Khaki Zipper Skirt

La Grande Dame sent an email that they had some technical difficulties yesterday with the website which of course led me to pop over and see what was what. Of course everything was fine but while I was there I noticed a whole bunch of new stuff. One item in particular caught my eye.

This cotton spandex skirt by De Sentino which is right in line with the military look that is hot at the moment. I loved the visible zipper running up the leg, pleat, and what looks like an angled pocket.

This machine washable skirt is available in sizes 16 to 24 for $191.

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Topic Links
* Get your own zipper khaki skirt from La Grande Dame

Two Day Sales (Plus) This Week

There are a few sales starting today that are worth your time. A few are only two days while others are extended. Happy shopping!

• Payless has started their Easter sale off with select styles at $9.99. It will end April 4, 2010.
• Old Navy has a 2 day sale in which they are offering 20% off any online purchase. Enter ONGET20 at checkout. Offers ends 3/17.
• MIB is offering $20 OFF GREEN for 2 days with coupon code: 20GREEN (expires March 17, 2010).
• Swimsuits for All is offering free 3-day shipping on any purchase (US only) with code: SURVEY3 which expires in December.

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Topic Links
* Visit Payless to check out their Easter Sale
* Visit Old Navy online for plus size clothing
* Visit MIB for their green sale on plus size clothing
* Visit Swimsuits for All for plus size swimwear

Made to Order Wedding Gowns

Tova Marc is a couture designer who designs wedding and evening gowns up to sizes 28. She owns her own bridal salon in New Jersey as well as two online stores.

One of the sites that really captured my attention was the “modest” bridal gown site. This site is particularly interesting to me because over the last five years I’ve noticed that a majority of the wedding gowns available to plus size women are some form of sleeveless. And I know from personal and conversational experience that many plus size women don’t like to bare their arms, shoulders and chest all at once especially when they know that 50 to 500 sets of eyes are going to be focused on them. A further bonus is that all the sleeves and necklines are customizable to the bride’s specifications.

Via email I learned from Tova that they do a lot of custom orders for plus size women both with bridal and evening gowns. “We can mix and match styles to fit our customer’s needs.” So if you like the train on one dress and the neckline on another they can put it together for you.

I took a look around their site and their designs are lovely and flattering without having the overexposure that I’ve heard many future brides complain about. There are no prices listed but there is a phone number and email and I imagine there would be no problem getting a quote.

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Topic Links
* Visit Tova Marc for plus size wedding dresses and evening gowns

Spring into Espadrilles

A shoe that seems to never go out of style is the Espadrille. This spring they are just as hot (if not hotter) than ever. They are pretty versatile working with your favorite jeans or a maxi dress (love them with the maxi).

If you need a fresh espadrille fix, Nordstrom has over 42 styles to choose from. Here are three of my favorites:

Sam Edelman ‘Lexi’ Ankle Strap Espadrille, $149.95

Via Spiga ‘Thatcher’ Espadrille, $198.00

Vera Wang Lavender Label ‘Maryann’ Espadrille, $250.00

My absolute favorite of the three are the Vera Wang but that is probably of no great surprise.

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Topic Links
* Get your own Espadrilles from Nordstrom

Promo Friday

I’ve been super busy spring cleaning the office so I only have a few sales for you this weekend but they are good ones:

Kiyonna is offering Free Shipping on all orders over $100
Coupon code: NA
Expires: March 17, 2010
Visit Kiyonna for plus size career wear

Jessica London is offering take $20 off any $60 order, $25 off $75, or $30 off any order $100
Coupon code: JLA4023
Expires: NA
Visit Jessica London for plus size clothing

Silhouettes is offering $29 key essentials
Coupon code: NA
Expires: NA
Visit Silhouettes for plus size clothing

Torrid is offering 10% Off Torrid’s Best Night Ever Collection
Coupon code: 3AF10OFF
Expires: April 20, 2010
Visit Torrid for plus size clothing

Target is offering weekly deals just for women
Coupon code: NA
Expires: Weekly
Visit Target for plus size clothing

Have a great weekend!

Alice in Wonderland Tees & Accessories

Alice, Mad Hatter, and Red Queen mania is abound since the release of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Part of the fever is movie tie-in merchandise. While I don’t think it will be as crazy as Twilight fever there are some really cute tees and accessories at Torrid that celebrate the uniqueness of this film. All pieces are by the authentic Disney brand.

I absolutely love the Red Queen Handbag with it’s black hearts and red background. The inside lining is so pretty with Gold satin lining printed with hearts, spades, clubs and diamonds. It is $40.

Of the plus size t-shirts I’m especially fond of the Red Queen Hearts Tee V-neck tee. It comes in sizes 0 to 5 for $28.

And finally, this Purple Face Flower Ring for $15. The face also reminds me of the red queen.

As you might have guessed I have a favorite character — The Red Queen. I’ve never been a fan of Helena Bonham-Carter but she rocks the role! So? Who’s your favorite?

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Topic Links
* Visit Torrid for plus size Alice in Wonderland memorabilia

Pleat Skirt

I think this Colonel Pickering pleat skirt easily falls into the realm of unusual. I know it’s wool and it’s getting warm but I love it.

The pleats are striking especially when highlighted by the white stitching and buttons. The skirt is available in sizes 12 to 26 for £120 from Carolyn de la Drapière.

