Crystal Renn gets "Shopped"

Hastily gathering my things to run out the door this morning I had one ear on the television set when I heard a teaser for a story involving Crystal Renn. I ran out of the bathroom to see what news Crystal Renn was involved in and why The Today Show was airing it. Unfortunately all I got was the general summary that Crystal Renn was upset because some of her most recent photos had been Photoshopped. I had to leave for work before the full story.


So here is what I could find online of what's going on. Apparently the people over at Glamour and Passion for Fashion think Crystal Renn is perfect for their campaign. Just not as perfect as they could make her with a skilled retoucher. Crystal says she was "shocked" when she saw the retouched photos and is being very open with the fact that she has not shed a bunch of weight. Still shots from video of the shoot have been posted up against the retouched photos to prove Crystal is still the plus sized gal we all love. Read more about the ordeal at the frisky.

Kate Dillon - An Intelligent Model (and she's plus sized, too!)

A little inspiration this morning : "I really belelive that if you're being the person you want to be, you'll care less about looking like the person everybody says you should look like."


A very intelligent and inspiring article about Kate Dillon, a plus sized model who speaks about her struggles and just trying to get into a normal life. Beautiful, smart, witty, she is quite interesting.

Read the full article here.

Standing Up for Yourself

I came across an article on Shine from Yahoo titled "Overweight and Proud : Standing up For Myself." I'll admit I wasn't looking for anything having to do with weight loss or plus sizes, a link from a Blake Lively photo shoot took me to the site and I just happened to find the other article.

I'm not going to recap the whole article for you, but the gist of it is that this writer, an overweight woman, was ridiculed at the grocery store for being overweight. Specifically, someone yelled "Lose some weight," as they passed by in the parking lot. The writer decided to confront the shouter and the article basically concludes with the idea that she was proud for standing up for herself.

So I got to thinking about how I felt regarding this situation. Luckily, the only time I was ever ridiculed for my weight was during one of those weekend long super important football games in college, by a very intoxicated sorority girl who then proceded to fall in the middle of the bar and get kicked out. So I can't say that I have ever felt the rage that this writer must have felt towards the stranger who embarrassed her. Skimming the comments in this article makes me see that we still have a long way to go with fat discrimination and that standing up for yourself, no matter what you look like, is something you can and should be proud of.

Many of the commenters in the above article are saying things like, "Yeah, that woman was rude, but you shouldn't be proud to be overweight, it's unhealthy." Well, what do they know? How do they know that this extra weight is actually unhealthy on her frame? How do they know she's not already working out, already eating healthy? And so what if she's not doing any of that? What if she is choosing to be the size she is?

Why do people assume that because you are overweight you are ashamed of it? I know exactly what contributes to my extra weight. It's my love for ice cream. And everytime I go to the doctor I ask if I need to lose weight and they tell me not if I'm exercising already, which I am. So, why should I convince myself that I'm not ok when everything points to that I am fine?

If you saw someone with pink hair covered in tattoos, would you feel compelled to yell something at them? If you saw someone dressed in religious clothing you were unfamiliar with, would you feel compelled to ridicule them? Hopefully most of you are thinking that you wouldn't, but the woman who yelled at the writer of this article probably does all of that. Some people just can't tolerate anything different from what they consider to me the norm. The fact of the matter is that this intolerance doesn't only have to do with your weight. It goes much deeper and expands much broader. Intolerance is ugly. It makes you much uglier than 15 extra pounds. If I have to choose between being intolerant and skinny and the way I am now, I'll take an extra scoop of ice cream tonight.

Lane Bryant Ads Stir Up Controversy and Publicity

I was all ready to scoop the heck out of this story last week when the controversy first reared it's ugly head. I was lining up with my pitchforks right along side the rest of the Lane Bryant and plus sized women supporters. But then I decided I wanted to wait. I wanted to give the networks a chance to make a statement, because I do have an interest in what they could have possibly been thinking. So I waited, and it turns out they have nothing particularly helpful to say. So here is the official Falling Off the Blog entry on the Lane Bryant lingerie ad:

For those who haven't already heard, Lane Bryant has revamped it's Cacique lingerie line and are wanting to run ads announcing it's new products. So, naturally they did their research and determined they would get their message to many of their customers if they air an ad during Monday night's Dancing with the stars on ABC. According to Lane Bryant, ABC did not want to air the ad, saying it was not appropriate for prime time. They eventually gave in and said it could air, but only in the last 10 minutes of the show. The reason they felt the ad was inappropriate was because the model "had too much cleavage," and apparently that could be a problem for viewers. Lane Bryant is also claiming a similar reaction to advertisers over at FOX when they tried to purchase a spot during American Idol.


