The Body Collective - Fearless Style At Any Size

Episode Date: October 17, 2024

In episode 4, we’re talking about wearing what you want, when you want. And we have a special guest with us, Julee Wilson, who is beauty editor-at-large from Cosmopolitan magazine! She’s chatting with us about the evolution of plus-size representation in fashion and providing tips for putting together fits that feel good. The ladies talk about their formative fashion memories and how their personal style has evolved. Plus, we’re crowdsourcing favorite inclusive brands that are doing the work. The Body Collective series is sponsored by WeightWatchers. The content in this podcast should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. You can follow our hosts  Katie Sturino @katiesturino on Instagram   Hunter McGrady @huntermcgrady on Instagram   Ashley Longshore @ashleylongshoreworld on Instagram Tracy Moore @thetracymoore on Instagram And our guest Julee Wilson on Instagram @missjulee Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. You can share your story at https://www.speakpipe.com/bodycollective See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lemonade. Hey, everyone. Welcome to the Body Collective podcast. We're here to change the conversation about weight. We're going to take everything we've learned about shame, unlearn it, and transform it into a source of power. And I'm doing it with some of my greatest girlfriends. You're going to love them.

Who am I? I'm Katie Storino. I'm the founder of Mega Baby Beauty. I'm a body acceptance advocate, and I am the co-host of this podcast. Hi, I'm Hunter McGrady. I'm a mom of two, a plus-size model, body image advocate, and we are going to dive in. My name is Ashley Longshore. I'm an artist, an entrepreneur, an author, and an overall wild woman that loves chicken

strips and ranch. My name is Tracy Moore. I've been a broadcaster in Toronto, Canada for over 20 years and man has my body changed over my time on television. Let's face it, everyone, we are in a whole new era for the body. With medications on the rise, people seem to be talking about weight more than ever.

But how do we do so in a way that feels healthy, empowering, and informed? In this series, we're chatting with friends and experts to help us navigate the hard conversations. They are hard so we can listen to our bodies, advocate for ourselves, and feel comfortable in our own skin, the most important thing. So no matter what your journey with weight is, and I know we've all been there, please trust this is a judgment-free zone.

And today we're talking about a topic near and dear to my heart, fashion, wearing what you want when you want. And we have a special guest with us, Julie Wilson, who is beauty editor at large from Cosmopolitan Magazine. Y'all, seriously, let's just get into this. I am so happy that this episode is all about fashion and clothes today and shopping. I am serious. I am serious because it's, you know what, it's fall and fall is like immediately we

jump out of the pool and we're like, what jeans are you getting? And so I feel like that is, that's the mode I'm in. I'm shopping. Fall fashion for me was always something that I loved growing up. I have a very particular memory of myself in high school, which I will share with you right now. I got a pleather mini skirt with a matching pleather jacket and knee-high socks. And I wore it once to school. My mom was so upset that I got it or wore it out of the house.

But like, I felt like that was my moment when I was like, you know what? I need to get to a bigger league because people don't get it here. You know? Well, I like that. Where did you get it from? Cole's department store.

I love it. Nice. Yeah. I love it. So wait, she was upset because it was pleather or it was a mini skirt or because it was just two adults? Let's go with all three. Okay, yeah. Yeah, I think. Yeah. That is so funny.

What about you guys? I love fall because I'm like, I'm not wearing underwear. Like, jeans are just like really big underwear. No, no. Yes! No, you must have microscopic vagina lips because I... If I wear jeans without underwear,

they will, like, eat me. Yes. You guys are wearing jeans? Uh-huh. I'm... Hell no, I'm not wearing anything with a button at this point in time right now. No. Jeans are hard. Jeans are hard. I was gonna say, what jeans are fitting you guys? First of all, they're literally hard pants, I think.

And I have, like, two pairs of jeans now that I just got that I'm in love with, and I still wouldn't put them on unless they absolutely went with a look that I was achieving that day. Like they're not, I'm like Ashley, like I don't want under clothes at all. Like I don't want, remember naked house?

Like no bras at home, sometimes underwear, sometimes not, like I'm wearing a flowy dress. Oh at home, yeah, no undergarments. You know what? You know what? You know what? I'm just doing this. Take it off.

I'm doing this right now. Take it off. I'm doing this right now. Yes, queen. Yes, queen. I have had enough of this thing. Enough, yeah. Lifting me, pitching me, cinching me.

I've had it. No, we're not wearing bras the rest of the year. We're not. Ashley said it first. I don't know what else to tell any of you. Fuck it. I, we're not wearing bras the rest of the year. We're not. Ashley said it first. I don't know what else to tell anybody. Fuck it. I'm gonna, actually one time I tried to burn my bra in front of the gallery.

I was super hungover. This was years ago. And I was like, you know what guys, let's go out on the street. I'm gonna light this bra on fire. And I got one of those like, you know, grill lighters. They're freaking flame retardant. You can't even burn a bra anymore.

People are like, keep walking, it's just New York. So I went to a very kind of uppity high school and even though during high school time, I actually was around a size two, two four, very thin, but I still even being on like the, was around a size two, two four, very thin. But I still even being on like the head, like that was like, I used to get called fat every single day you guys don't understand. Like literally even at a two.

