Hi, I’m Jazmin!
I remember the first time I felt self-conscious about my body size. I don’t remember how old I was, but I could not have been more than ten.
I was at my cousin's house, and we wanted to play dress-up. I was so excited when I saw all of her pretty dresses! Only one problem: they didn’t fit. None of them. Not even a little. I remember fighting tears and asking if we could do something else. This marked the beginning of what turned out to be a very long struggle to love myself and my body.
I have always loved helping people feel good about themselves.
I think that is how I found my first passion: hair. I started braiding hair sometime in middle school. I loved how expressive and intricate the braids could be. Later I decided to lock my hair and quickly decided that was the way my hair would be forever. My love of and skill with locs – or as they are sometimes known, “dreadlocks” – eventually led me to quit my day job and start my first business: Those Lovely Locks, Asheville’s only wax- and chemical-free dreadlocking studio.
For Those Lovely Locks’ second-year anniversary, I had a photo shoot scheduled where I would get my first professional pictures. I was so excited to be able to go to downtown Asheville and to be able to pick out a perfect outfit, as long as it was under $200.00. Easy, right? I would spend a while downtown and I would get to support a local business. It sounded like a win win... except that AGAIN, I couldn’t find anything that fit well.
I tried on outfit after outfit in the hopes one of them would work. At some point, I gave up on loving the outfit I was looking for and shifted to just looking for anything that fit. Finally, after almost five hours downtown and fighting tears more than once, I found one dress that was marked down to $75.00 down from over $100. I was so relieved to find it, and it was really lovely, but I was so depressed at what I had to go through and spend to get it that it did not feel much like a victory.
As a general rule for my life, I try not to complain without also offering a way to improve and solve whatever I am complaining about.
So when I found myself commiserating on the perils of shopping while plus-sized with my sister on the phone, I lightly suggested that I should open up a plus-size consignment shop in Asheville. As soon as the words left me, I knew I had to do this.
That was the night More To Love was born. It is my absolute honor to be able to provide curvy women with fashionable, comfortable, and affordable clothing. With the love and support I have received from my community, and most of all my partner, Lars Gruner, I have been able to create a comfortable and welcoming space. Our racks are well-organized and clearly priced. I look forward to becoming an Asheville go-to for all plus size women, whether they need a new outfit for a big date, a job interview, or anything in between.