Centralizing the Plus Size World

I started wearing a size 14 as soon as I hit 6^th grade in middle school. That was around the same time that hit puberty and I guess Mother Nature thought that making my hips expand and putting weight on my thighs was the way to do it. Not saying I was thin in elementary school either, cause I was always a bigger than the other girls. I got made fun of a lot in the school years of my life. Growing up somewhat poor and also back then (we are talking late 90’s to early 2000) the fashion choices were extremely limited for girls. I used to sit when I went shopping with my best friend, who was around a size 2 at that time, and watch as she could wear anything she wanted. It was hard growing up and I know many people had similar experiences as me. The biggest thing was I never told anyone what size I was. I was ashamed! I would be embarrassed when my best friend would go with me to try on clothes, because sometimes things would not fit properly or I would pray I could squeeze into a 12 and even attempt it at times. Most of those insecurities about my size were the main reason I was so negative about my body. I would think about that number, 14, and wish I was in single digits. The number 14 would haunt me up until I was in my late teens, early 20’s. That is when I realized; hey I look pretty sexy with my curves in this dress. Or dang, my hips look good in these jeans. It was like when I hit 18 my eyes were opened to a whole other world where there were different sized people and it was accepted more. It is still an uphill battle with self-esteem as correcting the years of damage I did to myself is not easily erased. It is now 2010, I am turning 25 and I am a size 20. It feels so liberating to say that. I am a size 20 and I am not ashamed to say so. I am a size 20 and I am sexy. Sexy is not all about looks. Sexy is about attitude and confidence. I am glad I am figuring out that you can be sexy at all sizes. You can be beautiful, sexy, pretty, cute, lovable, any word you can think of at any size! Now is the time to take control of how you feel about your size and make it your own.

Size is Sexy is teaming up for your health, to help you explore more options and possibilities, and find new ways to make your life worthwhile. Introducing you to our Health Beat column every month, if you don’t make the most of what you are, you can risk never discovering what you might become. Our Health Beat column will give you material on your health, mind, body, spirit, and social ties. Because your health isn’t something you worry about when you get older, you worry about it now. Size is Sexy, but at the same time we want you to be healthy. We want you to extend your life to live more fully, more happilly, and more healthfully. Health Beat is an offer you literally cannot afford to ignore, the quality of your life depends on it.

Health beat gives you an invitation to your Health to go beyond thinking about your health to take charge and making healthy choices for yourself and your future. Being healthy is a personal choice that you make on a daily basis’s, from what you eat, to exercising, to handling stress. Making the best choices demands making healthy changes in your life, and Size is Sexy is here to help.

Smart steps to take now “The Beginning”.
* Keep a Health journal for yourself, what you eat and drink daily, write down how many calories, fats, and carbohydrates you consumed.

* Get regular checkup with your doctor, for Woman its important to keep all your annual gynecology appointments.

Some questions you can ask yourself is, what healthy changes can I make in my life today, this week, this month, or this year, and write them down and stick to them. If you already healthy stay healthy, if not, get healthy. Its never to late to get healthy. Size is Sexy, so lets be Size is Healthy as well.

Lovin Life,
La’Chele Marie

Vaneli – Genie $112.95

I imagine the first thing that comes to your mind is probably Sasquatch, right? Picturing a big, tall, and hairy mythological creature in a pair of great looking shoes five sizes too small for his feet? What is she talking about? Has she been eating magical mushrooms in the Forest of Make-Believe? The true question really is which one is more believable? That there is legendary hairy man monster walking around in a pair of bright pink stilettos or pairs of shoes that are fashionable, trendy, and come in sizes for somebody with bigger feet? Lucky for you and I, I have stumbled upon far more photos and resources directing me to great shoes for bigger feet than I have on Sasquatch, which means good news to somebody who has wide feet or simply big feet!

Growing up, I always had problems finding shoes that fit my wide feet. Kid shoes didn’t really come in wide sizes, so I usually was wearing sneakers that were bigger sizes so they’d ‘fit’ the width of my foot. Shoes that usually easily were kicked off (more than one accident during a game of kickball), were uncomfortable to wear, and simply looked awkward on my feet, and those was just sneakers, forget about pretty dress up shoes. The best that I could find to fit me were adult shoes, and I looked like a young girl playing dress up in mommy’s clothes rather than a young girl in cute shoes.

I have noticed that, as the plus size movement grows, shoes made for wider feet and calves are beginning to get a face lift and be more readily available. I wonder why it took so long, really. I mean, just because you are plus size does not necessarily mean you have big feet or wide feet. Those of many sizes can have wider feet and big feet, though from those I know within my family who have wider feet and through my friends, curvier women tend to have wider feet and calves and require a well designed shoe with a wider size to not only fit right but look right. Those cute sandals with the gold strip across the foot and half an inch heel do not look as good when half your foot is hanging over the edge of the shoe’s foundation. Those days when it was only a silent fantasy that there could be knee high boots to fit a wide foot and wide calf are gone; that fantasy has become a reality.

