#IAmFearlesslyMe with Catherines: The Skinny Jean

"Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day." ~  Author Unknown

Fashion is personal. So personal.

This rings true especially for plus size women as it's harder for us to find clothing we love that fits well. Now if you're above a size 24, it's even more challenging to find cute stuff. 

I believe we are all worthy of having access to clothing that fits us in our size and style. This is why I believe it’s important for customers to see bodies like theirs reflected in the models shown online, in store ads and in campaigns. Showing a diverse set of bodies not only shows a more accurate fit of the garment on different shapes and sizes but also empowers women to try new styles and shop more. 

Times are changing and with that, more visibly plus models are being shown in major campaigns and some brands are extending their sizes. YAY!

But there is still more work to be done and I personally feel like instead of griping and complaining, I should use my pen and voice to do something positive. We, as customers, have the power to let brands know what we want. Believe me, they are listening.

So this is why I have decided to create a new size inclusive series aptly titled #IAmFearlessly Me. I want all of us, no matter what size you are, to be fearless in who you are because we are all beautiful and worthy of being seen.

It seems appropriate to kick off this series with Catherines, a retailer who offers up to a size 5X. They're a great brand to shop for extended sizes and petites, offering quality basics, stylish (and cute!) dresses and tops, as well as amazing denim.

I have made no secret of my love for their Right Fit jean, which is the only jean I can wear without a belt. I recently did a dressing room video that you can see on my IGTV channel on Instagram where I loved almost everything I tried on.

Some may view Catherines as a matronly brand but honestly, it's all in how you style your items. I saw some major gems in store and honestly, their fit is much better in my experience than most plus size brands. 

Catherines recently debuted a skinny jean, which piqued my curiosity so I thought that would be a great item to feature in this series. I mean, who doesn't love a skinny jean, especially if the fit is right?

I asked my fellow blogger sister ShaKera of The Real Sample Size to join me and show how the jean fits both of us.

Here's our sizes and body shapes for reference:

ShaKera is a size 20/22 and carries most of her weight on top. She has thinner legs and ankles. She's 5'6".

I'm a size 26/28 and depending on the brand, I wear either size in jeans. I have a cross between a pear and hourglass shape with a defined waist. I carry most of my weight in my hips and my calves are fuller, measuring 23" around. I'm 5'6".

We're both wearing Catherines' skinny leg jean, styled our way. ShaKera is wearing a size 22 in the jean and I'm wearing a size 26 petite, as I have short legs and a long torso. 

I like to mix prints so I paired my jeans with this cute Printed Timeless Tunic Tank with Cutout. It was lightweight and fit so well. I added the Printed Effortless Linen Buttonfront Top that has this pretty white pineapple print. I opted to wear it open but will wear this tied in a knot in the front or closed with a belt. The styling options are endless.

When mixing prints, you have to choose colors that coordinate well. For me, the base color is pink with these two tops.

The jeans fit nicely, like a second skin. And I was shocked that it fit well in the calves as they are a slim fit. The only con for me was that the rise was a bit low for my taste. Since I have a long torso, I like a higher rise in my bottoms. 

ShaKera was pleasantly surprised that the jeans fit her calves and ankles well. She usually has the opposite problem than I have, where the calves and ankle area are too big on her since she has thinner legs. This shows that Catherines paid attention to the cut of that area as they sized up in the pattern to allow more room as the jeans got larger but not too much so that the stretch can accommodate calves of different widths.

The true test was sitting down while wearing these jeans and seeing how comfy they were. And they passed! We were able to sit with no issue and be comfortable. Yes!

Now back to the main reason for this collab. I want to know... how do you feel seeing bodies like ours? 

Would you like to see bodies like ours on retailer websites as models. Would you like to see bodies like ours featured in campaigns? 

Please let me know below in a comment or on social media @fearlesslyjustme on Instagram and here on Facebook.

Who would you like to see me collab with next in this series? And what brand? Let me know!

You can shop our looks below:

ShaKera

Roman Terrace Buttonfront Tunic Top (wearing size 2X)

Skinny Leg Jean (wearing size 22)

My Look

Printed Timeless Tunic Tank with Cutout (wearing size 3X)

Printed Effortless Linen Buttonfront Top (wearing size 3X)

Skinny Leg Jean (wearing size 26W in petite)

Good Soles Sparkling Sandal (wearing size 9W)

**This blog post was sponsored by Catherines but all opinions and statements are my own.