As the two? Oh yeah, and I'm six feet tall. Like I was a string bean and every, the bullying was actually so bad, I ended up doing homeschooling sophomore year on. Anyways, that's for a different conversation, but I remember every girl in school was wearing Juicy Couture sweatsuits.

And I remember going and going to Juicy Couture, it was all I wanted. They were so expensive. And my mom was like, you get one gift for Christmas and it's that. That's it. And I was like, I'll take it. I remember going to the store and the only size that fit me at that time was the large, because again, I'm hip. I'm very hippie. The hips that I was so mortified by for so long, like I was so embarrassed of my hips, is now the reason

that I am where I am at, you know. You're on the cover of Sports Illustrated, so I'm super proud of it. But I remember the size large fit me and I was so mortified. I was so embarrassed. I left the store. I was like, I'm not buying a size large. I cannot believe I'm going to wait until the small fits me before I buy this jumpsuit. And it was so like, that was so ingrained in my head because I had seen all these little teeny tiny I'm also a really big like I have a bigger frame,

I'm tall, I'm I've always been that way. And I wanted so badly to shrink myself, to be tiny, to be short, to be petite, to be called petite. Oh my God, was like my dream. And I was like, I'm not buying it until it can be as small because how horrifying. What if someone sees that it's a large? And guys, I'm not even kidding. I don't think I ever ended up buying it. I would say that I'm an 80s kid. So my like I remember the first time I realized the trends

were not going to work for me was with tube skirts. Yeah, so tube skirts were a big deal when I was in grade six and grade seven and grade five and and all the girls were wearing and I should mention as well, because this is relevant. I was in a predominantly white school and I have a black booty, like, and thigh booty, like the little waist with the big legs and the big booty. Everybody was wearing their tube skirts and when they turned to the side, it was like a column. And when I turned to the side, it was like, like it went out and then back in. And it was like wrong. I remember was like, like it went out and then back in and it was like wrong. I remember thinking like, this is wrong. And I loved tube skirts. I went ahead and wore them anyways.

But I would say around grade six, that's when I started being aware that my body was different. And I did think at the time probably wrong. So trends are hard, trends are hard because they don't fit all the bodies. Do you remember units? What are those? It was this shop in the mall and it was like black one piece suits and then you could put like you could get different colored bands to put around the middle. It was like a really, really big trend. Anyway, it was like all the rage and we went there and I was so excited about units. I'd convinced my dad and just like you

with the tube skirt, Tracy, I put the band around my middle and I'm like, this does not look right. It's not what I wanted. And you know what? Like on the heels of puberty and thinking about what it is to be a woman and how you wanna look, it was really devastating to all of a sudden not be able to like,

to lose that pure child thing where you just, all you want to do is go play, you put something on for function, you know? It, yeah, it is a little devastating. Anyway, units went out of business, bye! Oh! Tracy, it's so funny that you mentioned how everyone when they turned to the side,

their butts looked flat. So I, which is, that was the trend. Like the 1990s, early 2000s, that was the trend. 80s heroin chic. Heroin chic. And the thing is, is that we are now kind of going back to that. And it's wild, but back to like high school, I, you guys, you look at any high school photo of me, I'm wearing sweatpants because I wanted my butt to look flat.

I remember being like, oh my God, I want to hide anything that would ever even allude to me having a butt. Like I always want to, and I would like tuck in my pelvis to make it look more flat. Like that was what I wanted so bad. And so any high school photo of me, I'm always in Victoria's Secret pink sweatpants and I'm literally trying desperately to make sure no butt,

no hips, everything is just like covered. It was so weird. Yeah. Isn't that crazy? It's so crazy how times have changed. Do you guys, what would you say your style has evolved to like as adults? I think you would call me eclectic. Uh, like does that girl look rich or insane?

Rich or insane is so good. Is she, she's obviously an artist. My God, the maximalism. Sometimes I feel like Adina from Ab Fab, you know? I love it. I love it. Wait, do you know Ashley, the first time actually that I was introduced to you,

I was at a photo shoot for Lingua Franca right after you had been there. Yes! And you had your wardrobe, it was like diamonds, giant jewels, like huge accessories. I was like, who is the my spirit animal here? Because I couldn't find any other fucking clothes

to spend my money on. So I spent all my money on jewelry and handbags. I mean- Jewelry and handbags is where I have always invested also because things like designer clothes have never not that I have the budget for that. Jackets. I love jackets. I'm big on an oversized jacket because that is what works. I love how different all of our styles are too. Like, I mean,

even you just look into this chat right now, right? Like, just how different we all are, but we all want the same things. We all vie for the same things. Like, it's, I love everyone's style. And I had actually done a podcast with Katie not too long ago, and I was telling her how much I admire her style and her fearlessness with it,

because I struggle with that. I really, really struggle with that. No, Ashley, you're fearless with it too. No, no, listen, I got to New York last night, Fashion Week is right now, I've got all these events, and I've got that project that I'm working on, and I don't feel my greatest right now. And again, I've got Katie in the back of my head, bitch,

just be you, work it. And I started pulling things and I'm like, oh my God. Like I... I gotta come over. Yeah. Let me say, like here's the thing. I find, I'm not having a good week either. I'm having a bad body week. I've been having a bad and

And some of it is tied up in the fact that we're doing the Toronto International Film Festival now And I got a ton of events and and yeah, and I have to be fitted Right and something and being fitted I have to be fitted for my show When they measure you and they holler the numbers out When they pull a whole bunch of pieces and none of them fit you and it's like, bitch, you know my body. Why are you pulling me all of these sizes?

