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Diane's plus size fashion blog - June 2013

June 28th - Tall Summer Story

It irks me that many Retailers do not fully describe their clothing in terms of dress length, back length, trouser length, or state the height of the model wearing the item of clothing (to enable the customer to make a quick comparison judgement on what the item may look like on them).  Without this vital information they are really ignoring both petite and tall customers, and that means loss of sales.  I poured over countless retailers to gather information for this blog post.  I was looking for clothing to fit a tall woman and in a range of plus sizes.  It was frustrating at times to find interesting items of clothing but have access to only incomplete information about the full body measurements of the garments.  Retailers get your product information updated please!!!

How many times have you ordered a product to only discover that it is not long enough  (in my case no information on back length is my major bug bearer) and you then have the bother of posting it back -.even worse if you have to pay for the return postage!!  If you are like me I am sure you hesitate to buy from that retailer again.  Come on retailers take note - by not stating the vital stats of your clothes you are losing potential sales.

I have put together a few summer looks for the Tall lady and am glad to say that retailers such as Evans, SimplyBe, Long Tall Sally and Curvety have some very on trend key pieces for your Tall Summer Story in 2013.  It may surprise you just what is out there for the tall and tall plus size lady.  Other retailers take note.  Tall girls can never have enough choice.  Help us chose you the next time we shop.  Tell us more about your clothes and offer a range proportioned for 5'9" and taller.

As recommended by Diane

Being tall has many advantages.  I am 5'9" tall and it is the one thing about my own body that I would not want to change.  I am happy being tall.  Tall girls can break lines with ease because we do not have to worry about cutting ourselves short!  We do not need to elongate our presence any further.  What easier way to break a line than by wearing different coloured shoes from the colour of our hem or trouser line.  We can add interest to and vary the look of our separates by wearing different and co-ordinating patterns and prints, and the narrow frame tall lady (in particular) can pull off horizontal stripes with ease.  Without further ado here are my recommendations for your Tall Summer Story.

Look 1 - Lazy Summer Sunday

On trend breton stripe effect tube skirt available from Long Tall Sally

Available up to size 24 - €54.00 Click Here to Buy

Wear this skirt with the white collarless denim jacket below (body length 23″).  Jacket from Long Tall Sally.

Available up to size 22 - €74 Click Here to Buy

I think that the red wedge sandals from Evans, with the 7cm lower heel, are a great on trend find to complement this look and to wear with a few other looks I have detailed below.

Available up to size 10 extra wide fit - £45.00 Click Here to buy

and to finish this look wear with a simple tee shirt.  I found this long length tee shirt from Long Tall Sally with a body length of 30.5".  The shirt comes in 3 colours - citron, white, and raspberry

Available up to size XL (22/24) - €32.25 Click Here to buy

 

Look 2 - Office Day to Evening Meeting

This look can be worked in a number of variations .e.g. the trousers can be worn with the white shirt and either the red wedge sandals or the black patent court shoes (both looks with black patent clutch bag).  Clothing items from Long Tall Sally.  Red Wedge shoes from Evans.

                                   

Available up to size 22                              Available to size 22

leg lengths 34", 36", 38"

€88.00 Click Here to buy                        €51.00 Click Here to buy

Available up to size 10 X Wide

£45.00 Click Here to buy

or wear with black patent shoes

                    

Available from 7 to 11                   Available from Debenhams

€101.00 Click Here to buy          £18.75 Click Here to buy

The other look is to wear the black trousers with the black lace jacket and the red leather trimmed cowl neck top.  This look is more formal and therefore needs the black patent courts and clutch to set the look off.

Trousers, top and black patent court shoes from Long Tall Sally.  Lace jacket from Evans, and black patent clutch from Debenhams.

                     

 

                                                           Available up to size 24 (length 30")

€88.00 Click Here to buy         £45.00 Click Here to buy

 

 

Available up to extra large (22)

Also available in Black

€40.00 Click Here to buy 

                                                    

Available from 7 to 11                                                  Available from Debenhams

€101.00 Click Here to buy                                          £18.75 Click Here to buy

 

Look 3 - Meeting Girls for Lunch

I love this textured spot dress from Long Tall Sally and recommend wearing this with the red wedge sandals from Evans.

                                   

Available up to size 22                           Available up to size 10 x wide fit

€101.00 Click Here to buy                     £45.00 Click Here to buy

 

Look 4 - Wedding Guest or a Day at the Races

                                   

Available up to size 22                         Available from Chesca Direct

€101.00 Click Here to buy                    £99.00 Click Here to buy

Dress above and shoes below available from Long Tall Sally.  Clutch bag from Debenhams.

                                      

Available from size 7 to 11                          Available from Debenhams

€101.00 Click Here to buy                          £18.75 Click Here to buy

 

Look 5 - Holiday Essentials

Here are a few key items for your suitcase.  Swimsuit from Long Tall Sally, Shorts and Tee Shirts from Simply Be.

