'Girl With Curves' Blogger Tanesha Awasth: 'Stay True To Yourself'
This girl with curves is causing major waves at Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week.
-Evette Brown, BettyConfidential.com
Six months ago, Tanesha Awasthi was a 9-to-5'er with a Nikon camera and a chic wardrobe. Now, this modest blogger will be doing her best to convince designers that curvy girls matter during Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week.
After competing with other bloggers, Tanesha's fashion blog, Girl with Curves, was chosen by Tumblr to represent them at fashion week. On her road to putting curvy girls on the fashion map, the mixed beauty chatted with Betty Confidential about blogging, fashion and life.
What initiated your fashion love affair?
All of my life, I loved fashion and I had fun getting dressed. Even as a child, I always wanted to wear dresses and shoes. I actually learned it from my Grandma. She used to always get dressed with her hat and shoes.
When did you decide to begin blogging? What prompted this decision?
I work full-time in the technology field, but my educational background is in English. I graduated from UC Berkeley. Six months ago, I decided I wanted to blog, but didn't know what I wanted to blog about.
I uploaded a few pictures to Tumblr and it was re-blogged and commented on almost 400 times. It was a perfect opportunity. I noticed that most of the comments were about being curvy. That's how I came up with the "Girl with Curves" title.
How have you expanded your readership to all ages and sizes? It all stems from me as a person and the way I dress. I dress really modestly.
I'm the oldest of six. I always wanted to set an example. You can be trendy and fashionable without showing so much skin. My blog is appealing because girls of all ages and sizes have curves.
Since we live in a world with diverse women, what are some of the obstacles that you've had to face as a curvy blogger?
I guess one obstacle is that everybody wants to know what size I am. I prefer not to disclose my size because we're all different heights and shapes. I'm five-foot-ten, so because I'm taller it makes a difference. Be the healthiest and best version of yourself no matter what size you are.
What are some of the positives and negatives of blogging for a specific demographic?
I get messages that say, "Don't you know you need to lose weight?" I kindly press delete and move on. There are some people who don't like to see someone not stick-thin who is stylish and promoting curves.
Since I work full-time, I don't have a lot of time for a social life, so I really connect with my readers. My readers are getting to connect with others and are going shopping together. I get to connect women through fashion. I want women to have a healthy relationship with fashion and to feel good about their bodies.
Where do you think the future of curvy girl blogging is headed?
I feel like there's a movement going on all of a sudden. I'm so excited to be a part of it. I see curvy girl blogging getting bigger because so many people can relate.
What are your tips for having a successful curvy girl blog?
Stay true to yourself. There may be people who want you try this or that, but if you're not comfortable wearing something, don't. Blogging is very personal. It doesn't necessarily have to be about the trends of the season.
Be consistent with your content. It's very important to establish consistency.
Also, be active on anybody's blog. If you interact on someone else's blog, they'll share your blog with their community and vice versa.
What are your favorite trends for curvy girls for the fall?
I like the knit 3/4 length skirts that's out now. The style's very flattering on any curvy body. It's that 40s or 50s ladylike feel, like Marilyn Monroe or other women of that time. It's a classic look.
I also love colors in the fall. In the past, we were limited to a lot of blacks and dark grays, but I love bold colors. I'm excited to see the burgundy and cobalt blues. I think people of all skin tones can look good in any of these colors.
What else can we look out for from you in the coming months?
Right now, I'm focused on Fashion Week. I want to stress to designers that there's this whole demographic of women who want to wear their clothes but can't because they don't have extended sizes.
I would love to write a curvy girl's guide to wearing clothes. I don't know if I want to do a blog or how to go about it, but I would love to do that.
I hope to get some opportunities to collaborate with other bloggers. I'm overwhelmed because there's so much going on. I'm just grateful for everything that's happening.
Evette Brown is a regular contributor to Betty Confidential.
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