Been Naughty or Nice?

Plus Size Models Get Naked for Glamour Magazine

October 4, 10:28 AMNY Plus-Size Fashion ExaminerLisa Cucinotta

Source: Glamour.com

Glamour Magazine never imagined that a little belly roll would cause such a big uproar.  In their

September issue, they ran a relatively small photo of plus size model Lizzie Miller sitting nude,

to accompany a story.  Lizzie, a size 12-14, had a little stomach pooch when she sat, not

uncommon for most women.  But in the world of fashion magazines, it was shocking.  And the

reaction was swift.

Thousands of readers contacted Glamour.  Numerous articles and editorials were written on the

subject.  Lizzie and Glamour Magazine were on The Today Show, CNN and more.  The best part -

all of these people were praising the photo, Lizzie's real, non airbrushed body and the use of plus

size models in a fashion magazine -  and they were asking for more!

Lingerie And Sex Toy Sales Flop

During the good times, there were trips and spa weekends with the girls; Prada bags and fashion openings; gala events, and summers often spent separated during the week. It was easier, then, for certain wives to initiate sex and work at the orgasm thing, and a vibrator often came in handy. Intimacy, for many of these relationships, was never part of the package, and hot, easy sex that lasts needs some of that elusive spice.

Still...

Sexy Girls and Sexy Lingerie Go Well Together

Posted by Briony

Filed in Fashion & Style

July 11, 2009

"...Lingerie looks best when hugging the curves of gals with boobs and bums, (too bad so sad skinny-minnies) both of which were on display at the French lingerie showcas..."

Sexy LingerieThe lines represented at the show included all my favourite French brands, including Lejaby, Empreinte, Simone Perele, Passionata, and Chantelle underthings, as well as Elixir and Gerbe.

Sexy Models Chantelle rounded out the showcase with its trademark elaborate designs, which included a navy and seafoam ombre piece embroidered with subtle sequins.

Gorgeous lingerie, gorgeous girls--not a bad way to spend a Wednesday night.

Leave it to the Brits.

Among other topics in a lengthy and comprehensive survey, an online used-car seller asked drivers about their underwear. And the drivers responded in remarkable detail, revealing some interesting (and disturbing) facts about what's under those track suits.

Online used-car vendor Carmony.co.uk studied British drivers' attitudes and habits. The survey covered typical topics--knowledge of cars, driving habits, and the like--and a few you wouldn't find on, say, the JD Power Initial Quality Survey. Like, errrr, underwear.

According to the study, 27 percent of women BMW drivers (as well as 22 percent of women over 45) routinely wear what was described as 'sexy lingerie'.

The study's less titillating topics showed that British women are almost as knowledgeable about cars as the menfolk, with 57 percent of the ladies able to distinguish a coupe from a hatchback, fairly close to the almost two-thirds of men who got it right.

Of those male BMW drivers, by the way, 8 percent go commando--and we're fine with that. We've been known to do that a time or two ourselves.

It was those same men, though, who generated the most disturbing statistic. Is Munich aware of this?

Fully 5 percent of British male BMW drivers wear...a thong. Oh dear.

There's got to be a Brüno joke in there. Somewhere.

BMW with model, by Flickr user BenediktSebastian

IGIGI, This wonderful site is out of San Francisco, California.

'I have had a wonderful time viewing her designs. I do believe that there is not one piece that I would not enjoy wearing. They are vibrant, carefree, sexy and feel ?good? type of clothing.

Yuliya?s design to cater to size 12-32.

What is IGIGI? This is a direct quote from their website, ?IGIGI is the premiere brand of contemporary collections designed to

fulfill the lifestyle of the beautiful, voluptuous, and confident woman. Named after an ancient goddess embodying vitality,

charm, and intelligence, IGIGI strives to provide women of curves with smart, stylish and sophisticated collections that

accentuate and celebrate their bodies.

IGIGI wants to make women look and feel sensational. Our goal is to inspire the full-figured woman to love, respect and

treasure herself by accepting her body and learning to dress it for a fabulous look and an incredible inner feeling. We employ

innovative techniques that create a great fit for the individual shape leading to a visually appeasing appearance. We provide

the tools through myshape section to educate our customers about their individual body shape and tricks of the trade to dress

it for the ultimate flattery.

by Dr. Robyn

Photo Retouching: Take another little piece of my…

Dr. Robyn Silverman

Retouching by J. Pimentel

As we continue to discuss, photo retouching is the norm in a society that values flawlessness.  Even though they’re muttering “be yourself” out of one side of their mouths, they are ready with digital diet pills in the other.  Who wants “normal” when you can have perfect or so called perfection in the form of rail thin stick figure with itty bitty...?

I asked one of my good friends, who is a graphic designer as well as a beautiful vivacious plus size woman, to take us through the process of what professionals are asked to do when pairing down models to the “perfect size.”

