Plus-Size Fashion

Plus Line Fail from Kenneth Cole

Jen B. — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:04:21 +0000

I can remember my first ever shoe splurge–a pair of Kenneth Cole buckled mules I bought when I was a college student in the early ’90s. I thought they were the most stylish shoes ever made.

While Ken Cole doesn’t still represent the living end of fashion to me anymore–I think they’re still stuck a little in their ’90s simplicity–I do think they make nice, professional clothing with sleek, sharp lines.

So I was appalled to see their fall collection for plus sizes. It looks like People of Walmart on date night. Are those… jean gauchos? Ken, please accept this participation trophy, and none of my fall wardrobe budget.

Shop the Kenneth Cole Plus-Sized Fall Line at Nordstrom, or just breeze through to laugh and point. ($38.90-$139)

New Fall Plus-Sized Clothes from Old Navy

Jen B. — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:20:52 +0000

I have a soft spot for Old Navy for long offering (at least some) extended sizes mixed in with the misses’ and juniors’. As opposed to Express, who downsized (literally), removing all the XL’s from the store.

This fall, they’ve got some great separates that pull together into easy fashion. I especially like the attention to two of my favorite colors, peacock blue and olive green. Plus those zippered leggings! I die!

Women’s Plus Faux-Fur Vest ($36.50)

Women’s Plus Jersey Zippered Leggings ($16.50)
How cute with that fur vest and a long white tee and boots?

Women’s Plus Pointelle Sweater Dress ($44.50)
Love the color (tumbling teal). I’d accessorize with their gold neckace, tights, and boots or booties.

Women’s Plus Side Buttoned Sweaters ($39.50)
This would be so smart with straight-leg pants, heels, and a bracelet.

Women’s Plus Plaid Elastic Waist Skirt ($29.50)
Would pair well for work or school with the green toggle sweater below, if you can get you husband to let you out of the bedroom in it…

Women’s Plus Toggle Sweaters ($39.50)
This is just the preppiest, peppiest way I’ve seen to ring in autumn.

Plus-Size Work Dresses from Avenue.com

Jen B. — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 05:58:58 +0000

Of all the annoying things about plus-sized clothing (boring shapes, poor fit, cheap fabric, hideous prints), one of the most preventable is lack of color. I like to wear a lot of neutral separates like black and gray to work, of course, because they’re “slimming,” professional, and easy to match with a smaller collection of shoes, tights, bags, etc. But when it comes to a work dress, I want color.

On my request list: peacock blue, mustard yellow, tomato red, kelly green.

Avenue.com is having a work clothes sale right now, and I’ve waded through the sea of basic black to bring you this list of cute, bright dresses (and one gray one who makes up for it with a ribbon tie):

Cowl-Neck Dress in Wine (47.90)

Pleated Sheath Dress in Pink (sale: $44.99)

Ribbon Tie Plated Sheath in Gray ($28.90)

Dusky Striped Crossover Dress ($59.90)

Sarra Smocked Dress in “Wine”? ($47.90)

The Avenue Working Wardrobe event offers $20 off when you spend $75, $30 off when you spend $100, and $50 off when you spend $150. I think I could easily get to $150 with 2 or three of my favorite dresses plus a few accessories or undergarments. The coupon code is AV101137.

Shop Avenue.com’s Work Wardrobe Sale.

Plus-Sized Halloween Costumes from Torrid

Jen B. — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:54:00 +0000

Torrid.com has a new line of plus-size Halloween costumes up on the site. It’s mostly the usual semi-slutty Halloween apparel (French maid, cop, school girl) with a couple of celebrity costumes (Gaga, Snookie) and multiple Alice-in-Wonderland-themed outfits. I guess they have to order stuff earlier than the summer movies are released…

Nonetheless, the costumes are colorful and look much better-constructed than average. The collection is worth a look for the adorable themed photos of a brunette plus-size model and the two male hotties who accompany her. I usually like a more timely or ironic costume if I’m going to bother (you know, the annoying ones you have to explain at length to every single person at the party), but I could see doing Little Red Riding Hood with my DH as the Big Bad Wolf. Even if we didn’t go anywhere after that.

See the Torrid Halloween collection. (Average price around $65)

Plus-Size Looks at the 2010 Emmys

Jen B. — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:04:18 +0000

Or “look,” I should say, because the only plus-sized dress I saw was on Glee‘s Amber Riley. But she looked stunning in a white Grecian gown. My only change would be a V-neck to elongate her neck. Most reviewers loved her dress, but I also get the impressions that it’s hard for them to judge plus-sized red carpet dresses, like they’re afraid of saying something not politically correct. They’ll get more comfortable with it over time.

See more Emmy dresses on EOnline.

Project Runway S08E06: Bridesmaid Dress Challenge

Jen B. — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:39:38 +0000

This past week on Project Runway featured a real-people challenge where bridesmaids wore their most unfortunate dresses to the show and the designers were tasked with remaking them into outfits the women could “totally wear again.”

The designers could choose their model from a group that featured mostly average-sized women, a few sample-sized women, and one plus-sized woman. Naturally, there’s been all the standard hoo-ha about whether the plus-sized woman was a disadvantage, or whether designers should be able to design for women of any size.

To me, it’s ok to realize that the plus-sized woman would be the biggest challenge (no pun… whatever). If you collected 12 skyscraper architects in a room, and asked 4 to design a skyscraper, 7 to design an office building, and 1 to design a church, which job would be the toughest? (We just need more women to demand church architecture!)

Anyway, designer Michael Drummond got last pick, which was the plus-sized bridesmaid. He redesigned her run-of-the-mill V-neck, hot pink dress into this little Mad-Men-esque number with a ribbon-trimmed bolero jacket. The judges put him in the bottom three for the outfit, and commenters on the Lifetime site have universally panned the look.

Watch the episode.
Rate all the looks.

I think it’s kind of cute. Am I crazy?

Yellow Studded Neck Top by One Step Up Plus

Jen B. — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:53:17 +0000

I live in the South and work on the web, so there probably isn’t a season or occasion where I couldn’t wear this cute yellow top.

I might pair it with skinny jeans and flats, bootcut jeans and pumps, or gray pants. Big earrings would work well, unless you wear glasses like I do.

Buy the top. (Sale: $16.99)

Gray Chambray Dress by Mlle Gabrielle

Jen B. — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:36:45 +0000

This is the kind of simple, adorable dress I’d like to wear every day. I’m definitely buying this one for myself once I take my measurements and figure out what size to get–I think I might be between 1X and 2X.

I’m torn on colors (in addition to gray, they have a denim blue and a darker charcoal gray), but I think I’d pair it with black tights and flats and maybe a bracelet if I’m feeling froggy.

Buy the dress. ($44)

Black Bandana Dress by Blue Plate

Jen B. — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:51:42 +0000

It’s easy to see why they’re almost sold out of this cute dress. A flattering black print dress, with sleeves, made of cotton, under $50. The small shoulders and a-line cut also make it’s a pear shape’s dream.

If they’re out of your size, or you’re tired of basic black, they have similar dresses in red, blue, pink, and brown.

Buy the dress. ($48)

Black jumpsuit at alight.com

Jen B. — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:32:37 +0000

“Finally a plus size jumpsuit that fits and flatters.” Ha! If you ever get me into a jumpsuit, you might as well go ahead and push me out of the airplane.

Buy it (or don’t).