Miranda » fit

Plus size mannequins – do they spoil the illusion?

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:37:19 +0000

Bonnie is a beautiful plus size model.

With all the recent talk about whether we want to see more realistic women in their fashion magazines, The Montreal Gazette recently published this article on mannequins.

Having spent ages simply trying to find mannequins we could use to display our clothing at shows or in occasional pictures I wasn’t surprised to hear that plus size mannequins aren’t common, but I was surprised to see the following quote from Leif Anderson, co-owner of Gender Mannequins, a Canadian company who sells mannequins throughout the world.

Asked

Magazines and fashion models are often blamed for creating unrealistic body standards for women. Surely mannequins contribute to that as well?

He replied

I don’t think so. They’re just coat hangers. I’m not trying to say that people should be one way or another. The fact is, clothes look the best on this type of shape. I’m not judging anybody for being one way or another. The fact is that if you put a pair of high boots on her (gestures toward a skinny mannequin) and a little mini-dress, it looks good. I’m selling clothes here. I’m selling a dream, not reality.

I have to disagree. I can think of lots of clothes that do not look best on ‘this type of shape’. Some styles actually need curves in order to look good. Ask anyone who has ever tried to sell lingerie! This attitude is however pretty typical in the fashion industry as a whole. Think of the fuss they make on project runway if they’re asked to make something for a plus size client! There seems to be some belief that fashion can’t look good on the plus size figure; we can all think of plus size stores that prove the point, but plus size models can look good, even fabulous. We are all a little more cautious about spending money at the moment, so surely giving us something we can relate to is MORE likely to make the sale? When I can look at something on a women with a real shape, AND see that it looks great, then I KNOW I want one. Am I alone?

Plus size or petite, the important thing is fit.

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:30:29 +0000

“I’ll tell you what’s comfortable — clothes that fit are comfortable. I try to teach women the importance of fit. So many women have anger and resentment that things don’t fit them off the rack. If you don’t find pants that fit you perfectly, then you make them fit you perfectly with tailoring.”

There’s no need to take my word for it, The above quote comes from Clinton Kelly, co-host of ‘What Not to Wear’. Of course he could have added that if you can’t find things that fit you can have them custom made by Certain Style, but we can’t have everything! He’ll learn.

To read the whole article, go to

Fashion Rules – Break Them!

admin — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:56:11 +0000

I go to a lot of networking meetings, some are useful and some are not (No, I won’t say which are which in print, you’ll have to email me) When I started doing this I found the meetings were mostly full of men, not a problem really as men are generally quite keen to talk about lingerie, especially if they get to look at pictures!

A couple of days ago I went to a meeting full of women. The usual mix, some who looked as though they had spent several years in front of the mirror preparing, others that looked as though they’d thrown their outfit together without benefit of electric light. Invariably their appearance was at odds with the short business presentation they gave, but it’s true that humans make really quick decisions, with the result that some of these women had lost the audience before they even began to speak. I often wonder if they know.

There are rules on how to dress for what. I’ve even included some on this site, but to be honest I’m not really big on rules, just their existence tends to make me want to break them, so I was delighted to see a lady who was clearly aware of the fashion rules, but had broken them with fabulous results. She didn’t just look good, she looked stunning. It reminded me that nothing looks better, nothing has more presence, than a person, man or woman, who is at ease with themselves.

Some years ago I did a short course in graphic design. After we’d been taught some of the basics of creating pages which looked good, our instructor asked us to bring in examples we found in print that showed off the rules we had learned. Without exception we found that the really outstanding designs broke the rules we had been given. So, we asked, what was the point of the rules? Our instructor gave us the chance to find out. For a week we each strove to produce a peice of stunning design without following any of the rules we’d been given, and for a week we failed. In the next week the task was to produce a peice of design that followed the rules, and in each case we succeeded. In the last week we returned to the first task. A peice of design that wasn’t merely good, but stood out. Only a handful of us succeeded. In each case the starting point was the design which followed the rules to the letter, but then……. Just a small twist, an additional color, a forbidden font, and the result, where it worked, was outstanding. Competence came from the rules, flair, or even brilliance, came from applying the rules and then breaking them. Our instructor left us with a simple instruction. To keep to the rules until we had learned every rule and good apply them without thinking, only then could we start to break them.

