Evans Mink Border Print Top

It is official there is now a new trend among fashion that you have never heard of!  It is called plus size and it is the hottest NEW trend since the invention of breathing! Now that you have scratched your head and wondered were I am going with this read the quote from an article I just read:

“Designers and stores are gradually realizing that plus-size women want the same kind of fashion-forward clothes as their “standard-size” counterparts. The Limited launched new plus-size brand Eloquii online in October and New York hosted its third Full-Figured Fashion Week in June.” -Soucre

The toungue and cheek title to this post is more for those outside of the plus size fashion world than for those on the inside.  For years mainstream fashion has ignored larger men and women which is part of the reason Full Figure Plus and other blogs in this niche were born.

The trend is more about dollars than it is about the fashion world taking plus size seriously.  Yes I said it.  In the article that prompted this post the numbers don’t lie.  Lane Bryant – $978 million Ann Taylor – $476 million.  Even my bad math can see that retailers, designers, and buyers are going to start warming up to a niche that is bringing in money regardless as to what they actually think about fat people.

Back to my point that plus size is a trending topic in the fashion world.  I have been only saying for the last few years that plus size is hot. It is hot without having to say the obvious - the average woman in america is size blah blah blah. Think about it like this if plus size was not already the hottest niche on the block these events, websites, models, and resources would not exist:

• Full Figured Fashion Week™ - event
• Plus Model Magazine - modeling resource
• Evans(uk) US website - plus size fashion
• City Chic(au) US website - plus size fashion
• Simply By(uk) US website - plus size fashion
• Fluvia Lacerda - plus size model

The point is yes the inspirational article made some great points about plus size women wanting the same things as their straight size counterparts but I must add again this is not a new phenomenon.  There are plus size consumers turned business owners, like Monif C Plus sizes, who looked to fill the need of the plus size fashion community that has been ignored for decades.

While its is great that designers and stores are jumping on the bandwagon hoping to make money of the fat people they secretly despise I hope they do not think those established community institutions are going to back down.

Now that I really think about it plus size is taking the world by storm but we are doing it on our own terms in our own way.  Mainstream outlets are scrambling to catch up to what we are doing and though there are a few people who are buying into the games from the outside.  One suggestion I have for mainstream fashion is to make sure you know your audience before you step into this arena.

The past is littered with companies who thought they could solve the plus size problem by throwing money at the community only to be run out of town.  Come to think of it if plus size is a storm then unless you are in the eye everything around you is in chaos.  Tread lightly mainstream fashion world.

Full Figure Plus - Plus Size Fashion For Today's Active Women

In the world of plus size 2011 has been an interesting year.  There have been a few ups and and few downs on this blog as well as in the plus size community as a whole.  With 2011 coming to a close its that time of the year for me to review the noteworthy events that happened in the plus size community in 2011.

January

Chubby Vs. Plus Size – I think this debate will continue forever – LOL. Plus Size Fashion Designers vs. Knock-off Fashion Designers. There was also the debate that Oprah was rooting for the plus size community.  We see how far that went now didn’t we?

February

10 Reasons Plus Size Modeling is Gaining Momentum. There was lots of talk during the month that merchants were taking the plus size community for granted which was the inspiration behind  Has the ASOS Curve Bubble Finally Burst?  February was also the month that I finished graduate school and started my journey into blogging full-time with few distractions.

March

Tennille White’s Spring 2011 Plus-Size Collection To Appear on BET’s Rip the Runway. Fullfigureplus.mobi goes online with the surge of mobile traffic in the plus community thanks to Twitter and Facebook and the sale of Tablet computers. Lane Bryant gets a new look and Full Figured Fashion Week announces its industry awards.

April

The major talk of the month was the giveaway of the Spring 2011 Lane Bryant clothing.  During this time the surge of plus size clothing companies from overseas started opening up websites targeting US customers.  The size acceptance debate continued with Sick Looking Runway Models Are Great Role Models.

May

The biggest story of this month was the loss of plus size model extrodinare Mia Amber Davis.  Her loss showed just how much influence she had on the entire plus size community.  The maxi dress showed that it would be around for another season.  Personally this month was great for me with me being named one of the featured bloggers by Black Enterprise and being interviewed by my local newspaper.

June

Full Figured Fashion Week™ was of course the highlight of this month.  Vogue Italia placed three plus size models on the cover continuing the trend of plus size models finding plenty of work internationally but not so much in the US. UK plus size fashion company Simply Be added big and tall menswear to their US website.  The question was also asked Should Retailers Do A Better Job Promoting Fashion to Big & Tall Men?

