Fashion Tips | The Plus Size Blog

Archive for the ‘Fashion Tips’ Category

Join the Fatshionista Twitterati

Posted by Positive Sarah on May 3rd, 2013

Fatshionistas are big news at the moment, with the most recent photo shoot for the new Clements Ribiero capsule collection for Evans making it into the Daily Mail (where it attracted the usual ill-informed rants) and beautiful plus size model Justine Legault gracing the front cover of ELLE Quebec this month.

Personally, I think that the Clements Ribiero collection leaves a LOT to be desired – I don’t know any plus size woman who wants to wear dresses with such cheap-looking garish patterns, and I much prefer the gorgeous plus size maxi-dresses here at FatPhrocks. That’ however, isn’t the point, the point is that plus size fashion is definitely big news in 2013.

If you’re looking for inspiration, photos, fashion advice and links to interesting blogs, fashion sales, blog posts and new collections, keep an eye on these Fatshionistas and stay on-trend.

The gorgeous, talented Velvet d’Amour @VOLUP2 is one of my favourite plus size icons. Velvet is an artist, dancer, model and total plus size diva who pushes self-esteem and rocking your curves to the plus size world. She also posts fabulous pictures!

Bets, or @myarchedeyebrow is Bethany Rutter, one of the models featured in the article, an outspoken, fashion-loving curvy heroine. She describes herself as “Fat, sweet, nonmonogamous, queer, intersectional femme-inist” and her tweets are always entertaining. When it comes to fashion, she told the Mail, “All UK fashion journalism is written by slim people for slim people, so there’s almost no point reading magazines if you’re fat. That’s why the internet’s become such an important place for plus-size fashion.”

If you want ideas, and to see how the clothes you see on websites will maybe, actually look on a plus-size woman, follow Hanna @fattyschallenge. Hanna is a Finnish plus size fashion blogger who tweets lots of pictures of herself in really fab clothes. Hanna is reassuringly fashion-obsessed and her blog is brilliant too.

Anyone with an inkling about plus size fashion will have heard of Nicolette Mason. She’s a fashion writer for Marie Claire (they let fat people write in fashion magazines in America) and she tweets about fashion, feminism and food; three of my pet subjects! Catch Nicolette at: @nicolettemason

Brides to be should keep an eye out for updates from CURVES & COUTURE @curvyessex . This is one bridal boutique where the staff won’t look down their noses at you for requesting a dress that’s not a sample size 10! These guys support plus size brides and have collections for all budgets, so well worth a follow if you or someone you know is planning a wedding.

GorgeouslyFullFat @GorgeousFullFat dares all plus size people to live a ‘gorgeously full fat life’ and tweets about fashion, plus size issues and links to a very honest blog following (among other things) her life story and how she went from a size 12 to a 22 over the years via this diet and that diet. Oh, and she LOVES fashion.

The great thing about Twitter is that you can actually interact with the people you admire, and chat to them about fashion, get advice and generally get to know them. I know that I feel like I’m seeing a friend when I see Bets pop up in another online fashion feature, or read a quote from Nicolette Mason somewhere that I’ve seen on her blog. So sign up and join in, and let’s all get waving the flag for fat fashion!

(Follow FatPhrocks at @FatPhRocks)

Are you a Big Fat Failure?

Posted by Positive Sarah on April 19th, 2013

Just when I was wondering what I could write about for this week’s blog post, along comes another article from Samantha ‘I’m so beautiful’ Brick to get me all fired up. Thanks Sam!

Samantha, who hit the headlines last year when she published an article in the Daily Mail complaining that she didn’t have any female friends because women hated her for being beautiful, has gone the extra mile this week and branded all fat women as failures. Despite being married to a demonstrably overweight man. Clearly men are allowed to be fat.

Sam compares herself to the indomitable Joan Collins, who confessed to being on a diet every day of her life. Joan, who has probably earned the right to be controversial at 70 and was talking about her own life, didn’t suggest that near-constant dieting was actually a good thing. Samantha on the other hand claims that to stay beautiful you have to be on a diet every single day, and that all women “with a modicum of self-respect” should watch their figures. I wouldn’t dream to let a woman who lets her husband dictate her weight lecture me on self-respect, but that’s another blog post.