Now Lane Bryant is crying foul because they feel like this is discrimination. The lingerie featured in the ad is pretty generously cut bras, panties, and chemises. They are also saying that both ABC and FOX have been running Victoria's Secret ads during the same slots they were trying to purchase. Victoria's Secret ads often show as much or more cleavage and skin. Lane Bryant points out that a fuller figured woman often has large breasts and that there is nothing offensive about the models body or how it is dressed. They claim the networks are discriminating because the model is plus sized.

Ok, so now you have the facts, as best I understand them. Here's where I go "Huh?" with all of this back and forth from the networks and Lane Bryant. I understand that the networks have the right to decide what could be offensive to their viewers. Yes, the model has more cleavage than an average television actress or model would have. But is it an offensive amount of cleavage? Heck no. Is the model doing anything, suggesting anything, or posing inappropriately? No. And remember that they were wanting to show this during Dancing with the Stars. Now, I'm no prude but sometimes the costumes, or lack there of, make even me uncomfortable. And that certainly has nothing to do with the dancers size, since all of the dancing professionals are very thin.

Here is what I think this means for our society and how it must change. Being plus sized I automatically jump to the side of Lane Bryant and the full figure woman. I would appreciate seeing an ad for Cacique lingerie during a show I watch from time to time and I think the model in the ad is beautiful. But I have to admit when I saw her I thought "sexy". In my opinion it wasn't offensive sexy, but sexy nonetheless. And then that got me wondering, do I think "sexy" when I see Victoria's Secret ads? The answer is that generally I do not. Now I thought that this was because I had seen those ads so many times that I had gotten used to Victoria's Secret models in their underwear so it didn't effect me. But the truth is that I don't personally find them sexy. To me they are pretty, beautiful, and certainly very fit, but not sexy. When I see a woman I think is sexy she doesn't look like a Victoria's Secret model. She is often curvier, with cleavage, and hips. So does this mean that as a society we still think that boobs = too much sex? Do we see a straighter, more up and down figure, and think tomboy? It's terrible, really, that just a minor change in the shape of a womans figure can change what you think of her without even knowing her.

So, I say air the ad, represent both sides equally and maybe we will get to a point where a curvy woman wont be such a shock for the audience. Maybe the curvy woman can catch a break and not have to worry that what she is saying, doing, or wearing is too sexy because she apparently already exudes sex because of her shape. And maybe in doing so we'll get the world to see that all shapes of woman are equally beautiful and equally sexy and if you're going to have a problem with seeing skin then it should be with seeing any skin on any shape.

To see the Lane Bryant ad click here.

To read some current articles about the controversy click here.

Christina Hendricks Named Esquire's Most Beautiful Woman in America

Fans of the hit television series Mad Men are very familiar with Christina Hendricks, the actress who plays the fiery and voluptuous Joan. In the past year or so Christina has been the topic of many tabloids and newstories, but not always about Mad Men's success. Often she has been targeted about her size. And by size I mean that she's not a size 2. Now, let me get this straight, Christina Hendricks is not plus sized, probably not even close. But she is very, very curvy, with hips and a large chest which looks oh so beautiful in the form fitting style's of the 1960's which she wears in Mad Men.

Perhaps you saw an article slamming The New York Times for calling Christina a "bigger woman" and somehow distorting one of her red carpet photos to make her appear wider. This isn't the first, or certainly the last, of attention you will see about Christina's size. The fact is that her size is sort of dividing the public. Many of us are crying "Finally, a beautiful, curvy actress we can relate to" while men are reminded of leading ladies from decades gone by who were often very voluptuous. And then there is the other half who, while entitled to their own opinion, need to realize that the stick thin models and actresses are getting just a tad bit played out.

Now, I for one am in the Team Christina camp, I have been following her since season one of Mad Men. I think she is not only beautiful, but witty, charming, and stylish. I feel a great sense of validation to see that Christina has been named Most Beautiful Woman in America by Esquire magazine. Yes, Esquire is a men's magazine. Perhaps this tells us a little something about what will turn a guys head nowadays. The interview with Christina is beyond informative, it's quirky and smart, too as she discusses her opinions on men, what habbits she would rather see go away and how she feels about what she finds attractive.


I think Christina Hendricks is a great model for woman everywhere. Too often we want to label her. Is she plus sized or isn't she? Is she too big, or is she just right? Is she beautiful or is she (gasp) fat? But when it comes down to it those are just words. Christina is who she is and that's the sexiest thing a woman can be.

Product Review - Old Navy Empire T Shirt

First, let me say that I have been a patron of Old Navy for over 10 years now. They often have cute things that I like to wear and even more often have the kinds of staples at the prices I need. I will always shop there as it is convenient, has my size, and will always be there.

