First photo-shoot for Catalog!

We just finished with our first photoshoot. So excited with our new photos for our first catalog for the Cruise collection! This is a sneak peak of our selections, 

Thanks to the entire crew, photographer Carmen Campos, model Alexandra Ocheretina, makeup and hair artists, Nikie Durham and Sherri Siegel. Great crew, had lots of fun!

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Travelers Fashion Shoot

We just finished with our very first fashion shooting for our selections in our shop. As part of Canela, aside from providing styling tips, we are in the early stages of starting our own mobile shop in SF. As we start branding ourselves with handpicked brands to offer in our mobile shop, we like to share the entire process as we go along.  Working with such an amazing group of talented people is a pleasure. Thanks to our fabulous photographer Carmen Campos and our video technician, Anthony Leong, the production was excellent. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Fashion Forecast

Hi Friends,

As you may have all seen, trends are taking a different direction for this year when it comes to color, fabrics and styles. We see ourselves revisiting classic timeless styes and silhouettes that remain the favorites. I have created a little video with key trends for SS12/13 Season. Hope you enjoy like it! :D

Wearing Bright Denim?

Hello ladies,

Today we will talk about our latest trend, bright and colorful denim! This is the time to start wearing bright colorful denim. I have created a list of three main tips for wearing bright jeans. Let's get started!

When wearing your bright jeans, avoid dressing too "matchy matchy". Try color blocking with a contrasting top or try a top with darker tones and patterns that will neutralize the brightness of your jeans. 

If bright colors is not your thing? or if you don't  like to draw too much attention? don't forget that you can play with the  darker tones like Eggplant, and Dark teal.  Or just go for the classic Dark denim, which is always be IN!  

Finally, when wearing the slim jeans  with high heels, make sure that the legs lay slim and not bunched up in the hem. Wearing the skinny jeans this way will accentuate your fabulous heels and makes the look cleaner and classier. 

Thanks for checking in!

Summer Hats. Which one to choose?

Hello ladies!

Welcome back! Hope you are all enjoying the nice weather, especially here in San Francisco, women are wearing summer dresses, cute sandals and summer hats. Hats are really strong fashion key item that's here to stay. Therefore, I decided to create a quick tips list to help when shopping for summer hats! Let's get started!

If your face is:

• Oval, most hats will complement your face. However, the most flattering hats are the ones with large brims.  
• Round, opt for hats with wide brims such as fedoras, cowboy and sun hats. Wear the hat in an angled slanted direction to add length to the face.  
• Square, wear hats with circular or asymmetrical brims. This will lengthen your face. 

Lastly by not least,  the purpose is for you to  feel confortable and confident  enough with the hat. Just make sure that it fits the occasion, and that you feel good. Thanks!

Proper Fit for a Suit Blazer

Hello Ladies,

So, I though about sharing my experienced from the other day, as I was attending an Attorney Luncheon here in San Francisco. I work at a boutique here in Union Square. As part of our yearly promotional events,  I was invited to the luncheon to showcase our collections. 

What was really interesting to me is that a lot of women were wearing suits but not with the proper fit which worked great for me, because I was able  to show them a lot of out jackets and suitings that were perfect for what they were attending.  And at the same time, give the a little bit if guidance on how to find the right fit for their body. Therefore, I decide to post a couple of quick tips on proper fitting for suits. 

• So, #1 would be to make sure that the sleeve seam is not going over your should edges too much. 
• Then, #2 the cuff edge should hit roughly 2" below where your hands start. 
• And finally, #3 in the chest width. Move your arms straight forward and make sure that your chest and your back do not feel tight. 

You always want to look your best, as we all know, first impression comes through the eyes!!
Marga

Dress Mania!

Today, I decided to focus on finding the latest coolest selections on maxi dresses, cocktail dresses and go-t-work dresses. I found these amazing dresses at IGIGI.com and some from Vince Camuto. Both brands carry a beautiful assortment on dresses with a variety of prints and shapes that cover the entire spectrum of must-have- dresses in your wardrobe. Price points seem to be competitive and as far as quality and handfeel, I haven't got the opportunity to feel these dresses but by reading their product description, you can see that poly, elastine is a very comfortable fabric content, especially for dresses. It's the very flowy soft stretchy type of fabric that tyou see in stores. Before we show you the selections, I have posted the color trend for the 2012-13 below. As we see below, the brighter the better. So, what does this mean?, this is the year for you to spice up your wardrobe the boldest colors you can think of. By bright! be bold! don't be afraid! Check my latest selections. 

