There’s a stylish new kid in town, and it’s House of Boom. Wellington-based Joanna McLeod has launched an ethically produced plus size clothing range in size 16-30 and this is definitely something you need to have on your radar.
Like many of us, Joanna was frustrated by a lack of ethical clothing options in larger sizes. Rather than just bemoaning the lack of options, she took action, and House of Boom was born. She wanted the pieces to be comfortable, to be made from cotton, and brightly coloured. Pockets were also essential – apparently an early idea for the shop name was “THANKS, IT HAS POCKETS!” which, let’s be honest, is always an appropriate response when you are wearing something that has actual functional pockets.
IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS BOOM
The first season’s range is called In The Beginning There Was Boom, and includes a fitted tee, a skirt, a knit dress and a sack dress, with each style available in a variety of colours, and yes there are plenty of pockets.
“Boom is all about totally rejecting this outdated idea that fat people should hide themselves away from the world. You see that reflected in the drab colours or black everything in so many lines, and how if stores even deign to have a plus-size section they’ll hide it away at the back. Screw that noise. You’re here, you’re awesome and you deserve wonderful clothes”
Ethical production is important for House of Boom, with pattern-maker and production manager Iona Woolgrove overseeing the development from her studio in Berhampore studio, and sewing done in Wellington too, everyone involved with the manufacturing is paid over the living wage. “I know the manufacturing is only one step in the process, and as Boom grows, I plan on working harder to get fabric that’s ethically made, that I can trace the origins of. That takes time and money but I’m committed to getting to that point,” say Joanna.
DEMELZA
So, let’s take a look at the range. My personal favourite has to be the DEMELZA dress, which fits like a t-shirt on top and then a swishy skirt on the bottom. It has pockets (of course) and is designed to be about knee length on a tall person, but if you’re short like me you have the option of either wearing it longer or, thanks to the simple hem design it’s pretty easy to take up. The reason I’ve gravitated to this dress is that it just looks so comfortable and easy to wear, and as you can see from the photos it looks amazing on so many different bodies. DEMELZA is currently available in red, blue, lilac and purple.
KINI
When Joanna was planning the range, she surveyed 100 people in Wellington about what they wanted in plus size clothing. A lot of people said they hated shapeless sacks. Meanwhile, a lot of other people said they wanted a sack dress (understandable, because sack dresses are comfortable AF), so a sack dress there is. I think that there is a severe lack of plus size clothing that is designed to have a looser fit like this, usually if you want an oversized fit in something you need to size up and for some of us who sit at the top of where most plus size clothing ranges end that’s not an option.
The KINI sack dress comes in a waffle knit cotton in blue; a cotton corduroy in purple (I think this would be amazing with tights and boots for autumn/winter); a cotton/silk blend in a fine black and white stripe that looks grey or strawberry (I think I would wear this one over my togs as a cover-up, but probably also with leggings and a bra cos I don’t mind a bit of sheer); a black and white zigzag with a tiny magenta accent; and last but not least a magnificent cat print. So many options, and again – all with pockets.
TIARE
The TIARE skirts tick all the boxes – cotton, pockets and long enough that they’re not likely to fly up (if you’re not familiar with Wellington, it’s notorious for being very windy). Like the DEMELZA dress, these are quite long to account for tallness but have a simple hem so you can take them up if you want to. I kind of love the longer length though! This is a favourite for me, I love this style of skirt and would wear this heaps (probably higher waisted with a tee tucked in). Joanna has noted that these are quite a big fit (hurray for brands being open and honest about fit!) so you might want to size down in this one – make sure you double check the measurements closely. TIARE comes in green, turquoise, blush, a tiled purple print and the most fabulous rainbow print.
BOOM T-SHIRTS
A great t-shirt is an absolute wardrobe essential. I love that these come with the option of having House of Boom printed on the front or having it plain, I’m not usually one to wear printed tops (I have a couple but they’re pretty few and far between) but I really really like the plain one and think I’d get heaps of wear out of it – shout out to tees that have longer length sleeves!
House of Boom’s online store also stocks jewellery from Throwing Feathers, Twigg and Fancy Lady Industries, as well as amazing knickers from Fanny Adams. There are two very important tips that I want to share with you if you’re wanting to shop at House of Boom. The first is that you need to make sure you check their sizing page as they have very useful information on there. The second is that you need to be really quick if you like something and want to place an order because stock is super limited (one of the things that comes with having a start up business).
I’m really excited about this whole collection and can’t wait to see House of Boom grow. I love that they’ve started with some really great basics in fabulous colours, that everything has pockets and that it’s ethically made right here in New Zealand. They give back to the community too – 5% of all rainbow item sales goes to Inside Out, which works to make Aotearoa a safer place for young people of minority genders and sexualities. I also want to make mention of how much I appreciate the diversity of their models, I love seeing people of different sizes, body shapes, ages and races – people who look like me.
Tell me your faves, what are you loving?
Any pieces that you’re eyeing up?
