2009 The Rise of the Real Woman

Written by Emily Robertson.

Is 2009 set to see the end of this ridiculous size 0 trend?

Well, we can all hope that this unrealistic view of women is set to stop and we can all finally relax and feel sexy no matter what size we are. Many celebrities have been relaxing on their diets, Victoria Beckham and Cheryl Cole have been seen sporting more curvaceous figures than once seen before, as has Eva longoria who has been asked to gain weight for her desperate housewives role, she has said ‘we just ate so much we went crazy over the summer’.

When did it become sexy to have no stomach, no hips, no thighs, no boobs and nothing to lust after? It seems even men have been sucked into this trend but if you look at surveys, when given the choice men have opted for someone more like Charlotte Church than size 0 models or even size 8 girls. It seems that although it may seem men want this in reality men want a real women, someone sexy, confident and with lots to offer.

Celebrities such as Charlotte Church who is a self proclaimed curvy girl is becoming more of the norm in Hollywood than ever before, hopefully this is soon to set a trend for our younger celebrities and public because this view of women’s bodies has become more harmful than anything. Actress Nikki blonsky starred as the lead character in the new film musical hairspray and she being a size 18-22 played an amazing role, as a beautiful young girl in love. It was rare to see a larger lady on screen but she has set a trend amongst Hollywood that it is possible for a young girl to play the starring role of a sexy woman.

Tyra banks has been quoted saying ‘you call this fat!’ when she recently did a magazine article stating her curvy womanly figure was not fat as she has put on weight in the past few months, but still looks as gorgeous as ever. X factor also has the beautiful young Laura who is sporting a curvy figure which looks amazing, hopefully she can maintain this look and not fall for the typical Hollywood route if all goes well. I am hoping with all of these celebs taking a stand - curvy, sexy, gorgeous women - will once again be the top stars.

Party Season 08 - What will you Wear?

The weather is turning and it's time to store away those little t-shirts, shorts and all other sunny summer items - although they didn't get much use this year!

Something bound to ease the pain of moving steadily into Autumn is planning your outfits for the coming party season!This is my favourite time of year for clothes shopping, when you can let your hair down and be a bit more daring with your choices because the aim is to wow at the upcoming balls, gala's and parties.

With the choice in plus size evening & occasion wear now rivaling that of the standard sizes it is no longer a chore for the fuller figured lady to find the perfect party piece.

Tomato red is a key trend for the party season - so why not try the maya chiffon dress, or organza prom dress - both available up to a size 34.

If you prefer something long and flowy with a bit of glitz the jewelled strap gown is perfect.

Finally, my favourite, the marianna lace sleeve dress is the perfect LBD which incorporates this seasons love of lace and was recently worn by Nikki Blonsky at the Critics choice awards.

Dawn French - Dear Fatty

Dawn French - funny woman, TV personality, entrepeneur - now you can add author to the list.

With a career that spans 3 decades, Dawn French is no doubt classed as one of the funniest women in Britain and is thought of as a national treasure.

Dawn French and long time comic partner Jennifer Saunders have made it clear that once the current tour is over they are sadly hanging up the gloves of stand up, and will be sorely missed.

So maybe this is why Dawn has chosen now to put pen to paper and let us all share in what life is like for a comedy genius.

From her early years as an RAF child and her flat-sharing antics with Jennifer Saunders, to her outspoken views on sizism and her marriage to Lenny Henry, 'Dear Fatty' chronicles the extraordinary, hilarious rise of a complex, dynamic and unstoppable woman.

Dawn is plus size and proud, she is possibly the best role model for any woman out there and continues to show the world that being a success, having a great relationship and being happy is not down to your weight but your outlook on life.

Dawn was featured in She Magazine this month wearing the metallic jacey jacket from Curvety.

Custom Made Wedding Dresses in Plus Sizes

Buying a wedding dress is supposed to be one of the most exciting purchases for any woman, probably one of the only times in our lives we get to dress so lavishly, and spend so much on one outfit!

If you're a fuller figured woman this excitement has been rumoured to be tarred by snooty bridal shops with only size 8 samples. One thing guaranteed to burst your bubble and take the shine of your big day dress is being made to feel uncomfortable. These dresses were designed for curves and plus sizes look every bit as amazing on their big day as their size 8 friends.

If this scenario fills you with dread I have some good news for you. Curvety have added a wonderful selection of wedding dresses to their website - all of which are custom made to measure and very reasonably priced. There is a delivery time of 6 to 8 weeks as they are custom made, but this way they are guaranteed to fit perfectly and accentuate your curves.

