Mode Merr: Accomodating Women of All Shapes and Sizes

A very good morning to you, Dear Readers, 

Leopard Perfect Skirt

    On Monday, Angela posted this on Mode Merr's Facebook page, "For the first time ever, Mode Merr is offering custom plus sizes for our Perfect Skirts. Any color and style for $88. This is just $20 more than our stock sizes. Interested customers please email angela@modemerr.com to place your order. We will need your waist and hip measurements to get started. No size will be excluded." You have no idea how happy I was to have read this!

   For the majority of you that do not know, I have struggled with weight for my entire life. I am now at what seems to be a reasonable weight for me. I still think I could stand to lose more weight (doesn't everyone?). I am currently dieting, something I do a few times a year. The reality is that I have lost 70 pounds (that's about the size of a 4th grader) and have a relentless phobia that I will regain that weight. Once the scale starts to creep up even a little bit, I start up the diet again. I will not get into actual numeric figures, but I generally take a size 14 jeans and either a large or x-large in tops. In the world of Mode Merr, I am generally an x-large. 

UNSIGHTLY. Minus the goatee, this was me.

  As an over weight teenager, I struggled to find clothing that I liked and that fit properly. Thankfully, Grunge was in then, so I was always wearing baggy men's t-shirts and lots of men's flannel. Not the most flattering look, but it hid me, which, at the time was SO important.  

  When I got a little older, I started noticing that whatever clothes I would have liked to wear were always either way too small or way too large. There was no middle for me. I noticed that the majority of the the plus size stores' clothes were shapeless (Even at my heaviest weight, I had an hourglass figure) or the arm holes were teenie tiny. The clothes did not look right on my particular shape in the least.  Needless to say, finding clothing, whether casual or formal wear, was a struggle and a nightmare. 

   I began to obsess about wanting to have my own clothing line and shop that would carry clothing that I wanted to wear, but that would fit all kinds of women's shapes and sizes. Of course, I had no sewing knowledge or design experience. 

Ghetto Bootie/Mediterranean Ass in Mode Merr

  Then, when I was about 24, through diet, exercise, hard work and a lot of tears, I lost 20 pounds. I proceeded to loose another 25 pounds. In the years after that, I have kept losing weight, bringing my total loss to 70 pounds. I don't want you to think that I lost all this weight, and BOOM clothes fit properly. Nope. I still struggle with fit. I have a particularly broad back and long arms. (Winter coats are an issue.) I have what the Piratical Boyfriend calls a "Ghetto Bootie" and the rest of my family calls a "Mediterranean Ass" (say that with a Greek accent for full effect). Sometimes I cant get jeans to go up past my thighs. As Angela put it once, "Wow, you have a tiny waist." Do the math. To fit my butt, the waist in jeans is generally HUGE. And so the struggles with fit continue. Needless to say, these struggles afflict not only plus size gals, but gals of all sizes. (I don't want to exclude anyone.)

The Stunning Dita Von Teese

   And then along came Mode Merr. Once I learned about the line and discovered that Angela makes sizes xxs-xxxl, that made me love the brand (and Angela) even more. (And it took the pressure off of me to start my own clothing line and open a shop ;) ha-ha.) Not only does Angela make an vast array of sizes, but her clothing also fits other problem areas. Boobies are also difficult to fit. (Have you ever had the unsightly gap on a buttoned blouse? I have.) The peasant tops stretch to fit the girls and make them look great! The day I met Angela at her studio there was another lady there. She was absolutely gorgeous (she had a face like Dita Von Teese, who Angela has made clothing for, by the way) and she was buying a peasant top for an event that evening. She revealed to me that her problem was getting clothes that fit her bust, and that the Peasant Tops always fit. <3

  When I talk about Mode Merr to other ladies, I constantly hear, "She has cute things, but nothing that will fit me." WRONG! The reality is that something will fit you. (Just about all, if not all, of Mode Merr designs have a little stretch and give to them.) And if nothing fits, Angela has given you another option. I think it is truly wonderful that Angela is going to be taking custom orders. You have her email above (in the quote). What you must realize is that no size (no matter how large) will be turned away. Also, the custom work is just $20 more than the regular price. That price will not miraculously double or anything like that. YAY ANGELA!! (Also, please realize, that for now, Angela will ONLY be doing custom orders for The Perfect Skirt. Perhaps in the future, she will expand to custom orders for her other styles. But for now, it is just The Perfect Skirt.)
 
   In my last blog, I told you we sold sizes xs to xxxl at the SOWA Open Market. The majority of the clothing we sold was in size xxxl. Unfortunately, many larger women didn't buy anything. Hopefully, with the custom option, we will be able to accommodate a wider range of gorgeous ladies.

Venus of Willendorf

   I also want to point out, that Big is Beautiful. There is nothing like a woman with some curves. Weight loss is something I had to do. My blood pressure was through the roof in my early 20s, my knees always hurt, I got winded easily and I always felt rotten. My blood pressure is now normal all those aches and pains that I had from the extreme weight are gone. I feel better.

  Remember, Angela and Mode Merr will be at TT the Bear's this Sunday, October 16th from 11 am to 4 pm. Go have a Bloody Mary and say hi to Angela.

Booze and Flea Market. What more could you want?

Until next time. <3