ELEGANT PLUS CONTENT TAGS:Guest Article, Plus Size, Plus Size Clothing, plus size dresses, Plus Size Fashion, shopping guide, wedding guest Weddings

Brought to you by The Dress-Directory , Guest Contributor to Elegant Plus Magazine

It’s the time of year when the wedding invitations start coming in from all those wonderful Christmas, New Year and Valentine engagements.  If you aren’t asked to be a bridesmaid or maid-of-honor, it’s up to you to find the perfect dress to flatter your curves.

What You Need to Consider

The first thing to think about is the color.  Many full-figured women like to reach for safe, reliable black for special occasions, afterall there is a reason “the little black dress” is considered a classic, right?  Well, as a wedding guest consider breaking out some color.  In many social circles solid black, along with red and shades of ivory or white, is considered inappropriate and even insulting to the bride.  

Instead, choose colors that brighten your complexion, add sparkle to your eyes, and bring out the natural bloom in your cheeks.    This spring, for the more adventurous, bold colors like cobalt blue, vivid pink, bright orange, sunshine yellow and greens are available in solids, graphic prints and splashy florals.  For the more demure, try sandy neutrals, soft pinks and classic spring pastels.  Remember to keep prints and accessories in proportion. Fuller figures look best in larger prints and accessories, although shorter plus figures need to moderate that rule of thumb to accommodate a more petite stature.

The second thing to take into consideration when choosing your dress is the time of day and location of wedding and reception.  Is it indoors or outdoors? What are the average temperatures and humidity for the region in the spring?  Is the event in the it afternoon or evening?   Those choosing skimpier fashions might want to be sure to include a wrap or opt for a less skin baring style like a jacket dress or church suit for outdoor weddings in an area or climate that can be on the cooler side in the spring.

Finally, the last thing to consider is formality.  Did the invitation indicate a formal or black tie affair?  While most weddings are very formal for the bride, groom and wedding party, wedding guests are usually not expected to dress in full length gowns unless the invitation specifically states so.  Formal weddings and receptions are much more common if scheduled after 6pm in the evening.  Far more common attire is something appropriate for a special dinner out or your Sunday best.

Our Wedding Guest Dress Picks for Spring 2008

Young and Trendy

London Times Spring Green Silk Cap Sleeve Dress; Sizes 14-24W; $129.00; Where to Buy

Choose this pretty and vibrant spring dress in floaty silk chiffon that gently skims your curves without being clingy.  Gathered straps are bra friendly while the empire waist, above the knee styling, and on-trend color add just the right fashion forward pizzazz.  Add a simple bolero (or go bare if you dare), sparkly clutch and metallic strappy heels for a look that might just catch the Best Man’s eye!

Pretty in Pink

 Tiered Chiffon Jacket Dress; Sizes 6-24W; $139; Where to Buy

For the more mature wedding guest who likes modesty, choose this pretty tiered chiffon ensemble with delicate beading, organza ribbon trim and embroidery.  Baby pink is a classic spring favorite that can be spiced up with bolder, deep pink accessories or kept soft and feminine mixed with white.

Dance the Night Away

  Ruffled Surplice Dress; Sizes 6-26W; $99.99; Where to Buy

Kick up your heels and dance the night away in this deep teal green chiffon dress.  Faux wrap styling accentuates your curves while feminine ruffles add a little salsa va-va voom.  Mix in metallic accessories for extra spice. You won’t be short of partners at the reception in this number!

Designer Diva

 Lewis Cho Silk Jacquard Dress; Sizes 14-24W; $298; Where to Buy

Simple, sophisticated designer style is always chic at special events.  Choose this periwinkle jacquard shift dress by Lewis Cho for a subtle look of luxury.  You are sure to appreciate the fine tailoring and extra details like a back tie to keep the look sleek and flattering.

Black-Tie Wedding Guest

 Alyce Designs Black Label Dress 5146, Off the Shoulder Lace and Silk Chiffon; Sizes 4-28W; $398; Where to Buy

Black tie weddings require sophistication and elegance in your attire, and grown up styles are a must.  This gorgeous off the shoulder silk gown in rich navy blue is subtly glamorous.  Remember formalwear frequently must be ordered four to six weeks in advance, so plan ahead.

