Promo Friday
A sale or two to get you through the weekend:
Just My Size is offering Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off casual wear
Coupon code: NA
Expires: April 7, 2010
Visit Just My Size for plus size casual and career wear
CJ Banks is offering 15% Off Your Order + Receive Free Shipping On Orders Over $50
Coupon code: NA
Expires: NA
Visit CJ Banks for plus size clothing
Webundies is offering free shipping on orders of $75 or more
Coupon code: NA
Expires: NA
Visit Webundies for plus size underwear (use search feature – plus size)
Target is offering free shipping on orders of $50 in Women’s
Coupon code: NA
Expires: March 31, 2010
Visit Target for plus size clothing
Swimsuits for All is offering 15% Off Entire Order
Coupon code: KISS15
Expires: February 28, 2010
Visit Swimsuits for all for plus size swimwear
Shoes.com is offering 20% off
Coupon code: SHOES20
Expires: March 1, 2010
Visit Shoes.com for fashion shoes and boots
Oh Cheri is offering 15% off store wide
Coupon code: TESA15
Expires: March 7, 2010
Visit Oh Cheri for plus size lingerie
MIB is offering 25% one item from their sale section
Coupon code: SALE25
Expires: February 28, 2010 at midnight
Visit MIB for plus size clothing
Macy’s has a One Day Sale on
Coupon code: NA
When: February 26, 2010 through February 27, 2010
Visit Macy’s for plus size clothing
Lane Bryant is offering 25% off the entire site
Coupon code: NA
When: February 26 to February 28, 2010
Visit Lane Bryant for plus size clothing
Kiyonna is offering $30 off orders $175 or more
Coupon Code: STYLE
Expires: May 1, 2010
Visit Kiyonna for plus size career wear
Frederick’s is offering $10 off orders of $75, $20 off orders of $100 or $40 off orders of $150
Coupon code: NA
Expires: March 4, 2010
Visit Frederick’s for plus size lingerie
Shop the Look is offering 20% off your entire purchase
Coupon code: NEW20
Expires: March 31, 2010
Visit Shop the Look for fashion jewelry
Catharines is offering 40% off ALL Regular-Priced Items and an EXTRA 40% off Clearance
Coupon code: NA
When: February 28, 2010
Visit Catharines for plus size clothing
Addition-Elle is offering free shipping on US and Canadian orders $75 or more
Coupon Code: SHIP2010
Expires: March 31, 2010
Visit Addition Elle for plus size clothing
Have a great weekend!
Plus Size Designers — Niehla Ollie
Niehla Ollie is the owner and head designer of Chocolate Sushi Couture. A strictly plus size designer with an updated retro flare that is romantic, functional, and fashionable. Her fashions are currently available through sample sales she announces on Facebook but a website for online shopping is coming soon.
Here are some of my favorite designs (sorry don’t have a price point):
You can see more of her designs in her Facebook photo album and if you become a “friend” you can learn about quarterly “soirees” and other news.
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Topic Links
* Visit Niehla Ollie’s official website for plus size designs
* Other plus size clothing designers
JJ Footwear Wide Calf Boots Review
Knee high boots are a must-have item for every woman’s wardrobe. That includes plus size women. Unfortunately it can often be difficult to find quality boots that fit the calves. JJ Footwear, “Dutch women’s fashion boot company”, can appreciate our plight and have recently opened up a website to serve customers in the United States and Canada. They asked me to review a pair of their boots for Five Favorite Things.
JJ Footwear makes “high-end, classic-styled women’s boots” that are available in multiple calf sizes. They are “an 80-year old family-owned company based just east of The Hague in The Netherlands” and have been “making quality shoes and boots for over 80 years.” They fit feet 5.5 to 13.5 US (not all boots are in all foot or calf sizes). At this posting the cost for one of the twelve custom boot designs is $295 and there is no extra cost for shipping or returns.
I had such a hard choice choosing from the twelve styles offered as I liked most of them. I finally settled on two pair — the Elin and the Jordaan. To break the tie I did a Twitter vote and the final winner was the Elin in black (seen at right).
Ordering
To order the size I needed I went with a pair a boots I already owned. There was some confusion on my part as the size tag gave US and EUR sizing that didn’t match the website. I emailed customer service for guidance and heard back within a few days along with an apology for the late replay and an explanation on sizing which cleared things up. Once I had my shoe size I needed to measure both my calves. I entered both these numbers and received a final size that the company uses to fit the boots.
