Enter our Plus Size model search today!!!!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Anyone else annoyed with the ARE YOU FAT CLICK HERE banners?
I am sure many of my plus size My Space friends (many of whom I will never meet, but you are my kindred sister, nonetheless) have been on MySpace and noticed the below banner ad. Over the past few days, I think it is the ONLY AD that is running at the top of my screen. I own a company. I do banner ads. But, it never occurred to me - ever - hey, let's attract new business by INSULTING people. Let's call people FAT and then maybe they will say - hhhh......fat.....yes, you must be talking to me....I'm sorry, it took the word FAT to get my attention.
I clicked on the ad (I know, I shouldn't have) but I wanted to figure out who it was so I could tell each an every one of you NOT TO CLICK ON THIS AD OR BUY ANYTHING FROM THIS COMPANY. For many reasons, but primarily because I am flabbergasted at their total lack of courtesy towards their potential customers.
Now, before I go sounding like a hypocrite (a title I sometimes associate myself with)...I own a company - I sell plus size clothes. We have a MySpace page. It is important for us to constantly introduce our brand to our potential audience, so we spend a lot of time adding new friends in MySpace (and we hope our existing friends tell their friends about us). How do we find those
friends? We browse for women who have added "a little more to love" or "little extra" as that is our target demographic, not only for our clothing line, but for Curvy Girl TV, an online station launching in January 2009. I am sure this Acai Berry company paid a lot of money to advertise to that same little group with their banner ad (above). My husband, who is not overweight, does not see this ad (I checked). So, kudos, MySpace, you clutter my bannerspace with products and companies dedicated to getting me out of the plus size demographic. And believe me, I've tried. I continue to try. As many of us do for whatever reason we have. But, because I am overweight, do not assume I am stupid. Do not assume that you can insult me and that I will be eager to go buy your product, just because, gasp, god forbid I'm fat. I won't be buying your product. I will tell my friends, family, and anyone who listens - do not buy this product. I don't care if it works (most fad diets do) - I don't care if Oprah loves it (allegedly). Is this how someone would advertise to a non plus person? Would they say "Hey, skinny b!Tche$! CLICK ME!!" Maybe they would. The reasons advertisers do this is because IT WORKS. So, ladies, stop making it work. Stop clicking on the ad. Stop buying the voodoo and crazy fad diet products. Billions of dollars are spent each year on products that (for the average person) don't work or, if they do, they don't last. In my lifetime, I've probably lost (and gained) 200-300 pounds (if you count each swing of up and down) and spent thousands of dollars. It is a daily battle for many of us and a lot of us want a quick fix for a long term problem. Let's not make these companies any richer. Please. And let's not put up with their name calling any more. While the word FAT doesn't bother me, per se, it is the thought of this company questioning my intelligence that does. I will no longer pay people to insult me. Join me in this cause. When advertisers start speaking to us like our best interest (and not just our money) are part of their concern, we will start opening our wallets.
Below I have listed my version of the banner (and I'm not much of a graphic artist, I know) - please feel free to take it and put it on your site :)
As always - love your body - every curvy inch of it (and if you are in L.A. - join us at the Love Your Body Day on October 12th in West Hollywood where Chenese Lewis & Kim Coles are sure to put on one heck of an event for women of all sizes - encouraging all of us to love the body we are in...it's the only one we're gonna have)
~Lisa
Monday, September 1, 2008
Post your videos for consideration on CurvyGirl.tv - launching January 2009
My Curvy Friends!
We are proud to announce that we are launching CurvyGirl.tv (not associated with curvygirl(dot)com) in January 2009! We have been working for a while on having some good segments to coincide with our scheduled launch date.
If you have ever produced a video, you may understand the length of time it takes (and cost) to produce a good segment. Since we producing these segments out of our own pocket, we have had a limited production schedule. As time passes, we hope to obtain many sponsors to assist with the cost of producing quality segments.
The good news about Curvy Girl TV is that we are also relying on our audience to provide high quality videos for posting on the site.
We are looking for YOU, to help us submit the best content related to the plus size lifestyle.
Before you decide if you want to submit...here is our mission statement:
--------------------------
Curvy Girl TV and its curvy correspondents will fill a gap in today's media, reporting stories important to today's curvy woman (size 8+), with a special focus on the plus size lifestyle, a demographic almost ignored entirely in today's media outlets. Curvy Girl is committed to providing stories of depth that are equally entertaining, informative and inspiring. In addition to news and lifestyle stories, we will post funny skits as well as highlight plus size performers (singers, artists, actors, dancers, models, designers, musicians, stand up comedians, etc…).
All stories will be posted online at www.CurvyGirl.tv. In addition, they will be posted on several online sites that receive tens of thousands of hits per day, including MySpace, YouTube, CurvyGirlClothing.com.
Incorporated in 2005, Curvy Girl LLC is a lifestyle company catering to plus size women. Curvy Girl's first venture was www.curvygirlclothing.com, an online boutique taking the plus size fashion industry by storm. We offer fashion forward trendy styles, in plus sizes (12+). Our flagship store opened in Portland, OR in fall of 2007...
Curvy Girl LLC is NOT associated with curvygirl.com. To visit us, please check out www.curvygirlclothing.com. Look out for curvygirl.tv being launched in January 2009.
--------------------------
Videos should be under 10 minutes in length (same as YouTube). They should be of good quality (image and sound). They should not have profanity or nudity. One exception to profanity is performance art submissions. Sometimes comedy, poetry and sketch includes profanity - just tell us ahead of time so we can warn our viewers. Nudity, on the other hand, is not acceptable. Please understand that there is a fine line with respect to profanity - if we find the video to contain so much profanity that it is vulgar and of bad taste, we will not accept the submission.
The types of videos we are looking for:
- PERFORMANCE ART which can include: Stand up comedy, Sketch comedy, Poetry, Singing, Musical performance, Rapping (MC), Belly dancing, Interpretive Dance, Unusual talents (you know if you can do something that makes people want to watch), Hip hop dancing, etc...
- SKETCHES (COMEDY). If you've seen videos by Joy Nash or Eric Schwartz on YouTube or MySpace, you know what we are talking about. Funny and original sketches are wanted.
- FUNNY VIDEOS: Think America's Funniest Home Videos (minus the grand prize)...something that will make someone giggle. Did you fall down at your wedding? Did something happen on camera that will make us laugh...share it!
- FASHION & BEAUTY ADVICE. If you have some fantastic tips for the plus size woman with respect to makeup (how to apply it, what types of products to use) or beauty (what colors are going to be hot next season or styles). Are you a serious fashionista (not a part time one, but a hard core one) - this is something you could have a lot of fun with. Please consider that you should be well groomed in the video if you plan on giving beauty advice to our watchers! Make sure you are dressed nice with your hair and makeup done if you plan on giving advice on fashion or beauty.
- EXERCISE & NUTRITION. Oh dear me...here we go! Trying to tell plus size women to lose weight. AB-SO-LU-TELY NOT! But, as plus women who want to be as healthy as possible, we want to share healthy tips on exercise and nutrition tips to our viewers as much as we want to share Fashion and beauty trends.
- RECIPES. Do you want to be Martha Stewart for the day? (maybe a bad example)...do you have a favorite recipe you want to share? Pretend you had your own cooking show and show us how to make your favorite dish. Don't forget to include the recipe and where you got it from (i.e. grandmother, Betty Crocker, etc...)
- RUNWAY VIDEOS: Plus size fashions on the runway are always very popular. If you know of a local fashion show in your area - make sure they add plus sizes to the schedule.
- VIDEO BLOG: Do you have an interesting story? Are you going through something wonderful, scary, exciting, heart wrenching (or all of the above) in your life (i.e. marriage, divorce, pregnancy, death of close one, disease, new beginning, rehab) - share it on video. We will do a background check on candidates selected for this and obtain references. Are you an actress trying to make it on broadway or in Hollywood? A dancer? A singer? A comic? A cougar? A puma (a cougar in the making) ....share your story with us...
- DECORATING TIPS: Especially on a BUDGET. Tell us where to go to find the best deals on buying cheap things to decorate our homes. Or, give us tips on how to use what we may already have
- HOW TO VIDEOS: How to paint - how to dance - how to do origami...do you know how to do something you can share with other women?
- NATURE: Introduce us to nature. Are you the next Jeff Corwin? Of course, don't go messing with dangerous animals if you don't have the experience for it...
- BOOK REVIEWS: Important here. The author has to be a female size 8+ or the protagonist has to be a female size 8+. How will you know? Oh, you'll know. Review your favorite book. Tell us why you love it (or why you don't). Hit the important issues - how does it relate to ME (me being PLUS SIZE WOMAN).
That's what we are starting with. We are producing other types of segments as well (inspirational, interviews, red carpet events, movie reviews, etc...) in the Los Angeles area, but we are looking forward to seeing submissions from across the globe for the segment ideas above.
Important considerations:
You must own the exclusive rights to the video or have written permission to allow us to use it.
The video must highlight a woman who is at least a size 8 or above (28 inch waist). Yes, this is correct. The woman must have a PRINCIPAL role in the video (i.e. not just a small role).
Please use good taste with submissions. We are a plus size community and it is unlikely we will post submissions that are insulting to plus size women (i.e. a sketch that uses a plus size person as the target of a horrible weight based joke - where that is what the person submitting considers the "funny" of the video).
The video can not be a commercial for your product or service. It cannot include website locations or other messages sending people to your site.
We understand that size 8 and 10 women (even 12) are not considered plus size to the average woman. A size 8, 10 or 12 woman would probably not consider herself plus size. They are, however, a forgotten segment in the media and rarely represented on tv. Plus size modeling agencies consider any woman a size 8+ for their plus size division. As such, Curvy Girl TV is putting that size within our demographic as well. Those women don't deserve to be shunned by our community as well.
Please note: We will not provide compensation for the videos submitted. Submissions will not be returned unless you send a self-addressed stamped envelope with your submission.
A release form must be signed by the owner of the video prior to us posting it on our site.
