Tube Dresses

It's nearing the end of summer. The weather is getting warmer, the sales are getting hotter, and everyone is trying to get in some last minute vacation planning. You're probably thinking to yourself what's the one piece I can take with me to carry me through the summer days and nights, while you are on your tropical vacation or staycation.

I say invest in a tube dress. It's easy to pack and has versatility. Tube dresses are a great piece that can be dressed down or up. Sweetheart necklines are flattering to just about every bustline. A tube dress is the spunky sister to the shift dress. Grab you a pear of wedges for the day and sexy sky high heels for the night and a large clutch and your ready for cocktails.

If you have an hour glass figure. This black brocade dress will flatter you in all the right places. Go to http://www.pinkice.com/, $37.99, S-L. Create a complete textured look with the embossed clutch, http://www.bananarepublic.com/, $98, and the silver leather pump, http://www.bananarepublic.com/, $140, sizes 6-11


For those of you who think that some of your curves won't look good in this style, you're wrong.

If you are a pear shape, this Soprano dress from Macy's will drape over your lower half while the top of the dress will give a nice emphasis on your bust line. Go to http://www.macys.com/, $40, 1x-2x. Rock it with the gold strap wedges from Ciao Bella at http://www.piperlime.com/. $89, sizes 5.5-11.

I Covet
Gucci Fall Handbag, Retail Price $1,295

Remember if you think you have Stylish Curves, Send in your photo and you could be featured on the Stylish Curves Blog as Stylish Curves of the Day.
Photos should be sent to alissasavonne@yahoo.com

White Women Have Curves Too!

Last night I went to the Fashion Meets Finance event with a couple of friends. The place was full of fashion consultants, photographers, stylists, and jewelry designers. Oh, and there were the typical type A finance men working the room full of fashion vixens with their six figure salary charm.

While I was scoping out the scene to see the who's who in fashion. I came across two spunky curvaceous young women (Lauren and Jacqueline)who were not feeling their curves (Check them out on the right under Stylish Curves of the day). I thought they looked cute.

After introductions, we all started talking about what field of fashion we were in. I told one of them that their black dress was really cute and sexy and her friend immediately jumped in and said, "Do you see this butt? I have a black girls butt, I'm not supposed to have this." I started to laugh because I think a lot of white girls think they are not supposed to have any curvy parts to their bodies except large breast. They think white men don't like that.

Is it true that white men don't like curves? Well, I don't think so. You have Jessica Simpson and Kim and Khloe Kardashian who have great curves and all types of men flock to them. Even Jessica Biel is packing below the waist. Anna Nicole Smith (RIP) was a curvaceous woman when she was big and small, and, she was still in the dreams of many white men.

A curvy body is not just for ethnic people. White women have curves too and many of them love it. So to all my white girls out there with a little junk in the trunk embrace the wagon your dragon, get you some short shorts and play Sir Mix Alot's Baby Got Back.

Shoe Fashionation Of The Day

These are the fall Jimmy Choo suede boots. They retail for $995. They are show stoppers.

FASHION AND RETAIL NEWS

According to NY Magazine.com, Roberto Cavalli the greatest tease of the financial press ever in history, has decided not to sell a stake in his company to Italian private-equity firm Clessidra SGR SpA. Clessidra was in talks to buy a 30 percent stake in the company, but pulled out over the weekend.
Read More at www.nymag.com/daily/fashion

Picture and excerpt taken from NYMag.com

Remember if you think you have Stylish Curves, Send in your photo and you could be featured on the Stylish Curves Blog as Stylish Curves of the Day.

Photos should be sent to alissasavonne@yahoo.com

Using Accessories To Battle Weight Gain

This past weekend I saw a friend that I have not seen in a long time. She recently gained some unwanted pounds and has not transitioned her clothes to accommodate her new size ( You have to dress the body you currently have and not the one you used to have). She is afraid to go up in size because she thinks she will get too comfortable and never try to lose the weight. Many women develop this mentality when they gain weight.

There are a myriad of things you can do to camouflage weight gain if you do not want to buy new clothes. I have one word, Accessorize.

