Sparkles Sparkles Everywhere

You may have noticed that one of the most ubiquitous trends for this holiday season is sparkles. Sequins, glitter, and shiny paillettes are everywhere to be found, and fortunately, this is a trend that even us fat girls can take advantage of. Sparkles are a great option because they allow you to add a bit of pizazz to your wardrobe and give an outfit instant going out cred without having to show too much skin.

The best way to take advantage of this trend is to buy a short sleeved or sleeveless blouse and top it with a jacket or cardigan. Paired with dark denim and boots, you'll be ready for a night out on the town. Fortunately, there are many options for us larger ladies.






















Sequin Knit Top
$49.50 at Lane Bryant




















Burgundy Lace Top
$34.00 at Torrid






















Embellished Knit Top
$39.50 at Lane Bryant

If you're not quite ready to purchase sparkly apparel, test the waters with accessories - always the best way to approach a trend you aren't sure about. This sequin scarf from LOFT is sure to turn heads:

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland

Well, it's not exactly winter - yet - but it is time to start thinking about outerwear. Because of the breakneck pace of fashion retail, winter apparel has already been delivered to many stores, and buying early will assure that your size and color choices are still available.

When it comes to winter fashion, I tend to go for more neutral pieces (blacks, browns, greys, and navys), and dress them up with colorful and textured accessories such as scarves, gloves, and hats. The great thing about cold weather accessories, of course, is that they're pretty gosh darn close to one-size-fits-all; coats, on the other hand, can be a bit more tricky.

Surprisingly, Land's End has a fabulous collection of not only generously sized, but cute, outerwear.

Below, a few of my favorites, all available in multiple colors:

Dressing for Success: Fall/Winter Edition

When the leaves fall and the weather turns cold, and after I've recovered from my end-of-summer depression, I pull my winter wardrobe standby out of my closet. Dresses and tights are what I will live in for the next 5 months.

Chubby women tend to stay away from dresses for a variety of reasons, many of which are rectified by adding a pair of tights to the ensemble. Tights not only squeeze flabby hips, thighs, and love handles, they also make legs look slimmer, especially when they are black. Tights that are high-waisted will also eliminate lines caused by a bra working overtime.

Another great thing about the dress and tight combination is that it is so versatile. You can bring a dress and tight outfit from day to evening by adding some jewelry, a pair of heels, and dark eye shadow. Sweater dresses are perfect for a more casual look, for Fridays at work or the weekend.

A few tips for making this look work:

1. Tights are not a place so be stingy. Don't hesitate to spend a decent amount of money for a really great pair of tights that are high quality and will last longer than one wearing.
2. Tights MUST be opaque. Seeing skin will ruin the whole effect. That's why I always tend to size up when purchasing a new pair.
3. Look for a pair with a control top. Trust me, your mirror will thank you.
4. Before walking out of the house, do a few laps around your bedroom and make sure the dress does not ride up. Certain fabrics, such as denim, cause friction against the fabric of the tights, which can lead to some embarrassing situations.
5. Make sure your dress is completely free of your tights when you come out of the bathroom!

My preferred brand is Spanx (you can find plus size options at Lane Bryant, among other locations), but that is not by any means your only choice.

Coming soon: dresses options!

Playtex Bra Sale

Stand in front of a mirror and look slightly down. Now turn to the side and examine your profile in the mirror. Chances are, your "girls", as they refer to them on "What Not To Wear", aren't standing as perky and at attention as you would like. Many plus size women have large breasts, and finding a bra that can give enough support is often difficult.

Just My Size's playtex bras are on sale for only $13.99 per item. That's a price that can't be beat - check it out online and stock up!

Monique's "Fabulous And Thick" Jeans

Comedian Monique has recently come out with her own line of clothing. The collection features three styles of jeans, among other products for the larger ladies. My personal favorite - "Skinny Women are Evil" for $12.99. I saw Monique on the Mike and Juliet Show recently and she was hysterical! She made it clear that her jeans are different because there is no largest size - whether you're a 24 or a 50, Monique will be able to accommodate you. Check it out at onemonique.com.

F*ck Me Boots for the Larger Calf

I love boots. Absolutely love them. However, I'm hardly ever able to buy a pair that goes higher than my upper ankle because regular boots will not fit over my calves. I've searched high and low for cute, larger-calf boots and have had little luck until recently. I stumbled upon torrid.com's shoe selection and was pleasantly surprised by their selection of boots. I've inserted some of my favorites here - but go to the site to check more out.

Where's your favorite place to shop for boots? Share the wealth!

Lounge Around in Comfort and Style

I'm a big peeved right now at Old Navy for selling plus size clothing "exclusively online" - i.e., NO LONGER SELLING PLUS CLOTHING IN STORES, a big no no in my book.

However, Oldnavy.com is still a great place to stock up on basics. Most of Olf Navy's clothing is cheap and poorly made, but occasionally you come across a great, cheap find that is worth the money even if it only lasts a few months.

I found some great lounge shorts in cute styles on the old navy website. For only $14.50 a pop, they're a steal!

Great Summer Dress from Lane Bryant

Dresses are a great way to keep from overheating in the summer. The great famous LBD (little black dress) is a perfect thing to add to your summer wardrobe, because you have the flexibility to dress it up with heels and silver jewelry for night time, or flip flops and fashion jewelry during the day. Lane Bryant recently added a great black dress to their online site - the dress will flatter most body types with its scoop neck, cap sleeves, and empire waist, emphasizing the smallest part of your body. The skirt then flows away from the body, making it a great way to camouflage large hips and butt. Click on the image to buy Lane Bryant's LBD for only $49.50!

