The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) has announced its plans to hold its annual Plus-Size Fashion Design Scholarship competition.

Students can design and submit drawings of three plus-size (Women’s 16 – 32) fashions along with a short essay (750 words or less) explaining the thought behind their design and why it is unique, along with the designer’s approach and interest in designing for the plus-size fashion industry.

This is such a positive and encouraging step  to inspire young designers to join the ranks of Diane Kennedy, Sue Halevy of Sienna Rose, Shannon Passero of Neon Buddha, and others to design for plus size fashion.

The winning submission will receive a $1,000 scholarship, to be awarded at the NAAFA Conference being held in San Francisco on August 4, 2012.

Founded in 1969, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to ending size discrimination in all of its forms. NAAFA’s goal is to help build a society in which people of every size are accepted with dignity and equality in all aspects of life. NAAFA will pursue this goal through advocacy, public education, and support.

Interested applicants must sign up and submit one PDF document that includes their three designs, proof of enrollment, and the brief essay.  The application deadline is July 1, 2012.

We’ll be watching!

Also, it’s Fashion Flash Monday! Check and see what the Glam Gals have in store today!   And, don’t forget to check out our contest with Fab Over Forty!  $200 Give-a-Way!

I love the NBC Television Show Community.  Check out Community it airs on Thursday nights at 8pm.

Maybe it is because I teach at a community college or because she is from my other adopted state, Ohio and from Cleveland, but I think Yvette Nicole Brown just lights up the screen in her portrayal of Shirley, the sassy divorcee.

I was reading an interview that Ms. Brown did with Nikeya Young, a most talented columnist for the Chicago Plus Size Fashion Examiner and did I ever agree with something Ms. Brown said in her interview about mainstream retailers and plus size fashion,

“They don’t get it. I think because the perception is that if you’re overweight, you did it to yourself so if you want to be in cute clothes, you would diet and exercise and get into cute clothes.”

There it is! There must be something wrong with us!

Oh if it was only that easy! And it is a mindset we really need to fight with our pocketbooks and opinions!

Here’s to a really smart, funny, vivacious actress in Yvette Nicole Brown! Keep on making us think!

What a great piece from Media Planet as it touts all the greatest news and info on the Curvy Evolution!

This  insert appears in USA Today’s major markets and features from the plus size woman’s perspective!   You’ll be thrilled to read the latest trends and topics of interest from plus model Emme, Plus Model Magazine Editor, Madeline Figueroa -Jones and plus size blogger, my friend, Marie Denee.

Check it out!

Also, check out Jackie from Aging Backwards as she hosts this week’s Fashion Flash!

So, happy reading!  Jodell

Very rarely do I go off topic, but having just recently turned 50, I have been paying extra special attention to women who are in their 50′s and 60′s.

And, as a plus size woman, I want to feel and look my best not only at any size but every age!

I have noticed most recently that there is evidence of women who are aging  gracefully.   As the baby boomers move through the population, I think we will see more and more positive examples what ageless, timeless beauty looks like and see examples of those who gracefully age and strive to look their best without plastic surgery.

The past three Oscar winners Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren and Sandra Bullock have shown us that age, achievement and beauty are simply stunning!   At 62, Meryl Streep was the oldest woman ever to grace the cover of a recent Vogue Magazine!

I was most impressed when I heard Model and Author Valerie Ramsay talk about how life is a series of beginnings and that you can look and feel your best at any age!

The message: Let’s get real.  Plastic surgery isn’t all that it is cracked up to be.  We can and must allow ourselves to age beautifully and we can be real, confident, involved and excited about what’s ahead!

More as it happens! Jodell

Are we ever excited to have a March Madness Contest with Fabulous After 40!

If you have not checked out this site yet, it is a must! Great fashion, beauty and style tips for women 40+! The Glam Gals give great advice, fun contests and interesting topics!

You don’t want to miss out on this truly awesome contest!

We’ll be giving away $200 to one lucky person! So sign up today!

By the way, check out Faboverfifty they are hosting the Fashion Flash for this week!

