We know that there is a demand for on-trend plus size clothing that fits well, is age appropriate,  well-made and appeals to plus size women.  Easier said than done.

I am always preaching to design students to consider designing for the plus size market.   Both the design process and the manufacturing process for plus size take special skill sets.

This issue was addressed by Brandon Wen and Laura Zwanziger, both apparel design sophomores at Cornell University, whose research revealed that plus-size women account for 28 per cent of fashion purchasing power in the U.S., but their spending only contributes to 17 per cent of sales.  The correlation: Plus size women would buy more if we could FIND More clothes that meet the above criteria: fit and stylish!

In a previous blog post, we talked about the Cornell design students having to design a Size 24 mannequin because they could not purchase one.

Photo: Lydia Hudgens Swimsuits for All

Recently, Gabi Gregg’s Fatkini sold out in just a few hours at Swimsuits For All..

We know…If it is there, we will buy it.   Anyone listening?

Here’s an interesting piece of news and how innovative today’s fashion design students are! We hope that these students take their careers into designing for plus size women once they graduate!

Apparel design students in a Product Development Class at Cornell University, wanted to create clothing for plus size women.  But first, they had to find a plus size mannequin.

As we know, there are very few “true” plus size mannequins on the market.  Most are a Size 14.  At Black Cat Plus, we are very fortunate to have one plus size mannequin who is a size 18.

Sophomores Brandon Wen and Laura Zwanziger decided to build their own plus size dress form with the help of a professor in the fiber science and apparel design.

They did not want to size up their clothes from a regular size mannequin so that the garment would fit appropriately.

Laura Zwanziger said, “A lot of the clothes for plus-size women are really just sized up from smaller proportions, which fit really strangely.  Plus-size women feel alienated from the fashion industry.”

Image: Cornell.edu

Their collection named Rubens’ Women,  features four jackets and a skirt and pants all tailored to complement the curves of larger women.

We applaud these innovative students and hope that they enter the plus size market.

Check out this week’s Fashion Flash at Prime Beauty Blog.

Jenni Runk gives an accounting to the BBC News and talks about what it was like as an adolescent growing up plus size and what she thinks of her new found popularity with her modeling career.

The H& M model who posed in a bikini and swimwear believes we should all stop obsessing about size!  She says, “I’m the quiet type who reads books, plays video games, and might be a little too obsessed with her cat.  So, suddenly having a large amount of publicity was an awkward surprise at first. I found it strange that people made such a fuss about how my body looks in a bikini, since I don’t usually give it much thought.”

She was pleased to know that others were inspired enough by a picture of her modeling in a bikini made them want to wear one, too!

A US Size 14, she began her modeling career in 2001 and wants the message clear for women of all ages and sizes: it is ok to be different.   She says, “People assume “plus” equates to fat, which in turn equates to ugly. This is completely absurd because many women who are considered plus-sized are actually in line with the American national average, or a US size 12/14 (somewhere between a UK size 14-18).”

We admire Jenni for her beauty, intelligence and for sharing her wisdom openly and honestly and wish her much success!

Fashion Flash from the Best of Everything! Check it out!

Did you know that Abercrombie & Fitch does not carry XL or XXL sizes of women’s clothing because they don’t  want overweight people wearing their brand!

Photo: Abercrombie & Fitch Facebook page

Aparently this attitude towards plus-sized women derives from CEO Mike Jeffries.  Jeffries told Salon Magazine in an interview,

“In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids,” he told the site. “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely. Those companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla. You don’t alienate anybody, but you don’t excite anybody, either,” he told Salon.

So is that acceptable? No ugly, fat or kids who are not popular need not even bother to go into the store and buy clothes?

Is that acceptable in 2013 when plus size make up almost 70% of the market?  From a major retailer?   Here’s what MSN said and I agree,

“As other brands like H&M begin using plus-size models in its campaigns and new lines, Abercrombie could be left back in 2008, when it was reportedly last relevant.”

What do you think?

Also, check out No nonsense Beauty for this week’s Fashion Flash.

Brittany Gibbons, blogger of BrittanyHerself.com,  each year, wears a bathing suit in public.  This year, however, Gibbons upped her challenge by wearing a bikini.   How great is that?  For more info, go to Good Morning America.

Photo: BrittanyHerself.com

After trying on dozens of suits, Gibbons, founder of the Curvy Girl Guide, shared two options with her readers.  The responses were immediate. Most were positive, some not so much…

What really impressed me was how she summarized her bikini search.

