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.”
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
Fine Jewelers