Not all videos will be selected. We are selecting videos based on many factors, including (but not limited to): quality, length, pertinence to the size 8+ or plus size woman/lifestyle. In the future, we may allow users to upload their own video content - at this time, all videos will be screened and selected by Curvy Girl TV staff.
We are not allowing electronic uploaded submissions at this time. You can email us a LINK to the submission for consideration. If we like what we see, we will then ask you to mail us a DVD of the video so that our techies can upload it. DO NOT EMAIL US a video as an attachment - the email will be deleted.
This is your opportunity to shine as a CURVY ARTIST/PERFORMER.
If you don't have a video but want to produce one (maybe this is motivation to go out there and make one), here are some tips:
- Lighting is important - make sure the room is well lit
- Distractions are a no-no. If you are taping something in your house, try to make sure the baby isn't crying in the background (unless it's part of the video). Try and have a clean background (i.e. if you tape in your house - clean up first) :)
- Sound is key. Let me say again...sound is key :) We aren't expecting top quality in sound - but do the best you can - try and not tape segments outside if it is windy (the camera will pick up every gush of wind) unless you have the right equipment to minimize unwanted noise distractions.
- Keep it simple. We are dealing with videos 10 minutes or less - try and make your point in as few minutes/words as possible. Let your video and images also tell part of the story - you don't have to always tell us what you are doing (or why).
- Editing. If you have an edited video - awesome. We prefer you send it fully edited. That being said, we reserve the right to take any video and let our editor edit as s/he sees fit. Since the editor isn't cheap, it is unlikely we will edit too many viewer submission videos, but we may decide to do this from time to time. You would be aware of the edit prior to us posting the video.
HOW TO SUBMIT:
Mail your submission and signed release (DVD only - we don't have a VHS player!) to:
Lisa Toton - Curvy Girl TV - 716 S Los Angeles St 303 - Los Angeles CA 90014
You must print, sign and include a copy of our release as well as a Video information sheet (which lists the information about the video and the people in it). All persons in the video must be over 18 years old. If they are not, a parent or legal guardian must sign a special talent release on behalf of the minor:
http://www.bigriggs.com/CGTV_Adult_Model_talent_Release.pdf
http://www.bigriggs.com/curvy_girl_tv_segment_information.pdf
or
EMAIL a link to your YouTube video to curvygirltv@curvygirlclothing.com with title: VIDEO SUBMISSION. We will let you know if we would like you to submit a DVD submission of your video via mail. (we will still not accept video uploads even if we authorize the video prior to you sending it).
We look forward to receiving your submissions!!!!!!!!!! Please do not call to follow up on video submissions - if we have an interest in posting your video, we will contact you once we have reviewed your video (to make sure we have the proper forms and information about you.
We are proud to announce that we are launching CurvyGirl.tv (not associated with curvygirl(dot)com) in January 2009! We have been working for a while on having some good segments to coincide with our scheduled launch date.
If you have ever produced a video, you may understand the length of time it takes (and cost) to produce a good segment. Since we producing these segments out of our own pocket, we have had a limited production schedule. As time passes, we hope to obtain many sponsors to assist with the cost of producing quality segments.
The good news about Curvy Girl TV is that we are also relying on our audience to provide high quality videos for posting on the site.
We are looking for YOU, to help us submit the best content related to the plus size lifestyle.
Before you decide if you want to submit...here is our mission statement:
--------------------------
Curvy Girl TV and its curvy correspondents will fill a gap in today's media, reporting stories important to today's curvy woman (size 8+), with a special focus on the plus size lifestyle, a demographic almost ignored entirely in today's media outlets. Curvy Girl is committed to providing stories of depth that are equally entertaining, informative and inspiring. In addition to news and lifestyle stories, we will post funny skits as well as highlight plus size performers (singers, artists, actors, dancers, models, designers, musicians, stand up comedians, etc…).
All stories will be posted online at www.CurvyGirl.tv. In addition, they will be posted on several online sites that receive tens of thousands of hits per day, including MySpace, YouTube, CurvyGirlClothing.com.
Incorporated in 2005, Curvy Girl LLC is a lifestyle company catering to plus size women. Curvy Girl's first venture was www.curvygirlclothing.com, an online boutique taking the plus size fashion industry by storm. We offer fashion forward trendy styles, in plus sizes (12+). Our flagship store opened in Portland, OR in fall of 2007...
Curvy Girl LLC is NOT associated with curvygirl.com. To visit us, please check out www.curvygirlclothing.com. Look out for curvygirl.tv being launched in January 2009.
--------------------------
Videos should be under 10 minutes in length (same as YouTube). They should be of good quality (image and sound). They should not have profanity or nudity. One exception to profanity is performance art submissions. Sometimes comedy, poetry and sketch includes profanity - just tell us ahead of time so we can warn our viewers. Nudity, on the other hand, is not acceptable. Please understand that there is a fine line with respect to profanity - if we find the video to contain so much profanity that it is vulgar and of bad taste, we will not accept the submission.
The types of videos we are looking for:
- PERFORMANCE ART which can include: Stand up comedy, Sketch comedy, Poetry, Singing, Musical performance, Rapping (MC), Belly dancing, Interpretive Dance, Unusual talents (you know if you can do something that makes people want to watch), Hip hop dancing, etc...
- SKETCHES (COMEDY). If you've seen videos by Joy Nash or Eric Schwartz on YouTube or MySpace, you know what we are talking about. Funny and original sketches are wanted.
- FUNNY VIDEOS: Think America's Funniest Home Videos (minus the grand prize)...something that will make someone giggle. Did you fall down at your wedding? Did something happen on camera that will make us laugh...share it!
- FASHION & BEAUTY ADVICE. If you have some fantastic tips for the plus size woman with respect to makeup (how to apply it, what types of products to use) or beauty (what colors are going to be hot next season or styles). Are you a serious fashionista (not a part time one, but a hard core one) - this is something you could have a lot of fun with. Please consider that you should be well groomed in the video if you plan on giving beauty advice to our watchers! Make sure you are dressed nice with your hair and makeup done if you plan on giving advice on fashion or beauty.
- EXERCISE & NUTRITION. Oh dear me...here we go! Trying to tell plus size women to lose weight. AB-SO-LU-TELY NOT! But, as plus women who want to be as healthy as possible, we want to share healthy tips on exercise and nutrition tips to our viewers as much as we want to share Fashion and beauty trends.
- RECIPES. Do you want to be Martha Stewart for the day? (maybe a bad example)...do you have a favorite recipe you want to share? Pretend you had your own cooking show and show us how to make your favorite dish. Don't forget to include the recipe and where you got it from (i.e. grandmother, Betty Crocker, etc...)
- RUNWAY VIDEOS: Plus size fashions on the runway are always very popular. If you know of a local fashion show in your area - make sure they add plus sizes to the schedule.
- VIDEO BLOG: Do you have an interesting story? Are you going through something wonderful, scary, exciting, heart wrenching (or all of the above) in your life (i.e. marriage, divorce, pregnancy, death of close one, disease, new beginning, rehab) - share it on video. We will do a background check on candidates selected for this and obtain references. Are you an actress trying to make it on broadway or in Hollywood? A dancer? A singer? A comic? A cougar? A puma (a cougar in the making) ....share your story with us...
- DECORATING TIPS: Especially on a BUDGET. Tell us where to go to find the best deals on buying cheap things to decorate our homes. Or, give us tips on how to use what we may already have
- HOW TO VIDEOS: How to paint - how to dance - how to do origami...do you know how to do something you can share with other women?
- NATURE: Introduce us to nature. Are you the next Jeff Corwin? Of course, don't go messing with dangerous animals if you don't have the experience for it...
- BOOK REVIEWS: Important here. The author has to be a female size 8+ or the protagonist has to be a female size 8+. How will you know? Oh, you'll know. Review your favorite book. Tell us why you love it (or why you don't). Hit the important issues - how does it relate to ME (me being PLUS SIZE WOMAN).
That's what we are starting with. We are producing other types of segments as well (inspirational, interviews, red carpet events, movie reviews, etc...) in the Los Angeles area, but we are looking forward to seeing submissions from across the globe for the segment ideas above.
Important considerations:
You must own the exclusive rights to the video or have written permission to allow us to use it.
The video must highlight a woman who is at least a size 8 or above (28 inch waist). Yes, this is correct. The woman must have a PRINCIPAL role in the video (i.e. not just a small role).
Please use good taste with submissions. We are a plus size community and it is unlikely we will post submissions that are insulting to plus size women (i.e. a sketch that uses a plus size person as the target of a horrible weight based joke - where that is what the person submitting considers the "funny" of the video).
The video can not be a commercial for your product or service. It cannot include website locations or other messages sending people to your site.
We understand that size 8 and 10 women (even 12) are not considered plus size to the average woman. A size 8, 10 or 12 woman would probably not consider herself plus size. They are, however, a forgotten segment in the media and rarely represented on tv. Plus size modeling agencies consider any woman a size 8+ for their plus size division. As such, Curvy Girl TV is putting that size within our demographic as well. Those women don't deserve to be shunned by our community as well.
Please note: We will not provide compensation for the videos submitted. Submissions will not be returned unless you send a self-addressed stamped envelope with your submission.
A release form must be signed by the owner of the video prior to us posting it on our site.
Not all videos will be selected. We are selecting videos based on many factors, including (but not limited to): quality, length, pertinence to the size 8+ or plus size woman/lifestyle. In the future, we may allow users to upload their own video content - at this time, all videos will be screened and selected by Curvy Girl TV staff.
We are not allowing electronic uploaded submissions at this time. You can email us a LINK to the submission for consideration. If we like what we see, we will then ask you to mail us a DVD of the video so that our techies can upload it. DO NOT EMAIL US a video as an attachment - the email will be deleted.
This is your opportunity to shine as a CURVY ARTIST/PERFORMER.