As you supply the measurements it is important you get them right. Although Curvety will give you step by step instruction on how to take your measurements, if you aren't 100% sure you have them right it may be worth investing in a visit to your local tailor for a double check. check out the selection of plus size wedding dresses now - all can be made in absolutely any size, and you can even make minor alterations to fit in with your theme or style.

Another Attack on the Overweight

Breaking news - Your weight no longer has anything to do with what you eat, your exercise levels, or even possibly illness. It has now been 'proven' that if you have fat friends you will gain weight.

Researchers from Warwick, Dartmouth and Leuven universities analysed data on 27,000 people and came to the conclusion that weight gain is the result of social influence. Did you get that? Fat is contagious!

The study found that people who forge close relationships with more rotund friends are more likely to develop a weight problem than those who purposely exclude the plus-sized from their circle. We are apparently influenced by the appearance of those around us and prone to imitative behaviour.

I don't know whether to laugh at the fact that such research was even devised, let alone carried out, or to be angry at yet another excuse to publically degrade the overweight. Is it really possible to completely ignore more likely factors in weight gain? The increase in fast and convenience foods, the drop in exercise levels and modern day aids which take some of the strain out of day to day chores?

Will there ever be a time when it can be accepted that not everyone is built to look the same? That different builds, shapes and sizes is just the way it is and should be celebrated?

Back by Popular Demand

The dress pictured was available in the UK earlier this year at Curvety.com but sold out almost immediately!

It is now available again but in very limited quantities so if you want this fab halter dress you will have to be very quick indeed!

I love this sparkly number and it is one of the dresses I have shortlisted for my wedding dress. The buckle shawl is a particularly nice feature.

First Single from Plus

You may remember that last year I wrote about the X factor style formation of plus size girl band - Plus.

5 girls were chosen and the band was formed. Now, after months of planning, rehearsing and whatever else girl bands get up to, they are releasing their first single.

The new group featuring, Stacey-Lee Cuddy, Rachel Faulkner, Shirley Slaymaker, Kate Newnes and Hannah Lee are all a size 16 +.

Spokesman Kizzi Nkwocha, former publicist for the Bay City Rollers, said:

“Plus’s new single will symbolize the beginning of change for the music industry. It will be the song that opens the door to thousands of performers who were turned away in the past because of their size.”

“The average woman in Britain is a size 16 yet the music industry is obsessed with the idea that a singer has to be a stick insect in order to be marketable. We think that’s wrong, most of the people in this country think that’s wrong and, after Big Fun hits Number One, the music industry will have to admit they’re wrong.”

Their single, named Big Fun, will be available online at music stores such as iTunes and Napster.

The girls all look fab and know how to dress those curves. To get your new plus size outfit visit Curvety.com for a great selection in sizes 16 to 36.

Fabulous Curvy Style

I am absolutely loving this new summery strapless dress that is available at Curvety.com.

This style is perfect for a summer wedding or some similar occasion which requires a knock em dead outfit. It comes in sizes 16 to 26 and features the most beautiful bold flower print in black and yellow. The tie waist will help create a gorgous hourglass silhouette, particularly effective on fuller figured women.

In the past I would have found the idea of a strapless dress a little daunting, but it is much less so now due to the increase in good quality strapless bras which are now made in larger sizes.

The Proposal

After 11 years together my partner finally proposed last week. After I had picked my jaw up from the floor, and spent numerous hours staring at my new sparkly diamond ring, my thoughts, as always, turned to fashion.

If anyone else is planning on getting married in the near future here are my first finds for the perfect plus size wedding dress.

The hot trend in wedding dresses this season seems to be shorter. Now this is a brave step for some, to shun the traditional floor length gown in favour of a mid length dress, but for me it's perfect. At only 5ft 2' I always feel more comfortable in a mid length dress which doesn't swamp me. Plus it gives me the chance to show off my legs which, as a standard apple shape, are my best feature. My favourite find so far is this shimmering halter dress, which comes with the most beautiful buckled shawl to cover upper arms.

If you prefer something more traditional then this Long beaded dress is absolutely stunning for a Spring/Summer wedding.

Both of the above styles are ideally suited to a more intimate affair but with the growing choice in formalwear in plus sizes there are many more structured gowns available. I will update you when I have a handful of favourites!