Pantone reported that bold Yellows, Mauve, Rust and Midnight Navy's will be "IN".

          

These dresses are great for work, especially the yellow one. The green one might not work for everyone depending on the work environment, some companies are really conservative with their dress code. However the the yellow dress could be worn with a nice blazer on top to make it look more professional. Then when you are ready to hang out with your fellow co-workers on a Friday, take the jacket off.

Ready for that Hot Date? This dress has the perfect cut. It has a nice surplice neckline giving it a nice sexy look. Pair it with a pair of cold or even silver accessories and you are good to go.

What about florals? how big should you go, big prints or small? Like mentioned in one of my previous posts, focus wearing that are defined, instead, wear dresses with prints that are scattered and less defined. This distracts the eye from looking at a certain area. One example are the dresses from Vince Camuto. 

Going to the mall with friends? Feeling casual? maxi dresses are so confortable and easy to wear for daily casual occasions. The beauty of these dresses is that you can dress them up as the night approaches. If you  don't have time to go home and change, you can belt it up, wear it with high heels versus sandals. Below is an example of a dress that I believe has potential to be casual and more dressy depending on the accessories, shoes and layers that you add. Take a look a these Vince Camuto form Nordstrom.

A little Research

rAs I was doing some research on brands that have introduced themselves into the plus size market, I learned by a New York Times article, that many brands just stop producing sizes higher than 12 because of proper space to carry the entire existing inventory and the extended sizes. Another reason is the psychology behing the women when shopping. Plus size women do not like trying clothing in the fitting rooms where the smaller petite women are trying stuff on. This explains a lot. Women in this size range tend to buy and not try on, which creates an opportunity to the e-commerce sector. However, companies such as Gap had only sold in their sites as these sizes would leave their stores with not space.

With that 28 percent of the adult population being obese last year, the highest percentage yet. Almost two-thirds of American women are either overweight or obese, according to the most recent CDC figures. According to NPD Group, a market research firm, the plus-size market increased 1.4 percent while overall women’s apparel declined 0.8 percent in the 12 months leading up to April 2010 versus the same period a year earlier. However, the fashion industry has decided to embrace what is going on with the women's body in America and capitalize on it. Even thought like I mentioned above, carrying more sizes means more stock and sales floor space, brands such as Ellie Tahari has expanded their offerings to more sizes as well as lower end retailers like Target.

One of the strategies that these companies are following, is that when buying online, they need their customers to buy the right sizes as the more extended the sizes are, the more challenge it is to fit the best.  What I found interesting was that in order to acces the fit issue,  a professor at Cornell who studies the body and fit of humans, created a three -dimensional scan which make the process of style selection an easy one. Customers will view their own 3D image, where they can rotate and see all angles, styles and that fits that are the best for the customer. See picture below. I also have included a YouTube video of this amazing system to virtually try on anything.

This system is offered online by Lands' End, Levi Strauss, H&M, and Sears. However, these systems are designed for style selection, not sizing.

Sources
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/19/business/19plus.html

Is there a gap to be filled with plus size brands?

As I work on my business plan of carrying several brands that cater the plus size industry, I decided to look into what consumers are looking in brands and what are their most important concerns when purchasing a new suit to go to work or a comfortable dress for the next vacation. Getting your opinions is critical for this process. I have posted a couple of key pieces from different brands. Which brands do you buy most on a yearly basis? Do you think brands might be missing something about plus size women? If, so is it design, new prints, or fit? Feel free to share any thoughts and favorite brands. Below are a couple of brands that I found had some interesting stuff. 

Looking to hear some suggestions :D

This dress from Torrid.	Love this dress from DKNY.	This suit from Lane Bryant.	Adorable swimsuit by The Miraclesuit

Feel free to participate in my Poll

Plus Size Brands

Do you like what apparel stores offer for the plus size market?Do you think plus size offerings are as trendy as regular sizes?Do you spend more than $100 on plus size apparel on a monthly basis?

Another amazing actress!

