Change

Change is a funny thing. It’s important, personal, life altering…kind of like buying new underwear. And like underwear, some people embrace it (or let it embrace them?) and some people would rather just go without. Now I’ll admit, there’s nothing quite like going sans panties every now and then, but go without for long enough and the cracks begin to show (yes, I’m still doing the underwear/change metaphor thing – just go with it). Sometimes you need a little change and although it may be uncomfortable at first, you’ll soon find that the benefits completely overshadow the frustration of that adjustment phase.

My adjustment phase is still in full swing; I’m just lucky enough for change to have swung me in the direction of 17 Sundays! When I was little, I apparently hated change so much that I used to cry whenever my parents rearranged the furniture. While I’m proud to say that I can now put an armchair where a desk once stood without shedding a single tear, I still have moments of shock and panic when I remember that 2 years ago, I was going to be a doctor and now I’m writing for a plus size fashion label.

I won’t bore you with the ridiculous complicated story of how I got from there to here, but suffice it to say that it involved a lot of self exploration and chocolate comas (definitely more of the latter). As for 17? That opportunity arrived after I sent an email to a friend of a friend, featuring the line: “I love the way you connect with your customers – R.E.S.P.E.C.T (I spelt it out like that in the hope that you’d get Aretha Franklin in your head…did it work?)” I like to think that was what sealed the deal for Claire Primrose, the co-founder and spirit guide of 17 Sundays, without whom I would still be spending my days endlessly watching cat gifs.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with 17, we are an Australian plus size fashion label, designed in Melbourne with an emphasis on quality, original artwork,and flattering silhouettes. Since 2010, the label has certainly had a lot of success: showing on runways around the world, dressing a model for the hit show ‘Curvy Girls’, coming second runner up in the Positive Body Image Awards this year and much more! However, as most of us know, behind every hard earned success is a multitude of challenges, struggles, breakdowns, and disappointments. So when the girls at 17 asked me to help them add another dimension to the label, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Then again, neither is saying a polite “good morning” to your neighbours after they’ve accidentally seen you naked, but I’ve managed to do that more than once so I think I’m up the challenge!

So here’s the deal: 17 is changing. New website, new blog, new attitude (okay, same rockin’ attitude but just more of it!), new collection, new features – it’s all happening! We’ve listened to your requests to update the site, we’ve heard your silent screams gentle begging for styling advice, and we know you love chatting with us…so prepare for awesomeness! 17’s original vision was to shake things up in the world of plus size fashion, and that dream is about to be realised more than ever before. Ah yes, I can hear the cogs turning in your brain as you wonder what the big deal is. Well, here it is:

We’re bringing honesty to the table and I hope you’re hungry! We don’t want to uphold an ‘image’, we refuse to hide behind a ‘brand’, and we won’t serve up bullshit of any kind. We want to connect with our customers, build a community, share our ups AND downs, tell it like it is, educate people, have important discussions, and continue to be something more than just a fashion label. If you have a question, we’ll answer it. If you have a request, we’ll make it happen. If you want to challenge our opinion, we’ll embrace that. We’re going to do our best to promote positive changes in this industry, and we really hope you’ll join us.

Dani and the team at 17 Sundays.