Plus Size Fashion Shopping in Ireland
It is not the first time I encounter an article in the press, where the differences between the a plus size shoppers’ experience in the US, and in Europe, are identified and highlighted. Often time, both women and men, say that it is by far easier to shop for plus size clothing in the US rather than in Europe.
I must say that although the situation in Europe is improving, I tend to agree to this opinion. An article I ran across today by Andrea Byrne on Independent.ie also concurs. Andrea’s article introduced us to Aimee Casey, originally from Washington, now living in Ireland. Aimee states that she encountered difficulties shopping for full figured fashion when in Ireland, which in the end motivated her to endeavour into opening her own plus size clothing store, in order to widen women’s choices in Ireland, and Europe.
"I really encourage women to show off their decolletage. You shouldn’t clutter it up, keep it bare. A lot of women insist on wearing small, delicate jewelery around their neck. The problem with that is there’s a lot of flesh there and small jewelery will only make it look bigger. It’s all about proportion. You should really look at your body in the mirror and spend time figuring out what works," says Aimee.
Aimee’s store, called Style Plus, besides being located at Celbridge, Co Kildare in Ireland, is also available online at StylePlus.ie. It stocks sizes 16 up to 30, and carried styles for anyone aged 20 to 50!
It is great to see women taking their frustration at the plus size shopping situation in certain areas, and turning it round into something positive and of benefit to other plus size women in their area. Kudos Aimee! I wish you the best of luck with Style Plus.
Categories: Plus Size Clothing News & Updates Tags:
Hawaiian Plus Size Line Launched
Wave Shoppe Hawaiian Shirts has been on a quest to produce fashionable Hawaiian shirts that slenderize the large and lovely woman, and their goal has finally been achieved.
Wave Shoppe’s quest started around a year ago when they received several requests from women who were looking for Hawaiian themes shirts to fit their fuller figure. They received several comments like “I really love the shirts on your website but I need a larger size,” or “I am going to a party and can’t find a shirt to fit me anywhere”. After several such phone calls and emails were received, Charles and Peggy at Wave Shoppe decided to move forward and offer shirts for plus sized women.
First they started working on finding a pattern maker that had experience in making plus size Hawaiian shirts for women. After several lengthy meetings and sifting through test patterns, the perfect combination was chosen and samples were sewn up.
At this time Charles and Peggy had several women who knew they were going to make plus size shirts so they stayed in contact with them and actually sent them the samples created to try out send feedback on. So Wave Shopped sent off their newly created plus size samples to different sized women, who in turn were asked to rate the shirts on comfort and fit, besides other thinks. Charles and Peggy adjusted the selected patterns based on the suggestions received and thanks to the efforts and ideas of the selected women changes to the patterns were incorporated.
The next step was to find the fabrics to make the shirts. They wanted fabrics that were colorful, snappy and fresh. Most of all they wanted fabrics that would breathe well, feel comfortable and make future customers look fashionable.
After all the hard work, the goal was finally achieved! Wave Shoppe today are very excited and proud to announce the addition of their new plus size line of Hawaiian shirts. Their new shirts are colorful, fun and trendy. Do check then out at Wave Shoppe.
Charles and Peggy’s story is a wonderful example of online stores listening to customer suggestions and opening up their shop and business to accommodate a wider audience. This I am sure will definitely be appreciated by their potential plus size customers. This story should be an encouraging example to other clothing stores who might be receiving queries from potential customers to widen their selection. Listen to your potential customers!
Categories: Plus Size Clothing News & Updates Tags:
Plus Size Christmas Fashions: Top 10 UK Stores
The holiday season is a great time, which brings with it a lot of fun activities, get-togethers and parties. So it also brings with it a lot of outfit changes for all the different occasions one has to attend. Be it a Christmas office party, a family get-together or a festive cocktail party among friends, there is a lot going on during the holiday season, so it is essential for women to be well equipped to face the holiday season in style!
A lot of Christmas fashions are available for plus size women online, which can help them make a lasting impression during any holiday activity they attend!
But where to start? Which are the plus size clothing stores available online which carry a good selection of stylish plus size Christmas fashions and holiday dresses? What are the holiday fashions available online, especially for women located in the UK?
The answers you seek can be found very easily, here in this article, as we will be pointing you to the top 10 UK plus size clothing stores. Within these stores you will be able to find a great selections of clothes to wear during the Christmas season, styles perfect for both casual and formal events.
