Here comes the bride

It's not often that we get to highlight beautiful wedding gowns for the plus sizer.  This market is however at long last receiving the focus it deserves, and even here in Australia we have a great website by the name of Plus Size Bride

Plus Size Bride Australia is a private bridal studio located in Brisbane.  With a beautiful range of styles to flatter the more curvaceous figure, their wedding gowns are available in size 14 to 28plus.  Custom order options are also available.

Visit their website and apply to be added to their mailing list.   The number of younger (and more mature women) who want to dress as brides and to have multiple choices about styles and designs, increase every day - up until now there's been a lack of bridal wear for the plus-sizer.  But not now.

There are still some spectacular sales!

For those who just love "sales", and spending their hard-earned money, and those who just love getting something really different to add to their wardrobe, there's a lot going on at the moment.  Here, in the US as well as Europe.

Take a quick look at Anna Scholz.  In sizes 12-28.

Enchanting Silhouette

Colour blocking seems to be the flavour of the month - we used to call it simply "contrasting colours"!

But it's what the designer/manufacturer does with the colours that can make all the difference in the world.

OK, so many people say you can't do much to give an illusion of slimness, other than to wear all-over black all the time.  Well, that antiquated idea has now been relegated to the waste paper bin, we hope.

Plus sizers can and do wear colours, and there's nothing wrong with adding a stunning colour to black to come up with a striking combination.

Take for instance this beautiful Nicole Dress in berry.  Here's the blurb from the website of Igigi

"You crave innovation, especially when it comes to redefining the basics.  This curve-enhancing illusion silhouette is just that.  A colour-blocked, curved centre front and cling-free structure make this a comfortable yet eye-catching dress.  Add earrings, statement bangles and any style shoe will do!"

What's with the shoes? and With the jeans and tee shirts?

Have you noticed lately that no one seems to be wearing those high-heeled Eiffel Tower structures?  In fact  the majority of women seem to be favouring the Audrey Hepburn little ballet flatties!   Do you think maybe too many twisted ankles have meant women have seen the error of their ways and returned to sensible shoes?

And it's not only the shoes.   For so long I've been despairing of "fashion" or even every-day clothing as seen in our shopping malls and walking along the city streets.   Jeans (mostly old, faded) worn with tee shirts that really don't do much for any plus-size woman, whatever the weather!

Photo from the internet.

But now - girls of every age, shape and size are wearing smart dresses.  Sometimes with leggings, which believe it or not can look attractive.  Sometimes with ankle length pants which look especially good if the dresses are short.   But women seem to be enjoying their femininity again!

And that's a good thing.   It shows that they're "interested" in how they look, rather than just throwing on any old thing and expecting the world to see them as being "girls".   And here's an interesting thing, the number of older women who are wearing attractive white tops over pants - black or white or inbetween - and they look great.

Can't someone come up with a reasonable explanation?

If you've been following these blogs, and in fact regularly reading our newsletter (which is now in it's 21st year) you will know that one of our pet peeves is the discrepancies in sizings for the plus sizer.

Now it's all very well for the manufacturers and retailers to tell us that it is impossible to come up with a "standard" scale for sizings, but the differences are becoming too outrageous for us to be expected to continue accepting their arguments that everybody is different so there's not much we can do about it!


Yes, we know that everyone is different!   We also know that there are young women who now find similar discrepancies in the sizing charts set by their favourite label.   For decades the plus sizer has been faced with this dilemma and now the young, slim, trim and taut are coming across the same frustration.

I'm not in the fashion industry.  I'm not an expert on this subject.  But I do wear clothes.  Even though my shape has changed over the decades, my size has remained almost as a constant.  And I know for an actual fact that back in the 1960s and 1970s that I could walk into a clothing shop or department store (i.e. Forges of Footscray, Rockmans - back when it started - and Myer - when it was a true department store) and buy a frock off the rack for both my mother and further into the store one for me, and I knew that the sizes on the labels were just that.  Sizes that fitted - if anything needed to be done to alter the frock it would inevitably be - only the hemline.  You see there were NO specialised plus size stores back then anyway - you felt as though you were more accepted back then, because every woman went into the same store and found the right frock or outfit just for her.

The only drawback back then was that there weren't enough frocks or variations on offer.   And that wasn't the fault of the sizings, it was because the marketplace hadn't realised its huge potential and massive profits that could be made by segregating women's sizes within one store.  Then came the specialised stores dealing with plus size clothes only.