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About the Author

The Dress Directory is an on-line comparison shopping engine listing dresses organized by occasion (from casual to career to special occasion and formal dresses) and size ranges, offering options for juniors, misses, petites, talls and plus-sizes.

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For more plus-size dresses appropriate for wedding guests, check our sister plus-size shopping website Elegant Plus.

Popularity: 82% [?]

ELEGANT PLUS CONTENT TAGS:Events, fashion advice, fashion show, Liz Claiborne, Plus Size, style tips Tim Gunn

  Meet Tim Gunn, Plus See Great Fashion Come Down the Runway from Liz Claiborne

by Elegant Plus Magazine

 This just in from our friends at Liz Claiborne…….

One of our favorite fashion celebrities and the Chief Creative Director of Liz Claiborne, Tim Gunn, is bringing his fabulous eye for style to a town near you!  Meet “the man”, see a great fashion show and get Spring style tips to freshen your wardrobe.

So grab your best girl pal, sister and Mom and get yourself to one of the hottest fashion events to hit your town!

Popularity: 29% [?]

ELEGANT PLUS CONTENT TAGS:Confidence, Fashion, fashion show, full figured diva academy, full figured women, Hello Gorgeous, Natasha Bryson, plus models, Plus Size, Plus Size Fashion, self esteem stillettos and curves

Stilettos and Curves Traveling Plus-Size Fashion Show
Whistle-Stop: Detroit, Michigan

by Lisa Klobucar,  Hello Gorgeous! Self-Esteem Columnist at Elegant Plus Magazine

Curvy, rubenesque, voluptuous and zaftig are all words to describe the fuller figure. I had the good fortune to attend a fashion show Sunday night (October 21, 2007) at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan that celebrated women who embodied those words: the “Stilettos and Curves” fashion show. Not your average fashion show, Stilettos and Curves is part of a growing grass-roots self-esteem movement across the United States that marries fashion with plus-size models to show big girls can, do, and deserve to look fabulous.  It joins the likes of the pioneering Hips, Heels and Curves Tour from DeVoe Signature Events out of New York City, the Simply Couture Tour out of Los Angeles, and the Divabetic Tour, to name just a few, that are criss-crossing the country, plus numerous local and regional shows that are shouting this positive message from the catwalks. Mo’Nique may have taken the movement sleek and Hollywood style with her enormously popular Fat Chance televised plus model boot camp and competition, but this type of urban event is where it all started.  This wasn’t just a simple fashion show, it was a fashion EVENT!

To see gorgeous, big girls, not just walking the runway but strutting their stuff in glamorous, well fitting and stunning clothes was truly exciting. These ladies knew they looked great and their confidence showed in the way they came down that runway. Outfit after outfit was presented on models of varying sizes and shapes, none smaller than a curvaceous size 14 with sizes as large as 30, while every shape of curves from apple to pear was dressed to kill. No matter the outfit or the model it was a celebration of curves. No wafer thin, “Twiggy’s” on this runway! This was a runway for the woman of size, substance, and style.

This wonderful fashion extravaganza was presented by the Full Figured Diva Academy. Who knew that there was a place to celebrate the “Diva” in all of us?

Plus models strut their stuff at the Stilettos and Curves Fashion Show

The Show

The sell-out crowd was an awesome mix of men, women and children. They were all charged and ready to see this show. Once the lights dimmed, the clapping started even before the first model had appeared on the stage. There were two little boys there cheering on their mom as she walked the runway. Deafening enthusiasm washed around me as the models came out. Cheers, shouts, whoops and whistles were the order of the evening, both in appreciation of the fashions being shown and for the models themselves.

The fashion show featured clothing from local stores, so the outfits were very accessible and affordable for anyone attending. Most of the stores were all very familiar big name brands like Lane Bryant, Torrid and Ashley Stewart to name a few. In every color of the rainbow, the clothing styles ranged from business attire, to casual weekend wear. There was even a section on formal evening wear. I saw several dresses that I would love to wear for some holiday gala or New Year’s Eve party.