Any of you have watched The Bridesmaids? Well, if not, please go ahead and rent it this weekend, you will laugh like there is no tomorrow. Melissa plays the role of  Megan, a mysterious, weird friend not typical skinny bridesmaid friend, with a truly atrocious wardrobe. She is hilarious! Kirsten Wig who plays Annie, was also hilarious. One of my favorite scenes is the part where there are all in the table brainstorming for ideas for themes for their party, and Megan suggests Fight a Club theme LOL. She is completely out of touch with the world and people's expectations. I think she did a great job at playing the funny weird girl in the group. In 2011, Melissa McCarthy won the  Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Acress in a Comedy Series. Below I have posted pictures and a video of her latest award. This reminds us that their are many plus size women out their with some amazing talent. I would love to hear comments on any of you. Please feel free to comment below.

                                        

Read More http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201108/melissa-mccarthy-gq-august-2011-bridesmaids#ixzz1oZaSKS39

Octavia Spencer one amazing winning actress!

Talking about great actresses and artists that represent the plus size women, made me think about how happy it made me when I saw that Octavia Spencer, won the Oscar for best supporting actress in the Academy Award on Sunday Feb 26th of this year.  I have to say that her role as Minny Jackson in "The Help" was my favorite as well as  Hilly's character, who is fixated in starting the The Home Help Sanitation Initiative in the neighborhood. She believed that black people spread different deceases and starts a bill to require that every citizen have a separate bathroom for the people their maids. Love when she ate Minny's poo-laced chocolate pie!. She refuses to be cowed and who wreaks revenge on Hilly's bad  by serving up this disgusting pie.

The Help was adapted from the Kathryn Stockett novel of the same name which became a sensation in the box office sensation. This movie grossed more than $200 million at the global box office. Check out this scene below when Octavia Spencer was called for her award. She seemed so excited and humbled to win this award. 

                                      

I was looking to see how was Fashion Week this year in NYC and I happened to find a lot of designers showing their collections for Extended Sizes. New York Fashion Week had a good dose of reality by featuring the plus-size-only runway show which was hosted by OneStopPlus.com. This is a site where they sell everything plus size from intimates to business attire to summer travel key pieces as well as outerwear and shoes. The site focuses on full-figured women sizes 12 to 44. Bellow I had posted a quick clip that I edited (to be shorter) from the NY Fashion Week 2010 featuring the 2012 collections. This means that their has been quite a demand on these sizes since then and perhaps earlier, however this was the very first time they had a show at the NY Fashion Week in Lincoln Center. Take a look a few collections, including from Kiyonna to IGIGI by Yuliya Raquel.

                                         

 

I recognize her! she was in America's Next top model!

Love this outfit!

For this year,

Bare Plus' from Bare Necessities, showed their lingerie showed animal prints, as well as lace and satin. Other brands included, Calvin Klein, Hanky Panky, and DKNY which they all be available  through Bare Plus.

What is great is that the lingerie collection will  part of a "Curvy Fashion Show," at the next New York Fashion Week this September. They plan to feature six individual designers with sleepwear, swimwear and lingerie.

 

 Elena Miro, an Italian

 fashion brand that carries clothes sizes 44 EU and up (12 US and up)

Sources:
http://www.firstpost.com/fwire/plus-size-models-get-bare-at-nys-fashion-week-210889.html http://skinnyvscurvy.com/hot-models/plus-size-models-rock-runway-elena-miro.html

Dressing your Body and knowing your shape

I am sure many of us have hear of the different types of body shapes there is. However, I have decided to review these and go over a couple of tips what might help many women understand their body and how to fit it. The illustration below, demonstrates a visual of how they all look like. Hence, this is not the very absolute, as there are many shapes out there and people keep making names and adding more to the cart, but as you see it's pretty much simple and boils down to basically 5 shapes, note that I am omitting  the one called Column as it is pretty similar to the Rectangle. If we take a look at the basic 5 shapes, the proportions are all different and so the emphasis in body shape is different. Let's take a look at each individually and I will make some quick visual recommendations.

Inverted Triangle

Large bust and wide shoulders
Tip: Create an illusion that your lower body is equal in proportion to the wider upper body. 

DO's:

• Color block your body, with bold colors and them prints to the bottom body.
• Wear skirts with fullness, pleats, or tiered dresses. 

DON'Ts:

• Stay away from shoulder pads, boat necks, large patterns in the upper body, no ship dress or flapper styles, and not details at shoulders.

EXAMPLE of a good outfit

Rectangular:

Shoulder, waist, and hips all the same width
Tip: Accentuate your waistline and will give you the appearance of curved shape.

DO's:
· Wear Belts and mostly with bold colors or cute buckles.
· Tight fitted shape-wear or corset tops are a great; they cinch the waist creating the illusion we need. 
· Stick with for the dresses that have detail or tie at the waist.
· Wear higher waist styles. which will give the illusion we want.


