Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Resentment Theater

One thing that sets me apart from the larger ladies who wear only or mostly plus sizes are issues concerning them and thinner women. I might get annoyed with retailers, manufacturers, and designers who treat any woman over a size 6 or 8 as a pariah. I might get annoyed at a media culture that promotes a too-thin image as the ideal. But holding against somebody smaller than me?

Unfortunately, when you are part of a group that has experienced discrimination or exclusion, it's easy to succumb to resentment toward those you think are getting all of the breaks in life. Personal issues of rejection, insecurity, and humiliation become revenge fantasies. I admit to schadenfreude when Jude Law cheated on Sienna Miller--a thin actress held up as a fashion icon and plastered on many a mag cover--with his curvaceous nanny. It's ridiculous, because it doesn't excuse or change the fact Mr. Law was a cheatin' pig or that banging the nanny is just flat out immoral. It was a moment of pettiness.

That said, I'm a little baffled when I see posted on some plus message boards that they don't want to see smaller women shopping in "their" stores or plus designers making stuff for "skinny minnies." On my end, I want just as much respect as other misses customers. I don't care if they make my pants in a 0, just make them in a 16 while they're at it. I won't have a heart attack if I see a five foot tall 80 lb. girl wearing a dress I have. If it looks great on both of us, isn't it a good thing?

Look, anybody can end up fat or skinny. A baby, an illness, stress, etc. can change your body. Grinding your teeth at "those people" isn't going to make you a happier person.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

HM is coming to my local mall!

At last, HM will open a store in my humble burg within the next year. Undoubtedly, store executives in Sweden must have noticed that sales dropped significantly when I moved from the HM-saturated Northeast to the West Coast four years ago.

It's about time, guys!

(note: for some reason Blogger is not letting me use the "and" symbol)

The weekly haul

I've decided to start posting on the great finds I don't otherwise mention during the week while out at the stores.

1. I bought a second blouse from the Alice Temperley for Target line, a vintage-y black blouse with blue dots and a tie in the front in XL. Very cute, classic, and only $29.99. Then I found a nice headband in the dollar bin.

2. At Saks Off 5th outlet I noticed the men's department has started carrying Rock & Republic jeans. (Who cares what Clinton has to say about that!) Unfortunately, they were almost out of them and the remaining two were rather small. I know, I'm tapped out on jeans, but dang I love the R&Rs I have.

However, poring through the clearance racks I found two incredible deals from the SFA label. First is a nice long-sleeved tee (a fall/winter staple in SoCal) in yellow for $8.97 and the piece de resistance, a lovely gray short-sleeved jacket/top for $20.97. The latter is a wool/cotton/cashmere blend that originally retailed for almost $150. Better yet, all clearance items were an additional 20% off! Woo hoo!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Review: GO International Alice Temperley for Target


The latest GO International line debuted at Target on Sunday, this time from red hot Brit designer Alice Temperley.

From what I saw--and it's not everything in her line--most of it looks a little too small and youngish for me. I really had wanted the sailor pants but even its size 13s looked waay too small.

But there was something on the racks that grabbed my eye...the ruffle front blouse in gray.

Normally, I'm not a frou-frou kind of gal but this blouse was a stunner. I'm no fashion expert but I know good design when I see it. It's close to what you'd find in the high-priced line, Temperley London. The great thing about the blouse is that you can wear it to work, wear it to a party, make it casual with skinny pants, modernize it with a sleek pencil skirt, or go all gothic lolita with a short skirt, striped hose, and stacked lace-up shoes.

Oh and it's 30 bucks.

I bought one in XL and it fit perfectly. I have a feeling that everything in this line runs small, so purchase accordingly.

Monday, September 17, 2007

J.Crew & Banana Republic To Size 16 Customers: "Bugger Off, Fatty!"

I haven't shopped at J.Crew in ages but a week or so ago, I saw some posts on Stylethread.com about the absence of size 16s in its stores. For a while, J.Crew seldom stocked anything over a 14 in its stores and the few that supposedly did segregated the stuff into a tiny section. Who knows if this is accurate or not, but whatever the case may be, you cannot buy anything over a 14 in its brick and mortar stores but size 16s remain available for some items online and in its catalogues.

Meanwhile, I've taken note of the size 16 vanishing act at BR before. Again, 16 is available online but is increasingly scarce in its stores. Just yesterday I went to a BR Factory Store and there was nothing--NOTHING--above a 14 anywhere. But there were craploads of 4s, 6s, and 8s. Now, the Factory Store is not, as many people think, where older and out-of-season BR merchandise is sold post-clearance from its regular stores. It is instead where you can get slightly (and I mean slightly) cheaper versions of merchandise that's already in its mall stores. So it's not as though they were just plum out of 16s; they flat out don't make them.

