+ plus may/june 2009
Find out how to dress your curves
Lynda Bellinham in the Race for Life
Top tips for Wedding Jewellery
Wedding belles How to make sure your wedding day is a humdinger
features + fashion + style + leisure + trends + beauty
Welcome
foreward issue3
"Its always
W
EDDING fever has hit Plus+ this month and I do hope you enjoy our extended bridal feature.
great to hear from you – I look forward to seeing your emails – so do keep in touch."
We've got advice on finding the perfect dress, how to choose bridal jewellery, the latest lingerie for your wedding day and the yummiest cakes to serve your guests. The wedding theme continues with our online digest and advice pages from Rachel James and Rae Palmer. This month also we've an interview with Becky Mount who with her friend Beckie Williams set up Busts4Justice – and caused the mighty M&S to make a U turn over their bra pricing policy. And Plus+ is pleased to welcome Becky as a new regular contributor. Also in this edition: Actress Lynda Bellingham reveals the heartache behind her decision to take part in Race for Life Size matters campaign feedback How to turn your bathroom into a home spa Its always great to hear from you – I look forward to seeing your emails – so do keep in touch.
Thanks kt xxx Kate Thompson, Plus+, Editor
ps you can contact me at kate@plusmag.co.uk
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contents
plus+
EDITORIAL For all editorial enquiries Email: editorial@plusmag.co.uk
may/june 2009
Find out how to dress your curves
issue3
Telephone: 01202 666602
Lynda Bellinham in the Race for Life
ADVERTISING Email: info@plusmag.co.uk Telephone: 01202 666602
Top tips for Wedding Jewellery
SUBSCRIPTION INFO
Wedding belles
To receive Plus+ monthly for FREE email subscriptions@plusmag.co.uk
How to make sure your wedding day is a humdinger
Design Red Portal WWw.red-portal.com
features + fashion + style + leisure + trends + beauty
Fashion & Beauty
Features
Living
Page 6/7 Lovely Things – Plus+ recommends things to do, see and buy
Page 8/9 Busts 4 Justice +
Page 19 Run Fat Girl Run – Editor Kate Thompson keeps a running diary
Page 48 Beauty with Rachel James Page26/35 Wedding feature Page 40/41 How to dress those curves – stylist Lucy Rossetter gives her advice Page 38/39 Top Marks – the best tops in the shops
Page 11 Becky Mount column Page 14/15 Lynda Bellingham talks about Race for Life Page 16/17 It's a question of size – feedback from the Plus+ campaign Page 49 Online digest
Page 20/21 La Redoute Page 23 Home Spa
Page 37 Nutrition expert Barbara Cox Page 44 Hair expert Rae Palmer Page 46 Vitality expert Alyssa Abbey Page 47 Fitness expert Caroline Radway Page 45 Natural health homeopath Sue Leach
PaDisclaimer – Articles and advertisements created by Plus+ Magazine or it’s publishers Business Independent Publishing Limited are (please input copyright logo before the text) copyright and are not to be reproduced in any format without the permission of the editor / publisher. No responsibility can be accepted by Plus Magazine for the opinions expressed by its advertisers and editorial contributors.
The online resource for plus-size people 100% 100% n 100% n 100% n n
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what more could you ask for. If you are going to the festivals this summer or just want some fancy footwear, Milllets have enlisted the help of legendary designer Celia Birtwell to add a flourish to their range. www.millets.co.uk
IT'S the collour for this Summer - and Lulu Guinness's gorgeous hot orange bag has to be a winner. Her London shop has just been revamped and her online store is a great one to add to your favourites. www.luluguinness.com
VEGETABLE seeds have out-stripped flowers with their popularity this year as everyone has a go at growing their own. Keep any open packets you have lying around protected for the following year with this cute little tin.
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WEDGES are still the way forward for summer - and the fringes on this pair from New Look are bang on trend. £35 www.newlook.com
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OWN a piece of fashion finery from Zandra Rhodes thanks to Marks & Sparks. These gorgeous scarves will inject a bit of colour into any outfit. £22
FLORAL is a great theme this summer, have flowers at your fingertips with this great ring from Accessorize, £12. www.accessorize.co.uk
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Visit our website: www.curvygirlsclothes.co.uk 7
HER CU RUNNETH OVE
WHEN Becky Mount and her friend Beckie Williams set up a Facebook site to highlight had no idea their Busts4Justice campaign would bring a major U-turn from high street “IF WE never do anything else with our lives, it won't matter – this is our biggest achievement,” said 19-year-old Becky Mount. After a media maelstrom that has seen their story travel round the world and back again, Becky is drawing breath and taking stock. They've featured in every newspaper, made eloquent radio broadcasts and most significantly stood shoulder to shoulder with Sir Stuart Rose, the boss of M&S, when he announced he would be reducing the price of bras above a DD size (or the £2 'tit tax' as some called it) and would further cut prices by 25 per cent. “When we got the call to say we were going on air with Sir Stuart Rose, I cried so much. The lead-up had been emotionally draining and when we got the news it just all came out,” she said. Their story is a classic David and Goliath tale. Becky is a bright, confident girl who speaks with conviction and huge charisma about the fight she and her mate took to one of the world's most respected retailers.
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“It was 2007 and the start of the whole Facebook thing.We thought it was simply unfair that women should have to pay more for bigger bras.We invited our friends to comment and soon we had a small group of likeminded people backing us. “We put our thoughts on Facebook and support began to grow,” she said. At first Becky got the feeling that M&S believed they were just a couple of silly little girls with a bit of a gripe and they would soon go away. But they would not be swayed when the popular underwear brand told them they had to charge more for bigger bras because they were technically more challenging to produce and needed more fabric.
“We put our thoughts on Facebook and support began to grow” “We saw it as blatant size descrimination,” said Becky. It was when the girls' facebook site was publicised by the Evening Standard that the campaign really took off.
“Suddenly we had hundreds and then thousands of people checking us out on Facebook. Our total stands at about 17,000 and its growing by the day. “Every morning seems like Christmas when I log on and see how many more people are getting involved,” she said. When the climbdown came from M&S boss Sir Stuart Rose, the girls were delighted and a little shaken that they had achieved their aim. “He saw the humour in what we were doing, he could see we weren't going to go away and he took it in good spirit. “Becky had brought shares in M&S so she could attend the AGM and I think they were a bit worried that loads of big-breasted women were going to turn up and chuck armfuls of bras at Sir Stuart Rose.
UP ER
HOW B4J PUT THEIR CASE
What 's in half a cup? About £2, according to Marks & Spencer For too long now, M&S have got away with this criminally unfair tit-tax, which puts a £2 surcharge on bras bigger than a DD cup. When challenged, M&S argued that bigger bras have bigger overheads and so must retail at a bigger price. Note here that other high-street lingerie retailers don't feel this need to distinguish between these 'costs' and operate a one price for all tariff. Nor do M&S apply the same policy to their other items. They would never charge you more for an extra large t-shirt, or less for a smaller pair of trousers.
t an injustice against women with bigger breasts, they giant Marks and Spencer. Kate Thompson reports. “We don't hate M&S I think its admirable that Sir Stuart treated us with respect - he didn't act up,” she said.
And they woudn't be adverse to designing their own underwear range should the offer come through.
Having garnered so much support the girls are planning to keep Busts4Justice going and will continue to campaign for the rights of bigger busted women.
"Their tussle with M&S has thrown up huge questions over the quality of bra-fitting services and they plan to investigate further."
Their tussle with M&S has thrown up huge questions over the quality of bra-fitting services and they plan to investigate further. “I went to be fitted myself to check this out and was told I was a 34 DD when in fact I am a 30F – and that's a huge difference,” she said. Companies such as Bravissimo, Bra Stop, Panache and House of Fraser put their names behind the campaign and the girls feel B4J is a force to be reckoned with.
