Internet friend Megan asks:

A friend of mine from high school has asked me to be in her wedding party.  I was very hesitant to say yes due to lack of funds and surplus of height/weight compared to her other bridesmaids.  She ensured me it would be all right.  I am now on a mission to find the dress to wear to fit in with the other girls.  The requirements are that the dress is short (knee height) and navy, as well as matching these:

She suggested I try this one, but I’m afraid it won’t be supportive or dressy enough.
 

Through your shopping ventures, have you come across a navy dress that fits this small price range as well as look?

Francesca says: The way to fit in with the other girls is to smile and love your friend and make it her wonderful day of specialness.

Francesca further says: Yes, she has come across this look, but alas, not at the $40 price. She tried many, many places but could not find the navy, knee-length plus-size dress nice enough for a bridesmaid! Francesca suspects that Megan was not counting on the Francesca to find a dress under the 50 dollars. However, under the $200, we can do. In fact, here are several nice dresses from the Sydney’s Closet which might fit the bill (figuratively), which is good since Francesca does not know the Megan’s size or body shape! (Click on the pictures to see more details. All the styles are available in Navy.)

Finally, Francesca says: For the support, one must wear an excellent bra. Search this very blog for “strapless” to find one in the large sizes!

Francesca wishes our internet friend the amazing time at the wedding!

Internet friend Sarah, from Fort Madison, Iowa, wrote:

I’ve recently begun seriously incorporating regular exercise into my routine.  I have workout clothes but, they are largely of the shapeless, tent like t-shirt variety.  Though I always feel fabulous after working out, motivating myself to hit the gym is hard enough in the first place; I’d like to feel fashionable while walking or doing aerobics.  Can you recommend any sellers of cute, plus-sized workout clothing?

Francesca says:

But of course I can!

If you wear size 1x or a small 2x, start with Athleta. Check the sizing charts carefully as they leave little wiggle room, literally. Gym/training clothes are here. Francesca likes their skorts.

For higher sizes, or simply more options, you can also try the cotton tanks or light shirts at Shop Avenue.com, Old Navy, or Roaman’s (who are currently having a “buy 2, get 1 free” sale on tanks, tees, shorts and capris!) Lane Bryant is selling sporty tops at 2 for $25.

Remember that an outfit does not have to be labeled as an exercise outfit to become your exercise outfit. Choose something cotton and light and fun for you to move in.

One might also try Woman Within, but Francesca finds their wares frumpy AND they turned us down for an affiliate partnership, so boo on them! However, one never knows and the important thing is that we all exercise and look superfabulous doing it!

Good luck!

PS Remember to wear sunscreen and a hat when you are walking in sunny climates!

Francesca has many odds and ends bouncing around in her notes, so here she is putting them all out there at once!

1- Francesca has received many emails letting her know about the new “Faith 21″ line by Forever 21 (which Francesca has already written about. She’s not that behind the times!). The problem — beyond the fact that they carry few true plus sizes– is that neither Plumcake nor Francesca is in Los Angeles, which at the moment is the only place that Faith 21 is available. So, she asks our West Coast readers: Have any of you checked out these clothes? What did you think? Do you have photos of yourself wearing them? Can you speak to their quality, or the age/style demographic who would most like it? What is the pricing like? Please write in to francesca@shoeblogs.com and I will compile your comments in a future post.

*** Update: Blogger reviews here and here.***

2- Speaking of new lines, Target has recently launched plus-size sportswear by Pure Energy. Their press release: “The Pure Energy collection features brightly colored, dip-dye and burnout tank tops, flowing floral skirts and maxi-style dresses, sophisticated nightlife pieces and a variety of in-style denim including skirts, capris and jeans . . . . [April] delivery into 300 Target stores will follow up with a larger distribution to 1,000 Target stores in June. Tops are offered in plus sizes 1-4 and pant size range from 14-24. Affordable price points starting at $16.99-$29.99.”

***Update: A review by a blogger here.***

3- Internet friend Moira wrote in about Susie Orbach’s new book, Bodies. From the Daily Beast article about it:

Who doesn’t fret about their body? Even the genetically blessed can’t escape self-scrutiny. But what Orbach is attempting to draw attention to is the fact that we don’t question where this massive discontent stems from and why the numbers are epidemic. “Millions, literally millions, struggle on a daily basis about troubled and shaming feelings about the way their bodies appear,” she writes, adding, “for an increasing number of younger people it is almost as though the body is something that is so much a trouble to them that they are wracked with anguish about it and they feel they have to transform it.”

Buy the book here.

4- Shoe lovers might be interested in the $10  Shoes Under storage container, which allows you to keep 12 pairs safely under one’s bed. (Francesca could use three).

5- If you wear shoe size 10-15, check out Barefoot Tess, where you will find, among other things, the Delman Candace sandals available in sizes 10.5-13:

(and if you wear a size smaller than 10, look at their sale page, too, as the smaller sizes tend to hang around longer. For example, the Loeffler Randall Colette is on sale in sizes 7.5-12.)

