This spring, fashion trends for the petite, full-figured woman are all about elongating and flattering the form.  A slimmer silhouette can be achieved through longer lines and making sure that clothes fit- this spring, tailoring is in.  Lengthening a petite form gives the illusion of more height and clothes that fit perfectly are more flattering to a curvy figure.  By following these basic guidelines you can lengthen and flatter your figure while still feeling light and springy.

Soft, flowing styles: Simple, versatile, and fresh are all components of a great spring wardrobe.  Romanticism is in with light, airy knits that drape and flatter the figure.  Check out this Floral Cape from Cover Charge–a great example of romantic, texture and a print that works!

Longer hemlines: these can actually do wonders for a shorter frame if you add some height.  This can be done by showing a little skin- in this case it would be a little leg.  Skirts such as this Comfy USA  Slim Skirt that goes to just below the knee are ideal.  You can also add in some fabulous wedge sandals to complete the look and add even more height.

Prints: While this spring is a print-heavy season, it is not necessarily always the best option for petite, full-figures.  Another option: texture can be a better option than print in certain circumstances.  If you do decide to go for prints, however, choose low contrast, monochromatic prints or smaller prints.  You can pair these with a cardigan or cover up from the same color family for a completed look.  Be sure to only have one patterned piece per outfit.

Whites and brights: White is another popular spring fashion trend, but all-white may not the best option for the petite, full-figured shape.  Instead, try cobalt blues or darker versions of the bright colors that are in this season.  Putting bold colors on top such as our fave Neon Buddha’s Slash Collar Tunic paired with darker bottoms is a great way to draw the eye up and accentuate the face.

Wedge heel: Wedges are one of the best ways to make the leg look longer.  You don’t even need to have that much of a heel, unless you want to- just enough to create the illusion of more length.  Wedge sandals such as these UGG cork wedge sandals are particularly popular this spring.

Statement accessories: Stay away from big jewelry because the contrast will only serve to make you look shorter and will add bulk.  Stick with medium-size to small jewelry instead.  Long, layered necklaces and pendants are the best option.  Accessorizing with color is always a great idea, but be sure to only have one statement color piece per outfit.  Belts are also a great way to accessorize.  In the case of a full-figure, stick to mid thickness belts that accentuate, but don’t cinch the waist.

Wider legs: Bell bottoms and flares will rarely do the trick.  This season stick to straight legs such as our most popular pant this season our super slim pants from Comfy USA that create longer lines and length.  Avoid super skinny legged pants as they serve to accentuate the fullness of the hips and butt.

About our guest blogger and author: Jenni Sunde is a freelance fashion writer and pop culture junkie. As one of the editors with a fashion careers blog, Jenni specializes in all things fashion-related.

From designer profiles, to careers in fashion Jenni loves to write and explore all facets of style. With her love of art and all things beautiful, she delights in sharing her sense of style from her closet to your computer monitor.

I am pleased to hear that on Wednesday, September 15, 2010, U.S. company, One Stop Plus.com will showcase outfits for women sizes 16 and above on plus size models including Tocara Jones (of America’s Next Top Model Fame) and Lizzie Miller.  Plus Size Model, Emme’ will host the red carpet festivities.

I have found that change comes slowly and that sometimes one has to play within the rules in order to change them and I applaud One Stop Plus for finding its own “ballpark” to play in and for serving as a reminder to the fashion world as to how many women really are size 14 and up!

Next week’s show is not linked to any of the major fashion houses, the reason could be because One Stop Plus does not carry any of the major fashion houses and a fashion show must directly or indirectly affect the bottom line as they are not cheap to produce.  However, One Stop Plus says that Spring 2011 fashions from Europe and the U.S. will be showcased in the fashion show.  “It’s about inclusion and fashion democracy: fashion risk-taking and empowerment,” adds the site’s vice-president of design, Zahir Babvani.

I also applaud plus size models like 21 year old, Lizzie Miller! We are on TEAM LIZZIE.  Once teased about her weight, she now makes a living from her size 12 figure.   You remember Lizzie? I wrote about her in a previous post. She was in a Glamour Magazine ad that ignited a great discussion about plus size in America!

