About Us
Topsy Curvy was founded in early 2013 by Jo Frost. At 25 years old and a size 24-26 she struggled buying clothes in stores and online and decided there was a gap in the market for a company who used plus size non professional models to advertise their clothing. After amassing a large social media following and doing work with many charities & events, including a nude calendar for Macmillan Cancer Support, Topsy Curvy was nominated in the Best High Street Retailer category at the British Plus Size Awards 2015, voted for by the general public. Jo then went on to do radio and tv appearances and came 2nd runner up in Miss Plus Size International 2015.
Natalie was a customer of Topsy Curvy, who had struggled with her own self acceptance journey while losing a substantial amount of weight, and finally learnt to embrace her shape through finding styles which she liked and enjoyed wearing. But most importantly, she was confident. Nat then joined TEAM TOPSY on a part time basis.
In July 2017, Plaza Group approached Topsy Curvy with an idea of joining forces and creating a new brand for the existing family of Lovedrobe, Koko & Lovedrobe Luxe. Nat left her full time job to join Jo in the new venture.
In the meantime, Jo and Nat started doing live videos to a rapidly growing audience on Facebook and started getting recognition by the media for their candid, hilarious & sometimes controversial chats about life as a plus size woman. Natalie had some horrendous health setbacks in summer 2018 (view her story here) and our community rallied round and all helped to cheer her up. Jo took part in one of the summers most viewed BBCThree documentaries The Naked Truth. The Topsy girls worked with a number of high profile bloggers, including the inspiring Leah Vernon from Beauty & The Muse and the sensational George Cox from Fuller Figure Fuller Bust. This summer also saw the launch of the online mini series The Confidence Campaign, which saw Jo & Nat & the amazing team behind the scenes at Plaza helping customers find their own personal style whilst encouraging them to step outside of their comfort zone and inspiring confidence.
In September 2018, the girls left the Plaza family, and went back to Topsys' roots, with a view to focusing massively on the community and the video content, not to mention launching masses of affordable fashion.
In July 2017, Plaza Group approached Topsy Curvy with an idea of joining forces and creating a new brand for the existing family of Lovedrobe, Koko & Lovedrobe Luxe. Nat left her full time job to join Jo in the new venture.
In the meantime, Jo and Nat started doing live videos to a rapidly growing audience on Facebook and started getting recognition by the media for their candid, hilarious & sometimes controversial chats about life as a plus size woman. Natalie had some horrendous health setbacks in summer 2018 (view her story here) and our community rallied round and all helped to cheer her up. Jo took part in one of the summers most viewed BBCThree documentaries The Naked Truth. The Topsy girls worked with a number of high profile bloggers, including the inspiring Leah Vernon from Beauty & The Muse and the sensational George Cox from Fuller Figure Fuller Bust. This summer also saw the launch of the online mini series The Confidence Campaign, which saw Jo & Nat & the amazing team behind the scenes at Plaza helping customers find their own personal style whilst encouraging them to step outside of their comfort zone and inspiring confidence.
In September 2018, the girls left the Plaza family, and went back to Topsys' roots, with a view to focusing massively on the community and the video content, not to mention launching masses of affordable fashion.
In late 2018, the girls decided to start printing their t-shirts in house. They went down a storm; so much so, that Father Frost had to join the team. In early 2020, the girls finally finished their first ever branded range, yet were thwarted by the Covid19 pandemic. Now, with a premises to run, and a business that they ethically felt they should close and things were looking tough. Yet, the amazing Team Topsy community, headed by the force that is @rollinwithlindsay_ created a cheeky secret campaign to support us when we reopened. The hashtag #thatswhywelovetopsycurvy was born.
In 2021, when lockdown was nearing an end, the Topsy family opened a physical store in Hyde, Greater Manchester. The move and the stories surrounding the business expansion were documented for the 2022 Channel 5 show Big Brits Go Large. BBGL also gave viewers an insight into Jo and Nat’s friendship and what goes on behind the scenes. The girls’ passion and the ethos of the Topsy brand was the heart of the show and they enjoyed spreading their message about body acceptance even further to an audience of all shapes and sizes, not just plus size.
In 2021, when lockdown was nearing an end, the Topsy family opened a physical store in Hyde, Greater Manchester. The move and the stories surrounding the business expansion were documented for the 2022 Channel 5 show Big Brits Go Large. BBGL also gave viewers an insight into Jo and Nat’s friendship and what goes on behind the scenes. The girls’ passion and the ethos of the Topsy brand was the heart of the show and they enjoyed spreading their message about body acceptance even further to an audience of all shapes and sizes, not just plus size.
At HQ, regular photo shoots continue to take place with customers and members of Team Topsy, making sure that the website is diverse and the people wearing the clothes are all different shapes and sizes. Jo’s mum Fran (Topsy Mum) is also now part of the team so it’s been all hands on deck since the TV show. Team Topsy has now become more than just a group; it’s become a movement. It’s become a place where you are allowed to exist in the skin you’re in, without judgement. It’s inspired people to make memories; to go on holiday, to go to theme parks and do all the things they think they can’t in the body they’re in. Because we are all worthy.
When you buy from Topsy you’re not only supporting a small team’s dream; you’re supporting a community of people from all walks of life, all striving for acceptance and decent clothes.