There are three types of Accessories that can make you feel good about yourself as you come up with a plan to trim down:

1) Statement Jewelry

2) Bold Belts
3) Full Hair

Large earrings draw attention to the face

Gold oval hoops, Anthropologie, $128

Drop earrings, Anthropologie, $42

Multi colored earrings, Anthropologie, $38

Chunky Layered Necklaces draw the eye upward and takes the focus off problem areas.

Necklaces, Banana Republic, From Left: $98, $88, $125

Belts-They are a great way to create a waist and camouflage extra pounds around the stomach

Belts, Nordstrom, From Left: $38, $32, $48

Add some extensions to your hair A La Wendy and Tyra. Extensions with volume in some cases can balance out your body.

And to all my beautiful women out there. Please, please remember you are doing yourselves a dis-service by wearing clothes that no longer fit your body. We can see the creases and the rolls and muffin tops. If you have to go a size or two up, please do. Sometimes, it actually makes you look smaller when you wear clothes that fit you properly.

We'll save this topic for another day.

DESIGNER FASHIONATION OF THE DAY

Designer fall shoes are pouring in and I am officially obsessed with these Jimmy Choo's priced at $1,295.

STYLISH CURVES OF THE DAY

If you think you have real curves and you stylishly dress them, please email your pictures to alissasavonne@yahoo.com. Your picture could be chosen for stylish curves of the day.

SUMMER SALES

RALPH LAUREN END OF SUMMER SALE
UP TO 65% OFF
http://www.ralphlauren.com/

MACY'S
SAVE 50%-75%
http://www.macys.com/

FILENES BASEMENT
ALL DESIGNER JEANS ON SALE
http://www.filenesbasement.com/

ACCENTUATE YOUR FAVORITE BODY PART?

Since it is summertime, we have been bombarded with diets and lose weight quick schemes. You've seen the infomercials, "Take this magic pill and lose weight in a week." Then at the bottom of the screen you see all the side effects you may have to go through just to lose weight in a week. The side affect that makes me laugh the most is the one that says may cause anal leakage. What! So, that means at any given time, I could be doing something and a little liquid is going to moisten my pants. I'll pass on that!

Today, I want everyone to take a break from working yourselves crazy with trying to get into a swimsuit, or a pair of jeans. Just for a minute, let's all just think about what our favorite body parts are and let's show them off this weekend. No matter how big or small we get, as women, we all can agree that there is one body part that we think is our best asset. What's funny is, that body part seems to remain in its best condition whether we gain or lose weight.

Right now, my favorite body part is my hips. They used to be my least favorite, but, now I can really appreciate them and I have been showing them off all summer in pencil skirts and skinny jeans.

Tell me, what's yours?

Check out these celebrities who have famous body parts and love showing them off.

Toccara Jones is known for her ample bosom

Of Course, J.lo is known for having junk in her trunk

Tina, need I say more?

Angela, oh how I wish I had guns like hers

Summer Sales

Lane Bryant

Bloomingdale's

Take 40% off sale items
http://www.bloomingdales.com/

Torrid

50% off clearance items

http://www.torrid.com/

Fashionation Of The Day

Don't be afraid of Plaid. Plaid is your friend. Check out these affordable plaid styles

Buffalo Dress, $59, sizes 3-13

Donna Ricco,$168, 14W-16W

Whose Curves Do you Identify With?

All photos were taken from celebrities official websites

There has been a lot of talk about what it means to be curvy. Is curvy just a nice way to say someone is fat or out of shape? Do you use the word curvy when someone has a full figure or hourglass shape? What does curvy mean to you? Do you exclude skinny people from being considered curvy?

When I think of curvy, I think of a shapely body, whether a body is a size 2 or 24. A curvy body can be round and soft but it still has some type of structure and definition to it. I like to think of curvy as Voluptious.

Which curvy celebrity above do you identify with?

Are you like Sherri, all top and no bottom?

Are you like Beyonce, shaped like a pear?

Do you have Tyra's hourglass figure?

Are you like Jennifer and Latifah, full figured?

Are you like Kim, petite and thick in all the right places or like Chandra petite and full figured?

Or are you like the Queen of Comedy Monique?

