"Dress for your body type", "define your waist", and "only wear what is flattering". The anti-fat bias we talk about on this podcast all the time extends into how we dress ourselves and what we feel worthy of wearing.
As our bodies change (as they will continue to do throughout our life), many of us are met with barriers to body acceptance. And our clothes are a massive part of that. But they can also be a pivotal part of our liberation.
This week we're joined by Dacy Gillespie, a weight-inclusive anti-diet personal stylist. We untangle the mess of our closets, dismantle patriarchal ideas of fashion, and challenge our sense of what we "should" be wearing based on our body shape and size.
What’s on Dacy’s plate right now (and importantly, what's not)
Dacy’s journey to personal styling and anti-diet work
Why having a passion for clothing is not vain
Fashion’s role in body image and societal pressures
Understanding clothing sizes and body measurements
Size acceptance and our clothes
How to shop for new clothing as your body changes
Steps to take to identify your personal style separate diet and beauty culture
Letting go of old clothes and emotional attachments
How clothing sizes impact our body image
The life-changing magic of finding your authentic style
Challenging the inner critic when shopping
Barriers to accessing clothing in a larger body
The limitations of “flattering”
The fashion rules we need to ditch
How to deal with your closet
About Dacy:
As a weight inclusive, anti-diet personal stylist, Dacy Gillespie helps her clients reject fashion rules and ideal standards of beauty imposed by the patriarchy, white supremacism, and capitalism so that they can uncover their authentic style. Through their work building a functional wardrobe, Dacy’s clients make a mindset shift from thinking they need to wear what’s flattering to unapologetically taking up space in the world. After a lifetime of jobs in high-stress careers that didn’t suit her highly-sensitive, introverted personality, Dacy started mindful closet in 2013 in an attempt to create a more emotionally sustainable lifestyle. Her work has been featured in Forbes and Real Simple and she is a frequent podcast guest. Dacy is married and has two boys, ages 5 and 9.
Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate
Group program:
Looking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program, kicking off in June 2025: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching
Group membership:
Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership, which is an ongoing community for monthly sessions and daily support: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group
Social media:
Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast
Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness
Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast
Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy
Podcast Editing by Brian Walters
This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate