Blog archive - Blog archive - June 2013 . July 2013 . Aug 2013. Sept 2013 . Oct 2013

Sept 26th Plus Size Coats for Corporate Day Wear

Both New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week have now passed and we have all had time to digest and sort in our minds the wearable from the fantasy, the practical from the superfluous, and more importantly, where we can source the right 'look' for our individual size, shape and frame of plus size at an affordable price.  This week I have found 7 amazing plus size coats to suit varying shapes and frames of plus size women which are on trend and are relevant and practical designs for Autumn and Winter 2013.  These coats are great finds for your plus size corporate day wear from retailers such as Debenhams, BHS, Curvissa, M&S, Simply Be and Minuet Petite.

In the past few weeks the catwalks of New York and London showed wonderful and inspiring styles of coats in tweeds, wool, wool with silk/cashmere combinations, military styling (where the detailing is all about the buttons, pocket flaps, cuffs, and the collars), vintage cuts (with fur collars and wide button up collars), to simple A Line cuts.  The cocoon coat was a big story but I would caution plus size women against wearing this particular coat as the overall cut is not flattering and adds too much bulk to the torso.

See how the cut of the cocoon coat is an inverted triangle (base of triangle across the widest part of the shoulders whilst the 2 sides meeting at the hemline of the coat).  This coat shape adds bulk to the frame.  The narrowing at the hemline suggests that the coat (especially when buttoned closed) has parcelled up or packed in all that it contains.  The impression is that the body is wider and larger than what it really is.  Only the very stick thin can carry off this coat and this is only on those who want or need to add that bit of extra bulk to their frame.  Stay clear of the Cocoon Coat!  Click this link to see a graphic visually explaining why the cocoon coat is not a flattering cut on a plus size woman. As you will see from the graphic the widest part of the coat is the shoulder (base of the triangle) with the sides of the triangle meeting (from both left and right) at the hemline of the coat.  This narrowing from the shoulder to the hemline is not complimentary nor slimming as the extra material from the side seams suggests that the coat (especially when buttoned closed) has packed in all that it contains.  More bulk is suggested than what is there.

As recommended by Diane

If you have been inspired by the cape and wide like cuts shown on the catwalks of late, and long for something akin to the cocoon coat I would suggest that a better and more complimentary cut is the cape/swing cut (particularly flattering on women with larger chests).  This coat falls straight down from shoulder to hemline.  The extra material giving the coat its swing/cape styling is just that - extra material.  The eye is not confused and there is no suggestion in this particular cut and styling of coat that torso has been packed in.  This coat is a stone colour so is very practical and smart for all work/corporate wear occasions and can be worn with either skirts or trousers.  It is lined and is machine washable.  A very practical and affordable buy for the AW13 season and costs just £65.  The button fastening is concealed behind a placket - only a single larger button is displayed at the neckline helping to accentuate the large and detailed styling of the collar.

My 2nd recommendation is this wool coat with detachable fur collar also from BHS

This is true vintage styling at its best.  I absolutely love the versatility of this coat given that the fur collar can be removed for a different look (especially if worn with a silk scarf) in cooler days.  The coat fits the body neatly with a slight flare from the waistline through the hips.  This coat would look particularly flattering on ladies with a classic pear shape (larger on the hips than on the waist).

The colour is also very practical as the warm berry shade is most definitely an Autumnal shade but this colour also works brilliantly along with black, brown, grey and navy so you are not limited to shoes/boot/bag colour nor with skirts, dresses or trousers.  Wear this coat with a pair of leather gloves matching your handbag and you have a very sleek and considered corporate/work wear day look.

My 3rd look is this navy blue military inspired maxi coat from Simply Be (part of the Claire Richards range).  This coat has all the features straight off the NY and London Fashion Week catwalks (note the detailing of the buttons, leather like (PU) trims, and wide collar).  The coat is ideal for tall ladies given that it is 48" in length (from shoulder to hemline).  This means that this coat (depending on the height of the wearer) will sit either at the mid calf or skim the ankle.  It is a maxi coat so is intended to be long.  If you are 5'6" or smaller do NOT buy this coat.  The coat will drown you if you are smaller than 5'6" tall.

