You may have noticed that I haven't been blogging for a quite a while, and that BPP hasn't been updated in some time longer. Beauty Plus Power has been around since 2003 in various forms, a lifetime in web land.

I am very grateful to everyone who has participated in this site with me over the years, especially the innovative photographers and the gorgeous models who use to participate in our editorials, one of my favorite things about this site.

But now its 2010, and BPP is sorely in need of a makeover. Even if I could invest the funds I'd like to into making the site current, I wouldn't have the time to give it the love it needs. Running the site during its peak was a part time job and that's just not time I can apply anymore to this.

So, I am putting Beauty Plus Power, and it's siter site, FashionFitsMe.com up for sale. Fashion Fits Me needs virtually no technology updates, its got a newer, fresh look and a great back end system. What it needs is someone committed to curating and updating the datafeeds that power the shopping portal. If cared for properly, there is significant revenue potential just waiting to be tapped on FFM, particularly for someone who already has a web site with a large following.

Beauty Plus Power admittedly needs some more help bringing it into 2010 in terms of design. But the majority of its 600+ store listings are still around, so dusting off the directory listings and adding all the newest stores for plus size shopping would bring it back to life. It is, to my knowledge, still the most extensive shopping directory for plus size women on the web. If you were to incorporate reader reviews, up to the minute discount info, more images and updated store information into the existing structure, you'd be in charge of a powerful web resource for plus size women.

I am not looking to cash out huge on this sale, so even if you don't imagine you have the right kind of money to buy it, please let me know. I don't want to see this site fade away simply because I think there is still a lot of value in what is contained within it. I'd rather see it go to someone who loved it then let it get so dusty it can no longer help anyone.

I really look forward to hearing from you, my lovelies. Help me keep this site alive!

Labels: affordable plus size, plus size fashion, shopping directory, websites for sale

Today brings another new post in my Pick & Ick series. Here is a good example of what drives me crazy about plus size stores - they'll have some piece of clothing that I am so crazy about and is so stylish, and yet then I'll look at the next page and find something that is so old school plus sizes from the days before plus stores sold flattering clothes that were meant to fit and not hide you. Today's pick & ick come from Silhouettes.

Pick: Allover Embroidered Maxi Dress - very pretty, great for summer, fab color


Ick: Poplin Big Shirt - I am not a fan of the "big shirt" concept, nor the crazy retro floral pattern. It's like bad seventies wallpaper.


What do you think? Do you agree or disagree?

Jessica Svoboda is my absolute favorite plus size denim designer. Jessica's denim is second to none - her fit is always incredible and her styles are always on trend. Now Jessica has teamed up with her very good friend Anna Scholz on a denim collection.

The new annscholz by Jessica Svoboda denim is now available on AnnaScholz.com and it looks very exciting!



The jeans sell for between £ 115 and £ 135 and so far are available in three styles - a five pocket bootcut called "Blue Horizon", the "Mood Indigo" jeans with tummy slimming panel and the "Skinny Stretch" jean, which is exactly what it sounds like.

Full disclosure here: I am friends with Jessica and a casual acquaintance of Anna's as well but neither of them know I am writing this post. I actually became friends with both through my love of their clothes and have shopped them both for years. They are consistently two of the most stylish and top quality plus size designers I've ever come across. For them to merge their two designs into a piece of clothing is the fashion equivilent of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's DNA merging together to form their ridiculously beautiful children.

Go shop the jeans and while you're at it check out the rest of both of their sites at SvobodaStyle.com & AnnaScholz.com

Labels: anna scholz, fashion, jessica svoboda, new plus size designers, plus size, plus size denim, style

I often complain about the overuse of tunics in plus size stores. There is a certain kind of tunic, a loose flowy thing with a keyhole neckline that's been in every damn plus size store for the last 5 years.

But lately a more flowery, boho tunic has been popular with the skinnies. A lot of times it's almost like a mini-dress, and it makes me want to pull out my gladiator sandals and romp on the beach. Alloy has a ton of these and they are all available up to their fab XXXL.



Isabella Aztec Tunic Dress, on sale for $42 at Alloy.




Both the tunic dresses (and I use the term dress loosely because they are super teeny tiny short) above are also $40 at Alloy. I recommend wearing with short denim cutoffs (if you wear shorts) or cropped leggings.

Many of you have probably heard about the vintage/thrift plus size store Re/Dress in Brooklyn. I am very sorry to say I'd actually never been, which is shameful because I have been friends with the owner Deb Malkin since the early days of Beauty Plus Power (before starting her store Deb worked for Alight.com).

