Plus Size Clothing Store

Posts Tagged ‘Plus Size Fashions’

This is the time of year that our finances just seem to FLY out the window. Lots of presents to buy, decorations to hang, people to visit. But it’s also a time for GREAT sales. And great sales are a wonderful opportunity to stock up on your own wardrobe needs (and wishes)!
A great wardrobe is really important on so many levels - first of all, you are your best billboard. And looking gorgeous is simply an eye-catching invitation to others. (A must if you are in business, of course!) Beautiful clothes make us feel good about ourselves and when we look beautiful, we feel good about ourselves and have a happier outlook on life. A woman who doesn’t treat herself to a fun, new article of clothing here or there is probably a woman who doesn’t take care of herself in a lot of other ways too (like free time and “me” time, to mention just two).
It’s not so hard to reprioritize yourself and fill your closets and drawers either - it just takes a little commitment. A great wardrobe can be grown in two simple ways. December and January are terrific months to “gift” yourself with just a few hundred dollars to stock up on the essentials (and the extras). If you do that twice a year (in winter and summer), you will have built a great new repertoire within a year or two. Add to this two or three new “push-the-envelope” choices in spring and fall, and you’re on your way to runway material! (Push-the-envelope choices are colors or styles you might not wear very often, but really add to your closet for those special or offbeat occasions.)
The other way to build a terrific fashion statement is to simply budget yourself in. Create a monthly allowance of say $100 to spend on YOURSELF. That is enough to at least replace things that wear out or get splattered with paint or the kids’ dinner menu! Or if that’s not easy to fit into your monthly household expenses, simply treat yourself to one great sale item a month. For most busy women, they either don’t do this often enough, or they don’t round out their wardrobe with enough off-occasion choices. For instance, business women will have a great assortment of business suits and other work clothes, but will often own only two pairs of jeans. Likewise, stay-at-home moms may find themselves frantically searching for that slinky black dress from three years ago at 7pm on New Year’s Eve. (But they’re likely to own seven pairs of black sweatpants and fifteen white T-shirts in various stages of disrepair.)
The bottom line is this: Whatever your budget, whatever your means, NOT prioritizing yourself IS mean. As a woman, you are the core of your family and you need to look great (and feel great) EVERY day. So when you make your list and check it twice, remember to be NICE to yourself and pick out a few great wardrobe choices to ring in the New Year.

Welcome to Summer 2009 ladies! Finally my favorite season is here and in full effect. No more June Gloom! Soon it will be July and it’s all sunshine from there. I figured I would start out the season by going over some plus size fashion “must have” trends for your summer wardrobe.These “must have” fashion trends are for every occasion, not just your summer vacation. They are for your everyday activities including work, rest, and play.
The Maxi: Plus size Maxi Dresses are everywhere this season and are a huge fashion trend for summer 2009. If you still think are thinking that you cannot wear a Maxi Dress, think again. With all of the different styles and pattern variations you are sure to find a Plus Size Maxi Dress that is right for your figure. Maxi dresses are the plus size woman’s best friend and work to perfectly conceal some our minor figure flaws in the most figure-flattering way. Flirty, romantic, and stylish, these dresses can be worn for every occasion this summer, from shopping with the girls to a romantic summer night out on the town. Check out the Melody Maxi Dress available in black, purple, coral, and electric blue.
Ruffles: Feminine and flirty ruffles are a definite “must have” fashion trend this season. Look for soft, romantic style blouses and dresses with accents of single to layered ruffles. If not worn right, ruffles can be bad for a plus size person because they tend to emphasize parts of our body that we do not want to call attention to. Stick to ruffles that are small and follow the trim of the garment and they will actually work to elongate your body and give you a slimmer silhouette. Ruffle trim wrap dresses are gorgeous and a perfect “must have” this season. For the perfect ruffled top option check out the Nikki Checkered Plus Size Top available in white/black check or pink/black check.
Work Wear: As divas, we must always dress to impress and dress for success. To stay trendy and cool at work on these hot summer days, opt out on the typical 3-piece suit and go for something with a little less fabric. Vests are a “must have” this season and can coordinate with virtually anything. For work pair a vest with a classic white button up shirt and pencil skirt. If you must wear a blazer to work, look for styles with one-button waist closures and narrow lapels made of all-season fabrics like rayon tweeds and light blends. Stay away from the typical black this season and go for perhaps chocolate or khaki this season. Why not be daring and go for white? In the work wear department SWAKdesigns.com has got you covered. Check out the Alicia Plus Size Shirt Dress available in a variety of classic colors or their Classic Fit Trousers in black or tan/brown.
Trendy Active Wear: Anyone who thinks plus-sized women are inactive and do nothing but sit around on their butts all day is dead wrong and should join me and my plus-sized pals for a taste of BOOTCAMP. Working out is an everyday activity for plus-sized women in an effort to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. Wearing comfy, yet attractive active wear helps boost your confidence and makes you feel good while exercising. Looking good, is feeling good. Be sure to choose your active wear wisely. Pick items that are made of breathable fabrics like cotton blends and are not too tight or bulky. Stylish tees, tanks, leggings or bike shorts are good combination’s for day to day workouts, but for pure comfort look into loosely cut plus size yoga wear in bright summer colors. For some super cute, trendy active wear styles check out the new Zen Yoga Wear Collection and the Aimee Plus Size Sweat Pants.
There you have it! Some of the “must have” plus size fashion trends for summer 2009. Please be sure to check our website often as we are adding new items to our summer collection daily. If there is a plus size fashion trend that you feel we are missing out on in our collection, please feel free to leave us a comment below. Happy Summer!

