3 minute read
Beauty in everyBODY
At first, it wasn’t a big deal. Theresa Fennell, ’09, would walk into a clothing store, ask where their plus-size section was, and hear one of three things: (1) It’s that corner in the back, (2) It’s online only, or (3) We don’t have one. As a joke, Theresa started recording video of these interactions and sharing the struggle on social media. But after a while, it got aggravating.
And what does a stylish woman raised "Texas tough" do when faced with a challenge like that? Builds her own plus-size online fashion boutique from the ground up.
Theresa said, “I figured, ‘I have a market for this. I’m online all day anyway, may as well make money while I do what I love,’ which is keeping my curvy girls fly.”
She launched It’s Bootyful Me Clothing in 2016. (She wanted the name “It’s Beautiful Me,” but that name was already taken on Instagram. “Bootyful” was somewhat of a joke originally, but then it caught on.) Theresa designs, makes, and models her clothes, runs her website and social media accounts, and handles all shipping and finances. For the first three months, she also worked a separate full-time job.
“The first day I launched my business, I made $300. I was like, ‘Alright!’ The next day, I got nothing. The next day, maybe $20 or $30,” she said. “What I tell people is, stand behind your brand and just keep putting the work in, and the money will work out. It’s true; I’ve lived it.”
Theresa now sells 500 products and continues pushing the business further. In the next five years, she hopes to successfully integrate a line for non-plus-sized women, a men’s line, and a line of children’s clothing. In her words, “The sky is the limit!”
The motto “Go big or don’t go” rings true in Theresa’s heart. Born and raised in Texas by a mother who always encouraged her to be herself and be bold, Theresa never quits. She never let others dictate her style, she earned an MBA while people said she was crazy, and she left a well-paying job to run her business full-time.
Customers often tell Theresa that her confidence is what inspires them to be bolder. She tells them, “Don’t ever, ever feel ashamed about your body. You’ve just got to be you! Don’t let anybody bring your self-esteem down.”
Theresa has faced big ups and downs in 2020. Though online shopping boomed during quarantine, which is good for business, Theresa endured excruciating pain from a watermelonsized tumor in her abdomen, and the surgery to remove it was delayed due to lockdowns. Prior to the surgery, Theresa took photos of herself modeling as many outfits as possible – sucking in her stomach to hide the tumor’s bulge – so family members had content to post to social media while she recovered post-op. Then, in 2021, Theresa’s father passed away. Through it all, Theresa kept her head up, found the positive, and worked hard.
“It is an unexplainable feeling, seeing women wearing outfits I’ve designed and made. It makes me so happy. It never gets old,” she said. “I have always wanted inclusivity. I want plus-sized women to feel amazing in their clothes. I want them to feel confident when they get dressed.”
Thanks to Theresa’s ingenuity and effort, many more women do.
Check out the Bootyful fashion line on Instagram @itsbootyfulmeclothing
