#200plus

In fact, in the middle of doing this guide. I sent a request to my followers and affiliates saying if they were plus size - is it possible they could like a certain post and allow me to send them a questionaire. A number of people replied back and it was very informative. Especially when two of those people were on the non binary or transgender spectrum too.

A special shoutout goes to @abbeyofrp​ (feel free to contact if you need help regarding roleplaying plus size characters), @kurthummelrpt​, Bri, Heath (who also reviewed this guide), @littledarlingdanirps and @oncemoreifall​.

Fat or plus size?

There is talk about whether you should call someone fat or use another term which seems to be more positive such as fuller figured, curvy or plus sized. Those I talked with, most liked the term plus size as it made them feel more than what society thinks of them (for some it helps empower them).

However there are others who are like “I am a fat/obese person, there is no need to cover up that fact. Call me what I am.“

So if you are roleplaying a character who is plus size, consider the options on if they would like to be called fat, fuller figure, chubby, chunky or plus sized. Depending on someone’s personality - they may just want people to be blunt with them etc.

Clothing sizes

When it comes to clothing for a plus sized character, it can be quite difficult sometimes to make something look flattering (depending how confident your character is). I am UK size 14-16 which is British average but I also know larger women in my life who are or were bigger. For me the bottom half is usually fine clothing wise, but when it comes to tops or shirts - that is a whole different issue.

This is where shopping online comes in handy - it avoids any issues with people staring at you and lots of online stores cater nowadays for plus sized women, just check out places such clothingunder10, womanwithin, fullbeauty. All of those websites are US centric but there are others on the web to cater for other countries.

Your character may have issues with certain types of tops - for myself and others, we can’t wear our actual top size for shirts because we may have chubby arms, so instead people sometimes end up having to buy tops that are a few sizes bigger. Either that or just don’t wear tops that cover the arms.

Be aware that if your character is wearing a skirt, shorts or a dress and they have thick thighs, then they may experience rubbing/chafing of the thighs (Chub Rub) during summer. From personal experience it is not a nice thing to go through. That might be something your character has issues with and may have talcum powder or other such things in their bag when they have issues.

Number 453466 of why I wear jeans more than skirts.

Menstrual cycle

Sorry I know some of you will be all “ahh“ at reading this, but all women, some who are non binary and *some trans men go through this depending on various factors. However for those who are plus sized their cycle may be affected by how big they are. I used to have a plus sized friend who had regular issues with her cycle and she had to go to the doctor about it a few times.

However it is not all doom and gloom, for the people I talked with all have a regular cycle, except for one person but that is due to their medical condition.

If you do play someone who is plus size, they will most likely have no issues with their cycle. If you would like to play someone with menstrual cycle issues that is fine, but most are regular. More information here though.

*I say some due to those who have not had hormones to stop their period. If this is incorrect please get in touch.

Bras and cup sizes

If you want to write your character struggling with clothes, then you need to take into consideration their bust size. Those with bigger busts will struggle to find nice pretty and cheap bras for their bra size. They won’t be going to places like Victoria’s Secret. They will most likely also have to pay extra for a bigger cup size and colours will most likely only come in white, black, brown and other boring colours.

I spoke with one person where their cup size is a 48DDD and VERY hard to find something in their size and they cannot wear bras with underwire or padding.

Don’t just assume those who are big have bigger breasts. While it can happen, every person is different and may have a smaller cup size in comaprison to their body. It is much like if a very slim woman has much bigger natural breasts.

Do note that if they do have a bigger cup size, then they most likely will have back and shoulder issues because of the weight of their breasts. A plot idea for your character maybe is that they might want to have a breast reduction - though please do research, especially regarding those who are plus size.

Shoes

Shoes on people who are plus size are fine usually, however if you have thick thighs or legs then your character may not be able to wear high boots - I am not even plus size (just chubby) and even I have issues. Even if they can they would have to pay extra to get fitted correctly. Those who are big may have issues with their feet swelling when they walk and so would also wear flat shoes.

