Anna Sholz

Plus size fashion designer Anna Sholtz’s talent as a designer is reflected in her long list of celebrity clients, which includes Macy Gray, Gabrielle, Alison Moyet, Dawn French, Roseanne Barr, Queen Latifah and singer-of-the-moment Adele.

In a recent interview with the Irish Independent, German born Anna, who is now based in London talkes about the resistance her early collections faced from the fashion world, and the success she is now seeing with her own collections, and the collection she has designed for Simply Be.

Her success in the world of fashion design is surely an indication of the demand from plus size women for stylish, well cut fashionable clothes, something which seems to be over looked by most designers. However, Anna may be one of very few plus size fashion designers, but her collections are so enthusiastically received because of her high fashion designs, daring use of print, colour and fabric, and her understanding of the need for well cut, properly fitting clothes. Her passion and understanding for what she does is clear to see as she is described by her interviewer as “Six feet tall, full-figured, immaculately turned-out and wonderfully gregarious, Anna Scholz is a walking advocate for her brand.”

Her Spring/Summer 2009 collection, which is available in sizes 12 to 26, is wildly colourful with lots of green, pinks and coral. Prints are big and bold. Fabrics are typically luxurious. You’ll find everything from halterneck maxis to embellished kaftans to functional summer trench coats.

How wonderful to see a designer that really understands what a fashionable plus size women is looking for!

Wouldn’t it be exciting if the rest of the fashion industry started to open it’s eyes to the fashion needs of plus size women?

Visit the Anna Scholz website , where you can view her designer collections, and find stores that stock the collections.

View the Anna Scholz collection at Simply Be.

Read the full story and interview with Anna Scholz at the Irish Independent.

This pretty, floral trim top from the Inspire collection at New look is available in chocolate, navy and surf blue, in sizes 16 to 26.

The fitted waist will ensure your shape is not hidden, while the under bust pleats give shape without being tight over the tummy.

The floral trim adds a touch of elegance, and fits in perfectly with the latest hippie and boho fashions. At only £14 they’re a real bargin too.

Show me more boho/hippie

Shoe boots are a must have right through to Spring for every fashion following or shoe loving girl out there. These gorgeous wide fitting shoe boots from Evans are available in red, tan and black, in sizes 4 to 10. Ideal for under trousers or jeans, they also add an extra fashionable touch worn with skirts or dresses.

While the black and tan may be more versitile, I just love the red. With some matching accessories they would turn a plain black outfit into a stylish, up to the minute look.

Show me more shoe boots

Show me more wide fitting shoe boots

Marks and Spencer

It may still be cold out there, but in the world of fashion, Spring is on it’s way already, and as always, with the new season, comes new fashion trends. One of the trends featured heavily in the Spring/Summer 09 Collections on the catwalk, and tiped by vogue as one of this years hottest trends is Tribal, modern African inspired pieces, includinganimal print, and chunky jewllery.

A fashion trend that so heavily features animal print may not sound ideal to many plus size women. When you mention animal print to many people, they instantly conjure up images of tacky soap stars in leopard print fur coats, or tight lycra dresses, but if you get it right, you can look stunning and stylish in animal print, no matter what your dress size.

If you’re a little reluctant to wear animal print, but like the Tribal trend, small touches of animal print, like a chunky bangle, will really complete your tribal look. A pair of animal print shoes,worn with a plainer outfit will also look great, and keep you on trend. As will and animal print belt, which is also fantastic for defining your waist, and making the most of your curves.

If you do decide to be a little more daring, as with any clothes, the style, cut, print and colours you choose when buying animal print will have a great impact on your over all look. Consider your body shape, and the types of clothes you usually look and feel best in.

If you are a top heavy lady, it is best to avoid tops with brighter or larger animal prints, as these will emphasis your larger top half. Instead wear darker shades, or smaller animal prints. Tops with an animal print trim, either runing down the centre of a top, or around the bottom or sleeves will also look fantastic, and really flatter your shape.

Evan size 14 to size 32

If you’re a bottom heavy lady the brighter, larger animal prints are ideal for you. Teamed with plain bottom, everyone will instantly be admiring you fashionable animal print top, and all attention will be detracted from your heavier bottom half.

No matter what shape you are it is also important to ensure your animal print top is well fitting. A shaped or fitted waist is best to ensure an elegant, feminie look that will show off your curves, not hide them. It may also be best to try a couple of sizes, as getting the right fit is very important in achieving a stylish look. Too tight and the style and shape of the top is lost, too big and your shape is hidden, and you will look bigger than you are. Get the right fit and you’ll look fantastic.

Plus size women can look good in animal print, or any other pattern, you just have to select clothes that will best flatter your shape and fit you well. With the stylish and elegant look you will creat, you’ll look much more African Queen, than tacky soap star.