Finding your own individual style is just like striving for excellence in design. First you need to learn the rules and apply them without exception. Then, once you’ve educated yourself through following the rules, you break them and in the breaking you find the individual ‘flare’ that expresses the individual ‘you’.

Plus Size Trends in 2010

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:28:35 +0000

If youv’e seen my facebook page then you’ve already seen the picture of the torn stockings which are, apparently ‘in‘ for fall 2009 and 2010? According to who? I can’t imagine Tim Gunn telling me to go about with my stockings in tatters. Is that what they call ‘fashion forward’ these days? I was delighted to know that black is now ‘in‘ (hey guys, it’s never been out except in some cloud cuckoo land) and that designers are catering to our need for cheaper things to wear by reducing the number of items in their collections and using black and grey to denote the somber mood.

Do I need help to feel somber? No. I can manage that perfectly well for myself, thanks. And frankly from the look of Agent Provocateur latest collection I’d say they’d taken the ‘pared down’ thing a little too far. Two spots and a couple of chains for $290?

There are some trends to admire. Deep, rather than dark colors can give a wonderful feeling of warmth and luxury, deep purple’s and teals will be high on our list as we prepare for 2010 – but frankly they’re my favorites anyway. Here are some of the ‘rules’ we live by at Certain Style

Black is never ever ‘out‘.
Grey and navy always look smart
Torn tights and stockings may be fashionable but they look AWFUL, whether it’s called grunge or ‘distressed’
There are three colors in the ideal outfit, not just two
Business clothes require high contrast e.g. navy suit, ivory blouse, grey suit, white blouse, etc. etc.
As you get older brighter colors may suit you more – don’t get stuck in a rut
If something is ‘in‘ there is the instant implication that at some time it will be ‘out‘. If something is ‘classic‘ it’s never ‘out‘. Which makes the better wardrobe investment?
Red is much easier and fun to wear than people seem to think

You look best in colors that suit you Find out what these are – find out what the trends are and wear those colors from your palette which are, supposedly, ‘in‘ if that’s what makes you feel good. Otherwise, just wear what suits, as to whether it’s in, if you look and feel great, who cares?

When nothing fits – use a nightgown?

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:32:40 +0000

Helen - originally designed as a nightgown, makes a great evening gown!

Sometimes invitations come at the wrong time. You need to dress in a particular way but you can’t, perhaps you’ve had a stay in hospital or recently gained (or lost) weight or for any number of reasons you find you want to go somewhere and the appropriate clothes are hanging in your closet, but they don’t fit.

There are lots of ways to react to this

Rush out and buy more – if you have time, money and a local store that sells your size of the right sort of garment.

Buy from the Web – as above, if you have the time and can wait for the delivery.

Make something yourself. Have you done this before? Do you have the time? Maybe not then.

http://www.mccallpattern.com/ , http://www.voguepatterns.com , http://www.sewingworld.co.uk/Sewing_Patterns.html?gclid=CMCYgqbFkJYCFQXGsgodaAMxEg

Order something to be made – not as silly as it may sound – there are many ‘fashion emergency’ services to be found on the internet where you can get something made to measure in under two weeks, if you have the time, the money (there is usually a rush fee) and are willing to gamble that they will get it right. (Peggy Lutz at http://www.plus-size.com usually operates a fashion emergency service for size 12 and up (her 2X is equivalent to a size 36) and of course at Certain Style we are always happy to create something custom made to your size.

Decide not to go. This is defeatist and I’m ashamed of you. Hide your light under a bushel? Really that’s a no.

Go in what you have – much better. You’ve been invited for your company (probably) and your sparkling wit can sparkle in anything, so do your best and go anyway. This is great, and probably the ‘correct’ approach psychologically, but it’s not something I find easy. Try a variation.

