Recently I was given the opportunity to review a pair of jeans from Maurices.  Choosing the Hydraulic® Dark Wash Contrast Stitch Jeans was actually difficult because there are many great styles to choose from.  With my plus diva as with many plus size ladies jeans tend to be their arch enemy.  I went into this review with that in mind knowing that my wife complains more about jeans than any other item in her closet.  After singing “Taps” to the last pair of jeans she reluctantly tried on the jeans from Maurice’s after saying, “I did not know that Maurice’s carried plus sizes.”

The Good

The huge smile that came across her face when trying on the size 22 jeans said it all.  The fit was perfect, the length was on point, she liked the color and best of all she asked me the million dollar question, “Are you checking me out?”  The answer was of course yes which is why the jeans were chose in the first place. The description of this particular pair of jeans states: “These trendy jeans have chunky contrast stitching for an edgy vibe. The dark wash is slimming. You’ll love the style and value you get with this pair of jeans. Dress up or down.” I will have to say that we, me in that I am checking her out more and her in that she has some jeans she loves would agree with the aforementioned statement.  Two thumbs up with a finger snap.

The Not So Good

The only bad thing about these jeans was trying to decide what type of shoe to wear with them.  Originally she put a pair of leopard print flats, then knee length riding boots, then finally settling on a mary jane pump with a two inch heel.  Though the pocket embellishment is not at the top of her list she was willing to ignore the cosmetic features because of the superior fit of the jeans. From a construction stand point of view at 3% the spandex blend is a bit high.  In the past this meant the shape would unravel giving the pants a permanent wrinkled look.  Only time will tell if this is the case with these jeans.

Overall

I give Maurice’s two thumbs up when it comes to their jeans mainly because of the jeans finder that allows you to shop according to your individual tastes from several different brands.  In addition to the selection of denim there are tops, dresses, shoes, and accessories.  Even though the selection is not as big as the jeans section it still has enough to allow you to round out an outfit.  Additionally, they have a model search going on right now.  Who knows you may be the next face of the company.

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

Jessica London®, a plus size women’s fashion brand in the portfolio of Redcats USA’s OneStopPlus Group, is gearing up for the spring/summer season by rolling out exclusive fashion collections that are specially designed to accentuate plus size curves.

VIVA La Spring – Jessica London® celebrates Spring 2012 by taking a sunny adventure in style.  This new collection has a “muy caliente” vibe with vibrant colors and the textural elements from the architecture of Old San Juan, adding boldness and flavor to any wardrobe.  Featuring new hues, lighter fabrics, fabulous dresses, and tunics and denim to layer – VIVA La Spring provides essential fashion pieces to transition from winter to spring.  Plus, the new collection showcases wardrobe pieces that are heating up the fashion runways – boho-chic, 70’s inspired silhouettes, sheers, dramatic drapes, chic escapes, maxi dresses and special occasion dresses.

Tranquil by Jessica London® – Tranquil is an exciting new collection launched exclusively by Jessica London®.  With styles created by Jessica London®’s in-house design experts, these fashion must-haves bridge the gap between weekend looks and casual chic styles.  Tranquil provides curvy women the kind of relaxed and comfortable, yet stylish looks that before now have not been available in plus size.  The collection, designed to be worn for anything from lunch with friends to yoga class, includes thirteen mix-and-match pieces made of soft, breathable fabric that are perfect for an active lifestyle – stretch knit maxi dress, 2-in1 jersey knit top, cocoon cardigan, sharktail hoodie, and much more!  And based on the overwhelming positive feedback from its customers, Jessica London® will
continue to expand the Tranquil collection and add new pieces throughout the spring/summer season.

Patti’s Picks – Jessica London®’s favorite fashion guru ‘tells all’ on what she loves and what she knows customers want.  Patti will hand pick spring and summer fashion pieces that will be highlighted in Jessica London® catalogs and online throughout the season, making shopping easy and more fun for everyday fashionistas!

“The Jessica London® team has created excitement in the plus size industry with the launch of our new spring collections, providing women the beautiful designs and stylish options they have been challenged to find in their sizes,” said John Mallon, Senior Vice President/General Brand Manager for Jessica London®. “Based on decades of plus size expertise, we have designed fashion pieces that enhance a woman’s curvy figure and adds that extra ‘splash’ to any wardrobe.”

Since 1997, Jessica London® has brought quality career, casual and special occasion fashion, plus classic, easy-to-wear separates, comfortable lingerie and shoes to women sizes 12 to 32, including petites and talls.

Customers can also visit JessicaLondon.com and order from Jessica London®’s 2012 Spring Collection, shop on the go via Jessica London®’s mobile site (m.jessicalondon.com), or download the iPad app and find that perfect outfit!

Plus, fashionistas and fans can stay up-to-date with the latest Jessica London® styles and trends via the brand’s official blog, Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as OneStopPlus.com®’s online web magazine created to share fashion tips, hot trends and new must-have products.

