[{"categories":["outfits"],"content":"For three years I had no idea what to wear to brunch.\nWedding — I knew what to wear. Office — I knew what to wear. Errands — I knew what to wear. Brunch: I was stumped.\nThe reason was that brunch sits in a category I couldn’t name. It’s too dressed for sweatpants. Too casual for a dress. Too weekend-y for work clothes. Too public for pajamas.\nThis post is what I figured out. If you’ve had the same stumped feeling, here’s the formula.\nThe categories brunch is actually made of Brunch, when I break it down, is three different events:\nCasual brunch — coffee shop, two friends, two hours, Sunday paper Polished brunch — trendy restaurant, four friends, ordering out loud Special brunch — someone’s birthday, Mother’s Day, the kind with mimosas Each calls for something slightly different. Here’s what I wear to each.\nCasual brunch The vibe is “hanging out.” You are not at a restaurant being seen. You are with one or two friends in a low-key place.\nThe formula: A great pair of jeans + a structured top + a sneaker or a loafer.\nIn real terms: my straight-leg jeans (Universal Standard Muse, black), the Everlane Heavyweight Tee in white, a chunky gold necklace, and white low-top sneakers or a leather loafer.\nThe reason this works: it’s intentional without trying. The t-shirt reads casual, the jeans signal “I’m not in pajamas,” the sneaker keeps the dress code intact.\nPolished brunch The vibe is “together, going out, see and be seen.” May be in a slightly fancier restaurant, more friends, possibly a reservation.\nThe formula: Trousers + a button-down + a statement earring + a sneaker or low heel.\nIn real terms: my walnut-brown Universal Standard trousers, a soft button-down in cream from Maeve, the chunky gold necklace, and block-heeled boots.\nWhy this works: the trousers ground the look, the button-down adds \u0026quot;considered,\u0026quot; the boots give it a little lift. The earring pulls it together.\nSpecial brunch Mother’s Day, a 30th birthday, the brunch where you take everyone’s photo. Slightly elevated.\nThe formula: The wrap dress + sandals or block-heeled mules.\nIn real terms: the Eloquii wrap dress I’ve mentioned everywhere, in deep green, paired with cognac block-heeled sandals and a slightly more elaborate earring situation.\nThe wrap dress is the right answer for every occasion that’s not the office or the gym. It just is.\nThe mistake I was making for three years The mistake was treating brunch as a category and trying to find a brunch outfit. Brunch is a time of day during which I have three different moods. Each mood has a formula.\nOnce I figured this out, my closet got simpler. I have a “casual brunch” formula that is identical to my Saturday coffee-shop outfit. I have a “polished brunch” formula that is identical to my workwear formula but with a sneaker swap. I have a “special brunch” outfit that is the wrap dress, every time.\nThe decision I’m not making anymore: what to wear to brunch. The decision I am making: what kind of brunch is this?\nWhere this framework goes wrong One place: when the brunch is outdoors and the weather is unpredictable. Then the formula is “whichever version has the most layers I can take on and off.” A linen blazer over either formula. A trench. A denim jacket.\nThe second place: when the brunch is somewhere I’ve never been and I don’t know the dress code. Then the formula is the highest version of myself, which for me is the wrap dress.\nWhat this is part of This post is part of a series I’m doing on outfit formulas for specific moments. Future posts in the series:\nWhat I wear to weddings (already published) What I wear to job interviews What I wear to dinner with my in-laws What I wear to dinner with my own family What I wear to a first date What I wear to a funeral If you want one of these in priority, send me a message. Reader priority moves my writing queue.\nWhat’s the most-stumped-on moment for you? The one where you’ve stood in front of your closet and given up. I want to write it. Tell me.\n","cover":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1556909114-f6e7ad7d3136?w=1600\u0026auto=format\u0026fm=webp\u0026fit=crop\u0026q=80","date":"2026-05-25","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/weekend-brunch-outfits/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor three years I had no idea what to wear to brunch.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWedding — I knew what to wear. Office — I knew what to wear.\nErrands — I knew what to wear. Brunch: I was stumped.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reason was that brunch sits in a category I couldn’t name. It’s\ntoo dressed for sweatpants. Too casual for a dress. Too weekend-y for work\nclothes. Too public for pajamas.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis post is what I figured out. If you’ve had the same stumped feeling,\nhere’s the formula.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What I Wear to Brunch (and Why It Took Me Three Years to Figure Out)"},{"categories":["outfits","style-life"],"content":"For most of my twenties and thirties, a wedding invitation was not a happy arrival in the mail. It was a problem to solve. A dress code to decode. A body to hide, a fit to achieve, a \u0026ldquo;don’t upstage the bride\u0026rdquo; silent contract I was being asked to sign without ever being asked.\nI’m writing this on a Sunday after attending two weddings last year that changed how I feel about these events. Both went sideways, in different ways, and the lesson from each is what I want to leave here.\nWedding #1: my cousin’s backyard wedding, late August This was a daytime wedding in the family’s backyard. The dress code was \u0026ldquo;summer cocktail.\u0026rdquo; I interpreted that loosely.\nWhat I wore: A tea-length dress in dusty sage from a brand called Cathryn (they go up to size 32, sizes 1X–6X labeled). Sleeveless, A-line, structured bodice. Paired with low block heels in a similar tone and a single statement earring.\nWhat went well:\nThe dress did a lot of work on its own. Tea-length, A-line — the look was modest enough not to upstage, flattering on a pear-shaped figure, and unusual enough that I felt like myself. I got two compliments from people I hadn’t seen in a decade, neither of which were about losing weight.\nWhat I’d change:\nI would have brought a wrap for the evening. The ceremony ended at sunset and by the time the dinner started I was cold. I should have just brought the cardigan and not been cool-girl about it.\nWedding #2: a college friend’s black-tie-optional wedding in October The dress code here was the more fraught one. Black-tie-optional weddings ask the guest to either wear a floor-length gown or a formal suit. The default for plus-size women is often a floor-length gown — and here’s where the problem came in.\nWhat I wore: A floor-length velvet dress in deep burgundy that I had owned for three years and rarely wore. It was originally bought for a different event I ended up not attending. I’d been saving it.\nWhat went well:\nLess than I hoped. Here’s why.\nI’m pear-shaped. Floor-length gowns that are not specifically cut for a pear-shaped figure hit me at the widest part of my hip and then hang straight to the floor. That silhouette reads “drag,” not “formal.” The burgundy was great. The dress was a problem.\nI ended up spending most of the night wishing I’d worn the wrap dress I mentioned in my capsule workwear post, which would have been slightly under-dressed but felt like me.\nWhat I learned:\nIt is fine to be slightly under-dressed at a wedding. It is not fine to feel like a costume in your own body. I spent most of that evening in the bathroom talking myself out of leaving. I should have worn the wrap dress. The bride would have understood. She has, in fact, since said so.\nThe lessons, distilled After two weddings in one summer, here’s what I’ll do differently next time:\n1. Honor the body you actually have, not the body you wish you had If you’re pear-shaped and the dress is a column silhouette, find a different dress. If you’re apple-shaped and the dress has a high waist, find a different dress. The wedding is one day. You will be in this body for many more.\n2. Bring the wrap Bring the wrap, the cardigan, the jacket. It is cold at night. You will be cold. Just bring it.\n3. Wear something you’ve worn before This sounds boring. It is not. Wedding dresses are stressful. Wearing something you’ve worn before means you already know how it sits, how it photographs, whether the underwire pokes you.\nThat said, do not wear a dress specifically associated with another friend’s wedding. Just don’t.\n4. Skip “upstaging the bride” The bride will be upset about seating charts, not about what you wear. Wear something that feels like the best version of you. If anyone’s eye is on you instead of the couple, the problem is the seating chart, not the dress.\n5. Be the guest who is comfortable You’ll dance more. You’ll eat more. You’ll talk more. Comfort looks better than formality on a plus-size body. Trust me.\nLooking for a wedding outfit rec for a specific dress code? Tell me the code and the season. I’ll recommend something from my closet or a brand I trust.\n","cover":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1465495976277-4387d4b0b4c6?w=1600\u0026auto=format\u0026fm=webp\u0026fit=crop\u0026q=80","date":"2026-04-06","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/wedding-outfits-plus-size/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor most of my twenties and thirties, a wedding invitation was not a happy\narrival in the mail. It was a problem to solve. A dress code to decode. A body\nto hide, a fit to achieve, a \u0026ldquo;don’t upstage the bride\u0026rdquo; silent contract\nI was being asked to sign without ever being asked.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m writing this on a Sunday after attending two weddings last year that\n\u003cem\u003echanged\u003c/em\u003e how I feel about these events. Both went sideways, in different ways,\nand the lesson from each is what I want to leave here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weddings, Body Confidence, and What I Actually Wore"},{"categories":["activewear","reviews"],"content":"I don’t do burpees. I don’t do CrossFit. But I do squat down to get cat food out of the bottom cabinet at least six times a day, and I figure if my leggings can’t survive that, they have no business being in my drawer.\nIn June I wore four pairs of plus-size leggings through one full week of real movement — not just a pretty walk to the coffee shop. Squats, lunges, one 3-mile loop in the park, and a 90-minute hot yoga class at the Y on 14th Street. I’m a 22 in every brand’s plus line. Here’s what passed and what didn’t.\nThe 4 leggings I went four prices, four fabrics, four waistbands. The most expensive pair was the one I was most nervous about, because $128 is a lot to spend on something that might go see-through in front of a mirror at the gym.\nLululemon “Align” — $128, size 22 in the plus line, the buttery-soft one everyone talks about Athleta “Salutation Stash” — $109, black, the high-rise with the side pocket Target “All in Motion” — $25, charcoal heather, the one I bought on a Tuesday and didn’t expect much from Old Navy “High-Waisted PowerSoft” — $40, dark olive, the one with the phone pocket on the thigh What the squat test actually showed I did the squat in the Target fitting room before I bought them. I figured if the cheap pair could pass, they’d all pass. The Target pair did. So I bought them.\nThen I got home and did the squat again in natural light, by a window. The Target pair passed. The Lululemon Align — the $128 pair — went see-through at the seam. Not subtle see-through. The kind where you can see the outline of your kneecap through the fabric. I almost cried in my living room.\nThe Athleta pair was opaque in every position I tried. Squat, lunge, downward dog. Held up in a 95-degree room with sweat. The Old Navy pair was fine in the squat but started to go gray at the inner thigh by week two, which is a different problem.\nWhat pill actually means, and when it shows up Pilling is when the fabric balls up at high-friction zones — inner thigh, seat, where your thighs touch when you walk. It happens to every legging eventually. The question isn’t “if.” It’s “when.”\nThe Target “All in Motion” pair pilled at the inner thigh at 6 weeks. For $25, that’s not nothing. But I also wore them three times a week and washed them every time. That’s a lot of friction for a $25 fabric.\nThe Athleta pair pilled at 8 months. I wore them twice a week, washed in cold, laid flat to dry. Eight months is a long time for a legging I was not being gentle with.\nThe Lululemon Align pilled at the inner thigh at 4 months, but I cared less about the pilling than the see-through thing, because the see-through happened on day one.\nThe Old Navy PowerSoft hasn’t pilled yet, but it’s bagged at the knee in a way that’s worse than pilling, which I’ll get to.\nThe hot yoga test at the Y on 14th Street This is the test that broke the Old Navy pair. Hot yoga is 95 degrees with 40% humidity. It’s not a workout where you can fake it. The class is 90 minutes. I wore each pair to one class.\nThe Athleta Salutation Stash was the winner. It stayed up at the waist through every downward dog. The fabric didn’t get heavy when it was wet. It dried by the time I got to the locker room. The side pocket held my gym key without bouncing.\nThe Lululemon Align got heavy when sweaty. Not falling-down heavy, but I could feel the fabric weighing on my waistband. And the see-through got worse with sweat, which I didn’t know was possible.\nThe Target pair got the job done but the waistband started to roll at 60 minutes. It rolled because the elastic is thinner than the Athleta, and in a hot room, thin elastic gives up first.\nThe Old Navy pair made it through the class but bagged at the knee during the lunges, and once a legging bags at the knee in a hot room, it doesn’t un-bag. It just stays baggy forever.\nWhat I’m keeping and what I’m returning The Athleta Salutation Stash is the one I bought a second pair of. $109 each, so $218 out the door. I have not bought a third pair yet because I want to see if the second pair pills at 8 months too.\nThe Target “All in Motion” is the surprise winner. At $25, I can replace them three times before I hit the Athleta price. I bought a second pair already, just to have a backup.\nThe Lululemon Align went back on day three. See-through at $128 is a dealbreaker. I don’t care how buttery-soft it is. I’m not paying luxury money for something that fails the squat test.\nThe Old Navy PowerSoft is in my gym bag but I’m not sure it’ll make it to the end of summer. The bag-at-the-knee thing is a slow failure, not a fast one, and slow failures are worse because you keep wearing them hoping they’ll bounce back. They won’t.\nIf you’re picking one pair to start with and the budget can stretch, get the Athleta. If the budget is under $30, the Target pair is genuinely fine — just know you’ll be replacing them by fall.\nHave an activewear question? Send it to me — I read every message.\n","cover":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/4839740/pexels-photo-4839740.jpeg?w=1600\u0026fm=webp\u0026fm=webp","date":"2026-08-24","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/athleisure-leggings-squat-test/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI don’t do burpees. I don’t do CrossFit. But I do squat down to get cat food out of the bottom cabinet at least six times a day, and I figure if my leggings can’t survive that, they have no business being in my drawer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn June I wore four pairs of plus-size leggings through one full week of real movement — not just a pretty walk to the coffee shop. Squats, lunges, one 3-mile loop in the park, and a 90-minute hot yoga class at the Y on 14th Street. I’m a 22 in every brand’s plus line. Here’s what passed and what didn’t.