Despite the ever-present message that thin is in, most executives (and even the average Joe or Jane on the street) would definitely say that when it comes to appearances, confidence and empowerment trump dress size any day of the week. That’s why what we’re all really selling, underneath our dress slacks, silk tops and expensive blazers, is self-esteem! The package it comes in is just the icing on the cake.
But there’s a BIG but to that statement (no pun intended), and that’s this: A closet full of gorgeous outfits not only arms you for success in business and pleasure, but also creates peace of mind and the freedom to just be yourself. Why? Because quite simply, when you look good, you feel good. And while beauty is definitely an inside job, having a snazzy looking outside certainly doesn’t hurt. No matter what occasion you’re headed into, having a great, stylish ensemble that flatters your figure and coloring is a top priority.
There isn’t a person out there who hasn’t had a “bad hair” day, when everything they put on feels wrong… so what happens? Your confidence goes down the toilet. So no matter how busy you are, or what your budget is, making it your business to own cool, beautiful fashions that are just right for you is a can’t miss investment in your best asset — YOU. Imagine opening your closets and drawers and outfit after great outfit greets you. Vibrant colors and bold designs call to you from every hanger - enough that literally every day and every occasion provides you with exciting fashion choices and joie de vivre, instead of anxiety. No matter where you’re headed, you should have something great and comfortable to wear.
So what do you really have under your clothes? In the case of the well-dressed, full-figured woman, you have confidence and a fun and zesty attitude; you have peace of mind and self-worth, and you look great and feel gorgeous, even in a room full of New York models. Now that’s an investment worth making any day of the week.
And after all, why not? This is your one life, and you get to be marvelous and live it large. You get to have fun with your clothing and create a wardrobe full of great choices, from “little” black dresses to pink palazzo pants! This is your gorgeous body. Love it and celebrate it with a great collection suited just for you. And remember, sometimes it’s the little things that take your wardrobe from drab to fab - a great new purse, some animal-print shell earrings, and a lavish ivory wrap will bring your old denim jeans and v-neck to life. The bottom line is that fashion isn’t as much about how you LOOK on the outside, as how you FEEL on the inside. With any luck, what you will create over time will be a colorful and vibrant stage on which you can showcase your personal beauty, inside and out.

