Snow is falling... all around me....

Well I've woken up this morning and a white blanket adorns my street. It looks like its here for the duration too... the snow is fabulous, if you haven't got to go anywhere.  Spending your time making snowmen, having snowballs fights and making snow angels. If like me you can't even stand in the snow much less walk, your footwear is an essential thought before leaving the house. 


Last year I lived in my UGG style boots (it didn't help that I was pregnant at the time too). Although these boots are absolutely useless in the snow, your feet end up soggy and cold and wet. The best option I find is to wear some fab, funky wellies and wellie socks to warm your tootsies.

Wedge Welly Curve Range

Wedge Welly have an absolutely lush range of wider fitting wellies for us plus size ladies. They are fashion savvy  and practical all at the same time.... what more could a girl ask for!! They also have a little bit of a wedge to make you feel less frumpy plodding around in the snow!

 Hunter Lace Originals

Hunter Lace Metallics

These lace up Hunter wellies are another brilliantly stylish way of getting wellies for plus size winter fashion. You don't have to try and pull them up your legs and the laces give you a little more room. They are also bang on trend with this seasons military style.

Hunter also do a range of welly socks which, while they are a little pricier than any other socks look stunning teamed with a pair of funky wellies. I found this gorgeous pair on ASOS, they also hold numerous other varietys of these.

Hunter Leopard Print Wellie Socks

I have also found this wonderful site for socks... MySocks.co.uk who have a tremendous range of over the knee socks which also look great with wellies. (I myself can't wear a pair of wellies without them). They are as cheap as chips too... from only £4.95 per pair!

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As you can see from this very cold and blustery picture of me paddling in the sea last Autumn, I like to wear the over the knee socks, rolled down over the wellies. Its a good way of keeping the warmth in ;-)

Along with these socks and wellies, you'll also need a some other winter warmer accessories.

 Dorothy Perkins and Evans both have wonderful range of winter accessories, including hats, scarves and gloves. So what are you waiting for?? Get warmed up!!!! 

Evans

Dorothy Perkins

Lots of love

Donna

xxx

Xmas time?? Stress time??

Well its official, Christmas is here..... I've seen the coca cola advert on TV!! So its time for fun and frolics, lots of parties / nights out and filling your face with lots and lots of things so very wrong but so very right all at the same time.
Although, with these fabulous reasons to have a smile on your face, getting outfits for all of these parties can be a stressful time, especially for us curvalicious beauties.


We all want to look fabulous, especially at Xmas. If you are anything like me you also have to have a 'Xmas day outfit', I really don't know why, as I only veg out in front of the TV after eating possibly the biggest dinner ever, but I need one all the same. Every year I plan shopping trips with my friends to find these 'oh so special' outfits. Every year I come back with nothing and every year I stress myself out over it.


I need fabulous outfits for those numerous works nights out (mine and other peoples), I need something for those nights where I'm out with my friends, Xmas day........... and don't even get me started on New Year! God forbid I would wear the same outfit for any of these occasions, unless of course I'm in a different town or city than previously worn ;-)


There are lots of fantastic online offers around at this time of year for Plus Size fashion, and some gorgeous clothes too, but just once I would love to be able to go shopping for an outfit and be able to try it on to see what it looks like before I spend my hard earned cash. I can't speak for the major cities in the UK, but here in Stoke we have hardly any high street retailers who cater for the plus sizes. There is the token Evans Clothing shop, New Look have their Inspire range and that is about it really. To be fair I never really go into Evans as I don't feel there is anything in there to suit me and my style. I feel its is all a bit too 'old' for me. As for the Inspire range, unless you like living in jeans and tshirts there's nothing really in there for you. Like I said it could be different in stores in the larger cities, but not everyone lives in the big smoke.


There has been the odd occasion that I have found something in Dorothy Perkins or Primark, but these are not regular occurrences. There needs to be more 'affordable' plus size fashion out on the high street for us ladies who like to shop. In the meantime I'll have to look for my fabulous Xmas outfits online. If you have any suggestions of high street shops selling affordable, fashionable clothing please let me know.


lots of love

Donna
xxx

Curvalicious Fashions Midweek Recommendations

Evans have a fab new online Xmas Catalogue... check it out!!!

