Alysse Dalessandro

Standing at 5’1”, Alysse is living proof that small is mighty: she is a writer, designer, plus-size fashion blogger, professional speaker, and body-positive advocate. In 2012 she founded Ready to Stare, a size-inclusive apparel and accessory brand. Alysse created Ready to Stare as a celebration of the fashion misfits who are often excluded by the industry. By designing bold pieces in sizes S-5X, Alysse hopes to send the message that style is for everyone. In pursuit of this message, Alysse began a project called #DOPEatAnyHeight with tall plus-size blogger @ramona_o. The two women, who stand nearly a foot apart, create campaigns wearing identical garments to challenge the idea that plus-size women can’t wear certain items. As for her personal style? Alysse describes it as Golden Girls meets Mob Wives: gaudy, unapologetic, and in-your-face. While there are brands that she loves, she often struggles to find petite plus-size clothing at all. There is a common misconception that petite means small in both size and stature, so the petite plus-size demographic is often overlooked by retailers. Moving forward, Alysse hopes to partner with a brand to create a petite plus-size collection. She wants people to know that this market exists and is important.