I'm gonna try on pant after pant after pant that does not fit me. I'm gonna start sweating. I'm gonna start feeling like I'm the one that's wrong because you brought all the wrong clothing. Like, it's not a great space to be in. And also, at these events, everyone seems to be very skinny. And so, it's like, once you find the thing

and you feel good in the thing, you look around and it's like, oh, shit, like you're comparing yourself. So, it's hard, Ashley. Like, I feel... I feel for you, I understand it, and for me, I hate being pulled back into that because I have to have major pep talks with myself every morning now and tell myself it's gonna be okay and it's not you, it's the world.

I went and got fitted for something that I have to wear to a fashion show on Friday. And it was in the middle of a showroom and there were like eight people and they're like measuring my arms. And I'm like, I'm sitting there kind of like girl, girl, girl, I love you girl, everything's good girl, like you're good girl, like don't even worry about it and then you start hollering out a number that, again, the shame, the shame.

I know, that's shame, but that's so interesting because that almost sounds like, I don't know if little Ashley, now we're just doing inner child work, but like, is inner, is, are you taking care of little Ashley in that moment, or is little Ashley actually coming to take care of you in the moment? I don't know. It's interesting. I think it's, maybe it's a little bit of both.

We kind of meeting in the middle, but also, you know, when I start to have those thoughts. Yeah, what do you do? Bitch, I turn up the radio and put that bitch in reverse. And I'm like, you know what? I've worked hard and I'm having a dress made by a famous fashion designer. And guess what?

I love my fucking legs. I've got attitude, I'm gonna knock them dead. I'd literally turn that bitch around. Yeah, it's almost like you have to, you have to, even when you're in those moments, you have to fake it till you make it, right? Like in that moment, you're like, oh, these numbers are getting to me,

why are they getting to me? This is the old me that's ashamed of this. But then you're like, oh, these numbers are getting to me. Why are they getting to me? This is the old me that's ashamed of this. But then you're like, you know what? I know what's gotten me out of this. And I do believe in fake it till you make it. I really, really do, you guys. Like, I think you have to walk into a room and be like, you know what?

I'm going to turn this on. It's like when how Beyonce has Sasha Fierce, right? That's her. She turns it on. And it's like, how Beyonce has Sasha Fierce, right? That's her, she turns it on. And it's like, I'm sure we all have these personas when we go out in the world, when we interview, all of a sudden you turn it on and you're like, professional you or, you know, work you and everyone has like a work voice. It's the same thing with getting dressed, I feel like. And my Sasha Fierce name is Pussy, and Thunder Pussy doesn't wear underwear,

and Thunder Pussy can do a reverse on bad thoughts in a minute, and then Thunder Pussy goes out there and rules it. I love that, I love that. Katie, how did you find your fearless style? And when I say fearless style, it's in the way of like, you will wear a stripe and a cheetah print and not even think twice. I can barely wear a color blocked shirt

with a black pant. Like I'm not even kidding. I wear all black all the time. It's something I struggle with because I still am finding that voice in my head being like, your plus size don't wear those stripes, don't wear that print. And it come to your closet too? No, and my closet has such beautiful clothes in it, but I still have that in my brain. And it sucks because I want to wear it. Even though we see you in bikinis, you don't want to wear... I'm more comfortable, believe it or not, I am more comfortable naked or in a bikini,

in a swimsuit than I am fully clothed. Okay. It's so weird. I don't know what it is. Hector, I actually feel the same way. And I think it's because oftentimes clothes don't fit us correctly. And so they're uncomfortable. And when you're wearing a swimsuit or you're naked, you're not like that. So we don't actually have a problem with our physical bodies. But the clothes sometimes make us feel like constricted in a way. Yeah.

That makes sense. How did you how did you find your style? You I love that you describe it as toddler core. That's your words by the way, not mine. I know I keep saying it, but that's your- It is toddler core. Okay, yeah. That's right. No, because I love dressing with color. I love being comfortable.

You know, I don't really wear heels anymore. Like I just love things that make me feel powerful and bright. Ashley, I feel like I have a similar like through line to your wardrobe. Yes. I think they're so different. I think you're so preppy. I'm pointing the wrong way. Katie, I see preppy slash toddler core. Ashley, I see eclectic slash maximalist. We may cross over in the maximal withhood Horror maybe is what I'm thinking. Yeah.

