Taking The Negative Out Of Plus Size Clothing

Monday, September 29, 2014

Skater dresses.....not just for the ice anymore

I remember being a little girl watching ice skating on the television. The ladies were so graceful and seemed to float across the ice in their beautiful dresses. I would then pretend to skate like them while alone in my room, and I would put on the closest thing I could find to the beautiful dresses worn by those female skaters. I felt, if only for a moment, like I was really skating. I was graceful and I was beautiful in my dress.

Now, cut to soooooo many years later. I am still watching ice skating on the television. I still look in awe at their beautiful dresses. The only thing that has changed is I no longer pretend to skate around my room. It's funny how growing up changes things like that.

As luck for people like me would have it, one of the big fashion trends is now the skater dress. Win! Skater dresses come in as many varieties as skaters themselves. They can be dressed up, dressed down, worn with sandals or boots. They are pretty much the perfect dress!

They say a girl should always have a little black dress in her closet...this one from ASOS.com fits the bill pretty well.

Thinking ahead to the holiday season...this skater dress from loveculture.com will make you the hit of the party.

Pairing the skater dress trend with the houndstooth trend for fall, this dress from Lane Bryant is perfect for the office. Throw on some jewelry and some boots to make this an easy conversion to evening.

When the fall weather turns chilly, stay warm and stylish with a knit skater dress from Macys.

There you are ladies! Snap up one of these great skater dresses and imagine yourself floating across the ice..or at least down the street....and You're Beautiful!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Hot for Fall.....Houndstooth

The weather has taken a cooler turn, and today marks the official beginning of Fall. It's hard to imagine the carefree days of summer are behind us. The kids have gone back to school, the leaves are changing into their fall spectrum of color. It's time to pack away the shorts and flip flops and replace them with sweaters, boots and scarves.

Along with the new season comes new trends in fashion. One of this year's trends for fall is houndstooth. This design has been updated and transformed from the sports coats of Bear Bryant, and they are now manufactured in multiple colors, shapes and sizes.

The first example is a wrap-style dress from Ashley Stewart This style dress looks fabulous on most body types, and it is easy to wear. Pair it with your favorite pair of heels and some basic jewelry and you are set! If you are feeling dangerous, throw on some bright red pumps!

The second example is this great houndstooth jacket from Macys. Pair it with jeans or black pants tucked into boots or dress it up with that little black dress. The possibilities are endless!!

For a slightly retro look, try this dress from www.eshakti.com. This style would be great for work. If your body shape is larger on the bottom, this dress is for you! Pair this with some retro hose to complete the look.

When the weather calls for a coat, give this poncho from Lane Bryant a try. It pairs a bold purple color with the houndstooth trend.

If you are a little more reserved with your style and you want to ease into this trend, start from the bottom....quite literally. Try these rubber boots from www.dhgate.com. They are just as cute as they can be, and they will keep your feet warm and dry in style.

So ladies....it's easy to stay on trend even if you are a woman of "real" size. Don't forget to try clothes on and take a good, honest look at yourself. Do not settle for just OK. Make sure you look as good as you deserve to look.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Boots for plus size women

Fall is right around the corner, and that means we give up the comfort and ease of the sandals and flip flops. Boots with varying heights of heel are on trend, but for those of us who do not have toothpicks for legs, the thought of trying on boots can be frightening. Even before I became plus size, I had very muscular legs and I have always had trouble finding boots to fit.

Luckily for us, designers have now embraced those of us with juicier legs and have launched lines of extra-wide calf boots.

"Jackie" from Comfortview found at Woman Within

Lace Shoe Boot found at Simply Be

"Tanya" boot by Ros Hommerson found at widewidths.com

So, as you can see, wide width boots can still be on trend. Go ahead and pair them with your favorite outfit!

Points of interest:

** to elongate your legs, choose a boot with a pointed toe and a bit of a heel.

** try on several types of boots and look at your whole body in a mirror. Are the boots hitting your

leg in a flattering spot?

** if you are wearing boots with a bold color, be sure to pick your outfit to complement the boots

and not compete with them.

Now, go ahead ladies. Embrace those legs of yours and get boot shopping!

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Plus size jeans

Have you ever heard the phrase "feels as nice as wearing your favorite pair of blue jeans"? Well, I don't know about you, but my favorite pair of blue jeans are the ones that I can get into and will not stretch out after 5 minutes and submit to gravity. I am forever yanking at the waistband of my blue jeans. I always say "it's hard to put a belt on an apple and make it stay put."