I can understand no store cannot cater to every imaginable size. Lord knows the misses 18s and 20s have been screwed this way since, well, always. But as I've pointed out in the past, BR USED to stock 16s in its brick and mortar stores. But ever since it chose to pursue the 00 market a couple of years ago, it decided the size 16 chubbettes needed to go. The Factory Store is proof that it wants a certain market and I ain't it. Sure I can still buy tops, and A-line skirts in 12-14, but when it comes to pants or other types of skirts, I'm screwed at BR.

Gap, Inc. has made some truly goofy decisions with larger clothing in its stores over the past few years. One can still easily find 16s in the Gap and Old Navy. But 18-20s still have to shop online for Gap merchandise. Old Navy produced an ill-fitting and uninspired plus-sized line (so I'm told) and instead of improving its designs and promotion for the line, it moved it out of the stores. Naturally, you can still buy it online. Gap's Forth & Towne Crashed & Burned quickly due to Gap's financial problems, and that carried up to size 20 in its stores.

Perhaps there's some egghead at these companies who have discovered that there is more financial return on smaller sizes than bigger ones. After all, it would cost more to make a size 16 pair of pants than a size 0 pair of pants...less work and less fabric. Or maybe all there is to it are a bunch of snobs in Manhattan who think a size 4 girl doesn't want to be looking at the same pair of pants as a size 16 or that having heavier people shop there make the stores declasse or something. And if they feel that way about 16s, how long will it be before they decide to axe 14 and XL? Or whack out 12 while they're at it?

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Wearing Man Jeans

For a while, I've meant to post about one of my oddest fashion secrets. You see, while finding premium denim has become easier than it was a year or two ago for the curvy among us, our options are still more limited than it would be for thinner women or than if we wanted to wear inexpensive denim.

It all started more than a year ago when I saw on Lucky magazine's forum a post from someone who had lost quite a bit of weight but when she was a size 16, she used to buy her Seven For All Mankinds and so forth from the men's department since the waist sizes are bigger. "Grr, why should I have to do that?" I thought.

Well, a few months later I was at Nordstrom Rack and in the men's department was a nice pile of True Religion corduroy Joeys for the low, low price of $80. Lo and behold, they had a 36 waist, which is about my size. I tried them on and...gasp...I could get them on! It was all too good to turn down. So, a habit was born.

A couple of months later, I returned to Nordstrom Rack and there was a pile of Seven For All Mankinds in the men's department for the low, low price of $89. And one in my size. I couldn't believe my luck. I liked my first pair so much that when I found another pair of slim leg, dark wash Sevens for the clearance price of $49, I cheerfully picked it up. Then last spring, I bought the A-pocket Sevens. In between, I found a pair of William Rasts for $79; hey, those things retail for $250. How could I turn that down?

Then I set my sights on getting a pair of Rock & Republics. Unfortunately, you don't find those in the men's section at the Rack, and believe me, I've looked. They're a dime a dozen in the women's sizes at Saks Off Fifth but not in the men's section. My only option was finding them on sale elsewhere (like heck I was going to pay full fare for those puppies). But if I'm not able to try them on, how do I know how they're going to fit? Well, my solution was going to Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, and pretending to be interested in getting a pair for my "boyfriend." (I'm not dating anyone now, and if my track record has anything to show, anybody I would be dating would consider WalMart Wranglers a "luxury" brand.) "So, do those stretch much?" "How's the fit around the leg?" "He hates low rise jeans. How do the rises run?" Then in June I managed to find a pair of the "Neil" style on sale on NeimanMarcus.com. I love the dark wash and the R's on the back are more subtle. Perfect.

With that, I think I may be ending my run on man jeans. I've reached critical mass in my jeans collection as it is and I'm pretty satisfied with what I have. But for those of you who are thinking, "Wow, what an awesome idea" here are some tips based on my experiences.

1. Shop outlets first--You'll get way better prices and there's only one dressing room for the entire store so nobody will look at you funny if you walk off with them from the men's section.

2. Try before you buy, if you can--These are obviously cut for a guy and men tend not to have big booties, generous thighs or wide, curvy hips. Don't be surprised if you have to go up a size from what you think would fit to compensate for the difference in fit.

3. Advantages of man jeans:

a) Roomy, relaxed fit--If prefer a more roomy fit than most women's jeans, you will love man jeans. On you they will have what they call a boyfriend fit (women's jeans ironically cut to fit more like man jeans). Undeniably comfy and you won't have to worry about your breath being cut off.

b) Wider leg--If you have big legs, man jeans tend to have wider legs so they'll look more balanced on you. None of that sticking to your saddlebags nonsense.

c) Bigger rear pockets--Bigger pockets will look more in proportion and more flattering to your booty.

d) Better prices on sale and at outlets--For some reason, this is true. Check 'em out and compare.