“This is a huge step for the fashion industry. It is going to be a beautiful event. It is going to prove to everyone in the fashion world that it is beautiful to have plus-size women wearing these clothes,” Miller told the Observer in New York last week, fresh from having a fitting for the clothes she will wear on the runway.

Take a look at One Stop Plus You Tube Channel to see their Paris Fashion Show!

I hope this is a continuing a sign of the changes that are taking place in the fashion world.  Can’t wait to see pictures from Wednesday’s fashion show.  Wish I could be there to witness history! When Black Cat Plus Grows Up we wanna be like One Stop Plus! Congrats to everyone involved, we’ll be watching!
More as it happens! Jodell

We have several key items to complete your fall wardrobe.  This season it is about mixing and matching from memorable prints to patterns and texture, finding easy-to-wear jackets and pants suits, selecting classic shades in neutrals to add to your wardrobe and dresses that can go from day to dinner and beyond.

As long as the print colors are true to nature, your animal print will never go out of style.  Check out Simply Silk’s Animal Print Silk Jacket with just a hint of leopard print, this jacket is timeless.

Pair with red shoes to make a statement!

Our Caribe crushed taffeta jacket fits the bill in so many ways.  It is seasonless!  This jacket is packable, comfortable,  and has a crinkle texture. Better yet! You can mix and match with your favorite skirt or pair of pants.

Need a new pant suit? Check out Brooke Chapman’s Bolero pantsuit.  Great to pack and easy-to-wear!  We just love  both the color and the style of this  Neon Buddha shirt tail jacket in olive!

Influenced by AMC’s Mad Men perhaps, this Portrait Dress from Brooke Chapman, from Canada, provides both a flattering silhouette, wonderful texture and the season’s celebrated color combo in black and white.

Here is Shannon Cooney, Head Designer from Pure and Co., and Neon Buddha discussing this season’s trends.  No matter what your shape, make your look work for you! Happy Fall!

I was reading in Women’s Wear Daily the other day that the Misses’ Market is getting a well-deserved makeover in terms of updated silhouettes, textures and prints.  That is good to hear.

The misses market came about during the tried and true Eisenhower era when clothes were functional, predictable, matronly, a bit more on the dressier side, wearable, well-made and most important of all, safe and conservative.  (I was not even born then, how about you?) In those, days, women did not want to stand out or look too good. (I would have been miserable.) The pieces in those days,  were designed to camouflage middle aged figure flaws.

Today’s woman has a very modern mindset and busy lifestyle.  They may not be able to fit into pieces they wore in their twenties, but they still want to have an updated, modern look.  And, to reflect their beliefs and central to this change in the missy market, is comfort, fit, selection and versatility.

According to WWD, many missy retailers including Talbots, have even dropped the word “misses” from its stores, catalogs, and other corporate messaging.

Got me thinking, “Well what about the plus size market?” Where do we fit in?  If the missy market is under-going an overhaul, won’t the plus size market under-go a transformation as well?

Some may argue, but I would consider the plus size market a cousin of the missy market. Many of the styles that are done in missy are done in plus.  The misses’ market represents the largest chunk of the women’s apparel business.  It is bigger than juniors, contemporary, or designer and historically has been the least exciting and the most challenging to define according to David Moin, writer of the March 31 WWD article.  Examples of traditional missy labels include Tommy Hilfiger, Anne Klein, Ellen Tracy, Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors.

There is some disagreement in the fashion world as to what constitutes misses – is it based on size, age, or lifestyle?  However, there is agreement that this category has been the slowest to change until now.

It will be interesting to see what the misses market does in terms of a makeover? A different name? Different styles? Different fabrics?

So…what is next for plus, I wonder? Can we re-name the plus size market?  I remember when plus size were depicted in half-sizes and the children’s and pre-teen plus markets were called Chubby. Eeuuw.

So, while we are transforming the missy, why don’t we throw some more attention to plus?