Burgundy: The New Neutral

Burgundy is a color that is often overlooked in the fashion industry, put aside by whites, blacks, and beiges. These colors are great because they are neutral and can be paired with almost anything. Burgundy should be in this same class of colors because it goes well with every outfit, while adding some color at the same time. It seems that designers are finally catching on, making more products available in gorgeous shades of burgundy. Wear a burgundy handbag with jeans and a top, or pair it with a black suit to add some funk to your outfit. The great thing about this color is that you can wear it all the time! Jump on this versatile bandwagon and add a little pizazz to your wardrobe.

Check at this Marc by Marc Jacobs satchel at Neiman Marcus for a great addition to your style.

Nordstrom Launches Rachel Pally Plus Size Line

Nordstrom and Rachel Pally are teaming up to launch an exclusive plus-size collection designed by Pally. The collection will be comprised of 18 styles, ranging from dresses to trousers, and will come in sizes 14 through 20. See the full story below as published in WWD, as well as pictures of some of the available styles:

LOS ANGELES - Rachel Pally, the Southern California contemporary designer who believes that well-cut jersey flatters all women, is teaming with Nordstrom to launch a plus-size line filled with Empire-waist dresses, wide-leg trousers and her other signature looks for the fall.

Wholesaling from $26 for an obi sash to $120 for an ankle-skimming dress inspired by a caftan, the 18 styles made of Modal-spandex jersey in the plus-size line, Rachel Pally White Label, will run from size 14 to 20. The collection will include rich, saturated colors like teal and paprika, as well as abstract prints such as a climbing vine.

The only difference between the regular and plus-size groupings is where they will be sold, Pally said. At Nordstrom, the core line is stocked in contemporary-devoted Savvy department, and White Label will be carried in the plus-size-focused Encore, where brands such as Michael Kors and Calvin Klein are sold next to Nordstrom's private labels, Semantiks and Caslon.

Nordstrom will have a six-month exclusive for White Label starting in July. Pally said wider distribution to other stores will start in January for the spring 2008 collection.

"The women who shop plus size and need to shop plus size don't want to think that they have special things made for them," Pally said. "They can look across the store and see the same things in [ Nordstrom's] Savvy and Encore."

The plus-size line is the latest category that Pally, 26, is introducing for her four-year-old company based here. She will venture into cashmere this fall with swingy turtlenecks and minidresses with bat-wing sleeves. Palley plans to offer silk charmeuse for holiday and voile for next spring, and next summer unveil swimwear that will evoke clean, unlined suits by Eres.

Declining to provide sales forecasts for White Label, Pally said the plus-size market is "a segment of the industry that is totally ignored and there is plenty of money to make."

The plus-size market is also moving toward a fashion-forward direction. This marks the first time that Nordstrom will extend a line sold in Savvy to Encore, said Ana Swaab, a vice president who oversees those fashion departments, among others, at the Seattle-based retailer.

"I just think Rachel Pally's styling is so trend-right and so perfect," Swaab said. "As Rachel evolves her line and we evolve our [Encore] department, it's a nice partnership for us to offer our customer."

Great Find: New York and Company

Don't be fooled - you can still fit into clothing items at some "regular size people" stores if the clothing is generously proportioned. One of those stores is New York & Company, previously called Lerner New York. I had the distinct pleasure of walking into the store last weekend and leaving with several great tops for work that not only were fashionable and fit great, but made me feel great too. And I got some flattering compliments at work this week after wearing my purchases! The XL size is cut large enough that it will fit many fat women (possibly up to size 22), depending on your body shape. NY&C has great outfits for work and the prices are fantastic, so stop by and stock up. I recently purchased the fairview collection wrap (pictured in the posting below) in multiple colors. I've posted images of some of my favorite items from the NY&C website. They're finally selling apparel online (what took them so long?!), but a visit to the store is certainly worth a look as well! Also, their pants go up to size 18, so that may work for some of you.

Another one of my favorite NY&C finds is the bodyshaper. It's essentially a built-in bra tank top made out of nylon and spandex that fits thisclose to the body and sucks in some of your not so flattering parts. The bodyshaper comes in a variety of colors and sizes - definitely check them out!

Now, I certainly don't like that all their apparel items are displayed on such tiny models, but that's a posting for another day.

Lane Bryant Finally Gets It Right With New Denim Program

Trendy denim has never been easy for fat girls to find. Unfortunately, fashionable companies like Seven, Theory, and Diesel have decided not to make clothes for anyone who wears a size in the double digits. Lane Bryant has taken a step in the right direction by introducing their RIGHT FIT program, which consists of three different jean shapes: straight (yellow), moderately curvy (red), and curvy (blue).

Not only that, but sizes are on a scale of 1 - 8. Forget those high teens and twenties! Jeans come in a variety of styles, colors, and lengths, so you will definitely be able to find some denim that fits you well and makes your butt look hot.

For more information go to the RIGHT FIT homepage.

For more on plus size denim, see this month's issue of Glamour magazine, which has a special section entitled "Sexiest Jeans for Your Shape: Great Finds Endorsed by Real Women Sizes 0-26". Want a preview? Check out this video on Glamour's website that gives tips on how to wear flattering jeans.