6- The website Unigo, where college students review their schools, has started a section where students blog about the fashions at their respective universities.

7- Apples! J.Jill has a nice linen blouse (weekend or office casual) perfect for our shape, available in 5 colors through size 4x. Click here to see.

8- Gemdiva writes:

In case you haven’t seen it yet, HBO has a new series that features a terriffic ”Big Girl”.  She is confident, smart and totally beautiful!  Check it out. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is a total celebration!

She refers to gorgeous Big Girl Jill Scott! (whose most important accomplishment, as far as Francesca is concerned, is the development of the Butterfly Bra.)

9-  Another shoe storage solution — clear boxes– here! (Good Mother’s Day gift.)

10- A tip from internet friend Leah:

So I have what is maybe an unhealthy addiction to Etsy, the online “marketplace” for handmade/vintage/crafty clothing, jewelry, and other stuff.  Normally I use it for sourcing my own materials, but today I was doing some serious procrastinating and got sucked into an Etsy vortex of cute stuff available in larger sizes …  Of course, one of the great things about Etsy is that if you see something you like and they don’t already have it in your size, you can talk with the maker and see if they would mind making it for you to your measurements.  I like. 

Happy shopping/reading/browsing!

xoxo

We received this letter from our internet friend Jen:

My future sister-in-law has asked me to be a bridesmaid in her and my brother’s  August wedding.  She is mercifully allowing the bridesmaids to pick their own dresses, as long as they conform to our assigned color (mine is olive green).  Excited for an excuse to do some major dress shopping, I’ve been thinking about making a trip up to New York City to shop.

Are there stores in NYC that you could suggest?  I am not limited to typical bridesmaid dresses – David’s Bridal is my absolute last resort.  I’d like something tea/knee length and to be able to wear the dress again in non-bridal settings.  I’m a size 18 or 20, roughly pear shaped, and my maximum budget is $200 (and I would love to pay much less).

You love to perplex the Francesca, do you not?

On one of the hands, we have the flexibility in styling. On the other of the hands, the dress must be olive green, quite pretty but not a typical color for the fancy “occasion” dress. Francesca is sorry to have to tell you that finding plus-size occasion dresses in a particular color is not so easy, even in New York, unless that color is black, sapphire, or emerald.

Francesca says: You do not need an excuse to shop in New York City. Go there to poke around at Saks’ Salon Z and at Rootchi and at the boutique of Monif C  and at Lee Lee’s Valise and at the plus-size department at the Macy’s flagship store, but do not expect to find the tea-length olive green dress appropriate for your brother’s wedding! Go to have a good time without such pressure! (Also, you must visit the Talbot’s Woman store on Broadway at 82nd Street and tell the wonderful saleslady Veronica that Francesca says hi. Hi Veronica! Hi!)

Francesca scoured the websites of ALL the New York department stores, from Bergdorf’s to Barney’s and back, and did not find what you seek. At Igigi she found this lovely olive dress for just $92,

which is very pretty and perhaps what you want, but also perhaps not elegant enough for the lavish affair. How formal is the wedding?

Sydney’s Closet used to have an olive green dress but it was floor length and frilly and very, very bridesmaid-y. And anyway it is not available any more, and a search there for “olive” did not turn up anything appropriate for this wedding.

So unless the Igigi dress fits the bill or you happen to find what you need in person in the Big Apple (or closer to home), Francesca says: Buy beautiful olive-green material and have a dress custom-designed and made personally for the Jen.

(In this vein, Francesca checked Dress By Design to see if they have any olive material, and they do. Look at this gorgeous swatch of embroidered shantung silk!

But a dress there in this fabric costs over $300, and for this price the Jen can probably have a dress made by her own seamstress.)

Congratulations on your brother’s wedding, and let us know how the search goes for the dress!

xoxo

Our internet friend Rachel wrote:

Like many recessionistas, I’ve finally decided I’m ready to face home hair coloring again, even going so far as to consider a coloring-highlighting combo. As an unabashed nerd, I began searching around in cyberspace for advice, and I distinctly remember one of you posting about your love for L’Oreal Experte.  Sadly, your search engine came up empty, but I’m certain I remember this post.

That said, might I request from whichever diva created the original mention that you post it once more … along with whatever tips you have to share for those of us whose last home-highlighting experience was back in a 1987 college dorm room? I — and I am certain many others — would be eternally grateful.

Francesca says:

Indeed, I freely admit to coloring my hair myself, with L’Oreal Couleur Experte. I posted about it once before here. Ever since, there have been requests for more details about how to color at home. Here is what I wrote to Rachel:

The best thing to do first is to find a stylist who will work in  your price range. If you have a relationship with someone, ask if they can “throw in” services, for example, if you pay for a pricey color and highlighting, ask if they’ll do the haircut for free. If you ask nicely,
especially at a one-woman hair boutique, you may get a “yes.”