FASHION AND RETAIL NEWS

According to CNBC.com:

Clothing maker Jones Apparel Group Inc. said Wednesday second-quarter profit rose 20 percent as the company cut costs and closed stores in a turnaround plan to offset lower revenue.
Second-quarter profit rose 20 percent to $12.6 million, or 15 cents per share, from $10.5 million, or 12 cents per share, last year. Adjusted to exclude a provision for income taxes, loss and costs related to repurchasing notes, a write-off of line of credit fees, severance and other charges, net income was 29 cents per share.

The New York-based company, whose brands include Nine West, Jones New York, Anne Klein and others, said that revenue rose fell 3.1 percent to $803.9 million from $829.4 million last year.

Excerpt taken from cnbc.com

Dresses Under $150

New York & Company's Dress Boutique

NY&C has been advertising their new dress boutique which offers more fun modern styles.

$59.95,Sizes XS-XL $69.95, Sizes 2-18

Check out Kiyonna.com for the more sophisticated/work dress styles that show off your curves

Both Dresses $126, sizes 10-32

SHOE STORY
If you are looking for a hot summer shoe to take you into fall check out this gladiator style from Lamb. sizes 5.5-10, $345

If you are looking for a more affordable style, check out these from Nine West, $150

Summer Sales

Ann Taylor Loft

Macy's
Extra 40%-75% off online only

http://www.macys.com/


Lord & Taylor
Up to 80% off clearance. Final Take
http://www.lordandtaylor.com/

Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic
30% off Friends and Family Coupon

Check out RetailMeNot.com and CouponCabin.com for more coupons from your favorite stores.

Keeping Those Curves In Line

Picture taken from website

As women we all know that there are some days that we feel out of shape and feel like we need to drop 20 pounds with the hope that ten of them will miraculously fall from our waist, thighs, hips, butts, and whatever else we think is jiggling just a little too much. Although I am a curvy woman, I still like to keep certain body parts in line. Sometimes that means working out with weights and most of the time that means breakout the Spanx or Girdle.

If you are looking for a way to look pounds thinner in as little as one minute then check out ShapeFx.com featured in the new Life & Style magazine. ShapeFx is the only brand that offers fashion-forward designs with body-enhancing benefits built right in. Its like a girdle already built in your clothes.

The best thing is they include sizes starting from 2-26W, which also includes petite plus sizes.

They break down their size chart by shape. They offer apparel for women who are shaped like a a pear or hour glass to full figured and top heavy frames. They even have built in shaping underwear inside their pants. Check out this black and white color block dress. It is on sale now from $44-$49.

FASHION AND RETAIL NEWS

Isaac Mizrahi on QVC

According to the Wall Street Journal.com, In December Isaac Mizrahi will have his own show on QVC. Well, not a complete talk show, but, he will be part of QVC's new program called Isaac Mizrahi Live. Cameras will follow Isaac around as he sells us anything from home furnishings to handbags. Go to http://online.wsj.com/ for more on the story.

Coach Profits Fall

According to Bloomberg.com:

Coach Inc., the largest U.S. maker of luxury leather handbags, said fourth-quarter profit fell as revenue retreated in the recession.
Net income declined to $145.8 million, or 45 cents a share, in the three months ended June 27, from $213.5 million, or 62 cents, a year earlier, the New York-based company said in a statement. Revenue declined 0.5 percent to $777.7 million, missing analysts’ estimates.

For more on the story go to www.bloomberg.com

SUMMER SALES

Macy's

Extra 40%-75% off online only
http://www.macys.com/

Lord & Taylor

Up to 80% off clearance. Final Take

http://www.lordandtaylor.com/

Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic

30% off Friends and Family Coupon

Check out RetailMeNot.com and CouponCabin.com for more coupons from your favorite stores.

Fashionation of The Day

Harem Pants

You've seen everyone from Jennifer Hudson to Ciara rocking the harem pants. I kind of like them, but don't they take you back to the early 90's when M.C. Hammer was King of dance music. This is one trend that I am scared of how my curves will look in them. Please Hammer don't hurt' em.

Tell me are you Fashionated with them or do you think they should get back in their time machine?