My 4th and 5th recommendations are these wonderful A Line cut coats from both Debenhams, and M&S.  Both coats have similar styling in that they are 3/4 length with a 3 button front fastening and side pocket flaps.  The Navy coat from Debenhams is a standard practical and typical Navy corporate wear coat.  It is a great price at only £55.

The pink A Line coat from M&S is available in sizes 26 and 28.  This coat is that bit more expensive at £99 but is a wool and cashmere mix so has a bit more of a luxurious feel to the texture of the coat.  The pink colour, in particular, also offers more colour styling options in that it will go with black, brown, navy, grey, and a range of berry shades.  You therefore have plenty of options to style this coat with shoe/boot/bag/glove/scarf colour.

Both coats are versatile enough to be worn for both a formal work wear look whilst also being suitable for a more relaxed smart casual look with jeans.  Both are a great buy.  The styling and cut of these coats will suit most shapes and frames of plus size women.

My 6th rcommendation this week is this plum bardot neck coat from Minuet Petite.  There is a 20% discount on this coat this week taking the coat down in price from £229 to £183.20.

If you are under 5'3" tall it is always wise to buy your clothes from a petite range or petite clothing specialist because the garment will be cut to fit and flatter your height in proportion.  By not keeping everything in proportion (from collar size, button size, length of sleeves, overall length etc) and trying to wear, for example,  your size in a standard fit garment you are squashing your overall height.  This coat from Minuet Petite is perfect for the varying shapes of plus size petite ladies.  It is a 3/4 A Line cut, has the wide 'on trend' collar (which is cut in proportion to the size of the coat).  The petite lady cannot wear a maxi length coat.  This coat is 92cm (approx 36") in overall length from shoulder to hemline.  A great season colour and a great great shape and cut on a petite frame.

My 7th and final recommendation for your corporate/workwear coat is this black single breasted trench coat from Curvissa.  The black is a very slimming colour and the single breast cut also serves to narrow the frame.  Be careful though with the belt around the middle.  On women (such as I) with larger middles make sure you wear the belt neatly belted at the back of the coat.  DO NOT attempt to belt this coat to the front as this will have the effect of cutting you in two, and accentuating your larger middle (you will look bundled and packed in underneath the belt).  On the contrary, if you have a narrower waist to your hip size, and do not have a middle problem then this coat will look great belted to the front.

Thank you for reading my blog this week.  I hope I have inspired your plus size coat purchase for the Autumn and Winter.  If you would like to see the full range of plus size coats available from Curvissa, Debenhams, BHS, Minuet Petite, Simply Be and M&S click through on the links under each of the business names.

Follow me on Twitter @plussizecouk for discount and special offers daily.

Just one final point.  You can shop for all your plus size fashion, footwear, lingerie, and beauty needs by clicking on the Tabs at the top of your screen to see a full range of retailers selling other products not featured in this particular blog post.

Until next Thursday 3rd October 2013.  Diane xxx

Sept 19th Plus Size Dresses, AW13 Dresses from Scarlett & Jo @ Evans

Plus Size Dresses

I recently attended an industry Plus Size Fashion Event (Plus North) in Manchester on 7th September 2013 to view the new season AW13 range of plus size clothing from various UK Retailers.  Each of the main retailers presented their own fashion shows using ordinary plus size women to model the clothes.  I was there representing www.plussize.co.uk at this fantastic peak into the new plus size collections for Autumn and Winter.

The Collection that impressed me the most was the Scarlett & Jo label at Evans.  Their show was absolutely fabulous (taking on a 1940s vintage theme) and presenting a wonderful array of stunning plus size dresses for a range of occasions from Day wear to Evening Wear.

I spoke to the Artistic Director for this label (Angela Gilbey) to find out more about the new range.  Angela told me that her direction and inspiration with this label is guided by what plus size women want to wear to make the most of their curves, and to make them feel confident.  A Scarlett & Jo dress says ' hey I am in the room' .  This is certainly what these dresses do.  Dresses are cut to compliment, flatter and fit the typical body shapes and areas of concern that most women have in getting a dress to fit.  All the dresses are lined with Power Mesh lining providing secret support, and smoothing out the contours of the body. Dresses start at a UK size 14 and go up to a size 26 (or 28 in some dresses).  All the ladies modelling the new collection had nothing but compliments for the dresses.  I feel it was important to show these dresses on women of differing shapes and sizes to really judge whether or not the dresses could be recommended to potential customers.  The definitive answer to this question is a big YES. (I want to thank Betty Pamper for letting me use her photos of the Scarlett & Jo Fashion Show for this Blog Post).