July

Plus size model Fluvia Lacerda makes a splash internationally which will increase her popularity through the end of the year.  With the rise of social media there were a few incidents on Twitter that were business killers.  Full Figured Exclusives was launched from this blog and turned out to be a massive failure – can’t win them all.  Reality turns plus size with the debut of Big Sexy.  I was not high on this one but it turned out great.

August

The debate surrounding designer knockoffs continues with Is Forever 21 Duping the Plus Size Fashion Community?  With the enonomy down during the normal back to school effort Etsy.com became more relevant than ever.  The question was also asked Is The Plus Size Community Guilty of Group Think?

September

Clothing company American Apparel showed the dark side of fashion by denying plus model Nancy Upton the win of their model search contest.  Lane Bryant celebrated the 3rd Annual Fashion Night out.  Australia added its hat to the ring of international sites targeting the United States plus size consumers.

October

With models like Fluvia Lacerda and Rosie Mercado I posed the question Why Is Crystal Renn Still Talked About As A Plus Size Model? Queen Latifah debuted the Queen Collection but did not want it associated with plus fashion.  With its popularity growing it was time to ask the question Why Plus Size Fashion? Forever 21 is in the news again when a plus size fashion blogger takes them on.

November

Do You Wear Socks With Your Heels? When it comes to 2011 shoe trends that question had to be answered.  Full Figure Plus turns seven years old.  I still can’t believe it.  With the help of blogger Gabi Gregg Eloquii introduces its brand of plus size fashions.  Additionally, AdoraOm debuts great looking activewear.

December

Evans continues the trend of international companies targeting plus size consumers in the US. Making sense of  US Vs. International Size Charts For Plus Sizes became a bit easier.  Japan passed a law making it illegal for its citizens to be fat.  Additional talk is going around the Internet with Mariah Carey endorsing Jenny Craig, Jennifer Hudson - Weight Watchers and Janet Jackson – Nutrisystem

Three hundred and twenty-seven posts, hundreds of comments and lots of discussions on the state of the plus size community.  I am not sure what 2012 is going to hold for the world of plus size, but if 2011 was any indicator it is going to be one heck of a ride!

Full Figure Plus - Plus Size Fashion For Today's Active Women

As we come to the end of the year reflecting on the state of plus size fashion is something I have been doing since 2004. As 2011 comes to a close the annual this is the year for plus size, large size, fatshion, or whatever buzz word is in place states that fat women around the web are sick and tired and won’t take it anymore.

When I read this BBC article, “‘Fatshion’ blogs defiantly celebrate plus-size couture,” I must say that I laughed a bit.  The reason behind my laughter has more to do with the absurdity of the defiance in the plus size fashion community as if it is new.  I know you guys are probably tired of hearing me talk about the days of the past, but I feel that I much set the record straight because I was there to witness and can attest as to how the things the media is considering new has been in place for years.

The only thing that is new in regards to plus size fashion is the media coverage.  Plus Model Magazine, Full Figure Plus, Full Figured Fashion Week, The Curvy Fashionista, Love Your Body Day, and other plus size fashion blogs, & events have been celebrating fat fashion for years without the luxury of big time media coverage.

What we are seeing today is the media covering plus size fashion like they should have been doing all along but would not because of the size critics that exist in every corner of the fashion world saying that plus size fashion does not matter.  Off the top of my head this is the reason plus size fashion is in the spotlight today:

• Plus size fashion is a multi-billion dollar industry – Money is a great motivator
• Plus size women worldwide will no longer hide in the shadows
• The plus size fashion blog community is vast and showcases plus size designers and merchants more
• Plus size fashion events are making headlines WITHOUT the help of traditional media sources

No disrespect to those who are new to the plus size fashion band wagon but all of the trends that you are trumpeting as new could have been found with a simple Google search.  A search for the term “plus size fashion” brings back over 13 million results in the blog category alone.  What does that mean?  It means there are a lot of people talking about plus size fashion and have been doing so for quite sometime.

Full Figure Plus - Plus Size Fashion For Today's Active Women

Do you buy themed lingerie?  If you do then you are in luck.  Next to Valentine’s Day, Christmas is one of the top holidays to purchase lingerie.  Now don’t get me wrong there is no need to get your lingerie that specifically has a Christmas theme.  As long as its red or green you are good.

