Manolo for the Big Girl

Never let it be said that Manolo for the Big Girl doesn’t care about your needs. We know that most if not ALL of you at one time or another have pulled your hair, rent your garments and moaned “O IF ONLY I had a pair of laughably expensive be-logo’ed moon boots conceived from an unholy union between Run DMC’s old Adidas Superstars and the aged and dessicated hide of Snuffleupagus’s notoriously round-heeled great grandmother, Alma Jean! WHY IS LIFE SO HARD?”

Well, here you go:

What can I say? We’re givers.

Francesca is back!

Oh, kissie kissie, it is so good to be here! Kissies on both cheeks! xoxo!

Where has Francesca been, you ask?

Francesca has been sick.

Francesca was so sick, my friends, that she did not even have the energy to crawl to her shoe closet in order to admire and caress her new Vaneli boots.

Can you imagine?

And all this time, Francesca has been thinking of her dear readers. In the depth of her feverish haze, she cried out repeatedly “I did not mean that one should say it out loud!” Because, you see, in my last post, oh so many days ago, when I suggested that the “question,” when a friend loses weight, should be

“did you lose the weight in a healthy way? Are you actually healthier now than you were before? If so, congratulations! If not, is worrying about your (subjective) beauty more important than worrying about your mental, emotional, and physical health? How can I support you in what you really need?”

Francesca did not mean that you should necessarily say these thing aloud! No, no, she meant that this would be the best attitude to take, and she wishes that our society in general took this approach. As to what to actually say to a good friend or a mere acquaintance who has lost weight . . . well, perhaps we can open that up for a discussion in a future post!

And the second thing I wish to say, in response to Plumcake’s last post, is that it is no secret that Francesca is a fan of the fantasy literature, and of the Rennaissance Faire clothing, and of the flowy, wispy, feminine clothing in general. But as many readers stated, there is good wispy clothing and bad wispy clothing; flowy clothing that shows off one’s style and coloring and shape to advantage, and flowy clothing that only serves to make one look like a cow; there are times to wear the Renaissance clothes and times to wear the Renaissance-inspired clothes and times to wear neither. And in general, a good rule of thumb is to aspire to look like the Renaissance Lady of Good Breeding, and not the Renaissance Lady of Ill Repute.

Francesca has noticed that a disproportionate percentage of the sci-fi/fantasy female fandom world is made up of our Big Sisters, and wonders why that is . . . it is an interesting social question. But do not mock the clothing out of hand! You would never believe how many compliments Francesca receives on her LOTR cape, which was only $12.99 on sale at Size Appeal but is coveted by most of her skinny, non-fanfic friends. Random people on the street stop to tell her how much they love her cape.

But she would not wear it to a red-carpet event.

Lookie! The New York Times’ “T Magazine” has advice for those of the Fatted Calf:

Question: I’m looking for women’s boots that can fit my calves. A lot of tall boots are too narrow for me. Help!

Answered by: Karla M. Martinez, women’s fashion market director

Your problem is something that I have heard so many ladies complain about — it is a real issue, and I wish more shoe companies were sensitive to it. One common solution is buying boots with a stretchy panel sewn into the upper. But that isn’t always the most attractive style, and sometimes the elastic does not provide enough stretch to fit. A great solution I’ve found is J.Crew’s boots, which are made for different calf sizes. I love the Sinclair boot in espresso brown. Equestrian boots also tend to have wider widths and always look so chic with dresses, pants or skirts. You have good options available at A.P.C.  . . . and Madewell. The best riding boots are made by Ralph Lauren and Church’s, which told me its uppers are roomier than average. When Spring shipments arrive in stores in February and March, Ralph Lauren will have an abundance of riding boots, which certainly have room for bigger calves.

I called Florinka Pesenti, who works for Tod’s, the luxury shoe company. She suggested the option of having your boots stretched. Shoe Service Plus (212-262-4823), which has many fashionable customers, can stretch boots as much as two inches at the calf. Erich Lutz, the manager at the Christian Louboutin boutique on the Upper East Side, also suggested the stretching at Shoe Service Plus, where the procedure costs about $30. I also recommend Top Service, a small shop at 845 Seventh Avenue (212-765-3190) — there, a stretch costs about $10. If money is no object in your quest, Manolo Blahnik can custom make its signature boots to perfectly fit your calves.

One final bit of advice: Judging by the pre-fall shows I saw a few weeks ago, fantastic slouchy boots that fall slightly below the calf are on their way back. Arrivederci calf-squeezing boots! My favorite designs of this new style come from Balenciaga and Chloé. Keep your eye out for those in June. And let us know what you end up doing.

Francesca is fascinated to know that one can have one’s boots professionally stretched. If you do not live in New York, a few calls to to the shoe stores may help you find a local place to do this.

However, she is wary of this idea of the “slouchy” boots that “fall slightly below the calf.”

She warns the Big Girls that cutting off one’s leg at that point might make one’s legs look stumpy.  Obviously, each girl must try the fashions for herself; much depends on the shape and length of one’s legs, the exact style and height of the boot, and the other clothes one plans to wear with it.

All Francesca is saying is to be careful. (And to give peace a chance.)

Francesca loves these basic brown boots, especially the slightly forgiving heels which are somewhat more solid than the stilettos. And the luscious brown leather makes these a comfortable and high-quality staple. Mmmm Mmmm.

They are by Stuart Weitzman (of course!) and are called “Mars.”

Available here and here.