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Athleisure Audit: Which Plus-Size Leggings Pass the Squat Test"},{"categories":["basics","brands"],"content":"I am contractually obligated to start any Skims review with: I bought all of this myself, they are not paying me, they have no idea who I am. The end.\n(That\u0026rsquo;s the only PR-disclaimer paragraph. It\u0026rsquo;s also kind of the review.)\nI wore four Skims pieces, on rotation, for twelve months. Meaning: washed regularly, wore to the office at least twice a week, lived a normal life in them. This is what happened.\nThe pieces I tested The four pieces, listed before I get into the opinions:\nFits Everybody Bodysuit — $58, snap closure, thong back. I bought the black first, then the burgundy in October. Sculpting High-Waist Brief — $32, full coverage. Bought in black and sand. Smooth Seamless Short — $28, hits mid-thigh. One pair, black. Cotton Ribbed Tank — $36 each, three colors over the year. I\u0026rsquo;m a size 22, sometimes a 20 on top, and I wore all of these in 2X or 3X depending on the cut.\nI wore these in rotation — office, dinner, that one wedding in October, the holiday parties, the random Tuesday. The order I tested them in roughly matches the order I\u0026rsquo;ll review them. Mostly. (Spoiler: the order changes slightly by the end.)\nWhat\u0026rsquo;s actually worth it The Fits Everybody Bodysuit. Yes, you read that right. I am a Skims believer when it comes to this specific item. Snap closure stays snapped, the thong back doesn\u0026rsquo;t ride up, the fabric is thin enough to disappear under jersey dresses but substantial enough to smooth things out where I want them smoothed. I wore it under a velvet jumpsuit on New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve and I forgot I had it on. (Until I had to pee, twice, in a restaurant bathroom. The thong back is real.)\nIt is not cheap at $58. But it\u0026rsquo;s been worn — I\u0026rsquo;m not going to estimate the exact number, but somewhere north of 80 times — and it has not pilled, not stretched out, not lost shape. It is the only bodysuit I own. That\u0026rsquo;s worth it to me.\nWhat\u0026rsquo;s a pass The Sculpting High-Waist Brief. Sigh. I wanted to love this. The compression is genuinely firm without being painful, and the waistband stays put on my body (which is the eternal plus-size shapewear question). But: it pilled at four months. The inner thigh pilling that you cannot de-pill, the kind that makes the fabric look old. I still wear them, but under long pants, where you can\u0026rsquo;t see. I would not repurchase at $32.\nWhat\u0026rsquo;s the only shapewear that didn\u0026rsquo;t roll The Smooth Seamless Short. Look, I have owned shapewear from at least seven different brands over the past decade. I have tried everything your search results can suggest. Every single pair rolled at the waistband. The Skims Smooth Seamless Short is the only one that did not roll. I wore it under a bridesmaid dress in August (yes, August, yes, heat) and it survived. I am a little bit bitter I didn\u0026rsquo;t find it earlier in life.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s $28. It\u0026rsquo;s not magic compression. It is, however, the only shapewear short I have owned that did not end up in a drawer.\nWhat shrunk The Cotton Ribbed Tank. I bought three (black, white, sage). I washed them on cold, hung to dry, the responsible way. The black is now cropped. The white is now cropped. The sage — which I wore the least — is also cropped. I am 5'7” and these tanks are now belly-shirt length.\nWhether this is a me problem or a fabric problem or a cotton-blend problem, I cannot tell you. I can tell you that it\u0026rsquo;s a problem.\nThe brand vs the reality The brand sells aspiration. The reality is: two of four pieces held up, one pilled, one shrank. That\u0026rsquo;s a 50% batting average, which is honestly fine for a fashion brand at this price point but worse than what the marketing team is selling you. (And yes, I tried the “Skims Fits Everybody” bra too, briefly — returned it, the band rode up. Did not include it in the official test because I only wore it twice.)\nI\u0026rsquo;ll keep buying the bodysuit. I\u0026rsquo;ll keep wearing the short. I won\u0026rsquo;t repurchase the cotton tank.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s a year.\nHave a brand question? Send it to me — I read every message.\n","cover":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/21517415/pexels-photo-21517415.jpeg?w=1600\u0026fm=webp","date":"2026-05-13","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/skims-honest-review-one-year/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI am contractually obligated to start any Skims review with: I bought all of this myself, they are not paying me, they have no idea who I am. The end.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(That\u0026rsquo;s the only PR-disclaimer paragraph. It\u0026rsquo;s also kind of the review.)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wore four Skims pieces, on rotation, for twelve months. Meaning: washed regularly, wore to the office at least twice a week, lived a normal life in them. This is what happened.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"My Honest Skims Review After Wearing It for a Year"},{"categories":["outfits","jeans"],"content":"I have worn this outfit to roughly a thousand dinner reservations. Maybe not literally — but it feels like it. Dark straight-leg jeans (these are the Levi\u0026rsquo;s Ribcage, ankle-length, $98), a nice top, a heel, a small bag. That\u0026rsquo;s it. That\u0026rsquo;s the whole thing.\nYou can stop scrolling if you want. The formula works.\nBut I know you didn\u0026rsquo;t come here for a formula. You came here because you stood in front of your closet last Tuesday for nineteen minutes and ended up on the couch in sweatpants. So. Let me make this easier.\nThe three tops I just rotated through I tried three dressier tops over a six-week stretch in March and April — same jeans, same heel (the Sam Edelman Hazel pumps, 3 inches, in black), same earrings. I wanted to see which one actually held up to the brief.\nEverlane Silk Shell in Black ($68) — the classic. Slinky, lightweight, slightly cropped so it tucks weird if you\u0026rsquo;re tall (I\u0026rsquo;m 5'7” and it tucks weird). It photographed beautifully. Skims Fits Everybody Bodysuit ($58) — I was skeptical because of the brand hype, honestly. But it. Stays. Tucked. Quince Cashmere Shell in Heather Grey ($50) — the wildcard. Did not expect to love this one. That\u0026rsquo;s the lineup. And honestly, all three look fine on the hanger. The differences showed up at the actual dinner — where I was sitting, sweating, asking Jess if I had lipstick on my teeth. That\u0026rsquo;s the test.\nWhich photographed best The Everlane silk shell, without question. I took it to Jess\u0026rsquo;s birthday at the restaurant on 5th and the waitress asked if I was a model. (I am not. I am a 38-year-old woman who was sweating under the restaurant\u0026rsquo;s heat lamps.) The fabric catches light in a way that reads expensive on a phone camera. For what it\u0026rsquo;s worth, I posted that picture and got 47 DMs. Which is fine.\nWhich was the most comfortable The Quince cashmere shell. Which I did not expect, because cashmere at this price point usually feels like a scam — and sometimes is. But this one is real Mongolian cashmere, soft, drapey. I wore it to a four-hour dinner at Osteria Mozza, ate three courses of pasta, and forgot I had it on. That\u0026rsquo;s the test.\nThe Skims bodysuit is also comfortable but it\u0026rsquo;s a different comfort — no tucking, no adjusting, no riding up. It just sits there. Like a well-trained appliance.\nWhich got the most compliments at the actual dinner The Quince one. Three people asked where it was from, including the bartender. (Spoiler: I now own it in burgundy too.) I think the heather grey reads less try-hard than the black silk shell, which can veer office-y if the jeans aren\u0026rsquo;t right.\nLook, all three work. They all cost under $70. But if you can only buy one — which is my actual situation most months — go Quince. Cashmere in grey with dark jeans and a heel is harder to mess up than the others.\nThe bag, by the way, is the Quince Italian leather shoulder bag. $50. Yes, also Quince. (I am not sponsored, I just went down a rabbit hole in February.)\nHave a dinner outfit question? Send it to me — I read every message.\n","cover":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/33725093/pexels-photo-33725093.jpeg?w=1600\u0026fm=webp","date":"2026-04-29","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/jeans-and-nice-top-dinner/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have worn this outfit to roughly a thousand dinner reservations. Maybe not literally — but it feels like it. Dark straight-leg jeans (these are the Levi\u0026rsquo;s Ribcage, ankle-length, $98), a nice top, a heel, a small bag. That\u0026rsquo;s it. That\u0026rsquo;s the whole thing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can stop scrolling if you want. The formula works.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut I know you didn\u0026rsquo;t come here for a formula. You came here because you stood in front of your closet last Tuesday for nineteen minutes and ended up on the couch in sweatpants. So. Let me make this easier.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The \u0026ldquo;Jeans and a Nice Top\u0026rdquo; Dinner Outfit Formula"},{"categories":["basics","workwear"],"content":"The button-gap problem. If you have ever worn a button-down shirt with a bra underneath, you know what I’m talking about. The shirt gaps between the buttons. The bra strap announces itself across the back. The whole top half of the outfit is a negotiation I’m tired of having.\nI bought a specific white button-down for this test — the Maeve soft poplin one I’ve mentioned before, in a 2X. I wore it to work every day for four weeks. Underneath, I rotated four bras, one per week. Here’s what happened.\nThe four bras I picked these specifically because they’re marketed as “smoothing” or “vanishing” or “invisible under clothes.” All of those words are doing a lot of work. I wanted to see if any of them actually did the thing they said.\nThirdLove “Classic Uplift\u0026quot; — $68, the padded one with the half-cup shape Cuup “The Demi\u0026quot; — $58, the unlined one with the wide band Soma “Vanishing Back\u0026quot; — $52, the smoothing one with the deep V in the back Lane Bryant “Cacique Smooth Back\u0026quot; — $54, the smoothing full-coverage I am a 42DD. Bras either fit or they don’t. There is no in-between at this band size.\nWeek 1: ThirdLove “Classic Uplift” I had high hopes for this one. The half-cup shape is supposed to sit smoothly under a button-down. The padding is supposed to push up without adding bulk. The reality: the cup shape was visible under the shirt.\nNot the bra per se. But the shape of the cup — the line where the padding ended — showed through the white poplin every time I moved. I noticed it. My coworker Priya noticed it. Priya said, casually, on a Thursday, “your shirt’s making a shape today.” That was the end of the ThirdLove for this specific use case.\nIt’s a fine bra. Under a sweater, it’s great. Under a white button-down, it’s not invisible.\nWeek 2: Cuup “The Demi” Cuup is the brand everyone I know between 28 and 40 has tried. The aesthetic is good. The fit on me has always been complicated. I tried the demi on, and the band felt fine, the cups felt fine, but the straps were too thin to support a 42DD and I felt like I was holding the bra up with my shoulders by 4pm.\nThe shape under the shirt was better than the ThirdLove. Less visible cup line. But the strap — a thin, nude strap — showed across my back under the poplin. The whole point was that the bra was supposed to disappear. It did not.\nReturned. I don’t think Cuup has figured out larger band sizes yet. Or at least, not my shape.\nWeek 3: Soma “Vanishing Back\u0026quot; The Soma was the surprise of the four. It’s a smoothing bra with no padding, a deep V in the back band, and wide straps that don’t dig. The fabric is a thin microfiber that’s meant to lie flat under clothes.\nIt worked. The bra disappeared. The shirt gaped, because the shirt was always going to gap — that’s a shirt problem, not a bra problem — but no strap showed, no cup line showed, no band showed. I wore it five days that week and didn’t think about it once.\nThe only complaint: the unlined shape, on a 42DD, is not a “shape” in the way a padded bra is. I have a soft chest. I am at peace with that. But if you want a more lifted shape, this isn’t the bra.\nFor disappearing, it’s the one. $52 at Soma, often on sale for $39.\nWeek 4: Lane Bryant “Cacique Smooth Back” I’d written off Cacique bras years ago because the ones I tried in my early 30s were thick, beige, and grandmother-coded. This one was different. The smoothing fabric is more refined than I remembered. The straps are wide. The band is wide. The back has a deep V that’s supposed to disappear under clothing.\nIt disappeared under my shirt. But — and this is the part that surprised me — it gapped at the top of the cup. Because the cup is sized for full coverage on a 42DD, but my breast shape doesn’t fully fill the cup on top, there was a small gap at the upper edge of the bra that was visible under the white poplin. Like a small air pocket.\nFor someone with a fuller upper breast shape, this might be the bra of the four. For me, it was not.\nThe hack when nothing works The hack is a thin cami. I know. I know. The whole point was to wear the button-down over a bra and have the bra disappear. Adding a layer sounds like defeat.\nBut here’s what I learned: a thin, nude, v-neck cami — not a shapewear cami, just a regular cotton one — under the button-down solves three problems at once. It covers the bra strap. It covers the cup line. It covers the upper gap. And it doesn’t add bulk if it’s the right size.\nI bought three of these camis at Uniqlo for $20 each. I wear one under every button-down I own. I have not button-gapped in months.\nWhat I bought at the end of the test I bought two more Soma “Vanishing Back” bras — one nude, one black. I bought a third one on sale in March. The Cacique one went back. The ThirdLove went into my drawer for sweater weather. The Cupe went back.\nAnd I bought the Uniqlo camis. Which, honestly, is the answer. The bra is one part. The cami is the other. Both together is what makes a button-down shirt actually wearable for me.\nHave a bra or button-down question? Send it to me — I read every message.\n","cover":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/14156543/pexels-photo-14156543.jpeg?w=1600\u0026fm=webp","date":"2026-04-15","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/plus-size-bras-button-down/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe button-gap problem. If you have ever worn a button-down shirt with a bra underneath, you know what I’m talking about. The shirt gaps between the buttons. The bra strap announces itself across the back. The whole top half of the outfit is a negotiation I’m tired of having.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI bought a specific white button-down for this test — the \u003ca href=\"https://www.maeve.com\"\u003eMaeve soft poplin\u003c/a\u003e one I’ve mentioned before, in a 2X. I wore it to work every day for four weeks. Underneath, I rotated four bras, one per week. Here’s what happened.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Plus-Size Bras That Actually Disappear Under a Button-Down"},{"categories":["outfits","basics"],"content":"The first t-shirt I owned that didn’t look like a t-shirt was the Everlane Heavyweight tee, $40, the one I’ve written about before. It was a revelation. I bought five. I’ve written a love letter to them in my notes app.\nThen I tried the Target A New Day heavyweight tee in white. It was $18. It is not the Everlane. But for three specific outfits, it is exactly right. And honestly? Most of my week is one of those three outfits. So.\nHere’s the same tee, three ways. Saturday. Dinner. Monday.