While there were outfits that could easily run into the hundreds of dollars, there were also plenty of outfits for every size and budget imaginable. The fact that all the Divas were various shapes and sizes brought home the point of there is a outfit for every size. One of the models, Relita Clarke, has been a runway model for six years and she’s always been a plus model.  She told me, “I love being in an organization where everyone looks like me and to have that empowerment is a wonderful thing. We are trying to send the fashion industry a message. A message that not only thin women can do this.”

The one thing that really stood out with Stilettos and Curves Fashion Show was that each model wore colors that complimented her. In the big runway shows you never see that kind of nod to reality. The designers usually put the models in whatever fits best, applies make-up, and doesn’t worry about color. This show took the time to showcase clothes that put the models in the best light not only for the styles being displayed but for them personally, just like real women in the audience who were looking to them for inspiration ought to do.

For this big girl sitting in the audience and watching these women walk down the runway I felt exhilarated and inspired. The Divas looked great and they knew it, it showed on their faces. The audience loved the way the models looked as it was hardly ever quiet with clapping and shouts of encouragement throughout the hour and a half show. I have to admit after watching the Divas come down the runway, I felt the need to strut my stuff as I walked out the door.  I think their mission was accomplished.

    
All shapes of curves shown in casual and eveningwear

 

The Women Behind the Show

Natasha Bryson, 30, is the director of the “Diva Academy” and she also runs Gemini Modeling and Talent Group in Baltimore, Maryland. Natasha has graced the runway in many shows and is not your typical big girl. In fact she is not a big girl at all. She’s an extremely slender woman, but she’s in our corner. Natasha’s recognition for the need of big girl fashions prompted her to open the Full Figured Diva Academy several years ago. The Diva Academy includes a four week boot camp for aspiring models and women who just want to learn to strut their stuff and improve their confidence and fashion sense. Like most plus-size fashion and model boot camps, Diva’s are taught to not only walk the runway but also how to wear the clothes and how to walk confidently in 3 inch heels. Also included are makeup and hair tips that can be applied to your everyday life, not just on the runway.

I asked Natasha how she finds her Divas?  “Our advertising is pretty much a grass roots effort with email and radio spots, and of course word of mouth. Many of our Divas have come to us from friends of friends.”  The success of such methods was all around me Sunday night with a packed, sold-out show  which truly speaks of the hunger and demand for such shows in opposition to our “thin is in” culture. Natasha ‘s attitude in regards to all women shows when she says things like, “My goal is to have women feel good about themselves no matter their size. I feel that you have to work with what you have been given and improve on yourself from there.” Following up on the self-esteem message of these grass-root shows, Diva Tammara Zanders (Sponsorship Coordinator) added, “we are striving for a consistent presence not only in fashion but in ourselves.”

Don’t think that all these women do is walk the runway, they all have careers outside of the Academy too. For example, Kimberly Badru is one of the original Divas. She has been with the Full Figured Diva Academy for three years, but she is also the director of a catering company. Kimberly became involved with the Diva’s not only for herself but to give her daughter a positive role model. She wants to show her daughter that she can be and do anything she sets her mind to in life.

    
Trendy business wear and classic evening
styles come down the runway

The Tour

The Full Figured Diva Academy is currently on tour showcasing “Stilettos and Curves.” The tour has been to Pennsylvania, Virginia and Michigan. The next stop on the tour is Maryland. While in Maryland they will hold a four week, two hours a day boot camp and then present the fashion show with the local Divas who attended the boot camp as well as the national Diva’s who travel with the show.

So are you ready to be a Diva? Or maybe you just want to check out the next fashion show. You can find out more information by clicking here.

Popularity: 42% [?]