And for me, I'm like, I want to feel powerful and I want to feel sophisticated and elevated. You're classic. Yeah. A little bit more classic, but I also want to stand out. Can I say something? But I'm going to do it in one solid color. Yes, Ashley. That both of you have just-

The one with the bra on the head, go. This is my new look. It's so pretty. I feel great right now, I feel very chic and it smells good, it smells like my boobs. What both of you said about what you're wearing is it made me feel powerful, not skinny. Yeah.

The way your clothes made you feel had nothing to do with the size of your body. You felt like you had your armor on, you felt powerful, and you felt like you. Fashion is not about feeling skinny. Fashion is about feeling like you. I love that, but I think most women need some help with that. I find most women that I encounter. We all do. Yes, well, it's more, fashion is to camouflage, fashion is to hide, to blend, to cover,

and that's an attitude I'd love to shift all over the place. Next up, we're chatting with Julie Wilson, the beauty editor at large from Cosmopolitan Magazine about how we can set trends and not follow them. Hey listeners, at Weight Watchers, we're all about building a community to support you through any stage of your life journey. That's why we created the Body Collective.

Here's a clip from a real Weight Watchers member speaking about their experience, sharing how vital that power of community is when it comes to health. Take a listen. I know for a fact one of the reasons I have been so successful on my Weight Watchers journey is the Weight Watchers community. The Weight Watchers community has been instrumental in my success providing a strong support system that makes all of the difference. From sharing tips and recipes to celebrating all of our wonderful milestones together, the camaraderie is truly uplifting. Knowing I'm not alone in my journey has motivated me to stay accountable and inspired.

There are so many different people from different walks of life and we have a commonality together and that's us together on a weight loss journey. This collective encouragement has transformed what can be a challenging journey into an uplifting and empowering one. Hi, I'm Emily Deschanel. And I'm Carla Gallo and we're here to bring you Boneheads! The official Bones Rewatch podcast. 16 years ago we met on the set of the TV show Bones and have been friends ever since.

I played Dr. Temperance Brennan. And I played Daisy Wick. We're starting from the top and working our way through all 246 episodes. This show lasted a very long time. Very long. Tune in every Wednesday to laugh with us, to cry with us, to cringe with us, and hear all our juicy behind the scenes stories. Boneheads from Lemonada Media is out now wherever you get your podcasts. Unfortunately, Hunter and Ashley are out today being fabulous and doing amazing things and couldn't be here today, but we didn't want you to miss this conversation with Julie Wilson.

I am so excited to welcome Julie Wilson, beauty editor at large from Cosmopolitan magazine. She's here to chat with us about her own personal style, the evolution of plus size representation in beauty, and tips for putting together fits that feel good. Welcome to the show, Julie. Thanks for having me. I'm so excited about this. You have no idea.

Oh, thank you. Julie, how would you define your personal style? Oh, my gosh. Like, basically, if I can get some clothes on, my body, that make me feel good, I'm winning. Like, I've got two kids, you know, a big job, all of the things. So, um, honestly, like, just throwing something on, like, is winning for me. But...

That's not true. But, Julie, I see you on Instagram. You look good. Yeah. Thank you. But when I have to, like, actually put some, like, effort into it, I would say I like to have, like, fun, right? I'm just like, I have a million sequined skirts. I have, I like, um like a big oversized blazer. I like big oversized sweaters.

Things that like make me like stand out obviously, but also like make me feel like good about my body because my body has obviously changed a lot over the years. And so I can be a little self-conscious in places. So clothes that actually like hide a little of the the things that I'm not too confident about. Have you always wanted to stand out or did you use to dress to blend in? I always wanted to stand out. I'm just like, I'm a ham.

Because you're tall too. I'm tall. I'm a ham. I think it comes along with the territory of being a journalist, like very like talkative people person. So I definitely have always liked to stand out and I'm like a bird. I like anything like shiny, like jewelry and sequins and sparkles. You got good accessories.

You have a good like glasses wardrobe. Yeah. Thank you. I have lots of glasses. Very good. So you've been working in fashion for some time now. Let's talk a little bit about representation. Have you seen an evolution?

Have you seen space for bigger bodies and clothing that isn't just in a two, four, or six? I mean, sure. Like, I'm a glass half full type gal. So, like, I'm gonna be positive about it, but at the same time, I do feel like there's still a lot of work to be done. Like, I feel like it's like two steps forward, three steps back sometimes. So, I mean, I started my career in fashion and I kind of felt like I couldn't make headway in that industry. And when beauty was kind of presented to me as something to get, also get into

when it comes to storytelling, I really jumped on it because I felt like beauty was like more ripe for change. Like there was more ways to change beauty when it came to diversity and inclusion and all the senses. Fashion just seemed like, girl, you're like a size 18 black girl with like natural hair and like we don't care.

Yeah. I hear that. I also, I will say that beauty for me has evolved so much faster than fashion. Like, and they're not doing the two steps, you know, forward, five steps back. They're really like, they keep advancing the conversation. I'm proud to work in beauty. I think that's so-

For sure. Yeah. Like to Katie's point too, like beauty, like, I mean, the margins are different. They have more money. It's not about, you know, to produce a dress costs a certain amount of money. To produce a lipstick is another thing. You know what I'm saying? It's a different economic proposition. And so you can kind of hold beauty more to the fire, its feet to the fire, and it can

change. It's more nimble. And so that's been really nice to see when it comes to the beauty space. As an outsider, like just looking at the trajectory of what's been happening with fashion, it's like there was a moment, and we've discussed this, Katie, there was a moment where it was like, oh my gosh, like the plus size girls are having a moment.