She also claims that being fat signifies failure. After admitting that in the past she’s had to rent a house without a kitchen to stop her eating, pours coffee dregs on expensive chocolates to stop herself from scoffing them, and that she follows an extreme diet four times a year that actually renders her so weak she is incapable of doing any work. Oh, and her (overweight) husband has threatened to divorce her if she dares to put on weight.

To me, that sounds like a life half-lived, and I’d feel sorry for her if she wasn’t so rude. She’s buying into the myth that women are only fit to be judged by their appearance, because her one marker of success and failure is weight. It’s sad.

I believe that a successful life is one lived fully, no matter what your weight might be. Live well, enjoy yourself, do whatever you want to do and never let your dress size stop you doing ANYTHING. Except maybe wearing clothes from Top Shop. I don’t believe you should put off living your life until you’re thin, I think you should do whatever the hell you like right now. If you want to lose weight to wear nice clothes, fine….but you can buy nice clothes at the weight you are now (have you looked at the FatPhrocks range?) – you don’t have to wait.

What do you think? Do you agree that “There is nothing in life that signifies failure better than fat.” Check out the full article and let me know what you think.

Spring has sprung!

Posted by Positive Sarah on April 12th, 2013

How good does it feel to see the sun again? Weather forecasters are predicting temperatures not just in double figures but actually around 20 degrees next week. That’s right, 20 degrees. If that doesn’t tempt you out of hibernation, nothing will!

But what’s a girl to wear when she’s been hiding under big jumpers and coats since about September last year? A cursory rummage in the wardrobe would reveal that many of us are ill-prepared for the emergence of summer (at last) and we need to get to work quickly on being ready to get out there and feel the rays.

Obviously, FatPhrocks are racing to the rescue of plus size fashionistas everywhere. If you’re not quite ready to reveal your arms to the world yet, or it’s not quite as warm as predicted, you could tentatively step out with one of our gorgeous selection of Wingz? Perfect for spring when you want to be able to go out without a coat but there’s still a chill in the air…or evenings out when the temperature dips and you don’t want to be sitting outside shivering!

I adore the Green Fleurs Brilliantes Wingz – they are spot on for spring afternoons and evenings and they fit in beautifully with the bright pattern trends that are all over the high street at the moment. If monochrome is more your thing, you could opt for any of the plain black or white Wingz, in many different styles, and fabrics like lace, cotton and chiffon.

The best thing about the plain Wingz is that you can dress them up or down depending on the occasion, and they’re so versatile they can go with just about anything, a definite bonus considering our Great British Weather!

Have a great week – and enjoy the sunshine!

Plus Size Brides

Posted by Positive Sarah on April 5th, 2013

One thing that crops up a lot for plus sized women (and yes, that would be me) is what on earth do you do when the lovely man of your dreams pops that big question? Of course, because he’s a lovely man, you say yes. You squeal with unbridled excitement. You tell your family and change your Facebook status to ‘engaged’.

Then you panic.

You’re going to be the centre of attention in a posh frock and EVERYONE will be looking at you and taking photos. This is the stuff of nightmares for even a reasonably confident plus size bride-to-be.

These days, we’re lucky in that there is a lot more choice for plus size bridal wear. Simply Google the words ‘plus size wedding’ and you’ll get over 94 million results; that’s an awful lot of websites to plough through in search of your perfect gown.

I was a bridesmaid in 2002, and to be honest, shopping for a dress was a humiliating experience. Even the bride, who was only a size 14-16 struggled to get any of the beautiful gowns in the upmarket bridal stores. They only stocked ‘sample sizes’ which means that if you were bigger than a size 10 (and wedding dresses always seem to come up smaller than everyday dresses) you had to try and get the too small dress on and get someone in the shop to hold the fastening at the back; there was no way you were going to get that beauty done up this side of the wedding.

As the bridesmaid, I was expected to pay more because the dress I needed at the time was a size 18. Anything over a 16 was ‘non-standard’ and clearly involved so much extra work that they justified about £100 extra for altering it to fit me. Ridiculous and a complete rip off. There wasn’t a lot of choice ten years ago, either. The majority of dresses for brides and bridesmaids seemed to only be available in standard sizes unless you were prepared to pay over the odds to get something altered. Off the peg wasn’t an option, you could always get your dress made professionally but then the cost went up even more!

