Fashion Lily is a new, boutique store that’s recently launched online. Their founder, Christina Wintor, believes in fashion for all sizes, and it was a pleasure to speak with her about Fashion Lily and her motivation for creating it.
What inspired the name Fashion Lily?
I originally went by fashion Lily as a nickname because I’ve always loved fashion and Lily is my favorite flower.
How did you start selling your clothes?
Before the pandemic my primary source of income was posting clothing items to Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, and any other website that allowed you to meet customers in person. I never really thought of creating an online website of my own because I loved the face to face aspect of selling clothing and accessories to customers. Selling clothing in person for as long as I did allowed me to meet so many wonderful women that even today are still my close friends and still support my small business even though I’m strictly online now.
Why did you decide to go strictly online?
Being someone with asthma and other underlying health issues I figured it’d be safer to slowly transition to online only. With the pandemic still present, many smaller businesses have transitioned to online only. Initially I gave up building a platform for myself because my domain name wasn’t available however I got lucky and was able to purchase it at auction. It took me from July to September to open my website and it’s been a ton of work but it’s so worth it.
Tell us about your commitment to creating “fashion that fits.”
As a plus size woman myself I find it important to not only love and support myself but to network and show support to other plus boutique owners as well. I’ve always believed that EveryBODY is beautiful. There’s no such thing as “bikini body ready”. There’s no set size or shape for a bikini. All you need is your body and a bikini, whether you’re a size 2 or 24, you are bikini body ready. Stretch marks are beautiful, flat stomachs are beautiful and so are squishy, soft bellies. I don’t care if you have a 6 pack of abs or a muffin top, you are beautiful.
My wish is that society as a whole learns to be quiet if they have nothing nice to say. We are entitled to our opinions but that doesn’t mean we should always speak them out loud. Growing up I was always the chubby sister and I always felt like something was wrong with me. I didn’t get to have a popsicle on a hot summer day with my younger siblings unless I rode my bike around the block 10 times or more because I was “too big”. From a young age I was conditioned to hate my body. It wasn’t until my early 30s that I realized just how beautiful my body really is. Not only is my curvy body beautiful but I also realize that I was never the problem to begin with. It was society. We’ve been conditioned to believe that anything above a size 6 is wrong when in fact it’s not. All sizes, all shapes, all skin tones, all walks of life are beautiful. We are perfectly imperfect and that’s quite alright.
Thanks, Christina! I think all of us here can relate to the feeling that something was constantly wrong with us growing up. And being made to exercise more than your siblings because of your size is just incredibly wrong.
I’m glad Christina was able to turn the negativity surrounding her into a positive situation and start her own business online.
I didn’t get to have a popsicle on a hot summer day with my younger siblings unless I rode my bike around the block 10 times or more because I was “too big”. From a young age I was conditioned to hate my body. It wasn’t until my early 30s that I realized just how beautiful my body really is. Not only is my curvy body beautiful but I also realize that I was never the problem to begin with. It was society.
CHRISTINA WINTOR, FASHION LILY
Let’s take a look at some of the awesome Fashion Lily designs.
fashion lily v-neck printed peplum top
Sizes up to: 5X
This is a stunning top to pair with jean shorts or capris for a summer outfit whether you’re running errands or going out for dinner. I particularly love the ruffle effect that is gracious for midriffs and tummies.
two-tone striped top
Sizes up to: 5X
I love two-tone anythings, and this top is brilliantly simple with the stripes cutting across the sleeves. There is good length on the top too which particularly pleases me to see, with it running up to 30 inches.
