Valentines Day is one of the holidays that goes to the foundation of Full Figure Plus.  This blog was created because I was looking for lingerie and bras for my wife.  Continuing the tradition v-day is right around the corner which makes it a perfect holiday to both give and get lingerie.  Plus size lingerie has come light years today from what it has been in years past giving curvy ladies a great selection.  Simply Yours has a stunning Valentines collection of  lingerie from bras and lingerie sets to nightwear and wraps. There’s something to suit all moods from pretty in pink and on trend florals and saucy red and flattering chemises.

Simply Yours Valentine’s Collection

Eve Floral Plunge Underwired Bra
£22.00
Eve Floral Briefs

£10

Gossard Passion Plunge Bra 
£32
Gossard Passion Shorts

£16

Joanna Hope Chemise L38
£30 – £34

Eve Underwired Lace Mesh Bra
£16

Eve Spot Mesh Lace Briefs

£9

Don’t be discouraged by the photos.  Many of the bra sizes especially in the Gok Wan collection go up to G and H cup sizes with bands up to a 48.  Most panties go up to a size 2x. Remember Simply Yours is a UK company so the sizes are different.  For US and other countries be sure you do the proper conversions be for you order.

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

A few months ago feature on the Simply Yours ‘Brief to Bra’ lingerie design competition. If you haven’t been paying attention then you may not be aware that the winning design from Christine Pipes is available for UK shoppers on Simply Yours website and US shoppers on the SimplyBe.com.  The super-cute cupcake-inspired winning bra set is now available to buy; the bra is available up to G cup and the briefs to size 32.

The Cupcake set details:

Bra

For US shoppers be sure that you understand the conversion between US and UK sizes BEFORE you make your order.  For example a 40G in the US is a 40 E in the UK.  From experiences with both me and my wife I can tell you that for the lingerie the are cut a bit small which makes it even more important that you know your size BEFORE ordering.

Congratulations to Christine Pipes for her award winning lingerie style.  Congratulations to Simply Yours for standing up for the plus size woman in the US and in the UK.

About Simply Be & Simply Yours

Welcome to Simply Be – the one-stop shopping destination for on trend fashion for real women in sizes 10-28!

Simply Be bring the thrill of main-street retail to your home, with our extensive range of shoes and boots, casual wear, beachwear and accessories inspired by runway trends that compliment and flatter your figure. All our clothes are designed to provide the best fit at the best value, and we are specialists in the area of larger size womenswear.

Simply Yours is a trading style of J D Williams & Company Limited, the UK’s leading direct home shopping company, operating over 20 successful catalogue brands. Our catalogues offer a huge selection of clothing and other products for all ages and sizes. All our clothes are designed to provide the best fit at the best value, and we are specialists in the area of larger size womenswear.

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

More than a few posts over the years have been dedicated to talking about lingerie for plus size women.  As most of you already know part of the inspiration behind starting Full Figure Plus for me was to help my wife find affordable lingerie that fit properly.  Almost six years into blogging I still read constantly about full figure women wearing the wrong size bra and began to wonder what the problem is and how it could be solved.

Lets cover the basics first.

Measure your band size – Measure around yourself just under your breast. Odd number round up to the nearest even number which will be your band size. Note: Do not use the old ethos of adding 4-5 inches to determine size which was used before the invention of bras of today.

Discover your true cup size – Your cup size should be close to the band size if you use your current bra as a reference point. If your band size goes up or down try to stay with the same cup size. If your band size goes down increase the cup size by one. An example, if you are a 44D and your band size is 41 inches you most likely wear a 42DD. Side note: UK cup sizes are different than US but the math is still the same: AA, A, B, C, D, DD, E, F, FF, G, GG, H, HH, J, JJ, K, KK.

Trying on your new bra – Trying on the new bra should come from trying several bras on hopefully with the help of a bra fit specialist on hand.

Band Size – the band should be comfortable without putting to much weight distribution on the shoulder straps. You should be able to run no more than the size of your fist in the back of your bra. It should be too tight on the smallest hook but still fit on the biggest set of hooks. If it is still roomy on the tightest adjustment drop down a band size if it is painful to tighten up then go up a band size.

Double check cup size - You need to completely fill out the cup with no space in the cup or bulging out of the cup. Under-wires should be on your rib cage not on your breast.

On to the bonus round. If you are doing the above things you should be fine but these are tips I have picked up from observing my wife over the years.

• If your weight goes up or down get refitted
• Keep enough bras unhand that you can wear a different bra each day for two weeks if necessary
• Do not put your bras in the dryer
• Wash your bras in cold water

I have come to the conclusion that the problem is lack of education on the part of the manufacturers.  A lot has changed since Herminie Cadolle invented the bra in 1889, yet 121 years later their is still a struggle for full figured women to get properly fitted.  Designers and manufacturers are simply not helping their customers out so do yourself a favor and educate yourself for your own sake.