As yet the 3 dresses that I have picked to show you from the new Collection are not yet available to purchase but will be very soon.  If you follow me on Twitter @plussizecouk I will let you know as soon as they become available.  I have given you a 'Heads Up' here as to what to expect.  I do not have actual prices for these dresses either but Scarlett & Jo dresses currently available on the Evans website are priced in the range £35 - £55.  I would expect these new additions to be priced within a similar affordable price range.

I am also delighted to tell you that if you purchase anything from Evans today (including any of the Scarlett & Jo dresses) you will receive 24% discount.  This offer is valid for a 24 hour period from midday today 19/9/13 - midday tomorrow 20/9/13.

I will start by talking about the 3 special dresses from the Show and then continue to talk about my favourite dresses that are currently available to buy.

Dresses from the Fashion Show

Take a look at this fabulous showcase red dress which was modelled by Betty Pamper (who is also a fellow plus size fashion blogger.  Her blog can be found at pamperandcurves.blogspot.com).

 

This dress is cut to flatter and minimise problem areas.  Firstly the ruching at the side of the dress helps to define a waistline whilst deflecting attention away from the tummy area.  Whilst the black mesh neck and shoulder line (as well as being a pretty and interesting detail on the dress) serves to establish a minimised width to the frame (i.e. the eye sees the black shoulder and this initial estimation of the shoulder width tricks the eye into seeing and expecting a slimmer overall frame as the eye moves down the length of the body).  The other clever detail here with this particular neckline is that both design and colour have also helped to minimise the bust area.  When looking straight on, the eye sees the point of contrast from the black and red first (which is above the bustline).  The size of the bust is secondary to the contrast point drawing attention to the shoulder and neck area.  The focus of this dress is the main colour block in Red (again a clever technique in presenting a slimmer torso, whilst the 3/4 length sleeves also flatter in keeping with the elegance and style of the dress whilst serving to streamline the arm width.

I have a friend who is 5' 4" tall and asked me the other day could I recommend a dress to her that she could wear to a Wedding in late November, and also have for a Christmas function.  I think that this is the dress.  This dress is elegant and with the addition of a black fascinator in the hair (a 1940s style 'up do' like Betty's would be fantastic), a black clutch bag and a pair of Mary Jane shoes she will be perfectly dressed for a winter wedding.  The red colour is a no brainer for the perfect Christmas look.

Take a look at these beautiful evening dresses (the lady in the foreground of the group photo with the long hair is the Designer of the Scarlett & Jo Collections at Evans).  Notice that in both dresses ruching is used to define the waist and minimise the middle area.  Also lace and mesh have been used to elegantly dress the shoulders and arms. 

I absolutely love the diamond like necklace beading on the neckline of the mesh dress.  Only minimal jewellery are needed with this dress.

What better way to make the statement, 'Hey I am in the Room' than with this gorgeous vibrant blue lace overlay dress.  I feel that this particular dress could also serve as a Wedding Dress.  You can see Betty turning in the foreground wearing another beautiful creation but look immediately behind her and you see the blue dress.

And one final peak.  Take a look at this group photo of some of the other models.  The blonde girl in the front row is Emma Millard (who writes a blog called 'Meet the Milliards').  Look at the clever colour contouring in this dress drawing in and emphasising a waistline.

 

As recommended by Diane

I now want to talk about dresses that ARE currently available from the Scarlett & Jo Collection at Evans and also comment on the styling of these dresses and how these features will complement different shapes and frames of plus size women.

Every girl should have a black dress in her wardrobe.  This dress is a find at £35 (remember 24% discount for next 24 hours).

Note the styling flatter and fit features here.  The side ruching is employed again for waist definition and tummy control and minimisation but the wrap over effect and V Neck serves to maximise and define the bust.  This is the dress for ladies who are heavier on the bottom half of their body than on the top half of their body.

