Squeezing myself into a black velvet dress, I sighed in defeat. ‘I’ll never get this on,’ I grumbled to myself, leaving the fitting room empty handed. It was November 2000 and, like countless years prior, I was trying – and failing – to find an outfit for my work Christmas do. I left the high-street store miserable, making my way to the shop specialising in plus-size clothes. I knew that the racks would be full of dull and dreary clothes, but that was the only option for me and my size-16 body.
Every Christmas was the same. I spent weeks planning my outfit, but always ended up resorting to my