We need what the missy market is emphasizing: Layering, crafted looks, different fabrics, embellishments, active wear like our Neon Buddha contrast zip jacket, that is not just for being active, and career wear.  And how about these pieces in updated silhouettes and prints that represent a more relaxed lifestyle? Check out this keyhole tunic from Silk Threads.

Essential for the plus size market–or any market–is really how a trend is depicted and then executed.  Women want to buy it now and wear it now, and to have trends interpreted to fit their lifestyle, age and silhouette and to have pieces that can go at least two, if not, three seasons. Check out our Neon Buddha Yin Yang Pullover in Coral–great “twist” to a trend!

So, we will be waiting with great anticipation as to what is next for plus! Plus Size Designers..listen to our customers and respond…quickly! Then all of us will benefit!

I love, love, love, the Oscars! How about you?! I was thinking about how plus size women can take advantage of the trends that we have been seeing for special occasions.

Two things to keep in mind: outrageous and elegant mixed together.

There is a nod to trends of the past, but this spring, fashion is taking a big step in what we are being told, is quite a new direction.  This season: smart and sexy looks rule when paired with sporty and delicate styles and how about in neutral tones all serve to create an elegant, barely there look.

Look for champagne, beige and all shades of grey are in!  Take a look at this grey beaded jacket from Simply Silk.

Part of the reason why this neutral color style has emerged is because there is so much print and energy in other trends this season, which suggests that neutral will also outlive these other trends. You will see bold geometric patterns and animal prints to complement and contrast with the neutral tones.

I am wondering with great anticipation! Will we see these neutrals with a hint of the outrageous this evening for the Oscars?  What will Mo’ Nique and Sandra and Meryl be wearing?
Cannot wait! More tomorrow! We will know soon!
Jodell

Weeeeeelllll.  What do ya’ know?  Turning out to be quite a year already for plus size.

Let me think.   Which one is it?

A. Good business?  B. Mea culpa (now THAT would be new) from Karl Lagerfeld after he mentioned that “These are fat mummies sitting with their bags of crisps in front of the television, saying that thin models are ugly, (and, Wait it gets better) …and that the “fashion industry supports dreams and illusions, and no one wants to see round women.”   C.  A good p.r. stunt?  D. He remembered that “round women” buy Chanel perfume.  Lots of it. E. He was hungry and in a bad mood and finally got something to eat.

The January issue of V Magazine (gotta love that magazine!) features the voluptuous burlesque star Miss Dirty Martini in a lingerie-themed photo shoot by Karl Lagerfeld for V Magazine’s Size Issue.  Wearing accessories by Chanel and Lagerfeld–along with pasties, cut-out bras, garter belts and stockings–Miss Dirty Martini looks like Coco Chanel at home in Coco’s Rue Cambon apartment.  When asked why she posed for V Magazine, Miss Dirty Martini said: “Posing on the Double C’s, modeling like my life depended on it, I thought, ‘Why not? Why can’t designers make fashion that mimics the architecture of hips and busts and then choose models that wear it perfectly?’”

Hmmm.  Well said!  And Well done, Miss. Martini! A beautiful fashion piece that captures the imagination and yes, captures even dreams and illusions.

Wait, not done yet.  Can’t resist!

Yoo hoo! Mr. Lagerfeld….Just a reminder…Nevah say Nevah!

More as it happens…Jodell

Interesting story on CNN by Breeanna Hare.

Could it be?

Is 2010 the year for plus size models to get more work and continue the trend of placing plus size models in editorial campaigns-or- is it the same old cycle that we have seen before with a burst of activity that slowly fades away to be resurrected at a later time for the cycle to start again?

I am encouraged that there has been a number of recent high fashion editorial campaigns from V Magazine, Glamour, and Germany’s Brigitte Magazines with plus size models featured along side high fashion, Size 0 models or with models who represent women of all shapes and sizes.

Will it be enough to keep the momentum moving forward?

We know that the plus size models like Crystal Renn can hold their own against their straight-sized counterparts? Now, will the fashion industry and the public allow it, no…demand that it happens?  Finally.

Hmmmn. Remains to be seen.