\nWhy most plain tees look bad Before I get into the outfits: the reason a plain t-shirt looks bad on most plus-size bodies is not the body. It’s the t-shirt. Specifically, it’s the fabric weight. Most “plain tees” in plus sizes are made of a thin, lightweight cotton that drapes like a jersey sheet. Thin fabric clings to every line of the body. Thin fabric goes sheer across the chest under a bright light. Thin fabric stretches out at the neck by the second wear.\nThe Target A New Day heavyweight is a 220-gram cotton. It’s not magic. It’s just heavier than the average tee, which means it hangs off the body rather than on it. It’s the difference between looking like a person in a shirt and looking like a person in a thin layer of fabric that happens to be a shirt.\nThe Everlane Heavyweight is heavier. The Target one is heavy enough.\nOutfit 1: Saturday — jeans + loafers + the tee Saturday. Errands. Coffee shop. Maybe the farmer’s market, maybe not. I want to look like a person who has been outside and is going outside again.\nThe outfit:\nTarget A New Day heavyweight tee, white, my usual 2X Universal Standard high-rise straight-leg jeans, vintage wash Loafers — the Sam Edelman Leighton ones in black leather, which I bought on sale in November for $79 A thin gold necklace and small hoops A canvas tote with my laptop in it, because I always have my laptop in it The reason this works: the tee is tucked into the jeans at the front and loose at the back. The loafers add “I made a decision today” without adding “I’m trying.” The jewelry is the same jewelry I wear on Tuesday, which is the secret to looking intentional — repetition.\nI have worn this exact outfit to coffee, to the bookstore, to brunch with Jess, to pick up a prescription, and on a flight to visit my mom. I have never once felt underdressed.\nOutfit 2: Dinner — tucked into a midi skirt Dinner with my friend Priya last month. Mediterranean place, low lighting, the kind of restaurant where the menu has no prices. I wore the tee tucked into a midi skirt and felt like a person with a job and a personality.\nThe outfit:\nTarget A New Day heavyweight tee, white A pleated satin midi skirt in a deep burgundy, from a brand called M.M. LaFleur that I bought secondhand on The RealReal for $58 (retail $188) Black leather block-heeled mules, two inches, from Aeyde (the same ones I wore to my cousin’s wedding) A pair of drop earrings I bought at a craft market in Brooklyn in 2019 The trick with tucking a tee into a satin skirt is the tuck itself. I do a French tuck — just the front, just an inch or two — and then I pull the hem of the tee back down over the skirt band so it’s not a hard tuck. It looks intentional without looking like I’m trying to wear a crop top. Which I’m not, at 36, on a Saturday.\nThis is the outfit that gets the most compliments for the least effort. I’ve worn it twice. I’ll probably wear it four more times before the year is out.\nOutfit 3: Monday — under a blazer, with trousers This is the work version. The version that takes the same $18 tee and makes it pass in a meeting with someone’s boss.\nThe outfit:\nTarget A New Day heavyweight tee, white Spanx Perfect Collection blazer in dark camel (the one I’ve mentioned in basically every work post I’ve written) Universal Standard “Seine” trouser in walnut brown Sarah Flint “Grace” pump in dark cognac, the 1.5-inch heel A small structured handbag, the Cuyana classic easy tote, in caramel The reason this works on a Monday is the layering. The blazer covers the shoulders and arms, which is where the tee is just a tee. The trousers make the whole thing look like a meeting outfit. The tee underneath is doing the work of a shell or a blouse, except it’s $18 and I can spill coffee on it without ruining my week.\nWhat I learned The trick to a plain tee is not the brand or the price. The trick is the fabric weight. Heavy enough to hang off the body, light enough to wear under a blazer without bulk.\nThe Target A New Day heavyweight is heavy enough. The Everlane Heavyweight is heavier. The $9 tees at H\u0026amp;M are not heavy enough. The $80 tees at Vince are heavier than either. Decide what you’re willing to spend.\nI own nine white tees at this point. Five are the Target. Two are the Everlane. Two are older and being phased out. The Target ones get washed more, worn more, and replaced more often. For $18, that’s the math I want.\nHave a basic tee question? Send it to me — I read every message.\n","cover":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/8217314/pexels-photo-8217314.jpeg?w=1600\u0026fm=webp","date":"2026-04-01","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/basic-tee-three-ways/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe first t-shirt I owned that didn’t look like a t-shirt was the Everlane Heavyweight tee, $40, the one I’ve written about before. It was a revelation. I bought five. I’ve written a love letter to them in my notes app.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen I tried the Target A New Day heavyweight tee in white. It was $18. It is not the Everlane. But for three specific outfits, it is exactly right. And honestly? Most of my week is one of those three outfits. So.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"How to Make a Basic T-Shirt Look Intentional (3 Outfits, One $18 Tee)"},{"categories":["brands","reviews"],"content":"I went on a budget last year. Not a real one — I’m a person with a salary and a 401k — but a “no single item over $80 unless it’s outerwear or shoes” budget. From September through February, I wore Old Navy plus-size pieces 4 to 5 days a week. Some of them I loved. Some of them I kept anyway because of the price. And one of them became my favorite purchase of 2025.\nHere’s the whole thing, honestly.\nThe store visit The Old Navy on 5th Ave near my office is small. The plus-size section is in the back, near the fitting rooms, and on the day I went (a Tuesday in early September, mid-afternoon, almost empty) there were maybe 12 racks. Two were jeans. One was tees. One was the “Built-In Sculpt” line. The rest was a mix.\nI tried on maybe 14 things. I bought 7. I kept 5. Two went back the next week. The sales associate, whose name I think was Denise, told me the linen-blend pants always sell out by October and to come back early if I wanted a specific color. I did. The receipt is in my desk drawer.\nWhat I bought, in detail 2x High-Waisted Wide-Leg Jeans, $40 each 3x Soft-Spun Crew-Neck Tee, $25 each 1x Built-In Sculpt Pull-On Pant, $54 1x Linen-Blend Wide-Leg Pant, $50 Total before tax: $295. I have receipts.\nThe $40 high-waisted jeans pilled. By November. I wore the high-waisted wide-leg jeans twice a week. By November, the inner thighs were visibly pilled. By January, the seat had started to thin. I washed them inside-out in cold water, which is the only way I wash jeans. I still have them, but I’m honest about what they are now: weekend jeans, dog-walking jeans, not office jeans.\nThis is the part of Old Navy plus-size that frustrates me. The jeans are cut for a real plus-size body. The rise is right, the hip is right, the waist doesn’t gap. The fabric is the problem. It’s a poly-cotton-spandex blend that’s heavy enough to feel like jeans but light enough to pill in three months under friction.\nFor $40 you are buying a six-month pair of jeans. That’s not a complaint, exactly. It’s just the truth. Decide accordingly.\nThe $25 tees held up. All six of them. The Soft-Spun Crew-Neck Tee is the single best budget basic I’ve found in three years of looking. I bought three in September. I bought three more in November. They are all still in my drawer. They have not pilled. They have not stretched out at the neck. They have not gone sheer in the wash. They cost $25.\nI wear them under everything. I wear them alone on weekends. I wear them to bed sometimes, which is the highest compliment I can give a t-shirt.\nIf Old Navy plus-size discontinued every line except this one, I’d still be a customer.\nThe “Built-In Sculpt” line is mostly marketing The Built-In Sculpt Pull-On Pant was the piece I was most excited about. $54 for what was, essentially, a wide-leg trouser with built-in compression. The pitch: get dressed and look pulled together without wearing separate shapewear.\nThe reality: the compression was negligible. I wore them for a week and felt nothing different from a regular pull-on pant. The fabric was thicker than I wanted. The color was a navy that read almost-black in person, which was fine. But the “sculpt” was a stretch-knit waistband that I’ve seen on a $30 pair of Amazon trousers.\nI returned them. I bought a regular pair of pull-on pants from Universal Standard on sale instead. The compression on those is real. The difference is, the Universal Standard ones cost $98, and the Old Navy ones cost $54, and you are getting what you pay for.\nThe linen-blend pants are my favorite purchase of 2025 The linen-blend wide-leg pants were the gamble. $50 for a lined, full-length pant in a fabric that historically doesn’t survive my laundry. I bought them in cream and in olive. I wore them through September and October. I wore them once in December with tights underneath.\nThey are the most-commented-on piece of clothing I own. I’ve gotten more “where are those from?” on these pants than on any single item I’ve bought in three years. They wash well on cold, they hang-dry, they do not wrinkle as badly as pure linen. They look like they cost three times what they cost.\nI bought a second pair in black in February. I’ll probably buy a third pair in summer when they restock the cream.\nWhat I learned in six months Old Navy plus-size is a basics store, not a wardrobe store. The tees are worth the price. The jeans are worth it if you understand they’re a six-month pair. The marketing lines are mostly marketing. And the linen-blend pants are a hidden gem that nobody talks about.\nI will keep shopping there for the tees. I will probably skip the jeans next time and save up for a pair of Levi’s. I will absolutely buy the linen-blend pants again.\nThat’s the report. Six months, $295, two returns, one favorite purchase of the year.\nHave a brand review request? Send it to me — I read every message.\n","cover":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/4872104/pexels-photo-4872104.jpeg?w=1600\u0026fm=webp","date":"2026-03-16","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/old-navy-plus-size-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI went on a budget last year. Not a real one — I’m a person with a salary and a 401k — but a “no single item over $80 unless it’s outerwear or shoes” budget. From September through February, I wore Old Navy plus-size pieces 4 to 5 days a week. Some of them I loved. Some of them I kept anyway because of the price. And one of them became my favorite purchase of 2025.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Old Navy Plus-Size: An Honest 6-Month Review"},{"categories":["events","outfits"],"content":"Three years ago, last minute, I wore a jumpsuit to my cousin’s rehearsal dinner. I’d ordered a wrap dress that didn’t arrive. The jumpsuit was the only thing I owned that wasn’t jeans or a t-shirt. I wore it because I had no other option.\nI got three compliments before I sat down.\nThat was the moment I started paying attention to jumpsuits as an actual alternative to dresses, not just a thing I’d see on a styling Instagram and scroll past. Three years later, I own four. I’ve returned two. And I’ve stopped buying occasion dresses almost entirely. Here’s the long version.\nWhat the jumpsuit solves The thing I love most about a jumpsuit is that it removes three conversations I’m tired of having. Do my thighs touch the fabric. Does the wind do something I have to apologize for. Can I sit on a low chair or a picnic blanket without doing a tuck-and-sit that takes six tries.\nA jumpsuit is one piece. The hem is fixed. The top stays where the top should stay. I can bend, sit, stand up, hug someone, reach for a high glass on a high shelf, and never once think about my outfit. That’s the entire pitch, honestly.\nThe bathroom thing (yes, really) Look, I have to address this. Every plus-size jumpsuit review I’ve ever read by a thinner person waves this away with some cheerful line about “just practice.” That’s not how it works for me. The reality: a jumpsuit with a full bodice and a back zipper requires either unbuttoning the front, doing a complicated shrug-out, or unzipping from the top while holding the bottom up with your knees.\nI will be honest. The first three times I wore a jumpsuit to an event, I drank less water than I wanted to. By the fourth event I’d figured out a method that works. By the sixth event I’d stopped caring.\nThe methods I’ve found that actually work:\nSide-zip jumpsuits — 80% easier. Look for these first. Wrap-front jumpsuits — no zipper at all, but the fit depends on whether the wrap stays wrapped when you sit. Elastic-waist jumpsuits — the most forgiving. The least “occasion.” The most weekend. I own two side-zip and one elastic-waist. I returned the back-zip one after the first wear, because I am not doing that to myself at a wedding.\nThe Spanx Sculpt one I bought at a work gala Last October my company had a gala at the museum. Black-tie optional, open bar, 600 people I half-knew. I wore the Spanx Sculpt jumpsuit, the one with the wide legs and the V-back. I bought it on sale at Nordstrom for $118. I sized up to a 22 (I’m usually a 20 on top because of my bust). The 22 fit, the 20 was a fight I wasn’t going to take to a coat check.\nI felt like a million dollars. Which is the only time in my adult life I’ve said that and meant it without rolling my eyes.\nThe Eloquii one I returned Eloquii launched a jumpsuit last year, a wide-leg in a sage-green linen. I ordered it. I tried it on. I loved it on me. Then I sat down in it and the wrap front opened about an inch more than I was comfortable with. It went back.\nThis is the part of jumpsuits that’s not on Instagram: fit when sitting is different from fit when standing. Test it. Sit on a low couch, on a dining chair, on a bench. Move before you keep the tags off.\nThe casual wide-leg one I now wear on Fridays The one I wear most is the cheapest. It’s a cotton wide-leg jumpsuit from Target (the A New Day line, $48) in a navy-and-white stripe. It is not a special-occasion piece. It is the Friday workwear piece. I wear it with white sneakers or with my kitten-heeled sandals if I’m going to dinner after work.\nI have worn it roughly once a week since August. It has not pilled. It has not stretched out. It goes in the wash with everything else. It is the jumpsuit I would tell anyone to start with, because it solves the “Friday outfit” problem and it lets you practice the bathroom logistics in a low-stakes setting, like your office bathroom, with the door locked.\nThe inseam problem The one thing nobody warned me about is the inseam. I am 5’4”. Jumpsuits are almost always designed for someone who is 5’8”. The crotch sits too low, the leg looks too long, the whole thing looks like a costume.\nWhat I do: I take any jumpsuit to a tailor for a $20 hem. Every time. It is the best $20 I spend on clothes. A jumpsuit that hits my ankle correctly is the difference between “I look intentional” and “I’m wearing a sleeping bag with armholes.”\nIf you’re over 5’6” you can skip this part. The rest of us need a tailor we trust.\nWhat I’m buying next The fourth jumpsuit in my closet is the Eloquii crepe one, on sale for $84, in black, that I just ordered last week. It has a side zip. It hits at my ankle after I take it to my tailor. I have not worn it yet.\nI’ll write about it when I do.\nHave a jumpsuit question? Send it to me — I read every message.\n","cover":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/38023309/pexels-photo-38023309.jpeg?w=1600\u0026fm=webp","date":"2026-03-02","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/jumpsuits-instead-of-occasion-dresses/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThree years ago, last minute, I wore a jumpsuit to my cousin’s rehearsal dinner. I’d ordered a wrap dress that didn’t arrive. The jumpsuit was the only thing I owned that wasn’t jeans or a t-shirt. I wore it because I had no other option.