Hi and thanks so much for stopping by! I started GIRL WITH CURVES in 2011 as a creative outlet outside my (now former) career in technology. With encouragement from my husband, I started sharing my outfits online.
What started as a personal style blog is now a lifestyle brand and clothing line that empowers curvy women with the confidence to feel amazing at any size.
I struggled with self-esteem my entire adolescent, teens and well into my twenties. However, there came a time when I realized the road to loving myself, though long, would be much more rewarding than the bumpy, mentally exhausting road I’d been on, loathing myself.
Fashion is something I’ve always been passionate about, but it wasn’t always an easy hobby to have as the tallest girl in school (I’m 5 feet ten inches), with the largest feet (size US 12) and the only one who skipped a training bra and went straight to the real thing! Not fitting into the clothes my friends were able to wear, having bi-racial hair I rarely saw on TV or in magazines, were just a few beauty-anxieties I struggled with throughout my adolescent and teen years.
After years battling eating disorders and excessive exercise as a result of poor self-esteem and a major lack of confidence, I suffered severe knee injuries in my late twenties. It wasn’t until I was a few pounds shy of my goal weight, had no cartilage left in my knees and could barely walk, that I was faced with a harsh reality: I almost liked what I saw on the outside, but I wasn’t happy inside. At that very moment, I had a personal awakening. I looked in the mirror and asked myself why I spent so much time hating my acne-prone skin, frizzy hair, wide hips, lack of a thigh gap thunder thighs, cellulite, stretch marks, thick knees, big feet, the list went on… I asked myself, was wasting time focusing on the outside, worth being trapped in a mental prison of unhappiness on the inside?
From that moment on, I made an effort to focus on accepting the things about myself I once considered flaws. Although I didn’t see anyone in the media I could relate to completely, I made small connections with women I admired, like Jennifer Lopez’s ample backside, Mariah Carey’s gorgeous curly hair and Marilyn Monroe’s curves. Making connections between physical characteristics I admired in others with those I possessed myself, allowed me to start seeing beauty in all the things about myself I once hated.
When I started GIRL WITH CURVES over 10 years ago, I didn’t set out to make a difference in the way other women saw themselves. I simply needed a creative outlet, and to be honest I was scared to death of what people would think of me. I was so afraid of the judgement I thought I’d receive, when in fact it was my own inner voice, going over all the things I didn’t like about myself.
Early on, I received messages from women of all ages and sizes (and even single fathers with teenage daughters!), saying how inspired they were seeing someone they could relate to on some level- whether it be my curvy shape, height, size, race, hair type, you name it!
What I realize every day in connecting with women from all over the world through GWC, is that we all strive to make connections with other people, but we miss the most important one: connecting with ourselves. I often question: if we can recognize beauty within others, why is it so hard to see beauty within ourselves?
As GWC readers gain confidence in themselves by relating some part of their physical appearance, personal style, beauty anxieties, wellness or lifestyle experiences with mine, I gain confidence in knowing the work I’m doing is helping others, and hopefully preventing someone from suffering the effects of poor self-esteem I experienced most of my life.
My mission is to empower women with the confidence to feel amazing at any size.
Girl With Curves is an evolving creative space sharing style, trends, beauty hacks, wellness tips and more.
In my personal life, I’m a mother of a 3 year old little girl, a 7 year old boy, a 9 year old English Bulldog and a wife to my best friend and biggest supporter. I’m a graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in English, a licensed esthetician and bi-racial woman who passionately supports the body positive and women empowerment movements. At work, I’m a writer, editor, stylist, model and consultant who’s blessed to be able to create content for some of the biggest, most respected brands in the world.
Whether I’m obsessing over a particular trend, find a solution for taming frizz or simply want to share something happening in my life, you’ll be the first to know.