If you don't have a video but want to produce one (maybe this is motivation to go out there and make one), here are some tips:
- Lighting is important - make sure the room is well lit
- Distractions are a no-no. If you are taping something in your house, try to make sure the baby isn't crying in the background (unless it's part of the video). Try and have a clean background (i.e. if you tape in your house - clean up first) :)
- Sound is key. Let me say again...sound is key :) We aren't expecting top quality in sound - but do the best you can - try and not tape segments outside if it is windy (the camera will pick up every gush of wind) unless you have the right equipment to minimize unwanted noise distractions.
- Keep it simple. We are dealing with videos 10 minutes or less - try and make your point in as few minutes/words as possible. Let your video and images also tell part of the story - you don't have to always tell us what you are doing (or why).
- Editing. If you have an edited video - awesome. We prefer you send it fully edited. That being said, we reserve the right to take any video and let our editor edit as s/he sees fit. Since the editor isn't cheap, it is unlikely we will edit too many viewer submission videos, but we may decide to do this from time to time. You would be aware of the edit prior to us posting the video.
HOW TO SUBMIT:
Mail your submission and signed release (DVD only - we don't have a VHS player!) to:
Lisa Toton - Curvy Girl TV - 716 S Los Angeles St 303 - Los Angeles CA 90014
You must print, sign and include a copy of our release as well as a Video information sheet (which lists the information about the video and the people in it). All persons in the video must be over 18 years old. If they are not, a parent or legal guardian must sign a special talent release on behalf of the minor:
http://www.bigriggs.com/CGTV_Adult_Model_talent_Release.pdf
http://www.bigriggs.com/curvy_girl_tv_segment_information.pdf
or
EMAIL a link to your YouTube video to curvygirltv@curvygirlclothing.com with title: VIDEO SUBMISSION. We will let you know if we would like you to submit a DVD submission of your video via mail. (we will still not accept video uploads even if we authorize the video prior to you sending it).
We look forward to receiving your submissions!!!!!!!!!! Please do not call to follow up on video submissions - if we have an interest in posting your video, we will contact you once we have reviewed your video (to make sure we have the proper forms and information about you.
Please vote for Miranda in the Shirley of Hollywood model contest!
To all our Curvy Friends!
Please help a curvy girl out and vote for Miranda Walz (and Curvy Girl) in the Shirley of Hollywood Sexy Model Search!
Many of you recognize Miranda as one of our models (she has been for over 3 years now), and the girls career is on fire! Since moving to Los Angeles (for college), she has been getting all kinds of work in this town! She's shattering the notion that women have to be at least 5'10"+ and a size 8-10 to get any work! At 5'7" and a size 14, this Curvy Girl is a force to be reckoned with! (and, yes, we know some women will say she doesn't look plus) but measurements don't lie! At Curvy Girl, we use all kinds of models, and Miranda is proof that the non standard model can find success! (we'd like to think we are a small part of that) :)
About the contest:
Curvy Girl Clothing sponsored Miranda in the 60 years of Sexy - Shirley of Hollywood Sexy Model contest. Shirley of Hollywood is one of the world's largest lingerie manufacturers and one of the few who have a very large plus size selection. I personally own a few pieces of Shirley lingerie and it is exquisite. Chances are, some of your own personal favorite lingerie was manufactured by Shirley of Hollywood. To celebrate their 60th year in the industry, they are sponsoring a huge model search to find the best "straight size" and plus size models out there. The models get a trip to the Bahamas, a shoot with a celebrity photographer and an appearance as a principal model in their 2009 catalog.
I am SHOCKED at the low number of plus submissions to this contest (no jab at Shirley here...but I know so many gorgeous plus size women who would rock out this contest) - so far there are only 5 plus size models posted (albeit, 5 of the sexiest women in the contest, if not THE sexiest) - so she has a great chance of a trip to the Bahamas (the top 5 plus models will go to the Bahamas where the winner is announced in September). The top 10 "straight size" women will be going to the Bahamas.
She could use your vote to help her win FAN FAVORITE (the voting that is going on right now). The actual contest voting should be up any day now.
You can vote for her as many times as you'd like - but try and go in and vote for her at least once if you can. :)
http://www.thebachelorguy.com/index.php?action=plugin&name=fullmodels&type=item&id=7
How does this help Curvy Girl? Exposure, of course! Not to mention, we receive a lingerie allowance for our store if she is chosen! (and the Shirley lingerie at our store sells FAST!!!) Have you seen their hot corsets!
XOXO,
Lisa, Laura & Mi'Lane
(and Miranda, of course!!!)
The photos represent the different types of products Shirley of Hollywood carries (corsets (their specialty), panties, costumes and stockings (including some ultra sexy body stockings)
What do you consider plus size?
So, what do you consider as "plus size"?
Industry standards say it is a size 14, but some people say a size 16. A size 14 has a 34 inch waist (a true 14, that is). Coincidentally, the average woman, at 5'4", is also a size 14.
If you look at the size charts of major plus companies, most will agree that a size 18 is a 38 waist and 46 hip and goes up or down about 2 inches per size. What you get when you shop at most of these places, however, is an entirely different story, but that is a different blog (rant) altogether.
Every day we receive tons of emails from our friends, fans, supporters (and some haters). And every single day we have discussions about what is "true to size", or even a more general question of - what is plus size. Most women will say they are a size 18, for whatever reason. Owning a plus size clothing company, I can give most of these women a once over and know that there is no way they would fit in an 18, but I keep my mouth shut. But, then, they start talking about how they USED TO BE PLUS SIZE or say something offensive about plus size people. And it irks me. A lot. I still keep my mouth shut and those close to me know exactly how hard that is for me to do. I want to drag them by the ear and go store to store and demand they put on an 18 pair of jeans without lying down, the use of a fork to assist in pulling them up or some serious squat thrusts. But I don't. Lying to me is not a big deal. Lying to yourself, however, is tired and pathetic. I'm offended when people don't accept being plus size. Like something is horribly wrong with it. Meaning, something is horribly wrong with me. Or maybe you just don't know that what you measure up to is considered plus size (again, I blame a lot of the clothing manufacturers for this and I wish there was consistency and industry standards).
I'm a size 22. I have a 42 inch waist. My measurements are 53, 42, 49. I don't apologize for my size but I could never look someone in the eye and say I was a size 18 and I would never look someone in the eye and deny falling into the plus size demographic.
This past week, we dealt with three women who insisted they were size 18 with the following waist sizes: 41 (close), 46 and 53. 53!?!?! What is interesting to me is that I hear from no less than 2 women per week with 50+ inch waists who say they are a size 18. Always 18, like clockwork. And who am I to say they aren't? I just say that at my store, a size 18 is a 38 waist and if you want to have a good fit, to use the measurement chart to determine your size. You see, even if I talk to you on the phone, my size 18, 38 inch waist pants will still not fit your 53 inch waist - the measurement chart still applies.
If EVERYONE is a size 18, then what is true to size? What is really an 18? Is it a 38 waist? Is it a 42 waist? Or does it matter? My vote is for womens clothing to be like mens - sell them by inches (i.e. 36x32) and then there is no confusion.
More importantly, what do you consider plus size?
Our principal model is a size 14 (34 waist) with a true hourglass shape (42, 34, 42). She is also 5'7", 4-5" shorter than the average model in height but 5-6" larger in the waist. As stated above, the average woman is a size 14 and 5'4". A size 14 is considered plus size, therefore, by using a size 14, we are reaching the largest audience. That is, if you consider the law of averages.
She can't walk into a store like Forever 21 and buy something unless it goes on her feet or on her head. She's too big for pretty much all of the items. Can she shop at most other large name shops? Yes, but there are also tons of stores and trendy boutiques that she cannot shop at. She understands the pain and frustration of a plus size woman and she identifies with being plus size. Why is it that some larger plus women refuse to accept her as plus size? Why is it that 1 in 500 emails is from someone who is irate because our model is not the same size that she is? Why is it that if a woman is not your size or larger, that she must not be plus size? Some days I feel that size 26+ women think size 26 should be the small end of plus size and that women smaller than them are "too skinny" to be plus size.
I am curious to how many plus women look at their Roaman's catalog when they receive it. And, admit it, most of us receive it. Did you notice the size 6 women they have modeling the clothes? Did it ever disturb you to see these women modeling things up to 9x? It disturbs me. Why? They are size 6.
Did you know that agencies consider size 6 (but usually 8) the low end of the plus model spectrum? Did you know they consider a size 14/16 to be the very large end of the plus model spectrum? We are talking about the larger (and more reputable agencies here). Call a large agency looking for a size 18 or 20 and it is slim pickings.
Did you know that there are several large online companies who use models who PAD themselves with "fat suits" prior to a shoot? Yes. It's kind of unnerving because the model can't even fit in the smallest size of the clothing she is representing. Why do they use them then? I know why. They SELL the clothes. If they didn't, they wouldn't use them over and over again. But why do they sell the clothes? No one knows but the consumer. So, you tell me why you are buying clothes from a website or catalog that are using models who are wearing inches of padding. I'm guilty. I buy from sites who use size 8 models.
We use a 14 as our core model, for many reasons. But, she's a 14. A size society recognizes as plus. Another favorite model of ours is a size 18 with the hips of a size 20/22. And she's got a rockin' body (and a rockin' personality we might add).
Are we opposed to using size 22+ models? Absolutely not. If they sell the clothes. We've done our research. We've used larger models. By and large, when we put our items on larger models, the clothes sit on the shelves longer. A lot longer. We change out the photos to a size 14/16 model and the clothes sell at a much faster rate. Larger sizes first. Go figure.
Someone tell me why!?!? I can just hypothesize. I sit back, a plus woman with plus relatives and plus friends in a plus world - and I can just shake my head in disbelief. As an entrepreneur, I need to do what sells because this is how I support the people I love. After enough trial and error, you go back to what everyone else is doing because your first goal is to sell merchandise.
This is kind of a random blog and I'm trying to piece my thoughts together, and it's hard to do. I want to hear from other people, other plus size women who have the same thoughts. It's so taboo to talk about plus size stuff and even more taboo to admit to falling in the demographic.