New Spring Styles in Plus Sizes

Wow, how gorgeous is this new lace dress available at Curvety.com. It is almost sold out already but I am assured it will be re stocked as soon as possible. They have added a number of other new styles this week, in sizes up to a 34. So it is definitely worth a fresh look, particularly at the dress section!

Chloe on "This Morning"

Chloe Marshall, The first 'plus size' Miss England entrant, is really making a name for herself. Today Chloe has appeared on 'This Morning' - something I only know about due to the huge influx of positive messages I got from readers of my recent blog about Chloe - 'First Plus Size Miss England Entrant'.

Never before have I had such a large response to one article!

Keep up the good work Chloe. Not only are you a beautiful curvy young woman, but you are showing that you have it in you to be an inspiration to girls & women all over Britain, for both your curves and your attitude!

Real Women Model Jordans Lingerie

Glamour model Jordan stripped to her undies with 6 competition winners to show that all women look great in her sexy new collection by Panache.

Now more commonly known as Katie Price, she used a selection of different women, from petite to plus sizes, to highlight the fact that everyone should be embraced.

“Fashion modelling is totally different from glamour modelling. They’re all about being skinny while we’re all about celebrating our curves.

“I launched my underwear range on Wednesday and I just got a bunch of normal-sized women to model it.

“Other celebrities have stick-thin girls modelling their underwear but I don’t think that’s right. Good underwear has to fit every shape and size. I just believe that whatever size you are, you can be sexy and you should embrace it.”

It is so refreshing to see a mix of real women that the public can relate to promoting underwear. It is hopefully a large step in the right direction of size acceptance - and by that I don't just mean plus size, but whatever size!

My one criticism is that this new line only caters for a back size up to a 38 (although it goes to a G cup). It would be great to see more choice in nice underwear for the wider back. There is much more choice in plus size clothes - like Curvety.com, but still a shortage in 'nice' lingerie.

Next say Hide your Love Handles

Next are a big name in high street fashion, and although willing to sell their clothes to some smaller plus sizes (albeit grudgingly), it seems they don't want any lumps & bumps on show in their stores.

The leaflet pictured has been distributed to staff in some Next shops and advises their female staff of many ways to assure they look as slim as possible when working their tills.

Firstly, they would like their women staff to try 'magic pants to hide lumps & bumps'. They also give a number of tips on how to cover large tummies & bottoms, plus advise to wear pinstripes to slim and avoid tight fitting AND baggy clothes which will make you look bigger.

Susan Ring, Chief Executive of Eating Disorder charity Beat told the Daily Mail: "What Next is saying here is that it wants the people who work in its stores to look as slim as possible so that the customers see the clothes on the staff and want to buy them. Stylists should be trying to show people the best ways to show off their figure and not imply that everyone has to conform to this skinny image."

So Next want their staff to look good when representing them, I can understand that, but this leaflet clearly implies that Next believe that to look good and 'presentable' you have to be slim. Luckily this attitude is slowly changing within the industry and plus sizes have more choice than ever. If you find shopping on the high street intimidating there are many online stores offering fabulous choices for larger women. Try Curvety.com, who stock great eveningwear & daywear in sizes up to a 36.

Plus Size Must Have

With the increase of floaty chiffon on the catwalk and the popularity of sexy violet this season, I was excited to find this lovely number which is the perfect piece for any special events you have planned this Spring/Summer.

The Maya chiffon dress is available in sizes 16 to 36 and is sure to liven up your wardrobe!

5 Steps to a Healthier Fashion Week

I am as excited as the rest of you about the forthcoming London Fashion Week. However, for plus size women like myself, it is always slightly tainted due to the lack of acceptance of curvy women in the high fashion industry & the continued promotion of super skinny on the catwalk.

With the ongoing issues surrounding the size zero debate, Susan Ringwood, CEO of Beat, the UK’s leading eating disorders charity, issues a challenge to the fashion industry to ensure the health of its models this fashion week.

Ringwood's plea - “Progress has been made through the Kingsmill Inquiry, to look at the overall industry and take steps to protect those working within it. We would urge the fashion world to follow through the recommendations made by the Inquiry and issue the following call to action:

OUR CALL TO ACTION

Five steps that everyone can take – no matter where or how they are involved in the fashion industry:-

1. Raise awareness – get informed about eating disorders and understand the risks. Change working practices to help reduce the risks involved.

2. Demonstrate diversity – in shape and size as well as ethnicity and age. Challenge the narrow aesthetic.

3. Take an ethical stance – make a commitment to supply chain integrity. Translate lessons from fair trade to make fashion healthy.