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI got three compliments before I sat down.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat was the moment I started paying attention to jumpsuits as an \u003cem\u003eactual\u003c/em\u003e alternative to dresses, not just a thing I’d see on a styling Instagram and scroll past. Three years later, I own four. I’ve returned two. And I’ve stopped buying occasion dresses almost entirely. Here’s the long version.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Why I Gave Up Occasion Dresses and Started Wearing Jumpsuits"},{"categories":["events","outfits"],"content":"I went to three weddings last fall. A backyard one for my cousin Mara. A hotel ballroom one for a coworker I genuinely like. A barn one upstate for a college friend who moved to Hudson Valley and became, predictably, a person with a barn.\nThree venues. Three “is this too much?” moments standing in the guest bathroom. And somewhere between the second wine pour at the barn and the sparkler exit at the ballroom, I realized I’d accidentally built a formula. It’s not an outfit. It’s a way of choosing. Here it is.\nThe formula (it’s three things) For every wedding I ask myself three questions:\nIndoor or outdoor? (outdoor = I’m thinking about a layer I can take off or put on) Daytime or evening? (daytime = I’m thinking about whether the dress code skews “pastel garden party”) Black-tie, formal, or casual? (casual formal = I’m allowed to wear a flat, and I will) Then I pick from three outfit templates. One of these three will work for nearly every wedding I’ll be invited to in the next five years:\nWrap dress + structured jacket — the safest answer, the one I default to Jumpsuit + heels — when I want to feel like a person who has done something intentional with her life Midi skirt + blouse — when I’m tired of dresses and I want to dance without thinking about a hemline That’s it. Three options. I don’t need sixty.\nThe barn (outdoor, casual formal, evening) My friend Jess’s barn upstate. Gravel driveway, fairy lights, a string quartet that turned into a DJ by 9pm. I wore the jumpsuit. Why: because a barn floor is uneven and I knew I’d be in heels for at least four hours. A jumpsuit with a heel keeps the whole leg line going so I don’t feel like I’m dragging fabric through hay.\nThe jumpsuit was the Spanx Sculpt one I bought in black, on sale at Nordstrom for $118 (down from $148). I’ve worn it to four events now and I will probably wear it to four more. The Spanx does what Spanx does. I sized up to a 22 from my usual 20 because the 20 was snug through the torso, and I wanted to be able to breathe through dinner.\nI added a cropped silk jacket in dusty rose (it’s old, from Ann Taylor, probably from 2019, still in rotation). For accessories: low block-heeled sandals because the ground was grass and gravel, not a dance floor, and a small clutch I could shove a phone and a lipstick into.\nThe hotel ballroom (indoor, black-tie optional, evening) My coworker Priya’s wedding at the Plaza-adjacent hotel. Chandelier. Five-course dinner. Open bar that took requests. I wore the wrap dress + structured jacket. Why: black-tie optional at an indoor venue means I have permission to go long, and I always have permission to wear Spanx under a dress.\nThe wrap dress was the deep-green Eloquii one I’ve mentioned in probably every post on this blog. The jacket was the Spanx Perfect Collection blazer in dark camel — the same one from the capsule post. Heels were kitten-heel, 1.5 inches, in dark cognac from Sarah Flint, because a ballroom floor plus a tall heel plus nine hours is a math problem I’m not solving.\nThe backyard (outdoor, casual, afternoon) My cousin Mara’s backyard in New Jersey. Tented, plastic chairs, her dog under the head table. I wore the midi-skirt-and-blouse option. Why: it was 2pm in July and a wrap dress with a jacket would have been the worst decision I made that month.\nThe skirt was the Universal Standard “Seine” in a navy linen blend, the one I bought on sale for $80 last spring. The blouse was a cream button-down from Maeve that I tucked in and then untucked after the third glass of sparkling wine. Sandals were flat, gold, leather, from a brand called Aeyde that I found at a sample sale for $65.\nWhat I learned The mistake I was making, for years, was treating each wedding as a fresh outfit problem. It isn’t. It’s the same three questions answered the same three ways, every time. The wrap dress plus jacket is the default for a reason — it works at 90% of the weddings I’ll ever go to.\nWhat changes is the fabric, the shoes, and the accessories. Those three things solve the venue, the season, and the dress code without me having to start from a blank closet at 11pm the night before I drive to a barn.\nHave a wedding outfit question? Send it to me — I read every message.\n","cover":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/37904356/pexels-photo-37904356.jpeg?w=1600\u0026fm=webp","date":"2026-02-18","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/plus-size-wedding-guest-formula/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI went to three weddings last fall. A backyard one for my cousin Mara. A hotel ballroom one for a coworker I genuinely like. A barn one upstate for a college friend who moved to Hudson Valley and became, predictably, a person with a barn.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThree venues. Three “is this too much?” moments standing in the guest bathroom. And somewhere between the second wine pour at the barn and the sparkler exit at the ballroom, I realized I’d accidentally built a formula. It’s not an outfit. It’s a way of choosing. Here it is.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Plus-Size Wedding Guest Formula That Works at Any Venue"},{"categories":["workwear","pants"],"content":"I sit at a desk nine hours a day. I also walk to the kitchen for a snack every 45 minutes, which is the closest I get to cardio. So when work pants fail, they don’t fail from overuse — they fail from sitting. And most plus-size work pants, in my experience, are built for a person who doesn’t actually sit.\nIn January I wore four pairs of work pants for one week each. Same desk, same chair, same lunch, same walks to the cooler. I’m a 22, sometimes a 20 on top depending on the cut. Here’s what happened.\nThe four pairs I picked pairs at four prices and four silhouettes, because I wanted to know if the question “which pants?” is really a question about price, fit, or fabric. Spoiler: it’s mostly fabric.\nUniversal Standard “Seine” trouser — $98, black, the straight-leg I’ve written about before Spanx “Perfect Pant” — $88, charcoal, the pull-on style with the wide waistband Old Navy “High-Waisted Wide-Leg Suit Pant” — $45 on sale from $55, navy Eloquii “Pull-On Straight Leg” — $72, deep camel I wore each pair four days, washed them the same way (cold, lay flat to dry), and kept a tally of what went wrong.\nWhat happened by Friday The Old Navy pair pilled on the seat by Wednesday. Not “a little fuzz.” Actual pills. The kind that make the chair squeak when you stand up. For what it’s worth, the fabric was a poly-viscose blend, and that’s almost always what’s going to pill when you’re sliding in and out of a chair for eight hours. I gave them two more wears because I wanted to be fair. By Friday they looked like they’d been through a car wash.\nThe Spanx pair did the thing Spanx pants always do — held everything in, but the waistband rolled down by 3pm every day. I tucked a thin long-line bra underneath, which helped a little, but mostly I just looked forward to taking them off. The compression was fine. The rolling was not.\nThe Eloquii pair was the surprise. I’d written them off last year because the 22 was tight in the seat and I returned them. I tried again in a 24, and the 24 was actually fine — it sat where it should, it didn’t bag at the knee, and the camel color went with three of my five work tops. I wore them on Friday and felt like a person with thoughts. I bought them a second time in black the next Tuesday.\nThe Universal Standard pair is the one I already owned. They’ve been in my rotation since 2024. They’re not new to me. But the question of this test wasn’t “which is best” — it was “do any of the others beat it?” They didn’t.\nWhat I learned about fabric The two pairs that held up (Universal Standard, Eloquii) were both in a heavier, more structured fabric with some wool or wool substitute in the blend. The two pairs that failed (Old Navy, Spanx) were in a stretch-knit fabric that feels great at 9am and looks tired by lunch.\nFor sitting at a desk, you want pants that remember their shape. Stretch is for moving. Structure is for staying.\nWhat I actually bought I bought a second pair of the Eloquii in black ($72 each, so $144 out the door). I have not bought a third pair of the Universal Standard because I already own two and I’m trying to spend less on trousers this year. The Old Navy pair went to the donation bin on Saturday. The Spanx pair is in my closet but I’m not sure I’ll reach for them again unless I want to look 10 pounds lighter for a specific meeting, which is a different goal than getting through a Tuesday.\nIf you’re picking one pair to start with and your budget can stretch (and yes, I see the pun), get the Universal Standard Seine. If the budget is under $80, the Eloquii pull-on in a size up is the move. Skip the rest for desk work.\nHave a workwear question? Send it to me — I read every message.\n","cover":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/23541883/pexels-photo-23541883.jpeg?w=1600\u0026fm=webp","date":"2026-06-08","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/best-plus-size-work-pants-desk/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI sit at a desk nine hours a day. I also walk to the kitchen for a snack every 45 minutes, which is the closest I get to cardio. So when work pants fail, they don’t fail from overuse — they fail from \u003cem\u003esitting\u003c/em\u003e. And most plus-size work pants, in my experience, are built for a person who doesn’t actually sit.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn January I wore four pairs of work pants for one week each. Same desk, same chair, same lunch, same walks to the cooler. I’m a 22, sometimes a 20 on top depending on the cut. Here’s what happened.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Best Plus-Size Work Pants for Sitting at a Desk All Day (I Tested 4)"},{"categories":["style-life","outfits"],"content":"I started working from home two days a week in 2023. By the end of 2023, every photo on my camera roll from those days was either of my cat or of me in some variation of \u0026ldquo;I’ve been at this desk for four hours and my sweatpants have lost all structural integrity.\u0026rdquo;\nThe truth is, the sweatpants were not a wardrobe failure. They were a wardrobe vacuum. There was no third option between “I am going outside” and “I am on the couch”.\nOnce I built the option, I stopped defaulting to the couch. Here’s what that third option looks like.\nThe category of clothing — loungewear, not pajamas Let me define the difference clearly. Loungewear is what you wear when you are home and presentable. Pajamas are what you wear when you are home and asleep. The line between them is firmer than it sounds.\nPajamas are usually:\nLoose-fitting, unstructured, in flannel or jersey In prints or pastels I would never wear publicly In fabrics that pill within a few washes Loungewear, in my version, is:\nFit close enough to the body to read as a real outfit In fabrics that hold their shape (heavyweight cotton, knit, fine merino) In colors I could wear outside if someone knocked The line is utility: if I had to walk to the corner store, would I feel fine in this? If yes, it’s loungewear. If no, it’s pajamas.\nThe pieces I rotate through I now own four loungewear outfits. Here they are.\nOutfit 1: The knit trouser + matching tee My matching set is from a brand called “Leset.” I bought two colors. It is heavyweight cotton, behaves like the rest of my wardrobe, and works over a thin cashmere layer in winter.\nOutfit 2: The straight-leg sweatpant + structured tee Not all sweatpants are pajamas. A straight-leg sweatpant in a heavyweight terry — I own ones from Pangaia and from Restoration Hardware (yes, really, their home line has a loungewear capsule) — with a structured tee is the closest analog to jeans and a tee. I wear this to walk the dog on the days I don’t want to bother with real clothes.\nOutfit 3: The long cardigan + tee + jeans This is the \u0026ldquo;I have a video call at noon\u0026rdquo; outfit. The cardigan is from Madewell in a \u0026ldquo;tall\u0026rdquo; length, sized so it hits just below the knee. With jeans and a tee it reads as \u0026ldquo;intentional\u0026rdquo; on camera even though I’m wearing the same jeans I would wear to a coffee shop.\nOutfit 4: The jumpsuit A jumpsuit is the hardest-working loungewear piece for plus-size women, but no one talks about it. Mine is from Universal Standard in a heavyweight jersey. It looks intentional. It is one piece. It is forgiving of body fluctuation. It is the only thing I will wear on the morning I have a video call right after getting out of the shower.\nThe reason this matters more than it sounds Here’s the thing about loungewear. Worn badly, it’s a wardrobe vacuum that funnels every WFH day into pajama logic. Worn well, it’s permission to be at home and still feel like a person with a wardrobe.\nI’ve realized that the way I dress in the morning is a mood-setter. I can be at home all day and feel like myself. Or I can be at home all day and feel like a couch potato who occasionally does email. The clothes are the difference.\nIt doesn’t have to be expensive. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It just has to be intentional.\nA note on sweatpants I do not believe in “good sweatpants.” Most of the plus-size sweatpants I’ve tried are either:\nPajamas masquerading as athletic wear Thin enough to be see-through Too short or too long The only pair I own that I genuinely like is from Quince. They’re a direct-to-consumer brand I had not heard of until a recommendation from a reader. The $32 pair is real. The $52 cashmere pair is also real. I bought both.\nIf I were building this capsule from scratch, the sweatpants are where I would start.\nWorking from home and feel yourself falling into the pajama trap? Send me a note — I’ll suggest a capsule for your climate.\n","cover":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1496217590455-aa63a8350eea?w=1600\u0026auto=format\u0026fm=webp\u0026fit=crop\u0026q=80","date":"2026-04-27","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/loungewear-plus-size/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI started working from home two days a week in 2023. By the end of 2023, every\nphoto on my camera roll from those days was either of my cat or of me in\nsome variation of \u0026ldquo;I’ve been at this desk for four hours and my sweatpants\nhave lost all structural integrity.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe truth is, the sweatpants were not a wardrobe failure. They were a wardrobe\n\u003cem\u003evacuum\u003c/em\u003e. There was no third option between “I am going outside”\nand “I am on the couch”.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Day in Plus-Size Loungewear That Doesn't Look Like Pajamas"},{"categories":["workwear","outfits"],"content":"There\u0026rsquo;s a specific kind of dread that hits on Sunday nights. For me, it used to be the moment I\u0026rsquo;d stand in front of my closet and realize I had absolutely nothing to wear — even though I had fifty things hanging in there. Nothing fit. Nothing felt like me. Nothing felt worth the meeting that was waiting on Monday morning.\nThat dread is the entire reason this journal exists. And the cure turned out to be a five-item work capsule that I wore on rotation for six months. Here\u0026rsquo;s exactly what\u0026rsquo;s in it, what it cost, and why it\u0026rsquo;s still in my closet today.