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

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

I first wrote about Lee Lee’s Valise back in 2007 with the post Lee Lee’s Valise a Trendy Boutique with Plus Size Appeal so I was excited to read the news of this merchant coming to television.  Though the press release talks about the TLC and Stacy London connection on this blog we are more concerned with how Lisa and her husband Jim’s plus size boutique is depicted on the show.  What are your thoughts on this matter?

It’s  plus-size fashion without the minuses of mainstream retail traditions in TLC’s newest series. Executive produced by WHAT NOT TO WEAR’s fashion authority, Stacy London, with BBC Worldwide Productions, this eight-part series set to premiere in May 2012 will follow husband and wife business owners Lisa and Jim Dolan, as they revise and revolutionize the norms of plus-size shopping experiences in their clothing store, Lee Lee’s Valise. Each episode will focus on three different customers as their intimate shopping experience at the store, combined with Lisa’s distinctive clothing line, helps transform their lives.

The average size of an American woman is 14, but no average-sized American woman experiences a normal shopping experience at a typical fashion retailer as only 18% of clothes are a size 14 or over.  At Lee Lee’s Valise, women of all shapes and sizes feel confident, fashionable and sexy through Lisa’s custom-made designs, tailored business approach and bold NY personality. Through drama, laughs and a few tears, Lisa and her team will transform their customers’ wardrobe from shab to fab — all through the simple and personalized accommodations to fit and flaunt each unique body type.

Running a successful business with a unique focus may seem like a walk in Central Park, but for this outspoken duo, drama is inevitable. While Lisa and Jim have a strong opinion about each and every item in Lee Lee’s Valise, they always put the customer first. Often times the customer’s feedback and personal shopping experience plays a vital role in how Lisa designs her line and stocks her shop.

The series is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for TLC. Executive Producers are Scott Shatsky with Stacy London and Julie Merson executive producing for Super Long Play. Elli Hakami and Jane Tranter are executive producers for BBC Worldwide Productions.

About Lee Lee’s Valise
As a plus-size consumer, Lisa Dolan has traversed the boutiques of Brownstone Brooklyn, in search of contemporary clothing in her size. It became very apparent that all of these boutiques have ignored the “normal sized” women. As you might know, the majority of American women average a size 14, and it was impossible to find anything bigger that a 12 in any of the boutiques and shops that have sprung up in the neighborhood. So when the “perfect” space opened up in a historic spot on Court Street, we decided to open a shop that would specialize in sizes 10 to 28.

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

As usual Monif C knocks it out of the ball park with her latest collection.

Pre-Order Today! Ships February 3rd!

The convertible dress has become the foundation of Monif C fashions and my favorite of the entire collection has to be the “Marilyn” Two-Tone Ruched Convertible Dress shown in the picture below.  Not only are the colors great but the dress is a combination of two great ideas.

ONE DRESS, INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

It’s here! Your two favorites dresses combined into one! We’ve combined our “Nelli” Ruched Dress and “Marilyn” Convertible Dress” to create a Ruched Convertible Dress.

About Monif C

Monif C. is an unapologetic stand for high fashion style for plus size women. Designed by mother/daughter team, Monif Clarke and Elaine Clarke, Monif C. was conceived to reaffirm every woman’s desire for an inspired life, luxury, and unadulterated sex appeal.

A love of color, prints, and vintage details has been a part of Monif’s life from childhood. A child of Barbadian immigrants, Monif spent many summers enjoying the sweet life in Barbados. While there, she was awed by her grandmother’s love of color (red is her favorite!) and she was transported to a time when women dressed up for every occasion recognizing that taking pride in their appearance is one of the best things they could do for themselves.

Today as a plus size woman, Monif understands the need for a new perspective in the plus size market. “It took me many years to appreciate my curves and recognize them as a plus and NOT a minus. I know that there are women like me who recognize that we get dressed everyday in the hopes of reflecting creatively what we bring to the world. I was tired of buying the standard uniform that every woman has, I needed luxurious feminine clothes that make a statement…Who says plus size can’t be sexy, luxurious, and feminine??”

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

2012 is underway and the activity is just as hot and heavy in the world we all know as plus size.  From clothes to lingerie, magazines, expo’s and more.

Today’s speedlinks are all about showing just how much is going on in the community and how its getting harder by the day to keep track.

• IGIGI does photoshoot with Kailee O’Sullivan
• 

fluvia lacerda poses for beautiful magazine

• Boyshorts, Hipsters and Briefs OH MY! Panties are 5 for $25 during the Cacique Cacique Semi Annual Sale
• The Carakoma lookbook is online click here
• Tim Gunn, Hero Of Plus-Size Fashion?
• BelleNoir is back for 2012 with its renewal issue
• 10 reasons to shop evansusa.com
• The January/February Issue of plus size lifestyle magazine Hippy & Healthy is now live.

The International Fuller Woman Expo Campaign chooses Allison McGevna as the new face of the show

50 new wear to work items are up on the Fashion to Figure website

I am excited not only about all the things that are happening but the rumors on the horizon.  If you thought 2011 was exciting just wait to see what 2012 holds for the future of the plus size industry!

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