                                          

Available up to size 22                                  Available up to size 32 in denim, white, coral, and pale violet

€49.00 Click Here to buy                            €27.49 Click Here to buy (inside leg 8″)

I love these tee shirts from Simply Be and I think that they are good value.  They also come in a navy and white combination as well.  I am definitely buying these for my own holidays to Paris in August along with the shorts featured (I'm buying the white).

Available up to size 34 (body length 25")

€28.49 Click Here to buy

 

Look 6 - Evening Promenade

In the summer evening what better way to stroll along the promenade and shimmer in the evening sun with this purple dress from Simply Be and the silver flat sandals from M&S.

                                                    

Available up to size 32                                                        Available up to size 8

€62.50 Click Here to buy                                                     £19.50 Click Here to buy

 

and finally Look 7 - Going to the Ball

Dress from Curvety

Available up to size 36

£200 Click Here to buy

Break your line and wear with red heels from Cinderella Shoes, and statement bracelet from Madeleine Fashion.

                                 

Available from size 8 to 11

£114 Click Here to buy                                                    £37.46 Click Here to buy

I hope you have been inspired by my Recommendations this week in both blog postings for Tall Girls.  Diane

June 27 - Legs Eleven

June 20th - Tea at The Ritz
I had the great pleasure of having Tea at The Ritz (Piccadilly, London) recently. This was a truly wonderful and sumptuous occasion. The food, the ambiance and the surroundings were magnificent and worth every penny. It was magical to partake in one of the most elegant of British traditions - having Afternoon Tea (and at one of the world's oldest and finest hotels). I wore the dress you can see in the picture of me at The Ritz below which came from the Twiggy Collection at Marks & Spencer. I bought the dress in an online sale in March for approx. €30.00. This dress is no longer available but M&S have many affordable occasion dresses that will be equally as suitable for a grand afternoon occasion such as Afternoon Tea.

The dress code at the Ritz for women is modest elegance.  The Ritz is not the place to display cleavages, bare backs, tattoos, and bare legs.  Designer labels, however,  are not necessary to get the dress code right!  Have a look at my recommendations below.  I have selected my favourite dresses, shoes and bags to put together your Afternoon look.

As recommended by Diane

Look No. 1 - Dress, shoes and bag - complete look under €220
Dress from Curvety €142.95 available up to size 32

Clutch Bag to co-ordinate with café and cream dress

bag from Next €34

Shoes to complement look of café and cream dress from Dorothy Perkins €45 up to UK size 9 (43) 4" heels
Nude suedette with mink glitter effect on heel area

Look No. 2 - Dress, shoes and bag - complete look approx. €200

Available in Blue €142.95 up to size 32.


Also Available in Black €142.95 up to size 32

Look No. 3 - Dress, shoes and bag - complete look approx. €200
Raspberry Dress €145.19 available up to size 36

Nude colour shoes to complement black, blue and raspberry dresses. These shoes and the clutch bag below will also complement the café and cream dress to keep Look No. 1 to approx. €200
Available from Next in both WIDE and REG fit up to size 9 (43) €37

Nude colour clutch bag to complement black, blue, raspberry dresses and café and cream dress above €18


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Jun 15th - Welcome to my Blog @ www.plussize.ie

Hello Girls and welcome to a new blog for www.plussize.ie.  As you may already know the site has been running since 2008. This part of the site is now dedicated to women aged 30 to 60

The New Blog Format

I hope to feature my ‘as recommended by Diane’ on the site each week.  I am a customer of plussize.ie so I have a good knowledge of the Merchants and their product offer (I am 5’9’’ tall and a UK 18).  I am inviting Merchants to supply me with clothing, shoes, accessories etc. and I will review and talk about them on the site each week.

Even within standard sizing many women have above a standard size in bra size, leg length, shoe size, calf width etc.  The High Street often does not cater specifically for these needs.  In this new section I hope to bring you products that are beyond and above standard sizing.  Even if you do not perceive that you are a typical plus size customer, you may have an above standard size feature of your body that you cannot find the correct sizing for in the High Street.  At www.plussize.ie I intend to bring you advice and recommendations that you need in a one-stop-shop for all clothing, footwear and accessories etc.

Please follow me on Twitter and tell me what you think.  It is only by ‘chatting’ to each other that I can improve the Merchant and product selection offer for my customers.  Looking forward to working with you all.

(Follow me on Twitter - click icon or text)

As recommended by Diane - The Skater Dress

Available to buy from M&S up to size 22  - €54. click here to buy dress

In all I thought the dress was good value for money at €54 and quite possibly the value find for the summer to take you through formal and semi formal occasions.  The only negative comment I would make is that the dress is not lined.  When I wore the dress I bought an anti-static half slip.  This seemed to work reasonably well but I have since sent my dress to the dressmaker for her to line the skirt (just me being fussy - a good petticoat would suffice).  Even if M&S had of charged €70 or €80 for this dress (with a lining) it would still have been great value for money.  Big pity about the lining but a great find for the money.  I wore the dress on an evening out to Dinner with my husband.  The dress is versatile enough to take you to many summer occasions and it is made from a heavier weight viscose blend fabric so is warm for the summer evenings too.