\nThe five pieces Before I list them, I want to say this: I am a size 22, five foot four, with a pear-shaped body and a body-positive attitude that took me roughly fifteen years to earn. None of these pieces are dropshipped. None of them are in any single store. You will probably have to try on multiple versions of one of them, and that is normal.\n1. The wrap dress This is the hardest working item I own. I bought it from Eloquii on a sale day for about $48. It is a wrap dress, but not in the 2014 way that threatened wardrobe malfunctions. The modern wrap dress, the way Eloquii does it, has a deep V but a constructed bodice. It fits. It stays.\nI wear it to:\nQuarterly reviews when I want to look like I have my life together Weddings for friends I love but whose wedding aesthetic I\u0026rsquo;d describe as \u0026ldquo;pastel\u0026rdquo; Friday casual when I want to feel like I am doing the weekend a favor It is in a deep forest green that goes with everything I own. Forest green is a neutral, by the way, in case anyone ever told you otherwise.\n2. The straight-leg trouser The straight-leg trouser is the single most useful piece of clothing made in the last ten years. The flared leg, the skinny leg, the bootcut — they’ve all served their time. The straight leg is what stays.\nMine is from Universal Standard’s \u0026ldquo;Muse\u0026rdquo; line. I own them in black and in a deep walnut brown. They are not cheap (around $80 a pair on sale) but I have owned both for two years and the seat has not bagged out. That is the test.\nI wear them with:\nThe wrap dress, layered over a thin turtleneck in winter A t-shirt tucked in, when nothing else is in the wash A blazer from item #3, when I have a meeting I need to win 3. The blazer The blazer that made me a person who wears blazers is from a brand called Spanx — yes, the same Spanx. They make a \u0026ldquo;Perfect Collection\u0026rdquo; blazer with a stretch lining that moves with you. I have owned it for three years and I have not had it altered.\nIt is in a dark camel color, which is not as hard to wear as everyone says. It goes with the trousers, the wrap dress, every pair of jeans I own, and every t-shirt I own.\nThe reason you want a blazer is not for the meeting. It is for the moment between meetings when you walk down the hallway and want to feel like a person with something to say. A blazer, on a plus-size body, says that. I do not make the rules.\n4. The structured t-shirt This sounds made up, but: Everlane has a \u0026ldquo;Heavyweight\u0026rdquo; cotton t-shirt with a fit that flatters a bust and a belly at the same time. It is — and I want to be honest about this — not a cheap t-shirt. It runs around $40.\nI own five of them. They go with the trousers, they go with jeans, they go under the blazer, they go under the wrap dress in winter. After a year of rotation, none of them have stretched out at the neck. I wash them in cold water and lay them flat to dry.\n5. The neutral heel I do not wear heels often. But when I need to wear them, I wear a kitten heel in a color called \u0026ldquo;dark cognac\u0026rdquo; from a brand called Sarah Flint. They are 1.5 inches, they actually fit around the ankle, and they do not make me wobble.\nThat is all I ask of a heel.\nHow the rotation works Here is what the five-item capsule lets me do. With five pieces and a couple of underlayers (t-shirts, tank tops, tights for winter) plus my normal jewelry, I can get dressed on Monday morning in roughly seven minutes. None of the combinations clash. None of them require a video call check before I commit.\nThe exact math:\nWrap dress + tights + boots Wrap dress + blazer + heels Trousers + t-shirt + sneakers Trousers + blazer + t-shirt + heels Trousers + turtleneck + sneakers Trousers + wrap dress layered under + sneakers That’s six office-ready outfits from five pieces, and I can swap out the jewelry to multiply it.\nWhat I learned The reason I had fifty things in my closet and nothing to wear was because none of them were right. They were almost right, almost the right color, almost the right fit. Almost right is the enemy of right.\nThe five things in this capsule are not the cheapest things I own. They are, however, the only ones I never have to think about.\nIf you’re starting from scratch and can’t afford to spend $400 on a work capsule, start with the trouser. A single pair of trouser can take you further than any other piece I’ve bought in the last decade.\nHave a workwear question? Send it to me — I read every message and I’m happy to dig through my closet to find a real answer.\n","cover":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1487222477894-8943e31ef7b2?w=1600\u0026auto=format\u0026fm=webp\u0026fit=crop\u0026q=80","date":"2026-03-02","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/capsule-workwear-size-22/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere\u0026rsquo;s a specific kind of dread that hits on Sunday nights. For me, it used to\nbe the moment I\u0026rsquo;d stand in front of my closet and realize I had absolutely nothing\nto wear — even though I had fifty things hanging in there. Nothing fit. Nothing\nfelt like me. Nothing felt worth the meeting that was waiting on Monday morning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat dread is the entire reason this journal exists. And the cure turned out to be\na five-item work capsule that I wore on rotation for six months. Here\u0026rsquo;s exactly\nwhat\u0026rsquo;s in it, what it cost, and why it\u0026rsquo;s still in my closet today.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The 5-Item Capsule That Got Me Through the Office in a Size 22"},{"categories":["brand-reviews","style-life"],"content":"I have a notepad on my phone with a running list titled “Things brands said to me with their mouths open.” Some of them are funny. Some are sad. Some are amazing. Most are revealing.\nAfter three years of collecting, I’ve identified five marketing patterns in the plus-size world that I wish someone had named for me earlier. Here they are, with translation.\n1. “Designed for every body” = “We added XL to four styles” Translation: the brand added one or two new sizes to existing products and called it a redesign. The fit will be okay. The cut will not be designed for a plus body, just enlarged.\nThe real test: Look for the size range in the brand’s plus line. If they say “up to 3X,” that’s three to five styles, not every style. If they say “in sizes 14–32,” that’s the real commitment. Most brands have something in between.\nThe test for you: Are the same tops, bottoms, and dresses available in the same wash, the same cut, the same fabric — just in your size? If yes, real commitment. If no, marketing.\n2. “Real women” = “Models who are not supermodels” Translation: the brand is using models who are regular people, which is a real shift in marketing practice. The phrasing “real women” is itself weird, because it implies the previous models were fake. Everyone who was ever on a runway is a real woman.\nThe test for you: Look at the body types in the brand’s plus-size campaign photos. Are they:\nShowing models at the wider end of the size range? Or just at the smaller end? In poses that don’t hide the belly / thighs / arms? Or always contoured? Wearing the same clothes the brand is marketing, or are they in “tasteful” loungewear while the actual product is something else? A plus-size model in a flattering pose is fine. A plus-size model contoured into invisibility is marketing.\n3. “Body positive” = “Any size is fine” Translation: the brand has decided that “body positive” is a stance they take. Whether or not they actually hire plus-size models, stock plus-sizes, or make clothes that fit plus bodies is a separate question.\nThe test for you: Reverse. Don’t read marketing. Read the production. Go to the brand’s size chart. Try to find a 22/24/26 in every cut they offer. If you can’t, “body positive” is a hashtag, not a practice.\n4. “Sculpting / shaping / contouring” = “Spandex” Translation: most “sculpting” garments are a structured knit, which is also what spandex is. There is a difference between construction and material, and most brands elide them.\nThe test for you: Look at the fiber content on the label. If it’s 90%+ synthetic with elastane, it’s shapewear with marketing copy. If the brand is using a different construction (paneled, boned, double-stitched in the waist), they’ll say so. The honest ones do.\nThe real point: Shapewear is fine. Marketing shapewear as a magic sculpting fabric is dishonest. A garment that holds in your belly is doing what it’s doing with fabric and seams. It’s not magic.\n5. “Inclusive sizing” = “We added sizes so we can say inclusive sizing” Translation: the brand heard the criticism, made a 2X or 3X, and wrote a press release about it. They will not change their design process. They will not hire plus-size models in significant numbers. They will not renew the commitment year over year.\nThe test for you: Has the brand extended sizes more than once? Do they have size-extension programs beyond a one-time announcement? Are they showing extended sizes in current marketing, not just in “campaign” moments?\nBrands that take inclusion seriously iterate. They extend from 14 to 24, then to 32. They add cuts, not just sizes. Their plus-size line has a buyer who’s empowered to make different decisions than the straight-size buyer.\nWhat brands get right I want to end on credit where it’s due. Some brands are doing this well and I’d rather name them than just point at fakes:\nUniversal Standard — treats plus as the primary, not the secondary line. Eloquii — plus-first, designed-in-plus from day one, sizes 14–32 with consistent availability. Good American — iterative, makes mistakes, expands over time, public about growth. Maeve (Anthropologie’s line) — quiet, repetitive, reliable, available, expanding slowly. The common thread on these: they treat plus-size as a line not a campaign. Lines run year-round. Campaigns run for a quarter.\nHave a plus-size brand pattern I missed? Send it to me — I’m always collecting new ones for this post.\n","cover":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1485518882345-15568b007407?w=1600\u0026auto=format\u0026fm=webp\u0026fit=crop\u0026q=80","date":"2026-05-18","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/decoding-plus-size-marketing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have a notepad on my phone with a running list titled “Things brands\nsaid to me with their mouths open.” Some of them are funny. Some are\nsad. Some are amazing. Most are revealing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter three years of collecting, I’ve identified five marketing patterns\nin the plus-size world that I wish someone had named for me earlier. Here\nthey are, with translation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"1-designed-for-every-body--we-added-xl-to-four-styles\"\u003e1. “Designed for every body” = “We added XL to four styles”\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTranslation: the brand added one or two new sizes to existing products and\ncalled it a redesign. The fit will be okay. The cut will not be designed\n\u003cem\u003efor\u003c/em\u003e a plus body, just enlarged.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Reading Plus-Size Marketing So I Don\u0026rsquo;t Have To"},{"categories":["styling-tips","wardrobe-basics"],"content":"Here’s the 30-second check I run on every pair of jeans I consider buying. It has saved me from hundreds of dollars in returns and, more importantly, from the dozen-or-so pairs of jeans I would have worn twice and hated.\nI’ve been refining this for four years. Here’s the current version.\nThe check, in order You are standing in front of a mirror with the jeans on. Run through these in order. Under 30 seconds total.\nStep 1: Sit, stand, walk Sit on the bench. Stand. Walk to the mirror. The jeans should feel like nothing. They should not pinch, sag, fall, or grip. If you can feel the fabric constantly, you will hate this jean by week two.\nThis is the only \u0026ldquo;feel\u0026rdquo; check that matters. Skip \u0026ldquo;comfortable to the touch.\u0026rdquo; Feel it in motion.\nStep 2: Look at the back Turn around. Look at the seat. The fabric should lie flat across the seat. There should not be visible sagging at the back of the waist, no matter what your weight distribution is. If there is, the rise is wrong for you.\nSagging at the back of the waist is the most common plus-size jean issue and the most overlooked. A tailor can fix almost anything else. They cannot easily fix a bad rise.\nStep 3: Look at the front, waist to knee Stand sideways. The waistband should sit at your natural waist, not lower. The fabric from waist to thigh should hang straight down, not pull toward the fly. If you see the fly pulling — the closure bowing outward — the jean is too small in the waist. Size up.\nIf the fabric drapes, in any silhouette, in the soft way a curtain drapes, that’s the right size.\nStep 4: Look at the calf and ankle Is the fabric skimming, gripping, or flaring?\nSkimming (slight air between fabric and body, fabric moving with you) is right. Gripping (fabric pulling against your skin, lines visible) is too tight. Flaring (visible volume that drowns the foot, hem flopping) is too long or too wide. For a straight-leg jean, you want skimming. For a wide-leg, you want just barely skim-barely flaring. For a skinny, you want a half-step past skimming into controlled grip.\nWhat this check tells you The check answers three questions in 30 seconds:\nIs this the right size? (Steps 1, 3) Is this the right rise for my body? (Step 2) Is this the right cut for the look I want? (Step 4) If the answer to #1 is no — size up. Size up without shame. A too-small pair of jeans will never \u0026ldquo;give\u0026rdquo; into fitting.\nIf the answer to #2 is no — this brand’s rise is wrong for you. Move on. Different brand.\nIf the answer to #3 is no — the jean is the right fit but the wrong style. Move on. You will not wear it.\nThe mistake people make at this step People shortcut the check by going “this is a 22, I am a 22, I’ll take it.” Sizes are not portable across brands. Universal Standard’s 22 is not Torrid’s 22. Levi’s 22 is not Old Navy’s 22.\nRun the check. Trust the check.\nIf you order online, the check is harder. You cannot sit-and-walk in your kitchen. In that case, keep this priority order:\nSizing chart over your guess. Most brands have a chart with waist and hip measurements. Use a tape measure. Trust the chart. Return policy over everything else. If a brand doesn’t have a return policy that’ll let you wear them around the house for a week, skip them. Reviews from real bodies over the marketing photo. Look for user-generated reviews on Instagram. Look for blogs. Look for Reddit. The person wearing the jeans in the brand’s lifestyle photo is not the person who will be wearing them at home. The check in changing rooms is non-negotiable If a fitting room mirror shows you something different than the store mirror, trust the fitting room mirror. They are closer to reality.\nSome fitting rooms have terrible lighting. Some have dishonest lighting. Bring a hand mirror if you have one. Look at the back from above. Look at the side. Look at how the hem hits the floor with the shoes you’re planning to wear.\nI have, on multiple occasions, walked out of a fitting room feeling confident, gotten to the car, looked at the photo my partner took in the store, and realized I looked exactly like I feared I looked.\nTake the photo. Look at the photo. Decide from the photo.\nWhat’s your pre-purchase check? I’m collecting reader tips for a future post — if you have a 30-second rule that’s saved your wardrobe, tell me what it is.\n","cover":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1503342217505-b0a15ec3261c?w=1600\u0026auto=format\u0026fm=webp\u0026fit=crop\u0026q=80","date":"2026-04-20","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/styling-check-jeans/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHere’s the 30-second check I run on every pair of jeans I consider\nbuying. It has saved me from hundreds of dollars in returns and, more\nimportantly, from the dozen-or-so pairs of jeans I would have worn twice and\nhated.