We get some (not much) slack regarding our models and their size and so I wanted to write something about it. I will say that most correspondence regarding our models is so positive and optimistic and it makes me feel like we are making small strides in getting "normal" or average sized woman to get the attention they deserve. My personal goal (above and beyond Curvy Girl, the clothing brand) is to get as much media attention as possible for our partners, models and curvy fashionista friends. Hollywood needs to show our children more women who have double digit pant sizes. Hey, throw us a bone. Give us a size 12-14 actress and make her a superstar. You'd give me a heart attack if you let a size 18 star in a movie or her own tv show, but I'm willing to risk it. You could kill me, of course, if you gave the main character a hot husband, of course, to make up for years of "plus" husbands with hot wives, but I'll go out in style! Someone, anyone....just put a size 16 on the cover of a magazine without the words "WORST BEACH BODIES" or "DIET SECRETS" below it. There are funny comediennes and funny actresses and funny models - all wanting to do tv, music, movies and commercials. There are some woman in big bodies with huge pipes - why aren't they on my radio!?! Convince writers to write parts for curvy women. Why? It is important for my 7 year old niece (and your daughers, nieces, sisters) to identify with a woman on her tv. It is important for her to understand that most women aren't size 0-2. Women come in all shapes and sizes.
But, first, it starts with us. It starts with us accepting that we are plus size. It starts with us taking our measurements and knowing what they are even if it means we might fall into that PLUS SIZE category. Let's not lie to ourselves and let's not lie to others. Are we plus size? Yes. Fat? Perhaps. A majority? ABSOLUTELY. And majority rules....let's use that power for something productive.
Most importantly - love your body - every curvy inch of it.
~Lisa
Industry standards say it is a size 14, but some people say a size 16. A size 14 has a 34 inch waist (a true 14, that is). Coincidentally, the average woman, at 5'4", is also a size 14.
If you look at the size charts of major plus companies, most will agree that a size 18 is a 38 waist and 46 hip and goes up or down about 2 inches per size. What you get when you shop at most of these places, however, is an entirely different story, but that is a different blog (rant) altogether.
Every day we receive tons of emails from our friends, fans, supporters (and some haters). And every single day we have discussions about what is "true to size", or even a more general question of - what is plus size. Most women will say they are a size 18, for whatever reason. Owning a plus size clothing company, I can give most of these women a once over and know that there is no way they would fit in an 18, but I keep my mouth shut. But, then, they start talking about how they USED TO BE PLUS SIZE or say something offensive about plus size people. And it irks me. A lot. I still keep my mouth shut and those close to me know exactly how hard that is for me to do. I want to drag them by the ear and go store to store and demand they put on an 18 pair of jeans without lying down, the use of a fork to assist in pulling them up or some serious squat thrusts. But I don't. Lying to me is not a big deal. Lying to yourself, however, is tired and pathetic. I'm offended when people don't accept being plus size. Like something is horribly wrong with it. Meaning, something is horribly wrong with me. Or maybe you just don't know that what you measure up to is considered plus size (again, I blame a lot of the clothing manufacturers for this and I wish there was consistency and industry standards).
I'm a size 22. I have a 42 inch waist. My measurements are 53, 42, 49. I don't apologize for my size but I could never look someone in the eye and say I was a size 18 and I would never look someone in the eye and deny falling into the plus size demographic.
This past week, we dealt with three women who insisted they were size 18 with the following waist sizes: 41 (close), 46 and 53. 53!?!?! What is interesting to me is that I hear from no less than 2 women per week with 50+ inch waists who say they are a size 18. Always 18, like clockwork. And who am I to say they aren't? I just say that at my store, a size 18 is a 38 waist and if you want to have a good fit, to use the measurement chart to determine your size. You see, even if I talk to you on the phone, my size 18, 38 inch waist pants will still not fit your 53 inch waist - the measurement chart still applies.
If EVERYONE is a size 18, then what is true to size? What is really an 18? Is it a 38 waist? Is it a 42 waist? Or does it matter? My vote is for womens clothing to be like mens - sell them by inches (i.e. 36x32) and then there is no confusion.
More importantly, what do you consider plus size?
Our principal model is a size 14 (34 waist) with a true hourglass shape (42, 34, 42). She is also 5'7", 4-5" shorter than the average model in height but 5-6" larger in the waist. As stated above, the average woman is a size 14 and 5'4". A size 14 is considered plus size, therefore, by using a size 14, we are reaching the largest audience. That is, if you consider the law of averages.
She can't walk into a store like Forever 21 and buy something unless it goes on her feet or on her head. She's too big for pretty much all of the items. Can she shop at most other large name shops? Yes, but there are also tons of stores and trendy boutiques that she cannot shop at. She understands the pain and frustration of a plus size woman and she identifies with being plus size. Why is it that some larger plus women refuse to accept her as plus size? Why is it that 1 in 500 emails is from someone who is irate because our model is not the same size that she is? Why is it that if a woman is not your size or larger, that she must not be plus size? Some days I feel that size 26+ women think size 26 should be the small end of plus size and that women smaller than them are "too skinny" to be plus size.
I am curious to how many plus women look at their Roaman's catalog when they receive it. And, admit it, most of us receive it. Did you notice the size 6 women they have modeling the clothes? Did it ever disturb you to see these women modeling things up to 9x? It disturbs me. Why? They are size 6.
Did you know that agencies consider size 6 (but usually 8) the low end of the plus model spectrum? Did you know they consider a size 14/16 to be the very large end of the plus model spectrum? We are talking about the larger (and more reputable agencies here). Call a large agency looking for a size 18 or 20 and it is slim pickings.
Did you know that there are several large online companies who use models who PAD themselves with "fat suits" prior to a shoot? Yes. It's kind of unnerving because the model can't even fit in the smallest size of the clothing she is representing. Why do they use them then? I know why. They SELL the clothes. If they didn't, they wouldn't use them over and over again. But why do they sell the clothes? No one knows but the consumer. So, you tell me why you are buying clothes from a website or catalog that are using models who are wearing inches of padding. I'm guilty. I buy from sites who use size 8 models.
We use a 14 as our core model, for many reasons. But, she's a 14. A size society recognizes as plus. Another favorite model of ours is a size 18 with the hips of a size 20/22. And she's got a rockin' body (and a rockin' personality we might add).
Are we opposed to using size 22+ models? Absolutely not. If they sell the clothes. We've done our research. We've used larger models. By and large, when we put our items on larger models, the clothes sit on the shelves longer. A lot longer. We change out the photos to a size 14/16 model and the clothes sell at a much faster rate. Larger sizes first. Go figure.
Someone tell me why!?!? I can just hypothesize. I sit back, a plus woman with plus relatives and plus friends in a plus world - and I can just shake my head in disbelief. As an entrepreneur, I need to do what sells because this is how I support the people I love. After enough trial and error, you go back to what everyone else is doing because your first goal is to sell merchandise.
This is kind of a random blog and I'm trying to piece my thoughts together, and it's hard to do. I want to hear from other people, other plus size women who have the same thoughts. It's so taboo to talk about plus size stuff and even more taboo to admit to falling in the demographic.
We get some (not much) slack regarding our models and their size and so I wanted to write something about it. I will say that most correspondence regarding our models is so positive and optimistic and it makes me feel like we are making small strides in getting "normal" or average sized woman to get the attention they deserve. My personal goal (above and beyond Curvy Girl, the clothing brand) is to get as much media attention as possible for our partners, models and curvy fashionista friends. Hollywood needs to show our children more women who have double digit pant sizes. Hey, throw us a bone. Give us a size 12-14 actress and make her a superstar. You'd give me a heart attack if you let a size 18 star in a movie or her own tv show, but I'm willing to risk it. You could kill me, of course, if you gave the main character a hot husband, of course, to make up for years of "plus" husbands with hot wives, but I'll go out in style! Someone, anyone....just put a size 16 on the cover of a magazine without the words "WORST BEACH BODIES" or "DIET SECRETS" below it. There are funny comediennes and funny actresses and funny models - all wanting to do tv, music, movies and commercials. There are some woman in big bodies with huge pipes - why aren't they on my radio!?! Convince writers to write parts for curvy women. Why? It is important for my 7 year old niece (and your daughers, nieces, sisters) to identify with a woman on her tv. It is important for her to understand that most women aren't size 0-2. Women come in all shapes and sizes.
But, first, it starts with us. It starts with us accepting that we are plus size. It starts with us taking our measurements and knowing what they are even if it means we might fall into that PLUS SIZE category. Let's not lie to ourselves and let's not lie to others. Are we plus size? Yes. Fat? Perhaps. A majority? ABSOLUTELY. And majority rules....let's use that power for something productive.
Most importantly - love your body - every curvy inch of it.
~Lisa
Offensive? MadTv Plus Size Fashion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4TSn8lXf58
Yes, it's MadTV. They poke fun at everyone equally but I failed to find the humor in this one...am I being too insensitive?
Are there any positive message videos on You Tube about plus size women? (yes, we know about Joy Nash's brilliant Fat Rant). Other than that, what is out there?
When searching for the terms: Plus size or curvy girl I seem to find women shaking their booties for the camera (whether they know they on camera or not), women feeding themselves or trying on clothes that are too small (someone is obviously enjoying this) or offensive material (offensive to me at least) - I'm assuming most of the material I'm disappointed in is not even posted by a plus woman trying to be a role model for other plus size women, but who knows....
Challenge for my Curvy Sisters - start posting videos with a positive message for other Curvy women to view....can ya do it?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Earthquake Safety
Usually when someone asks me, "What's shakin?", I reply, "my ass". Which is a lie. Everyone who knows me well knows that the only thing on me that does not shake is my rear. I would pay thousands of dollars to have it just shake a little.
I have lived in California for nearly a decade (in San Francisco and now in Los Angeles). In those years, I have managed to be out of town when small earthquakes hit. About 3 years ago, I was sitting at my desk and it moved (slightly). I was delighted, ecstatic in fact, when I knew it was an earthquake. I actually knew it was an earthquake and this was amusing to me. Other people in my office who have been through earthquakes in the past, however, were not as entertained as I.