You have got just the right thing. You looked in the wrong place. Look in your closet again. And your daughters and your husbands and your sons (if necessary, though probably to be avoided). Now look at your lingerie. Some garments are relatively ‘easy fit’ and far more forgiving of changes in size than others.

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Do you have a wrap? Silk wraps can be pinned in place to make supersmart tops for trousers.
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Do you have a camisole? These days underwear as outerwear is not just acceptable it’s fashionable. If the whole ‘what do I do with my bra straps’ thing bothers you – you can buy decorative bra straps from several internet sites.
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Do you have a nightgown? It’s easy to ignore the possibilities of nightgowns, but depending on the fabric these can be very versatile garments. Nightgowns are rarely designed to be tight fitting, and with the right underwear and jewelry can make sophisticated evening or cocktail dresses as you can see in our picture.

Do you have a shawl or a sarong? Shawls can be pressed into service as evening stoles while throws can be used as capes or wraps in a fashion emergency. Sarongs don’t have to be kept for the beach. Tied correctly they can make fabulous dresses. http://www.sabinesarongsplus.com/

Clothes can have more than one use, think about that when you buy, and like Cinderella you can always go to the ball.

Fall Fashion Preview From Head To Toe

admin — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:22:51 +0000

There is a chill in the air and the leaves are starting to turn. Fall is here. Make sure you are ready from head to toe to feel and look great this season!

Starting at the top, hair. Think of going a little darker or adding in some low lights to warm up you color. Bangs are the way to go look for the style that best suits you. Bangs frame your face and give your style a pick up without a major change.

Time to go to your favorite make-up counter and stock up on wonderful colors for fall. Think dark purples for the eyes and more browns and burnt colors for the cheeks and lips. Keep it subtle but fun. Remember you can accentuate your eyes or lips not both. So, if you go for a dark smokey eyes make sure to have neutral lips. Conversely if you are wearing a fun crimson lipstick play up your eyes but keep the color to a minimum.

A scarf is the perfect fall accessory. Look for one that is wide enough to be used as a wrap if necessary but still light enough to be worn as a scarf. This will give you versatility. Look for a color that will translate with much of your wardrobe. My favorite color is purple so I use merlot colored accessories that are neutral enough to match almost anything but give me that little flare.

As far as clothing look for things that make you feel great. Fall is all about being cozy, embrace it. Find fabrics you just can’t stop touching that will feel great on your skin. Flowing lines and fun layers are a must this fall!

For nails the color is silver and gray. Have fun with it. Do a charcoal on your toes and a flat gray almost white on your fingernails. Remember lighter colors show chipping less, so toes are best for the darker colors. If you are feeling adventurous go for something with some iridescence and sparkle. Hold the bottles up to your skin to make sure you find the shade that goes best with your skin tone, if you cannot decide ask your girlfriend or manicurist for their advice.

One of my favorite parts of fall are boots! Look for lots of structure and a functional look. We will be seeing more cowboy and riding boots this season. Just remember not to over do it, your looks should be inspired by the ranch not functional for it.

This will be a fun fall, full of color and fashion. Stay tuned to be sure you have that Certain Style…

Should nightgowns have sparkle?

admin — Sat, 30 May 2009 17:41:10 +0000

Our boudoir bra and skirted panties with matching chiffon wrap.

Here at Certain Style we’ve been having a difficult day. One of the items for our new range is a simple sleep ‘bra’ and we wanted to make a short robe to go with it, but we can’t agree on the fabric. When you’ve made something very brief and lacey do you want to cover it up? If you choose something with sparkle might it look more like a costume than regular nightwear, and if so, is that necessarily bad?

It’s probably no surprise that ‘costumey clothes’ get the vote of all the men in this organisation – I personally like a bit of sparkle on most things; after all we already have a very popular organza robe with tiny embedded crystals – but we decided not to go for it. I’ll post the picture when it’s available and you tell me if you agree, there’s plenty of room for sparkle, even in an elegant bedroom.
– Update- we’ve just added the picture of the final ensemble. What do you think? Should we have gone for the sparkle?