There will be many who read this blog and who will laugh at this suggestion that there was more "acceptance" in the marketplace for the plus sizer back then by saying you're exaggerating.  But I'm not exaggerating in any way, shape or form.   There was a wide range of sizes that didn't go from zero (or double zero) to 50 and above as today.  No, there was a much simpler way of sizing.   XSSW (Extra small small woman), XSW (extra small woman); SW (small woman, W (woman fitting - believe it or not this was the most popular and common sizing because it fitted a woman who was between size 16 and small 20 as in today's sizings).  Then there was XW (extra woman, XXW (extra, extra woman) and so on.  OK, there were just as many sizings, but here's where it's interesting.

If you went into two different stores and bought a frock in size W, then you could be quite sure both would fit well. Whereas today you can buy one label at size 20 and in the next store you'll have to buy a size 26.  Why?

So back in the 60s and 70s stores carried all these sizes on racks in the same area - there was no special section for petites, or "normal" fittings, or plus-sizers which were usually relegated to some out of the way part of the department store.  You felt they really appreciated ALL their customers, whatever age, shape or size, and you didn't have to search for your section out of all the defining sections within that store.

One other interesting aspect of the contradiction and frustration with plus size clothing is this.  Most women's garments during those decades were made here in Australia;  they were made from mostly Australian fabrics; and they were manufactured and sewn here in Australia.   They were not out-sourced or made in other countries where in many cases the sizes, weights and shapes of Australian women are not truly understood.  Especially, may I repeat, the more curvaceous.

Now I understand the importance of trade and I understand the ramifactions of having a product that is less expensive to produce or make than it costs here in Australia (because of wages and other working conditions), but to let an industry (the Australian clothing industry) die for the want to being practical and forward thinking smacks of hypocrisy.

You see now we have "Australian" suppliers providing clothes that are inferior in quality and design and sizes.  It doesn't matter if a garment costs $50 or $150, do you really get quality for your money?  Will that garment last and give you the service that you've paid for?

Perhaps we'll go further into this subject in future posts.   Let me know your thoughts.

Keeping our eyes locally!

Following yesterday's post, I received an email from "Meryll", who said:  "Don't know what they're complaining about - Elegance Plus, Dale & Waters, A Current Affair, Voluptre and My Size - all in the last few weeks of the NoteBook".  Seems I'm meeting someone's approval :)

I've also found that Autograph are having a bonza sale.

Here's a couple of garments from their current website.  Their present sale has 20% off when you order $100 worth of clothing.

Here's a Mid Length Abstract Dress and a Colour Block Maxi Dress.

Ignoring the obvious!

I've had my wrist slapped!   You've been concentrating too much on the overseas clothing and ignoring the Australian selections!  No less than five of my readers wrote to me in this vein, so I've been looking around to find something to present to you.  (There are, I know, a number of stores/boutiques/retailers, that I consistently ignore and while they DO have plus size clothing, I believe we deserve better styles, better designs and better fabric from those particular avenues).

What I have noticed though is that the "Peasant" look has returned, with a little touch of sophistication.  Scarves are an integral part of any woman's wardrobe and of course the value of accessories can't be faulted.

But I did visit My Size again this morning and they've got some interesting garments.   I'm highlighting a couple which give opportunity of mixing and matching and coming up with completely different outfits.  And of course, if you're like me, you always like black as a basic colour to build a new season's wardrobe upon.  (With that said however, they've got some great colour garments too!)

First off the rank we have the Boho Kimono worn with the Boho Pleated Skirt, then the Boho Hanky Tunic worn with the same skirt and a flourish with the Café Animal Scarf, followed by the Blue Note Tunic worn with jeans.

Elegant Sale - Elegance Plus!

With so many sales on at the moment you might feel a little bewildered.  However here's a home-grown clothing supplier (located in Perth, WA), with a special sale going on right now.  Don't delay.  Visit Elegance Plus website to see what is on the "bargain table".

You might even like to tell them you saw the post on RoseMary's NoteBook©?  :)

Why accept boring when you can be stunning?

The more I see of plus sized clothing, the more I'm inspired and excited about what is happening in the marketplace.   Of course let's face it, I don't see much happening in my own local shops or malls, but the internet has opened a whole new world for us.  It's just sometimes there's so much to look for, that we miss some of the greatest finds.