Animal print pieces are starting to appear in the high street stores alredy, and there will be many more as Spring gets nearer. Here are a few of my favorites.

Dorothy Perkins sizes 3 to 8

Fiorelli bronze animal clutch

M&S giraffe print top

Yours size 16 to size 32

NYDJ Tummy Tuck Jeans

NYDJ ‘Tummy Tuck’ jeans are designed to give the wearer elegant posture and a stunning silhouette. Thanks to a slightly higher percentage of Lycra, these innovative jeans are extremely comfortable to wear. The secret is in the stretch at the front, which flattens your tummy and lifts your rear. What more could a women want from a pair of jeans?

You can read more about these fantastic jeans at NYDJ.eu

Or take a look at the styles available at Kays

If you’ve bought a pair of NYDJ’s ‘Tummy Tuck’ jeans, please leave a comment with your opinion.

Evans in particular have a really funky selection, including their lastest arrival, the striped face T-shirt. Whether you fancy re-visiting some great memories of 80’s punk, of want to be upto date with this latest trend, this selection of fabulous rock inspired printed and logo T-shirts are perfect!

You can also view a larger range from the Rock Chick trend.

Evans size 14 to size 32

Evans size 14 to size 32

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When Anne Diamond had a gastric band fitted three years ago, you may remember the media attention she received, most of which seems to be negative. As more and more people seem to be turning to weight loss surgery, Anne has spoken out about how little she knew about gastric bands and how her operation went horribly wrong.

An article at The Mail Online features an extract from Anne’s new book. In it she talks very openly about her long term battle with her weight and diets, saying “I have done every diet in the land - and yet, at the end of them, put on more weight. I wasted my 40s yoyo dieting and ended up with a worse problem than when I started.

Heck, when I reached for my first diet, after baby number two or three, I was only about 10st and a generous(!) size 12. The costume lady at Pebble Mill, where we made Good Morning With Anne And Nick, was mildly annoyed with me because I was stretching the buttons on my trousers.

Yet ten years later, and after a million wonder diets, I ended up at 15st 10lb. So much for diets.

OK, I know I must have been doing something wrong, like eating too much of the wrong stuff and sitting in front of a computer screen all day, but let’s face it - the diets didn’t help me. In fact, I think they made things worse.

And when you’re that size, that’s when a little bit inside you dies.

That’s when you stop venturing out as much as you used to. That’s when you don’t go swimming with the kids because the only swimsuit that fits you looks like something meteorologists use to make weather balloons.

It’s when you wake up most mornings dreading having to get dressed in clothes you hate, and you go to bed every night feeling a failure because you ate a Malteser.”

I was really, really miserable about my weight. Depressed, even. Not about life - but my weight.

Ann also talks about the experience of the operation it’s self, and gives her advice to anyone considering weight loss surgery.

To read the full article at The Mail Online Click Here.

What do you think? Don’t forget to leave your comments on this article.

Many would describe Nigella Lawson as a bright, beautiful, super-successful, late-fortysomething who loves food and has the curves to prove it, but a recent artical I came across at The Times Online reports that Nigella has been heavily critisized for her perceived weight gain during the filming of the gloriously gluttonous television series, Nigella Express.

The artical features an interview with Nigella in which she said, “It isn’t great being described as overweight, maybe I have put on weight, or maybe it’s a bad camera angle. But in real life, this is normal size.

She continued to say “Everyone is so critical,all must be sacrificed to the great god of skinny. You must say no to everything. Life has to be pretty fabulous, surely, if you can afford to turn down occasions of pleasure?”

To read the full article and Nigella’s interview with Style Click Here.

What do you think? Don’t forget to leave your comments on this article.

Crystal Renn is fairly well know as a plus size model for Evans, but has also worked with Jean-Paul Gaultier and Dolce & Gabbana, and appeared in several high fashion magazines, such as Vogue.

As an average size model in her teens, Crystal was advised to lose a third of her body weight in order to win more work, and became concerned about her health.

Now a stunning size 16 Crystal says her greatest triumph is having a positive body image She has revealed what her top tips are for looking great in an article I came across at The Daily Record.

Her top tips include,

“To dress for your body type, accentuate your good points,” she said. “I love to emphasise my curves by wearing a belt around my waist.

“Don’t be scared of being a curvy girl. I also think you should dress to express yourself and have fun with your clothes.

To read the full article in The Daily Record and find out more of Crystals Top Tips Click Here.

This doesn’t, unfortunately mean that all of there sale items have such huge discounts, but Evans sale coats and boots are definitly worth looking at, as most have at least 50% off, making these higher priced items much more affordable.