All of the stores listed in this article are either based in the UK, or also offering shipping in the UK (among other countries).
- Simply Be: A favorite among shoppers, this online stores offers a very wide variety of apparel in sizes 16 to 30. Whether you are looking for items to wear during the day, at the office or during the evening, Simply Be is truly a one stop ship for plus size women in the UK. They also carry the exclusive designs of Anna Scholz, a designer offering beautiful styles for flattering your curves.
- Evans: This name should be familiar with many of the curvy ladies in the UK. A very popular high street store name, it is also good to know that Evans offers the same great shopping experience online. I actually think it’s even better, because you can shop through everything right in the comfort of your home, with your mouse in one hand, and a cup of tea in the other! Evans offers some very stylish options for curvy ladies in the UK and with different styles actually being made available very frequently, this makes it a great place to go to to update your wardrobe for the holiday season.
- Curvety: A great resource for all curvy UK women, if you have never visited this online store, do so now and bookmark the page! Curvety is a great little gem; it is an online shopping emporium designed exclusively for women with a fuller figure who do not wish to compromise on style. Their range of plus size women’s clothing and lingerie features comfortable, chic and designer items, offering UK curvy women fashion that celebrate their curves.
- JD Williams: This is a fashion and footwear catalog that is dedicated to offering excellent value through low prices. A wide range of items are found here including clothing for all occasions, lingerie, accessories and footwear. JD Williams can save you a lot of time, as they provide a very wide range of items, all under one roof. Sounds good to me!
- Love ISIS: A collection of stunning, sensual and glamorous curvy fashions in sizes 14 to 28. Expect nothing less when visiting Love ISISI. Carrying items from designers such as Kiyonna and IGIGI, this great online store offers plus size women in the UK a great place to find some exquisite designer pieces. From glamorous dresses perfect for a New Year’s Eve celebration dinner, to chic outfits for an office party, make sure you visit and bookmark this store.
- Bosomy: UK based wholesaler of plus size clothing and lingerie, at Bosomy you will find greatly prices pieces perfect for both your casual and formal needs. Bosomy offers heavy discount on high street fashion clothing exclusively designed for curvy ladies.
- Spirito di Artigiano: Offering exclusive Italian fashions in sizes 14 to 30, Spirito is perfect for those ladies who love timeless classic styles and want to create a chic, sophisticated look. Sprito to Artigiano are passionate about sophisticated Italian fashion and work closely with key fashion houses in Italy to bring full figured women stylish, high quality clothes that are perfectly designed and shaped for curvy women in the UK.
- So Sienna: Specializing in fashionable plus size clothing for women sized 16 to 30, So Sienna carry items from various designers including: Missphit, Kiyonna, Anna Scholz, IGIGI, Monif C. and Z. Caravacci, among others. It is pretty rare to find a UK online store that carries clothing from such a great repertoire of designers, so do give So Sienna a look whilst shopping around. You will not be sorry.
- Curvy Diva: Another little online store which you might not be familiar with, but which is good to know about. Curvy Diva carry a number of varied items including casual and formal wear, lingerie and even swimwear.
- Cinnamon Fashions: A store dedicated providing good quality, continental fashion for stylish curvy women, for every occasion. Among the different brands you will find and Cinnamon Fashions, it’s good to mention the following: Mellimel, Chalou, Doris Streich, BS Casuals, Samm, Q’Neel and Kirsten Krog.
So if you are looking to create a special look this holiday season, and you are plus sized, there is no need to worry at all. With the vast selection of Christmas fashions available for full figured women online, shopping and finding what you need is a breeze. Even for curvy ladies living in the UK!
Categories: Plus Size Clothing News & Updates, UK Plus Size Fashion News Tags:
Nikki Blonsky wears IGIGI
Nikki Blonsky, plus size rising star, could this weekend be seen in London wearing a beautiful IGIGI dress. Nikki is new to the big screen, and is starring the new version of an old favorite movie, Hairspray.
Originally a John Waters film released in 1988, Hairspray also became a leading musical. The 2007 version of the movie features John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, and a new face – Nikki Blonsky.
During the premier this weekend, Nikki strutted her stuff on the red carpet wearing the beautiful Maya Chiffon Dress in Black/Coral by leading plus size fashion house, IGIGI.