Daily Telegraph 7th May 2009
“We are even being praised on feminist websites and being referred to as a pressure group – I just hope my politics teacher from school is proud of what we've achieved. “As you can imagine we've had offers from all sorts of papers and magazines to go topless for photos but we're just not those sort of girls. “We knew the argument was strong enough and we didn't need to take our tops off to get what we wanted,” she said.
Britain boasts of its fairness, and M&S boasts of its absolute Britishness. Busts 4 Justice argue that the price equality that rules our outer-garments should apply to our undergarments too. Busty ladies, and anyone else with a vested interest in busty ladies, in fact anyone with a vested interest in simple justice, join forces to end this blatant discrimination. We need your, er, support.
WHAT M&S said originally "M&S offers the most comprehensive DD+ collection and one of the most competitively priced on the high street, with bras in the range starting from just £8 and a 100% silk bra from only £14. M&S is virtually the only high street retailer to offer the same choice of colour, styles and shapes for all customers no matter what size they take – most retailers have specialist ranges, which are different to what they offer customers with smaller cup sizes and which have different prices. We design the collections to provide as much support and comfort as possible to the customer. This includes special design features such as wider straps, greater support in the cup and additional material around the back area to ensure the delicate breast tissue is properly supported and protected. The collection has proved incredibly popular with the majority of our customers. They have told us they are happy to pay a small premium (between £1.50 and £2.00) for the specialist work to ensure suitable level of support, innovation and technology that goes into the bras. Our bras are much less expensive than many other specialist larger cup size lingerie retailers, where they could cost around £60 or more."
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pluss+
BECKY'S BUST 4 JUSTICE YOU'VE read about her in the national papers and heard about Busts 4 Justice. Now here's a chance to read Becky Mount's first ever column as she starts her writing career in Plus+ magazine.
"When I think back to the beginning of Busts 4 Justice, I realise how out of my depth I may have been. "
M
Y NAME is Becky, I'm a 19 year old part-time student and serial volunteer...
For a long time, this was my opening line on meeting anyone new. Now, I've added pressure group co-founder. Who would have thought that a little Facebook group about bigger sized breasts would ever be the beginning of my life? When I think back to the beginning of Busts 4 Justice, I realise how out of my depth I may have been. It was June 2008 and Beckie Williams (co-founder) and I were down at Sandbanks beach having a good old moan about the world of bikini's. We talked about how difficult it was to get tops and bottoms to fit on the High Street and laughed about how even when we did find a style we liked, we had to lie still in case we gave everyone on the beach an eye-full...
It allowed us to share our concerns over the M&S charging policy and to create a credible pressure group. Our Facebook page has been visited by 17,000 women – it has allowed us to get our point of view across and encouraged other women to speak-up too. Both Beckie and I suffer from ME – the neurological illness that typically leaves sufferers with low energy. We never made a big thing of this during the campaign – and only a few journalists were aware of it.
And then we started talking about good old Marks & Sparks charging at least £2 more for any bra over a DD cup, back size regardless. When she took the matter up with M&S, Beckie received a standard email response and we decided that just wasn't good enough.
It was interesting though because both of us learned how to keep going and live off the adrenalin rush that comes from being caught up in a big media story.
Never underestimate a large breasted woman who wants answers. And so the Facebook group was born.
Both of us have been overwhelmed by the public response and heartened that we made M&S change its mind and do the right thing for large busted women.
I honestly never thought I'd say that Facebook was the most important thing in my life but I know I speak for both of us when I say we'd be nowhere without it.
One thing is for sure – this isn't the last that you'll hear from Busts 4 Justice – watch this space ...
(We felt awful afterwards and suffered for it but it was worth it for the campaign).
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pluss+
Calendar girl Lynda’s da
Actress Lynda Bellingham is currently stripping off nightly in the stage play Calendar Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life. Here she explains why she will be hot-footing it rou
I
N THE stage play Calendar Girls, Lynda Bellingham condemns cancer as a “silent bloody disease”.
It’s a powerful line. What the audience may not realise is just how poignant those words are for her. Nearly two years ago, Lynda’s younger sister Barbara died, shockingly quickly, from lung cancer, aged just 54. In the last few weeks she has lost three close friends to the disease, one of whom was fellow actress Wendy Richard. Calendar Girls, famously, tells the story of a group of women from the Women’s Institute who stripped off for a charity calendar and were immortalised on film. Lynda, Miss August in the show, never imagined her personal and professional lives would cross so dramatically. She said: “Cancer is so big, so massive and so out of your hands that there is a risk of it becoming this all-enveloping black cloud that just makes you want to reach for the duvet and stay under it all day. People still think: after diagnosis, comes death. “It has loomed large in my life recently but I don’t want to feel defeated by it, I don’t feel that. It makes you want to fight back and it makes you so aware of what your own life is worth. “These days cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence. Things are getting better all the time – early diagnosis, better treatments, more sophisticated drugs, preventative measures – we are beginning to understand cancer better. “Having said that, there is still so much to do. There are still too many people dying far too young.” Lynda is one a select group of celebrities who have become ambassadors for Cancer
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Research UK’s Race for Life 2009. This year the theme is “If I Can Do It…” to show that women everywhere are invited to take part in Race for Life, whatever their age, shape, size and fitness level. Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life 2009 is the UK’s largest women only fundraising event series. Women of all ages and fitness levels are invited to do something amazing by entering Race for Life and coming together to walk, jog or run 5k to raise money to help beat cancer.
"These days cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence. Things are getting better all the time – early diagnosis, better treatments, more sophisticated drugs, preventative measures – we are beginning to understand cancer better." She said: “What appeals to me about Race for Life and Calendar Girls is the great strength you get from being part of a group. It’s a community – you’re in it together. It is a cliché, but a problem shared feels much easier to deal with. There is a definite sense of strength from belonging.”
ate with Race for Life
r Girls in the West End. Now she has another date in her diary – und a park with thousands of other women and how everyone can get involved. Lynda turned 60 last year but rather than sliding gently into her sixth decade, she entered it with all guns blazing. She married her “soulmate” and third husband Michael Pattermore last year at a ceremony attended by celebrities including Cilla Black and Christopher Biggins. She has morphed from homely Oxo mum to a Loose Woman who regularly bares her soul on the TV chat show. And stripping off nightly in Calendar Girls has catapulted her into the limelight as a mature pin-up She’s loving every minute of it and, for the first time in her career, she feels a real responsibility to the audience. “Normally at the end of a show, you are just anxious to get home or get off to the pub. But
when we come out of Calendar Girls, there is often a group of women waiting who want to tell you about their experience of cancer.
"I like to think I’m fit although recently we had to run from one end of Calgary Airport to the other with our hand luggage to catch a connecting flight." “Many of them will tell you their story or that they have lost their husband to cancer. They are very moving stories. The women are just amazing and they are cheered by the show.” Life is good. She is happy and healthy. She
does aerobics twice a week as well as a pilates class. She said: “I like to think I’m fit although recently we had to run from one end of Calgary Airport to the other with our hand luggage to catch a connecting flight. My lungs just about collapsed, I thought I was going to die. And worse, we got there just in time to see the gates close and the pilot waving goodbye to us from the cockpit! “I’ll definitely be one of those walking the 5k at Race for Life – I’m not designed for running. And I’ll no doubt be having a good chinwag on the way round – but I’ll be there.” For details of how to take part or support others at an event near you go to www.raceforlife.org
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Calendar girl Lynda’s date with Race for Life
R
ACE for Life is an event for women of every age, size and fitness level.
To get the message across famous faces from stage and TV screen became the If I can Do It ambassadors. The line-up included actress Lynda Bellingham,larger than life comic Amy Lame (needs accent on final e) , Casualty actress and breast cancer patient Rebekah Gibbs, Ruth Lorenzo from X Factor, actress Laila Morse, and ‘Green Goddess’ and breast and skin cancer survivor Diana Moran.
"To get the message across famous faces from stage and TV screen became the If I can Do It ambassadors." Together with a group of women from around the UK, the ‘If I Can Do It…’ ambassadors appeared in the live billboard advert, positioned in London’s Paternoster Square, in a bid to underline that the 5k event is achievable for all women, especially as participants can either walk, jog or run the distance.
