Embracing Model Diversity: The Latest Campaign from TK Maxx

Hi guys,
TK Maxx have become the latest high street brand to embrace all things diverse, by including the world's oldest supermodel, Daphne Selfe and Felicity Hayward, the UK's hottest new plus size model, in their latest campaign video.

I like the TK Maxx ads: they're so fun and upbeat and cool (can I get away with saying 'cool'?). They're definitely the kind of ads you wish you could transport yourself into, anyway!
 
I'm loving all of the vintage styling and the oversized statement necklaces. And some of those chunky wool coats are enough to have me running to my closest branch of TK Maxx as fast as I can, looking to do some new season shopping!

TK Maxx did a quick Q&A with  plus sized model Felicity Hayward at the shoot for their latest campaign (images definitely to follow: they look as great as the TV ad!) and I've popped a little snippet below:

TK Maxx: Can you describe your personal style? 
Felicity Hayward: A modern day Jayne Mansfield, whose wardrobe got mixed up with the costume department of a John Waters movie. 

TK: What is your favourite trend from TK Maxx’s AW13 collection? 
FH: I would say winter pastels as I am a big fan of those colours, I could be a little biased on the grounds that I want to be an ice-cream lady when I am older and the colours in this trends remind me of all the flavours from mint choc chip to tutti frutti. 

TK: Do you have any fashion pieces in your wardrobe that have an amazing story behind them, or that you could never bear to part with? 
FH: I have a thong which once belonged to Prince and was worn by one of his dancers at the VH1 Fashion Music Awards in 1994. That baby isn’t going anywhere.

She's plus sized, she's gorgeous and sexy, and she loves Prince! Could this woman be my new fashion crush? I think so!

Love Tor x

The Clements Ribeiro SS13 Swan Collection for Evans

Hi guys,
I've just seen some of the images from the latest Swan Collaboration between Clements Ribeiro and Evans. I was impressed with the first drop from this collab, and now there are several pieces from this new one that I really love too! To help promote the collection Evans and Clements Ribeiro enlisted the most stylish and influential personalities within the plus-size blogosphere. UK bloggers Georgina Horne, Bethany Rutter and Callie Thorpe have been photographed alongside Nicolette Mason and Marie Denee from the US, to showcase the clothes on differing shapes, provide powerful inspiration and give a statement of the relevance of plus size voices in the world of fashion.

I thought it was a smart move by Evans to have plus sized fashion bloggers model the collection: plus sized blogs are the newest popular 'fad' in fashion blogging (about time too!) and the resulting images look fantastic! So what was the inspiration for the collection? Well, designer Inacio Ribeiro said: "After three collections in which we tried to create smart capsule wardrobes, including some serious eveningwear, we decided to come with a surprise turn by creating a holiday range that is playful and easy. "The shapes are very casual and straightforward and the prints are full of wit. It is infused with the urban energy the bloggers inspired us with, but also ready for a week of fun in Rio."

What do you think of the collection? I really like the lobster printed jersey dress, whereas the other graphic prints aren't really to my tastes. But that lobster dress has my name all over it - as does the domino clutch bag!

The collection is available in store and online now, and prices start from £35.

Love Tor x

Simply Be: Do you have what it takes to be a plus sized model?

Julian MacDonald (not exactly an advocate of plus sized modelling!) said that if you're a size 14 in a room full of size 10s then you're in the wrong room. I say prove him wrong and enter Simply Be's latest competition to find their new face, and the next plus-sized talent.

Simply Be are searching for the new face of plus size fashion. So if you're a size 14 or above, a natural in front of the camera and full of confidence this could be your chance to shine! I never normally post about this kind of press release, but I thought it was refreshing that a company was searching for someone normal sized that I could relate to, even if it is a plus sized fashion company (which means, to be fair, they have to use plus sized models)

The prizes are almost too good to be true. (If you want to be a model, that is!) First, the winner will be whisked away for a shoot with Best magazine. One makeover, lots of pictures and a short wait later, they’ll be named Simply Be’s Plus Size Model 2010! Then it's down to work. The new face of the Simply Be Style Files can expect more shoots, more portfolio shots and more exposure.

