Manolo for the Big Girl Fashion, Lifestyle, and Humor for the Plus Sized Woman.

September 30, 2007

Sunday Caption Madness

Filed under: Uncategorized — Twistie @ 2:07 pm

It’s said that one picture is as good as a thousand words, but every once in a while a picture comes along that just begs for a good caption. I spotted this one today.

Big Cowgirl

There’s no prize beyond the fun of playing along, but I hope you’ll all jump in and give it a go.

Apples to Apples: Francesca responds to Emanuelle, part 1

Filed under: Fashion,The Big Question,What Should I Wear? — Francesca @ 9:14 am

In response to the cry for help from our internet friend Emanuelle, we have received many helpful observations. Surely Emanuelle is now on her way to becoming the best-dressed Appley woman in Germany!

Francesca promised to post her own response to Emanuelle, and so here is the first part of her lengthy, lengthy answer:

I have been meaning to write about this on the blog: indeed wraps and empire waists are not necessarily terribly flattering for apples, despite the fact that they are currently in fashion and so the plus-size vendors have their (often pear-shaped) models peddling them.

The wraps accentuate our love handles and tummies, and the empire waists make us
look pregnant, which is a nice way to look if you are pregnant. So,Emanuelle, it is not just your imagination! And, good for you for trying new things! It is always good to try, even if the experiment fails and you realize that what you were wearing before IS better for your particular body shape and style. Francesca, who is also an Apple, loves the 3/4 length sleeves and the V-necks!

What Francesca wants you to try next is the Princess seams, which can do wonders to give Apples a little bit of an hourglass shape and a waist.

princess seams frontprincess seam back

(this image shows the shape of the beautiful Princess seams)

Here is a pretty blouse with Princess seams, available from Talbots:


Francesca highly recommends the Woman and Woman Petite sections at Talbots.com for any Apple. The clothes are very classy and pretty and will FIT you! And narry an empire waist to be seen!

And, look! Kiyonna just last week introduced a wrap blouse which ALSO has the Apple-friendly seems in front (and French cuffs!):

 

Since there is nothing you can do about your breasts, and you cannot change Germany from being an itty-bitty-titty-committee overnight, you may as well celebrate the large boobs which God has given you in His wisdom (but without crossing the line into “Here are Emanuelle’s breasts, and here is Emanuelle.” It is a fine line!) Make sure that you have several VERY GOOD bras, and that the seams of your bra are not showing through the clothes. And go ahead and wear plunging necklines. I am sure there are many German men who find your large breasts to be, ah, a refreshing breath of air.

More of Francesca’s response tomorrow.

Meanwhile: DISCUSS!

For Part 2, Click Here.

September 29, 2007

I Feel the Need for Tweed

Filed under: Fashion — Twistie @ 6:54 pm

One of the big trends of the current season is tweed. This does my heart good. Okay, part of it may be my particular obsession with the character of Rupert Giles from the now defunct TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but I really did like tweed before I ever laid eyes on him.

Of course, there’s tweed and there’s tweed. There’s tweed that’s dull and hard-wearing in a utilitarian way, and then there’s superfantastic tweed that brings out the best in the wearer.

And that brings me to this lovely little jacket from Zaftique. I blow very hot and cold on the company’s designs. Some are lovely, while others are almost frightening to me in their wrongness for pretty much anybody. Still, it’s worth taking a look because every once in a while, one comes across a treasure like this adorable tweed jacket.

Zaftique tweed jacket

I love the color, the cut, and those superfantastic flower buttons. At $75, it’s not a bad little investment, either.

The Big Question: What works best for Apples?

Filed under: Fashion,The Big Question,What Should I Wear? — Francesca @ 7:26 am

Our internet friend Emanuelle writes:

I’m from Germany, far, FAR away from these fascinating ideas I’m reading in your blog and the sites you’re linking. The idea of a fat woman not trying to lose weight would sound completely absurd to my friends. Not that they don’t like me the way I am, it’s just that nobody has ever heard anything like it before, around here. Clothes that show curves, don’t hide them? Ridiculous. Magazines are full of tips how to hide your big bosom and draw attention away from it.

