An Introduction from Gemma Cartwright

As far as I’m concerned, there couldn’t be a better time for Evans to launch a blog.

‘Plus size’ is the hot topic of the moment. The mainstream press is finally catching on to something Evans and its shoppers have known for years – that all women want to (and can) look great, not just those who’re a size 8. Models like Crystal Renn and Hayley Morley (and other stars of the amazing Evans supermodel shoot) are in great demand as mags and newspapers fall over themselves to feature curvier women. And while some might consider this coverage to be too little too late, I think anything that promotes and supports women of all shapes and sizes is a good thing.

I was honoured to be asked to be involved in the launch of this blog. I’ve been writing about fashion online since I was about 18, and it’s always been my opinion that fashion should be for everyone, not just those who happen to fit a stereotype.

My first foray into online fashion was Catwalk Queen, a mainstream shopping and fashion news website. Editing that site involved going to lots of events, attending shows and interviewing designers, and though I loved the amazing opportunities I had, it also opened my eyes to how narrow-minded the industry can be. I often found myself feeling frumpy, fat and too big for the clothes I was writing about.

This led me to launch BigGirlsBrowse.com – the name coming from the fact I felt so big in a sea of slim fashionistas. My measurements are actually just off the national average (which is about a size 16 depending on the shop) and it struck me that if I felt alienated, everyone else must do too.

Evans is one of the few retailers that understand the plight of the larger lady. They don’t just scale things up to bigger sizes for the sake of a sale. They cut for a more voluptuous figure from the start, meaning things are more flattering, fit better and look better as a result. I’m really excited to see what they have in store for us over the next few months, and even more excited to be able to have my say about it all on this blog. If you have any questions, thoughts or comments, do let me know. I’ll be guest blogging for a few weeks and would love your input on what I should write about!