Fashion
7 Plus Size Women With The Raddest Eyewear Game
My very first pair of glasses were a pair of modified wayfarers that were covered in pink and purple speckles. They went perfectly with my beloved baby pink knit headband, and when I wore them, I felt like a star. Years later, I’m not so humble that I can’t admit my truth: By eight years old, I was killing the eyewear scene.
Throughout my life, I've had endless pairs of frames, from rectangular wire rims to perfectly circular metal spectacles to the gigantic square tortoise frames I wear now. My love of flashy eyewear partially stems from the fact that wearing glasses is yet another thing that plus-size women aren't "supposed" to do. After all, "Guys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses, especially when they have fat asses," right?
When you're done swallowing the vomit that just rose into your throat, consider this indisputable truth: Plus-size women — or all women, for that matter — don't have to A. Follow rules; and B. Give a damn what men think. The idea of glasses not being attractive on a woman is as archaic as the idea that women should only wear skirts to the office. Yawn.
My commitment to being a plus-size woman in glasses eventually turned itself into a business for me: While I was living in Seoul, South Korea, I started a small Instagram shop that sold dope frames to women all over the world. I called it Dame Frames.
Dame Frames connected me with women who wanted fashionable eyewear at reasonable prices, and my favorite thing in the world was seeing a badass plus-size woman rock her frames the same way she showed off her body: Boldly, unapologetically, and with creative flair.
Through my time curating that shop, I found some major players in the plus-size eyewear game. Even though I've since left the shop and Seoul behind, I'm seeing more and more people express an interest in dramatically improving their eyewear situation, proving that having bad vision doesn't mean you're not a visionary.
1. Amanda Scriver
Amanda is a Torontonian with an amazing sense of style, and the kind of writing chops that will be instrumental in changing the plus-size fashion and body positivity game. She is one of the founders of Fat Girl Food Squad, an online community focused on the intersection of fat, feminism, and food. She styles her outfits with several different pairs of amazing glasses, but my favorites are these, a classic brown, plastic, oversized frame with a geometric twist. The best part? These are from Dame Frames.
2. Lolly Likes Fatshion
When I started asking around social media to find people for this list, several people pointed me in Lolly's direction. I've honestly lost count of how many pairs of amazing frames she has, but by my observation, there has to be at least a dozen. She always styles her outfits with the perfect pair — and she has a really cute baby, too!
3. Melinda Alexander
Melinda doesn't always wear glasses, but when she does, they are absolutely epic. Melinda is a fierce feminist, stylist, and I consider her to be the champion of bold accessorizing. She is committed to the idea that plus-size women should adorn themselves with whatever makes them happiest, and her aesthetic is a breath of fresh air.
4. Danielle Vanier
Danielle is a major U.K. plus-size fashion blogger with a tremendous following and gorgeous, creative style sensibilities. It's no surprise that her sartorial inclinations extend into her eyewear collection. The woman actually might end up being singularly responsible for bringing back the old lady glasses chain — and making it look chic.
5. Shawna Farmer
Most of the plus-size community knows who Shawna is, but if you're not familiar, she runs a wildly successful clothing line called Chubby Cartwheels. Her latest collection, "Curves Reign," has been a huge hit, and the brand has dramatically improved the fashion choices available in sizes 1X-5X. Her black cateye glasses are so much her signature that they're even a part of her Chubby Cartwheels logo.
6. Chelsea M
I only just found Chelsea when I started doing recon for this story, but she has quickly become one of my favorite accounts. She is unapologetic about her body, has a great sense of style, and wears some killer frames that compliment her tough-girl style vibes.
7. Marie Denee
Marie is the stylish owner and founder of The Curvy Fashionista, a one-stop source of plus-size fashion, news, and events. She also wears an amazing pair of clear cateye frames that suit her perfectly. If you've ever been hesitant about trying out a pair of clear eyeglasses, let Marie's perfect execution of this style inspire you all the way to the optician.
Images: Amanda Richards; dameframes, mariedenee, the__chza, amapod, chubbycartwheels, mumumansion, daniellevanier, lollylikesfatshion/Instagram