This is where my question comes in. I’m 25 years old, 5’5” and 180-190 pounds. I wear a European size 46 (American 14-18), I’m an “apple” type, with slimmer legs and a large belly, but with huge, honestly, enormous breasts. From what I gather, I should be wearing wrap tops and empire waists. Roughly 80% of plus size tops you can buy in Germany are wrap tops. They are supposed to emphasize my waist and flatter me. They don’t! They make my belly look huge, and my upper body short and deformed. Don’t even start me on high waists and belts.

What looks great on me are V necks, and ¾ sleeves, so I stick to that. But it gets boring after some years. I long to dress like a real woman, to wear skirts and dresses, but I honestly have no idea what might look good on me. Because I’ve been too busy all these years trying to change my body to find that out.

Emanuelle

Oh, our dear superfantastic internet friend, and my fellow Appley sister! Do not despair, for you have come to the right place for wisdom and incredibly gorgeous clothes.

Francesca has responded at length via email to Emanuelle’s cry for help, but before I post my answers, I would like to hear from you, our other internet friends, who know from long, long experience:

What fashion tips do you recommend for your Appley, large-breasted, large-tummied, small-hipped sisters?

September 28, 2007

Francesca in a huff

Filed under: Boots,Sales — Francesca @ 7:18 am

Francesca is piqued! What is the meaning of this . . . of this . . . breakdown in all that is good and lovely?!?

You say the server was down? Is this an excuse? It is an outrage, I say, an outrage, and Francesca does not care whether it is the fault of the anti-Christ or of the puny little man in the back office who was playing Spider Solitaire when he should have been twiddling with computer . . . computer . . . things . . . it is an outrage! Look, Francesca is so piqued she has lost her ability to articulate in English. She must go buy some new shoes and try to relax.

Francesca thinks a pair of boots should do the trick. Francesca adores black suede boots in wide widths!

The Vaneli “Narayan” at 12% off! Ahhhhh, now isn’t that so much better? These boots are handsome and soft, strong yet feminine, perfect for imagining oneself to be unceremoniously kicking the puny little back office man in the heiny, while in truth maintaining one’s ladylike composure at all times. Yes, this boot will do very nicely, thank you!

Happy weekend! We have so much planned for you over the next few days!

xoxo, Francesca

Is This Thing On?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Miss Plumcake @ 3:06 am

Alright everybody, who missed us? Well we missed YOU and while we’re not entirely sure what happened in the Manolosphere (one suspects the Manolo’s archnemesis, Herr Karl had a begloved hand in it) we hope you’ll forgive our absence.

Please bear with us, we are working out mani-ed fingers to the bone and we’ll be with you again as soon as the stable of well-oiled cabana boys Francesca and I keep for our own amusement have finished fanning the server down to a reasonable temperature.

Never Let Go!

September 25, 2007

I Got Dem Barefoot Parkin’ Lot Blues

Filed under: Honey. No.,Shoes — Miss Plumcake @ 12:11 pm

Friends, I am concerned. Not because that teflon-chested hunk of man candy Taylor Kitsch who despite being recently cast against type as the Object of My Unmentionable Dreamlust (replacing –and I kid you not– a pair of green Pucci pumps) has been back in my humble town for weeks filming Friday Night Lights and has still failed to propose, no, I am concerned because in the past week I have seen three (THREE!) well-dressed big girls walking across a gas station parking lot BAREFOOT.

What is happening here? Does no one keep a spare pair of inexpensive comfy flats in their car for just this very occassion? What if your car broke down and you had to walk a mile or two to the nearest gas station? Could you do it in the shoes you’re wearing today?

I am scandalized!

Plumcake needs a liedown. While I’m recovering my delicate sensibilities, check out the sturdy and not entirely visually offensive lug-soled, Avenue Ballet Flat. They’re incredibly inexpensive, have good traction, excellent padding and will be a godsend to anyone whose poor tootsies just cannot handle one more step in a pair of pretty but painful day shoes.

A Necessary Evil

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