ELEGANT PLUS CONTENT TAGS:colored tights, Fashion, full figured, hosiery, Plus Size, Plus Size Clothing, Plus Size Fashion, plus size fishnets, plus size tights stylish tights

Colored and Patterned Tights in Plus-Sizes 

by Elegant Plus at Elegant Plus Magazine

Plus-size tights can be some of the hardest items to find, especially over Queen sizes and especially in colors other than basic black. Fun patterns like diamonds or fishnets, you’re kidding right?  But every fashionista knows that colored tights not only keep you toasty warm as a layering piece in fall and winter, but also can make an outfit go from ho-hum to fabulous. Plus, tights really are a must-have under wide-calf boots since they hold up better than finer weight hosiery.  Sizing is always a challenge with some manufacturers opting for the classic hosiery height and weight charts and others using dress sizes.  Height and weight chart sizing can be tricky with plus-size pears needing usually to go up at least one size from what the weight chart indicates, due to carrying a majority of their weight on the bottom half.   Sizing charts that follow dress or pant sizes usually are closer in size for all plus body types Here are a few of our favorite spots for colored or patterned tights to fit curvaceous, full-figured legs. 1. We Love Colors Topping the list is a fabulous shop called “We Love Colors”….. and boy do they!  They have 45 colors to choose from in their plus-size solid opaque and fishnet tight lines, plus eleven tie-dye colors and even striped tights for the wilder and more adventurous curvy cutie.   Their sizing chart goes up to a 4X which is determined by height and weight charts. This shop gets 5 stars for variety and a realistic size range. 2. One Stop Plus One Stop Plus gets our vote not for color or pattern variety so much as size range.  With colored tights available in season at a very reasonable price, this shop regularly stocks opaque tights in sizes up to 6X.  While the usual black, brown and navy blue are reliably available here in fall and winter months we’ve also spotted hues like crimson red, pearly gray and hunter green in the mix from time to time.  Worth a stop if you are a larger or super-size diva. 3. Torrid Who could leave the trendy plus retailer Torrid off the list when talking about fashionable and stylish leg wear?  This is THE shop that can be counted on to keep up with the latest ultra-trendy trends in plus-sizes.  Right now this translates to fishnets, footless tights in lace, patterns, metallics and stripes, sexy thigh highs and, of course, curve smoothing Spanx.  Sizing varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but most fit up to a size 4X.

Click here for more plus-size hosiery listings.

Popularity: 26% [?]

ELEGANT PLUS CONTENT TAGS:career, fashion careers, model agents, modeling agencies, plus models, Plus Size Plus Size Fashion

So You Want to Be….. A Plus Model Agent

by Monica Rasso, regular contributor to Elegant Plus Magazine

 For seven years I worked as a plus model in Florida. Then I had the opportunity to move to the modeling mecca of New York City. Within two weeks of signing with my agency, the agent in charge of the plus-size division decided to leave the company and start her own agency. I began to ask questions to the owner of my agency about how one becomes an agent. We ended up in a discussion about the position, requirements, and everything else that one would do in a typical job interview. She hired me on a trial basis until she saw the results of my dedication, business skills, and industry knowledge. 

How to Get Started

Since the plus division was new at my agency, I really got the chance to build it from the beginning. In the simplest terms, a modeling agent is someone who books jobs for models. But there is much that goes on before booking a job! Some agents, in conjunction with the agency owner, also get to select the models for their division. I held open calls at my agency and did all the advertising to find models. Models are the “product” of the agency that we sell to our customers. The “customers” include companies that need our models for advertising, fitting, or marketing purposes. 

A great agent must have terrific business and management abilities along with strong morals. I had to earn the trust of my models by being consistent, honest, and hard working. To earn the trust of the companies (our customers) I had to be business savvy to make deals and also provide them with reliable, well-trained models. Both the models and the companies have to be convinced that you know the industry and how to do your job. So how do you learn to be a modeling agent?