" ‘If I Can Do It…’ ambassadors appeared in the live billboard advert, positioned in London’s Paternoster Square"
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Calendar girl Lynda’s date with Race for Life Amy Lamé said: “It was great fun being part of the live advert with all the other women, and we want to show people that 5k is a perfectly achievable distance for every woman. Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life 2009 is for every woman, because it’s not about how fit or young you are, it’s about taking part and raising money to beat cancer. Sadly many of my family members, including my mother, sister, aunts and grandmother have all been touched by cancer and I can’t wait to participate this year and I say to every woman out there – if I can do it, so can you!”
"It was great fun being part of the live advert with all the other women, and we want to show people that 5k is a perfectly achievable distance for every woman." Each Race for Life event covers a distance of 5k and Cancer Research UK is encouraging women of all ages and levels of fitness to participate. To sign up for a Race for Life event and for more information on the ‘If I can do it…’ campaign, go to www. raceforlife.org/ifICanDoit
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How to get involved...
JOG... SLOG ...BLOG
By Kate Thompson
Race
I
for
Life –
T'S 10 years since I received the news that I had cancer – and do you know what, it really was a blessing in disguise.
Absurd as it may seem, getting the diagnosis that everyone dreads was just the wake-up call I needed. I was 36-years-old, recently separated after a disastrous marriage that saw my size swell and my bank account empty.
you bet
...
It was once I started to feel a bit fitter that I took the plunge and started to run. Until then I had always considered my body shape unsuitable for running. My chest is so large it has its own postcode and my legs belong in the short, chubby category favoured by middle-aged Sunday morning footballers. Nevertheless running was a revelation – I could do it and what's more, it was enjoyable.
I was eating too much, enjoying far too many glasses of wine and smoking like a woman with all the worries of the world on her flabby shoulders.
Being outdoors is so much nicer than plodding away on a sweat-spattered treadmill and in 2001 I entered the local Race for Life.
I was a mess ... The cancer was in my womb and I had to have a hysterectomy but thankfully I didn't need chemo or radiotherapy.
Now its something my sister and I do every year – it's a date in the diary to train for and such an uplifting, heart-warming event .
It took a few months to get back to normal – and after all the upset and angst, a really positive thing happened. I decided to start exercising – just the gym to begin with and a few classes. I've always enjoyed good old fashioned aerobics – there's something so satisfying about flinging yourself around to a cheesy disco beat. (I can remember doing classes in a shimmering, bright green all-in-one lycra getup back in the 80s – what must I have been thinking??) Step classes were a big no-no. I can still recall the shame I felt when, after 20 minutes of bungling and failing to keep up, the class teacher suggested I ask for a refund. (She wanted me to leave there and then because I was causing too much of a distraction and making people laugh).
Being
outdoors is so much
nicer than plodding away on a sweat-spattered treadmill
At 5km it's not too far – you can run, jog or walk – what counts is being there. Sadly cancer is something that touches everyone it seems at some point in their life, either directly or through family and friends. Taking part in Race for Life is a great way to raise money for research – I've seen with my own eyes the wonderful research carried out as a result of the millions of pounds raised by women across the UK. It's not a competitive event – it's sisterly and makes you glad to be alive. You can remember loved ones and celebrate those who have made it through. Every year I thank my lucky stars that I'm there and able to contribute to the fundraising pot in some small way – it's my way of saying thank you for the last 10 years.
R
ace for Life events take place all over the country – and they are a great day out for all the family. As well as taking part, family members can come along and support you – either by offering to marshall or helping out on the day. Since 1994, women of all ages and fitness levels across the UK have come together at these inspiring events. Some take part in celebration of surviving a cancer experience. Others take part in memory of a loved one or to give hope to a cancer-free future. But all of them share a common goal: to raise money for Cancer Research UK’s pioneering work to beat cancer. Every pound raised in sponsorship goes towards vital work. This includes funding the work of over 4,500 scientists, doctors and nurses who are dedicated to help more people beat cancer. So far four million women have helped to continue Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work by raising over £240 million in sponsorship . Race for Life events take place between May and July and are open to women across the UK. There is no prize for first place – you can walk, jog or run the 5k course. Almost half of Race for Life participants chose to walk at their event. This year, they hope 680,000 women will do something amazing and come together to raise £62.5 million to help beat cancer – enter your nearest event now.
For more details visit www.raceforlife.org
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pluss+ fashion...
A La M
La Redoute has earned a great reputation for its excel prices - and their plus size range offers curvy women a
F
OR a great choice of plussize styles look no further than La Redoute. The stylish French clothing line has created their Taillissime range to bring a little savoir faire to online fashion shopping. Stylist Laura Holdsworth explained the key to La Redoute's success when she spoke to Plus+.
Can you tell Plus+ readers about your philosophy on fashion? We believe women can express themselves through what they wear. La Redoute main principle is that everyone can enjoy fashion, and we give people the confidence to create new outfits. French women are known for their innate sense of style - are there any fashion tips that curvier British women can adopt? There is a reason why French women spend a small fortune on fabulous lingerie – not only does wearing pretty underwear make you feel good but if you buy it in the right size it can make or break the success of an outfit. Nothing looks worse than a badly fitting bra!
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Mode
llent quality clothing at sensible an online alternative. What styles have proved most popular for plus size women? Often it’s the same styles and colours that are proving bestsellers across our whole collection. A woman over a size 14 wants to follow the same trends but simply adapt them so she feels happy in herself. Everyone is hunting the perfect jeans. When have got the cut in our tailored bootcut jeans just right because from size 14 upwards they fly out the door. Jeans are fashion’s holy grail. The Antik Batik items are gorgeous - can you tell us why you include them in the range? We were ecstatic to work with Antik Batik because they have a very similar ethos to our own. Their collections celebrate the individual. Every piece allows a woman to put her own stamp on it. Creating a plus size range with traditional French flair and styling is sheer genius - have you had a good response from women? Too many fashion houses think that creating a good plus size collection is simply about sizing up the ‘normal’ collection. We don’t. We think about the needs and desires of all women, whatever their size, and create collections that will make them feel stylish and chic whether they are a size eight or 18. That has driven the success of the La Redoute range. What styles and shapes work well with the fuller figure? The failsafes in the La Redoute Taillissime collection include wrap dresses, because they accentuate the waist; the shirtdress, as they look uber-chic over straight-leg trousers as well as hide a multitude of sins; and tailored bootcut jeans. Every woman needs a pair. Which colours should plus+ readers be seeking out this summer? If you’re feeling brave, bright citrus colours will inject some life into your summer outfits. Colour blocking is also a key trend this season, so go for one colour and match it up from head to toe!
£
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M SIZ
pluss+ fashion...
Last month in Plus+ Editor Kate Thompson made a heartfelt plea for bette the range of good clothing available for size 16 and beyond - and here's w THE
Star email Anita Judge sums up the whole debate in her wonderfully witty contribution.
BIG
THE QUESTION Why is it that clothes for big women are generally so frumpy and dull?
I
F YOU want converts to your campaign, count me in......I am 46"-40"-48", which should be a size 20, and I get heartily fed up trudging up and down the high street looking for stylish, fashionable clothes that have been designed for ME, not just as a "sizing up" of something that looks fine on a size 10, simply to pay us a very begrudging lip service. I am fed up of unsuitable fabrics, sleeveless or very short sleeve tops, shops who describe their clothes as "hiding a multitude of sins", and the inability of anyone (apart from Ann Harvey in my case) to make a pair of trousers or jeans that actually fit (I have tried some jeans on whereby it wasn't a case of "camel's toe" but the rest of the bloody camel as well!) I love Razzberry Bazaar and Anna Scholz, but,in common with many of the companies who advertise in your wonderful magazine, let's face it, they ain't exactly cheap! We may be
plus++ plus campaign 24
Why are there so few designers for big women? How come you can't be size 22 or more and still be fashionable? Why is fashion so sizist and what can we do about it?