4. Build resilience – in the young people employed in the industry and those influenced by it. Help people understand the pressures and how to reduce them.

5. Celebrate creativity – fashion is aspirational. The creativity that drives it should be life affirming – not potentially deadly.”

Great points well made from Beat. For further information visit B-eat.co.uk. If, like me, you celebrate your curves & believe that plus size fashion should be as fresh & exciting as mainstream, then check out Curvety.com.

Fab New Plus Size Lines

Pay day has finally arrived and the Christmas squeeze is hopefully easing for another year. So just when i've got a few extra pennies to spend on ME again, out trickle the new Spring lines - woohoo.

Curvety.com will be adding many new styles over the coming weeks, but have kicked things off with the fab skirt pictured, which I absolutely love. Check out other new lines at their website, which include new denim & separates.

Real Curves Slated Online

Recently pubished photo's of the beautiful and curvy wife of Pierce Brosnan have caused a nasty stir which proves that it is still seen by some as acceptable to slate the plus size.

Keely Shaye Smith, former soap star and wife to 007 actor Pierce Brosnan, was last week pictured on the beach in Hawaii, daring to show her curvy figure in a bikini.

TMZ.com ran with now and then pics of the happy couple, with the earlier pic showing a slim Keely. The title read 'Double Oh No! Pierce Brosnan and his wife, Keely Shaye Smith, had a whale of a time on the island of Kauai on Wednesday'.

While it is not politically correct to judge by race, gender or social standing, it is still deemed ok by some in the media to be down right rude about weight. I was gladdened to see that most of the readers on the TMZ site were commenting on how beautiful she looked in the beach shot & how wrong TMZ were for their nastiness.

'I think it's great that she is proud of her body,' said S. Tia Brown, senior editor for InTouch Weekly. 'To be in a photo in a bikini in your 40s and not be petite, speaks to her confidence. It takes even more courage because her husband is considered a sex symbol.'

Her husband, who played James Bond and has been called 'the sexiest man alive,' said he thought his wife was stunning. 'I love my wife's curves,' Brosnan told Vogue.

'I never shy away from color or my curves,' the beautiful Smith told a magazine. 'I like to play up my neckline and shoulders. If a jacket is pulling in the bust, I might just move the button an inch. But I never hide in baggy clothing.'

Check out Curvety.com for UK fashion that celebrates the curvy woman.

Nikki Blonski chooses Igigi again

Nikki Blonsky has always been a bit of an Igigi fan and has worn several pieces from the IGIGI collections to her public appearances in the past, including the Hairspray premiere and the Marianna dress she wore at the 'Critics Choice Awards 08'.

The actress is next to appear in Igigi at the 14th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the end of January, but this time it will be in a couture dress. Custom designed by IGIGI Founder and Designer Yuliya Zeltser, Blonsky's gown is made of stretch charmeuse satin in a vibrant royal blue and comes with a ruched sweetheart neckline and a cascading hemline with a long trail.

IGIGI has done it again! Yuliya truly understands the details involved in designing elegant, sophisticated silhouettes that celebrate curves. I just love this design. It fits Nikki like a glove and the color is gorgeous! She is very excited to grace the red carpet in another one of IGIGI's original designs at the upcoming SAG awards.' Said Nicole Brewer, Wardrobe Stylist to Blonksy.

Igigi is available in the UK at Curvety.com.

Plus Size & Fighting Fit

As an active & healthy person who exercises daily despite being overweight, I am a firm believer that how fit you are is more important than your weight. Until now popular belief would say otherwise, but now research is coming to light that proves weight & health are not necessarily linked.

A US study that followed 2,603 people over 60 years old for an average of 12 years found that those who were very unfit were most likely to die - regardless of whether they were overweight. The participants all received an initial medical check, underwent fitness tests and had their fat levels measured. They found that while the degree of fatness was not associated with an increased risk of mortality, being unfit was. Those in the fittest 20% of the sample suffered an annual death rate of 8.1 per thousand people, while those in the least fit 20% experienced an annual death rate of 32.6 per thousand. The results are reported in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

'It is possible to be fat and fit - and if you are, your risk of dying is substantially reduced. It is cut in half,' said Blair.

So, stop worrying about your weight and make sure you include at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each day to ensure a longer, healthier life. If you don't already include this in your routene you will definitely notice the difference in your fitness levels in just a few weeks and you'll be brimming with energy. Why not treat yourself to a new outfit in celebration of your fit & curvy figure from Curvety.com