I was honored and excited to be interviewed by one of France and Britain’s key plus size fashion magazines– Ma Grande Taille and Plus Size Tall.  I love how I sound in French! And, for my mother-in-law who is French Canadian–she loved it! The magazine is geared of course, toward the plus size woman and is jam packed full of product and fashion information.   Check it out!

I do wish we had something like that here! With the recent additions of Alain Weiz to our line starting with the Fall ’09 collections, we can now say that we are an international site as we scan the globe for the best in plus size fashion and are pleased to bring you our latest picks to keep you in step on a global level.

Read the articles for yourself when you get a minute! And thanks so much once again to Ma Grande Taille and Plus Size Tall for the opportunity to discuss our views as to what is happening on the industry and what is going on at Black Cat Plus!

June means wedding bells! Getting married? Going to a wedding? Or simply looking for some good style tips geared toward the plus size woman? Look no further.

Chamein Canton in her book Down that Aisle in Style, A Wedding Guide for Full Figured Women has done a superb job of consolidating and organizing all of the information a bride needs on her wedding day. This book offers 167 pages of jam-packed information which is easy to understand and visually appealing.

The first chapter is useful to any plus size fashionista. Canton does a great job of explaining body shapes and silhouettes and how necklines, shoulders, bodice, waistline, sleeves, veil styles and trains and even hemlines can help you show off your body shape and silhouette. This  chapter serves as a great reference guide and is definitely well worth the investment! The pictures and illustrations help tremendously and give the book that extra special touch. Note to Chamein: This should be the topic of a next book! We need a good and current plus size style guide!

In subsequent chapters, Canton discusses wedding day details from makeup to choosing the photographer and additional tips for creating a memorable wedding day celebration. The clothing design and attribute terms glossary in the back serves as a useful reference guide. So, if you are getting married or know of someone who is, check out the book! It would make a great engagement gift for a future bride!  It must be noted that Canton’s bio at the end of the book is an inspritation in itself.  An ovarian cancer and MS survivor, Canton overcame many obstacles to pursue her passion of bridal consultant and, most recently, as managing partner of a literary agency.

So, are you attending a wedding this year and don’t have a clue what to wear?

First, make sure you understand what type of wedding it is so that you know how to dress: Formal-black tie, semi-formal, casual, garden, or picnic? Usually the wedding invitation and venue provides clues. Still, not sure? Call and ask! A good rule of thumb is to avoid loud colors, patterns, and wearing white (you don’t want to outshine the bride).

Two of our Go To Fave’s: A Cocktail dress, such as Kiyonna’s Black Scalloped Lace Dress is great for more formal occasions. You can really get your glam on in this dress!

How about sophistacated elegance–a silk jacket with pants and tank or a silk jacket with a tank dress?  Check out our jackets from Simply Silk.  Shown is a favorite–Simply Silk’s Butterfly jacket. Simply Silk features lightweight, hand-washable fabrics in great colors, styles and designs.  Every plus size fashionista needs at least one Simply Silk jacket in her wardrobe.

Here’s to the Bride and Groom!

Ok, I gave in!

I was very cranky about this twitter thing. I could not possibly imagine how I could write about so much news here at BCPHQ.  And, I must admit it was one more thing to think about.

Scroll up, no, not that far….See my latest live post? Cool, huh?!

Yes, Mary can twitter for me or we could hire someone, but I felt it was a good idea for me to twitter about what was happening here at BCP.  Friends finally talked me into it after my endless crabbing and moaning about the one more thing on the to do list. But–get this–I have had SO MUCH FUN!  And, give me a challenge and I will just run with it!

The good thing about twitter is that you can go into your “Twitter Bubble” and chat in 140 words or less about what is happening during your day.  And chat I have! About everything! What’s new in this season’s fashion at BCP, Massimo’s comings and goings. Massimo, is my persian cat and the mascot for BCP, plus size trends, and well, a lot of other stuff that is on my mind.

After the first hour of someone asking me to unfollow her because she is not plus size, it has been so much fun. (Maybe she thought it was catchy?) And, she could have politely not followed or even blocked my twitters which is not the point of twitter anyways. For one brief moment I felt like the fat girl at the prom whom no one talks to.  But then people started following and we were off and running!

Oh and pay attention to other things when you get on twitter..I almost set the house on fire because I forgot I left water on the stove and it all evaporated, and I forgot an appointment. But, really there is social value to twitter–it’s like a big community discussion and for one nanosecond people pay attention to what on your mind and you learn and engage with others about what is on their mind.

So, follow us on twitter! We’ll follow you back and send twitter only specials directly to you! We promise!

Just got word today while reading a NY Post article, that some of the major retailers are eliminating a lot of the floor space that they have allocated for plus size.   Huh?  So, let me get this straight.. the majority of women are over a size 14 and the retailers have chosen to decrease their shopping space?

GOOD! Problem solved.   Just shop with Black Cat Plus on-line or at our new showroom in Rochester, NY.   

What trends/items have been popular so far for Spring ’09?  The Fab Five: Jeans, separates in Hippie Chic styles, eco-frieindly, earth conscious fabrics, and feminine dresses and tops in bold colors and prints all set in an effortless, seasonless style.

Denim: Slenderizing dark colors in stretchy fabrics with a slightly wider leg, and reverse stitching has been quite the hot item. 

Pair your jeans with a hippie chic style top.  What is hippie chic? A hint of the 70′s with an updated bohemian silhouette. Gone for now are the peasant style, real blousy pieces that we saw last season.  Check out our Sienna Rose tops, like this Sienna Rose Original Wonders Gathered Tunic.  Truly a work of art in a top! You will get stopped on the street when you wear Mushka by Sienna Rose. 

Still popular from Canadian Designer Diane Kennedy are separates in eco-friendly, made of earth-conscious fabrics, such as organic cotton and bamboo in beautiful bright colors.  Are you petite and have trouble finding a good fitting pant? Check out Diane Kennedy’s petite serene pant; between the fit and the feel of the fabric, you will be in fashion heaven.

Colors are a poppin’ all over the place on dresses this season.  Add a brightly colored dress with a hint of feminine detail such as a ruffle or fringe to your wardrobe and you are all set to take on any occasion.  Check out Kiyonna’s Vivienne Cinch Dress for a perfect example of color and style. 

One major trend is wearability of pieces from season to season.  Pick two or three seasonless essential pieces to add to your wardrobe and mix and match them in with your other items for seasons to come. 

Want to get instant updates for the latest BCP news? Check us out on Twitter.