And it's like, we're seeing ourselves represented, we're seeing runway models that look like us, we're seeing clothing that we can fit into, we're seeing a bunch of labels that are sort of understanding that their audience is in all shapes and sizes. Now some people are saying we're seeing a bunch of labels that are sort of understanding that their audience is in all shapes and sizes. Now some people are saying we're seeing a bit of a regression. What do you think about that, Julie?

Are you feeling that? Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's, I think it's a dirty little game, the fashion industry plays, the whole idea of putting plus-size models on the runway and then I can't go to the store and actually buy it. And I'm like, it's the smoke and mirror, like, oh, you're, it's performative. You're checking that woke box saying, like, look at us, we like all sizes, here's Ashley Graham, here's Precious Lee, here's, you know, Hunter, like, all of these girls, and

then, but you're not going to produce the clothes. Or they'll be like, oh, we can get it for you. We had a special order it. To me, it signals a few things. It signals, one, you don't want people of a certain size wearing your clothes, even though you want to act like you accept larger size bodies. Two, it makes it seem that, you know, people of a certain size don't have money to buy your clothes.

Yeah. Um, and then three, because it's like, if you have that money, you wouldn't look like that. You wouldn't, you would be on a diet. You would get, you know, weight loss surgery, all of those things. It's like, no, can I be a size 16, 18 with money and like my body? But that comes to the third thing is that like, why would you want to buy this outfit for this amount of money at that size?

You're obviously trying to lose weight. I'm not going to make that size clothing for you because aren't you on a diet trying to get to a size eight? Yeah. And it's like, No, I want my body. I like my body. And I want to wear that Chanel jacket. Yeah, give it to me. Do you not like my money? Yeah. So it's really it's really, it's really maddening, as you can tell from how I totally agree. I totally agree. The assumptions in there are like, that's wild. It's been said though,

that once you leave the New York Fashion Week, with the teeny tiny bit of plus size representation that we see there and you head off to Milan and Paris, it's almost non-existent. And then the plus size representation that we see even in America, New York Fashion Week, it's very much a Hunter McGrady with an hourglass or an Ashley Graham with an hourglass. And that leaves folks that have, you know, weight around the middle

or they're differently proportioned... Yeah. ...also feeling like they're not even a part of this movement. So where you really see all the bodies and shapes and sizes is kind of social media. For sure. Would you agree? I think social media is great for that. Like that's almost more relevant than the runways.

I agree. And this fashion week, I did participate more than usual in this Fashion Week, meaning I went to stuff, I usually don't go to stuff. And part of it is that, why would I go to your show, even if a designer invites me to a show, why am I going to the show to see not my body type represented and not be able to buy any of the clothes?

Why am I going to sit at the show? Because you being there, you have to also understand the power of your presence and your influence. You being there, also whether you say you like it or you don't, you're cosigning this brand. If they see you, if the street style photographers, if you're on your Instagram saying, I went to this show, it's saying to me as someone who follows you and trusts your opinion, like,

oh, she must really like this designer. they must be doing stuff in the inclusivity area that she cosigns. I refuse. I refuse. And in the past, I have been a, I don't know, a pawn or whatever people want to use, like a token human that is being like, yeah, it's cool. She's here. It's fine.

But I wouldn't do it this year. Yeah. I was like, I'm not going to sit there and be like, yeah, this is fine. I'm here, but you don't make clothes for me. I'm tired of it. Will they take meetings with you, Katie? Have any designers ever reached out to you

for consulting or how can we be better? Yes, absolutely. And those meetings are really successful. And over the years, like because we've been doing this for like 10 years, I have consulted for Veronica Beard, Shop Up, Madewell, Reebok, J.Crew. I mean, the list goes on and positive things have come from all of those consultations. The results have not always stuck around. I wanna know how you feel about brands,

both of you, that are kind of one, listen, most things in life are actually gray area, and I have, what I'm experiencing a lot with brands right now is that they're extending their sizes in maybe 30% of their collections. Those extended sizes may go to an 18, a 20, and I'm still giving them props for like trying because so many brands are not trying.

And then people are like, why? Well, they're not fully inclusive. And I'm like, listen, if someone's even gonna take on this conversation, I'm still going to acknowledge it. Yeah, I agree with that. It's a step in the right direction. And I feel like we need to like positive reinforce our way out of these issues. Sometimes, sometimes it's not enough, but at least it's like they did something. Yes. Let's recognize and acknowledge that when most are not. The bar is so low. Yes. The bar's so low, yes.

The bar's so low, the bar's in the toilet. You have to try. If you're not trying, then you really are dead to me. But like, you know, like if you're trying, then great, you know? But do you feel the pressure? Do you ladies feel this pressure to, I mean, this might seem like an obvious question, but to lose weight even now. Like for me, I'm like, I really like my body and like it has changed for sure after having

kids and just life and all of those things. But like I miss like the ease of like being able to walk into the store and just find something like when you've made it, like, so far, also in your career and your life, when you're making money and like, I was just on the Today Show. Like, I go on the Today Show and like all of these, and I'm like struggling.

