Friday, September 26, 2008

Check out Nekoneko’s Plus Size Mix and Match

Nekoneko replied to my previous post by nicely turning me on to her Plus Size Mix and Match and the Polyvore tool she uses to create it! If you want ideas about dressing with empire waist, kimono and plus size dresses, as well as lots of other style ideas her Plus Size Mix and Match is well worth the viewing!

Be sure to check out Nekoneko’s other fine Squidoo Lenses, currently 53 at the moment. But be warned! Allot yourself lots of time when doing this! Yesterday my whole afternoon was happily derailed by following several tangents of interest that all started with her Funny Sarcastic and Diet Quotes Squidoo lenses.

Thank you Nekoneko!

I’ll be playing around with the Polyvore tool myself. I hope to show equally handy results here in the near future. But with me in this year, who know…

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

If you are in the Vancouver area, check out Bodacious’ Plus Size Fashions!

If you are not, check out the About Us page of their web site! I especially like the part about that skirt is too small for me, it’s not the other way around! Love their attitude! Their fashions are unique and beautiful too. Plus the Bodacious blog is a good read and a good place check out plus size fashions!

Hopefully their styles will be available for us online shoppers some day…..They have some beautiful wrap dresses as well as other styles. And it appears we can call or email an order to them. I have not tried that just yet. They aim for soft, silky, body skimming clothing that work with what you were born with!

They may be a little too far away from my price range for a while but till then:
Silhouettes’’ print silk dress below has just come within my current range! These plus size dresses are now on sale, in it’s shown color, for just $30! And it is still available in all sizes 12 to 26!
Printed Silk Dress


Thank you Bodacious for posting my link. I will look to your blog often as a source of inspiration and info. Looks like it’s going to be a good one! You all do a good job of addressing, and dressing plus size issues your selves! Keep up the great work!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Thank you Mrs. Carrington for your kind comment

Having a little girl to set a good example for puts dressing a fuller figure in a perspective that far exceeds the importance of style and fashion. Even though my 8 year old has yet to be very concerned about her own appearance, she does look at me. She, a skinny to slender little girl, asked me if she looked fat. This really shook me up. She did not care what she was wearing, but was already concerned about her weight? Yikes!

So I have felt the need to make sure she knows there is nothing wrong with being slim or large. She actually asked me this year if she will be as large as I am when she grows up. I assured her that no matter what size she turns out to be, she’ll be fine.

Now that she has been in school a few years it has become apparent to me that how we look at when we take our children to school and back matters. Once she even asked me to please dress up for her school concert that year. Of course all my attention was on how she looked. So it seems to matter to our children how we look.

Fortunately there are many flattering styles for us fuller figure women now. You’ll find a nice selection of stores that carry mostly classic, some trendy clothing at my Plus Size Women’s Clothing website. I have been looking at most of the apparel in these stores for years, with the exception of Old Navy and Avenue, since 2003. If you take that link now you’ll find that Old Navy has provided us full figure women with a nice fashion show. Though I personally have not tried them yet, you can see their prices are budget friendly!

I especially like the styles at Silhouettes and lots of my wardrobe comes from them and some of my casual attire from Avenue. If you become a Silhouettes Buyers Club member you save 10% off all purchases, even their sale and Outlet goods! They have classics and new trends too. They can be a bit pricey, but you can find great price breaks in their Outlet store. This women’s blazer is now $89. It will never go out of style, and it was down to $19 in their Outlet store in late spring.
Notched-Collar Jacket

They have standard items that go into the Outlet store each year and reappear in the store when they are in season. That is one way to shop for a stylish wardrobe without breaking the budget!

Currently their very classic a-line skirt is now just $9.00 and still available in all but size 16W in Navy. If you join the buyer’s club it’s less 10%!!
A-Line Skirt

I wear mine just as above, but with the twin set buttoned at the top mostly. And this skirt is where I learned that size does matter a quite a lot when dressing to please the eye. I usually put comfort first. And while I know I have been writing for years about how generously sizes Silhouettes fashions are, I just did not listen to me. I ordered this skirt in a size 18W. When I got it, it felt great, looked a little frumpish but nice and neat. Then I noticed I could turn the whole thing around, with easy, at my waist to wipe some pine tree sap that I sat in off.

I ordered the khaki one in a size 16W. That one felt just as comfy and looks as sleek as the above pictured outfit! I had not lost weight either.

One other thing I have noticed about Silhouettes clothing is their woven jackets and vests are large in the back. Sadly those are too large for me. I did not have time to put in the shaping darts so I had to send the ever so soft jacket above back. Yet their knit tops, sweaters and cardigans drape beautifully off my shoulder blades, so that is not a problem. But if you need a lot of room in the back, well there you go! Silhouttes is the line of plus size fashions I am most familiar with. I have not tired their woven pants yet, but I love thier leggings!

I am sorry it took so long to get back to you Mrs. Carrington. And I hope this info can be of some assistance as you in your efforts to make a good impression to your daughter. When she goes to school she might be told that we larger women are also at a risk health wise. This happened to my child. Like they need one more thing to be frightened of, along with fire drills and lock down drills. They even had a Slim Healthy week theme last year. So it helps to reassure our girls that we are healthy too!
Best wishes
Anne

Friday, September 12, 2008

Full Figure Bras & many other Sales!