Editor Kate Thompson launches a quest for equal opportunities on the high street.
Expensive, unflattering, bad quality fabrics – these are just some of the gripes i've heard...When you go down the high street most clothing ranges go up to a size 18 – and some are extending their liines to include size 20/22 – but by and large,
the choice is limited. The simple truth is its more difficult to look stylish and chic – not because of your size – but because of what is available to buy. Just because you have curves, shouldn't mean you have to surrender your right to look fashionable.
x
Why is it that clothes for big are generally so frumpy and dull? Why are there "The simple truth
women
so few designers for difficult big women? How is its more to look stylish and come you can't 22 or more and chic –be notsize because of your sizeWhy – but is it that still be fashionable? because of what is
available buy." clothes for bigtowomen are generally so frumpy and dull?
Why are there so few designers for big women? How come you can't be size 22 or more and still be fashionable?
Why is it that clothes for big are generally so frumpy and dull? Why are there
women
plus++ plus campaign
so few designers for big women? How come you can't be size 22 or more and still be fashionable? Why is it that
clothes for big women are generally so frumpy and dull?
Why are there so few designers for big
big girls, but that doesn't mean we have bank accounts to match, and I, as well as many others I suspect, really have to think twice about buying anything from these companies, a situation that is not going to get better in
"my upper arms have decided they want a life of their own, but they will not see the light of day if I have my way" the foreseeable future. The cheaper end of the market.....please, where do I start?? I don't mind cheap and
BIG QUESTION
x
cheerful, but cheap cheerful and thrown together should not be what any fashion shop should be aiming for, and, frankly, I think that good old bastion of the high street for big girls everywhere has well and truly lost the plot! Evans do have some nice designs featured on their website, although there are far too many sleeveless tops,(my upper arms have decided they want a life of their own, but they will not see the light of day if I have my way), but a visit to one of their high street shops is usually pretty depressing, with acres of cheap, badly fitting t shirts, and some very questionable quality materials in use; you will not see smart seperates, trousers and jeans in different leg lengths, or any attempt at tailoring. A trip to Evans usually entails me walking around, pointing out what they SHOULD have done, and I can't remember
Matters... ZE
pluss+ campaign... er looking clothes for curvy women. She asked why there wasn't what you had to say on the matter.
BIG
Ann Harvey are much better, if a little safe, but please, what is this love affair with black? They do some great coloured tops, but when it comes to teaming them up with a bottom half, you get jeans, or black and navy trousers. I recently bought some summer trousers from there, and I asked at the checkout if they had any plans to make them in other colours, as I am sick of black. The girl on the checkout agreed, and said "maybe, in a couple of seasons, if they get asked enough for them"....a couple of seasons?! What happened to being at the cutting edge of fashion? Big girls fashion should have an eye to the catwalks, but interpret it for real women, not be so safe as to just keep churning out the same old stuff over and over again.
THE QUESTION
we can look as good as anybody else, better, given half the chance, but it takes 1. Why can't designers be more more thought, and with theadventurous fashion world in their as styling for bigger sizes? it is, the odds are stacked against us.
2. My biggest plea is for better quality
fabrics. I would pay more for classic There, once I get started........sorry.
Anita Judge
3. I love colour and just wish more clothescould be available in the larger sizes in a variety of colours and finishes. enthused, I may visit one
P.S. I now feel so of those boutiques where the only thing thatthat seems to get 4. Detailing is the thing lost when itand comes to larger sizes. I know will fit me are the earrings, ask one of the assistants what they have in a size 20, just to see if I can make her faint dead away! Its a hobby...........
pluss+ campaign...
BIG
THE QUESTION
"it is far more difficult to design for real women who have breasts, hips, and thighs you could crack walnuts with......" As to catwalk fashion, and the inability of designers to bite the bullet and come up with a meaningful collection every season for bigger girls, with the exception of Anna Scholz of course, the only answer I can come up with is that they haven't got the guts to do it; any idiot with a fashion degree can design for skinny girls whose primary function is to act as a clothes horse, nothing else, it is far more difficult to design for real women who have breasts, hips, and thighs you could crack walnuts with......
pieces in materials that have a bit of substance to them and hang well.
1. Why can't designers be more adventurous in their styling for bigger sizes? 2. My biggest plea is for better quality fabrics. I would pay more for classic pieces in materials that have a bit of substance to them and hang well. 3. I love colour and just wish more clothescould be available in the larger 22 sizes in a variety of colours and finishes. 4. Detailing is the thing that seems to get lost when it comes to larger sizes.
Wishlist
Jeans that fit, with right size pockets so my bottom doesn't look huge.
Wishlist
Jeans that fit, with right size pockets so my bottom doesn't look huge. Dresses that emphasise a womanly shape rather than concealing it – I don't want to wear tents. Jackets that are properly tailored for a bigger bosom. More dresses and tops with sleeves – many women have an issue with the tops of their arms. Retail staff who can help you put an outfit together with accessories – and tell you honestly if your bum simply does look too big in that dress.
pluss++ plu campaign "My biggest plea is for better quality fabrics. I would pay more for classic pieces in materials that have a bit of substance to them and hang well."
Click here for more information
Dresses that emphasise a womanly shape rather than concealing it – I don't want to wear tents. Jackets that are properly tailored for a bigger bosom. More dresses and tops with sleeves – many women have an issue with the tops of their arms. Retail staff who can help you put an outfit together with accessories – and tell you honestly if your bum simply does look too big in that dress.
plus++ plus campaign "My biggest plea is for better quality fabrics. I would pay more for classic pieces in materials that have a bit of substance to them and hang well."
Click here for more information
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25
Wedding
How to make sure your w
I
T'S THE traditional time of year when weddings take place across the country so Plus+ thought it would be a good idea to feature some top tips on making the big day even more special. WITH THE average amount spent on weddings topping the £20,000 mark last year, there's no denying you can really push the boat out when it comes to staging a wedding. But in these more days of credit crunch and economic uncertainty, many couples are keeping a closer eye on what they spend. Here are some great hints and tips for making your day a special event. THE DRESS PATRICIA Caesar from Heavenly Bodies Bridal has years of experience helping brides to get the perfect gown for them – her London boutique stocks only plus size dresses.
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Top Tips 1. Try to visit the store with as few people as possible so you can remain focused. 2. Do not go with any preconceived ideas or judgments about dresses. 3. Try on all the bridal shapes that are available in the store, even if you think they are not for you. You can then quickly eliminate what doesn't suit your shape. 4. Always go with your gut instinct, others may want to offer advice but remember you are wearing the dress. 5. Establish trustwith your shop assistant she has probably had many years of helping brides and most have a real understanding of shapes. They are often more aware of your body shape than you are, and we are very good at spotting the best bits that you may not see!
A wi gut oth wan ad re y wea d
g Belles
wedding day is a humdinger
Always go ith your t instinct, hers may nt to offer dvice but emember you are aring the dress.