Simply Be’s newest model will need to look every bit the part, so, and this is the most exciting bit as far as i'm concerned, the lucky winner will also receive £10,000 to spend on fabulous Simply Be fashion! And to kick start the winner’s modelling career, Simply Be will even arrange a consultation with 12 + UK model management, a prize that money can’t buy!

How to enter

ENTRIES MUST INCLUDE: Your contact details: Email Address, Postal Address and Telephone number.

PHOTOS: Make sure you include a full length shot, a side profile and a head shot.

YOUR VITAL STATISTICS: Jot down your height and weight. Then add your waist, dress, bra and shoe sizes.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU: Tell us who you are, what you do, where you find fashion inspiration and anything else you think will make you stand out from the crowd.

THE REASON: Just one sentence on why you should be Simply Be's Plus Size Model 2010!

SEND YOUR ENTRIES TO: Griffin House, Lever Street, Manchester, ME60 6ESOR EMAIL THEM TO: simplybefashion@hotmail.co.uk

The deadline for entries is 27th August 2010 – don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity!

For more information visit the Simply Be website, and you can follow Simply Be on Twitter for updates: @SimplyBeUK

Good luck!

Tor xx

PS - Don't forget to keep voting for me in the Sarenza bloggers competition! Just click here to send me to Paris!

On the problem of weddings and weight...

You would have to be blind to say that women aren't under pressure from the media to conform to certain weight ideals. I've always known that weight issues were everywhere: if Cheryl Cole loses or gains ten pounds then it will sell trash magazines. Barely a week goes by where bikini clad celebs are sprawled across the front pages branded too big or too skinny: noone is ever just right. As summer approaches we're all encouraged to get bikini fit. Last month Glamour promised we could "lose pounds without even noticing". Underneath all of this is the undercurrent that if you're not thin then you should be, you should strive to be. Only thin people are happy, running down the beach in their bikinis with the equally trim male models. Plus sized models (I'm wheeling out Crystal Renn again) and plus sized magazine issues have tried to balance the issue, but i've always felt this plus sized focus was a gimmick rather than a genuine rebellion against the super skinny model trend. Even if you aren't a magazine reader the pressure for women to be trim is everywhere, whether you overtly notice it or not: in TV advertising, and even your favourite shows.

But I have never felt under more pressure to lose weight or be perfect than since I got engaged. Every single wedding website has a partnership with a weight loss organisation. Every magazine I pick up has tips on how to shed pounds before your big day: it's pitched as a frenetic time controlled situation. Hurry! Only one month to go, get thin, be perfect, or your wedding will be ruined. This months Brides magazine even has a feature on brides that have had cosmetic surgery to look perfect for their big day, complete with links to the surgeons that can help and DIY tips if you can't afford the surgery. One lady said: "Without the surgery my wedding would've been ruined because i'd have walked down the aisle thinking everyone was staring at my imperfections." I wonder if i'm the only bride reading this and thinking how sad that is? Maybe I am, whilst all the others spend their life savings on boob jobs and starve themselves on various expensive plans.

Larger than life Dawn French dropped to a size 12 before she got married. She said she had no conception of a plus sized bride because all of the images in magazines and bridal shops were of skinny girls. She felt under pressure to be thin for her marriage to be perceived as valid, and so she lost weight. I'm no Dawn French, and i'm certainly not plus sized, but I know how she feels! It's hard to know what kind of dress will suit a girl with hips and boobs. Even the magazines which run "dress body" issues will show you the kind of dress they think would look great on an hourglass figure (my shape) on a size 0 model with no curves. It's hardly inspiring is it? I haven't seen a picture of a dress I like yet, because it's hard to imagine my body in a wedding dress. I have nothing to compare it to. And I know i'm not the only curvy bride out there, so I can't be the only one feeling like they're stuck in bridal no man's land: unable to relate to the mainstream bridal magazines, but too small for plus sized bridal collections.