However majority of those who I talked to said that their feet don’t usually swell unless they are walking in hot weather. It all depends on the person.

Shopping

Like lots of people, we go shopping - whether it is for food or just going out with friends. While others don’t mind going shopping on their own, others go with friends. It really depends on your personality and how much you like to go out or even if you have the money to buy a few new tops etc.

Add this to the fact that for many plus sized women, online shopping is untrustworthy for those who may need to go to specialist stores to get something. They would rather try before you buy in store just so they know it is the right fit and style for them.

The downside of going to stores (or part of a store) specially for plus size women, is that sometimes the clothes can be more expensive or you find a piece of clothing you really like but it is in every size except yours. If you live in a big city or town your character may be lucky in how many stores there are that carry their size. However if your character lives in the middle of nowhere or in a small town - they will need to go further away. This is where benefit of online shopping is - you can get cheaper clothes in the size you need.

For some plus size women, they would rather only shop with people they can trust and they know won’t be judgemental. You don’t want to go out with people who could be bad for your self confidence.

Mirrors

When people think of someone who is plus size they may think “oh I guess they would hate looking in mirrors then.“ Actually this is not true for everyone. Some people love looking in mirrors and even self confess that they love how their face or body looks in it.

While yes some people have insecurities about how they look, not everyone is like it. There are many slim people who don’t like how they look.

If you were to play someone who doesn’t like looking in mirrors like myself, then that character would avoid looking at them when in shops and also not have one in their bedroom.

Personality

Remember that those who are plus sized can have any personality. From bitchy and sarcastic to innocent and faithful. A person’s character insn’t based on how large or small they are. So unless your character has a health problem to do with their weight - there is no need to write in their bio how big they are. Being plus sized is also not a personality trait. Think about how you write skinny face claims, unless they have an eating disorder you don’t say they are skinny as their personality etc.

From the feedback I got, i’ve seen written than many plus sized girls have great personalities and are actually quite funny. Again this could refer to someone who is size 0, but just throwing that out there.

Relationships and friendships

Majority of the people I talked to have or have had friendships and relationships that are based on love and respect. Any people who have mocked them in the past - they have got rid of the toxic people in their lives. If their friends know that they want to lose weight, they will be given encouragement etc.

Only one person who I talked to said that they dated/hooked up with a few guys because they have/had a kind of kink for plus sized women and how great they are, but then they are scared to be fully commited to that person because they feel ashamed to be someone who is not what society should be attractiveness wise.

However any other people who have managed to be in a relationship with someone, their partner is with them not for their size, but for their personality and how fun they are to be with.

So if playing a character who is plus sized - while they may struggle with relationships (not getting a second glance because they are not skinny etc), it may be unlikely that they will date someone just because they are bigger. That person probably wants them for other reasons including how cute they look in a dress etc.

It depends how you play your character, but if someone gives them some attention - your character may not believe them at first that they are actually wanted because everyone usually goes for their other friends and not them. Just throwing it out there. Self esteem will have to be built up by that other person.

Not all are ashamed of their body.

There are lots of plus sized women out there who are not ashamed of their body and love looking in mirrors. Then there are some who would rather just look at the top half of their body and not everything else.

In fact one or two people who replied to my questionaire liked showing off their body. If someone doesn’t like them the way they are, then that is their problem.

Just remember not all big women think of their bodies as flawed.

Just look at these amazing women.

Not every plus sized person is unhealthy

While some plus size women are larger because of a possible unhealthy lifestyle - some are like that because it is their job and they need to eat and have more muscle so they can be good at it. Just from top of my head those who would need more muscle and/or fat on them to compete in things would include: weight lifters, wrestlers, field athletes who take part in shot put, discus, hammer throw etc.

You can even get some very talented dancers/exotic dancers who are plus size. However they are not usually talked about because they are never seen in shows that are in the media. Social media however is doing a great job of promoting these people.