• Plus Size Red & White Xmas Striped Tights
• Red Button Front Night Shirt
• Lace Trim Satin Teddy
•  Lace Overlay Chemise
•  Parfait by Affinitas: Honey Underwire Babydoll

• Dreamgirl: Stretch Lace Babydoll with Matching G-String
• Robe and panty Set
• Velvet tie front babydoll with maribou fur
• Long gown with velvet tie front bodice
• Gorgeous floral lace underwire bustier with molded cups

The styles above come from three websites that are among my favorites when it comes to plus size lingerie no matter what the time of the year.  Hips And Curves, Bare Necessities, and Big Gals Lingerie.  Your lingerie drawer will be happy this holiday season and year round if you shopped at these three alone. Big Gals Lingerie is more on top of plus size lingerie holiday themes than the others in my opinion and your garment is made to fit your specific curves which is always a plus.

In the end getting yourself or the one you love some sexy lingerie for the holidays will give you a few bonus points.  I am a fan of the robes and chemises, but that does not mean a sexy corset won’t get my attention.

Full Figure Plus - Plus Size Fashion For Today's Active Women

November 14, 2004 before dot coms, business licences, business cards, and company logos this blog started with a simple idea on Blogger.com.  That idea was to shed light on to the plus size fashion community on the Internet.  What started off as a place to just post shopping links has evolved into a resource for plus size women and some big and tall men to find what they need in their everyday lives.

Being a man in a field dominated by women has had its challenges but I feel the work speaks for itself and that is part of the reason on November 14, 2011 Full Figure Plus is still one of the major voices on the Internet for plus size fashion.  As a way to reflect today I am going to talk about a few more reasons I feel this blog still exists.

1. At least one person in 148 countries have read a post on this blog(148 out of 196 countries)
2. The plus size community is no longer going to stand for being silent
3. Full Figure Plus was one of the first blogs to showcase independent plus size designers like Monif C, Jibri, and IGIGI
4. The Beauty of the week feature was created to showcase how beautiful everyday ladies are
5. Over 2 million visitors
6. Over 4 million page views
7. Interviews with influential individuals throughout the plus size community
8. Served as a platform for readers to voice concerns
9. Reported plus size related issues from a different perspective
10. Continuously gave the readers what they wanted

Full Figure Plus - Plus Size Fashion For Today's Active Women

Halloween is just a few days away.  Have you got your costume?  Truth be told buying plus size Halloween costumes can be a challenge.  Here are a few suggestions for outfits along with places to shop.

The French Maid

Even if sprucing up is not your thing, a French maid Halloween costume is sexy in any size. The puffed-sleeve dress and mini skirt shows off your curves in all the right places, and a feather duster can be a flirtu come-on tool.

Renaissance

Renaissance wear works well in all sizes as well. For instance, you may dress as the town wench with a lace up frock. Accessories with a dagger and an eye patch and this works as a pirate wench as well. Or go for a queen’s design with a flowing gown designed for curves and a crown. You can most times find matching men’s costumes in Renaissance wear if you are looking for a couples Halloween costume theme.

Elvira

The mistress of the dark has some curves of her own, and you can apply this to your advantage. Plunging necklines will accentuate your features and curves. Add a belt and dagger and Elvira wig and this costume is perfect.

Halloween Costumes has all your costume needs

Cleopatra

If you have ever dreamed of being an Egyptian princess, there are adult Halloween costumes in this design that come in all sizes. With a white dress with an Egyptian sash and gold accessories, you are set to rule the Nile. There are also many of men’s Egyptian costumes as well, making this a good couples Halloween costume theme.

Super Hero

Ready to save the world?  Super hero costumes are a perfect way to have fun on Halloween. You can often find these in figure-flattering shapes, complete with boots and cape. Many super hero designs come in men’s Halloween costumes as well.

Vegas Girl

You can make “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” your theme for Halloween night. Whether you wish to be a Vegas showgirl or Playboy bunny, many of these alluring Vegas girl costumes are found in plus sizes. The flattering corsets will help accentuate your curves, while cute accessories like stockings and bunny ears can help you to finalize your look.

Sexy Nurse

Is there a medic in the house? You can compliment his outfit with a sexy nurse’s uniform. Like many sexy Halloween costumes, these are intended to show off your curves. Accessories with a nurse’s cap and a stethoscope, and you are prepared to treat his every ill.

Schoolgirl

One of the classic sexy Halloween costumes, the schoolgirl outfit can be fitted for the plus-sized girl as well. Combine the cute plaid skirt with a sexy white top and knee high stockings, and you are ready for your Halloween lessons.

With a little planning, you can find the perfect plus-sized Halloween costume for any Halloween celebration.  My suggestion is to check out HalloweenCostumes.com for all your Halloween shopping needs.

Full Figure Plus - Plus Size Fashion For Today's Active Women