That having been said, indeed Francesca has been coloring her own hair ever since her own just-out-of-college, parents-won’t-support-Francesca-because-she-must-build-character days. Once she found a color that looked SO NATURAL THAT NO ONE KNEW SHE COLORED IT, she stuck with it.

It is IMPERATIVE that you find a color that looks very, very natural on  you. Do not stray far from the color of your eyebrows. None of this  Bozo-the-clown magenta, OK? No going blonde unless your hair is already very  light. No going raven black unless you are Native American. We understand?  The idea should be that once your roots start to show, there is so little  difference between the roots and the color that your friends are hard-pressed to even see that your roots are showing at all. You want to find a color that is “you, plus.”

If  you want to do something very dramatic, Do Not Try It At Home. The chances of choosing something all wrong for your skin tone are just too  dire. You will come away looking either like a washed-out vampire or like a pink newborn piggy.

(The only exception is if you are the artsy or goth or rebellious teenager or college student and we are talking about colors like green or purple, in which case Francesca says to go for it and be creative in whatever way you like, while you are still young and free and need not worry about getting the corporate job.)

Next. Regarding the highlights in  the L’Oreal product. Indeed they make all the difference. Our hair naturally has highlights and lowlights, so the highlighting makes everything look natural …

… IF you do them properly. This means following the instructions exactly. It means giving yourself only the teeniest, tiniest of highlights  on very leetle, itsy-bitsy strands of hair. No dramatic streaks!!!

It is important not only to put highlights on the top  layer of hair, but to pin up the hair and highlight a few strands around the  bottom, then a few more strands in the middle layer, and finally a number of strands around the top of the head. Again, we are talking about itsy-bitsy strands.

Also, make sure the highlights are not evenly spaced. Evenly-spaced highlights are a tip-off that they are man-made.

Again, I cannot stress enough that this process works well for Francesca only because she has had much practice and knows what she is doing.

But it does work for her, and it is quite convenient, and the money she saves she uses to buy more dresses from Igigi.

Good luck! xoxo!

Francesca

Francesca received this letter from a reader, and is turning to you, our dear readers, to help her:

Dear Francesca,

 

I hope you can help me with a problem I’m feeling quite emotional about.

 

I have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) which, among other things, has made it very difficult for me to lose weight. I’m sure many of your readers have PCOS as well.

 

One of the symptoms of PCOS is thin hair. Until recently, although my hair was thin, it was not so thin that it bothered me.

 

But yesterday I used two mirrors to get a good look at the side and back of my head, and was shocked to see bare spots. I had no idea that my hair was thinning so rapidly. I’m only in my mid-thirties.

 

I plan to speak with my doctor about it, but meanwhile, can you ask your readers who have PCOS to share any advice they have about this issue? I’m already taking metformin. Is there anything else I can do, specifically for my hair?

 

Feeling sad in New York,

A Devoted Reader

 Those of you with PCOS – what say you?

Once again, an internet reader pleads to Francesca for help!

The weather has been tres hot and humid all summer in DC, and I have been happy to rock my sleeveless shirts, skirts, and bare legs for several months now. So it came as a surprise to me this morning when I exited my apartment building into somewhat chilly air. Fall is almost upon us! This means no more bare legs (a TRAGEDY, but I’ll have to cope with that one on my own), and it also means coats will again be necessary. I have a fabulous coral-colored rain coat that I have gotten several good years out of. But it’s now looking rather shabby and I’m ready to move on to something else. So far, though, I haven’t been able to find a rain/fall coat that is anywhere near perfect. I need it to survive in the rain, and be a light coat – a very thin lining or none at all. I like making a statement with my coats – no black, grey, or brown for me. I loved the vibrant coral color of my last one, and would love to find something in pink, red, green, purple, blue, or a print. And I would like it to be trench-coat (knee) length. I’m size 18-20, vaguely pair-shaped (ie slightly bigger on the bottom, but mostly in proportion). Lastly, making my request the most difficult, I can only spend $100 – preferably less.

I know if anyone can help me, Francesca can. Please perform that voodoo that you do!

Sincerely,
Jen

Francesca is so very happy to help the Jen, though she is somewhat perplexed by the reference to voodoo. Francesca does not practice the dark arts. She prefers to think of herself as the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz, the beautiful and radiant Glinda, who will now tap her starry wand onto Jen’s bowed head and grant her the wish of the wonderful fall coat.

Behold! It is a purple trench coat which will enliven the gray fall days of the Jen and sparkle with every step! It is available in sizes 14-28 and costs less than 90 of the American dollars!

Avenue will not allow me to post a direct link. Just go to Avenue.com, click on “apparel” and then “coat shop,” and then on to “double breasted patent trench coat.”

Or, click here for a nice raincoat from Land’s End, one which is less fun-and-flirty than our purple design here, but perhaps lighter-feeling and more reliably waterproof – and it is available in a happy, happy shade of light blue. (Be sure to click on “plus sizes” to get the correct list of sizes for the Big Girl!)

Happy fall!

xoxo,

Francesca