Mike met and fell in love with a size 14 girl, and in thirteen months time he will marry one. I would like to tone up before the big day (I have upper arm issues too big to bore you all with) but I won't be running to the dieting hills screaming that I can't get married because my body's not perfect: this will be my wedding, on my terms, and I'll love my un-magazine featurable bridal body, in spite of all the pressure loaded on my not to. I'm also giving up on the bridal magazines that try to make me feel bad about myself - thats the complete opposite of how you should feel in the run up to your wedding, and only designed to make the magazines extra money. I hope that i'm not the only one who votes with my feet, stops buying into their rubbish, and walks away.

Love, Tor x

Simply Be: It's getting hot in here!

This week I was given the opportunity to try something from Simply Be and I opted to choose from their new (gorgeous looking) hot tropics range. Which, given the hot hot weather all of a sudden, has turned out to be a pretty good idea!

I always knew of Simply Be as that plus sized catelogue off the telly, so I was suprised to learn three new things about them this week: 1) They have a website, which actually has some pretty lust-worthy stuff on it. 2) With their new collections, such as hot tropics, they are starting their sizing at a size 12, so they are targeting normal real women, not just plus sized ones. 3) Simply Be and Simply Yours (of super-bras fame) are sister companies. When you look at the names though, I could've worked that one out for myself!!

I opted for the butterfly tunic and a jungle maxi dress, as well as a more versitile boyfriend blazer with studded lapels. Here's how they look:

I'm in love with every single piece. The clothes are cut for curves, so there's lots of room for my boobs and each piece clings in all the right places. The floaty maxi dress is my favourite of the three, and is going to be perfect for hot summer nights out, and the butterfly dress teamed with sandals will take me for a day on the beach. The blazer will come into its own in Autumn, where I can team it with dresses and boots or use it to jazz up jeans.

I can heartily recommend checking out Simply Be if you're looking for clothes to flatter curves, regardless of whether your plus sized or not. I hadn't ever considered the brand before, but now i'll definitely be checking out what they get in stock!

Love, Tor xx

ASOS Curve: ASOS dominate the world!

ASOS have launched a new plus sized range called "ASOS curve" aimed at curvy women sized 20-28. I can't review the fit or the quality because the collection isn't aimed at me, but I can say that i'm glad that ASOS have decided to grow their brand in this direction (doesn't this mean there is noone left that can't have ASOS in their wardrobe? Their domination of the online shopping world is complete!)

Things I love about ASOS curve:

• That the plus sized clothes are actually being shown on the body of a genuinely plus sized model. I hate it when you see a size 14 girl modelling for Evans (they do that alot) How is that inspirational for a plus sized woman?
• The price point is the same as for the ASOS mainline range. I know that plus sized clothes require more fabric (and this is used as explanation) but always thought it must be awful to have to spend so much more than anyone else for every item of clothing you buy.
• As you can see from the pics above, the clothes are genuinely fashion forward. They are young and trendy and versitile: there are pieces here that could be worn by any plus sized woman of any age.

The collection is quite small at the minute (only a couple of pages of stuff) but i'm sure as people start buying it it will grow and grow! A perfect incentive to get involved in what I like to call "online shopping Friday!"

Love, Tor xx

Everyone's talking about: V magazine's "Size issue"

Everywhere I turn today I am accosted with posts, pictures and articles about V magazines size issue. And it hasn't even been released yet!

Overall I have read postive posts and comments, but I have also noticed how many people spew hatred about having to look at pictures of someone who might be a little bit fatter than them: is it really that big a deal? But of course it is a big deal, if for no other reason than that we aren't used to it. Most magazines only feature what I refer to as "standard" catwalk models: tall, thin, flat chested. But (and I say this as a curvy girl myself) I can understand why.


