Tag Archives: plus size

Why Are Plus Sizes Labeled “Wide”?

SimchaFebruary 8, 2010 //

My brother is getting married! And I couldn’t have picked a cooler future sister-in-law myself. I’m so friggin’ excited for the wedding, I don’t even mind the usual BS of being a bridesmaid. She’s special, people! In fact, my new sister is so rad, she’s letting me pick any style dress I want, so long as it is a matching shade of blue. Does it get any better than that? Finally, after all those times I tried to squeeze into a standard bridesmaid dress, I’m free to be me and get an ensemble that I actually fit in!

Well, that attitude lasted all the way up until the second I walked into the bridal store and the saleswoman pegged me as “very hippie.” At first I wondered if I smelled like patchouli or something, but then I saw the sample sizes and knew she was talking about my shape. I’m realistic; I didn’t expect to be able to get into one of those prefab try-on dresses; they’re all half my size. I just picked the one with the most generous skirt to order and figured the tailor would just go all Tim Gunn on it, because this was clearly a “make it work” time. Keep reading »

Racy Preview Shots From V’s Curvy Issue

Erin FlahertyJanuary 5, 2010 //

The previews keep leaking for V magazine’s much-hyped, so-called “curvy issue” dropping next week, on the 14th. We already saw plus-sized darling Crystal Renn modeling the same clothes alongside standard skinny chick Jacquelyn Jablonski in Terry Richardson’s model-off story, and today we get a taste of a sexy Solve Sundsbo joint (styled by Nicola Formichetti) featuring Candice Huffine, Tara Lynn and Michelle Olson to name a few. It’s hot, but you have to admit it’s certainly thought-provoking and almost jarring to see these women within the context of these slick “high fashion” images. We’re just so used to seeing a very specific type of body against this backdrop. After all, we’re talking V here, not Glamour. Check out more after the jump … Keep reading »

Marie Claire Debuts Plus-Size Style Column

Catherine StrawnOctober 8, 2009 //

Like Glamour, Marie Claire has decided it needs to offer more content geared toward plus-size readers. In the November issue, the magazine introduces Ashley Falcon, a size-18 stylist who will be doling out fashion advice in a new column.

In the issue, she shares a little about her experiences working in fashion despite not being able to fit into sample sizes, offering thoughts like, “I long ago made peace with the fact that I’ll never look good in a slinky dress or pleated paper-bag-waist pants, even if Coco Chanel herself came back from the dead and hand-stitched them for me,” and “Big girls love accessories — they always fit, no size tags required.” She also tackles jeans-shopping for women with fuller figures, giving her top three picks for pairs that flatter. Next up, she hunts down cocktail-chic clothes “for all sizes” for the holiday season. Keep reading »

Plus-Size Model Crystal Renn Is Hungry No More

Jessica WakemanSeptember 15, 2009 //

After years of envying Kate Moss‘s seemingly infinite closet and Gisele‘s parade of bang-able boyfriends, a girl would be right to think the hardest part of a model’s life is choosing whose yacht in Ibiza to sunbathe topless on today.

But a few years ago, “America’s Next Top Model” began to peel back the layers of the modeling industry (well, with a weird, Tyra Banks-ian spin), and then a blogger called Tatiana The Anonymous Model chimed in on Jezebel about her take on a model’s life. But the piece de resistance on the Ugly Side Of Modeling canon is Hungry: A Young Model’s Story of Appetite, Ambition, and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves by plus-size model Crystal Renn. Keep reading »

Crystal Renn Says Success Comes To Those Who Are True To Themselves

Catherine StrawnSeptember 8, 2009 //

Model Crystal Renn appeared on “Good Morning America” this morning to promote her book, Hungry: A Young Model’s Story of Appetite, Ambition, and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves. Crystal was discovered by a model scout as a teen in Clinton, MS, and was told she could be a supermodel. But there was a catch: She would need to lose 70 pounds off her 5’9″ frame first. She did and got a $250,000 contract.