So, here we sat in our Los Angeles Curvy Girl office on Tuesday, when my chair started shaking. Everything started shaking, including my backside. Then, our photo backdrop system was going crazy and starting to fall down. The building (a HUGE cement building) was shaking like nothing I have ever felt (or want to feel again). About 5 of us were in the warehouse and I was the only one who realized what was happening. I started screaming EARTHQUAKE and I told everyone to run downstairs and get out of the building. I felt that was the safest place to be.
Once we realized the 5.4 earthquake was behind us, I did some research on earthquake safety. Running out of the building during the shaking seems to have been a really bad idea.
According to and earthquake safety page, this is what you should do in case of an earthquake: I found thise information at the following web page: http://seagrant.uaf.edu/features/earthquake/index.html
Do you agree???????
What to do during an earthquake
1. If you are indoors, duck or drop down to the floor. Take cover under a sturdy desk, table or other furniture. Hold on to it and be prepared to move with it. Hold the position until the ground stops shaking and it is safe to move. Stay clear of windows, fireplaces, woodstoves, and heavy furniture or appliances that may fall over. Stay inside to avoid being injured by falling glass or building parts. If you are in a crowded area, take cover where you are. Stay calm and encourage others to do likewise.
2. If you are outside, get into the open, away from buildings and power lines.
3. If you are driving, stop if it is safe, but stay inside your car. Stay away from bridges, overpasses and tunnels. Move your car as far out of the normal traffic pattern as possible. If possible, avoid stopping under trees, light posts, power lines, or signs.
4. If you are in a mountainous area, or near unstable slopes or cliffs, be alert for falling rock and other debris that could be loosened by the earthquake.
5. If you are at the beach, move quickly to higher ground or several hundred yards inland.
I have lived in California for nearly a decade (in San Francisco and now in Los Angeles). In those years, I have managed to be out of town when small earthquakes hit. About 3 years ago, I was sitting at my desk and it moved (slightly). I was delighted, ecstatic in fact, when I knew it was an earthquake. I actually knew it was an earthquake and this was amusing to me. Other people in my office who have been through earthquakes in the past, however, were not as entertained as I.
So, here we sat in our Los Angeles Curvy Girl office on Tuesday, when my chair started shaking. Everything started shaking, including my backside. Then, our photo backdrop system was going crazy and starting to fall down. The building (a HUGE cement building) was shaking like nothing I have ever felt (or want to feel again). About 5 of us were in the warehouse and I was the only one who realized what was happening. I started screaming EARTHQUAKE and I told everyone to run downstairs and get out of the building. I felt that was the safest place to be.
Once we realized the 5.4 earthquake was behind us, I did some research on earthquake safety. Running out of the building during the shaking seems to have been a really bad idea.
According to and earthquake safety page, this is what you should do in case of an earthquake: I found thise information at the following web page: http://seagrant.uaf.edu/features/earthquake/index.html
Do you agree???????
What to do during an earthquake
1. If you are indoors, duck or drop down to the floor. Take cover under a sturdy desk, table or other furniture. Hold on to it and be prepared to move with it. Hold the position until the ground stops shaking and it is safe to move. Stay clear of windows, fireplaces, woodstoves, and heavy furniture or appliances that may fall over. Stay inside to avoid being injured by falling glass or building parts. If you are in a crowded area, take cover where you are. Stay calm and encourage others to do likewise.
2. If you are outside, get into the open, away from buildings and power lines.
3. If you are driving, stop if it is safe, but stay inside your car. Stay away from bridges, overpasses and tunnels. Move your car as far out of the normal traffic pattern as possible. If possible, avoid stopping under trees, light posts, power lines, or signs.
4. If you are in a mountainous area, or near unstable slopes or cliffs, be alert for falling rock and other debris that could be loosened by the earthquake.
5. If you are at the beach, move quickly to higher ground or several hundred yards inland.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Submitting your information to be a plus size model with Curvy Girl Clothing
If you are interested in modeling for us, please familiarize yourself with our submission requirements.
Check out our blog at: http://curvy-girl.blogspot.com/2007/10/as-owner-of-plus-size-clothing-company.html
To make it easier on amateur models submitting photos - I will outline the requirements for submission below. Please take the time to ensure you are complying with submission requirements, otherwise you will not be considered.
- You must submit via MYSpace. Add us as a friend. (do not send emails with attachments, they will not be opened).
- Create a folder in your MySpace dedicated to your modeling pursuits. We will no longer search through people's random photos. Your main photo of the folder should be a headshot (doesn't have to be professional, but does have to show your face from the top of your head to the bottom of your neck). Alternatively, you can use a full body shot, but you must be wearing an item from Curvy Girl Clothing.
- All submissions must include you wearing a Curvy Girl Clothing item. We need to see how our items fit on your body. We need to envision you as a model for our brand, and part of that is seeing you in the types of items we sell.
- You must have a headshot photo (as listed above) and also a full body photo. We need to see your entire body. We will not accept photos of you in your wedding dress - the outfit you are wearing should be form fitting and show the silhouette of your curves. If you have a big rear, please flaunt it and let us know (it probably won't hurt you, trust us). If you are overly busty, we should see this in the photos (we prefer bottom heavy over top heavy, but with certain items, busty is preferred). Hourglass (perfectly proportioned measurements) types will always receive preferential consideration for principal work.
- Need an outfit idea? We prefer a knee length sleeveless dress that shows your arms and legs, but that is not required. The outfit should show your body (and all your curves). We sell many short dresses and sleeveless items so it is important that we see how you would look in such items. If you are not comfortable in sleeveless or knee length items, it is unlikely you would be able to model for us (or anyone else for that matter).
- You must submit an email for submission (via MySpace). The title of the email should be "Modeling submission". In this email, you should list the following information: Your name, city you are located in, age, measurements (NOT SIZE), height. We do not need your weight or shoe size (shoe size will only become important if we book you).
- If you are outside of Los Angeles or Portland, OR, it is UNLIKELY we will use you for any work. Our shoots are all completed in these cities and we use local models. If you are traveling to either of these areas, please let us know and if we are interested, we may be able to coordinate some time so we can shoot a few things while you are here. NOTE: It is very unlikely we would use a model who does not live in either of these areas - it is simply too inconvenient - but for the right model, we are willing to be somewhat flexible. Plain and simple, it takes a lot of coordination (and money) to do a shoot - so we have to make it as easy as possible. Being that Los Angeles is full of beautiful talent, photographers, great weather and locations, many of our shoots are now completed down here.
- You should indicate any modeling you have done and if you are signed or unsigned. If you are signed, your agency will have to submit your information to us (but you probably know this) :)
- Curvy Girl Clothing accepts models of all ages, races and body types. We prefer models between 5'4" and 5'8" (yes, shorter than the typical model). We also prefer women sizes 14-20 (most big agency plus models are sizes 8-12, just as an FYI). Our samples are made in size 18. We prefer models free of tattoos and body piercings (especially facial piercings). You may submit your portfolio if you have piercings or tattoos, but it is unlikely we would use you for our principal work - you would likely be used for editorial work.
- If you are under 18, your parent or legal guardian will need to sign a release on you behalf. If you are over 18, you will be required to sign a talent release.
Most work with us is paid. Some editorial work is TFP (time for print) but it all depends on the project.
While you don't have to have an expensive portfolio to submit to us, we expect a professional looking one (pay attention to our submission guidelines). We understand that everyone is busy (as are we), but when you are trying to convince us we need to use you as our model, we need to know that you took the time to prepare the right submission. Show us that you are taking it seriously. The models we use represent our brand, which we have spent years building.
If we are interested in you, we will notify you via email (or phone number). If you do not submit your information based on our guidelines, it is unlikely we will respond to your request.
We look forward to seeing your submissions!
Check out our blog at: http://curvy-girl.blogspot.com/2007/10/as-owner-of-plus-size-clothing-company.html
To make it easier on amateur models submitting photos - I will outline the requirements for submission below. Please take the time to ensure you are complying with submission requirements, otherwise you will not be considered.
- You must submit via MYSpace. Add us as a friend. (do not send emails with attachments, they will not be opened).
- Create a folder in your MySpace dedicated to your modeling pursuits. We will no longer search through people's random photos. Your main photo of the folder should be a headshot (doesn't have to be professional, but does have to show your face from the top of your head to the bottom of your neck). Alternatively, you can use a full body shot, but you must be wearing an item from Curvy Girl Clothing.
- All submissions must include you wearing a Curvy Girl Clothing item. We need to see how our items fit on your body. We need to envision you as a model for our brand, and part of that is seeing you in the types of items we sell.
- You must have a headshot photo (as listed above) and also a full body photo. We need to see your entire body. We will not accept photos of you in your wedding dress - the outfit you are wearing should be form fitting and show the silhouette of your curves. If you have a big rear, please flaunt it and let us know (it probably won't hurt you, trust us). If you are overly busty, we should see this in the photos (we prefer bottom heavy over top heavy, but with certain items, busty is preferred). Hourglass (perfectly proportioned measurements) types will always receive preferential consideration for principal work.
- Need an outfit idea? We prefer a knee length sleeveless dress that shows your arms and legs, but that is not required. The outfit should show your body (and all your curves). We sell many short dresses and sleeveless items so it is important that we see how you would look in such items. If you are not comfortable in sleeveless or knee length items, it is unlikely you would be able to model for us (or anyone else for that matter).
- You must submit an email for submission (via MySpace). The title of the email should be "Modeling submission". In this email, you should list the following information: Your name, city you are located in, age, measurements (NOT SIZE), height. We do not need your weight or shoe size (shoe size will only become important if we book you).