These days, high street stores like BHS and well-known brands like Simply Be have reasonably-priced bridal collections BHS stretches to a 26 in some styles and you can find gorgeous dresses up to a size 32 ar Simply Be. If you don’t have the budget to buy an expensive, overpriced dress and get it altered, at least there’s now the option to buy a pretty, budget dress off the peg. That’s got to be good.

With more plus-sized brides and bridesmaids to cater for, it seems that the industry is waking up to the fact we curvy women want to look gorgeous on our big day too. What do you think?

Dress by http://www.daisylovebridal.co.uk

Think Pink

Posted by Positive Sarah on January 25th, 2013

When it’s cold, wet and icy outside, my default winter setting seems to be hibernation. I’m quite happy to sit indoors in the warm with a mug of Green and Black’s hot chocolate, watching ‘My Mad Fat Diary’ or a nice drama with pretty costumes, and avoid all the ‘Embarrassing Fat Bodies’ style rubbish that they tend to plaster our TV screens with at this time of year.

The thing is, despite the average person’s social life dwindling away to plans for ‘when it warms up a bit’ in January, there are going to be occasions that call for a bit of glamour, a bit of sass, and a bit of …pink! That’s why I am in love with the pink pointe shift dress from FatPhrocks. One of our day dresses that can easily be worn to the office and then dressed up if an after work down-the-pub session calls for it, this dress is likely to brighten up any dull wintry evening.

It’s perfect for teaming with some chunky accessories and heels for a casual night out, or if you just want to wear it to the office and break up the sea of grey and black that dominates this time of the year, it’s great under a cardi or with some thick tights and boots too. It’s totally on trend with the slash neckline, flattering ruching at the front to enhance your figure, and a short side split to add an extra bit of interest.

A dress like this does beg to be seen though – so if you treat yourself to it (oh go on, it’s payday) you’re going to have to make sure you’ve got lots of occasions liked up to wear it…unless you just want to wear it to cheer yourself up as you sit around the house, drinking hot chocolate and watching the Downton Abbey box set. Come to think of it, that’s not such a bad idea…

Santa Baby

Posted by Positive Sarah on December 21st, 2012

What would you like Santa to bring you on Tuesday? Are you thinking perfume, chocolates, maybe something sparkly? I hope you get everything you want.

If you’re still looking for the ideal gift for someone, or are stuck for ideas for yourself, how about a voucher for a day at a spa? Experience days are all over the place at the moment and a spa day is a real treat that you can luxuriate in even if you’re not a size ten – just grab your swimming costume and rock up to the nearest spa to be pampered with a facial, a massage or whatever you fancy. Big hint: If you’re looking for a bargain, lots of spas are empty between Christmas and New Year so you can bag some really good deals there. Check out discount voucher websites and spa booking sites like SpaSeekers and you might find yourself a well-deserved Twix-mas treat!

Clothes are always a difficult thing to buy or ask for as a Christmas gift, but one thing that might hit the spot and be perfect for New Year’s celebrations is a set of funky Wingz. They come in so many different colours and styles that you can really funk up just about any outfit with a pair, and make an ordinary black or plain top look different with different designs. They are also available up to a size 28 and are lovely and stretchy – another retailer (*cough* M&S) have brought out a stretch version too and called them ‘Spanx for arms’.

I’d be really chuffed to find a pair of the Black Chiffon Volume Wingz in my stocking, or the stretch black ones. I’ve got lots of short sleeved black

Fatphrocks Volume Wingz

tops that I always have to wear with a cover up in winter, so it would be lovely to pop on some Wingz instead (and give my cleavage a boost at the same time).

What else do I want? Well, recipe books are always welcome, although I’m not that impressed with the latest Nigella or Jamie tomes. I tell my friends and family that if it looks pretty, smells nice, is alcoholic or covered in chocolate then I’ll probably like it. I’m easily pleased, me.

I don’t want anything remotely practical though – and I certainly don’t want what the character in my novel Viva Voluptuous (out next year) got for Christmas from her ex-husband one year…a ten week membership to a slimming club!

Whatever you get under your tree this Christmas, I hope you have a wonderful time. Eat, drink, be merry and come back in 2013!

Plus size fashion wish list

Posted by Positive Sarah on December 14th, 2012

Women want smart business clothes

I’ve been doing a bit of research into what plus sized women really want (with the launch of Viva Forever this week, maybe I should add ‘What we really, really want?)