Here's a snap of the adorable Deb at her shop:


Last week my dear friend Wendy Shanker, author of the The Fat Girl's Guide to Life and the upcoming "Are you my Guru? How Medicine, Meditation and Madonna Saved My Life" invited me to an event at Re/Dress.

Here's Wendy wearing a whimisical birdy clip in her hair that she bought at the store for $3!

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So Re/Dress is every bit as fantastic as you've heard! I bought in some stuff to trade in, as they will give you store credit for gently worn (or new) plus size clothing in good condition. They took most of my stuff (they have high standards, which I appreciate, and found stains on a few of my things) and I left the rest to be donated to charity. I ended up with around $50 store credit and broke even with my purchases - a pair of Venezia (Lane Bryant) jeans - new with tags!, a pale blue courduroy jacket (looks like maybe from Target?) and a very cool silk patterned top with a beaded trim neckline from Avenue.

I very painfully left behind a custom made purple taffeta formal gown that was FANTASTIC but also $100, and considering I have no known opportunities at this point for a black tie event, I had to say no. I nearly caved because it fit me like a glove but it was reallllllly fancy, apparently it was someone's custom made weddding gown (a purple wedding, fab!).

Here's a snap of Re/Dress:


I saw this fantastic super 80's black sweater with dolman sleeves and furry embellished appliques and a pair of fierce black heels with skulls on them and I told Deb she should hold them for Gabi of Young Fat & Fabulous when she comes for the YFF Conference - they reminded me of the styles I see on her blog. You can't see them very well in the pic unfortunately.


The event at Re/Dress was for a young Parsons designer, Alyssa Robert, who was showing a few pieces from her collection and doing a meet and greet. The event was fun and it was nice to see an enthusiastic young designer trying to make her way in plus sizes, although it was sad to hear how much resistance she's had from her teachers at Parsons in trying to design in plus. Good Luck Alyssa!

I was also thrilled at the event to see fellow plus bogger and author of "Lessons from the Fat-o-Sphere" Kate Harding and founder of Ful Figured Fashion week Gwen Devoe, among others.

Finally, and very exciting, Deb will be selling a few pieces from my new jewelry line, Sparklewing. I am doing a special deal there for Re/Dress shoppers where you can get my rings for $10 instead of the usual $15.

My rings at Re/Dress:


And to anyone living in the New York area or planning on visiting, Re/Dress is a can't miss!

Re/Dress
109 Boerum Place Brooklyn, NY 11201
(F/G train to Bergen Street – between Pacific & Dean St.)
718-522-7962

So my new series is supposed to be Pick or Ick but I found a single item that embodies both.



Do I love this or do I hate it? On one hand, this open cardigan with the hanging down front is a style that I think is not really that flattering to plus girls. There is something about the drape of it that I think makes you look bigger. Plus the way my body is shaped, this conceals the parts of me that are small (waist)and emphasizes the parts that are big (hips). Combine that with horizontal stripes and it gets worse.

Yet at the same time I think this girl looks kind of chic. And I can picture some of the stylish plus bloggers like Sakina of Saks in the City rocking something like this. It looks young and fresh with a nod to nautical but yet a cosmopolitan feel; the kind of thing a celeb would be snapped wearing, clutching a starbucks and wearing oversized sunglasses.

So what is your thought? Pick or Ick?

I was in an inspiration rut, as you know. Then I decided I'd write a post about Asos, a site that I normally LOVE, but mentioning a few things I didn't like that were for sale. I think part of being an honest blogger is admitting that even the brands you live for are not always going to meet your expectations.

But that doesn't mean they deserve to get trashed either. In my opinion, even the supposedly lamest plus size store will usually have at least one thing that I like, and even the hottest store will have at least one thing I don't want.

So welcome to my new series: Pick & Ick. Each installment will feature one brand/store and 2 items, my pick (an item I want/love) and my ick (one that I really don't like).

Today's Pick & Ick is the lovely Torrid. If you are in your twenties, particularly your early twenties, you might take Torrid for granted because it seems like its always been there. But it hasn't, at least not for girls my age (I'm 31). The first time I went in one I started crying because I'd never seen a store of plus size styles aimed at young, trendy women.

But like any store, Torrid can occasionally be hit or miss, particularly when copying straight size trends. Here's my pick & ick for them:



My Pick is the top on the left, because I think the neckline detail is really creative and fun, and I find the drape of the top to be one that tends to mask my tummy while still allowing me to show off my curves.

And then there's the Ick. Or in this case ICK. What's not wrong with this? It's a pepto colored lace trimmed rayon strapless blouson top/baggy shorts romper combo from yucktown. It is just so ..... no. You can't possibly look good, or trendy, or body flattering in this, can you?

Let me know if you agree!