4. Disadvantages of man jeans:

a) Gaping around the waist--If you're a pear shape, this can be a problem. But it's a problem with women's jeans as well. Nothing a belt or a tailor can't solve most of the time.

b) Some man jeans leave some room for the junk up front, if you know what I mean, that can look a little funny on a lady.

c) One can better appreciate a great pair of jeans cut for a curvy woman's body (i.e. Svoboda or Paige sorta-plus) over man jeans 99% of the time. They are going to look a little boyish after all.

With all of that said, my favorite of the man jeans I've purchased are the Rock & Republics. They fit great and make my legs look awesome. If you're going to buy only one, try the R&R in Neil dark wash. If you want a more casual jean, go for the Seven For All Mankinds.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Note to manufacturers: We Need Bigger Armholes

My arms are not that big, yet I've been having a devil of a time finding shirts that aren't meant for women with skinny arms. I'm sure some of you know how it is...you pick up a size 12 or 14 or XL shirt off the rack and while the rest of it fits all right, it's so tight on your arms you feel like the circulation is being cut off. Last weekend I tried on a denim jacket in XL and the arms were as tight as a jacket meant for an XS girl.

I know there are those of you out there who will say, "Hey, I'm a 14 and my arms are thin as a rail! I need the bigger shirts for my tummy! I need the bigger shirts to fit my boobs!"

Be that as it may, sizes are based on averages. Chances are if you're a double digit or L/XL in tops, it's because you're that size in proportion to your chest, tummy, shoulder width, arms, etc.. Most lines made for misses recognize that. The lower-cost lines, due to their cost-cutting designs/manufacturing methods, and what I call the "hipster" lines, who think "L" means you're just taller and leaner, do not. It's worse with shirts that have fitted or capped sleeves. Plus-sized shirts may not be a good option because the arms and just about everything else are too big and baggy.

I suppose I could exercise more to tone up my arms, but wouldn't more muscle just make them bigger?

Monday, September 3, 2007

Macy Gray Jumps Into the Celeb Designer Fray

Heh heh, like that title?

Posted on the Curvy Chick message boards was a story that appeared in the Brit newspaper The Independent about singer Macy Gray designing a new line of clothes for the bigger gal called "Humps" (no, really):

"Ms Gray (pictured below) said of her new clothing line: 'It's actually for voluptuous, curvaceous girls, girls with thighs and hips.' She expects the range to be a hit with the 'average-sized girl in America who is a size 12 or 14 [UK 16 or 18]' and who struggles to find 'even a size 8 [UK size 12].'"

According to a poster on Curvy Chick who went to a model call for the line, she was told it wasn't going to be so much a plus line as a line aimed at women sized 10-18. You know, folks like us! I'm not crazy about the name but if the clothes turn out to be nice, I'll be happy.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Review: Dear By Amanda Bynes

Recently, Steve & Barry's launched yet another celebrity-endorsed budget line of clothing, Dear By Amanda Bynes. Bynes is one of approximately 6 young actresses in Hollywood who does not have a criminal record, so she makes a fitting spokeswoman for a line aimed at the junior set.

What rocks:

The prices. As is the case with Sarah Jessica Parker's Bitten, almost everything is priced under $20.

Beyond that, it depends. If you're a juniors shopper (tween, teen, early 20s), Dear has a lot of cute t-shirts, tanks, hoodies, jeans, etc. that your student-sized budget or your mom's budget will love. The store didn't have much in the way of accessories or shoes but I'm sure they will keep rolling in over the next few weeks and months like the Bitten stuff did. Dear certainly skews younger than Bitten, which might not make the clothes as appealing to adult shoppers.

I did however find an exception. I flipped for a trouser jean with coin pockets and silver buttons front and back. The style is simple and classic and frankly, I found it better looking than Old Navy's new trouser jeans (no stupid pleats on these). The fit is pretty similar to a lot of the trouser jeans in stores lately, fitting more like regular jeans through the knee and then going wide on the lower leg. For $14.98, why the heck not?

Pant sizes go up to 18, so I imagine the tops probably go up to XL or XXL.

The meh:

Since Dear is a juniors line, it runs smaller than size. I can fit into a Bitten 16, but for the trouser jeans, I had to go up to size 18. Still, it's rare to find a store besides Old Navy, Torrid, Target, or Wal Mart that will stock larger juniors sizes.