Posted on April 08, 2009 by Glen Johnson

Hundreds of plus-size fashion stores and more Ultimate Plus-Size Shopping List!

From the creative mind of the Curvy Fashionista Marie Denee, MBA are some of the faux pas that we have all witness in full figured fashion.  Enjoy

While watching Glamour’s top 50 Fashion Don’ts the other night, I was inspired to think about how these could be translated to the Plus Size Fashionista. I know some of these may rub you the wrong way, as we have all been victim of one or two, but these are some of the biggest fashion offenses I find that many of the Plus Size Fashionistas commit, even when she does not know it! (I have been guilty of a couple!)

1. Donning obnoxiously oversized clothing. Wearing a tent does nothing for your frame! All this does is make you look even bigger! While we are voluptuous, you should never accentuate the negative!
2. Squeezing your amazing curves into one size (or more) too small. One size does not fit all or most, so please don’t attempt to rock it! Ladies, now I do not mean to offend, but just because it’s cute, and you do not want to follow anyone’s fashion rules, does not mean that you should prance around in items that are two sizes too small. When buying clothes, search for items that fit, and do what I do- cut the size out, no one else sees it besides you!
3. Fashioning great but ill- fitting clothes. Ill- fitting clothes kill an outfit that bunches here and gathers there. There is nothing like a really good tailor to fix and completely finish an outfit. An amazing tailor can take that $100 suit and make it look like a $500 suit just by tailoring it to your curves.
4. Accessories overkill. Nothing can spoil an outfit like one too many accessories! While it is okay to rock an amazing pair of earrings with a few stacked bracelets, you should not have on the busy earrings, multi-chain necklace, bangles donning both arms, a busy belt and neon styled shoes! All paired with an oversized boho bag! That is too much! One must accessorize to maximize but not at the expense of your look! Wearing fabulous earrings? Do not wear a necklace. If you are going to feature one, edit the other item out of your outfit.
5. Sporting a plethora of prints and colors (at the same time). This rule actually applies to both the straight and plus size divas. But to keep it relevant, patterns and prints should always be anchored by a solid that compliments the outfit. Just because a retailer sells the floral jacket and the floral pant does not mean that you should be wearing it! Allow the patterned top or jacket or bottom to be the feature, not YOU. Your outfit should enhance your beauty, not distract from!
6. Head to toe matching. This applies to two things: colors and labels. Gone are those rules where you had to wear the brown belt with the brown shoes, or worse yet! Head to toe yellow or green or FLORAL! Shake it up a bit. Monochromatic color can become dull and flat, or just plain wrong. Even if you want to wear black, add a pop of color somewhere unexpected. The same goes for wearing labels head to toe. You are not being paid to be a billboard, no reason for you to dress head to toe in someone else’s name!
7. Not reaching out for the right support! Ladies, your ladies need and deserve the proper support! Gone are the days when beautiful foundations only existed for the skinny minis. Your ladies should not be hitting your navel! Not when there are amazing vendors like Lane Bryant, Elomi, Gok Wan, and Hips and Curves who design amazing bras just for YOU. I could go on with more designers, but they do exist. It is amazing what a great bra can do not only for your outfit and posture, but for your confidence as well!
8. Making the supposed invisible visible with the Visible panty line (VPL). While some may list this violation as number one, there is another offense that pains me every time I work with my Plus Size Curvy Fashionistas. VPL is the ultimate no-no in anyone’s book! So what if you do not like to wear thongs- I don’t all the time too! But you have to love technology and what it can do for you! Spanx, Luvees, Just My Size, and ladies I could go on, but, you have options! No one cares to see what type, shape, or color of your underwear! I don’t think I need to go on- need I say more?
9. Lack of Confidence. Fashion is all about highlighting your positive and camouflaging the negative. If you do not have confidence, no matter what you wear, you are going to portray that same feeling. Confidence is beautiful, so stand up with your shoulders back, chest up and out, and your head held high! Do not succumb to Hollywood’s definition of what beautiful is. And if you don’t know, then reach out and touch someone- like myself or someone who can help spring that inner Fashionista out!
10. Being lazy. While some may view fashion and style as a chore and too much effort, there are so many resources abound that can help you to bring out your inner Fashionista. Flip flops, fanny packs, disheveled hair, tattered clothes, and severely overly worn clothing are all examples of a woman being lazy. Now, no one is saying that you have to walk out of the house looking like a glam queen. But you can have style with minimal effort! Yes, you! Knowing your shape, size, and colors will allow you the chance to emerge from your cocoon and blossom!

Now while these ten cover a broad array of fashion mishaps, we have all fall victim to one of these at one point, even the most glam of the Plus Size Fashionistas. What we must know is that you must be able to recognize it, and fix it!

Fashion does not have to be painful… it should be fun! Knowing which resources are there for you has never been easier! This is the very reason why I created the Curvy Fashionista, to provide you with the tools you need to feel and look fabulous at all times- regardless of the size of your pocketbook, not the size of your pants!