Happy weekend!

xoxo,

Francesca

As Francesca signs off for the weekend, she leaves you with the lasting vision of this beautiful scarlet suede boot by Stuart Weitzman, appropriately named “Best”:

Happy shopping and happy weekend!

xoxo,

Francesca

Sometimes a little splash of the ridiculous is good. It cleanses the palate. It is the sartorial cucumber sorbet for those of us whose idea of branching out is wear a dress that is only mostly black. Which is why I offer unto you these sublimely goofy Pucci wet weather boots.

I cannot give you a reason these things even exist (although I have my suspicions involving Buzz Aldrin, an open-minded cobbler and a quiet evening in the Pucci atelier licking toads) much less a reason why you should buy them. And yet…don’t they sort of bring a smile to your face?

They remind me so much of something that Lacroix-loving Edina Monsoon from Absolutely Fabulous would wear with, I don’t know, a giant Versace belt and a sequined baseball cap. They’re so obviously over the top that I can almost, almost see myself wearing them on some gray day when the weather is all sploshy and sloshy and everyone else in the world is wearing their boring wellies.

For the brave few who are interested, they’re available in a size 11/12 and are 24% off at Zappos.com.

Francesca is amused by the “Moon” by J. Renee, which come in wide widths and are 10 percent off right now.

They are fancy but fun. Like Francesca!

;-)

Happy Weekend!

xoxo, Francesca

Our internet friend Katie writes:

Dear Francesca,

First, I love your blog. You’re alway so superfantastic it makes me squeal in a totally non-fangirlish sort of way.

Unfortunately, I need your help.

I’m a big girl who’s a first-year college student at a school in New York, and it’s a fifteen-minute to half-hour walk from the residence halls to the academic side of campus, depending where on the academic side you’re going. The library is closer, but the computer science buildings and such are on the far end of campus. Much of the walk there is on a brick walkway, and people walking on foot have to contend with people on rollerblades, bikes, and skateboards, though there will be fewer of them once it starts to snow.

But! This is my problem! I don’t want to be like the other girls on campus, content to wear frumpy sweatpants or old jeans and t-shirts, and I refuse to touch flip-flops. See, my school has a 70/30 male/female ratio, so most of the girls on campus know they don’t have to be superfantastic for male attention, and don’t want to be superfantastic for themselves.

(And no, I don’t want to be superfantastic for male attention either, I’d much rather attract female attention. I’d also like to avoid getting hit on by said males whenever possible, but that’s not an option.)

So I need clothes, dear Francesca. Clothes that can stand up to bitter New York winters. Shoes that can survive walking through a foot of snow to get to class, and heels that won’t get caught between bricks and lead to a broken ankle. Layers, so that I can be comfortable in the freezing outdoors and the chilly library; the far too warm third-floor physics department and my sweltering sixth-floor dorm room. Clothes that make me look superfantastic without looking like I’m desperate for male attention, because the most persistent here insist they’re a “cure” for lesbianism and the shyer ones just stare at my chest.

I’m right on the line between average and petite, wear a size 24 pant and a larger top (between 24 and 30 depending on cut and stretchiness of material). I’m very large-chested and can’t wear tops with thin straps or lacy shoulders because I hate showing my bra straps. I don’t mind denim, but I love soft fabrics. And I’m a poor college student paying over thirty thousand a year for school.

Can you help me?

Francesca says: Katie, the fashion gods have heard your cry, and created a store just for you: Avenue.com, which has lots of clothes good for layering, at reasonable prices, and with a look that is both attractive and cozy-comfy for the hard-working, fashion-conscious college girl who wishes to look feminine but unpretentious. Up to Size 32, just for Katie!

Francesca recommends the “Shop by Outfit” option for ideas of what to wear during the cold Northeast winters. Katie will enjoy the outfits under “Weekend Wear,” such as this layered look comprised of cotton bootcut jeans, a tank top, thermal hoodie, and quilted vest (dress up with a pretty necklace and earrings to bring the femininity factor up a notch):

and in the “Wear to Work” section is this very pretty and chic ensemble, sure to drive the college boys crazy in Katie’s unattainability, and turn the heads of not a few girls, too:

The outfit is comprised of machine-washable pants, a “floaty, flirty” blouse, and that adorable red quilted peacoat, which Francesca covets.

Now, for shoes. Francesca is familiar with the ill-paved cobblestone pathways, and sympathizes with the need for stylish shoes and boots which will keep one warm and not get caught in those stubborn cracks or break the bank.For days when it is very cold but not raining or snowing, Francesca recommends the Ariane by Bastien, which claim to be waterproof but Francesca never believes these things about suede:

For days of snow or rain, there is the Claire, also by Bastien (in black or dark brown) — or browse the “boots” category on this blog for Plumcake’s many suggestions for wide-calf boots.

Before it gets that cold, Katie could wear the Kira 40 by Rieker (in black or chestnut) which covers the whole foot, making the chemistry lab assistant happy, has wide heels for maneuvering the cobblestones, and are made of leather for the comfort while standing around mixing chemicals and telling off the obnoxious boys. It is a handsome shoe, rather than pretty, but is functional for Katie’s many logistical needs, and is certainly many steps up from sneakers and flip-flops:

Happy shopping and happy studying! Please let us know how your new wardrobe works out!

xoxo, Francesca

Use code AMSHIP07 and get 50% off shipping from the U.K. to the U.S. or Canada! Y’all know they don’t offer discounts or sales very often, and every little bit helps. Go git you some!

Look! It is handsome, unique, wide-width boots with straps that make the calf adjustable! Yes! You can widen or tighten the calf as needed for a perfect fit! Genius, and so attractive.

Also available in Bordeaux and Chocolate. Mmmmm . . .

Happy shopping and happy weekend!

xoxo, Francesca

PS Francesca is realizing that just as Plumcake has a closet dedicated to black dresses, Francesca is in need of a shoe closet just for black boots . . . .