I cannot believe that it is already that time again. Time to transition your summer wardrobe into Fall mode. The magazines are already hitting the stands with big bold text Fall Fashion Preview, The Best of Fall Fashion, and Top 10 Trends for Fall, but are you ready? The weather outside is definitely telling me that I am not ready, how about you? Believe me, as much as I want to jump into this transition period with 2 feet and enjoy the new Fall trends I just can’t stand to put on the layers and sweat to death. So I decided to find some of the best tips and trends that are “warm weather friendly” that will ease your wardrobe through the summer to fall transition.
The transition from summer to fall can make figuring out what to wear pretty hard. We wonder if we can still wear shorts? What about tank tops? and how can we make my favorite summer skirt wearable this season? These are all logical questions during this transition period and I hope to answer some of them.
Layering is a HUGE trend for Fall so as we move into this late summer/early fall transition period the idea is to take some of your more classic summer looks and layer them with more substantial Fall pieces like light weight cardigans, sweaters, and belts. Layering is a simple way to ease into Fall mode during this time and is definitely lighter on the pocket book. Here are a few tips on how to transition some of your “fav” summer looks into new fabulous fall looks.
Let’s start with the ever so popular plus size vest and trouser summer work wear look that we have seen everywhere. For the late summer/early fall transition period try switching the vest out and adding a light weight cardigan over a classic collared shirt. Add a pair of spectator pumps and you are fall-fabulous.
For your favorite plus size summer skirt (plaid is big for fall) and blouse look, try layering the top with a light weight cardigan and some opaque tights. These pieces will instantly turn this summer look into fall. Throw in a patent leather handbag in a darker color and you are ready to go.
How about the basic plus size Khaki pant and blouse look? For this look try adding a solid color light weight v-neck sweater over the blouse and add some chunky large bangles to spice it up.
Lastly we have the “fav” plus size summer dress. With this particular look you need to layer it with a longer cardigan and add a stylish belt. Throw on some boots or some bright colored patent leather heels and you are set.
During these hard economic times we all want plus size items in our wardrobe that give us a certain amount of bang for our buck. So when shopping, always choose more classic and less trendy pieces for your wardrobe. In turn you will extend the value of your clothing and they will do double-duty and easily transition into great looks for the following season.

As women, we face some pretty tough to-do lists! We often end up on the bottom of our priority list; prioritizing everyone and everything before we “treat” ourselves to the basics of a healthy, beautiful life. (And I don’t mean the “fun” stuff, like a pedicure - I’m talking about eating healthy, looking great, and even taking a good walk or a yoga class.) But what are we to do differently? The to-do list is endless, and day after day, so many truly important things just don’t seem to happen. Free time feels more like an oxymoron than a goal. Sometimes, we are so overwhelmed that we seem to believe that even the basics (especially exercise) are luxuries to be earned only after our work is finished, the kids are tucked into bed, and the dishes are put away. (And who has any steam left to exercise by then? Not me, I’m crashed on the couch watching TV - if I’m lucky, I MIGHT fold some laundry.) Yes, all week long we drive our kids from school to soccer practice to friends, etc., etc., etc., while we literally sit behind the wheel of the car, growing our bodies bigger and bigger and becoming more and more frustrated with how we look - and more importantly, how we feel. And then we wonder, “Why don’t I have any energy?” Like everyone, my schedule is jam packed. I have a great job that takes a lot of time, plus articles to write, and oh yeah - friends, family, and somewhere in there - ME! But one thing I’ve finally learned is that I cannot write about the prioritization of self without living that way. Like my mom used to say, if it’s first priority - then simply do it first. And for me, even though I’m a curvy size 16, that means making time to acknowledge the importance of exercise - and stealing the time to do it.
The simple and encouraging reality is this: The time you invest in taking care of your body makes a difference, no matter what size your favorite pair of jeans are. Not only does it come back to you in extra years at the end of your life (exponentially, in fact), but it frees you from the many hours you would have spent being exhausted from being inactive (and overweight, as a result) - and it saves you from being distracted by a lack of confidence and feeling “less than” other women around you. You see, it doesn’t matter so much what size you are, after all - beautiful women come in ALL shapes and sizes. But it DOES matter how you prioritize yourself and what you do to stay strong. Make every-day exercise one of your TOP priorities, and you will be so much more effective in all of the things you do. You’ll also enjoy them more! And you’ll look better - even if you don’t lose a pound - your skin will have that healthy glow and your step will have a happy bounce in it again! Finally, choose to invite a friend to meet you for that 35-minute walk every morning - or that bike ride around the park twice a week. They’ll be there to help keep you accountable; and together, you’ll add to your healthy hearts - inside and out!