Categories: Plus Size Clothing News & Updates, Plus Size in the News Tags:
10 Hottest Spring/Summer Fashion Trends
The resident women’s fashion expert over at About.com, Cynthia Nellis, always posts interesting and very useful write ups. I find her writing very ‘applicable’ to th day to day life of women. What I mean to say is that the advice and tips she gives can easily be applied by women through their daily lives, so that better fashion choices are made. Although Cynthia’s writing are not targeted specifically to plus size women, her tips can still be applied to the curvy fashion world.
Recently Cynthia highlighted 10 wearable spring fashion trends, and I thought it would be very beneficial to touch upon them briefly here, so that plus size ladies reading this post can get some ideas and get to know what the hottest trends are this spring… and summer:
1. Daytime dresses – Just shopping around will make you notice this hot trend, it’s a dresses invasion. And I love it. It gives us a chance to be feminine, comfortable and fresh! Dresses range from printed wrap dresses, to floral ones with a very country feel.
2. Sporty chic – Not completely casual. Yet not completely formal. The trick to getting this right is getting the right combination and mix in there.
3. The little white dress – I love whit, but to be completely honest, I am not brave enough to just wear a completely white outfit or dress. That’s just me and white. So if like me, white puts you off to a certain extent, there is a workaround with this trend. Pair it up with a chunky colorful belt to define your waist. Or perhaps focus on colorful accessories such as a nice necklace with matching bangle (which is also in this list of top 10 trends!).
4. Animal prints - As previously discussed plus size figures and prints can definitely be combined to create a fusion of figure flattering style. So another hot trend this season is animal prints, which you can include in your outfit not just in the clothes but also in the accessories you choose. Ever considered a bold pair or leopard pumps, with matching bag?
5. Fun florals – As with the above, another way to bring in prints into your outfit is through going for floral items. I’m seeing florals everywhere in shops, both on the high strets and online. This is one big trend which is set to roll on through summer. I must say I love it. It’s fun and feminine.
6. Patent – Again, as with animal and floral prints, patent is all over. Be careful how to incorporate patent into your outfit. I believe less is more with this trend. Perhaps a nice pair of red patent sandals to go along with that little white dress?
7. Metallics - Very bold, and made for standing out of the crowd. There are several different option you can throw in a touch of metallic into your look. You can go for the all out look, like a metallic styled dress, if you’re really adventurous. Or perhaps, if you’re less daring, you can just incorporate metallic in small items and accessories.
8. Minidresses – Great for those hot sunny days, you can get a minidress to use at the beach perhaps?
9. Slim Pants – Perfect if worn with stylish and funky tunic tops. Pair up with some nice heels this makes a great outfit. Great to show off your slim legs and sexy ankles.
10. Bold bangles – Accessories are so essential to your look this season, and there is no room for being shy about your accessories. Be big and bold. Go for big bangles to match your outfit.
Categories: Plus Size Clothing News & Updates, Plus Size Fashion Tips Tags:
Plus Size Clothing that is Sealed with a Kiss
SWAK Designs is one of those plus size clothing stores which I recently had the pleasure of surfing into. If you’re wondering SWAK stands for… let me unveil the mystery: Sealed With A Kiss… isn’t that just a great name for a clothing store?! 
I love it.
SWAK designs is an online clothing store specializing in full figured fashions. It carries a wide range of items including tops, skirts, dresses and accessories both ideal for casual and formal occasions. Sizes range from 1X to 5X on most items, and one of the things you will mostly love about SWAK Designs are the great prices. The stylish plus size clothing offered here is truly within reach!
The online store is designed in a way which is very easy to navigate, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble just shopping around the SWAK Designs online store, or finding that particular item you are looking for. The clothing found here is trendy and stylish, mostly geared toward younger plus size women, however I’m sure mature full figured ladies will find some items here which will suit their tastes… definitely.
A lot of Spring and Summer items are available right now, and I’m sure more items will be added to SWAK Design’s inventory in the coming weeks. In the meantime do take a look at the items available as most prices have this week been lowered… store-wide! Also, SWAK Designs is offering free standard shipping on all U.S. orders! Whether you live in Los Angeles, Manhattan, Columbus, Nashville or any other city in America, you can now receive free standard shipping when shopping st SWAK Designs. No coupon code needed!
IGIGI’s Latest Masterpiece – The Sarafan Dress
IGIGI have done it yet again. They managed to create simple yet chic and classic elegance made for the full figured body. The latest addition to their wonderful range of plus size dresses is the Sarafan dress, a dress which is set to win the hearts of many curvy women! It will also definitely be responsible for setting men’s hearts racing when they see full figured women looking gorgeous in this perfect summer dress.