More as it happens. Jodell

I really love the drama of fashion photography and its ability to tell a story, don’t you?

Velvet d’Amour’s rendition of plus size fashion as an art form is a perfect example of fashion photography at its best.

In this dramatic, black and white photo spread for Plus Model Magazine, we are immediately drawn into another place and time.  We are intrigued as we get to know Islington Girl and Chole Marshall and Velvet d’Amour’s interpretation of a sexy vixen.

Once again, I am excited and encouraged to see a plus size model as the central figure in a fashion spread that captures the imagination and tells a story of not only fashion, but style.

Style is a trait that one can aspire to and have sooo much fun along the way.  Along with the images, I was inspired by a quote in the fashion spread from Edna Woolman Chase, the former editor of Vogue.

“Fashion can be bought.  Style one must possess.”

Psychologists tell us that style can be learned.  It is not an age or a size.  It is a combination of self-confidence and self knowledge–the essence of “who” you were, are, and intend to be.  Through style, we have the ability to create who we are and the part of ourselves that we wish to show the world.   Through style, we can sift through all of the clutter and find our inner self and take pride in showing the world our evolution of who we are—the work, the masterpiece, in progress.

Fashion is clothing, and simply a tool to exhibit one’s style.   Style is our universal, shared language that links us-regardless of age or size.

Here’s to dedicating the year to telling your story and creating your own unique style.

Great Work, everyone! More as it happens. Jodell

Oh, we love Crystal. She’s at it again!

You have to see this! Crystal Renn and 17 year old model, Jacquelyn Jablonski who has modeled for Calvin Klein jeans are pictured side-by-side in the next issue of V Magazine modeling outfits from Versace,          Ralph Lauren and Dolce and Gabanna.

Photographed by Terry Richardson for V Magazine, each model lends her own unique personality to the outfits.  We love this trend of using models of all shapes and sizes to represent all of us and not just the very thin or very young. Fashion, after all, does not stop at a size 4, it is for every woman who wants it.  Great work! More as it happens.

We’re talkin’ about jackets! Clean lines and tailored looks in year-round fabrics are popular trends for Fall ’09 from the boyfriend jacket to more formal occasion wear as we head into holiday ’09. Look for big collars, soft pleats, fold over and big bow accents on jackets. This cute side tie jacket from Fenini in charcoal is a perfect example of a a big-collared, bow accented jacket in a neutral color.

On the catwalk you’ll see much less traditional autumnal hues.  Colors range from richly hued, jewel tones to wearable colors that bridge the gap between beige and light grey These subtle tones set the stage for accentuating your best features in eyes, cheeks or lips.  Check out NARS lipstick in Fast Ride–A Sheer Mulberry or Mekong Eye Shadow, espresso infused color shadow with gold. Both make up items display Francois Nars’s intention for this season’s collection:  A contrast in bold and feminine and a study in strength and refinement!

Subtle neturals can be mixed and matched from season to season and can be seen in muted grey, charcoal, or muted mauve. This Jacket from Simply Silk is a perfect example of the FAll ’09 Realism Look which pairs a graphic pattern on silk to provide a feminine, urban chic look.

Subtle neutrals also set the stage for statement necklaces in shiny metallics and/or varnished ornaments providing an art deco Realism. Check out this black and white artisian glass necklace from Andrea’s Jewelry or this statement piece in copper and gold with accents of magenta, blue, and green. This plus size contour jacket in smoke from A People United is a perfect example of a jacket that can transcend seasons.

Jackets and coats in cozy fabrics and versatile tones such as this Fleece Swing Jacket from Fenini can easily go from season to season worn as an outercoat or a jacket in colder weather.

With less emphasis on one-season wearables, you will find the colors for Fall ’09 able to transcend seasons.

Contrasting with the neutral tones, you will see popular richly hued tones come in shades of purple, orange, green, red, and blue. Sparkling jewel tone colors make a bold statement in solid and printed tops and dresses. Animal print is still going strong! Accent with colorful longline gloves or animal print ankle boots such as Yves Saint Laurent’s Leopard Print Ankle boots, purses and clutches and the sky is the limit.