The ordering process was simple enough but the sizing had a combo choice which included the one recommended to me and what appeared to be a smaller choice which I found confusing. I continued on but put a note about the sizing with my payment info. As a new customer I had the option of registering or making a purchase as a guest. I chose the guest feature which was pretty quick. I was transferred to Paypal and the deal was done within a few minutes.
The boot order was completed on January 25 at 10:30 pm and the boots arrived on January 29 at 2:13 pm. All the way from Holland! I confirmed shipping details with the marketing people to see if it would be the same for everyone and was told: “3 to 5 days from shipment from our warehouse in Holland – Fed-X came up with some sort of arrangement and it’s been working great. We originally thought it would take from 10-14 working days, but good old Fed-X came through!” They certainly did.
The boots were double boxed. The outside one was damaged but the inside box protected the boots. The boots were stuffed with tissue and cardboard cut outs to help keep their shape in transit.
The Boots
The Elin boot is made from “buffed calf leather” and has a “rounded, pointed toe”. They are lined with felt fabric. Down the back of the calf is a deep elastic. They have a full zipper on the inner calf and there are two adjustable buckles; one on the ankle and one on the calf. The thick sole has some moderate tread embossing.
They are pretty form fitting. Thankfully the elastic back is forgiving on the one leg. Before ordering I was actually concerned that the ankles would be slouchy because I have small ankles in comparison to my calves but they are a good fit. I was a bit impatient to try them on so they were probably quite firm from being cold (it’s -15 C today) but so far I’m impressed.
They have a comfortable but fashionable heel (1 1/4″) that is easy to walk in. This is definitely an everyday boot. There is a thin felt lining that is remarkably warm. At -15 C my feet legs were not the slightest bit cold and on the opposite end they didn’t feel the slightest bit overheated either.
After the first day my left ankle, which has a previous injury, was a bit sore but overall no foot discomfort. They fit my feet perfectly and were comfortable to walk in.
I like the unique design with the buckles and elastic back (see picture insert in left corner). If I could go back and order them again I would probably order them with an extra inch around the calf to accommodate a skinny jean. As it stands they are strictly bare leg or tights. I don’t want to cover them up with pants because they are too pretty.
Overall, I’m quite happy with the Elin boots from JJ Footwear in terms of fit, wear, and fashion. If you have any questions about these boots please feel free to ask and I’ll respond in the comments.
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Topic Links
* Get your own wide calf boots from JJ Footwear
Plus Size Designers — Jasmine Elder
Jasmine Elder is the designer behind Jibri which offers “high fashion chic and urban street sleek” designs for plus sizes 14 to 24. Since 2006 she has been sharing her creative eye for the truly curvy woman. Jasmine’s designs can be purchased at select boutiques and online at Etsy.
The Jibri collections are truly artistic pieces that are lovely to look at. Here are just a few of my favorites (for these pieces the prices range from $110 to $250):
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Topic Links
* Visit Jibri Online for plus size designer clothing
* Get Jibri from Etsy
* Other plus size clothing designers
* Other plus size Etsy designers
Arosha Metal Jewelry
Twitter is full of artisans. That how I came across Italian artist and designer Arosha Luigi Taglia’s Etsy page simply called Arosha Jewelry Design. He offers unique handmade metal jewelry.
My top favorite piece is the Sterling Silver Anubis Ring. It is handmade and detailed with a polished zircon. As for size, you send yours and they’ll make to order. The sterling silver Anubis ring sells for $53. If silver is not your thing there is an 18K gold version with ruby for $520.
Next up is the African Queen Rosewood Ring. He currently has size 7.5 US and it is available for $100. As the description says “tribal” is a hot trend this year.
This Sterling Silver Circle Cuff bracelet by no means closes my favorites from this Etsy shop. I like both the matte and the black rhodium finish. He also does custom fit rings in this design. The Circle Cuff bracelet is $115.
The Arosha Etsy shop offers free worldwide shipping on purchases over $100.