This isn’t the only unique looking piece in her collection. There are a few more skirts, shirts and dresses.

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Topic Links
* Get your own Pleat Skirt from Drapiere

Plus Size Wedding Dresses

Wedding season is upon us and the flood of brides-to-be into dress shops and trade shows is well underway. But what about the plus size bride? If the plus size bride is lucky enough to live in a big metropolitan she’ll probably have no problem going to shops, trying on dresses, and finding the one of her dreams. But if she lives in a smaller town she’ll most like have a harder time. Thank goodness for the internet!

Here are a few of my favorite dresses and shops for plus size wedding dresses this year:

Not So Traditional Wedding Dresses

The not so traditional route is great for small weddings under 300 people. These are dresses that you can wear again as they are or dye another a color.

My absolute favorite dress which I mention more than a few times a year is the Marilyn Long Convertible dress from Monif C. First, it is one dress that fits women size 8 to 26. That’s right, one dress, so you can loan it to your skinny friend (or not). Second, every season it comes in white and three or four trendy colors for the moment. Which means you can pick a color for your bridesmaids and they can all have the same dress — styled in your favorite style or each styled the way they want. You can choose long for you and long for them or long for you and short for them. Regardless your maids will love you because it’s a dress they will wear again and again and again. And it looks great on every body. During the ceremony you can wrap yourself in a demure look and during the reception you can wrap yourself in a sexy look. And it is relatively affordable as far as wedding dresses go at $235 ($195 for short). If things are really tight and you have time watch for end of season sales which can bring costs down by 25-50%.

Igigi has a few choices in both long and short that are a bit more formal that Monif but not so traditional that you can’t wear them again. Igigi prides themselves on their quality so you will get a reliable and affordable wedding dress for your special day. I especially like the Eternal Love Wedding Gown shown here which come in sizes 12 to 32 for $295. If you already have a sleeveless dress Igigi has two adorable white shrug/bolero designed for wedding shoulders if you think you might get chilly or want more coverage. Igigi’s wedding dresses range in price from $185 to $350. They also have a few options for plus bridesmaids and mother of the bride.

Traditional Wedding Dresses (sequins and lace)

One of the top places I recommend brides look online for plus size wedding dresses is Plus Size Bridal, now called PS Bridal. They have a huge selection of traditional dresses priced for a wide range of budgets in sizes 0 to 32. They can create made-to-order dresses for sizes larger than size 32 but bear in mind there will be an additional cost. One of my favorites is this short sleeve dress by Aurora D’Paradiso. It just so happens that it’s on sale for $269 (reg. $672).

Last year I heard about David’s Bridal for the first time and did a mini overview of their website. A few weeks ago I saw some wedding pictures online and inquired about the Bride’s dress and she spoke accolades about this company’s service. They have ready made and do made to order wedding dresses. Read more about what they have to offer through last year’s posting.

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Topic Links
* Get your own Plus Size Wedding Dress from Monif C
* Get your own Plus Size Wedding Dress and Bolero from Igigi
* Get your own Plus Size Traditional Wedding Gown from Plus Size Bridal

Wishbone Necklace Giveaway from Emitations

This month I’m giving away a little bling courtesy of Emitations. The Jennifer Wishbone Necklace will be one reader’s new lucky charm. This delicate piece was inspired by the one worn by Jennifer Aniston in the movie He’s Just Not That Into You.  It is a perfect addition to any woman’s jewelry collection.

Emitations has a wonderful collection of fashion staples from rings, bracelets, necklaces, ear rings and more. They offer many celebrity and movie inspirations (the Alice in Wonderland and Twilight stuff is awesome). But if I had to pick my absolute favorite piece right now it would be the Fern’s Flying Pig Cocktail Ring which is full of sparkles and total cuteness.

What’s New from Emitations?

• Outlet section with super cheap chic jewelry
• Gift sets for all seasons and holidays
• Full zoo of animal cocktail rings

Prize Details:

• One Gold Plated Sterling Silver Wishbone Necklace
• Gold plated .925 sterling silver
• 16in chain length
• Value: $62

How to Enter:

To enter this giveaway please visit the Emitations website then come back here and leave a comment for this post telling us the name of another item you fell in love with.

Stipulations:

One entry per person — suspicious entries with the same IP address (you know who you are) will be deleted. The lucky winner will be chosen from the comments at random, using random.org, on March 31, 2010 at 3 pm EST. This giveaway is sponsored by Emitations but I will be mailing the winner the gift after the email and mailing address of the winner have been confirmed by myself (so make sure you enter the right email). This giveaway is open to person 18 years and older living in the United States and Canada. Void where prohibited by law. The winner will have one week to claim the prize; after which time it will be rewarded to someone else.

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Topic Links
* Visit Emitations for fashion and celebrity styled jewelry

Rosette Satchel

Last season and going into this season rosette detailing is a hot item.  I’ve seen it on dresses and on shoes (uber cute) mostly. They come in many sizes from itty bitty to ginormous. It is one of those details you should only have on one or two items.

Up until now, other than one pair of shoes, I haven’t really loved it.  This bag on the otherhand, as soon as I saw it I loved it. I love the fresh spring color and the all over rosettes — they almost look real! This beauty is from Baghaus and at posting was on sale for $69.95.

Happy (early) spring!

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Topic Links
* Get your own Rosette handbag from Baghaus

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