Away from those who are athletes, people who are plus size do sometimes work out, go to the gym or just something to get their heart pumping. Do know your character may not go running outside due to the stigma plus size people may face when running. So other things they may do instead is yoga, Zumba, treadmill running, go on other general exercise machines, swimming etc.

Not every person is plus size due to eating a lot

When people usually think of someone as plus sized, their first thought is that the person must have eaten a lot of food to get that way, but in actual fact there are many other reasons why the person is the way they are:

Disability - If someone is disabled in wheelchair, they don’t have the ability to walk or if they have that ability, then not able to walk far. This has an impact on how much exercise they can get.

Medications - Taking certain medications can make someone put on weight. This can include antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antihistamines, mood disorder medications, diabetes medications and so many more. Just take a look here. I know just from watching a few of my friends last few years they have gained dress sizes just by being on birth control.

Pregnancy - During pregnancy women gain weight. It can be a few pounds to much more than that. It depends on various things. It then can be a struggle for that person to go back to the size they once were. From personal experience I know many middle aged women in my family who used to be quite slim and then motherhood happened as it changes their body.

Thyroid issues - Your thyroid can make you gain weight if you have an underactive thyroid. It really depends on various factors. I actually work with someone with this issue. They eat quite healthily and are vegetarian, it’s just that their thyroid hates them.

Lack of exercise - Sometimes people just don’t really like exercise or don’t have time to. This then causes the person to gain weight along with how much they have eaten.

Genetics - Just sometimes in cases larger bodies run in the family to be, no matter how much they eat.

Away from the medical issues above, the people I talked to when questioned usually did not follow strict diets. They may have done so in the past but found most did not work for them. One or two may have also used diet pills but found they were useless after a time too.

None as far as I know had at the time or in the past some sort of eating disorder such as bulimia, EDNOS or something else. One person was unsure but they didn’t consider it something that affected their body.

I am mentioning eating disorders because lots of people think of people having an eating disorder and that person being skinny. In actual fact, especially with Bulimia, some are plus size. I even know that Deputy UK PM John Prescott battled with the disorder for a while.

While I certainly don’t recommend your character having Bulimia, its something your character could suffer from if you needed a storyline.

Plus size celebrities to look up to

Your character may want to look up to celebrities who are plus size, show body confidence and look amazing in what they wear. While some have lost weight - they are still great people to look up to.

Oprah Winfery, Rebel Wilson, Ashley Fink, Amber Riley, Danielle Brooks, Lea DeLaria, Adrienne C. Moore, Octavia Spencer, Gabourey Sidibe just to name a few.

Transgender and non binary resources

While this guide is mainly aimed at CIS women, it is also good to recognise those who are non binary, trans women and trans men who deal with menstruation, big breasts and other issues because they are plus sized. I am not in a position to talk about this, but I spoke with two who are on the non binary or transgender spectrum.

You need to remember that if you have a character who does wish to bind, they may not be able to due to various things. It includes how much it would cost the person to safely bind and how big their breasts are. As said above, those who are plus size have bigger cup size and bigger bodies in general. They may end up more feminine presenting than they wish to be, especially if it is hard to get plus size clothing for either gender.

If anyone else wishes to give input then feel free to send a message. I am only a CIS woman and so it is not my opinon that matters.

Resources for you: Obesity and Trans Men, Chubby Tubby Trans, fuckyeahtransfats, fat positive trans male blog about binding.

Frustration towards society

If you are playing a plus sized character. Then they most likely will have frustrations towards how society treats those who are plus size. Examples include magazines only promoting weight loss, diet pills and only having skinny/slim people on the covers. The same when it comes to runway models - 95% of them are tall and skinny. It is only slightly recently plus size models have appeared, even then it is a blink and you miss it moment.

Also when it comes to being in school, there’s limited resources to help those who are being bullied.

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