- If you are outside of Los Angeles or Portland, OR, it is UNLIKELY we will use you for any work. Our shoots are all completed in these cities and we use local models. If you are traveling to either of these areas, please let us know and if we are interested, we may be able to coordinate some time so we can shoot a few things while you are here. NOTE: It is very unlikely we would use a model who does not live in either of these areas - it is simply too inconvenient - but for the right model, we are willing to be somewhat flexible. Plain and simple, it takes a lot of coordination (and money) to do a shoot - so we have to make it as easy as possible. Being that Los Angeles is full of beautiful talent, photographers, great weather and locations, many of our shoots are now completed down here.
- You should indicate any modeling you have done and if you are signed or unsigned. If you are signed, your agency will have to submit your information to us (but you probably know this) :)
- Curvy Girl Clothing accepts models of all ages, races and body types. We prefer models between 5'4" and 5'8" (yes, shorter than the typical model). We also prefer women sizes 14-20 (most big agency plus models are sizes 8-12, just as an FYI). Our samples are made in size 18. We prefer models free of tattoos and body piercings (especially facial piercings). You may submit your portfolio if you have piercings or tattoos, but it is unlikely we would use you for our principal work - you would likely be used for editorial work.
- If you are under 18, your parent or legal guardian will need to sign a release on you behalf. If you are over 18, you will be required to sign a talent release.
Most work with us is paid. Some editorial work is TFP (time for print) but it all depends on the project.
While you don't have to have an expensive portfolio to submit to us, we expect a professional looking one (pay attention to our submission guidelines). We understand that everyone is busy (as are we), but when you are trying to convince us we need to use you as our model, we need to know that you took the time to prepare the right submission. Show us that you are taking it seriously. The models we use represent our brand, which we have spent years building.
If we are interested in you, we will notify you via email (or phone number). If you do not submit your information based on our guidelines, it is unlikely we will respond to your request.
We look forward to seeing your submissions!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Corset Front Tops - new ad
What do you think? :) It's kind of cutting it off at the right - it says "Because it shouldn't cost a lot to look this cheap" (one of our taglines). Curvy Girl Clothing is proud to announce the launch of our plus size corset front back (shown in photo below) and corset back tops. These will be in our eBay store (http://stores.ebay.com/Curvy-Girl-Clothing) starting March 15th and our retail store in OR (starting March 20th) for the first run and our second run will show up on www.curvygirlclothing.com in early April.
Curvy Girl Clothing is in Entrepreneur Magazine
http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2008/march/190186.html
Curvy Girl Clothing made it in Entrepreneur Magazine (again) :)
We’d like to think our mother is not the only one buying the magazine (hurry, she will buy them all before you get your hands on it) - but, this is the digital age folks - you can see it online for free!
Thank you to each and every one of our customers, our fans, our friends, our followers and those who believe in us (including those who are not our customers, but those who love and support us: our friends, our family). A heartfelt thanks to everyone who said we couldn’t do it - we just work that much harder to prove that we can, not for you, but for us (but we know it secretly makes you mad, and we secretly enjoy that). :)
This article is about our eBay business...yes, we started on eBay and we run a successful store there (in addition to our online site and our retail store, and soon, Curvy Girl TV) :) Check out my blog about eBay, it gives you insight to our humble beginnings (who am I kidding!?!?! It's still pretty darn humble around here). :)
We hope that our story and mild stepping stones towards success encourages other women, other entrepreneurs of similar humble backgrounds to take a risk - to follow their dream - to keep chugging along. After the piles of debt, the headaches, the long hours, it's worth it to work for yourself and feel like you are doing a bit of good for others - our goal is simply to give plus size women the same styles our non curvy counterparts have. With every email we receive, every photo we see of customers rockin' out our styles - we feel blessed that this is our life and we are blessed that you are a part of it.
XOXO
Laura, Lisa & Mi’Lane (your Curvy Girl Clothing team)
Curvy Girl Clothing made it in Entrepreneur Magazine (again) :)
We’d like to think our mother is not the only one buying the magazine (hurry, she will buy them all before you get your hands on it) - but, this is the digital age folks - you can see it online for free!
Thank you to each and every one of our customers, our fans, our friends, our followers and those who believe in us (including those who are not our customers, but those who love and support us: our friends, our family). A heartfelt thanks to everyone who said we couldn’t do it - we just work that much harder to prove that we can, not for you, but for us (but we know it secretly makes you mad, and we secretly enjoy that). :)
This article is about our eBay business...yes, we started on eBay and we run a successful store there (in addition to our online site and our retail store, and soon, Curvy Girl TV) :) Check out my blog about eBay, it gives you insight to our humble beginnings (who am I kidding!?!?! It's still pretty darn humble around here). :)
We hope that our story and mild stepping stones towards success encourages other women, other entrepreneurs of similar humble backgrounds to take a risk - to follow their dream - to keep chugging along. After the piles of debt, the headaches, the long hours, it's worth it to work for yourself and feel like you are doing a bit of good for others - our goal is simply to give plus size women the same styles our non curvy counterparts have. With every email we receive, every photo we see of customers rockin' out our styles - we feel blessed that this is our life and we are blessed that you are a part of it.
XOXO
Laura, Lisa & Mi’Lane (your Curvy Girl Clothing team)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Curvy Girl Clothing launches our plus size tattoo inspired clothing line!
Right now, we are testing the waters for our tattoo inspired line. We have both tattoo print & rhinestone/nailhead motif designs printed on just about anything including tops, camis, corsets, shrugs, hoodies, purses, hats, etc... This is a HUGE investment for us (remember, we're just a little operation run by 3 crazy sisters, who like to yell a lot, I might add) - so we need to know plus size fashionistas are looking for these types of styles. NONE of us has a tattoo (too squeamish) - but we simply LOVE these designs. They are for women who have tons of tattoos, or none - and just simply like the style. Your feedback is so important to us. Obviously our sales will be the best indicator to let us know if we should (or should not) move forward with this line, but we appreciate your comments & feedback! And, of course, we're always looking for some rockabilly looking plus size fashionistas who want to send in their photo (wearing one of our tattoo designs) as we may use it for various promotional needs. Thank you so so so so so much for being a part of our success. NOTE: These styles are slowly trickling into our Portland store starting Friday - we should have a full collection available by next weekend (unless they sell out first). We will start adding them to our www.curvygirlclothing.com website the first week of March, but for now, they are all available in our eBay store at http://stores.ebay.com/Curvy-Girl-Clothing Below is a GIF that includes many of our tattoo styles (and some of our other non tattoo styles, but I'm too lazy to re-create another GIF) :)
Oh - PS - Entrepreneur Magazine has us in an article again, super cool, eh :) |
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Free Shipping
I have to take a few minutes to do a write up on "free shipping". You see companies offer it all the time. It doesn't excite me. I will tell you why. I have owned a company (well, several), but I have run a clothing company for almost 3 years now. I know exactly what it costs to ship 1 lb, 2 lb, even 20 lbs, depending on the carrier and the type of service you want. It is never free.
I loathe it when customers ask me if they can get free shipping. No. Plain and simple. I'll say it again. No. Why? Is it bad customer service? NO. I am actually doing you a favor. You see, free shipping is NEVER FREE. Ever. With all of the competition out there and dwindling margins, companies are not taking money out of their pocket to send you something free. What are they doing? They are building it into the cost of the merchandise (by tacking on shipping and handling fees onto the product) and then saying that they are offering free shipping.
They do the same thing with a sale. For instance...they buy an item for $12. They mark it up to $48. It sits on the rack for a few weeks/months at $48 and a few customers (we'll refer to them as "suckers") buys it at that price. The company will then mark it down to a blowout sale at $30 and you are thinking you are getting a bargain. Wouldn't it be great if the item just started at $24 or $30 in the first place?
First of all, why wait for end of season to wear something you want to wear now. (many women are in love with sales so they will sacrifice taking on certain trends as they only buy things end of season). I personally hate going through clearance racks. Nothing is ever organized (have you been to an off price store, like Ross or Marshalls lately? Good luck finding something in your size in the place it is supposed to be). It is maddening to see that adorable dress sitting alone on the rack in the 18/20 section, calling out my name, only for me to pick up the tag and see that it is a medium. That being said, I love shopping at Ross and Marshalls. :)
At Curvy Girl Clothing, we try and give you the fairest price up front. No gimmicks. No crazy sales. We don't build shipping costs into our products because we know we don't offer free shipping. With my company, you pay a fair price for your merchandise and then a fair shipping cost (based on weight) at the end of your order. We want our curvy customers to be in style NOW. We don't want you to feel like you need to save up for weeks to buy that special item you want. Looking trendy doesn't have to cost a fortune. We also want to stress that here are stores out there (not just us) that offer affordable curvy clothing. You don't have to wait for a sale. If you do, what you want will probably be gone.
Some women ONLY buy something on sale. This is somewhat disturbing to me. That tells me they only buy something because they feel it was such a bargain that they could not pass it up. If you don't need it or don't absolutely love it, don't buy it. The fact that something is so cheap is never the right reason to make a purchase. Now, if it is "so cheap" and is exactly what you are looking for, then when you wear it and someone compliments you on it, you must tell them exactly how much (or should I say, how little) you paid. It is a rule in the female code book.
How about - FREE GIFT with your purchase? Again. Free? Not so much. Maybe it is a horrible necklace set the seller got for $1 that they include with your item. Not only do they add that $1 to the cost of the item you actually want, but those earrings will make your ears itch for days. (you know the kind I'm talking about). So, you've just paid for a cheap jewelry set that you didn't want and you're itching. Tell the seller to keep their free gift and give you a discount instead. For instance, if they say it's a $9 value - ask for $9 off and see what they say. Unlikely they'll give it to you because it only cost them a buck.
Back to shipping....and the reasons we don't offer free shipping. The biggest reason, as listed above, is the simple fact that shipping is not free (or easy) for me or my employees. Packing supplies cost money (including the poly bag your items are shipped in). USPS provides free packaging for their more expensive services (as does UPS and Fedex), but if you don't use those expensive services, you have to pay for your own envelopes, boxes and tape. An employee has to be paid to print the label (the labels cost money as does the printer and toner), pull and pack the merchandise and prepare it for the courier. This part of the task is the most time consuming. It can take a full day to ship less than 100 packages and doing nothing else. The courier company charges for the pickup (depending on the courier company, this is a daily charge or a weekly charge). If you don't get a pickup, someone has to drive it to the courier drop off facility.
