Fashion: The Affordable Plus Size Market Continues to Miss the Point

There are always stories that you know will go bad just by how they started. You can tell by the tone or even a common beginning. My stories that start with, "so I went to rainbow", will almost always end badly. This is one of those stories. 

This was an unexpected journey to the local Rainbow of Hyland Plaza in Staten Island. Now, lets be honest, we can't expect the creme-de-la-creme from a store like Rainbow. What I expect Is affordable, on trend, fashionable pieces, that fit well in my wardrobe and can be mixed and maxed with higher end garments. Simple request really. Now one of the hottest staples for the summer and fall 2014 season is harem pants. Love them or hate them they are everywhere! So logically, a trendy store which focuses mainly on younger shoppers would have these pants. Not so. 

After much questioning I was told that harem pants only came in juniors, not plus size. They also only received a limited stock when they did have them available. Why would they send a limited stock of such a hot item? In the straight section there was a plethora of options, but what were plus size women left with, well, lets see. 

Tapered, plaid pants, with elastic waist band, in sweatpants material,  with pockets. I was hopping these could translate as hip or edgy, but honestly I've seen better designs for plaid this season in the form of thicker leggings, pants, and skirts. The 90s revival is still going strong but these pants are a cross between a sweatpant, jogger, and legging. In my style opinion these are just trying too hard to be too many different styles. They have an identity confusion and I'm a little too secure in my style for these confused pants. Shopping shouldn't feel like a bad date. 

Now this jacket looks cute. I won't deny that, however it's long cut hides any, and I mean any, indication that you have a body (waist, etc)  What do I mean by this? It's so long that it makes even the curviest girl look boxy. A 3x looks more like a 1x and the cut all over is hard to make feminine. I'm all about denim and denim pairing, but shape and structure is a big deal for the plus size woman and this can come across too masculine shaped. 

I saved the best for last. For the low, low price of 22$ you can get this orange jumpsuit and look like you just escaped prison. Love Orange is the New Black? Well for you it now can be! I love a good bright garment, I love jumpsuits, I love orange, I don't like clothes that were inspired by Rikers Island. 

I'm a firm believer that even the funkiest trends and odd cuts can work, if they are paired right, but with the cuts shown here, I'm left feeling uninspired. I think had the plaid pants went in one direction and the denim jacket been just a little less boxy, and the jumpsuit a little less jail-y these pieces would be flying off the rack. Instead, they sit there while the plus size section grows smaller and smaller due to lack of sales. Perhaps, retailers should take into consideration that their clients, whom they assume eat too much fatty foods and watch tv all day, might be exposed to some fashion knowledge. The plus size fashion world needs a little less shirts with words on it, more stocking of popular items, more focus and attention to detail, and to turn the Netflix off. 

My advice? Pay attention to the cut and not the trend. If Its really trending, you'll find the perfect fit for you in other places. Shop around before committing. If you love a piece, go for it.

The Maxi Dress: Transfer the Classic Summer Look to Fall

What fashion trend epitomizes summer style? I'm sure there are various answers but one we can't disagree with is the maxi dress. Flowing, airy, versatile, simple, and sexy, it can do no wrong if you find one that is perfect for you. 

Shopping for a maxi dress can sometimes be like shopping for a car in that there are so many questions to be asked. What colors does it come in? Is this brand reliable? How many miles (wears) will I get out of this dress before it falls apart? Is it a good fit for me? With so many styles to choose from, I assure you there is one for you so don't settle. With all that being said it'sJuly and fall styles will creep up on us faster and faster until we blink and it's Labor Day. The maxi dress will be on sale and be pushed out to make room for mixed knits, leathers, and darker prints for fall. If you love a great sale, absolutely stock up! The bigger question is how do you take a summer favorite and make it work for fall? I'm here to answer that burning question. 

First, let me share with you what I wore today:

I picked this outfit because it just came in the mail and I just had to put it on. Truth is, this 85 degrees weather did not require that blazer. Blazers are one of the best ways to take a maxi dress from summer to fall. You can probably already find fall blazers available or may even have one in your closet from last season. A blazer is a great investment since it can add a classy touch to nearly any outfit you add it to. Adding it to a maxi dress takes it from the beach to the office, wedding, event, or any other more formal settings. The long sleeves will keep you warm on cooler days/nights but can still be taken off for one last impromptu trip to dip your toes in the sand. Roll up the sleeves to 3/4 for a more casual look. I personally love this high back blazer since it keeps the shape of the dress obvious without making it look boxy. 

Dress- www.forever21.com

Blazer- www.forever21.com

Belt- www.rainbowshops.com

Necklace- www.bezelbox.com

Sunglasses- www.forever21.com

Shoes- www.lanebryant.com

Other ways to turn your maxi dress into a fall outfit try putting a sweater over the top to give the illusion of a maxi skirt. If it gets very cold, a pair of leggings keep the legs warm without anyone being the wiser. If a blazer isn't your style you could always opt for a shrug or even a long sleeve tee. Choosing maxi dresses with bold primary colors or black are easiest to transfer over to fall, but geo prints, animal prints, even some pastels will transfer over as well. 

An outfit like this may only require a cardigan or long sleeve crop top (try a new trend without stepping out of your comfort zone!) to go from summer to fall. A feather accented hat is seasonally universal. 

Dress- www.forever21.com

Necklace- www.gstagelove.com

Hat- www.forever21.com

Fall 2014 is set to see lots of 90s inspired grunge looks, sheer looks, continued trend of geo prints, even some 60s neon and pastel pieces are expected. Keep this all in mind before you shove all your summer clothes in that space saver bag and banish it to the back of the closet! You may just get more use out of your summer clothes and maxi dresses, through layering, than you expected. 

Plus Size Clothes: Now Washable

It doesn't take an expert to realize that plus size clothing isn't exactly made out of the best material. Polyesters, Rayon, spandex, Lurex, even plastics compose many of the trendy and contemporary brands. You can often feel the quality when you touch the fabrics, you don't even need to wear it to understand its value. So, we wear over priced, lower quality fabric clothes, and we accept it.

Companies know we have to buy clothes, we want to buy clothes, and just like with straight sizes, or really any consumer good, there are always newer and better gimmicks. The most recent one I've seen was on a label of a shirt I purchased from Www.moddeals.com, a website which features affordable and stylish clothes for a great discount. The label clearly said it was washable. 

Why does my article of clothing have to let me know that it's washable? Could there possibly be an existence of clothes that can't be washed? Lets be realistic for a moment. All these synthetic materials don't exactly breath like cotton. We are talking about sweat and body odor build up no matter what we wear. I hate to be the barer of bad news but, you should read some of your clothing labels sometime. You might discover something like this....

Excuse me? First, lets google what Polyurethane is. 

Oh, so its something I can find at the Home Depot to make my floors shiny again or protect a coat of paint. I wonder what genius in the plus size industry thought it would be ok to treat our garments like a home improvement project. 

Since most plus size clothing is bought online, you cant always directly feel the fabrics. Ladies, you need to be very cautious when you buy online. Read what the garment is made out of before you purchase. Often, the composition of the fabric is in a separate, often hidden drop down menu. If you can't find it, contact the company.  If you are in store, read the labels as well, don't walk out of the store with a piece of clothing that will be difficult to maintain. It's one thing to buy a dry clean only item, it's a whole other to buy a wipe down only item.

Be cautious, read labels, and if you see something that says "I'm washable" in store, complain to the manager, that's never an acceptable selling point.