(1) What specific areas of the picture did you concentrate on– can you talk us through it a bit?

    Let me first point out that the original picture was taken and produced by a professional photographer. In all likeliness it already had been significantly modified before I even touched it. Notice that there are no blemishes, cellulite or folds in here skin whatsoever. As a result, there was virtually nothing done to her bust and face at all. I contoured her jaw line a little but this was a relatively minor adjustment.

    Most of the edits were done on her body, in particular the waist, arms and hips. These parts were edited to look much slimmer than they actually are. It would be the real-life equivalent of taking 8? off her waist and 2-3? off each arm. The hips were contoured as well, smoothing out the line between where her skin ends and the bathing suit begins. Shadows and highlights were added to imitate how light would cast off and on her body if it were to have appeared that way naturally.

(2) Would the retouched version still be considered “plus size?”

    Plus sized models, also referred to as Woman models, run generally from sizes 12-18. Depending on the agency a size 10 may also marketed as plus size. Crazy right? Ironically, the modified version of this picture would likely edit her right out of both categories; too small to be a woman model, too big to be a misses model.

(3) Would the un-retouched picture ever make it to print without being downsized to the revised version?

    In this case yes but only because this person is being marketed as a plus size/ woman model and the picture had already been modified. A regular misses layout would use a models size 0-4. In fashion and retail, very infrequently is there ever a picture that is taken and put into print without modification of some sort. This is most evident on the cover shots of magazines and other publications. The changes I made to this picture are dramatic. She essentially went from a size 16 to a size 6/8. If a designer had to make this many changes to a photograph they would just hire another model.

(4) What are some insider bits you can tell us about what you do?

    As a designer we are trained to look for even the slightest flaw and correct it. The digitalization of the industry (move from photographs to digital images) has afforded us the ability to modify EVERY ASPECT of a picture. The most insidious edits are the subtle ones, the ones that imply flawlessness. They are the most believable and therefore the most unrealistic and damaging in my opinion. The better people like me get at our jobs, the more desensitized the observer becomes to how unrealistic the images really are.

So much for positive body image…Give me a BBW Empress any day

The Swimsuit Shopping Guide: 3 Tips for Every Body Type

Prepare to be a beach bombshell: From tummy-trimming wonders to lift-em-up champs, these genius style tricks and super flattering suits will turn even the most swimsuit-wary gal into a certified sun goddess.

Glamour

Before and after: Swimsuits that slim hips

Photo: Dan Hallman (Original Article)

"Find me a suit that Fits."

Shakira Chin, 30, is a size 8 on top and a 12 on bottom and her BEFORE suit wasn't flattering anything.  The boy shorts cut across her hips and emphasized them; the string top made  her shoulders seem more narrow. To the rescue? Separates in two different sizes! The higher-cut briefs of her AFTER suit minimize her hips (WHY?!?!? oops my commentary, Nothing wrong with her hips in my eyes, I digress...) while the hite-edged halter draws attention up. Voila, Shakira's balanced. '...I look and feel amazing,...' she says.

The Dos & Don?ts of slimming hips

Don't go wild on bottom.

The less going on there, well, the less going on there!

Do bring focus up

with a top in a lighter color, or with fun details or a pretty pattern.

Do go for a fairly high-cut bottom

to create the illusion of longer, leaner legs.

Do you prefer voluptuous/BBW or slim/skinny women? Let me place my unequivocal vote for the Voluptuos/BBW Empress out there.

Ms. Marilynn M was once a size 16 but usually a 12. She's revered as one of the most beautiful woman. A size L in the 50's is now a Medium.. Woman have been misled, made to think they are fat and feel horrible about themselves because they're lives revolved around numbers. The scale!?!?! Size 6 is considered a plus size model.

This is Americas Next Top model winner..FYI Perfection IMHO

She was the only PLUS SIZE model to win... she's a size 14... is she fat? If you think she is i don't want to know you...nevetheless I digress

Here is an example of the alternative SO CALLED definition of beauty fashion...Somebody get this lady a sandwich ASAP

Power of Plus &The Art of Curves Fashion Show

(PR.com) -- New York City is all about fashion. With the industry's top designers showcasing their spring collections on the catwalks in Bryant Park and other choice venues throughout the city, everyone gets fashion fever. Bigger & Better Thangs (BBT) Entertainment and HSS&A, Inc. are bringing the hype to the "curvier" community with the first annual The Art of Curves plus-size fashion show.

"The Art of Curves, is not just a fashion show, it's a movement," said Blacque Southerland, CEO of HSS&A, Inc. "It's will show the world that plus-size fashion is not just one dimensional."

The Art of Curves will be showcasing some of the plus community's top designers including: Svoboda, Trentacosta, House of Sir Charles, Sue Rock Originals, and BGU.

In the wake of the last year's ban of "skinny" models on the runway, this event is garnering a lot of interest.