Zappos Softspots Neima $74.95 – Zappos Bella-Vita Nadia $76.39 – Zappos Ros Hommerson Haley $81.45 – Zappos David Tate Circle $71.95

The other day while looking for shoes online, I got the idea to ask the question over on Size Is Sexy’s Facebook. Who better to ask but the plus size community and my fellow curvy women? I got so many great suggestions, and I thought that I’d love to share it my search results with everybody. A couple spots to look for that most people know the names of are Walmart, Target and Payless. Growing up, I always got my shoes from Payless, mostly because it was one of the only stores I could find shoes in wide widths besides Walmart. Both have gotten better selections over the years not only in wide widths but also for sizes even past Size 10 shoes. Both have 11s , 12s, and I think I’ve even seen the rare 13s, but not too much. Over the past couple of years I’ve expanded my search to Target as well, which on occasions has had great pumps and sandals in wide widths and great deals on them to boot. None of these places really give me much past sneakers, sandals, flip-flops, and the occasional dressy heel, though, and in my opinion I never really had luck finding a big selection, and definitely never seem to find boots, though I did find my favorite pair of red wedges from Payless, so always be looking, never know when you’ll find that hidden gem.

Something that was suggested to me for wide feet is also a great suggestion for anybody who has back and knee problems, whether due to arthritis, weight, previous accident, or the handful of other things that could cause the pain. It’s a company called FlipFlop. Most of what they offer is exactly what their name basically says, flip flops, but there are a couple pair of boots as well. While I didn’t see any wide sizes, I thought I would share this one because not only are they made for support, but they have that “workout while you walk” premises to it as well, and who doesn’t like firming up their thighs and bottoms?

There were four sites that I loved the best that I wanted to share. Not only because they had a lot of shoes in wide widths and larger sizes, but also because they had AWESOME styles across the board of boots, pumps, wedges, sneakers, sandals, and more. I realize that Zappos has been around for a while, but I never realized just how many great shoes they had in wide sizes either. I got in the habit of not even trying to look sometimes, because I always assume no one ever really has them, but it’s a bad habit I really need to break because there really are great fashions out there for bigger feet. Three of my favorite brands from Zappos was David Tate, Softspots, and Ros Hommerson. All three had a wide variety of fashions and so many of them available in wide sizes and multitudes of colors. It was online shoe heaven!

Torrid Black Faux Suede Cuffed Wedge $39 – Torrid Black aux Suede Shania Peeptoe Bootie $42 – Endless Annie Women’s Hannah Ankle Boot $27.47 – $32.35 – Torrid Dollhouse Black Lonie Heel $59

One of my favorite stores, Torrid, has great shoes that not only fit a wider foot but also wider calves. They have so many great shoes and even a few great brands like Fergalicious by Fergie, Iron Fist, and Dollhouse. Avenue is another one I love for shoes. They have a brand called Cloudwalkers and they are so comfortable and cute! I bought two pair of wedges from them a couple years ago and they fell apart on me, but I really did wear them to death, so I would say that was the death to them, rather than their structure. Also, they have a lot of great deals if you can catch them. I had got two pairs of shoes for $30 dollars and they went with everything!

My fourth spot for great shoes in wide sizes would have to be a website called Designer Shoes. They have probably the biggest library of wide width shoes I have ever seen. There was wide, double wide, triple wide, and many sizes to go with them. It is also a great place for special event shoes, like a wedding. I found many shoes in all kinds of widths and sizes that were dyeable. It’s great for both a wedding party and somebody who just wants that perfect color for the perfect pair of shoes and can just make it happen their selves. Mind you, I say that with no experience in dying shoes, and it could be such a pain in the bottom end that it ends up not being worth the hassle, but for the crafty at heart, it might be just the thing.

One spot that was suggested to me was a site called Endless. I found that it was a hidden gem, because they had a wide variety of great shoes in larger sizes. I found a few of my favorite styles for professional wear and shoe fashions that could work as casual and a night out on town shoe. I was also suggested another site called Barefootess that, while they did not have many wide widths available that I could find, they did have a lot of larger sizes. They mostly target to people who have feet bigger than a size 10, and they actually have a pretty good selection.

I was given a lot of other suggestions, but my investigator skills did me wrong because I just could not find the wide widths. I love Jessica Simpson shoes, Dorothy Perkins, Nine West, and Steve Madden but I could just not find any of their fashions in the wide sizes. I checked out Macy’s, I found only two pairs of shoes available in wide in my style, and they were not even something I could ever see myself wearing until I’m a lot older. ASOS was also another great one, but either I am bad at translating UK sizes to American sizes, or they do not offer any wider widths either.