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ve been refining this for four years. Here’s the current version.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-check-in-order\"\u003eThe check, in order\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou are standing in front of a mirror with the jeans on. Run through these in\norder. Under 30 seconds total.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The 30-Second Outfit Check That Saved Me from Buying Wrong Jeans"},{"categories":["styling-tips","style-life"],"content":"A friend took a full-length photo of me at a wedding last year. I was wearing an outfit I loved. In person, I felt like the best version of myself. In the photo, I felt like someone’s aunt.\nThat photo made me realize something: I knew how to dress for the mirror. I did not know how to dress for the photo. They are not the same skill.\nAfter eighteen months of small experiments, here is the single trick that changed my photos — and, weirdly, changed how I feel in mirrors too.\nThe trick: define one vertical line Outfits that look great in person and terrible in photos usually share one problem: they’re drawing the eye horizontally. A belt at the natural waist. A contrast at the hip. A different-colored bottom. These all work in real life because the eye and the body are moving.\nBut the camera is static. A static eye looking at a horizontal break reads it as “this is where the body breaks.”\nThe fix is to give the eye a vertical line to follow instead. Three options:\nOption A: A long pendant on a long chain Not a choker. Not a princess length. A long pendant, two to three inches below the sternum. The eye follows the chain down to the pendant, reads the pendant as “this is the focal point,” and the silhouette stops breaking at the waist.\nThis works for me on days when I’m wearing a solid-color tee and jeans. The eye no longer sits on the natural waist.\nOption B: An open jacket, lapels vertical A blazer or jacket with structured lapels, left open, draws the eye up and down the front of the body. The lapels themselves become the vertical line.\nThis is why a blazer over a t-shirt looks “considered” in photos even when the body underneath is in a casual fit. The vertical is doing the work.\nOption C: A scarf, draped long A scarf is the most underrated vertical-line tool. A scarf hung from the shoulders down to the hip, never wrapped tight, just draped, draws the eye the same way a pendant does but with more presence.\nThis is the trick when I’m wearing a sweater with no other structure. The scarf adds the line.\nWhy this works (the actual reason) Camera angles flatten proportions. The eye looking at a 2D image of a 3D body loses the depth cues that give real life its forgiving quality. The body in a photo is presented on a flat plane. Any horizontal break on a flat plane reads loud.\nA vertical line, on the other hand, gives the eye length. Length reads as intentionality. Intentionality reads as confidence.\nIt’s also the trick that 1940s fashion photographers, 1980s fashion editors, and modern minimalists all use. The vertical line is a fashion photography trick that’s been hiding in plain sight.\nWhen to skip it There are days when I want to look soft. Look playful. Look approachable in a different way. On those days, I skip the vertical trick and lean into horizontal — a chunky belt, color breaks, cropped trousers.\nThe vertical is the photos move. It’s not the only move. It’s the one I keep going back to.\nThe book that taught me this If you want the full version of this idea, read The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees. It’s not a plus-size book. It’s a book about how to decide what to wear. The vertical-line idea is from there, applied to photographs specifically.\nBut the original insight — define one focal line for the eye — is a styling principle that predates the book. Most classic stylists know it. Most plus-size women don’t, because the styling world rarely shows us how the principles work on our bodies. They do.\nWhat’s a styling trick that works for you? I’m collecting them for a future post. Send it to me.\n","cover":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1495121605193-b116b5b9c5fe?w=1600\u0026auto=format\u0026fm=webp\u0026fit=crop\u0026q=80","date":"2026-03-23","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/styling-trick-photos/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA friend took a full-length photo of me at a wedding last year. I was wearing an\noutfit I loved. In person, I felt like the best version of myself. In the\nphoto, I felt like someone’s aunt.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat photo made me realize something: I knew how to dress for the mirror. I did\nnot know how to dress for the photo. They are not the same skill.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter eighteen months of small experiments, here is the single trick that\nchanged my photos — and, weirdly, changed how I feel in mirrors too.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Single Styling Trick That Made My Photos Look Like Me"},{"categories":["wardrobe-basics","styling-tips"],"content":"I spent last Sunday doing my spring closet reset. I have done these for four years. The first one was a disaster — I donated everything that didn’t fit and was cold by November. The second was also a disaster, in the opposite direction. The third and fourth I think I finally got right. Here’s the version I use now.\nThe premise The classic advice on seasonal closet resets is: donate everything you haven’t worn in a year, replace the basics, store the off-season. This advice assumes a stable body and a stable life. For a plus-size woman whose weight fluctuates, the premise breaks down.\nThe pieces you didn’t wear in a year might be the pieces you need in the fall. The basics that needed replacing last spring might be different this spring. The off-season clothes that should go into storage are also the ones that need mending.\nSo the standard closet reset gets thrown out. Here’s what works for a fluctuating plus-size life.\nThe 8-step reset Step 1: Take everything out Pull everything off the rod and out of the drawers. Put it on the bed. This takes an hour for the first time, twenty minutes after that. It is the only way to see what you have.\nStep 2: Make three piles, not the usual two Standard advice: keep / donate. My version: keep / mend / archive. The “mend” pile is for things that need tailoring, button re-sewing, or shrunken-in-the-wash repair. The “archive” pile is for things you might wear in 6–24 months if your size fluctuates.\nThis protects clothes you actually wear in another size while still letting your present-day closet feel clean.\nStep 3: Mending before donating Anything in the mending pile, decide on a deadline. If it’s going to a tailor, give yourself two weeks. If not, donate. Tailor piles that have no deadline are mending piles that never get mended.\nStep 4: Archive before donating For archive items — usually bigger or smaller pieces from another chapter — store in opaque bins under the bed or in the back of a closet. Label the bin with the size and the season. Don’t look at them again until spring 2027.\nStep 5: Try on everything that stays If you don’t try it on now, you’ll try it on in September in a panic. Just try it on. Make sure it still fits. Make sure it’s what you thought it was.\nStep 6: Be ruthless about joy Standard advice: keep what you wear. My version: also keep what you love. A blouse you’ve kept for five years and wear twice a year? If you wear it when you wear it and you light up, keep it. If you wear it and feel underwhelmed, donate.\nStep 7: Track the rotation Take five minutes to write down, on your phone, what you wore this past month. The note does not need to be complete. It needs to be useful next year. “Wore wrap dress 4x this month.” Good.\nStep 8: Make a budget for replacements Spring is when you replace the basics that have worn out. Be specific: I will buy one new pair of jeans ($98), one new white t-shirt ($40), one new bra ($.). This is how the cycle continues.\nWhy this is different from the standard advice The standard advice assumes you’ll be the same person, same body, next spring. Mine acknowledges that you might not be. The archive step is the crucial one. It means you can donate 60% of your closet to a friend who is that size and keep 40% in opaque bins, knowing the archive is there.\nIt means the clothes that don’t fit you fit someone. That is the point of a closet reset, not personal failure.\nWhat to do with the archive Two options:\nDonate it anyway, somewhere it’ll be used. The bins under the bed are a hidden hoard. Out of sight, out of mind, but never used. Don’t do this. Pass it to a friend who is that size or to a plus-size clothing exchange. This means the clothes get worn. I keep one archive bin (my smaller sizes, from 2022–2024) and use it when a friend is going through a similar shift. Otherwise, everything else goes to a donation center that resells clothes by size.\nDoing your own seasonal closet reset? Tell me how you handle the fluctuating-size problem — I’m collecting reader techniques for a future post.\n","cover":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1485231183945-fffde7cc051e?w=1600\u0026auto=format\u0026fm=webp\u0026fit=crop\u0026q=80","date":"2026-05-11","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/spring-closet-reset/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI spent last Sunday doing my spring closet reset. I have done these for four\nyears. The first one was a disaster — I donated everything that didn’t\nfit and was cold by November. The second was also a disaster, in the opposite\ndirection. The third and fourth I think I finally got right. Here’s the\nversion I use now.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-premise\"\u003eThe premise\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe classic advice on seasonal closet resets is: donate everything you\nhaven’t worn in a year, replace the basics, store the off-season. This\nadvice assumes a stable body and a stable life. For a plus-size woman whose\nweight fluctuates, the premise breaks down.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Spring Closet Reset for Real Bodies"},{"categories":["outfits","workwear"],"content":"I’m writing this on a Sunday night and the laundry is finally done. Here are three actual outfits I wore this week, with notes on why they worked, what I would change, and the exact products.\nMonday: the office plus a long meeting The vibe: My quarterly 1:1 with my manager. I want to look like I have the report and also like I have a life outside the report.\nThe pieces:\nThe black linen-blend trousers from Universal Standard \u0026ldquo;Muse\u0026rdquo; line. Mine are in a 22, and I own two pairs. A thick ivory ribbed t-shirt from Everlane. Tucked, with the front half tuck that doesn’t show the tucked lines. A camel blazer — camel blazer is one of those pieces that was supposed to be a \u0026ldquo;trick\u0026rdquo; but turned out to just be a great thing to own. Slides from Sarah Flint. Square toe, dark cognac, comfortable for a full workday. Why it worked:\nThe point of this outfit is that I never had to think about it. Everything went together. The blazer adds enough structure that the silhouette looks intentional even when I’m slouching. The trousers sit at the natural waist, which is the most under-discussed point of plus-size dressing: everything that sits at your actual natural waist changes how the rest of the outfit hangs.\nWhat I would change:\nNothing. I would not change anything.\nWednesday: errand day (and a coffee shop work session) The vibe: Grocery store, post office, three hours at a coffee shop pretending to do freelance work.\nThe pieces:\nA pair of Levi’s \u0026ldquo;Ribcage\u0026rdquo; straight-leg jeans. I found these in a vintage shop and they had been let out at the waist by 1.5 inches. I paid $20. They are the best-fitting pair of jeans I own. A long-line linen cardigan in cream, unbuttoned, over a black fitted tee. White leather low-top sneakers. I wear these more often than I used to. Why it worked:\nThe cardigan is doing most of the work here. A long-line cardigan over a fitted tee + high-waisted jeans makes a pear-shaped figure look proportional, not \u0026ldquo;everything below the waist.\u0026rdquo; The length covers the seat of the jeans in a way that I personally prefer on casual days.\nWhat I would change:\nThe shoes. I wore them for coffee shop work and by hour three my feet were over it. Going to replace with a low-profile white sneaker from a brand that actually prioritizes arch support. (— write-up coming.)\nSaturday: dinner with friends The vibe: My friend Sara is visiting and we are going to her favorite neighborhood Italian place. I want to look like I made an effort, but comfortable enough to eat the entire pasta course.\nThe pieces:\nA green wrap dress from Eloquii. Forest green. The wrap is deep V but the construction holds. Black tights, because it is January and I am not that brave. Low black block-heeled boots. I sized up a half size for these. A small gold pendant and a thicker gold earring. Mix metals, fight me. Why it worked:\nThe wrap dress is the single highest-leverage dress I own. It defines a waist without cinching, it skims the hips in a way that feels intentional, and the green is unusual enough that people compliment it without me feeling like I’m fishing.\nThe boots I bought this year. They’re from a brand called Dearfoams, the ’80s-as-house-shoes brand that has recently expanded into real shoes. I was skeptical. They are genuinely comfortable. I ate three courses and walked home without thinking about my feet.\nWhat I would change:\nI might add a longer coat on top. The wrap dress is short-sleeved and in January it is just barely cold enough to need a coat. I wore a denim jacket, which is fine, but a long wool coat would be better.\nThe note I want to leave you with Across all three outfits this week, only three things changed: the bottom, the top, and the shoe. The blazer, the cardigan, and the dress were all the same pieces I’ve owned for more than a year.\nI am not saying this to brag. I am saying it because I spent ten years thinking I needed a constantly rotating closet to feel like I had something to wear. I was wrong. The opposite was true.\nThe right pieces let you wear the same coat, the same jeans, the same dress in five or six configurations and feel dressed every time. That is the actual skill.\nLooking for outfit ideas for a specific moment? Tell me the moment. A wedding, a job interview, a brunch — I’ll dig through my closet and recommend what I’d wear.\n","cover":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1496747611176-843222e1e57c?w=1600\u0026auto=format\u0026fm=webp\u0026fit=crop\u0026q=80","date":"2026-03-16","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/three-outfits-real-week/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m writing this on a Sunday night and the laundry is finally done. Here\nare three actual outfits I wore this week, with notes on why they worked, what\nI would change, and the exact products.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"monday-the-office-plus-a-long-meeting\"\u003eMonday: the office plus a long meeting\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe vibe:\u003c/strong\u003e My quarterly 1:1 with my manager. I want to look like I have the\nreport and also like I have a life outside the report.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Three Outfits I Actually Wore This Week (Office, Errands, Dinner)"},{"categories":["brand-reviews","wardrobe-basics"],"content":"I have worn a lot of jeans. I have worn a lot of jeans and I have written a lot about the experience. This is the post I want a plus-size woman to find when she searches “what jeans should I buy” at 11 PM on a Tuesday in a fitting room about to give up. Save it. Send it to a friend. Use it.\nOver the last four years I have tried the brands that come up over and over in plus-size denim conversation. I’ve ordered from online-only brands. I wandered into mall stores and asked for the highest size on the rack. I tried Etsy. Most of it I returned. Some of it I kept. One brand I now own nine pairs from.