Like, I can't just be like, oh, I'm just gonna run into this store. I see this dress in the window. This will look amazing on national television. Let me go in there, buy it and be done. I'm spending hours and hours looking for something that would be presentable so that I can like feel good in my own skin on camera and not be thinking about,

is this like pulling, is it bunching? Is it like all of those things I can just like talk about what I'm on there to talk about. I've said this so many times before, but it's like, I'm okay with my body, but the rest of the world isn't. And the rest of the world is constantly reminding me that changes could be made if I wanted more ease, if I wanted the applause and appreciation of strangers and family members.

So there's always, it's very provocative. There's something very seductive about it. And that's the fight I have with myself. Because I have to keep reminding myself, I'm good. Like I'm actually okay. It's everyone else that has issues. Not me, but it's hard. It's a fight. It's like a lot of self-talk, trying to talk myself off the ledge. I will say I'm going to be very open and vulnerable right now in that I was pre-diabetic and my cholesterol was at a dangerous level. So I was told I needed to change some things about my lifestyle essentially, and that has caused some weight loss. And I hate when people comment on it. I literally make them feel so dumb.

I'm like, please don't talk to me about this. Like, why are you asking me so lame, so boring? And then one very sad thing that I have noticed is that it is easier. And like fitting into the airplane seats, like not having to, like if I'm at the top end of a clothing line, like maybe it is gonna fit and I'm not gonna have, like there is a bit of ease and I hate it.

Yeah. I know, it's tough. The whole world is gonna reinforce your smaller body. Yes, I hate it. Health first and Katie never feel bad for putting your health first. Never. Thank you. You're allowed to put yourself first mentally, physically, whatever it takes.

Yeah. And it's hard to go through it in the position that you're in. Yeah. I do think, though, like, what I struggle with also being in the beauty and fashion space is I'm like, maybe I would get more opportunities. Maybe like brands would pick me over someone else or include me if I looked a certain way. Like in my mind, I'm like, Julie, if you were a size, like even like 10 or 12, you would

be asked into more like opportunities than you are now. Julie, I think you're a superstar and I think you have excellent style and you're very, very brilliant. So I don't think that your size is going to change anything about that. I think that you are a wanted figure and no matter what size you are. Thank you for that. But I do feel like, obviously in my own head... I understand why you for that. But I do feel like, obviously in my own head... I understand why you feel that. I feel like if I could go into that store, buy that dress and like rock it, then these brands would be like, yeah, like she's...

Because she's constantly tagging like Eloquii and Torrid and like, you know, like if we could, if she was tagging, like, these top designer brands, maybe she would be someone we'd want to work with. And then you wouldn't be you. I mean, you're probably right. Sadly, I was talking about this yesterday. At my smallest, the amount of offers that came in, the amount of agents that wanted to work with me, all of it.

But also it's like, do I want to be eating disordered? Do I want to have all day on my mind? What food am I eating next? Can I, how do I make the kids dinner and make myself a different dinner? Like the amount of time and space it took up was like so much. So you're just gonna have to take the Tracy you get, right? And she's

good. And we love her. She's good. She's great. Yeah. We love her. Yeah. Julie, thank you so much for joining us. Where can people find you? Thank you for having me. I am on the interwebs and all social media at Miss Julie, M-I-S-S-J-U-L-E-E, not I-E, J-U-L-E-E. And you can find me at Cosmo. I have my own column called Yours, Mine, Ours, and you can find me in the mag on cosmopolitan.com,

all the things. So I really appreciate you guys calling me in to have these really important discussions. This has been an awesome conversation and I so enjoy seeing your beautiful family on Instagram. Like keep doing you. You're striving. You're doing all of the things. So thanks so much, Julie. Thank you.

We're kicking off this segment talking about shopping. I love shopping. I love getting clothes that my audience is gonna love. But shopping is not always easy for plus-size women. Actually, it's pretty much never easy for plus-size women. If you follow me on social, you know that I do this Super Size the Look series, which, you know, I get so many comments. People are like, that hashtag is offensive.

And I'm like, it's meant to just kind of poke fun at the whole thing. Let's not be so serious. And I dress like a celebrity to show people who are like, I love Reese Witherspoon style, but I could never pull it off. I dress like that to show them just side by side that actually you can. Now finding the clothes is like a whole different thing. If people knew what goes into the supersize the looks, it's really difficult to find those exact trend clothes in my size. I don't know if you guys find that too. How do you do that though, actually, Katie?