The Question

How do I find the perfect bra?

By Nina Garin (Contact) Union-Tribune Staff Writer

2:00 a.m. April 25, 2009

Yes, yes, by now we all know we're wearing the wrong bra size.

?We wear our bra for more than 12 hours a day,? Nethero said. ?So a good bra is an extremely important issue for women.?

What's the big deal with fit, anyway?

Well, for starters, Nethero said wearing the right bra can make you look both thinner and taller.

But there's also the issue of breast tissue. Nethero believes a bad bra can cause the tissue to sag or lose firmness, and that can lead to long-term damage.

?The weight of a breast can pull on your neck, diminish blood flow to your head and even cause headaches,? she said. ?With a good bra, you're supporting that weight and taking the stress off the rest of your body.?

What happens during a fitting?

Be prepared to be topless for a good half-hour.

It might be a bit awkward, but Nethero said her employees go to a two-week ?bra school? and they've seen just about everything.

But they don't rely on a measuring tape. ?Measuring tapes give you a number,? Nethero said. ?But not volume.?

The Intimacy fitters assess how your current bra fits, adjusting the straps and checking the cup, to determine what size you should be wearing. Be ready to try on close to a dozen bras.

What makes a bra fit well?

The band is most important, as Nethero said it provides 90 percent of the support. ?It should be firm, yet comfortable,? she said.

Cup size comes second. Breasts should neither spill over nor have room.

The bra needs to be comfortable, and that means no straps that slip or bands that ride up.

Without a fitting, it's common for women to mistake loose bands as a better fit, so while you think you're a 36C, you may actually be a 34D.

Am I too big to wear fancy bras?

Frilly, pretty bras may be hard to find at places like Victoria's Secret if you're larger than a C cup.

With the proper fit, women over a size D can still wear sexier styles like lace or a more revealing demi-cup.

Is it worth the money?

One thing about a nice bra is it costs money ? anywhere from $60 to $120 for just one.

It's a big investment, but it's arguably the most important article of clothing you wear. A bra affects how clothes fit and can affect how you feel.

How do I care for my new bra?

You can wash it in the gentle cycle as long as the bra is in a netted bag, so that underwires don't twist and the back doesn't pull or stretch.

But Nethero recommends hand-washing with cool water and a sensitive soap.

Never, never put a bra in the dryer, because the heat ruins the elastic. Hang dry.

It's a good idea to buy two or three and then alternate them throughout the week to minimize wear and tear.

In a society where skinny girls reign supreme in the media, it can be very difficult to feel good about your body if you are not as thin as a coat rack.

Fashion's Invisible Woman

The average American woman is size 14. Why is the fashion industry still pretending she doesn't exist?

By Emili Vesilind

March 1, 2009

When it comes to shopping, the average American man has it made. At 189.8 pounds and a size 44 regular jacket, Department stores, mall retailers and designer boutiques all cater to his physique -- even when it's saddled with love handles, a sagging chest or a moderate paunch. In menswear, shlubby is accommodated.

But the average U.S. woman, who's 162.9 pounds and wears a size 14, is treated like an anomaly by apparel brands and retailers -- who seem to assume that no one over size 10 follows fashion's capricious trends.

That leaves style-loving full-figured women with a clutch of plus-size chains -- though most of its selection consists of basic, often matronly items. Beyond this, plus-size clothing is largely relegated to the Internet, where customers who already have a complicated relationship with clothes are unable to see, touch or try on merchandise.

It often seems that it's easier to find and buy stylish clothes for Chihuahuas than for roughly half the country's female population.

Americans are getting larger, and 62% of females are already categorized as overweight. But the relationship between the fashion industry and fuller-figure women is at a standoff, marked by suspicion, prejudice and low expectations on both sides. The fear of fat is so ingrained in designers and retailers that even among those who've successfully tapped the market, talking plus-size often feels taboo. The fraught relationship between fashion and plus-size is far from new, but seems particularly confounding in a time when retailers are pulling out all the stops to bring in business. Carrying a range of sizes that includes the average female would seem like a good place to start.

"Plus-size has been a challenge for the industry for decades,"? "When I interview plus-size women, there's really nothing [in the market] that the consumer says they like. Because of this, women in this demographic have learned to make fashion not a priority." The longing for style is strong, but the hopes of finding it are low, and shopping is less fun than frustrating.
 
"Are all big girls supposed to dress like Midwestern farm wives?" asks one reader. "We have money -- why don't they want to sell to us?"

Another adds, "I don't want any more polyester, hip-hop gear, frumpy jeans and themed capris! I want the designers not to assume that I am a frumpy 55-year-old, middle-management employee. . . . Is anyone listening to us?"

Many designers realize this and create some of the sexiest bras and panties anywhere for plus-size women. So are you wondering where to buy plus size designs.