Enough about me and my problems. Let's get down and dirty with the blue jeans. Ladies, can I be frank with you? In my opinion, nothing makes a plus size girl look worse in blue jeans than when she is kind of hanging out all over them. Let the extreme low riders for the 00 girls. Even if you are 20 years old, let that stuff for the clothes hangers with hands.

Before we get started in shopping by body type...here are a few basic things to keep in mind.

** Do some homework online before you start shopping. Look at the shape of the model. Where does it make her look wide, how does it fit her?
** Look specifically at the pockets on the model or mannequin. Pockets that hit in an odd place, pockets that are too small, sit to high, etc.....will give you a bad rear view.
** Whiskering creates a horizontal line at what is probably the widest area for most women. This will make you look wider.
** "Bleaching" on the thighs will bring visual focus here. If this is a problem area for you, avoid this type of jean.
** Pockets with buttons, flaps, etc. on the back will add bulk to your booty. If you are trying to avoid this, avoid embellishments on your back pockets.
** Don't be married to a dress size. A 16 in one brand may be an 18 in another. Try on the jeans and take a good long look at yourself in those dreaded mirrors. Is this pair of jeans doing what you want them to do? Keep looking until you find them using the guidelines below!

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************

OK - here we go...Let's have a reminder of the different body shapes..

#1 - diamond shape - Pick jeans that are flat front with narrow legs...

Torrid skinny Lane Bryant destructed boot cut

#2 - hourglass shape - Pick jeans that have a wider leg. You want them to be tightest at the widest part of you and then fall straight from there. Look for jeans that have a more solid color.

Levi 512 Boot cut Lane Bryant genius fit trouser jean

#3 - Figure-eight shape - this is basically the same as hourglass. Be sure to choose darker colored, uniformly colored jeans.

#4 - Rectangle shape - you want to define your waist. This is easily done by choosing jeans with a more narrow silhouette and adding a colorful belt.

City Chic Hourglass Lane Bryant Genius Fit Skinny

#5 - Triangle shape - This is basically the same as hourglass. Your bottom half is bigger than your top half. Use solid, dark colors to minimize this...and then play up your top half.

#6 - Oval shape - Your waist is bigger than your bust and hips. Look for brands with a "fuller waist" for comfort. You still want to have the tightest part of the jeans hit at your widest part and then glide straight down so you do not look like a lollipop on a stick.

Macys Levis 590 fuller waist boot cut

#7 - Inverted triangle shape - your top half is bigger than your bottom half. You should select jeans with a lighter color (darker colored top) and a narrow silhouette.

Lane Bryant Torrid

I hope you find this helpful. If you have any requests for future blog entries, please do not hesitate to contact me on the contact form. Happy jean shopping!

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Plus size body shape yoga

A plus size body shape does not readily come to mind when you think about a yoga class. However, yoga is a great way to:

1 - decrease stress - who doesn't need this these days?
2 - increase muscle tone - muscle may weigh more than fat, but it burns calories faster too!
3 - reduce joint pain and inflammation
4 - give you better balance
5 - improve self image by connecting the mind and body.

It is recommended that you seek out a yoga class for beginners with a qualified teacher. Pick one that is on your way to work or home from work so it's convenient. Yoga classes for plus size women are becoming increasingly popular. You can probably Google for some classes in your local area.

However, if you are not able to find classes to suit your schedule, etc., I have discovered a website that sells DVDs for plus size yoga and general exercise. http://www.phatmoves.com/dvds.php

Now that we have gotten the courage to seek out a yoga class or purchase a yoga DVD, we need to discuss what we will wear to said class. Don't get sucked into the "I'm plus size, I'm going to wear a baggy T-shirt and sweat pants" trap. It's alright to wear something form fitting. Check out the following links for ideas on cute and trendy workout clothes.
http://www.alwaysforme.com/viallac.html
http://www.justmysize.com/plus-size/workout/activity/yoga-clothes
http://www.lanebryant.com/apparel/plus-size-active/21288c20233/index.cat

No matter if you decide yoga is for you or not, take care of yourself. Be who you want to be and own it.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Plus size swimwear...for your body type

How many of you just felt the cold chills with the mere mention of swimwear? Yep...me too. I am fortunate enough to have a swimming pool in my backyard, but I very rarely ever use it. Silly, you say. Maybe, but the thought of stuffing my body into a swimming suit and having my poor husband and child lay eyes on my in that suit are sometimes just too much for me.

I have done some research to hopefully help you have a more pleasant experience with swimwear. We will use the body shapes from a previous post.