It’s not about anything out of the ordinary. Although one frustrated plus size woman complained that there just aren’t enough places to buy fashionable clothes that have a bit of a punk style or even a bit of a hippy vibe (some of the maxi dresses on FatPhrocks could possibly be described as hippy, don’t you think?)

Alternative fashion is one thing we clearly need to be able to get our hands on in over a size 16, but the same can be said for smart work-type clothes that would be suitable for business meetings. Although our Best Fitting Wrap Dress is easy to wear to work, “Suit jackets and pant suits” were on the wish list of one lovely larger lady. She also mentioned loving the cute tees that are available these days in a plus size, but that it would be really nice if the people who made them could just make the sleeves a teensy bit longer?

It’s no secret that my pet hate is matching underwear sets…or the lack of them. Yep, you can buy knickers in my size and you can finds bras in my size but do you think they’ll match? If I find a bra I adore and that fits beautifully, the chances are that the bottoms will stubbornly stop at a size 16 and I’ll either have to buy the bra and wear it with un-matching knickers, or try and find something vaguely similar to go with it. Certain lingerie retailers that specialise in big cup sizes often don’t think big busted girlies have a bum to match…or if they do pretty matching sets you can almost guarantee they will have sold out as soon as they are available.

Along the underwear lines – how many of you hope, wish and pray for a bra that fits really well and doesn’t cost a fortune? I’m forever hoisting my straps back up as I walk, then of course there’s the dreaded ‘four boobs effect’ that some bras tend to create. I can honestly say that very few of my bras are anything like comfortable, and that the ones I wear most are just the bras that are less uncomfortable than the others!

For those of us blessed with a heaving cleavage, we don’t necessarily want to show everyone what’s underneath our clothes, so it’s a big YES PLEASE to button up blouses and tops that don’t gape and share our underwear decisions with anyone who looks. If they fit on the bust, it seems that they are quite often too tight on the hips too…so the consensus seems to be that as plus size woman aren’t all one shape, perhaps manufacturers could look at designing ranges for different types of woman. We already have jeans that suit pear shapes, boyish figures, the boot cut jeans on the FatPhrocks pages which balance out bigger legs, high-waisted jeans for women who want to cover their tummies and jeans for skinny girls, so why not adapt tops and blouses to suit hourglass or apple-shaped women too?

There’s a few ideas for those in the know to ponder over…do you have any? What would you REALLY love to get your hands on, fashion-wise, in 2013?

Top Tips for Fashion Savvy Plus Size Women

Posted by Positive Sarah on December 7th, 2012

The days of being advised to avoid bright patterns and cover up in black are thankfully way behind us, but if you, like me, get frustrated with shopping for flattering plus size clothes, there are a few good tips that might give you a head start in the style queue.

Firstly, the most important thing to remember is that wearing clothes that actually fit you will flatter your figure way more than trying to squeeze yourself into the next size down – or wearing the next size up to ‘leave room’ for that matter. Anything too tight won’t accentuate your curves, it’ll squeeze them into unnatural places and that’s’ never a good look. Remember nobody can see the label in your jeans, so get the size that fits and not the size you want to fit!

If you’ve got it, flaunt it! One good thing about being a bigger woman is that we get a killer cleavage to make the most of. Don’t hide your best assets away under baggy jumpers; try a v-neck top or a scoop neckline with a top that fits really well, draw attention to your best bits! The same applies to waists, if you have a curvy hourglass figure, make sure you don’t hide it under voluminous outfits. Show the world you have a womanly shape and work it, baby!

Get your undies in order…a good outfit starts with well-fitting underwear that supports you where you need it. You don’t have to squeeze yourself into Spanx and spend the whole of the Christmas party fantasising about taking them off so that you can breathe…control underwear can be comfy too. Again, it’s all about the fitting, I know it’s tempting to buy control undies in a size smaller than you are to ‘pull it all in’ but you know, it has to go somewhere, and after a while you’ll be in a lot of discomfort if your underwear is too restrictive. A supportive bra with just the right amount of va-va-voom teamed with control undies that support and smooth rather than restrict your breathing will make any outfit look great.