You know all of this. I know. You still don't care. Here is why you should: Would you rather be charged a reasonable and fair shipping charge up front and pay a cheaper price on your clothing? Or, would you prefer to pay a lot more for that clothing item with free shipping?
The frequent returner (and she knows who she is) will buy all kinds of styles and sizes and return all of the ones she dislikes. She doesn't measure herself because she figures - who cares - I have a free return label right here in my package. Shipping cost me nothing. I hate to tell you. Shipping just cost you a fortune. Those items you just overpaid for had shipping built into each and every single one. Why? The seller doesn't know if you are going to buy 1 or 100 of an item, and to offer free shipping on all items, it means the cost of shipping has to be built into each item. We're talking $10 or more here (about the cost of shipping a 1lb package each way). Across the board.
Who suffers? The women who know their measurements and true size. The women who pay attention to details. The women who know their body type and buy the styles that will look best on them. You are overpaying for merchandise because a company has to take into consideration all of the women who aren't like you. You are overpaying because companies have to run FREE SHIPPING promotions just to gather some interest so they mark up all of their prices ahead of time (knowing they will have this type of promotion).
I share this information not just from the perspective of a clothing company owner, but as a fellow consumer. I know I will continue to sell a lot of clothes as long as I offer a good selection for a fair price with great service. I don't need the gimmicks. Cut out the middleman and offer my customer a great price. That's what I want to do. As a buyer, however, I am so frustrated because I don't want to have to wait until the end of season to buy something I want now. I want prices to come down. I don't want to spend $49.50 on a cami that should cost me no more than $23. I can't afford a $300 cocktail dress that should cost me $89 or denim jeans that cost $200 but should cost me $49.
If you were a clothing company owner and saw the true costs of things (and there are many, don't get me wrong), you would wonder why some of these clothing companies are charging so much. It's highway robbery.
What can you do? Probably nothing. If you stop buying products during the free shipping promotions, it is likely the seller will have to come up with other creative ways of moving product (ways you will probably end up paying for in the end). My advice is to seek out those sellers who are truly offering you value without crazy gimmicks. Shop with them. Kick in the few bucks for shipping and save where it really matters.
Most importantly, love you and your body, every curvy inch of it. That has nothing to do with shipping of course, but it's worth noting on a regular basis. :)
------------------------------------
About the author
Lisa Toton is co-founder of Curvy Girl Clothing. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband. When she is not obsessing over plus size fashion, she is writing sketches (some for Curvy Girl Clothing) or you can see her on stage at many of the top comedy clubs in the Los Angeles area where she has been performing as a stand up comedian for a better part of the last decade.
You can contact Lisa at lisa@curvygirlclothing.com.
About Curvy Girl LLC
Incorporated in 2005, Curvy Girl LLC is a lifestyle company catering to plus size women. Curvy Girl’s first venture was http://www.curvygirlclothing.com/, an online boutique taking the plus size fashion industry by storm. We offer fashion forward trendy styles, in plus sizes (14+). Our flagship retail store opened in Portland, OR in November 2007!
NOTE: Curvy Girl LLC and Curvy Girl Clothing is not associated with curvygirl.com.
I loathe it when customers ask me if they can get free shipping. No. Plain and simple. I'll say it again. No. Why? Is it bad customer service? NO. I am actually doing you a favor. You see, free shipping is NEVER FREE. Ever. With all of the competition out there and dwindling margins, companies are not taking money out of their pocket to send you something free. What are they doing? They are building it into the cost of the merchandise (by tacking on shipping and handling fees onto the product) and then saying that they are offering free shipping.
They do the same thing with a sale. For instance...they buy an item for $12. They mark it up to $48. It sits on the rack for a few weeks/months at $48 and a few customers (we'll refer to them as "suckers") buys it at that price. The company will then mark it down to a blowout sale at $30 and you are thinking you are getting a bargain. Wouldn't it be great if the item just started at $24 or $30 in the first place?
First of all, why wait for end of season to wear something you want to wear now. (many women are in love with sales so they will sacrifice taking on certain trends as they only buy things end of season). I personally hate going through clearance racks. Nothing is ever organized (have you been to an off price store, like Ross or Marshalls lately? Good luck finding something in your size in the place it is supposed to be). It is maddening to see that adorable dress sitting alone on the rack in the 18/20 section, calling out my name, only for me to pick up the tag and see that it is a medium. That being said, I love shopping at Ross and Marshalls. :)
At Curvy Girl Clothing, we try and give you the fairest price up front. No gimmicks. No crazy sales. We don't build shipping costs into our products because we know we don't offer free shipping. With my company, you pay a fair price for your merchandise and then a fair shipping cost (based on weight) at the end of your order. We want our curvy customers to be in style NOW. We don't want you to feel like you need to save up for weeks to buy that special item you want. Looking trendy doesn't have to cost a fortune. We also want to stress that here are stores out there (not just us) that offer affordable curvy clothing. You don't have to wait for a sale. If you do, what you want will probably be gone.
Some women ONLY buy something on sale. This is somewhat disturbing to me. That tells me they only buy something because they feel it was such a bargain that they could not pass it up. If you don't need it or don't absolutely love it, don't buy it. The fact that something is so cheap is never the right reason to make a purchase. Now, if it is "so cheap" and is exactly what you are looking for, then when you wear it and someone compliments you on it, you must tell them exactly how much (or should I say, how little) you paid. It is a rule in the female code book.
How about - FREE GIFT with your purchase? Again. Free? Not so much. Maybe it is a horrible necklace set the seller got for $1 that they include with your item. Not only do they add that $1 to the cost of the item you actually want, but those earrings will make your ears itch for days. (you know the kind I'm talking about). So, you've just paid for a cheap jewelry set that you didn't want and you're itching. Tell the seller to keep their free gift and give you a discount instead. For instance, if they say it's a $9 value - ask for $9 off and see what they say. Unlikely they'll give it to you because it only cost them a buck.
Back to shipping....and the reasons we don't offer free shipping. The biggest reason, as listed above, is the simple fact that shipping is not free (or easy) for me or my employees. Packing supplies cost money (including the poly bag your items are shipped in). USPS provides free packaging for their more expensive services (as does UPS and Fedex), but if you don't use those expensive services, you have to pay for your own envelopes, boxes and tape. An employee has to be paid to print the label (the labels cost money as does the printer and toner), pull and pack the merchandise and prepare it for the courier. This part of the task is the most time consuming. It can take a full day to ship less than 100 packages and doing nothing else. The courier company charges for the pickup (depending on the courier company, this is a daily charge or a weekly charge). If you don't get a pickup, someone has to drive it to the courier drop off facility.
You know all of this. I know. You still don't care. Here is why you should: Would you rather be charged a reasonable and fair shipping charge up front and pay a cheaper price on your clothing? Or, would you prefer to pay a lot more for that clothing item with free shipping?
The frequent returner (and she knows who she is) will buy all kinds of styles and sizes and return all of the ones she dislikes. She doesn't measure herself because she figures - who cares - I have a free return label right here in my package. Shipping cost me nothing. I hate to tell you. Shipping just cost you a fortune. Those items you just overpaid for had shipping built into each and every single one. Why? The seller doesn't know if you are going to buy 1 or 100 of an item, and to offer free shipping on all items, it means the cost of shipping has to be built into each item. We're talking $10 or more here (about the cost of shipping a 1lb package each way). Across the board.
Who suffers? The women who know their measurements and true size. The women who pay attention to details. The women who know their body type and buy the styles that will look best on them. You are overpaying for merchandise because a company has to take into consideration all of the women who aren't like you. You are overpaying because companies have to run FREE SHIPPING promotions just to gather some interest so they mark up all of their prices ahead of time (knowing they will have this type of promotion).
I share this information not just from the perspective of a clothing company owner, but as a fellow consumer. I know I will continue to sell a lot of clothes as long as I offer a good selection for a fair price with great service. I don't need the gimmicks. Cut out the middleman and offer my customer a great price. That's what I want to do. As a buyer, however, I am so frustrated because I don't want to have to wait until the end of season to buy something I want now. I want prices to come down. I don't want to spend $49.50 on a cami that should cost me no more than $23. I can't afford a $300 cocktail dress that should cost me $89 or denim jeans that cost $200 but should cost me $49.
If you were a clothing company owner and saw the true costs of things (and there are many, don't get me wrong), you would wonder why some of these clothing companies are charging so much. It's highway robbery.
What can you do? Probably nothing. If you stop buying products during the free shipping promotions, it is likely the seller will have to come up with other creative ways of moving product (ways you will probably end up paying for in the end). My advice is to seek out those sellers who are truly offering you value without crazy gimmicks. Shop with them. Kick in the few bucks for shipping and save where it really matters.
Most importantly, love you and your body, every curvy inch of it. That has nothing to do with shipping of course, but it's worth noting on a regular basis. :)
------------------------------------
About the author
Lisa Toton is co-founder of Curvy Girl Clothing. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband. When she is not obsessing over plus size fashion, she is writing sketches (some for Curvy Girl Clothing) or you can see her on stage at many of the top comedy clubs in the Los Angeles area where she has been performing as a stand up comedian for a better part of the last decade.
You can contact Lisa at lisa@curvygirlclothing.com.
About Curvy Girl LLC
Incorporated in 2005, Curvy Girl LLC is a lifestyle company catering to plus size women. Curvy Girl’s first venture was http://www.curvygirlclothing.com/, an online boutique taking the plus size fashion industry by storm. We offer fashion forward trendy styles, in plus sizes (14+). Our flagship retail store opened in Portland, OR in November 2007!