Patricia Caesar Catering exclusively for the plus size bride, every wedding dress in the Heavenly Bodies Bridal store is between size 16 and 32. Creator and owner of HBB – Patricia Caesar has many years experience in the bridal wear industry. Her philosophy is to ensure that every bride leaves the boutique feeling beautiful, hence the company’s motto: “Where Every Body Is Beautiful” What makes the boutique unique is the one to one consultation that the bride receives. Just like when a superstar arrives in town to do their shopping and the store closes its doors to the public, HBB follows the same approach. Each bride gets exclusive run of the entire boutique for up to 2 hours during their consultation. Patricia’s experience has enabled her to fully understand the needs of the plus sized bride and the number one issue they face is one of feeling uncomfortable amongst other shoppers in the normal wedding store. Another key issue that the HBB philosophy addresses is that of limited selection. If you’re lucky, a normal wedding store might have a couple of plus size dresses on display, HBB only has plus size dresses on display, allowing for an unparalleled range of choice and variety.
www.heavenlybodiesbridal.com Tel: 0208 285 1178
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Sexy Plus Sexy Lingerie for the Fuller Figure You don’t need to be a size 10 to look great in sexy lingerie Bra’s, Panties, Babydolls, s, Nighties, Stocking Tights, Fantasy outfits plus Bridal Lingerie
Sexy plus size lingerie to enhance your natural curves.
www.sexyplus.co.uk
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Whether you are the Mother of the Bride, Mother of the Groom, a wedding guest,or getting married for the second time around, Florentyna Dawn have an unrivalled selection of beautiful outfits for every occasion. email info@florentynadawn.co.uk 327 London Road, Hazel Grove, Stockport Cheshire SK7 4PS Tel: 0161 487 1679 www.florentynadawn.co.uk
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Bridal W
ITH underwear this good, you're bound to feel special on your wedding day. It's essential to have a well fitting bra and sexy undies to wear beneath your bridal ensemble. These latest looks from Fantasie are sensual and supportive – with sizes up to a J cup in many styles.
Hints and Tips
Make sure you have a bra professionally fitted before your wedding day – you may have lost weight in the run-up to the big day. Try your lingerie on with your wedding dress before the day itself – you don't want straps and fastenings showing.
Ensure you have bought the correct knickers for your dress or outfit – you don't want a VPL on show. Splash out on something a bit more sexy than you would normally wear – its amazing what a boost lovely lingerie gives to your self-confidence
Mariette, Side support bra 32D-40FF, 32G-38GG £29 Short XS-2XL £17
Ava Garter S/M, M/L £14
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l basics
pluss+ fashion...
Gabrielle Side support bra 32D-40F, 32FF-38G £29 Short S-XL £22
Kara Balcony bra 30D-40GG, 30H-38K £29 Short S-2XL £15
Ava Moulded strapless bra 32D-40D, 30DD-40E, 30F-38G, 30-36GG £35 Thong XS-XL £16 Suspender S-2XL £24
Julianne Plunge bra 32-38C, 30D-38G £27 Brief XS-2XL £15
Belle Balcony bra 34-40B, 30C-42E, 30-40F, 30-38FF £30 Brief S-2XL £15
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Wedding J ChezBec Isabella Tiara £88.
ChezBec.com Crystal Elegance Bracelet £30 ChezBec. com Angel Bracelet £38
Chez Bec Divine II Tiara £62
ChezBec. com Divine Earrings £24
J
ewellery has always been one of the most important factors in a bride's outfit. It adds a beautiful finishing touch to your wedding look, and while your dress and veil will be boxed up after your big day, your jewellery will become a keepsake for years to come and should be something you can wear time and time again. Rebecca Doyle, owner of fabulous designer jewellery boutique, ChezBec.com, gives her top tips for accessories. 1. Don't start to think about your jewellery until you have chosen your dress. Your gown will
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influence the style of your accessories and you don't want to spend money on something that doesn't match. 2. Set a jewellery budget but allow a 10per cent leeway just in case you see the perfect pieces, which might be a little over budget. 3. Leave yourself plenty of time to find your wedding jewellery. I would recommend at least a month of searching if you timescale permits. Finding the right sparkles to finish your wedding look can often take a lot longer than expected.
ChezBec.com Fennie Pearl Necklace
4. Bespoke or ready to wear? Having a bespoke creation is a wonderful experience but might cost more than buying a ready made set and it will invariably take longer for you to get your jewellery. 5. Don't forget your bridemaids! Give them their jewellery as a thank you gift on the morning of the wedding. It will allow for some special moments between you all and it also means that you don't have to buy both their jewellery and a thank you gift.
Jewellery Lace Flower earings
LN-Flower
LN-Big heart
L
ONDON-based designer Lily Gardner’s jewels have graced the cabinets of Harrods and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. They've also been featured in Colette, Paris' most revered fashion boutique, where Lily launched her hallmark Teatro lace collection: a mix of couture lace - still made on the original 18th century hand looms in France - encased in Plexiglas teamed with sterling silver chain and jet beading.
London glass set in resin. Her designer collections are ‘little works of art for dressing up and turning heads.’They’re made meticulously by hand in London – but you’ll find them in the world’s top fashion magazines such as Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle and Tatler.
Lily is an innovator and works to create striking pieces with style that stays. Past and current collections include laser-cut Japanese paper, grosgrain ribbon, Swarovski pearls, Milanese filigree, iconic paisley bandanas – and 1950s original
Also included in this collection are a line of raduated pearl neacklaces with their summer cousins, a new range of speckled beads in salmon and aqua. The pearls are supplied by the Austrian company Swarovski who specialise in crystal work.
Her Bohemian Retro collection was inspired Italian fashion in the thirties.
They have a unique technique to coat crystals in pearlising solution, resulting in a beautiful lustre very reminiscent of real pearls. Lily says: "I found a beautiful bracelet with old filigree work in a small shop in Siena and then managed to locate a company in Milan that still manufactures the same capwork." The French lace used in her Teatro Lace collection is made in Northern France by one of the country's oldest lace making houses. There they use a loom dating backing to the 18th century. The complex pattern requires that the lace is lifted from the loom half way through the process and finished by hand. Go to www.lilygardener.com for more details
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Cupcake C
UPCAKES have to be the scrumptious cake of choice for modern brides.
Whether you get your family to help you bake and decorate them for a cutprice wedding or push the boat out and have them made – they are bound to create the right impact. Made famous by those stylish gals from Sex and the City, cupcakes have been around since forever and are a great way of giving your guests a sweet treat on your big day.
"If you are wanting cupcakes that will be an eye-catching addition to your big day look no further than clever Rosalind Miller's designs." She also supplies cakes to farmers markets in London – using a converted ice cream van to sell her tea and cakes. Now she is also taking the beautifully decorated van along to weddings too. “I suppose cupcakes did get fashionable because of Sex and the City – you can have any colour or design you want,” she said. Rosalind trained as a textile and graphic designer and is a part-time lecturer at St Martin's College of Art & Design.
Peggy's Cupcakes IF YOU are wanting cupcakes that will be an eye-catching addition to your big day look no further than clever Rosalind Miller's designs. Her Peggy's Cupcakes company – named after her mum Peggy who taught her how to bake mouth-watering cakes and cookies – can create beautiful designs for your big day.
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She turned to baking as a means of breaking away from computers and getting more hands-on again. She decorates with seasonal fruits and her signature handmade sugar flowers. www.peggyscupcakes.co.uk
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Barbara Cox,‘The Nutrichef’ Barbara Cox ‘The Nutrichef’ provides our regular column on nutrition and healthy eating. Barbara Cox is a highly regarded nutritionist, author and CEO of healthy meal delivery service Nutrichef. She became passionate about the importance of eating healthily during an eight-year stay in Japan, a country renowned for its low levels of obesity,
cancer and heart disease. Through her consultations with Nutrichef customers across the UK, Barbara advises people with a range of concerns, including people wishing to lose weight, athletes training for sports events or people who simply
want to know what it means to eat healthily. Barbara is currently the British Chambers of Commerce national winner of Entrepreneur of the Year. For more information about Barbara and Nutrichef, visit www.nutrichef.co.uk
EXCITING SPRING SALADS SALADS are amazingly good for you – a great source of fibre, as well as important vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals – naturally occurring chemicals that help the body to ward off disease. And, of course, freshly-picked vegetables are best because the nutrients are at their richest. Having lived in Japan, we continue to use principles we learned while living there in the creation of healthy meals at Nutrichef - we provide more fish than red meat, more rice than potatoes, and we use a huge variety of fruit and vegetables. For lunch we produce some amazing soups, wheat-free sandwiches and pizzas, and some very exciting salads.