Add heels. I don’t know why, it’s probably an optical illusion, but heels make me feel slimmer and adding some sexy heels to a party outfit (or any outfit, really) can make you feel instantly more feminine and they do seem to have the effect of elongating your legs as well. The exception to this rule is the type of heel you just can’t walk in gracefully. Wobbling around on teeny stiletto heels and grabbing lampposts to steady yourself is so not a sexy look.

But when it comes to loud patterns, bright colours and even (horrors) horizontal stripes…just go ahead and wear whatever you please! Cover your arms with Wingz if you feel the need (well it’s flipping freezing at the moment) but don’t forget, BE YOURSELF!

Christmas Wingz!

Posted by Positive Sarah on November 30th, 2012

Well, the big ‘C’ Day is getting ever closer, and the pre-Christmas party frock panic is getting louder. If you missed the blog post about Wingz the other week, let me enlighten you about the wondrousness of this particular invention. big-cat-wingz

This genius piece of lingerie (is it lingerie? I’m not sure but as they magically manage to boost your bust as well as covering your arms in the most stylish way possible, I think we can call them that) is perfect for Christmas parties, in fact there’s pretty much one for any occasion. If you don’t want to completely cover your arms but do want to feel as if your shoulders and upper arms are covered, there are super-cute half sleeve lace Wingz that have recently hit the website (and are selling like hot cakes) that look absolutely gorgeous with a glamorous top or dress.

If you want to brighten up an outfit, you could always opt for red chiffon big volume Wingz – or how about some absolutely amazing purple chiffon flared Wingz? They even come in silver snakeskin flared versions – a hot trend of the catwalk for this season was snakeskin, so you can be right up there with the Fashionistas when you strut your stuff in a plain black top or dress, zinged up with some glamorous, stylish Wingz. Leopard print chiffon also provides another trend-conscious version of the sleeves, a look that will go down a storm at any Christmas soiree.

So, if you thought that sleeveless top or dress was out of the question, or that you were going to have to make so with covering it up with a shrug that insisted on falling off your shoulders every time you reached across for another glass of Prosecco at the office ‘do’ – let FatPhrocks come to the rescue with a pair of Wingz for every occasion.

Have you got your Wingz yet? Which ones are your favourites?

FatPhrocks give you Wingz

Posted by Positive Sarah on November 9th, 2012

You know how it is; you’ve spent ages looking for the perfect party outfit, and set your heart on a glamorous, sophisticated party dress. The only problem is, it’s a sleeveless dress and you don’t really want to work the bare-armed look at the office ‘do’.

Maybe you don’t like your arms, because you think you’ve got a bit of the dreaded ‘bingo wings’ going on (although I think you should be out and proud, listen to Paloma Faith’s ‘Me and my Cellulite’ and never, ever be ashamed of your body) or perhaps you just don’t think it’s appropriate to be flashing lots of bare skin at a work gathering?

It could just be a practical thing – after all, it’s not exactly warm in December, is it?

Of course, you could wear a bolero or a shrug over the top, but why cover up the beautiful frock you’ve spent all that time hunting the high street for? What’s the point of that?

FatPhrocks to the rescue!

All you need is Wingz. There are so many gorgeous styles, fabrics and designs, and as from next week there are four brand new additions to the range, the pretty stretch lace Wingz that will look absolutely spot-on underneath a sophisticated party dress. No more hitching up a cardi or shrug every five minutes, the practical and fashionable Wingz stay in place all night and as an added bonus they even give your boobs a bit of a boost as they fit under your bust.

I love these things! The brand new, just in time for Christmas range features black and white lace, half and full sleeve Wingz, up to a size 28. They are affordable too, so you can match a fab pair of Wingz to almost any outfit for under £20.

I’m getting my credit card out ready for Monday…

Just for a treat…

Archive for the ‘Fashion Tips’ Category

Join the Fatshionista Twitterati

Related Posts:

Are you a Big Fat Failure?

Related Posts:

Spring has sprung!

Related Posts:

Plus Size Brides

Related Posts:

Think Pink

Related Posts:

Santa Baby

Related Posts:

Plus size fashion wish list

Related Posts:

Top Tips for Fashion Savvy Plus Size Women

Related Posts:

Christmas Wingz!

Related Posts:

FatPhrocks give you Wingz

Related Posts:

Products

Recent Posts

Categories

Recent Comments

We’re Famous!

Wingz