Whilst this blue dress not only says va va voom -  look at how the slight change to the styling of the neck line makes this dress a bust minimiser.  This dress would be absolutely fabulous on a blonde.  It could very easily be turned into an evening look with the addition of silver jewellery, shoes and a clutch bag.

A very vintage creation at £55.  This is another one of these ' Hey I am in the Room' creations.  This is an absolutely beautiful and elegant detailed dress.  Note the fuller skirt which is a great shape for hourglass shapes (ladies with smaller waists but larger hips).

My final recommendation is for those of us who are practically a rectangle in shape i.e. we are a similar width from shoulder to hip and with little definition of the waistline.

This dress is 38" in length so too short for me at 5' 9" tall but the shape is perfect for my middle area and broad frame.

Thank you for reading my blog each week.  Please feel free to leave comments, and to connect with me on Twitter @plussizecouk.

You can also shop directly from this www.plussize.co.uk for all you plus size clothing, lingerie, accessories, footwear, and beauty needs by clicking on the drop down tabs at the top of the screen.

Until next Thursday 26th September 2013.  Bye for now.  Diane xxx

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Sept 12th My outfit of the Day – a mixed day of social & personal engagements followed by work (plus size day wear AND plus size work wear / office)

Today is Day 6 of 7 of my "Outfit of the Day" postings showcasing my typical week of plus size wardrobe planning. As with all modern day working women my weeks run so closely in to each other that I am usually playing "catch up" by the weekend and wondering how and where the time in the week went by.

Acknowledging that I have a busy life I need to have a wardrobe of clothes that take me comfortably to all the functions and work situations/events, and personal downtime occasions that are required of me. For me I want clothes that are fashionable and on trend, but I also want minimum fuss, easy maintainance, easy co-ordination and complementation, practical ideas, good value for money, and clothes that I can get good wear out of and wear on different occasions. I want to justify my spend on clothes at all times so that I do not have "sole occasion only" clothes hanging in my wardrobe redundant.

Modern living now means that many women have to balance working either part-time or full-time in and around running their own family life. As is the case with many women, my working day "out of the home" is not set hours and the same each and every day. When I get up in the morning, and know what the day has in store for me, I want to have at hand a selection of separates in my wardrobe that can be put together to suit ALL the requirements of the day.

Today I have a Dentist appointment in town at 10am. I am getting my roots done at the Hairdressers at 11.30am, after which I am grabbing a quick bite of lunch and doing a few bits "n pieces of shopping, before going over to the local hospital to visit a very dear family friend. I then have to pick up my youngest daughter from school at 4.30pm and take her home and then return back to town to teach an Evening Class starting at 6pm. Yes it is a busy day and harder than spending an entire day in situ in the one place.

I need to wear an outfit that comfortably takes me through all these events of my day. As my evening class is all adults I can get away with wearing a smart casual look. I still need to appear "together and smart", but a very formal and structured look, especially to Adult returners, can be very off putting. I want to look approachable. I think this smart but casual look says and does it all!

My look today is a tweed jacket from Boden (£149)(which goes from a size 6R up to a plus size 22R), a shirt from Boden (£39)(which goes from a 6R up to a plus size 22R), a pair of smart dark coloured boot cut jeans (I bought these jeans months ago but similar smart bootcut jeans can be bought from Boden, and/or M&S, or Long Tall Sally (for taller girls), and a pair of tan laced brogues (also from Boden £109)). I think that this look today has me SORTED! If you purchase from Boden today (Thurs 12/9/13) you will get 20% off these prices and free Delivery and Returns (TODAY ONLY UNTIL MIDNIGHT). USE CODE DIM5 AT CHECKOUT (on Friday you will get 15% discount and on Saturday 10% discount - on all days free delivery and returns are still offered using code DIM5).

I am shown in the photos wearing this jacket buttoned closed. This is not how I would usually wear a jacket like this. I buttoned the jacket to let you see the overall effect. I love this jacket but would prefer to wear it open. My Middle is my problem area so closing the jacket like this adds inches to my Middle (which are not there in the suggested proportion of this photo). So another tip for minimising a problem Middle - do not button or fasten short jackets. If you button up, the eye is immediately drawn to the button detailing. With this particular jacket there are lots of interesting detailing on display from the piping along the collar, at the cuff area and the pocket tabs, and the scalloped cut edge at the front of the jacket. Buttoning a problem Middle in this or any short jacket is a NO NO!

