Rejoice, For Bare Ankles Have Returned

The calendar says spring! Time to dress for the weather we want, not the weather we have.

Hello April! With any luck, we are just weeks from the end of stick season here in the Hudson Valley. Alllll of my gardening energy has kicked into high gear — we’re starting seeds this year, which I don’t always do and hope not to kill! I’m also making new garden beds because obviously I didn’t have enough! There is also an active discussion unfolding in my house about whether we should get chickens??

All of which is to say: Clothing-wise, I’m ready to break out of winter sweatpants mode a little and show some…ankle? There is almost certainly some internalized ankle fatphobia at play here, but I find straight leg or wide leg pants so much easier to wear and style when I don’t have to wear socks. Dissect that as you will! What it mostly means is that shoulder season dressing feels less confusing now, and features more comfy pants.

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What I Wore In March

It was 70 degrees here on Saturday! My iris reticulata are blooming, and daffodils and hellebores are on the verge! You bet it’s time for Garden Gnome Mode. Lots of folks have been singing the gospel of Duluth Trading Company overalls for years and okay, yes!! These fit great, are super comfy, have a bit of stretch, and look kind of hot!? Only up to 3X and sadly not in every color/print. (I’m not seeing the navy I got in stock right now, but fingers crossed they bring it back! In the meantime, this navy floral or the black are both very good.) Rest of outfit.

I sent this neon pink beauty back to Nuuly yesterday, even though she’s probably the top I reached for the most all month! But as I discussed in my Nuuly review, I’m try to embrace the idea that I don’t have to own a cool clothing item to enjoy it. (Especially when said item has a short wearability season and requires high maintenance care like cashmere!) But I can see myself renting this again next winter! Or, there will be a new sweater to love… Rest of outfit. (And if you want to try Nuuly, here’s $30 off.)

The only reason I didn’t wear Bagel Babe more this month is because I can’t really be trusted with a cream sweatshirt and she spent a lot of time soaking in stain remover. Dawn dish soap is doing the lord’s work though so I keep pulling her back out! As of this writing, she’s still available in 2X or 3X, for under $10. I don’t know, go with your heart.

What are you wearing into shoulder season? Give us links and recs!

(The comments section is always for paid subscribers only because that’s how we keep the trolls out. And Burnt Toasties have the best recs, so click here to join us!)

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Why Outfit Reports?

My goal with these posts is never to make you feel like you should go buy clothes you don’t need. I show how I get dressed because figuring that out as a fat person was an important part of my own body reclamation work. And because it’s endlessly frustrating to look at clothes on retail websites with bodies shaped nothing like mine, and have to squint, imagining how a shirt would look on totally different proportions. You can see all the past Outfit Reports right here.

A Note About Affiliate Links:

I include affiliate links in these posts because we’re often asked where we got something, and finding/adding all those links is labor—so using links that also earn Burnt Toast a small commission feels like a fair trade. (This doesn’t raise the price for you at all.) But I remain committed to keeping Burnt Toast and ad- and sponsor-free space, so you’re only ever going to see clothes that I’ve purchased (or stole from my mom). I don’t accept free merchandise from brands and I don’t do sponsored content.

One more thing: I’m participating in the boycotts against Amazon and Target right now, but I’m also still rewearing items currently in my closet—so if you see a link to one of those sites, that’s why.

If you ever want to track down something else you’ve seen me wear, it’s likely saved in the Burnt Toast LTK Shop or on the Burnt Toast ShopMy page.