Francesca is back!
Oh, kissie kissie, it is so good to be here! Kissies on both cheeks! xoxo!
Where has Francesca been, you ask?
Francesca has been sick.
Francesca was so sick, my friends, that she did not even have the energy to crawl to her shoe closet in order to admire and caress her new Vaneli boots.
Can you imagine?
And all this time, Francesca has been thinking of her dear readers. In the depth of her feverish haze, she cried out repeatedly “I did not mean that one should say it out loud!” Because, you see, in my last post, oh so many days ago, when I suggested that the “question,” when a friend loses weight, should be
“did you lose the weight in a healthy way? Are you actually healthier now than you were before? If so, congratulations! If not, is worrying about your (subjective) beauty more important than worrying about your mental, emotional, and physical health? How can I support you in what you really need?”
Francesca did not mean that you should necessarily say these thing aloud! No, no, she meant that this would be the best attitude to take, and she wishes that our society in general took this approach. As to what to actually say to a good friend or a mere acquaintance who has lost weight . . . well, perhaps we can open that up for a discussion in a future post!
And the second thing I wish to say, in response to Plumcake’s last post, is that it is no secret that Francesca is a fan of the fantasy literature, and of the Rennaissance Faire clothing, and of the flowy, wispy, feminine clothing in general. But as many readers stated, there is good wispy clothing and bad wispy clothing; flowy clothing that shows off one’s style and coloring and shape to advantage, and flowy clothing that only serves to make one look like a cow; there are times to wear the Renaissance clothes and times to wear the Renaissance-inspired clothes and times to wear neither. And in general, a good rule of thumb is to aspire to look like the Renaissance Lady of Good Breeding, and not the Renaissance Lady of Ill Repute.
Francesca has noticed that a disproportionate percentage of the sci-fi/fantasy female fandom world is made up of our Big Sisters, and wonders why that is . . . it is an interesting social question. But do not mock the clothing out of hand! You would never believe how many compliments Francesca receives on her LOTR cape, which was only $12.99 on sale at Size Appeal but is coveted by most of her skinny, non-fanfic friends. Random people on the street stop to tell her how much they love her cape.
But she would not wear it to a red-carpet event.
I think it’s because larger women are more accepted in the Ren-Faire world. I have plenty of plus-size actress friends who do the wench thing in the summers and LOVE it.
Comment by sara — February 13, 2008 @ 12:54 pm
Ohhh…ohhhh…ohhhhh….I’ve never seen Size Appeal before!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. It is duly bookmarked for regular visitation.
Comment by maritzia — February 13, 2008 @ 2:00 pm
Welcome back…hope you are all better!
Great boots…sigh. I have spent the winter searching out fabulous, affordable boots that zip up over my ginormous calf muscles. Alas, I haven’t found them. Outfits that would look great with boots I have been wearing with my Keen black mary janes. Sigh again…
Comment by kristin — February 13, 2008 @ 2:05 pm
In the Ren Faire/SCA/sci-fi/gaming communities, there’s greater acceptance of a wider range of shapes and sizes for both sexes, I think. It’s a world where the very large lady can be the sexiest woman in the room, and where the very tiny man can find adoration for his physique. It’s a world where the mind and the imagination are valued over the body. Toleration is a way of life, so each of us can find ways to shine. An SCA revel was the first place I ever felt sexy down to my bones. I met my husband at Faire.
And I have turned a hell of a lot of heads in a positive way on the streets when I’ve been wearing my Stevie Nicks/Ren Faire/Pre-Raphealite clothes because they are a) well chosen, b) properly fitted, and c) worn to express my spirit. Some of us are made for the button-down look, but some of us simply aren’t. Vive la difference!
Francesca, you must have been ill indeed to be too sick to pet those new boots. They are every bit as fabulous as you are! Take care of yourself, hon. It’s good to have you back.
Comment by Twistie — February 13, 2008 @ 2:19 pm
J’ai trouv
Comment by FAIRE CUISINE — July 22, 2008 @ 11:08 pm