Recommended Bra Websites:

1. Bare Necessities
2. BraStop Limited
3. Simply Yours
4. BiggerBras.com

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

Over the years I have recommended many different websites to FFP readers.  Some have gone on to create B&M locations others have expanded their websites while others have shut down.  With so many to choose from I thought it would be great to list a few that you may have heard of some you may not have and others you need to revisit.  Happy shopping!

1. SVOBODA – premium denim and plus size premium denim
2. Figuresque – quality plus size fashions catering exclusively to curvy divas with styles from sexy to classic
3. Junonia – serves vibrant, plus size women who love to walk, run, swim, hike, bike, golf, ski and travel
4. Penningtons (Canada)- a wide selection of uniforms career and casual wear including lingerie, sleepwear and outdoor accessories
5. Hottopic.com-ideal for plus size teens.
6. Marisota(UK) – clothes with the fuller figure in mind
7. Jacamo(UK) – Fashionable clothes for big and tall men
8. JD Williams (UK) – Leader in mail order clothing
9. Simply Be (UK) – Lingerie to fit all of your needs
10. Simply Yours(UK) – Lingerie for larger sizes

The great part about all of these sites is that they may not be new but they may be new to you which means you will have more options when it comes to shopping and with the addition of the UK websites it gives you an idea of the magnitude of full figured fashions around the world even though at times the US seems to be in denial.  As before happy shopping and if you know of any websites not mentioned before feel free to post it in the comment section.

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

If the result of this lingerie design contest is half what I have witnessed with the garments I just got my hands on from Simply Yours then we all are in for a treat.  By the way I will review the items in a later post.  But a quick recap Simply Yours, and Gok Wan are teaming up to give a new designer a chance design a two-piece plus-size lingerie set.

Plus size lingerie specialist Simply Yours has launched a new design competition aimed at fashion students and lingerie lovers.

The company is inviting aspiring fashion designers and anyone with an interest in design to create a two piece lingerie set that will appeal to the curvy, confident, stylish women who buy from the Simply Yours collection.

The winning bra and brief design will feature in the Simply Yours Spring/Summer underwear collection for 2011 and will be available from the website www.simplyyours.co.uk and from the Simply Yours catalogue.

And as well as seeing their design brought to life, the winner will also be involved in the development of the product working with expert designers and lingerie buyers from the Simply Yours team from the materials sourcing stage right through to the final product photoshoot.

The successful design will sit alongside underwear from famous names such as Freya, Panache, Pour Moi and Wonderbra, as well as a stylish control wear collection designed exclusively for Simply Yours by Gok Wan.

The competition is called From Brief to Bra and is open to fashion students, experienced designers and fashionistas alike.

Full details, including terms and conditions, are available at www.facebook.com/FromBriefToBra, a Facebook page dedicated to the lingerie design competition. Alternatively entrants can view details at www.simplyyours.co.uk

The Simply Yours collection covers the entire spectrum of plus size shapewear, including bras, corsets, slips and knickers, swimwear and nightwear. Sizes range from 30-50 with cups A-JJ and up to 56 and K and L in selected sizes which is a factor entrants to the competition will need to bear in mind.

The collection is designed make women feel confident in the underwear they are wearing, whether they are at home, at work or out partying.

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

The great part about plus-size lingerie is there are so many innovations on the original design with larger cup and band sizes in mind.  With that in mind Simply Yours is taking it a step further by allowing ladies in the UK the opportunity to get in on the design process.  I must say I am a bit jealous of this because I have wanted to get into lingerie design for quite sometime now and to have the opportunity to design some cool lingerie would be fantastic!

SimplyYours.co.uk, the plus size lingerie specialist, is running its first ever design competition “From Brief to Bra.”  We want to find out what you look for in a lingerie set – and what better way than to ask you to put your ideas to paper and submit a design? We want you to let your creativity flow and design a lingerie set perfect for curvalicious women. The winning design will feature in our Spring/Summer 2011 catalogue and be sold at SimplyYours.co.uk! If you’re from the UK and have a flair for design then this could be the perfect opportunity for you to show us your talent.

The competition through thier Facebook fan page “FROM BRIEF TO BRA – Design a Bra & Brief set for Simply Yours” which has all of the details.  A brief snapshot of what they are looking for is below:

Submission guidelines

• One fashion drawing (front and back view)
• Two working drawings (one bra and one brief, both must be drawn with front and back views)
• Fabric identification
• Detailed ideas about components/print/embellishment
• Up to 200 words detailing your inspiration
• You must also send, on a separate piece of paper, your full name, date of birth, daytime telephone number, address and e-mail address. This information will not be passed on to a third party.

There you have it a simple way to fulfill your dream of designing lingerie for plus-size beauties from around the world.  If you have what it takes enter from FROM BRIEF TO BRA today and let them know you learned about it on Full Figure Plus!

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