This morning I found this UK website:  http://www.johnlewis.com

With sizes up to 24, this beautiful Lace Cornelli Embroidered Jacket is available in Steel (as shown); Ivory and Mocha. What a jacket!  Beautiful style that will hug your figure and highlight your bust, waist and hips.

Local Content!

Those of you who are regular followers and recipients of the newsletter "RoseMary's NoteBook©" will recall some years ago the many advertisements from Dale & Waters (Perth) within the pages of each issue.

Of course things change and it's always nice to see that a company that is familiar remains in the marketplace today.

This is a reminder of Dale & Waters, which I hope you will enjoy.  Sit back, relax and watch this YouTube video.

A "cover up"

Sometimes all it takes to make an outfit stand out from the crowd is one single and simple piece.

For those who wear black pants and a black (or coloured cami), this Burnout Cover Up Shirt cum Jacket is just the thing.   Once again it's from Evans, UK - http://www.evans.co.uk and at present on sale.  Sizes 14-32.

Evans - sale

Seems like all the stores are eager to sell their beautiful clothing at special prices to plus-sizers.  Are we perhaps the flavour of the month?  Whatever, take advantage of these sales if your wardrobe has been looking a little dull and faded.
The following items are from Evans, UK - http://www.evans.co.uk  And they deliver to Australia!

There's nothing like some new lingerie.  An embroidered bra and a fantastic waist cincher.

And it looks as though long skirts are popular for the cooler weather.   So get in early by taking advantage of overseas sales.  You could be the first to be in "fashion" with the latest trends!

Versatility!

There's no doubt that with a little bit of thought and imagination, you can expand your wardrobe with just a few items.

Take for instance vests of any length and style.   I like the Making It Big range of clothing - it has a fine reputation and continues to bring out interesting and colourful clothing for the plus-size.  Vests can lift an ordinary outfit, and compliment pants whether slim tights or loose cool ankle length.

Visit their site at http://www.makingitbig.com

At present they've got a Great Sale going on.

Good quality versus "ordinary"

This is one of my pet peeves.   Many clothing suppliers, and it's across the board from small and petite to plus-size, take the attitude that they're doing us all a favour by presenting clothing that "looks" good in photographs but in reality is poor quality.   And that poor quality is both in the fabric used as well as the sewing of the garment.

Take for instance this top.   It's at presently on "sale" from one of our suppliers here; but it's original price was $130.   Now for $130, even in this day and age, I look for "quality" for my dollar.   And while I haven't seen the actual fabric that is used on this garment, I can see at a glance that the workmanship as far as sewing of the garment is concerned, is not quite as good as it should be.  (Unless of course this is seen to be the current trend and everyone is expected to accept that.)

What I'm talking about mainly is the hemline.  Now to some people hemlines don't matter, but to me and thousands of other women, they most certainly do.  Because a badly sewn hem can "undo" a garment without even trying.  It makes a garment look untidy and it makes it look as though it's one of those $5-10 dollar garments you can buy from the small Asian stores.  And if this garment was only $5-10 then would I still complain?  I probably would you know, because having done a lot of sewing myself in days gone by, I was instilled with the notion that even if you purchased a "remnant" to make a garment, then that fabric deserved to be treated well.  And if it was sewn well, then it would always look tidy and as a result would last longer than when hemming threads unravel and the garment sags even more.

Because to my eyes, this garment looks as though it's unravelling already.  Its hemline certainly is sagging.  If a garment doesn't have a straight hemline (other than say a handkerchief hemline or mullet) then it never looks "quality".

Would I buy this garment, even if it is "on sale" at a special price, (and mind you it's still around the $40 mark)?   Would you?

Dressing up!

There are times when we need something really stunning, really flattering, really lovely.

Getting dressed up for special occasions or functions is something we often hesitate about, because there never seems to be anything really out of the box in our usual stores or boutiques.  No wonder purchasing from overseas has become so popular.

I found these at Peggy Lutz today - http://www.plus-size.com/  Up to size 36.

Firstly, the Peggy Lutz Daisy Wearable Art Jacket

And the Peggy Lutz Double Dragon Coat 

"Seasonal" trends

Does it strike you as somewhat amusing that I'm thinking trans-seasonal?  Perhaps it's not really.

You see here in Australia we are in the season of summer, and while we've had some torrid days (over 40 degrees celsius) and have been promised some more, other days we've been lucky to get up to around 20 degrees!   This means that even though we may put on a flimsy feminine frock at the beginning of the day, we still need to add a bolero of cardigan or even jacket by the end of the day.