A ROUGH GUIDE TO SOON-TO-PEAK VEGETABLES IS AS FOLLOWS: May Asparagus, artichoke, broccoli, fennel, courgette, spinach, spring onions, watercress June Broad beans, aubergines, carrots, mange tout, peas, radishes, runner beans, tomatoes Salads can be made fun for kids by getting them to sprinkle on a few raisins, seeds, sprouted beans or small slices of their favourite fruit. Here’s my recipe for an exciting zesty spring salad: 150g watercress 1 cup cooked barley ½ cucumber ½ red onion ½ pepper (red, yellow, green) 50g sprouted mung beans 1 orange cut into segments 5 medium radishes 5 spears of asparagus to garnish
Place all salad ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Add your favourite salad dressing or try my mustard vinaigrette dressing: 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp balsalmic vinegar 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp ground black pepper Sprouting Seeds Sprouting seeds is simple, too, and will give you a boost of important nutrients. You can buy a 3-tier sprouter for as little as £9.95 +p&p - see the online shop at www.nutrichef.co.uk for further details. Once you’ve bought your sprouter, just follow these simple steps: Place a handful of your selected seeds in a bowl; cover with cold water and leave to soak overnight. Most seeds will expand up to eight times their size. Keep topping up with water if necessary.
The following morning drain the water, rinse well and put the seeds in the base of your sprouter. The seeds need to be rinsed well in the morning and evening. Continue to rinse daily until ready to harvest (when the shoots have emerged). You can buy most of the following seeds from your local supermarket. Seed Harvesting Time (days) Adzuki beans 4-6 Alfalfa 5-7 Barley 3-4 Chickpea 4 Fenugreek 4-5 Flageolet beans 3-5 Green lentils 3-5 Green peas 3-5 Mung beans 2-3 Pumpkin seeds 4-6 Radish 4-5 Rye 3-5 Soya beans 3-6 Sunflower seeds 4-6 So get sprouting and sprinkling, and have a lovely spring.
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pluss+ fashion...
TOP M
SUMMER tops are versatile and can be or long skirt for a funky look that will k
Y
OU can never have too many tops to see you through the summer. Whether its practical T shirts, tunics or kaftans - they all look good and feel great. This season there's a wealth of styles and colours to suit all shapes - so go on take the plunge and earn youself top marks ...
Jeffrey and Paula Jersey Top Lemon or Navy £22 Simply Be
Navy & white ditsy print ruched top, from £28 Marisota
Quintesse Spring/Summer 2009 Collection - Special occasionwear for sizes 16+
Frill neck tee £5 Matalan
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Button shoulder tee £5 Matalan
MARKS
e teamed with loose fitting trousers keep you cool, calm and collected.
Anna Scholz Sequin Tunic £60 Simply Be
Caryn Franklin Print Tunic £40 Simply Be
Orange Print Tunic from £16 Marisota
Pink ruched jersey top, from £10 Marisota
Jersey gypsy top, from £18 Marisota
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pluss+ fashion...
How to dress CURVES this By Lucy Rosseter, Style and Make-Up
F
emininity reigns for Summer 2009 whatever your size as the high street serves up a tasty platter of mouthwatering desirable trends that are guaranteed to make you keel over with desire! Reflecting the new positive and playful feeling in the fashion world, while remaining chic, sexy and totally irresistible, the keys trends draw on light, floaty fabrics, vibrant bursts of colour and gorgeous subtle detailing to re-write and decomplicate the style agenda.
"Up or down, the combinations are endless and the only rule you need to remember is not to overload it and keep the look sophisticated and striking." The mood is understated and effortless, and chic and simple is the order of the day. Clean, sharp, soft and pared down silhouettes dominate, vivid prints provide drama and delicious feminine detailing in the form of ruffles, pleats and beading all score full marks in the visual department. Up or down, the combinations are endless and the only rule you need to remember is not to overload it and keep the look sophisticated and striking. From elegant 1950 ladylike looks to
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soft and gentle playful shapes, not forgetting a touch of 1970s hippy chic, a sexy shot of safari and a heady dose of romance, the mood is contemporary, sophisticated and feminine to the core. Delicate, sheer fabrics, gentle draped silhouettes, cascading frills and a delicious palette of soft muted tones combine to produce this summers sweetest trend that is hard to resist and designed to make you swoon. Light, airy, soft and dreamy clothing with a gently seductive boudoir edge ups the romance factor this season and is guaranteed to make you want to fall in love. For something more relaxed, look to gorgeously feminine, loose, languid shapes that gently envelope the body and hide a multitude of sins. Driven by louche tailoring and utility inspired sportswear, this is a dressed down yet utterly gorgeous take on daywear that is fresh in spirit and casual in nature. From utterly feminine luxe seperates to soft slouchy wear-andgo jumpsuits and parachute pants, these are versatile clothes that mix effortlessness with sex appeal a-plenty. Just remember to add heels and you’re good to go! Femininity turns boho as bright, exotic looks with a gorgeous chilled out 70’s edge come together to offer a melting pot of eccentricity designed to wow. Maxi dresses, wafting kaftans, clashing sunshine saturated colours, jewelled embellishment, ethnic beads, floaty high impact florals and eye popping retro prints combine to produce sexy, dramatic looks with a totally jet set edge that cant fail to whet the appetite of any modern day fashionista.
s your s season Consultant, Vixen PR
T
apping into an altogether different retro era, designers take inspiration from the 1950s to offer serious yet soft, sharp yet feminine looks that exude understated yet edgy glamour. The new ladylike appeal calls for hourglass silhouettes, elegant, softly refined shapes and clean, uncluttered couture tailored lines all designed to bring out the woman in you whatever the time or occasion. Safari influences are back once more but have taken a sophisticated turn for 2009 as they combine with sassy tribal influences to produce easy to wear, simple cuts and styles with a marked chic colonial feel. A neutral colour palette dominates, evoking a cool relaxed vibe while bright eye-catching jungle and Hawaiian prints add an intense burst of colour. City shorts, harem pants and utilitarian military shapes are feminised and given a glamorous edge with nipped in waists and shiny metallic touches, while rich, natural fabrics and colours, bold tribal and animal style prints, chunky wooden jewellery and an endearing craftwork feel inject and authentic African homespun element to the look.
try squeezing into a size smaller. Tightly fitting clothes look cheap and increase the visual impression of size, and clothes that are too large look sloppy and badly groomed. Correctly fitting clothing is elegantly loose and will make you look slimmer. Remember you are the only one that sees the label! Think chic and glamorous, elegant and gorgeous and invest in the basics…Classic cuts and clever positioning of details help to make the most of your assets.
"Don’t hide your figure in shapeless styles – fitted designs enhance what you’ve got, whatever your size." Don’t hide your figure in shapeless styles – fitted designs enhance what you’ve got, whatever your size
Devilishly super sexy tips for larger ladies:
The right undergarments will lift and give you a much smoother look. If you are a D cup upwards, a well fitted, smooth, underwired bra is the most important item in your wardrobe.
Be aware of the trends but never the forget the importance of FIT. Don’t wear your clothes too tight or
It will make you visibly lose pounds and give you that much needed shape at the waist.
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How to dress CURVES this
Lucy Rosseter gives her top tips to make th
D
on’t be afraid of figure forming underwear. It may not have the sexiest impact when getting undressed BUT it will make you feel good from the outside in when it matters most. Practice holding your stomach in at all times and stand up straight with shoulders back (you’ll see an instant difference) Accessories are your friend and are a great way of expressing your personality. Look to them to add glamour to your look and concentrate in particular on the areas nearest your face. Choose dramatic scarves with pleats and frills, chunky jewellery, big handbags and colourful shoes that have a deep V cut at the front to visually elongate your legs to all balance out your curves.
"Practice holding your stomach in at all times and stand up straight with shoulders back (you’ll see an instant difference)" Play with different shapes and patterns to wonderful effects. Choose interesting flattering necklines, 3/4 length sleeves, bell shaped silhouettes, asymmetric hemlines and large fluid prints such as swirls to disguise problem areas. Avoid details like pockets over busts and hips Swimsuits need to hold you in with maximum support, beautifully cut cups and nifty detail to give the eye on the move. Ruching is particularly good and hides a multitude of sins.