Brittany says, “To some this may not be beauty or strength.  To some this may be gossiped about or pitied. Maybe even labeled gross or pinned as motivation as to what not to be. ”

She adds, “To them I say get your own mountain, this one’s mine.”

Well said.    Retailers are figuring out that every woman wants to look sexy, have fun, and be in style, regardless of size.

Mainly, because women like Brittany are showing them the way!

Check out this week’s Fashion Flash from Fabulous After 40.

I have just read the Power of Style by Bobbie Thomas, Style Editor for the Today Show.

This book makes an excellent reference book and serves as a reminder for women of all shapes and sizes, that they can wear color. The key: the shade of color that you choose is important.

To determine whether you are “cool”  ”warm” or a combination, take a look at your wrist on the inside of your veins.  If they are more blue than yellow tone, that tells you, you are a cool.

Cool colors have more blues and jewel tones, like the ocean such as this Simply Silk Aqua Burnout Tunic.

Warm colors have tones more like a sunset such as this textured print kimono jacket, also from Simply Silk.

To help you determine your color palette, you can also take white and ivory scarves and see which color “pops” and makes your features stand out more.

As Bobbie says, “It is all about the power of attraction.”

To find out more info from color to body type and determining which styles look best and the proportion between your shoulders and hips, check out this excerpt from The Power of Style.

Fashion Model Saffi Karina has started the UK’s first plus size model workshop called, Curve Project London.   Karina has been able to transition in her modeling  career by embracing her more mature figure and wants to teach other women how to become models for plus size brands.  Her clients have included Speedo and Bravissimo.

Photo: Saffi Karina

Karina’s monthly class will include in-depth coaching, teaching participants with hair and makeup sessions, getting experience working with stylists, advice on photo shoots, taking runway lessons and casting tips.

Given that there is a sentiment in our culture for ‘normal’ sized women, Karina’s goal is to,” endorse a positive body image and act as a role model to young women who previously thought ‘thin’ was the only way to get a foot over the fashion threshold.”

Great idea! This looks like one woman who is taking matters into her own hands!

Check out this week’s Fashion Flash from Fab Over Fifty.

Tara Lynn (recently off of the H & M photo shoot), Candice Huffine (Nogue Germany, W Magazine) and Robyn Lawley (Australian Cosmopolitan) are featured on Vogue Italia’s June 2013 cover with Marquita Pring (Jean Paul Gaultier’s model) featured inside.  Quite the resume’s don’t you think?

Vogue Italia’s Editor-in-Chief Franca Sozzani who launched a petition against pro anorexia websites, was quoted in Fashion Trade  Magazine, Women’s Wear Daily,

“We help [plus-size women] dress fashionably. We say: It’s pointless for you to buy leggings, take this because this will look good on you. We help them choose. We don’t talk about diets because they don’t want to be on a diet, but it’s not a ghetto. Why should these women slim down? Many of the women who have a few extra kilos are especially beautiful and also more feminine.”

Enough said!!

Check out this week’s Fashion Flash from Moving Free with Mirabai.

Fashion Model Crystal Renn is looking at her future plans. With a successful ad campaigns for Jimmy Choo and most recently, Agent Provocateur, she is keeping her options open and has said that she is interested in designing a clothing line ‘with body diversity in mind’.

photo: Net-a-porter.

For her Net-a-Porter digital fashion spread, Renn wears black ensembles from Alessandra Rich, Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane, Nina Ricci, Emilio Pucci, Gucci, Giuseppe Zanotti and Stella McCartney.  She was photographed by Laura Sciacovelli.

As the former anorexic, turned-plus-size-model, Renn has been outspoken from her criticism of the fashion industry to her own personal struggles in her book, Hungry.  Her size has fluctuated and ranged from a size 0 to a size 16. However, now a size 8, Crystal  insists that she is happy with her appearance and says,  ” I don’t let my body dictate whether I’m happy or not. The goal is to go live, and worry about the rest later.”

It will be interesting to see if Crystal will really design her own line. Definitely worth a look if she does!

A Massimo plus size dress in Target was described as Manatee Grey while its regular sized counterpart was described as “Heather Gray”

Target’s explanation according to Target spokesman Joshua Thomas, “Manatee Gray” is a standard color name used across Target products, plus-size and otherwise. Unfortunately there were two teams of buyers responsible for the two dresses, meaning they each chose different color names without consulting with one another.

Target immediately addressed concerns using social media.

Really? What other items have Manatee Gray? Just wondering’?

Check out this week’s Fashion Flash from Menopause Makeover.