However, I was quite disappointed with my recent purchase from their Women's section. They have quite a few new spring t shirts on their site, which is perfect for the climate in which I live. I am the layering queen so cute t shirts are great to go under jackets on the windy days and on their own on the sunny days. So, this cute striped shirt looks perfect for the upcoming warmer days. When I purchased it there weren't many reviews online and they were kind of mixed, so I took a chance. Now, checking back it seems most people are having the same problems with the shirt that I am.

Here is the rub. The colors are not as presented and the widest stripe on the shirt is white and placed right around your middle. When I first put it on (with no body shapers) I looked like I was wearing one those inflatable rings for the pool. Then, the "gathering" under the bust that appears to bring in the waist is not that at all. It's really a piece of elastic sewn into the shirt, about 3 inches long. The shirt does gather a bit right where the elastic is but does not bring in the waist at all. Basically it's a big striped boxy shirt and that's not usually a style that plus sized girls go for. I am keeping the shirt. I have found that with a dark camisole under it, it can pass for very casual weekend wear. But that's not really what I was intending to use the shirt for.

So, items fall flat sometimes. It's hard to shop online, right? Right. Except that what really irks me about this particular fashion flop is that it makes me wonder if the clothes are being misrepresented, as in are they being pinned on the dress form? I guess I'll never know, and as I said before this wont stop me from shopping at Old Navy. But I will have to keep in mind that things may not be exactly as they appear on their website. It makes me miss the days when they carried plus sizes in the store.

New Plus Size Shopping Site - Lucie Lu

Luck would have it that this new store some how found me. When an email came through last night advertising this store I knew that it would require further research. At first I thought they were associated with B & Lu, a rather well known plus sized apparel site because the names are similar. After some preliminary digging I can't seem to find any indication that they are in fact affiliated.

But what I did find was that they have absolutely gorgeous clothes for reasonable prices. This great new store is called Lucie Lu and they are brand new on the plus sized scene. They offer a variety of clothes including dresses, skirts, denim, knit tops, blouses and more. Their line offers a trendy and youthful vibe with a mix of elegant and classic pieces dotted in. A few of my favorites include the Adele Tunic, the Antoinette Dress, and the Patience Skirt, all seen below.

Their sizes vary by garment and can range from size 16-20, 1x-3x, and some styles even going up to 5x. Prices range from about $16 - $62.

The jury is still out on the fit and quality of this line as they are brand new, but I will definitely have my eye on them. I'd love to add another fantastic plus sized store to my list of favorites!

Perfect Jeans - Review

Every plus size girl knows that finding jeans can be one of the most gut wrenching tasks. Something as common as jeans shopping can be really quite traumatizing and not having a pair of jeans that you are comfortable in limits your wardrobe options. So when I determined it was time to throw out my old jeans last week I was dreading finding a new pair.

See, I've never quite found a pair that I loved, I jump around from brand to brand, buying different sizes, lengths, and washes hoping to find that one special pair that is made for me. And I know that when I find them I will never again have to search through millions of jeans. It puts a lot of pressure on the jeans shopping task.

When I found these Levi's online I knew I was interested. They are the Levi's 590 Women's Plus Fuller Waist Boot Cut Jean. I had loved Levi's jeans in college but hadn't tried any of the plus sized options as they were not easily available at the time. The reviews were good for these jeans, and the price just right so I went ahead and ordered them. They arrived and I quickly tried them on.

They are heavenly.

They are a beautiful dark wash with a boot cut leg. The boot cut isn't too extreme so it doesn't hug you in the wrong places. There is just enough room in the waist to let you breathe without stretching out too much. And it really hugs your butt in the best way, something that plus sized gals tend to love!

I found a couple of different prices on a couple of different sites (levis.com, amazon.com, macys.com) so be sure to do the price checking for your size and wash. They run a little long (perfect for me, but probably not so perfect for others) so order the short or plan to get them hemmed. I have washed and worn them three times now and they have bounced back beautifully every time. What a great find!

Vogue Introduces New Vogue Curvy Site

In what seems to be an effort to expand it's readership base, Vogue has introduced a brand new website just for the curvy ladies out there, Vogue Curvy. Since Vogue has long featured designers who do not often offer larger sizes and the skinny runway models who wear their designs, this is a great new expansion for Vogue. I am new to finding this website and there are a few things that made me raise an eyebrow (like since when have Liv Tyler and Christina Hendricks been considered large?) but overall this site seems to have legs. It has features of the lovely Tocarra Jones and Crystal Renn, two plus sized models, and some of their latest photo spreads, as well as fashion, beauty tips, and a blog. They also seem to have expanded the term "curvy" to mean plus sized as well as hourglass shaped, large chested, or anything really that doesn't put you into the super skinny model category, so there is a lot of variety here. I'll be keeping my eye on this site and hopefully you'll give it a chance as well!