So it's a matter of planning and dressing for a variety of seasons all in one day.  Which isn't so unusual, but it certainly becomes practical.

This morning I found some beautiful winter woolies - and depending on the fabric, many of these are definitely wearable on a coolish day (not necessarily a very cold day).   Take Ashley Stewart for example.  http://ashleystewart.com/

This beautiful pink Marilyn Twisted Cable Sweater is just so "must-haveable".

Now while we're on the subject of New Year Sales - and what a great subject to concentrate on, have a peek at some of these specials.   All the following examples are less than $20 and our Australian dollar is SOOO equivalent that it's well worth splurging on something that you really like.   A beautiful silver jewelled top;  a pashmina and a faux fur shrug.

Dazzling Designs!

You want colour?  Well, there's plenty of colour out there, so go for it.

I heard an interesting comment the other day, from a typical slender woman, "why can't I buy some of these (plus-size) clothes in my size?"  She was bemoaning the fact that some of the plus-size fashion is better than she could buy from her usual outlets in smaller sizes!   What's that old saying, "the worm has turned"!  :)

Anna Scholz (Europe) is having a sale (like many others.)  http://www.annascholz.com

Here's a smashing

Double Silk Border Maxi Wrap Dress 

 Anna has taken her beloved wrap dress shape to new lengths of style! It has the same amazing fit, but with the skirt extended to an elegant maxi length. The zoomorphic parrot print of overlapping feathers and tropical splashes of colour is stunning and modern. It also features a funky, geometric print border in edgy, contrasting colours at the neckline and crossover front, as well as along the figure-flattering empire line and sash. Fluttery short sleeves keep you looking and feeling cool. Perfect for a night out or go for glamorous daytime looks with bejewelled flats. Fabric Content: 95% Silk 5% Elastane

Bright and sassy!

It's great seeing the increase in affordable fashion for the plus-size.   Even better is the fact that we're beginning to see distinctive trends coming through here in Australia, bringing with them all sorts of exciting colours.

Dream Diva L has some lovely garments, and here's two examples.  A lovely one shoulder cape top and a Self Stripe Evening Dress.  Sizes 14-24.   http://www.dreamdiva.com.au

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Accessorise!

It's easy to forget the importance of accessories.  Busy trying to sort out the clothes that we want to add to our wardrobe is, of course, one of life's little luxuries,  but with a little bit of thought accessories can be as exciting and provoke immediate response and oohs and aahs from other women.   But why wait for compliments from other women?  We don't need justification to pamper ourselves with fashion in any way.  The right accessories can "lift" the look of an outfit and take it from being ordinary to spectacular and make us feel good.

Let's have a look at Long Island, New Zealand with their new range of scarves, belts, and jewellery. http://www.longisland.co.nz/category/1/accessories/

Spice up your life with some nice little pieces - yes - costume jewellery is back in vogue.   Here is the "Albi" bracelet and the "Daisy Ring"

Stylish and Stunning!

Yes, it seems that Igigi keeps surprising me.  Day after day.  And their special sale at the moment is stupendous.

Take for instance, this beautiful Bergman Blouse in Red.  http://www.igigi.com

Liven up your work wear portfolio with this gorgeous wrap around silhouette, high neckline & gently draped blouse. Its adjustable ties & bracelet length sleeves scream vintage office glam in a juicy ruby red or fierce multi animal print coloring. Team this piece with a tailored skirt or pant and accessories that pick up on the accent colors.

Designed and made in San Francisco, USA

Happy New Year!

Well what a way to start.   The weather here has been so strange lately - last week I had to rummage around looking for a thick winter woollie, in order to keep warm.  Today they tell us it could get to around 40 degrees.  Honestly!

There's a lot going on in the fashion world for the plus-size at the moment.  Brought about by the persistence and tenacity of beautiful people who refused to sit down and stay quiet about the needs of the more curvaceous woman in having gorgeous clothes.   For too long we were told to be grateful for what the industry presented to us - their attitude was to make money but certainly not satisfy our longing to look beautiful, and to feel beautiful.  But things have changed - and how they've changed!

A great find this morning was the Igigi sale - http://www.igigi.com and this particular dress caught my eye. It's fun and it's feminine.   What do you think about the one-shoulder aspect?  The name of the dress is:  Love Spell.  And there are more on the website - all at cut prices!  What a way to start the New Year off!