\nHere is what I actually think about four denim brands that the plus-size fashion Internet tells me I should love.\n1. Universal Standard: 9.4 / 10 — I keep going back I bought my first pair of Universal Standard jeans in October 2019, black, straight-leg, in a size 22. I still own them. They have stretched exactly 0.5 cm at the waist, which I notice because I had a tailor measure them for this post.\nWhat works:\nFabric quality. This is the single most important thing in a jean and Universal Standard’s denim is heavier than what most brands use. It drapes better, holds shape better, and lasts longer. Their seat doesn’t bag. I have written about this elsewhere but it bears repeating. The \u0026ldquo;Muse\u0026rdquo; cuts are designed specifically for women whose hips measure more than their waist by more than 12 inches. They are made for this. Sizing is consistent. I am a 22 in their brand. I am a 22 every time. What doesn’t:\nPrice. Around $98 per pair. On sale, $80. For some people this is prohibitive. Shipping is slow. 5–7 days before you’ll see your pair if you order online. Best for: anyone whose jeans are at the center of their daily outfit. Buy two pairs at once. The cost-per-wear is unbeatable.\n2. Good American: 6.8 / 10 — good if you are shaped like me, but the brand has issues Good American was the first plus-size denim brand I bought outside of Torrid. Khlo茅 Kardashian’s brand. I had a moment of “oh, this is supposed to work for me” and ordered my first pair in 2020.\nThe denim is good. The cuts are flattering. There’s real variety. I still own three of the four pairs I’ve bought.\nWhat works:\nWide range of washes. They have the basics but also go deep into distressed, raw hem, coated, etc. Fits a specific body type really well. If you have a defined waist, a bigger butt, and a proportionally smaller waist, Good American will probably love you. Modern cuts. The straight-leg and wide-leg options are on trend. What doesn’t:\nThe inconsistencies. I’ve owned two pairs of the “Always Fits” style and they fit differently. Quality control varies. Sustainability. If you care about where your jeans come from (the water, the dye, the labor), look elsewhere. Best for: trying something new once or twice. Not your everyday jean.\n3. Torrid: 5.5 / 10 — they are getting better but I’m not sold Torrid is the answer I get when I ask friends “where do I get jeans for under $50.” So I tested Torrid over six months. I bought five pairs. I kept two.\nWhat works:\nCheap. You can get a pair for $45 during sales. That is real value. In-store. You can try jeans on in most mall-based Torrid locations. The staff are knowledgeable about plus-size fit. Variety. Wide leg, skinny, mom, flare, straight. They have it all. What doesn’t:\nQuality. Two of my five pairs had loose stitching on the inside seam by month three. Sizing changes between washes. The same pair of \u0026ldquo;size 22\u0026rdquo; had a slightly different fit between washes. Best for: fashion jeans, trend-driven washes, the one pair you don’t care about. Not your everyday workhorse jean.\n4. Old Navy: 4.5 / 10 — we have a complicated relationship Old Navy has been in plus-size denim for years. They have a \u0026ldquo;Curvy\u0026rdquo; line that is supposed to be designed for a defined waist-to-hip ratio.\nWhat works:\nCheap. Thirty-eight dollars on sale. Available everywhere. Stores in nearly every mall in America. Decent for casual. A pair for coffee, errands, casual Saturday. What doesn’t:\nThe Curvy line is inconsistent. I’ve owned pairs where the waist was great and the thigh was too tight. Lengths are wrong for taller plus-size women. Even at “tall” sizes, I’ve heard complaints from friends above 5’8\u0026quot;. The fit changes between washes. Same complaints as Torrid. Best for: backup pair, casual weekend, not the foundation of your wardrobe.\nSo which brand should I buy? If I had to pick one pair of jeans and recommend them to a plus-size woman who has never owned a pair she loved, it would be the Universal Standard \u0026ldquo;Muse\u0026rdquo; Straight. I would buy them on the company’s bi-annual sale (Memorial Day, Black Friday) and I would order true to your size (use their size chart, not your guess).\nIf the budget is real, start with Good American \u0026ldquo;Always Fits\u0026rdquo; — they have a returnability structure that lets you try a pair risk-free.\nFor absolute beginners trying to find something that fits before the denim conversation becomes overwhelming: Torrid + a fitting appointment in a real store.\nBut here’s the truth: jeans are not one-size-fits-all, and the size on the label is the least useful piece of information. The shape of the leg, the rise, the back pocket placement — these are why a jean feels right or wrong. Order from places with good return policies. Return what doesn’t fit. Don’t feel guilty about it.\nThe right pair is out there. They were not on the first rack at the first store you walked into. They might be on the second try, or the sixth try, or the twelfth try. They are out there.\nHave a denim brand you want me to test? Send me the name. I’ll order a pair and write the honest review.\n","cover":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1541099649105-f69ad21f3246?w=1600\u0026auto=format\u0026fm=webp\u0026fit=crop\u0026q=80","date":"2026-03-09","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/plus-size-denim-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have worn a lot of jeans. I have worn a lot of jeans and I have written a lot\nabout the experience. This is the post I want a plus-size woman to find when she\nsearches “what jeans should I buy” at 11 PM on a Tuesday in a\nfitting room about to give up. Save it. Send it to a friend. Use it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the last four years I have tried the brands that come up over and over in\nplus-size denim conversation. I’ve ordered from online-only brands. I\nwandered into mall stores and asked for the highest size on the rack. I tried\nEtsy. Most of it I returned. Some of it I kept. One brand I now own nine pairs\nfrom.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Honestly Reviewing 4 Plus-Size Denim Brands I\u0026rsquo;ve Worn Since 2019"},{"categories":["wardrobe-basics"],"content":"I have been every size between 14 and 24 in the last ten years. I have gained and lost and gained back. Through all of that, six pieces have stayed with me — bought new, donated, replaced, and re-bought. They are the only six basics worth spending real money on in a plus-size wardrobe. Here is each, honestly.\n1. The white t-shirt You will read this and think “obviously.” Stay with me.\nThe white t-shirt that earns a permanent spot is the one with:\nA slightly relaxed fit through the body, not baggy, not skin-tight A sleeve that hits at mid-bicep, not cap-sleeve and not long-sleeve A crew neck that sits just below the collarbone, not too high, not too low A fabric with weight — not tissue-thin, not heavy I currently wear Everlane’s \u0026ldquo;Heavyweight\u0026rdquo; cotton tee in a 2X. Before that, I wore Universal Standard’s \u0026ldquo;Tee\u0026rdquo; in the same fit. Both are around $40. Both last.\nThe reason this earns the spend is that I wear it almost every day, in some configuration. Layering under a cardigan. Under a blazer. Tucked into jeans. Loose over trousers. White is the most versatile color in a wardrobe. It shows every stain, which means I am in the habit of treating it well, which means it lasts.\n2. The straight-leg trouser I have already written about this in the workwear capsule post. The point bears repeating: the straight-leg trouser is the single most useful item made for plus-size women in the last ten years. The skinny and bootcut eras served us; the straight leg era is here.\nThe specifics:\nHigh-rise (covers the natural waist) Straight from hip to ankle Fabric with stretch (about 2–4% elastane) so they move A longer inseam (32+ inches) so the ankle break sits correctly I own three colors: black, walnut brown, ivory. That’s three pairs in the rotation, washed in cold water, hung to dry. I have owned the black pair for two and a half years and it is still in my closet.\n3. The structured denim jacket A denim jacket is a wardrobe basic, but a structured denim jacket is a styling tool. The structure is what makes it work over a dress, work over a skirt, work over jeans without looking redundant.\nMine is from Levi’s — the \u0026ldquo;Trucker\u0026rdquo; jacket in their plus-size line. I sized up to allow for a sweater underneath. It has held its shape for three years of regular wear.\nThe reason this earns the spend: a structured jacket turns any outfit into a thirds-based outfit (top, middle, bottom), which is the most flattering proportion for a pear-shaped figure. Without it, you’re working with top and bottom. With it, you’re working with three. The difference shows up in photos and in real life.\n4. The wrap dress I have said everything about the wrap dress already in other posts. The brief version: a wrap dress with a deep V and a constructed bodice will be the single hardest-working dress in your closet. It fits when your weight fluctuates. It travels well. It looks intentional at every formality from \u0026ldquo;casual\u0026rdquo; to \u0026ldquo;cocktail wedding.\u0026rdquo;\nMine is from Eloquii. They’ve had the same wrap dress in their catalog for three years; I have owned two colors.\n5. The blazer I wrote a whole post about this in the capsule post. The blazer is not a going-out piece. It is a wardrobe infrastructure piece.\nThe specific one I wear is the Spanx \u0026ldquo;Perfect Collection\u0026rdquo; blazer in a size 22 (it’s their \u0026ldquo;regular fit,\u0026rdquo; not \u0026ldquo;relaxed\u0026rdquo;). I have owned it for three years. I have not had it altered. I have worn it to job interviews, weddings, funerals, workdays where nothing was happening, and workdays where everything was happening.\nA blazer over a white t-shirt and jeans is the most-respected \u0026ldquo;I have a life\u0026rdquo; uniform a plus-size woman can wear.\n6. The leather (or leather-look) loafer The loafer is the new sneaker. It is the shoe that goes with trousers, with skirts, with dresses, with cropped jeans, with shorts. It carries a polish and an off-duty feel at the same time.\nMine is from Sam Edelman. Black leather. I had them re-soled once in two years. They are not a perfect shoe but they are an enduring shoe.\nIf you want the real-shoe version, look at Everlane’s \u0026ldquo;Day Loafer\u0026rdquo; in their extended sizing. They go up to size 13.\nWhat basic earned your permanent spot? I’m collecting reader recommendations for a future post — if you have a piece that survived multiple sizes, multiple seasons, and multiple phases of your wardrobe, tell me what it is.\n","cover":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1489987707025-afc232f7ea0f?w=1600\u0026auto=format\u0026fm=webp\u0026fit=crop\u0026q=80","date":"2026-04-13","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/6-wardrobe-basics/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have been every size between 14 and 24 in the last ten years. I have gained\nand lost and gained back. Through all of that, six pieces have stayed with me\n— bought new, donated, replaced, and re-bought. They are the only six\nbasics worth spending real money on in a plus-size wardrobe. Here is each,\nhonestly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"1-the-white-t-shirt\"\u003e1. The white t-shirt\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou will read this and think “obviously.” Stay with me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The 6 Basics I Keep Buying for Every Size"},{"categories":["style-life","brand-reviews"],"content":"I have written a version of this post three times in the last two years, and every time I deleted it because I thought the discourse had moved on.\nIt hasn’t.\nSo here it is. The un-deleted version. Why I stopped hating plus-size sections and what I think the “no plus-size sections” conversation gets wrong.\nThe position I used to hold For most of my twenties, this is what I believed: plus-size sections, whether physical or online, are segregation. They’re a way for brands to signal “we acknowledge fat people exist” without actually putting fat people in the same room as everyone else. The real solution is for stores to have everything available in every size.\nI still believe the second half. Brands should make everything in every size. The first half I have come to revise. Let me explain.\nWhy I changed my mind Three things shifted my position.\n1. The plus-size section gives brands permission to design specifically for plus-size bodies A lot of “extended sizes” in straight-size collections are designed straight-size and then graded up. The armholes on a men’s XL are not the same as a men’s XL that was designed in the XL. Same with women’s.\nA plus-size section that is treated as a real — not a grudging, pink-shower-curtain-aisle — section of the store is where plus-size designers get to work. Where fits are designed in plus first, not plus last.\nWhen I see a brand with a plus-size section that has clearly been built around plus-size designers, I see better plus-size clothes. That’s a real benefit, not a marketing trick.\n2. The plus-size section makes plus-size shopping less humiliating Let’s be honest about this. Many plus-size women, including me, have walked into a straight-size store, asked for the largest size, been told “we don’t carry that,” and felt smaller than a size.\nA plus-size section that’s well-stocked, well-lit, and well-organized says “you are expected here.” That is a small thing. It is not a small thing.\n3. The alternative is not reality The ideal — every style in every size in every store — is a vision worth fighting for. It’s also not happening at scale yet. Until it does, denying the value of a well-built plus-size section harms the people who actually shop them.\nWhat I still criticize I am not arguing that current plus-size sections are good enough. Here is what still grinds my gears:\nThe same six styles in every plus-size section. Wrap dress. A-line dress. Stretchy trousers. Cardigan. Tunic. Repeat. The plus-size section in many stores is a study in unspecific design. Marked-up plus-size pricing. Many brands charge more for plus-size versions of the same item. Not all. Some are egregious. Bigger sizes aren’t shown on real bodies. Marketed with the same sample-size models as the straight-size line. The body in the photo is supposed to imagine themselves in the outfit, even though the body in the outfit is usually NOT the body in the photo. These are real problems. The answer is not “remove the section.” The answer is “fund the section.”\nWhat a good plus-size section looks like A few brands, mostly newer ones, are getting this right:\nEloquii — the entire brand IS a plus-size section, designed in-plus from day one. Universal Standard — their Fit Liberty program swaps out jeans when your weight changes. They treat their plus-size line as their flagship line. Maeve — Anthropologie’s sister brand has been adding sizes steadily and not as an afterthought. The common thread: these brands “designed in plus” rather than “added plus to existing designs.” That distinction is the one that matters.\nWhat I want next I want more brands to have a clear, well-funded, design-led plus-size section. I want straight-size brands to do the same. I do not want anyone to apologize for running one.\nThe argument that “we just need one section for everyone” is correct as an ideal and wrong as a tactic for getting there. Today’s plus-size section, done well, is the bridge to that ideal.\nTomorrow’s plus-size section won’t exist because we won’t need it. We’re not at tomorrow yet.\nHave a brand doing plus-size right (or wrong)? Send the name and what happened — I’m collecting reader reviews for a future post.