When i'm flicking though a magazine or catalogue I rarely notice the models: i'm looking at the clothes. I don't know if this is normal or unusual, but I never know which model has appeared in which catwalk show, even if I was there. I don't look at the models at all, only what they're displaying. And androgenous women are the perfect clothes horses; boobs and hips are sexy and appealing and they get in the way when i'm focusing on looking at a dress!

Now if i'm reading an editorial it's a different story, and some clothes hang better on bigger women; so I think that magazines should have more versitility in the models they use. And I think it's nice to see a women who looks like you wearing a dress you quite like; hell, it might even encourage you to go out and buy the dress! But I don't think this should become a big "versus" argument: there is no war! I'm not sure why some articles are giving big ticks to plus sized models and then in turn, subliminally perhaps, putting a big cross next to the standard ones. "That's one for the big girls" "The big girls are taking over" Isn't there room for everyone?There certainly is in our society, where I wouldn't dream of pitching women against each other based on their height or weight (except, perhaps, if I was organising some kind of wrestling tournament) I understand the fashion world is different from the "real world" and not all shapes and sizes can or will be embraced, but I just can't believe that a few inches on a waistline can cause these kind of headlines.

I would also like to point of that the "Size Issue" featured plus sized and petite women. So why are we only reading stories about the plus sized models? I know it's a slow news week, but maybe some of the tabloids need to take a step back and get some perspective.


I won't be deciding how I feel about the success or otherwise of the issue until i've actually seen it: a few widely distributing pictures does not an opinion make!


Love, Tor xx

PS - I would also like to point out the only positive of all this debate: I seem to be having a girl crush on Crystal Renn!

The rise of the chunky monkeys!

Whilst not exactly slim, I think I have an OK body; i'm all in proportion, I wear my clothes well, and I leave the house feeling (just about) happy every morning. I certainly never have any problems finding clothes to fit; Although high street stores, if you're listening a little bit more accomodation for a larger bust would be nice.

Boots however, are a different matter. See, I have disproportionately large arms and legs. My mum kindly refers to my legs as the chunky monkeys in fact. And whilst I can buy short boots from just about any where, hence my love of the shorter boot, knee high boots are much more of a problem. So there's only one store I look to when I need new knee highs, and although it used to embarrass me to admit it, it embarrasses me no more; I buy my boots from Evans.

Yup, Evans of plus size fame. And yesterday, with the wet feet I invariably get when it snows, I decided to pop in and invest in a new pair (they usually cost about £100, which is why I only buy a new pair when the old ones die; apparently having fat legs is expensive!) But not today! For Evans have a sale on, and the last laugh is on the skinny minnies for once; because this season their boot selection is amazing!! So amazing that I got two pairs!! (Well actually I got one pair and the bf got me the other because, and I quote, "It will stop me whinging about not having any nice knee high boots")

Here they are:

The top pair were £20 and the bottom pair were £30, both reduced from £70 and £75 (If I remember correctly) and both so so comfy; they really do fit like a dream! The tan ones also came in black (reduced to £40)

And here is how i'm wearing the black ones today:

Primark dress £15, Warren James necklace £20, Evans boots £30. I'm not sure how much I like the dress now i've seen it photographed, but the boots more than make up for it!

And there were so many other lovely pairs; all their boots were heavily discounted. However (tip of the day coming up!) go into the store if you fancy a pair, dont buy them online! Lots of the boots aren;t discounted or arent discounted as much on the website; I have no idea why!

.

So if you've got chunky monkey legs like me, or just like to wear your boots loose and slouchy (how I envy girls who can wear their boots loose and slouchy!) then my advice is to get down to Evans quick, whilst the sale is still on!

Lots of love,

Tor x

PS - I know the shows are on and I should be writing about them, but I was just too excited about my boots not to show you all! Maybe i'll think about looking at some "real" fashion tomorrow!