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Plus-size fashion blogging is on the rise, and South Bay-based Chastity Garner Valentine is at the forefront with her blog GarnerStyle. The blogger—and former plus-size model—began her site in 2008 to supplement her styling services, and it has been wildly popular. (Chastity has been featured in The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, and her Facebook page just hit 200,000 likes.) She writes in a recent post about blogging, "I loved fashion and this was a way for me to express that love." Six years later, that love is going strong. She's especially committed to inspiring others of a similar pear-shape discover which clothes and looks are complimentary and worth the purchase. Look for her blog revamp in the coming weeks, and read on for an inside look into GarnerStyle.
What inspires you to blog?
"In general, I love the messages that fashion can convey. Wanting to send a loud and clear message daily is what inspires me."
Who takes your photos?
"A mix between my husband and Lydia Hudgens Photography."
How would you describe your style?
"High fashion translated into plus size."
What was your most popular blog post?
"To date, it's a battle between the #BoycottingTarget post and the one when I wore an all white, crop-top-and-pencil-skirt combo—I broke a lot of fat girl rules in that post."
Tell us something about yourself we would have never guessed.
"I'm good at both softball and tennis."
How would you describe your sartorial personality, and which Bay Area store best matches it?
"High end. It's no secret that I like the finer things. Nordstrom provides a lot of those options for me."
If you had to sacrifice one, what would it be: lipstick, mascara or brow pencil?
"Brow pencil; I just learned how to fill in my brows, but I'm blessed with having naturally thick brows already."
What's your favorite thing about living in the Bay Area?
"The weather."
What do you hope to be doing in five years?
"I hope to have turned blogging into something bigger."
· GarnerStyle [Official Site]
· Chastity Garner Shares Her Bay Area Spots for Plus Size Glamour [Racked SF]
· All Blogstar posts [Racked SF]