Right now every time I look I at any of the stores I normally do I see more and more sales! Perhaps it’s always this way and I am just noticing. Here is what I’ve noticed this week.
These new Bali full figure bras are now just $14.99 at Just My Size, where you’ll find them in B to DD cup sizes. Read about where to find them in larger, up to DDD cup sizes, in their Minimizing Nipple Concealing Bali Plus Size Bras article.

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Old Navy is also having a bra in panty sale for full figure women. I am not familiar with any of these bras and there are no reviews given. You’ll find seamless and uniquely pretty bras at Old Navy’s Women’s Plus Bra Sale—40% off sizes up to 46DDD, at oldnavy.com/plus.


They are have great prices on full figure women’s Wear-to-work styles in sizes 16-30, from $26.50 only at oldnavy.com/plus.


Junonia is having an up to 80% off blowout sale in their Clearance Juno’s Closet. Click here for activewear and casual clothing in the latest designs for real women! It's all at Junonia . Then go to Juno’s Closet to get to this sale. You’ll find their high quality swim and active wear, all designed just for full figure women! You will find great savings there, in Juno’s Closet, all year actually.

And if you prefer paying via PayPal;
ShoeBuy’s $20 off orders of $50 when paying via PayPal banner

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They carry many wide and extra wide width shoes as well as shoes for the whole family.

If you don’t really like PayPal and need wide width shoes, I still find Zappos has the widest selection of wide and women’s extra wide shoes. Here is a link to go straight to them, well more directly any way. Buy Wide-Width Shoes at Zappos.com
Of course Zappos offers free shipping, both ways if need be.

These are the many sales I’ve managed to run into with out looking this week. I think there is one more…maybe it’ll come to me later. Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Petite Women’s Blazers for women who wear Large, over G, Cup Bras Could be a stretch. & Thanks for the tip about Old Navy Jeans AquaMarine










Regarding the last post about sources of Women’s Blazers in Petite Sizes: Actually I was pretty impressed with the selection of petite sized apparel that come in large sizes, especially jackets and sweaters at The Gap and Banana Republic online. Both of these stores can be reached through the Old Navy banner below, just look to the top of the page once you get to Old Navy.



These stores have plenty of shorter styled jackets, I just like the longer length, the blazer above even has a back vent! Another personel favorite of mine.

I like this wool blazer and double pocket cardigan, both come in petite sizes at The Gap. The Ruched Jacket at the top left is quite a bit pricier and from Banana Republic. All 3 come in petite fits. Sorry but if you click on their pictures, nothing will happen, but you can find them in average, petite and tall sizes at The Gap via that Old Navy banner above. Size, and shopping wise, there are a few details of interest before you shop.


I believe, sorry about this AquaMarine, The Gap did not carry petite sizes in stores a year or two ago. Then as a loyal Levis jeans wearer, was told at our local Gap that I’d have to find petite sizes on line only. I was so angry I stalked off and got my Levis at the local K-Mart at a fraction of the price. A rare occasion of anger paying off for me!

As it seems these stores, Old Navy, The Gap and Banana Republic are affiliated with each other, it is quite possible that Old Navy, and the elegant but pricey, Banana Republic, may well carry nothing but average length women’s fashions in their stores off line too.
I am pretty sure Old Navy’s Plus Size Women’s Clothing is available online exclusively. It pretty much says that at their web site.

I agree with you AquaMarine, about their great prices, and will have to try their jeans! I know what you mean about the high waist, to a petite women’s under-bust, jeans, slacks too, of the 90’s. Good Riddance!

And interestingly the women’s and women’s plus short jackets at the nicely priced Old Navy currently styled like the much pricier Banana Republic’s women’s blazers.

Now about the actually sizes:
While at least for me, my problem with way too big arm and back sizes of plus size women’s blazers may be solved by at least trying the simply larger women’s sizes at Old Navy, The Gap and maybe someday, Banana Republic, except for the chest sizes: Yes if you need large cup bras, as in over G cup sizes, sadly, unless you never actually close these jackets and sweaters, their chest measurements may well fail you too.

A chest size comparison of size charts:
Old Navy Plus Size Women’s Clothing,
apparently average lengths and fit only – up to 4X / 28 – 30 chest size 59” – 61 ½”


The following have average, tall and petite sizes available; Chest measurements can be different for all three fits. These are the top chest sizes of their petite size ranges:

  • Old Navy Women’s up to XXL / 20 has a 45 ½” chest
  • The Gap up to women’s sizes XXL / 20 and chest measurements seem to be the same as their XL / 16-18 has a 41 ½” chest in petite fit
  • Banana Republic up to size L / 12 has a 38” chest measurement in petite fits

    While it is nice that the skirts will likely not need hemming, and I’m assuming the pants as well. And it’s nice that the sleeve lengths are shorter in petite sizes and other proportions are taken into consideration; It appears that for us large busted women, these jackets and sweaters won’t likely close.

    AquaMarine: I hope I’ve written this before you try to find petite sizes at the local Old Navy, The Gap or Banana Republic. If I have a chance to check out my suspicions about the likely lack of petite fit apparel at these stores, I’ll post it here when I find out. I do hope I’m wrong.