#1 - Diamond shape - you want to enhance your bust while de-emphasizing your lower half. Swimsuits should have ruffles or some kind of embellishment at the bust....or patterned at the bust with a dark color on the bottom. If using a swimdress, tankini or skirt, look for an A-line that will skim your body without adding any volume.

on the left - Longitude/on the right - Shore Club

#2 - Hourglass shape - You are the lucky one. Most suits will look good on you. You will want to keep your proportions balanced. Look for suits with strapless tops, balanced embellishments on top and bottom to enhance your curves.

on the left - Tropiculture/ on the right - Longitude

#4 - Figure Eight (Spoon) - Much like the Diamond shape, you want to draw attention to your upper body..and also your legs. Look for a suit with light colors, ruffles, etc. on the top and dark simple bottoms. Retro swimsuits with high waisted bikinis or pin-up style one piece suits. One piece suits with rouching across the middle.

On the left - Suddenly Slim by Catalina On the right - Delta Burke

#5 - Rectangle shape - Since you do not naturally have your own curves, you will have to give the illusion of curves with your swimsuit. Look for ruffles and colors that highlight your bust and hips or a design that will give the illusion of a nipped in waist.

On the left - Aquabelle On the right - City Chic

#6 - Triangle (Pear) shape - Since you are heavier on the bottom, you want to draw the eye upward and create an illusion of a longer torso. Look for suits with lighter colors on top and bottoms that are cut relatively high. Underwires or padding enhances the effect.

On the left - Shore Club On the right - Torrid

#7 - Oval shape - The big issue here is the midsection. Your mission is to deflect the eye away from it...or hide it. Choose suits with wrap patterns or criss-cross patterns. Choose a suit with detailing at the hip such as a ruffle or a tie.

On the left - Roamans On the right - Longitude

#8 - Inverted Triangle - your upper half is larger than your lower half. This means you will need to look for suits to balance the 2 and create some curves.

On the left - Tropiculture On the right - Just for Us

I hope you find this helpful. At then end of the day, it's all about taking the plunge (see what I did there?) and getting yourself out there. No need to be stuck in the cover-up or the sarong. Make sure you try different suits within your specification and get the one that speaks to you and allows you to be who you want to be.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Plus Size Women...how to fit your bras properly

Plus size women often have a large chest as well. If "the girls" are not properly supported and kept where they should be, this can change the way you look in clothes. I heard once that a study done somewhere determined that most women do not wear the correct size bra. If you are not able to get a professional bra fitting for whatever reason, this guide should help you in determining your correct size. An important fact to remember is to accept who you are and the chest you have been given. Give up trying to wear the skimpy bras with the spaghetti straps and 1 hook.

Those are made for the size 00 ladies who are an A cup on a heavy day. They will do you no good. Fashion for plus size women has come a long way. We can now get pretty bras! (this one can be found at jessicalondon.com).

I read this article on Pinterest a while ago. Fair warning - rating is PG. Very honest and real descriptions. At the end of the day, very informative. http://brittanyherself.com/2014/02/05/happy-boobs/

Did you know there is a proper way to put on a bra? I learned this several years ago, and I have been happy ever since.
*** To put your bra on properly, lean forwards so that your breasts fall into the cups, then fasten the band behind you (you can put the shoulder straps on before or after this part). Then, still leaning forwards, hold either the shoulder strap or the end of the underwire with one hand, and reach into your armpit with the other. Gently scoop from the armpit into the cup. Next, hold the bottom of the underwire with one hand, and reach into the bottom of the cup with the other. Use one hand to align the underwire to sit at the root of your breast, and gently lift your breast up into the cup with the other. You might prefer to align the underwire and then scoop from the armpit, but either way should work quite well. You may find that you need to scoop and swoop a couple of times before you are fully adjusted, especially if you have larger breasts or migrated breast tissue. If after doing this, you find that you have overspill, the cup is too small – try a bigger cup. If the cups seem to fit well straight after scooping and swooping, but then your breasts seem to move back out of the cups when you move around, this suggests your band is too loose to keep your breasts enclosed in the cups – try a band size down and a cup up (e.g. 34D -> 32DD).

I have noticed that different bra manufacturers have different sizing. I imagine board room meetings with bra company executives laughing at all of us being frustrated. I found this chart on herroom.com. Hope you find it helpful...

Difference between Bust and Band Measurements

10"

11"

12"

13"

14"

15"

US Standard Cup Size

DD or E

DDD or F

DDDD or G