Congratulations to Kaela Humphries, the former sister-in-law of Kim K.

She is now a star in her own right! Kaela is Ford Modeling Agency’s newest Plus Size Model.    I love her photos, don’t you? What a great addition to the plus size modeling community!

Kaela made her NY Fashion week debut in February and also is appearing in CW’s show Remodeled.

This 29 year-old, blue-eyed beauty signed with the plus size division of the Ford Modeling Agency on March 5.

Kaela tweeted, ”So excited to be working with the team @fordmodels!”  ”This is going to be a great 2012! Stay tuned:)”

We are excited too! Best of Luck Kaela and for showing the world that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes!

We are so pleased to have Art of Cloth for its second season. Over the next several weeks, you will be seeing our new selections from this Art-to-wear collection!

Take a look at our interview with Rose Corrick, Owner and Head Designer of Art of Cloth.

Also, Check out this week’s Fashion Flash from Susan at Une Femme!

This season’s go-to item remains the ever popular tunic.  We are finding tunics in all sorts of lengths that begins at the shoulders and ends somewhere between the hips and ankles and patterns that range from solids with embellishment to color blocking and multi-colored such as this Mara Tunic from Art of Cloth.

Here’s David Wolfe Creative Director of Doneger Group, talking with me about how great tunics are for plus size women.

I agree! The tunic is the perfect on trend piece for the plus size woman because it conceals any figure flaws and allows her to play up the areas she wants to show off.

Just as one can rely on a wrinkle-free cream or proven beauty tips to camouflage the creases on your face, you can also feel stylish and sexy by choosing the right clothes to fit your silhouette.

It is natural to feel resentful of fashionable clothes that are only meant for Size 2 teenagers. But thankfully, designers have now come to understand the plight of plus size women and have come up with many fashionable options for the plus size silhouette.

Stores, such as Black Cat Plus, have devoted their entire existence and primarily caters to plus size figures and their fashion demands. So, don’t settle for anything less than the best because there are many fashion tricks you can use when you shop for your shapely plus size silhouette –

1. Prints – Prints help in camouflaging your figure flaws by drawing the eye away from them.  Although animal prints, such as this Animals in Color Beaded Tunic by Sienna Rose,  seem to be making a comeback, you need not restrict yourself to animal prints only.

You can try many bold prints such as this plus size Sienna Rose Flying Rose Ruffled Tunic, that makes a statement. The golden rule is to have the size of the print  in equal proportion to your body.

2. Colors – Darker colors are oxygen to plus size figures. This doesn’t mean that you will have to lead a black and white life. Know where your figure flaws lie and focus on them. If you are bottom heavy, combine a fun colored top with straight black denims.

3. Stripes – Vertical stripes, such as this Diamond Side Tunic from Comfy USA make one look slimmer and taller while horizontal stripes can have the opposite effect if the stripes are not in proportion. Play on the mystic quality of the vertical stripes and contrast the color to create a winning combination. Wear pants or a skirt that has horizontal stripes and combine them with a solid color shirt and  jacket, and you will turn many heads.

4. Skinny Jeans – Although boot cuts still remain a classic, Cigarette Denims and straight cuts are a plus size figure’s paradise. Slim fits and leggings like our Comfy USA plus size Zipper leggings, when combined with a longer top can do an excellent job in making you look slimmer. But the wash should be dark. If you are okay with your lower body, you can even combine it with a shirt; but a longer shirt would be preferred if you don’t want to draw attention to your lower torso.

With plenty of options to choose from, you will be right in style as Winter fades into the Sunset and we Spring into Action, this season!

Take that Lagerfeld! Congratulations to Plus size songstress Adele Atkins Album of the Year! Looking gorgeous in a black Armani Prive gown and landing the cover of the March Vogue, The year of Adele is continuing!

In this 60 Minutes interview with Anderson Cooper, Adele’s message to women about body image and her outlook on success is clear, “The first thing to do is be happy with yourself and appreciate your body– only then should you try to change things about yourself.” Check out Shawna K who hosts this week’s Fashion Flash!