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Topic Links
* Get your own Arosha Metal Jewelry from Etsy
Promo Friday
A sale or two to get you through the weekend:
Torrid is offering $20 off $100
Coupon code: AFSPRING20
Expires: February 21, 2010
Visit Torrid for trendy plus size clothing
Payless is offering Women’s shoes starting at $12.99, Family Airwalk starting at $12.99
Coupon code: NA
Expires: NA
Visit Payless for fashionable shoes
Old Navy is offering FREE SHIPPING on $75
Coupon code: NA
Expires: March 4, 2010
Visit Old Navy for plus size clothing
Kiyonna is offering $30 off orders $175 or more
Coupon code: STYLE
Expires: March 1, 2010
Visit Kiyonna for plus size career wear
Frederick’s of Hollywood is offering 15% off site-wide
Coupon code: NA
Expires: February 24, 2010
Visit Frederick’s for plus size lingerie
Fashion Bug is offering Buy one item at regular price, get the second for just $10
Coupon code: NA
Expires: February 21, 2010
Visit Fashion Bug for plus size every day fashions
Shop the Look is offering 20% off your entire purchase
Coupon code: NEW20
Expires: March 30, 2010
Visit ShoptheLook for the hottest fashion jewelry
Sydney’s Closet is offering $20 off purchase of $100 or more
Coupon code: Prom20
Expires: June 15, 2010
Visit Sydney’s Closet for plus size prom and formal wear
Have a great weekend!
Plus Size Designers — Melissa Masse
Melissa Masse started off custom designing clothing for other designers before she struck out on her own and developed her self-titled line in 2002. Her clothing line includes sizes up to plus size 3x. Melissa’s ready to wear collection offers simple fashions for every day life. Her designs can be found at fine department stores (including online at Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus) and her official website where they will also do custom sizing on request.
The official website has a limited selection of sizes for the current styles. I don’t see the spring collection up yet but here are some of my faves from last season, some are on clearance at Bloomingdale’s:
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Topic Links
* Visit Melissa Masse for plus size designer clothing
* Melissa Masse at Bloomingdale’s
* Melissa Masse at La Grande Dame
* Other plus size clothing designers
Plus Size Designers — Biya Ramar
Johnny Was (not the gangster) is a clothing line designed by Biya Ramar who has been designing her own line since 2000 (Biya Collection). With the Was line you can expect to find an urban feel and beautiful embroidery designs while the Biya line is more sophisticated. Both lines have official websites but do not currently offer direct shopping (coming soon). Limited designs from the Johnny Was line in plus sizes 1x to 3x are available from Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus.
From Bloomingdale’s:
From Neiman Marcus:
It’s a gorgeous line! I especially love the silk tunics ($200).
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Topic Links
* Get the Johnny Was line at Bloomingdale’s
* Get the Johnny Was line from Neiman Marcus
* Visit Johnny Was official website
* Visit the Biya Collection official website
* Other plus size clothing designers
Plus Size Designers — Jacqueline Floro
Jacqueline Floro’s INES collection for curvy women size 10 to 26 is relatively new but this designer is not new to clothing design having developed a strong reputation with the Bilingual Clothing line. The INES collection offers figure flattering, pattern intensive designs with bold beautiful colors. When I see the INES collection I think soft and silky and romantic.
Pieces from Jacqueline’s collection can be purchased through Shop Translated. Here are a few of my favorite pieces currently on sale at Shop Translated ($32 to $75):
From the new collection I’m absolutely in love with these pieces ($55 to $96):
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Topic Links
* Visit Shop Translated for Jacqueline Floro’s INES collection
* Other plus size clothing designers
Plus Size Designers — Anna Scholz
Anna Scholz launched her self-titled label for plus size clothing from her flat in London in 1996. Her creations dress the curves of women size 12 to 28 from a limited seasonal collection that usual involves bright patterns and fine details from the latest trends.
From season to season there have been a number of pieces I have fallen in love with but this season I’m shocked by the numbers she has thrilled me with. Even more thrilling is the fact she has created two labels: the white label and the black label.
The white label is described as the premium collection with luxury fabrics, designer cuts and statement pieces. My favorite pieces include (prices range from £219 to £445):
The black label is at a slightly lower price and focuses on daywear. My favorite pieces include (prices range from £70 to £195):
One of the best features of the her fresh looking website is more models showing off the designs (both in print and video). I think this is a huge improvement over the mannequins which didn’t give an impression of fit or how to style the pieces. There is a choice of viewing all three so it should please many shoppers.
The Anna Scholz label can be found at select walk-in/online boutiques and department stores (Neiman Marcus/ Saks Fifth Avenue) as well as at her official website which ships worldwide.
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Topic Links
* Visit Anna Scholz for plus size designer clothing
* Other plus size clothing designers
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