As a new agent, I had to find models and find jobs for them. I searched modeling websites (such as the Elegant Plus Models and the Elegant Plus Job Board), advertised open calls in local publications and online, and took walk-in appointments. When I signed a model, they had to commit to getting the minimum amount of photos that I needed to advertise for them. This usually involves having a clear headshot, full body, and some other photo such as something outdoors or in a location like an office….just something unique! The only expenses a beginning model should have to pay for is good photos and composite cards, which can run as high as a couple of thousand dollars depending on the photographer chosen. An agency will typically refer photographers to use and some agencies even have their own in-house photographers. A model usually has to pay for these services upfront herself, although some agencies will allow the model to sign a contract and have the cost of the photos and composite cards deducted from their first paycheck. Without good photos, the model may not be selected for a job. Without a composite card, the agency has no way to show the model to their customers! 

So, what did I look for in a model?

In selecting models, I mainly did not want two that had similar looks represented by my agency. When judging looks, I wanted a variety of ethnic backgrounds and, of course, very beautiful women with great skin, hair, and smiles! I needed a variety of sizes from 12-26. The most common size that customers wanted was a 14-16. Now the popular size for plus jobs is more often size 16-18. Height is also important. I selected taller models in the range of 5’8” to 6’. There are exceptions to this height requirement for fit models, especially if a company needs a size 22 petite to fit! The agency will develop models that the customers need. The most demand is for women with evenly balanced proportions, or in other words, the classic hour glass shape. But, there are a variety of shapes and sizes of women that a modeling agency may need to have available, depending upon the demands of their clientele. 

If you are an aspiring plus model reading this, remember, agencies are a business.  If they reject you IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE NOT A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN.  It simply means the agent does not believe they will be able to find work matching your particular look, or that the agency already represents someone with a similar look.  Great self-esteem that can take hearing “no” more often than “yes” is a requirement for success in this industry.

Networking and Locating Work for Models

After I had a book of just six models, I began to work on my relationship with customers. I called companies in the area that use plus models for their advertising and fitting needs. I told them about my company, our goals, morals, and opened a discussion on their needs and how we could satisfy them. I used any source that I could find in order to find jobs for the models. These sources included newspapers, online websites, and word of mouth recommendations. 

Once I had models and a few customers interested, I had to make sure our contracts were in order and that the models would be protected when going to a job. I would never want to place a model in a situation where she could be in danger! We checked the background of our customers and made sure contracts were properly signed so that we would get paid. So how much do we get paid?

Payscale and Hours

Modeling agents are typically paid a percentage of the fee charged to customers. So, if I am not booking jobs for my models, I am not getting paid. There are laws that regulate how much of a models payment the agency can keep. My agency took 20% and I received 15% of that. I received a higher amount than some agents because I worked for free until I had my book of models and clients established. There are other ways to make money in the agency besides just commissions. I was paid a portion of the in-house photo shoots that I supervised and served as a “mini stylist” to get the shots that I know will be marketable to our customers. 

The hours that an agent works are varied. I was able to work during business hours usually from 10am to 6pm, but I always made my own schedule. Again, if I’m not booking jobs, I’m not getting paid, so it was in my best interest to be at the office searching for models and booking jobs! Sometimes I would come in on a Saturday or Sunday to host an open call. And occasionally I would show up at a photo shoot to ensure that the photographer knows how to shoot plus-size women to their best advantage. But I could write a whole article just on shooting plus-size models! 

In Conclusion

Working as a modeling agent can be a stressful job, but overall it is very satisfying if done well. In an industry where morals are sometimes compromised, you have to commit to yourself to never cheat a customer, model, or your agency. The money is there to be made depending on how smart you work. You don’t have to work hard, you have to work “smart” by concentrating on the activities that will get you paid. Those activities involve keeping your models, customers, and boss happy. An agency is only as good as the reputation of its owner, agents, and models. 

If you are willing to work hard, sometimes for free until your book of models and customers is built, go talk to a local modeling agency. You can call the owner or manager and set up an appointment for an interview. If they see that you have the drive, determination, some industry and business sense, you might just land a rewarding job as a modeling agent! In any job, remember to commit to being the person that you want to be and never forget who that person is! The modeling industry is competitive, and getting the jobs for your models will be competitive too. If at the end of the day you can say that you did your best, then you’ve done enough. Good luck!

© 2006 Monica Rasso

Popularity: 20% [?]