Smart Glamour and Body Positivity

Today, I'm excited to introduce you to a company that is doing some very amazing things. 

Alexa Low-High Tank - customized with sleeves:  c/o Smart Glamour (Available here)

Smart Glamour, owned by designer Mallorie Carrington, offers affordable made-to-order women's fashion. 

I was very excited when Mallorie reached out to me about doing a collaboration with her company.  As I've learned more information about Smart Glamour, I find my respect and admiration for everything she is doing continues to increase.

Skirt:  The Limited
Booties:  Target (Available here)

One of the things I really love about Smart Glamour is that you will always know where your clothes come from!  All of Mallorie's designs are handmade by her in Queens, NY.  Her turnaround time is 5-7 business days (which is amazing for made-to-order pieces!), and she purchases her fabrics in Manhattan. 

As her company grows, Mallorie plans to first hire NY freelancers to help and then eventually head to production houses to manufacture. She attests that her manufacturing will always be done in USA-based production houses that she can visit personally to ensure that workers are treated fairly.

Earrings:  Torrid (Available here)
Bracelets:  New York & Company

In addition to ensuring fair labor practices, Mallorie hopes to promote body confidence through her work. 

Smart Glamour offers custom sizing and other customizations to ensure a good fit and all the details that will make you feel your best (lower or raise a hemline, add or remove sleeves depending on preference).

Besides ensuring that her clothes fit women of every size at a very reasonable price, Mallorie has started a campaign to encourage women to know their measurements.  She emphasizes that our measurements are just numbers and that knowing them puts US in control of our bodies and our clothing purchases.  She started a social media campaign for women to share their measurements, using the hashtag, #measuremebeautiful.

Skirt:  Target

I find this campaign to be such an amazing and empowering idea. So many women don't know their own measurements, are scared to take their own measurements, and even more afraid about sharing those measurements with the world.  The #measuremebeautiful campaign helps us see so many different body types and to get a better understanding of body size/shape and the measurements that may go with that.

Rings:  Torrid, eloquii (Available here, and here)

So many of us don't really understand what other women's bodies look like without airbrushing, and we certainly haven't been shown other women's measurements.  I grew up with the notion that to be "perfect," I needed measurements of 34"-24"-34" because that is the ideal that many of us have been taught.

I have NEVER had these proportions.  At my thinnest...when I was wearing a size 0...when girls' clothing was too big for my waist, my waist was bigger than this, my hips smaller.

This set of measurements is just that - a set of numbers, no more or less beautiful than any other set because they're JUST NUMBERS, after all!

Necklace:  Ixora Boutique

As I have talked about on the blog before, women's clothing sizes are extremely inconsistent.  Knowing your measurements is a useful tool in shopping for new clothes, but it also helps do away with some of that anxiety that often comes with having to choose a bigger size with a particular brand or store.

In addition to promoting body confidence, Mallorie also works to reduce conflict and negativity between women that so often comes with the competition over appearance (and the attention and social success that comes with it).  She is off to an amazing start with her company and this campaign.  The idea of women sharing their measurements, putting themselves out there, choosing not to compete with other women (or themselves) is PARADIGM-SHIFTING.

Shoes:  Target

I admit...I struggled with the thought of sharing my measurements.  I know I'm overweight...you read my blog - you know I'm overweight.  There's no secret I'm hiding, but for some reason it's been more difficult to share my clothing size or my measurements. 

It wasn't until just recently I started sharing my clothing size with people outside of a few close acquaintances.  That ideal of "perfection" that I constantly fight has for too long reared its ugly head and forced me to put up a front.

But why hide my clothing size?  It's just a number, an inconsistent one at that!  So, I've started doing it!  The earth didn't stop rotating.  The ground didn't open up and swallow me hole.  In fact, no one has even batted an eyelash or made a disparaging remark. 

So, with that thought, why not share my measurements too?  They're just numbers - numbers that represent a few of my body's proportions.  They don't define me any more than your measurements define you.

I encourage you to take your own measurements if you don't already know them.  If you're so inclined, share them and join the SmartGlamour campaign!

Do you know your own measurements?  Would you buy custom-made clothing?

For the pencil skirt in other looks, see here, here, here, here, and here.
For the sheer maxi skirt in other looks, see here, here, and here.

Disclaimer:  This top was provided in exchange for reviewing the product.  All opinions are my own.