DON'ts:
· No to extremely low-rise pants.
· Rectangular shaped tops with nothing on the waist.


EXAMPLE of a good outfit

Apple:

Fuller bust, rounded figure, and midsection, heavier arms and shapely lower legs
Tip: Give illusion of lines where they don't exist.

DO's:

·  Wear v-neck with an empire waistline in flowy fabrics like rayon, silk, light-weght cottons.
· Select larger patterns on dresses and tops, the colors need to look  low-contrast with a constant pattern, not crazy all over.
· Stick to narrow vertical stripes or patterns in that direction. it creates a slimming visual.

DON'ts:

· No more cargo pants, pockets on the side, or crazy embellished pants
· Say no to tapered pants.
· No to surplice tops and halter dresses or tops.

EXAMPLE of a good outfit

Hourglass:

Lots of curves with a small waist, with a full bottom.

Tip: Just embrace those curves. Just make sure you do it in a classy way.

DO's:

· Wear fitted tops that are tucked to the waist. 
· Wrap dresses are you best friend. They highlight the waist and show the legs
· Stretchy fabrics are really good for this body type as long as it is not too tight. 
· Stick to low-rise pants with a wider bottom which will balance the legs wit the rest.

DON'ts:

· No crazy prints or patterns, solid bold colors are best.

· If you decide for a print, make sure to pick a small pattern.

· Avoid loose fitting styles. Try to show your curves, that is what they are there for! :D

EXAMPLE of a good outfit

Plus Size Celebrities


So today, I was thinking about this whole new thing going on about our celebrities that are considered plus size and that look amazing like Adele. I decided to compile a list of my top celebrity plus size women because as we all know, people love celebrities and they like having a role model to look up to. Take a look at my first top 10!!

 Adele with her "21" album hits its 17th week at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. Along with many other singers and artists she has made kind of a statement that you can be plus size and be gorgeous, Reminding of women that the skinny girl is not IN anymore, instead real curves!

Christina Aguilera, even tough she received a lot of flack lately about her weight gain. She says she is happy about her body and her boyfriend too.

Grammy-winning singer Jill Scott. She started out in Tyler Perry’s fall 2007 “Why Did I Get Married?

Queen Latifah, as a musician, artist, actress and entrepreneur, serves of great inspiration for many women.

Crystal Renn is the most well-known-well-paid model in the plus size industry. Love this picture!

Of course, the beautiful Oprah Winfrey!! I noticed how whomever styles her, keeps her V-neck shape consistent in all her outfits. I think it makes her look sexy and current. 

This is Christina Schmidt,  a 23- year old Canadian plus size model. I think that many modeling agencies are looking to fill the needs for plus size models in commercials and catalogue shootings. Which is great because the whole industry is changing, slow, but I feel it will change.

Whitney Thompson from America's Next Top Model is another perfect example of a hot plus size celebrity.

Sara Ramirez from Grey's Anatomy is another beautiful actress!! I personally love this show!

A few selections!

Many brands have been added extended sizes to their collection as they realize that their is a customer out there that is not being catered. One of these brands is Eileen Fisher. While I did some research, I found this article from StyleList back in 2009, where the designer for Eileen Fisher back then (not sure if she is still there) mentioned that there target audience is more of the size 2 customer as that was the size that they most sold.

They also started catering the younger customer by not having the 50 year old women in their ads. Not sure if that was the right call as their is a target segment out their in these two groups that need to be catered and perhaps testing the waters was a good idea. Finally, they decided to test the waters and added an extended size range of 14-16-18-20 sizes which I have to say looks really good. Take a look at Eileen Fisher selections in these sizes as well as other designers.

Love this combination! Found it at Neiman Marcus

This is from John Vass. Stripes are so IN! 

This jacket from Misook Collection is a great option. 

The blue vertical stripes make it look slimmer

From the Johnny Was Collection. 

This is a great color for this summer plus it makes an easy fun simple outfit for the day.

The patterns in the scarf are small and subtle which makes you look young and fun.

These selections are excellent for the office and after office events. Even the very last example, you can wear a nice white blazer on top of that blue top and you are good to go. Leaving a great impression every time you can is really important. I know, I know, you must be saying, "but I don't have that kind of cash to by myself a Misook $300 jacket". This is why we will also post some selections under $200 for our next post, so stick around for our next picks!