Fashion in Motion!

Igigi has this beautiful video on YouTube which I'm sure you will all enjoy.   This is the sort of media that we need to see more often - lovely curvy women modelling beautifully designed garments to compliment the curvaceous figure.

Watch and enjoy.

A jacket I gotta have!

A bit of whimsy.  A bit of fun.  A bit of fashion flair.

As only Miss Piggy can do, here she is in her lovely quilted jacket.  Watch out for the new film The Muppets where the indefatigable Miss Piggy wears some "designer clothes" with panache.

I'm a little intrigued though at the hair colour change.  Wasn't she a buxom blonde?  Why the dark hair - perhaps she is trying to hide those few little grey hairs that sneak up on us all?

Or am I not being fair to Miss Piggy suggesting that?  Perhaps it's a fur hat hiding all those glorious platinum locks?

The "nonsense" that's going on about plus-size fashion!

Plus-size is a word that has lost its effect.  It is, in fact, becoming a misnomer, because people are taking it to extremes.   When I see fashion, and models on the runway, in size 14, and it's being touted as "plus-size", then I become justifiably angry.   And I'm not alone.

We've been fighting discrimination for decades now - far too long.  Yet, we still come back to the media and fashion industry calling us names that don't really depict or define us.  When will they come to accept the immutable fact that we are:

(1)  Women

(2)  Intelligent

(3) Sexual beings 

(4)  Honest and fully aware of our height, width, weight, shape and size

and
(5) We don't need to be constantly reminded all the time that we don't fit the "mould"!

This is becoming a nightmare.   Those of us who have been advocating a change in attitude for decades (by society at large as well as by ourselves to ourselves and others around us), see small inroads into the clothing market for women of size in todays marketplace.  But it's far too small - the inroads I mean.   

No wonder young girls and women of size 14 and 16 are tearing their hearts out trying to lose weight to meet the so-called "ideal" of LESS than size 14, so that they're no longer seen to be "plus-size".  It has become a derogatory word, not an inspiring one.

Plus-size used to describe women of size 22 and above.   Now for some unexplained reason, and there are some interesting arguments going the rounds which I reckon I've heard all of them over the past fifty years, plus size is now around 14!   Just what is going on here?

Women are women - no matter what weight, size or shape they are.   Yet as soon as a fashion show comes along or a new collection is released, we're supposed to be so grateful to see that "plus-size" is included - yep, up to size 14.

How does the woman who is larger than size 14 feel - say 20 through 30 - when she sees all this nonsense in the press and the current affairs programmes on TV? She feels slighted, she feels rejected, and she feels (again) relegated to the "not acceptable" heap.  And if she's like me, she starts to feel angry.

I read just this morning that Peter Morrissey has said that women of many sizes should be seen on the catwalk.  I can well remember Peter saying in a press interview some years back, that he would never deign to design a dress for anyone larger than size 14.  I made a pact with myself all those years ago that I would never promote any of Morrissey's fashion, and I haven't. Has he changed his mind?  Had he changed his attitude?  I'm not sure, but I hope it isn't because he has suddenly seen the big $ profit-line by designing garments slightly larger than his original limit.  Because that would be hypocrisy and we don't need any more of this, thank you very much.

On the other hand, maybe Morrissey has realised that his attitude of years ago was wrong!   I'd like to think that even the most adamant person who decries curves as being unacceptable, can change his/her mind, and to see the value of curves.

It will be interesting to see how this whole question evolve - because there is a lot of discussion going on, and it would be so nice if it continued in an upward and positive swing.

Do I often get up on my soapbox and shout?  No, but this nonsense of plus-sizes needs some trimming.

In fact I want someone to come up with some better descriptions than "plus-size" or "petite" or ......

I've worn out so many dictionaries trying to come up with some "positive" words, and I send out a challenge to readers of this blog.   Send in your suggestions for descriptive words that will highlight women who are larger than size 14, in an uplifting way.   Have your say on this very important subject.

(This photo has been found on the internet).

Changes in women's bodies

It's very interesting to see how women's bodies have undergone (and continue to do so apparently) radical changes in shape and sizes in relation to breasts over recent years.  In fact it makes you wonder just what is happening .....

Women who usually wear small bras - sizes 10, 12, 14 for instance, started asking for "deeper" cups.   From A, B, C, and even D cups, it's not uncommon now to find bras in the smaller sizes having cups up to F, G and even H.

Whereas ....... Women who have always been big breasted - from around sizes 16 through to 24/26 still find it very difficult to buy bras with cups deeper than C or D.  Occasionally DD.   But there's not too much out there in the marketplace for those larger women in the way of beautiful, lacy, satiny bras in a big selection of colours,  that will fit them, regardless of cup size.

Have a look at many of the "bra" sites, and you'll see very basic, heavy looking bras.  Fabric that is intended, we are sure, to make plus size women feel "not quite as acceptable" as smaller women.   There's nothing really feminine or romantic about them.   Just take a stroll around your favourite department store, and you'll see literally hundreds of striking little numbers for the small (but deep) breasted woman, but hardly anything of interest (or of fit) for the larger woman.   Of course the heavier breast needs support and lift - and we know for certain that there are bras that will provide both these requirements and STILL look attractive.