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pluss+ fashion...
s your s season
he most of your shape Problem zones: Upper arms – Draw attention from problem areas and focus on the wrists with ¾ length sleeves Waist - Enhance your waist with one button, nipped in jackets Big boobs – choose v-neck or wraparound styles to lengthen and slim your neck and draw the attention downwards Big hips – Balance out the silhouette by widening the shoulders and choose a-line or bias cut skirts that skim your curves. Choose one with a flat top that gently flares out with lots of hem interest that hits just below the knee. Big bottom – Opt for tailored wide leg trousers in matte fabrics
Make-Up - tips Good grooming is essential for plus size women as it can play an important role in maintaining or building self confidence. If you feel good from the top you will soon start to feel good all the way down. Plump: Layer skincare formulas to give your skin a healthy, plumped up look. Smooth: Choose a foundation that ‘disappears’ on your skin and blend well with a brush or sponge down past your jawline to create a flawless base. Brighten: Lighten the under eye area, applying concealer close to the lashes and to the inner corner of the eye as well.
Pop: Dust blush high on the apple of the cheeks then brush the blusher towards the back of your face from cheekbones to temples to instantly make you look younger, healthier and prettier. Shape: Ensure eyebrows are shaped and gently defined since they frame the face and make a huge difference to how you look
"Big hips – Balance out the silhouette by widening the shoulders and choose a-line or bias cut skirts that skim your curves." Define: Apply a light shade of eyeshadow over the entire eye area right out towards the temple. Using a small eyeshadow brush apply a darker shade over the eyelid and work into the socket line then blend carefully. Using a very small brush, apply white or nude colour on the inner corners of the eyes to really opens them up, then line eyes with an eyeliner extending the line ever so slightly at the outer corner of the eye. Finish with mascara worked right into the lash line.
Lucy Rosseter Style Consultant Lucy Rosseter has over ten years experience in delivering powerful fashion styling campaigns for some of the biggest names in the fashion, hair and beauty industries, including WestQuay, Southampton and The Oracle, Reading. From coordinating fashions shows and styling editorial fashion shoots to writing regular fashion features for the press and working alongside top names in the industry including Mark Heyes (GMTV) and Caryn Franklyn (The Clothes Show) on consumer make-overs, Lucys understanding of fashion trends and styling expertise allow her to deliver unique fashion styling solutions tailored to the client that excite and inspire time after time.
"Big bottom – Opt for tailored wide leg trousers in matte fabrics" Finish: After applying lipstick, layer a light shade of light reflecting lip gloss on top. For best on trend effects this season go for either a soft, seductive nude tone or a high impact, vibrant, juicy red.
If you would like a carefully edited, more exclusive retail experience with Lucy designed to empower, pamper and inspire, please call Vixen.pr on 02380 267605 or email lucyr@vixenpr.co.uk
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pluss+ hair...
s o u t h e r n h airdres ser of the year
r a e p a l me mer ra Its the Seaso n fo r the brides -to-be SUMMER always brings a rush of bridesto-be and stress can often manifest itself in scalp and hair issues. When we become stressed our scalp tightens, restricting blood flow to the hair follicles. We recommend amazing head massages to combat this; make sure you take time to work on your scalp and forehead if you start to feel pressured. In salon, we have a great new organic treatment range from La Biosthetique,
Paris, to relax and pamper you and to combat any hair health problems. We offer all our treatments complimentary with every cut and style including any hand massage, shape and polish or make up to finish. I'm really excited this month as our new salon, Rae Palmer Hair Boutique, has launched in Chichester. While the credit crunch is on everyone’s lips, you won’t find that atmosphere in the Boutique - we all need an escape, gorgeous pampering and quality me-time and that¹s exactly what we have created.
"I'm really excited this month as our new salon, Rae Palmer Hair Boutique, has launched in Chichester." Our fabulous new bridal hair specialist and top stylist, Angela, has worked on Hollywood film sets such as Cold Mountain. She’ll be welcoming new customers to our fab new bridal suite. Our hair is our crowning glory, and for many of us scrimping on this just isn’t an option. You can be dressed top to toe in designer wear but if your hair doesn’t look good, you won’t feel your best. So don’t feel guilty for indulging yourself ladies – you deserve it!
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Angel a 's top tips Here's her top tips for looking great on your wedding day Do try a half-up do if you aren’t used to wearing all of your hair up and are worried about feeling uncomfortable on the day – it’s a great compromise. Don’t scrape hair into a tight up-do – bridal hair-up should be soft and romantic Do wear accessories, but place them asymetrically to avoid looking too twee or old fashioned Don’t wash your hair on the day of your wedding or it’ll slip out of the pins – wash it the night before Do curl your hair before putting it up – this gives it more body and volume Don’t use artificial plastic-looking flowers in your hair – they don’t photograph very well Do take your influence from red carpets – celebs styles can translate well to the aisle
Naturally Healthy Homeopath Sue Leach is Plus+ resident natural health expert.
Banish the summertime sniffles and sneezes HOMEOPATH Sue Leach speciallises in the care of women, children and babies. Her own teenage daughter Georgia is a great advertisment for the ancient therapy – she has never had an antibiotic in her life and has been successfullly treated with her mother's remedies. WITH forecasts for a long, hot ‘barbecue’ summer, experts are also predicting that it will be a bad year for usually hayfever sufferers.
“I
you are more immune to the usual triggers for your symptoms, such as grass, pollen and mould. By ‘densensitising’ you to particular allergens. Homeopaths can give a homeopathic dose of the particular culprit(s) for your sneezing and sniffles, be they hay, grass, pollen, trees or (in the case of asthma sufferers) house dust mite, which (in a similar way to vaccinations) raises your immunity to reckon them.
that if I see someone Homeopathy can offer once in the autumn, not only relief from then one or two times hayfever symptoms in spring/summer the but, with good-quality first hayfever season treatment from a they will have less trained homeopathy, it can also prevent severe symptoms" it altogether. ‘To be most effective,’ says homeopath Sue Leach, ‘homeopathic treatment should take place in both autumn and during the season.
“I usually reckon that if I see someone once in the autumn, then one or two times in spring/ summer the first hayfever season they will have less severe symptoms, and the second they may have no problems at all if we get the right remedies.’ Homeopathy works in several ways: By raising your body’s own in-built energy so
by getting to the heart of why you suffer from hayfever as well as dealing with your symptoms. This may be an inherited tendency to allergic responses, or the problem might be stress related, or may have started after a jolt to the system like an illness or vaccination. Sometimes by tracing back to when the hayfever began or addressing underlying causes (which may be inherited from your parents) a homeopath can stop you suffering ever again. Homeopathy is effective because it deals not with the illness hayfever, but with your particular brand of hayfever. We have over 100 remedies that can conquer the problem, and the homeopath’s task is to find the exact the remedy that fits your exact symptoms.
In 1986 The Lancet published details of a clinical trial proving the effectiveness of homeopathy for the treatment of hayfever. In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial at the NHS Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital Dr David Reilly compared homeopathic remedies with a placebo on 144 hayfever sufferers. Those treated homeopathically reported a significant reduction in their symptoms, both from their own assessment and that of their doctor.