Available in brown, magenta and fiery red the Sarafan dress from IGIGI is a chic yet daring dress. It incorporated adjustable, self-tie straps to ensure a perfect fit: you can set the straps as tight or loose as your desire. A plunging neckline dominates this dress, which gives it a very sexy feel and that is however not overly done. The key to a sexy and chic look is to always leave something to the imagination, and the Sarafan dress does this perfectly. It shows off a bit of leg, which you can help enhance further by wearing some nice sandals or mules with heels. The plunging neckline accentuates the bust area, and the V-neck back show off some more of the right skin. The rest of the curves are hugged to perfection.
This dress can be worn in two ways. With a belt (which is comes along with the dress… yes!), or else without the belt. I personally have a fear of belts… well not quite. I just never seem to be convinced they look good on me for some reason. Though I can see why this dress would make more of an impression if worn with the belt: besides giving the curvy figure a more defined waist, the belt also helps add that extra sense of style.
So why do I like this dress so much?
- It is very simple yet very elegant. The simplicity helps flatter the curvy figure, and makes it very versatile.
- Also, in my opinion this dress has a slight retro vibe to it. Is it the colors perhaps?
- The color choices are vibrant and so fitting for that Spring/Summer feeling. I personally am not very fond of the brown version of this dress, then again this boils down to tastes.
- Any plus size women wearing this dress is bound to stand out… for all the right reasons!
So ladies, I am off to buy my own Sarafan dress. I am still undecided on whether to buy the Magenta version or Fiery Red. What do you suggest?
I will definitely update you on my choice very soon! In the meantime take a closer look at the Sarafan dress at IGIGI.
Categories: New Plus Size Dresses, Plus Size Clothing News & Updates, Plus Size Fashion Tags:
Can Fuller Figures Wear Prints?
When reading style guides and related articles targeted to full-figured women I often come across this tip: Stay away from prints. Although sometimes it is true that certain prints can be very unflattering, other print are done right and actually enhance a plus size woman’s figure and her curves.
So today I’d like to re-word this ever-prominent ‘tip’ to: Choose only print which are done right! Make sure that any clothing with print work with your curves to flatter your figure.
If you look around through plus size specialist stores, you’ll find a multitude of clothing in prints which are made for curves! Take a look for instance, at the latest collection from Kiyonna. You will find that this is dominated with prints that are combined to perfection with clean lines, smart pin-tucks and 3/4 length sleeves, which keep such styles universally figure flattering! Kiyonna’s classic wrap silhouette dress is given a modern update in a bold giraffe print jersey (see picture). A richly detailed paisley print offers just the right amount of accent to Kiyonna’s deep brown kimono dress as well.
Kiyonna have managed to create a fusion of prints and stunning silhouettes with an end result of utter sophistication and effortless, chic and season-less style.
Categories: Plus Size Clothing News & Updates, Plus Size Fashion Tips Tags:
Elisabeth to Close: Transitions to ElisabethClearance.com
Elisabeth.com, a well known brand providing woman and petite fashion in sizes 14 to 24, has now transitioned to LizClaiborne.com. Plus size customers needs will still be satisfied at the collection will now be offered within the ‘Liz Claiborne Woman’ line on LizClaiborne.com.
Past brand carried by Elisabeth.com, which include Sigrid Olsen Woman, Emma James Woman and Elisabeth brands, will be offered at great sale prices on the clearance site, ElisabethClearance.com. Therefore customers can continue shopping on ElisabethClearance.com, for a limited time only.
Although I must say it is sad to see Elisabeth.com closing it’s doors, I urge plus size ladies to take advantage of this opportunity to pick up some beautiful curvy fashion styles at clearance prices, before they’re all gone!
Missphit Launches Website!
Missphit, the thriving plus size clothing line for curvy fashionistas, has this month launched it’s website which you can access at http://www.missphit.com. I have been long awaiting the launch of Missphit’s website; knowing first hand the great plus size fashion Missphit provide, I couldn’t wait for their website to be available, so that all curvy ladies would be able to read more about this clothing line, as well as take a look at the styles available. The website is very well laid out and gives an overall introduction to the Missphit line; their current line and new styles are showcased as well, giving you a good look at the type of items available. A mailing list is also available, and I encourage ladies to sign up, in order to be kept informed of news from Missphit. The website also details where you can find and purchase Missphit clothing.