Zappos Softspots Aelia $70

Overall, I was generally surprised by all the shoes out there that now come in wider sizes. It may just be a case of having not looked hard enough, and with so many boutiques now online, it does make it easier to search for them, but it’s so exciting to me as a person who has always had such a hard time finding great shoes in wider size. Like being a plus size women going to shop for clothes and being disheartened when nothing fits, it’s the same when you go shopping for great shoes and nothing fits.

If anybody has any other places to check out, share ahead! I love finding new spots to shop (even if sometimes it is to window shop!) and I love being able to share with the rest of you. Thanks again to all the ladies over on S.i.S.’s Facebook page for offering up such great suggestions! You ladies are great.

“…stop thinking so much and let it happen…whatever it is, God meant it for u…be it a lesson or your lifelong destiny!” ~QUEEN PHEE~

You can always find something wrong with anything if you look at it or think about it long enough with the slightest trace of doubt in your mind. That’s human nature. A lot of times, more often than not actually, we miss the beautiful things in life because we are blinded by the troubles we introduce in our own minds. I had a conversation with someone near and dear to my heart and it always makes me feel good when I can really relate to a person’s issue; I had to remind her that she was thinking her way into trouble. Nobody said we should walk around like zombies, oblivious to all of the threats that we face on a daily basis. What I’m saying is that our focus is off a lot of times. If our primary focus is on the things that make us feel good, happy, content, blissful, those minor snags will be just that, minor.

The only thing we really have in judging people or situations to be good or bad for us is past experience; be it our own or someone we know of. This is a recipe for disaster. Let each person in your life prove to be who they are before you count them out. Never let another person’s fault become the burden of a possible lifelong friend/companion. That mistake is far too common in our dealings. Just because you have dealt with nonsense your entire life long, doesn’t mean you always will. For all you know, getting through that nonsense may have elevated your mind enough to get you on a level of some upstanding people who always have your best interest in heart.

The key to what I am saying is that life is simply what you make it. If you stop looking for problems to arise, I guarantee that good things will start happening in your life. Your focus is your God. That’s a big statement but it’s the truth. If you always have God in your sights, you have to have unshakable faith in His plan. Every relationship won’t take you to the alter. Every friendship won’t last an entire life long. Some people you care about will get sick and even die. But none of these things are half as bad as we tend to make them. They ultimately contribute to God’s plan in your life. If you actively find the lesson and blessing in all the things that caused some tears to fall in your life, you would find a lesson in each one that is big enough to make you a better and stronger person. Take it from me. I’ve had my share of pain, but I had sense enough to pile it all on top of each other until I could stand up there and see the bright future ahead of me. I suggest you do the same!

LOVE OVER EVERYTHING

QP

www.SIXELEVEN.NING.com

Alfani Plus Size Top, Surplice Shaper $55.00 – Alfani Plus Size Jacket, Long Sleeve Ponte Knit $93.87 – Alfani Plus Size Shirt, Long Sleeve Pintucked Stretch $39.98

Yes, you read right. And so begins the story…

Yesterday, I finally decided to take my laptop into the Apple Store at my local mall in Orlando to get a new battery.  I put it off for as long as I could because, even though I love the Apple Store (even if it is constantly swarming with folks), it can be pretty disheartening to walk past and through stores that are full of beautiful clothes that I know from experience probably won’t fit me.  Okay, I can’t ‘afford’ them either, but that’s another story!

If you are a plus size woman, then you have more than likely had the same experience.  You know, that one where you go shopping with your girlfriends for swimsuits in the summer, prom in high school, and then when you are older, work clothes, casual wear or go looking for something to wear to a friend’s wedding. Then, while they are all slipping into the cutest clothing, you are silently praying to find it in your size somewhere in the racks.  It can be disheartening, depressing, embarrassing, make you just plain mad, or some mixture of everything as you come out of the fitting room in the only thing you could find remotely close to your size and it barely buttons across your chest, but your wonderful friends, bless their hearts, tell you that you look great in it anyways to keep your spirits up.  Needless to say, I’ve had some pretty scarring experiences when it comes to mall shopping.

On this day, I parked in the parking lot closest to Macy’s.  I always get the best parking there, so anytime I go to that mall I’ll park there and walk through Macy’s to get over to Apple Store.  The moment I walked into Macy’s, I was surrounded in beautiful spring fashions, bright pinks and yellows, flirty Easter dresses, light fabrics, all in sizes that would probably fit my thighs but not my waist.  I stared longingly for a moment, before putting it out of my head and going for my meeting at the Genius Bar (that’s what Apple call’s their support desk).  When I was coming back though, I thought to myself, you know, I bet they have some sort of plus size section here.  Let me just check it out before I go, see what they offer.  Secretly I was hoping that they had some of the outfits I had seen when I first walked in, in some larger sizes.