What do you do? So you find like a Nicole Kidman in a strapless white gown. And then what do you do? So you find, like, a Nicole Kidman in a strapless white gown. And then what do you do? Do you try and find the actual gown she's wearing? Oh, that never happens. That's about twice a year I get to wear the exact piece and it's usually like, because it's a sweater or something like that. No, I look for something similar. So that's why my supersized looks are typically more like, not basic style, but more pieces that you would already have in your closet, like jeans, a t-shirt, a leather jacket,

just probably styled with something a little special, because they're celebrities and someone put those clothes on them. Um, but no, I can never find, like, those really high, high-end looking pieces. Yeah. Can I ask about IRL shopping? Like, I'm curious if anyone on this chat actually goes into a store to shop. I do. I do. I have my daughter. It's big bonding for us. And I

want to make sure that I try on clothes with her. Like, I don't ever want her to think that I don't want to be in the Eritrea change room because everyone in there is thin and it's communal. I'll go put on the skirt. Yeah. Let me go try it. I like it. Yeah. You go try that. I'll go try this. And sometimes she's like, mommy, yes, mommy, you have to get that. Like, I want her to see me enjoying my body.

I love that. Like, I want her to see me enjoying my body. And I want her to see me enjoying and consuming the things that a teenage girl will consume. Because if at some point her body looks like mine, I don't want her to think that she can't do that. So I do in real life shopping. I love that. I love that outlook. Yeah.

I love that, Tracy. You're an amazing woman, Tracy. What are some of the brands that you guys that are go to for you guys? I love Frank and Eileen. They've got really good like button down shirts that are larger. I have a problem like finding something that'll fit around my tits, y'all. And, you know, where the button isn't fucking pulling. I can't stand that.

So some of their shirts fit me really well. You know who we both love, Katie? Who? Is LaVe Style House. Oh, I do love LaVe Style House. What's that? LaVe Style House is interesting. They make like very fancy calf tans.

Founded by two women. Yes. Two women. Yes. Two women. Yes. But a lot of their stuff is one size fits all. So because it's like. And it kind of like does though. They have like great little like jackets

that are awesome to wear on the airplane or when you're tootling around. They have beautiful caftans. And I found, you know, even with like my boobs and my, they're great. Should we get some, should we say our sizes for the people so they know? I love a calf tan.

So they know what kind of sizes we're talking about here? Like I'm a size 18, 20. I'm a size 20, 22. I'm a size 10, 12, 14, 16. Literally, guys. I'm a size 14, 16, 18, 20. Hey, can we get a 22? Can we get a 24?

Hey, 25, 20. Hey, can we get a 22, can we get a 24, hey, 25, 26. But also the mystery of the female body. At one time of the month, my tits might fit in the shirt. Then I do this thing called bleeding like a stuck pig because that's how I was made. And my tits get swollen and everything else. This is why my God is elastic. I pray to the elastic God. Thank you, sweet Jesus for elastane.

I walk in a store and I'm going to take three of everything with me to the change room. I don't know what size I'm going to be. It depends on the store, but we have, like, Pennington's here in Addition L that has really nice clothes in bigger sizes. Is Addition L still around? No, but they sell their clothing in Pennington's, which is now called Pen. We have... We have Torrid. Don't you guys have Torrid?

Yeah, we have Torrid. Don't you guys have Torrid? Yeah, we have Torrid. Yeah, Torrid. Um, but yeah, I can usually, the bigger sizes in the stores where the smaller girls will shop, I can often get away with buying clothing there. Got it. Target is fucking killing it lately. Yeah. No, literally, some of my fate, and then you're just lying clothing there. Got it. Target is fucking killing it lately.

Yeah. No, literally, some of my fate, I wore a Target heel to meet Kamala Harris. Like, I literally was... There's a lesson in here for all of us in that you are able to make Target look like Prada. Like, it's just, yes, you carry yourself in it. Yes, true.

I love a Target moment, you guys. I hate to say it, but like- Don't say it's great. No, it's good. High, low. That's what we should be dressing. 100%. Yes.

And that's exactly it. Like don't sleep on the Target shoes. Don't sleep on like the, they have their future collective collections that come out that I love. But then of course, I do love my anthropology, my free people. Eloquii is always great to pull from. Oh, yeah.

I want to play some listener tape next. Our listeners chimed in with a few brands they love and let's hear the tape. I have to say that over the years, Old Navy has become so unbelievably inclusive in their sizing, and it's not just, oh, you can only find it online. Like they really, and not only have they become inclusive in their sizing, but even on their website, you can sort of like choose a model,

and you can choose like a thicker model to see what you would actually look like in the clothes. So I really applaud Old Navy for being super inclusive in the past. Like, I don't know, maybe five or six years, I've noticed a big change. Wow. I have to say, I'm going to give credit right now to Good American, because the reason Old Navy has different size models on their website is because Good American did it first. They did it. They had those, I think they have three different sizes, right? From the start, everywhere.

It's so amazing, too. I love it. Right away, I go, change my model size. And not just like a 12. they have you on like a 24. You know what I mean? Like they're showing real sizes. Skims, Skims does that too. When you go on there, they automatically know

that I'm not like a size two. And they show, you know, the plus size model. And I'm like, okay, thank you. Can we also talk about affordability? Like how do we look good on a budget? That's hard. Target y'all, I'm telling you. Can we also talk about affordability? How do we look good on a budget? That's hard. Target y'all. I'm telling you.