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plus++health... plus
Vital Keeping it
Alyssa Abbey is the resident expert at Plus+ telling you how to live your life with energy
A weight loss miracle? I don't think so ... S
O, Alli (Orlistat, Xenical) is now available over the counter (OTC). Not exactly earth-shattering, since you can easily get it on line already. But now undoubtedly more people will decide to try it, even though the OTC version is half the dose of the prescription version (60mg instead of 120mg). It’s meant to be given only to those with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28 or more (see calculator below), and pharmacists are being given information packs about how to measure BMI with warnings to try to keep it out of children’s hands. The question is: is it worth the £50 a month it would cost you to buy it? The National Obesity Forum has welcomed its introduction as an OTC drug, implying that it is better to be taking this tablet than the myriad of diet pills touted out there that are at best useless and at worst, dangerous. I believe it isn’t worth the money, and you’d be better off buying some lovely exotic fruits for a daily fruit salad or maybe gym membership! First of all, Alli isn’t exactly a wonder drug. In clinical trials (over 100 to date), weight loss has varied, with between a third and half of participants achieving a 5% or greater decrease in body mass, and up to a quarter achieving a 10% decrease in body mass. I wouldn’t rate that as so amazing, considering these subjects were on a calorie controlled, low-fat diet as well. The weight loss they achieved was not always all fat, either. The only result I was impressed by was a 37% reduction in the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes.
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GlaxoSmithKlein (GSK) claim that the drug can help you to lose 50% more weight than if you just dieted alone. Secondly, the side effects of taking this drug are unpleasant to say the least. Since Alli works by inhibiting the absorption of fats (it blocks 2 enzymes that break down fats), around 30% of the fat you eat passes right through the gut, and this can lead to runny, oily stools, leakage and flatulence. Yuck. The biggest issue I have with Alli is that it doesn’t help you to eat a diet that will maintain a healthy weight, although it may encourage you to eat less fat due to the side effect. You can’t stay on this tablet forever, and we know what happens when the ‘diet’ ends. In fact, in the clinical trials, a significant number of patients regained around a third of the weight they had lost. Personally, I vote with the US consumer group Prescription Access Litigation (PAL) in giving GSK a ‘Bitter Pill Award’ for releasing this drug OTC. They called it the ‘With Allies Like These, Who Needs Enemas?’ award. Absolute contraindications for this drug include: pregnancy and breastfeeding, diabetes, pancreatic disease, taking a birth control pill, or medication for high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Furthermore, because Alli will affect the absorption of fatsoluble vitamins, a multivitamin containing vitamins A, D, E, K and is recommended daily. Body Mass Index is calculated as your weight in kilos divided by your height (in metres) squared. For adults, a BMI of 18.5 -25 is considered normal, 25 – 30 is overweight, and over 30 is obese
“I believe it isn’t worth the money, and you’d be better off buying some lovely exotic fruits for a daily fruit salad or maybe gym membership!”
Fitness Caroline Radway is Plus+ resident lifestyle and nutrition coach.
AND... It's A Goal! D
O YOU want to get fit or shape up, but feel you are constantly coming up against insurmountable roadblocks? Are you blaming yourself for your apparent lack of willpower or discipline? Well, I have news for you, and it's all good: this is much easier to resolve than you are currently thinking! If you are beating yourself up about lacking in the aforementioned motivational departments, I want you to stop right now and read on. It is likely that in your initial excitement to get started, and all the motivation that comes with that, you simply overlooked a subtle yet vital aspect of getting results: goal setting. You probably said to yourself 'I want to lose a bit of weight and get a bit fitter' and then proceeded full-steam ahead to the local gym and stocked up your fridge with healthy foods. A fantastic start, but once that initial surge of energy and focus has subsided and you are trying to maintain these new habits in the longer term, you find yourself wavering. Suddenly obstacles appear that seem too hard to overcome, and you find yourself missing exercise sessions and gravitating towards less healthy foods. Your progress comes to a grinding halt and you end up back at square one... What you need before you even start, is to have a goal in mind - and a more specific goal (or goals). But you also need to emotionalise your goals. You need to believe in the end result, you need to really, really want the end result,
you need to have passion and drive! If you don't really care about losing a few pounds, and feel that exercise is only for weight loss, then you won't stay motivated to exercise. However, when you paint a picture of yourself as a fitter person, with all the other benefits that entails, suddenly finding motivation to exercise is a whole lot easier. So, take a moment, and ask yourself: Why do you want to get fitter in the first place? What are the benefits? Becoming fitter and healthier can be hard on occasion - there will be times you don't feel like exercising, or times when an unhealthy snack will be calling your name, even though you know a healthy alternative will give you more energy and leave you feeling great. Begin to picture how your life will be when you are fitter: you'll have more energy, you'll enjoy activities rather than finding them a chore or hard work, you'll breeze through daily life with energy to spare to enjoy yourself: you'll feel great! Often the harder something is, the bigger the sense of satisfaction when you get there, so don't be afraid to think big! Make your goals exciting so you can truly get excited by them. And make sure you regularly reflect on the end result - take a few moments every morning, every evening, and before you exercise and you will find you no longer need to summon up 'willpower'. So, don't skip the real pre-exercise warm up: the psychological warm up is absolutely vital to your success: start flexing those mental muscles!
“So, take a moment, and ask yourself: Why do you want to get fitter in the first place? What are the benefits?�
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pluss+ beauty...
Beauty
Treatment
Rachel James, Plus+ magazine beauty treatment expert.
M
AKING sure you look your absolute best on your wedding day requires more than expert make up and a bit of fake tan.
a great way to relax and they leave your skin feeling soft and dewy Have a pedicure – you want to look top to toe beautiful
If you want to look radiant in your wedding photos, you really need to be taking a closer look at your skin months in advance.
Book in for a manicure the day before so your nails look their best.
I would advise brides to book in for regular beauty treatments at least a couple of months before their big day.
Of course there is plenty that a bride can do to help herself during the build-up to the wedding day – and it may help to combat any incovenient skin break-outs on the day.
That way you can ensure your complexion will be clear and glowing, making it the perfect blank canvas on which to apply your wedding day make-up.
Drink plenty of water – its a great way to hydrate your skin and make you glow
The trend these days is for a more natural look for brides so the last thing you want is to be having to wear heavy make-up to hide the stress spots that have broken out on your chin and the dark rings round your eyes from too many late nights. As well as regular facials, I advise brides to have the following mix of treatments to ensure they look their best on their wedding day.
Ensure you get plenty of early nights -they don't call it beauty sleep for nothing
"I would advise brides to book in for regular beauty treatments at least a couple of months before their big day." Be careful what you eat – stay away from too much chocolate and greasy food Try to get as much exercise as you can. Its great for relieving tension and gives you more energy Often brides spend so much time ensuring everyone else enjoys the wedding day that they forget to make time for themselves.
Back, neck and shoulder massages will help you to relax during the build-up to the wedding. It can be an extremely stressful time but taking an hour out to have a massage can help you to keep things in perspective A leg and bikini wax will ensure you look great on your honeymoonFacials are also
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By putting aside time in the run-up to the wedding to go off and have a beauty treatment, you will give yourself time to contemplate. You will come away refreshed and more able to cope – and you will know that you are going to look your best in all your wedding photos.
Online digest This months online digest looks at websites that will bring you bridal bliss.
CHECK out the shoes on this site. They have everything from designer heels to sale bargains.
DIANE Ferris has created hats suitable for every possible outfit large and small – and even some lovely vitage designs too.For advice on how to choose the right hat for the shape of your face,go to
www.girlsofelegance.co.uk
www.the.hatbox.co.uk
WEDDING favours allow you to have a bit of fun choosing a keepsake for everyone to enjoy. Here's a great way to remember your special day – with a stick of rock with your names running through it.
LOOKING for lovely gifts to say thank you to your bridesmaid? Well this site has it all from embroidered cushions to silver plated lipstick cases.
www.thebridalgiftbox.co.uk www.therockpeople.co.uk
IF you want a great way to save wedding photos from friends and family, why not create your own photobook? Its really easy and the results are great and affordable. Go to
LOVELY bridal hosiery is a must – order two pairs in case you manage to make a hole in your stockings. www.honeymooncollection. co.uk
www.photobox.co.uk
CHOOSING a honeymoon destination can be tricky. There are plenty of experts online offering advice on the best locations and deals available. Try
FOR that romantic wedding night destination look no further than this gorgeous little hideaway in Hampshire. www.theonionstore.co.uk
www.travelcounsellors.co.uk
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don't miss out on all the big... features+fashion+ style+leisure+ trends+beauty
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