Click here to view Evans new 2010 Xmas Catalogue

Take a peek at Plus Model Magazine the premiere virtual magazine celebrating the plus size fashion, beauty and plus size modeling industries, inspires YOU to thrive in your curves, crave contemporary fashion and design your life on your own terms, no apologies. PLUS Model Magazine brings aspiring and professional plus size models the information and resources needed to have a successful plus size modeling career. And for fashion conscious women with curves, they also report on the best beauty tips as well as plus size clothing companies and designers styling for today's modern plus size women.

Plus Model Magazine

Curvalicious Fashion got a fab funky new logo designed and produced by Caldesigns.

Evans tell us how to stay cosy yet stylish with their winter knits 

Evans Winter Knits

The fabulous Madison Plus tell us of the FTF model search Click here for details

Curvalicious Fashion gets a brand new Twitter Page

Andrew Coimbra writes about dressing for your shape for Womens Post

For all the fabulous Curvalicious men out there. Check out Fantastic Man the gentlemens online style journal

Take look at ASOS’ party attire….. Only six weeks till Xmas!! How scary! 

ASOS party attire

Anna Scholz offers 20% off her Favourite Dress Of The Season - Double Silk Maxi Lapel Dress!! Type AF1 into discount codes...

So Boho Vintage offer this Vintage Ladies Kangol Trilby Style Soft Touch Hat with Band. Its only £15 and there are loads of different styles available. 

Madison Plus report on the Glamour Women of the year awards

Don’t miss out!! Warehouse clearance…. Items starting from 80p!!! Size Up the webs first ‘size up’ only site by Yours Clothing 

Plus Size in the UK - I've seen more curves on a square!

Since starting this blog I have been looking into numerous aspects of fashion for the 'plus sizes', one of which is the plus size model. The information I have found I feel to be quite disturbing.


Firstly the UK is sadly lagging way behind in the curvy fashion stakes. In the UK we struggle to find any decent stores (high street or online) in which we can get current 'on trend' fashions. There are the few obvious well advertised ones like Simply Be or Evans for example, but we end up paying well over and above the 'normal' sized person. In the states they have a ridiculous amount of places you can get really fabulous, great value clothing from and numerous sites giving advice to curvier women who love fashion and want to look great, Madison Plus being one of them.


Almost a quarter of women in the UK or around 6.2million now wear a size 18 or above, with the average dress size being a size 16. Therefore I think you will agree that it is preposterous that so called plus size model agencies etc class a size 12 as 'plus sized'. Now, I think that no one can argue the fact that this is both disgusting and irresponsible on behalf of both the model agencies and the fashion industry in general.


How can they justify telling young girls / women that they are plus sized if they are a size 12?? They wouldn't even have curves..... well not real ones anyway. It is ever likely that these young girls are running around with eating disorders trying to 'make it' in the fashion industry. Apparently, according to Models Connect as a plus size model you will advertise clothes, accessories and products for the larger woman. Therefore, it is necessary that you represent this look, so must be at least a UK size 12 to qualify. Ideally you will be a UK dress size 12, 14 or 16. Although, sizes 10 and 18/20 are also used, it is far less common..... also you must be 'toned' and your figure should be well balanced and you should not appear top or bottom heavy....... Come on guys!!! Seriously! Do your research, check you market!


There is also a 'plus size' beauty pageant run in the UK called Miss Curvy UK in which applicants have to be a size 12 or above to enter, I find this truly amazing. I understand that retailers / designers want their clothing to look appealing, however there are a hell of a lot of stunningly beautiful very curvy women out there, who could quite easily model their clothes and do a damned good job of selling them. I know that personally I would rather see what a garment looks like on a woman who is the same shape as me, than what it looks like on a size 12 model, even the thought of it is ridiculous.


The retailers and fashion industry on the whole in the UK needs to first of all accommodate to the majority market, which in this case is the 'plus size'. They also need to class the plus sizes appropriately, and lastly they need to use more curvier models without the perfect hourglass figures. We want to see REAL models, wearing REAL plus size 'on trend' clothes. Hopefully with enough blogging and pressure by us  normal 'plus size' women, things will change............... and lets hope its soon.


Lots of Love

Donna
xxx