\n","cover":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1525507119028-ed4c629a60a3?w=1600\u0026auto=format\u0026fm=webp\u0026fit=crop\u0026q=80","date":"2026-05-04","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/posts/why-i-stopped-hating-plus-size-sections/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have written a version of this post three times in the last two years, and\nevery time I deleted it because I thought the discourse had moved on.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt hasn’t.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo here it is. The un-deleted version. Why I stopped hating plus-size sections\nand what I think the “no plus-size sections” conversation gets wrong.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-position-i-used-to-hold\"\u003eThe position I used to hold\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor most of my twenties, this is what I believed: plus-size sections, whether\nphysical or online, are segregation. They’re a way for brands to signal\n“we acknowledge fat people exist” without actually putting fat\npeople in the same room as everyone else. The real solution is for stores\nto have everything available in every size.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Why I Stopped Hating Plus-Size Sections"},{"categories":null,"content":"We respect your privacy. Here is exactly what we collect, what we don\u0026rsquo;t, and how to reach us about either.\nThe short version No tracking is required to read this site. Affiliate links may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. Email subscriptions are stored with our newsletter provider until you unsubscribe. Cookies are used only for theme preference and newsletter session state. No advertising cookies. No data is sold. Ever. What we collect and why Email address (newsletter) If you sign up for the Sunday letter, we store your email with our newsletter provider so we can send you the newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email. The newsletter provider may log opens and clicks in aggregate.\nComments Comments are powered by a third-party service (GitHub Discussions via Giscus). Your comment, display name, and the URL of the article are stored on GitHub. We do not have a separate database of comments.\nServer logs Like every website, our hosting provider stores basic request logs (IP, user-agent, request URL) for a limited time to operate the service and prevent abuse. These logs are not sold or shared.\nCookies in use Cookie Purpose Duration Type pref-theme Remembers light/dark preference 1 year Functional nlShown / newsletter.session.shown Reminds us not to re-open the newsletter modal Session / 7 days Functional gabbis.cookie.consent.v1 Remembers your cookie consent choice 1 year Functional gabbis.search.recent Remembers recent search terms local / 1 year Functional We do not use advertising cookies, third-party tracking pixels, or analytics that identify you personally.\nAffiliate links Some links on this site are affiliate links. When you click one and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate links do not change what you pay, and we only recommend things we genuinely use.\nAffiliate networks may use cookies to attribute the sale. You can read each program\u0026rsquo;s policy at:\nAmazon Associates privacy notice Skimlinks privacy notice LTK privacy notice Embedded content from other websites Articles on this site may embed videos, images, or posts from third parties (e.g. Unsplash for photos). Embedded content from other websites behaves exactly as if you visited that website directly — those sites may collect data, use cookies, or track your interaction.\nEach post is written in my own words. Where I draw on a brand quote, news item, or another writer\u0026rsquo;s research, I link to the original source.\nYour rights You can:\nUnsubscribe from the newsletter at any time (link in every email). Request deletion of your email by writing to contact@heregoesgabbis.com. Delete your comment by editing or removing the GitHub Discussion. Clear local cookies via your browser settings. If you are in the EU/EEA, GDPR applies; if you are in California, the CCPA applies. Both give you the right to access and delete your data. We honor both.\nChildren This site is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect information from children.\nChanges If we change anything material, we\u0026rsquo;ll update this page and the effective date below.\nEffective: August 30, 2026\nContact Privacy questions: contact@heregoesgabbis.com\nThanks for reading carefully — that\u0026rsquo;s the highest compliment a privacy page can get.\n","cover":"","date":"2026-08-30","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/privacy-policy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWe respect your privacy. Here is exactly what we collect, what we don\u0026rsquo;t, and how to reach us about either.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-short-version\"\u003eThe short version\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo tracking is required\u003c/strong\u003e to read this site.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAffiliate links\u003c/strong\u003e may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEmail subscriptions\u003c/strong\u003e are stored with our newsletter provider until you unsubscribe.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCookies\u003c/strong\u003e are used only for theme preference and newsletter session state. No advertising cookies.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo data is sold.\u003c/strong\u003e Ever.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"what-we-collect-and-why\"\u003eWhat we collect and why\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"email-address-newsletter\"\u003eEmail address (newsletter)\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you sign up for the Sunday letter, we store your email with our newsletter provider so we can send you the newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email. The newsletter provider may log opens and clicks in aggregate.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Privacy \u0026 Cookies"},{"categories":null,"content":"Say hi. We read every email.\nEmail: contact@heregoesgabbis.com Instagram: @heregoesgabbis Pinterest: Here Goes Gabbis We respond to thoughtful emails within a week. Brand pitches, press, and collaboration requests welcome — please include \u0026ldquo;collaboration\u0026rdquo; in your subject line.\n","cover":"","date":"2026-08-01","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/contact/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSay hi.\u003c/strong\u003e We read every email.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEmail: \u003ca href=\"mailto:contact@heregoesgabbis.com\"\u003econtact@heregoesgabbis.com\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInstagram: \u003ca href=\"https://instagram.com/\"\u003e@heregoesgabbis\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePinterest: \u003ca href=\"https://pinterest.com/\"\u003eHere Goes Gabbis\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe respond to thoughtful emails within a week. Brand pitches, press, and collaboration requests welcome — please include \u0026ldquo;collaboration\u0026rdquo; in your subject line.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Contact"},{"categories":null,"content":"This site is a personal blog about plus-size style. We sometimes earn a small commission when you buy something we recommend — at no extra cost to you.\nAffiliate links Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. We only recommend products we genuinely use and love. Affiliate income helps keep this site running.\nSponsored content If a post is sponsored, we\u0026rsquo;ll say so at the top of the article, clearly. Our opinions are always our own.\nPress samples We occasionally receive clothing or products from brands to photograph and review. If a review item was gifted, we disclose it in the post. We are never paid to publish a positive review.\nMedical disclaimer Posts on this site are about style and clothing, not medical advice. Always check fit and comfort for your own body.\nThanks for supporting independent style writing.\n","cover":"","date":"2026-08-01","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/disclosure/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis site is a personal blog about plus-size style. We sometimes earn a small commission when you buy something we recommend — at no extra cost to you.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"affiliate-links\"\u003eAffiliate links\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome links on this site are affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. We only recommend products we genuinely use and love. Affiliate income helps keep this site running.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"sponsored-content\"\u003eSponsored content\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf a post is sponsored, we\u0026rsquo;ll say so at the top of the article, clearly. Our opinions are always our own.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Disclosure"},{"categories":null,"content":"Hi — I\u0026rsquo;m so glad you stopped by.\nWho I am I\u0026rsquo;m Gabbi — a plus-size woman in my thirties, working a regular office job, living a regular life, and trying to love getting dressed. I\u0026rsquo;ve been every size between a 14 and a 24 over the last decade, and the only thing that\u0026rsquo;s actually changed how I feel about clothes is how I shop and what I expect from brands — not the number on the tag.\nI started this journal because every time I found a pair of jeans that fit, or a brand that didn\u0026rsquo;t assume I wanted to hide my body, I thought: someone should write this down. So here I am, writing it down.\nWhat you\u0026rsquo;ll find here Outfit ideas for real days — work, weekend, weddings, that one weird dinner Styling tips — proportion tricks, color, fit, and the small things that change everything Brand reviews — honest takes on plus-size and extended-size labels. What fits, what doesn\u0026rsquo;t, what\u0026rsquo;s worth your money. Workwear — office outfits that aren\u0026rsquo;t afraid to be seen on a body like mine Wardrobe basics — the foundation pieces you\u0026rsquo;ll wear 100 times What you won\u0026rsquo;t find here Thin-washing or body-shaming — not from me, not from anyone I link to Sponsored posts pretending to be reviews Anything written by AI pretending to be me Why I share Mostly because I\u0026rsquo;m tired of feeling like I\u0026rsquo;m the only one who can\u0026rsquo;t find jeans that fit. If even one outfit idea here saves you from a fitting room meltdown, this journal has done its job.\nIf you have a question, a brand you want me to review, or a fit question you can\u0026rsquo;t figure out, drop me an email. I read every message.\nThanks for being here.\n— Gabbi\nA note on affiliate links Some links on this site are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy something through them. It costs you nothing extra and helps me keep writing. I only ever recommend things I actually own, actually wear, or have thoroughly researched. The FTC-required full disclosure is here.\nWant to follow along? The easiest way is the Sunday letter — one short note in your inbox every Sunday. No filler, just outfit photos and one styling idea you can try the same day.\nOtherwise, wander the home page or the full archive at your own pace. Either way — thanks for being here.\n","cover":"","date":"2026-01-02","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/about/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHi — I\u0026rsquo;m so glad you stopped by.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"who-i-am\"\u003eWho I am\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m Gabbi — a plus-size woman in my thirties, working a regular office job, living a regular life, and trying to love getting dressed. I\u0026rsquo;ve been every size between a 14 and a 24 over the last decade, and the only thing that\u0026rsquo;s actually changed how I feel about clothes is \u003cstrong\u003ehow I shop and what I expect from brands\u003c/strong\u003e — not the number on the tag.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Gabbi"},{"categories":null,"content":"Terms of Use Last updated: January 2, 2026\nContent ownership All content on heregoesgabbis.com — including but not limited to blog posts, photos, outfit descriptions, brand reviews, and graphics — is owned by Gabbi unless otherwise noted. You may not republish, sell, or syndicate any of it without written permission.\nYou may:\nShare links to posts on social media Quote up to 200 words with attribution and a link back to the original post You may not:\nRepublish full posts on your own site, even with credit Use my photos as your own Scrape the site with bots Affiliate links Some links on this site are affiliate links. See the full disclosure for details.\nNo professional advice I\u0026rsquo;m a blogger, not a stylist, therapist, or financial advisor. Nothing on this site is meant to diagnose, treat, or replace professional advice. If you have body-image concerns that affect your daily life, please talk to a qualified therapist.\nComments If comments are enabled in the future, I reserve the right to delete any comment that is hateful, spam, or off-topic. I want this to be a kind place to read.\nLiability I do my best to keep outfit details and brand information accurate, but I am not responsible if a brand changes their sizing, discontinues a product, or ships something different from what I described. Fit is also highly personal — what works for my body may not work for yours.\nChanges I may update these terms occasionally. The \u0026ldquo;Last updated\u0026rdquo; date will always reflect the most recent change.\nContact Questions about these terms? Email contact@heregoesgabbis.com.\n","cover":"","date":"2026-01-02","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/terms/","summary":"\u003ch1 id=\"terms-of-use\"\u003eTerms of Use\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLast updated: January 2, 2026\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"content-ownership\"\u003eContent ownership\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll content on \u003cstrong\u003eheregoesgabbis.com\u003c/strong\u003e — including but not limited to blog posts, photos, outfit descriptions, brand reviews, and graphics — is owned by \u003cstrong\u003eGabbi\u003c/strong\u003e unless otherwise noted. You may not republish, sell, or syndicate any of it without written permission.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou \u003cstrong\u003emay\u003c/strong\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShare links to posts on social media\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eQuote up to 200 words with attribution and a link back to the original post\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou \u003cstrong\u003emay not\u003c/strong\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Terms of Use"},{"categories":null,"content":"","cover":"","date":"0001-01-01","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/categories/brand-reviews/","summary":"","title":"Brand Reviews"},{"categories":null,"content":"","cover":"","date":"0001-01-01","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/categories/outfits/","summary":"","title":"Outfits \u0026amp; Looks"},{"categories":null,"content":"","cover":"","date":"0001-01-01","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/categories/style-life/","summary":"","title":"Style \u0026amp; Life"},{"categories":null,"content":"","cover":"","date":"0001-01-01","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/categories/styling-tips/","summary":"","title":"Styling Tips"},{"categories":null,"content":"","cover":"","date":"0001-01-01","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/categories/wardrobe-basics/","summary":"","title":"Wardrobe Basics"},{"categories":null,"content":"","cover":"","date":"0001-01-01","permalink":"https://heregoesgabbis.com/categories/workwear/","summary":"","title":"Workwear"}]