelly Augustine has great style. And Giovanna Battaglia is my forever style crush!
Plus Size Fashion
What do you think about where plus size fashion is today versus a few years back?
I think it’s come a long way but there’s still a long way to go...
What do you think or hear from readers, is one of the biggest myths about plus size fashion?
I hate the idea that there’s a certain “way” to dress (monochromatic, all-black, etc) or that some trends & styles are off limits. Crop tops, bikinis, short shorts — these are some of my favorite styles! I love hearing from women who didn’t think they could pull something off and then they give it a try and end up loving it.
Anything Else
Are you working on anything or have anything to share?
I recently launched a capsule collection with ELOQUII called ELOQUIIxKatieSturino that I couldn’t be more excited about! It’s inspired by my dream wardrobe and is full of my most favorite things like star prints, dog prints (and clothing!), faux leather, stripes, cobalt sequins and more. Currently I can’t stop wearing the camel coat and the white overalls – it’s my fall uniform!
Lastly, what does Curvy.Confident.Chic mean to you?
To me, nothing is sexier or chic-er than confidence. People think you either have it or you don’t, but my experience is that it’s something you work on and grow over time. Everyday I’m choosing to love myself and my curves and it feels great!
Check out Katie’s blog at The12ishStyle.com!!!
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love this! 🙂
I remember that awful play. It may not be as bad as before. But some time the 12 were a little to tight, but the 14 was just a tent. I am now at the fun 17. Boobs suffocate in a 16 and 18 on the bottom ballon in the wind. In between sizes are no fun.