One argument we always get from store buyers is that there aren't enough customers who ask for the larger bras.   What?   Every woman I speak to who admits to being size 20 and upwards, almost cries with frustration at not being able to find "sexy" bras and lingerie, and yet the stores say there are no customers.

The little black dress!

Someone asked me yesterday how or where they could find a "little black dress" for the curvaceous figure on the internet!

That set me scratching my head a little.  UNTIL........  I found B and Lu's website http://www.bandlu.com

There in full display stands their "little black dress" - stylish, flattering and so "must have!".   Sizes:    Large through to 4X.

A paragon of pleasing plumpness!

My friend Maureen in Western Australia said this about me a few years ago.  I thought it was delightful.   Maureen, being a curvaceous woman herself, was always looking for words that described herself and her friends in a happy and complimentary way.

That got me thinking about brides.  Not that I intend getting married (not at the moment anyway), but when I leaf through bridal magazines - it doesn't matter whether they're Australian or from overseas, you never see a model who is larger than a size 6 or 8.   Why?

Girls of all ages and all sizes get married and want to look their loveliest.  And why shouldn't they?   But when it comes to someone who is size 18 (US size 14) or 20 or more, they're not supposed to feel they deserve beautiful bridal wear.  Who says so?   Well the media for sure, and the fashion industry as well.  When we have dress designers who are "feted" here and internationally because of their "incredible talents", and who won't even deign to design everyday/evening wear let alone bridal wear for anyone bigger than size 14, then something's wrong.

I don't know how tall Queen Victoria was, but she surely was a buxom, plump little thing.   Dressmakers in the Victorian and Edwardian eras made incredible garments and they made them for slim, svelte and plump and curvaceous women.  Why can't our modern day dressmakers do the same?

Their argument?  We've heard it all before - it takes more fabric to make a garment for a larger person.   La de dah.   We know that.   But it takes more than fabric to design and make a beautiful garment.  It takes talent on the part of the dress maker.   This is where we're let down so often - a dressmaker is not necessarily a good seamstress/dressmaker.  For there has to be "engineering" knowhow;  there has to be imagination;  there has to be experience and there has to be an ability to see the whole picture.

A Woman in a Corporate World!

Why are there so few women in top corporate jobs? And those who are, are they seen to be representative of intelligent well-educated women fully able to manage and be decision makers, or do they quickly become a slightly softened version of the tough and over-riding personality of big-time male corporate heads? I am not being biased, I'm simply asking a question. Because from where I stand, those women who have taken up top jobs seem to lose a lot of their femininity - and I'm not talking about the way they dress - and become something else.

Occasionally it's good to look at this question from another angle. Read and enjoy and if you feel like laughing out loud, then do so, it will do you the world of good!

"Why Woman are not appointed to Company Boards"

1. There are no suitable women. We've looked and can't find any
2. This is a highly specialised field
3. Women are specialists. We need generalists
4. We already have one woman on the board
5. If gender becomes the prime selection criterion, we'll dilute the value of the other criteria and will get inferior directors
6. It's insulting to appoint a woman to the board because of her gender
7. We had a woman once but she was hopeless so we can't risk another one
8. It's bad for women to appoint inadequate women as directors
9. We don't believe in quotas
10. Women mostly get appointed through patronage or seduction
11. A woman would be disastrous on this board
12. Being from Queensland (or other constituency) is more important than being female
13. It's not fair to aspiring male directors to have women push in ahead of them
14. Who'll look after the interests of men if the board is dominated by women?
15. Women talk too much, go off on tangents, are emotional, moody etc
16. Women are distracted by family interests and you can't be sure of their priorities
17. You can't have more than one woman on a board because they fight
18. The other directors are not used to working with high-powered women. 75 per cent of them have stay-at-home wives and all the other women in their lives have been in subservient roles
19. Women executives in the company (Queen Bees) don't like having other women on the board
20. The other directors' wives are threatened by women board members working closely with their high-powered husbands (partners)
21. It is uncomfortable taking women on board retreats
22. Women don't play golf.

So now you've had a good laugh, OK? But I'd like you to stand back and re-read many of these points, because whether you believe it or not, the comments mentioned have been used for decades, and continue to be, in determining that women are not satisfactory material for sitting on corporate boards. In fact many of these comments have been used against employing women in middle to top management of companies, let alone becoming a member of a board.

And again I'm not being biased, but I've noticed something insidious within corporations. When a woman becomes the spokesperson for that company, be she the CEO or board member, it is she who has to bear the brunt of anger should that company be forced to admit losses in profits, or even worse, to under go liquidation with massive losses of employees jobs. It's almost as though the rest of the entire board become invisible and innocent.

Corporate decisions are not made by one person but it's sometimes easier to blame a woman, (if there is one on the board or in top management). Perhaps I AM biased? But I don't think so. I've seen too much of how corporations work. 

.....© Leonie Stevens, Australia

Want to get in Shape?

Find yourself a new lover 
says an Italian research team.

The "heady" feeling (all to due to chemicals in our brain and our body) of romance has been found to have the same effects as chocolate and other sugary treats on the body!

I guess it all depends on what you really need. As you satisfied with the lover you have? Then all you need to do is to enjoy chocolate.

If you're not satisfied with your lover, then finding a new one (and keeping him!) might do the trick.

Don't get "needs" mixed up with "wants" though!