But after starving herself for years, Crystal decided she didn’t want to abuse her body anymore and decided to let it be the way it wanted to be, which was a size 12. While this isn’t the usual size fashion models come in, Crystal says she has been more successful since being true to herself, appearing on the cover of four international editions of Vogue, in various ad campaigns, and on the runway for Vena Cava, Heatherette, and Jean-Paul Gaultier. We’re not models, but her message is one we should all heed: Be yourself and you’ll get farther in life. Aww … [GMA] Keep reading »

What Fashion Insiders Think Of Glamour’s Plus-Size Model

Amelia McDonell-ParryAugust 31, 2009 //

We told you all about how much positive response Glamour magazine has received from readers for the image of a nude plus-size model featured in the September issue. Lizzie Miller has since appeared on “Today” and copies of the magazine are selling out. Catherine wondered whether the overwhelmingly positive response would result in magazines, and the fashion industry, finally recognizing that beauty comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and that they would start featuring more models like Miller on a regular basis. The Sartorialist’s Scott Schuman wrote on his blog, “When I am shooting on the street older women and larger size women often say ‘no’ to my request to shoot them…. I think they have a real suspicion about how the image will be used. I also think there continues to be a growing disconnect between the fashion community and ‘average’ women in general.”

If a recent blog post from “style expert and bon vivant” Adrien Field is any indication, we still have a long way to go. Keep reading »

Social Networking Overkill? Lane Bryant Launches “Inside Curve” Website

Leonora EpsteinAugust 5, 2009 //

When it comes to new ways of marketing products, businesses are really trying to cash in on social networking. The latest to stake a claim in the internet forums is retailer Lane Bryant, the plus-size mall chain. The new website, called Inside Curve, will allow users to give feedback and interact with the brand, as well as talk with other users. Says a company rep, “Our woman loves fashion, loves color, and insists on being on trend and knowing what’s coming next. Inside Curve is her opportunity to join thousands of women who feel the same way.”

Because digital marketing is still relatively new, taking an initiative like Lane Bryant’s brings up a lot of questions. Can social networking actually help your brand and business? Does it defeat the purpose of an online community if it’s created solely by sponsored content? And more specifically, for women: Is Lane Bryant attempting to mold out a better space for plus-sized women, as skinny fashion networks outnumber full-figured forums?

So what do you think? Cheap trick? Or a pioneer in bringing new options for women? [BusinessWire.com] Keep reading »

Chesty La Rue? Jessica Simpson To The Rescue!

Zandile BlayAugust 5, 2009 //

The empire that is Jessica Simpson keeps expanding. (Sigh.) From her humble music roots, she’s moved on to hair extensions, shoes, bikinis and now plus-sized bras. Simpson latest launch is designed exclusively for girls with fuller busts (good news for those of you who complained about this dilemma!). The bras will be part of a larger line (heh) of lingerie that Simpson plans to debut in stores this fall and will include matching underwear, regular-sized bras and sleepwear. The entire range will be available in various prints and fabrics from seersucker to Moroccan-inspired patterns. Interested or over it already? [The Thread] Keep reading »

“More To Love” Actually Sweet, Not Horribly Exploitative

Jessica WakemanJuly 29, 2009 //

I assumed the worst about “More To Love,” the new reality dating show where Luke, a handsome 300-lb. bachelor, is looking for love from plus-sized beauties. How could a pop culture-weary feminist not expect the worst, really? First, it’s of a “reality” dating show, which pretty much guarantees it’s b.s. on Fox, a Keep reading »

Plus-Size Women Get Their Own Fashion Week, But Is That Enough?

Catherine StrawnJune 26, 2009 //

Most fashion shows are known for emaciated, twig-like models strutting down runways, but there’s a different kind of fashion week going on right now. Full-Figured Fashion Week took five years to organize, but, at last, arrived in New York yesterday. Until Saturday night, designers will show buyers and the press their clothes for plus-size women, as well as take part in panels such as “The State of the Curvy Community.”

“The main objective is to show the consumers and buyers that there are other designers out there,” organizer Gwen DeVoe told The Daily Beast. She also said plus-size women care about looking good, rather than having tunics and jersey dresses as their only options. Keep reading »

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