The jacket has a good long back length (which is perfect for all ladies (tall or short) that have long backs). As you can see in the photo the jacket sits comfortably on my hip area. I am wearing a UK size 18. I am also 5'9" tall. The tailoring and detail in this jacket are superb, and the jacket is also beautifully lined with a colour co-ordinated print. This jacket is a quality product and a great price at £149. The jacket can be worn with jeans (as in my look depicted in this post) but will also work well with a more formal look of wide leg OR straight leg cut trousers and a silk blouse, or with a pencil or fan tailed skirt and heels. Take a look at the lining inside the jacket. The jacket also comes in 3 other colour combination and tweed looks. I find the jacket true to size and a great fit overall.

I am wearing the jacket with this Boden Shirt which has a traditional shirt tail scallop edge. The colours in this shirt are wonderful and pick out the blue detail of the tweed jacket wonderfully. The cut of this shirt is also great for a problem middle as it can be worn (as here) out over the jeans (or trousers) when not wearing a jacket. The cuff of the shirt can also be worn back revealing a contrasting navy blue polka dot print.

The final piece in this ensemble are these very "of the moment" vintage inspired tan brogue heeled shoes. These shoes are also available in a few other colour options.

I hope I have given you some inspiration today in this post and if you chose to purchase these or any products from Boden you will get 20% discount and free delivery and returns today using Code DIM5 at the checkout. Offer valid until midnight 12/9/13. Tomorrow 13/9/13 discount reduces to 15% and on Saturday 14/9/13 discount further reduces to 10%. On ALL days the offer of free delivery and returns remain using code DIM5 at the checkout. Until tomorrow for my final look of my "outfit of the day" for a week. Diane xxx

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Sept 11th My outfit of the Day - Work and after work - (plus size work wear, plus size party wear)

Sept 8th My outfit of the day - Time for Brunch - (plus size casual clothes)

Good afternoon it's now 2.30pm on Sunday 8th September 2013 and I have just got up.  I had a great party and dance last night but I am feeling very tired today.  I do not want to do anything but I have to motivate myself because I have 5 chapters of my book to read to finish it for tomorrow nights Book Club meeting.  My daughter is the photographer today whilst my husband is in the kitchen scrambling eggs and grilling bacon.  After Brunch I am installing myself on the sofa and no one is allowed to sit down.  I do not even want to talk.  Sorry folks - .this post is going to be short.

I am wearing my jeggings AGAIN (they are just easy to wear and pull on) and a beautiful top from Boden.  This is a smart casual top with beautiful navy glass effect detailing around the neckline.

I intend to watch Vera at 9pm on ITV and then off to bed. Tomorrow I am back at work BUT I have a Retirement Drink after work to cope with. This shouldn't be a late night. Speak to you all tomorrow.  Diane

Oct 2013 blogs, click here - Oct 31st Plus Size Cocktail Party Dresses, Oct 24th Shoes and Bags for Rush Hour, Oct 17th Plus Size Halloween Outfits,Oct 10th Large & Wide Calf boots, Oct 3rd Knitwear for Corporate Daywear

Sept 2013 blogs, click here - Sept 26th Coats for Corporate Daywear, Sept 19th Scarlett & Jo at Evans, Sept 5th-13th Outfits of the Day, Casual, Work, Smart Casual, Partywear.

Aug 2013 blogs, click here - Aug 29th Woolovers Knitwear AW13, Aug 26 Petite-out and about, Aug 22nd Petite Office wear 2013, Aug 15th Walking shoes, Aug 8th Wardrobe Planning AW13, Aug 1st Ample Bosom

July 2013 blogs, click here - July 25th - Designer bargains AW'13
19th Dresses for a big middle, 13th - Maternity essentials, 5th Focus on size 28+

June 2013 blogs, click here - June 28th - Tall Summer Story
27th - Legs Eleven, 20th - Tea at The Ritz , 15th - Welcome to my blog !