Let me tell you, as I dug through the dense jungle of clothes racks and size 2 mannequins, I was beginning to worry I’d never find it.  I had to ask direction two times, and as I started toward the darkest depths of Macy’s, I had to swallow the tightness out of my throat as I drew nearer and saw nothing but clothing that my grandmother would wear, along with tacky prints, studded apparel from the nineties, and tie-dye. Oh gosh, so much tie-dye!  Were my worst fears about to come true?  I had just wrestled with a clothes rack full of animal print tops when I stumbled into a new section and saw hope.  Tailored jacket? Size 24? Wait, was that a plum colored ruffle dress in my size?  Holy tie-dyed, did I just see a pair of jeans with a wide bottom that would actually flatter my figure?  I had had to swim through a sea of false hope and disappointment, climbed to the top of the store, pulled my way through a jungle of bad plus size fashion, but I had found treasure at the end of this excursion, and boy was it worth it.

INC International Concepts Plus Size Shirt, Long Sleeve Crinkle Ruffle $69.00INC International Concepts Plus Size Sweater, Fringe Trim Cardigan $51.97

Dramatics aside, I was excited to see some really great fashions made for a plus size woman, and really surprised that some of them were made by some pretty known clothing designers like Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and INC.  I made sure to check out the tags of all the clothes I liked.  Adrianna Papell had some great dresses, which I was sad to find out they did not have most of them on Macy’s website, and then there was Donna Ricco, who also wasn’t on their website, Tahari, Lester, Hydraulic Jeans, and probably one of my favorites out of the bunch Alfani and S.L. Fashions.

Though I think we have far to go until plus size fashions are respected and handled as they should, I’m glad to see what a difference there is in selection now compared to even five years ago in the malls.  I do look forward to seeing the moment when some of these great fashions in “mom and pop” Internet boutiques are featured in stores like Macy’s, JC Penny’s, Bloomingdales, Nieman Marcus and others similar.

Most of the things I had absolutely adored in Macy’s, I had a hard time finding on their website.  That was disappointing, but there were still some pretty awesome things listed on their site as well.  I could probably have a week long showcase for each of the designers I loved, well, at least I could if they were easier to find online.  Remember that moment when I first exploded through the depths of size 2 mannequins? Well one of the first hopeful lines I ran into was Macy’s INC or International Concepts line.  I had that same problem of finding the pieces I liked online, but I did find a few on the website that were absolutely adorable.  Including a very flattering long sleeve crinkle ruffle shirt for $69 and a winter appropriate fringe trimmed cardigan on sale for $51.97.

Calvin Klein Plus Size Luxe Stretch One-Button Jacket & Madison Pants $109 for top and $89 for the bottoms – Jones New York Plus Size Suit Jacket, Knit Tee & Flat-Front Pants Tee $39 Top $219 and Bottoms $109 – Calvin Klein Plus Size Suit, Pinstriped Jacket & Skirt $109.99

If you are in a profession where business or business casual attire is generally required, like myself, then you probably have already had to deal with trying to find a suit that was tailored, flattering, made you look your age, and well, fit.  On Macy’s website I found three suits that could be dressed up and dressed down, and were gorgeous.  Tailored jackets, straight lined pants, pockets in flattering places, and one that was an absolutely adorable pinstriped jacket and skirt by Calvin Klein on sale for only $109.

Sometimes I want to let my hair down and be a little girly.  It lifts your spirits to be able to be flirty, confident, and know you look fabulous.  It’s rare that I can find dresses in the stores that fit me, heck, I think we have established that I don’t find many clothes at all that fit me and make me look my age!  There were some great fashions at my Macy’s.  A lot of them were by Donna Ricco, Adrianna Papell, and S.L. Fashions, and I was so disappointed I didn’t find any of them on Macy’s website to share with you.  My favorite dress that I found from a line/company called Necessary Objects.  It’s a cherry pink sleeveless dress with a ruched bodice, and ran for only $59.  Now that is the kind of dress to put on a full size figure.  Form fitting with a ruched top that is slimming, and a bottom that flares out and has a little swing to it, a shape that would look good on body type, and definitely going to be my next purchase.  Maybe it’ll motivate my boyfriend into taking me out dancing and to a great dinner?  I’ll give that update later.

Adrianna Papell Ruffle Collar Jacket & Skirt Top $109.99 Bottom $74.99 – Jones New York Plus Size Dress, Sleeveless Sash Tie $52.99 – Necessary Objects Plus Size Dress, Sleeveless Ruched Bodice $59.00

For now though, I think I made my point.  Macy’s did well, and I’m excited to see that the plus size movement really is helping to make a change in all aspects of fashion.  Keep it up ladies.  Got any more department stores that you visit that have seen a bit of our plus size movement lately? Share away!