NOTE: Curvy Girl LLC and Curvy Girl Clothing is not associated with curvygirl.com.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Girl Scouts of America - their new badge
The Girl Scouts of America recently announced that they are adding their first new badge in 20 years. It's called the badge of delegation. Girls earn this when their parents sell at least 75% of their cookies for them.
When I was a girl scout - I had to go door to door to door to door to door. My parents REFUSED to sell cookies for my sisters and I. They said, "We are not selling your cookies for you. We'll pay for the 20 boxes of cookies you kids have eaten and that's it!!!"
(this is one of my favorite jokes to tell on stage because it's soooooooooo true).
So, uh, I don't have access a girl scout and some tagalongs would be nice :) My husband loves thin mints! And I don't want to hear about Samoas! Coconut sucks! :)
About the author
Lisa Toton is co-founder of Curvy Girl Clothing. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband. When she is not obsessing over plus size fashion, she is writing sketches (some for Curvy Girl Clothing) or you can see her on stage at many of the top comedy clubs in the Los Angeles area where she has been performing as a stand up comedian for a better part of the last decade.
You can contact Lisa at:
lisa@curvygirlclothing.com
About Curvy Girl LLC
Incorporated in 2005, Curvy Girl LLC is a lifestyle company catering to plus size women. Curvy Girl’s first venture was http://www.curvygirlclothing.com/, an online boutique taking the plus size fashion industry by storm. We offer fashion forward trendy styles, in plus sizes (14+). Our flagship retail store opened in Portland, OR in November 2007!
NOTE: Curvy Girl LLC and Curvy Girl Clothing is not associated with curvygirl.com.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Annoying headline - woman who loses 20 pounds is still single...
1/3/2008
Ok....I admit I read all of my news online. I am a headline watcher.
I love pictures. Give me a good picture, and I'll click on your article.
Give me a good headline, and you've got a 50/50 shot. I love MSN
(they have a great entertainment section) and often times have articles on plus
size fashion.
Today, however, they are on my sh*t list. Why? I circled the
above. What next? Help! I've lost 20 pounds but I'm still
single
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?! ARE YOU F'N KIDDING ME?!?!
I had to read the article. It is the Ask Lynn section...advice on love.
I am very happily married so it is not very often (i.e. never) that I read these
types of articles, and until today, I didn't even know who Lynn was.
Even when I was single, I doubt I read these articles, but I digress. I'm
sure Lynn is very capable of dispensing advice. She has her own column on
MSN after all.
The article is about a woman named Cynthia who is 45 years old and has never
had a husband (or live in boyfriend). She lost 20 pounds. BRAVO
Cynthia (I say this not sarcastically, but with encouragement. As a plus
size woman, I know the effort it takes to lose 20 pounds.) Cynthia
wants to know how she can meet the man of her dreams.
As you read through the article and advice, it really isn't a focus on the
weight - so why is the headline? Why did MSN have to focus on
the fact that this woman just lose 20 pounds but is STILL LONELY?
Now, I don't know how big this woman was to start with (before her 20 pound
loss), but I don't care. LADIES, I will say this now and I mean it.
THERE ARE TONS OF fantastic, available, attractive, successful, funny, educated,
sexy, single men in this world WHO LOVE curvy women. Yes! Tons.
I promise you. Size 12 or 32+, there are women in that size range
who are probably happy and in love at this very moment. There are women of
that size who date on a regular basis. There are women of that size who
have sex on a regular basis. Gasp. There are women of that size who have
partners in their life who love them completely and wholly and unconditionally.
I own a plus size clothing company so I speak to many plus size women on a
very regular basis. I am a plus size woman. My sisters are plus size
women. I have spoken in depths to many plus size women about the romance
department and the complexities (and wonderfulness) of dating. None of us
has struggled to find dates because of our size. Have we struggled
to find "a good man"? Yes. Who hasn't? (just as men have
struggled to find good women). Is every man attracted to plus size women?
Probably not. Who cares. Are you attracted to every man out there?
Unlikely.
I have had a lot of conversations with single women who say they will start
looking for a relationship after they have lost "x" pounds. It drives me
nuts. If a man doesn't like you now, it is unlikely he will like you "x"
pounds less. If he only likes you when you are "x" pounds less, he's
probably not worth your time. When I say this, I don't mean we shouldn't
all have goals to reach a healthy weight. We should. The men who
love us want us to be healthy, happy and live a long time. What I am
saying here is not to find the ones who only love you when you are thin.
What happens if you get pregnant? What if you gain 5 lbs? 10?
50? What if you get in an accident and another part of your body changes
drastically? Will he leave? You don't want to live your life
paranoid like that.
Not having met Cynthia, I can come up with all kinds of reasons she could be single. Does she smile? Is she a bi*ch? That is the number one reason many women stay single. In my research, I have found that men don't like women who have serious attitude problems. How does she dress? Is she wearing horrible boxy clothes that are unflattering? Does she have manicured nails? A good haircut? Does she have good skin? A little makeup never hurt anyone. How about good hygiene? (men, from what I understand, prefer good hygiene). Does she have a good personality? Is she funny? Is she ambitious? Is she kind? Does she leave the house? We all have that friend who complains that she is single, yet she doesn't go out. When she does, she looks like she's had the flu for 3 weeks straight (by this I mean the look of sweatpants paired with your hair back in a ponytail and no makeup). Newsflash, ladies: Prince Charming is not scouring your neighborhood right now with a glass slipper, about to knock on your door. If he is, it's unlikely to be a wide width shoe, and it's unlikely you'll be in your "princess dress" at that very moment. You probably have to leave your house to meet someone. Yes, there are online personals (I met my husband on matchmaker.com). Yes, there is MySpace. You still have to meet someone face to face at some point.
My advice to the Cynthias of the world is to get a mini-makeover. Find
some new and sexy flattering clothes for that new body. Get a nice
haircut. Go to local events. Ask your friends, "Am I a bi*ch?"
Ask the friend who will tell you the truth. Take a current picture and try
the online personals (and not the free ones you cheapo! Just remember you
get what you pay for). Take a class. Take a hike. Do things
that are outside of the house and make you interact with others. That is
the best way to meet someone, whether it be the man of your dreams or even just
a new friend.
Most importantly, love yourself and your body and never, ever blame your lack
of love on your weight.
About the author
Lisa Toton is co-founder of Curvy Girl Clothing. She lives in Los Angeles, CA
with her husband. When she is not obsessing over plus size fashion, she is
writing sketches (some for Curvy Girl Clothing) or you can see her on stage at
many of the top comedy clubs in the Los Angeles area where she has been
performing as a stand up comedian for a better part of the last decade.
You can contact Lisa at
lisa@curvygirlclothing.com.
About Curvy Girl LLC
Incorporated in 2005, Curvy Girl LLC is a lifestyle company catering to plus
size women. Curvy Girl’s first venture was http://www.curvygirlclothing.com/, an
online boutique taking the plus size fashion industry by storm. We offer fashion
forward trendy styles, in plus sizes (14+). Our flagship retail store opened in
Portland, OR in November 2007!
NOTE: Curvy Girl LLC and Curvy Girl Clothing is not associated with
curvygirl.com.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
The Plus Size Trapeze Dress - every Curvy Girl needs one!
I am in LOVE with the trapeze dress. It is so girlie and feminine and there are just so many ways you can wear this look. Not to mention the fact that it is great for so many body types, especially the bottom heavy ones. How do I know?? I have watched countless women walk out of the dressing room at Curvy Girl clothing in a trapeze dress. The same trapeze dress they didn't want to try on because it looked like a muu muu (it kind of does when it's on the hanger). The same trapeze dress that showed their arms. Gasp. Their legs. Gasp. And you know what? They LOVED IT! I have to say, that there are few items we have in our store that are sold nearly every time they are tried on. The trapeze dress is one of them. This style is hot right now (Fall/Winter 2007) and it will remain hot through the Spring/Summer 2008 season. Look for vibrant colors and prints and soft and stretchy fabrics. 
If you are nervous about showing your arms, check out Curvy Girl Clothing's extensive selection of shrugs and bolero cardigans. We are famous for the amount of shrugs and cover ups we carry (ok, amongst our circle of friends, but famous nonetheless). :) Do not let sleeveless items scare you! There is a shrug for everyone, even those who have sworn them off! Does that mean we are saying that all plus women have to covering up their arms? Absolutely not! Have you seen our clothes!?!?! We LOVE curves and curvy women and we feel you should flaunt every ounce of curves on your body. If you feel comfortable and confident and sexy in your sleeveless dress, then by all means, go for it! I'm just saying....as a clothing company owner, I have insight to the inner workings of a plus woman's mind (as she typically talks about them out loud to the mirror as she stands in a dressing room) and the verdict is in that many women prefer a good shrug every now and then.
The other item we recommend with the trapeze dress are a good pair of leggings. Our preference is the seamless kind as they are so stretchy and comfortable (they are also our best selling item). You will wear those leggings under your favorite dresses and tunics. You will wear them under your long skirts. You will LIVE in these leggings. This is another item that women come into our store searching for. Once they try a pair on, they will typically buy them in every color (sometimes two in every color). Rest assured, as long as our manufacturers make this item, we will carry it. You may not want leggings now, but you'll break down....eventually. :)
About the author
Lisa Toton is co-founder of Curvy Girl Clothing. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband. When she is not obsessing over plus size fashion, she is writing sketches (some for Curvy Girl Clothing) or you can see her on stage at many of the top comedy clubs in the Los Angeles area where she has been performing as a stand up comedian for a better part of the last decade.
You can contact Lisa at lisa@curvygirlclothing.com.
About Curvy Girl LLC
Incorporated in 2005, Curvy Girl LLC is a lifestyle company catering to plus size women. Curvy Girl’s first venture was http://www.curvygirlclothing.com/, an online boutique taking the plus size fashion industry by storm. We offer fashion forward trendy styles, in plus sizes (14+). Our flagship retail store opened in Portland, OR in November 2007!
NOTE: Curvy Girl LLC and Curvy Girl Clothing is not associated with curvygirl.com.
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