I really think that we need to... It's mixing that high, low. Ashley was talking about how a great jacket, right? Do an investment piece. Even if that's $100 is your investment piece, That's still a lot of money. Get your piece that's going to be your special piece. And then do mix in with the low. And again, it's all in the way you wear it. If you're wearing it with confidence, you can look like it's a million dollars.

Thrifting to resale, I think designer resale is amazing on RealReal for plus size because they style it so poorly on the mannequins, it just looks like shit. So you just, you just, and it gets marked down to like $20. You know? What about alterations? Do you guys ever get things altered

if you've like gained or lost weight? Very rarely. Very rarely. Like the clothes in my closet, it is such a disaster in there because I literally have like clothing from in between my two pregnancies. I'm a completely different woman with a completely different body. I've got everything from a four to a 16 in my closet.

Literally, that's how much my body has changed. So I should be just getting stuff altered, but a lot of my clothing now I borrow. I need to get rid of stuff. I need to get rid of, like, big time get rid of stuff. But I'm too lazy to do alterations. They're amazing. If you can go to a tailor and get the waist put in,

then you get the good waist, thigh, bum thing, as you were saying, Hunter. Like, it's a beautiful thing, but I'm too lazy. I ain't never had to have a waist taken. Depends on your proportions. I usually have to have like the shoulders in my jackets, like a little bit more room there just so I can bend and stretch and do my thing. But I do love a tailor, but day to day, okay, a year's got 365 days.

For 350 of those days, I'm wearing the black t-shirt, the Adidas pants, the pleats, please, with my things. The other days, hell yeah, I gotta fucking get a goddamn tailor. Yeah. Okay, so you do get stuff tailored, eh, Ashley? Yeah, I have to, I have to. Or I have it made.

Or I have it made. Or have it made. Yeah, I love getting stuff tailored. It always fits you like amazing. I love getting stuff tailored. It always fits you like amazing. If it's better, perfectly. And sometimes I'll buy like a designer item that is too small and have it tailored. Basically, they reconstruct it.

And that's worked well for me too. It doesn't have to be designer. You can find something that doesn't fit you and they will make it fit you. It's magic. It's a beautiful thing. Because then you'll wear it again and again if you love it on your body and it feels good. And that's what we should be doing. I agree.

What additional advice can we leave our listeners with? Wear what you like. If you feeling good, you looking good. If you feeling good, you looking good. Yep. Forget the fashion rules. Forget, like, throw that whole rule book out. And find a muse that is somebody that is wearing what they like. Because if you wear what you like, you will feel good.

Don't worry about if they say you shouldn't be showing your belly button or you shouldn't be wearing skinny jeans anymore. It doesn't matter. Do what you like to do because then you're going to go out there and you're going to rule. Mm-hmm. I agree completely. Thanks so much for listening and to so many of you for sharing. I love those voicemails. And thank you to my fellow collective members, Hunter, Ashley, and Tracy. We hope you learned a few things today and you can keep unlearning with us this season.

And you can still share your story with us. Find a link in the show notes. So please join us in the Body Collective Club. Keep listening. Give us feedback. We'll see you soon. Bye bye. There's more of the Body Collective with Lemonada Premium.

Subscribers get exclusive access to bonus content like outtakes that didn't make it into the show. Subscribe now in Apple podcasts. The Body Collective is a production of Lemmonada Media and Weight Watchers. Your hosts are Hunter McGrady, Ashley Longshore, Tracy Moore, and me, Katie Storino. The Body Collective series is sponsored by Weight Watchers. The content in this podcast should not be taken

as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. This series is produced in sound design by Mariah Gossett. Additional sound design and engineering from Ivan Karyov. Music by APM and our senior supervising producer is Kristin Lepore. Our VP of narrative content and production is Jackie Danziger. Executive producers include Stephanie Whittles-Wax and Jessica Cardova-Cramer.

Series consulting and production support from Anna Paschow, Kelsey Merkel, Lauren Seinfeld, and Vivian Walsh. Help others find our show by leaving us a rating and writing us a really, really great review. Follow The Body Collective wherever you get your podcasts or listen ad free on Amazon Music with your Prime membership. Thanks so much for listening. See you next week.

Bye bye. Hi, everyone. Gloria Riviera here and we are back for another season of No One Is Coming to Save Us, a podcast about America's child care crisis. This season, we're delving deep into five critical issues facing our country through the lens of child care, poverty, mental health, housing, climate change, and the public school system. By exploring these connections, we aim to highlight that child care is not an isolated issue, but one that influences

all facets of American life. Season four of No One is Coming to Save Us is out now wherever you get your podcasts. Why, hello there. This is your pal, Sarah Silverman. You know, the stand-up comic that's not afraid of a diarrhea joke. Oh my God, I'm so brave. I hope you're enjoying this podcast that you're listening to. I am just dropping in here to let you know about another podcast I think you'd like and it's called the Sarah Silverman podcast. Each week listeners from all over the world call in and they ask me for advice or they talk about something going on in their life, anything, their silliest, grossest, deepest, darkest

situations and then I respond whether I'm qualified to or not. Go ahead search for the Sarah Silverman podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Bye!