From Yours, With Love

Hey everyone!

Hope you’ve all had a great week and weekend? As for me, Saturday was a huge day as it was Plus London: loads of UK and European plus size (and non plus size) fashion bloggers all in one room! It was a fantastic night - Yours Clothing helped sponsor the event, and showed off some new additions for everyone to see. There will be a full round up later in the week with pictures, promise!

So, ladies... it's only a week to go until Valentines Day! Are you getting all romantic with your loved one or celebrating your freedom? I'm definitely in the latter camp. But at the same time, I love all the hearts, lips and floral prints that are going around, so if you fancied treating yourself (or hinting at your partner to treat you!) there are some great options here at Yours. Here are some tops that I just love and think are perfect for Valentines!

From left to right: Limited Collection Cream & Red Chiffon Tunic, £35; Oatmeal Oversized Dip Back Top, £14; White Lip Motif T-Shirt, £12

I just think these are so sweet! The latter two are perfect for daytime sightseeing with a pair of our leggings. As for the chiffon tunic, it'd be great for a romantic evening out teamed with some smart trousers or a perfect pencil skirt.

What do you think my lovelies? I'd love to see what you wore for Valentines Day! Feel free to leave a comment here, tweet me or "like" Yours Clothing on Facebook!

Until next time...

Lauren xx

Making the Look Yours…On Location!

A few weeks ago I offered readers a chance to learn a little more about the internet operation at Yours Clothing HQ. This week, I thought it would give you all another sneaky peek at what goes on behind the scenes. This time, not in the offices of Yours, but on location!

Every now and then we take our two fantastic models Michelle and Amy out and about to capture some shots of our hot new plus size fashion being worn in the ‘real world’. While these shoots are crucial in our marketing process to offer our customers some outfit inspiration and a sense of how the clothes will look in a natural setting, we also have tremendous fun and a few escapades along the way. Here are a few examples from this week’s shoot.

As some of you may have seen, the new photograph on our homepage shows the two girls on railway platform, just one of the settings we chose to promote this season’s plus size clothing collections. What you do not see through this great shot however, is the way in which we managed to capture it. We couldn’t seem to find the correct way into the station so the four of us (Michelle, Amy, our photographer Marzena and I) rather inelegantly clambered over a four foot metal fence in order to pose in the perfect spot. Having managed to reach the platform, we then rather frustratingly saw that the actual entrance to the station was a mere fifty yards further along the fence! Nevertheless, the pictures were well worth our acrobatics and show off our gorgeous purple check ladies shirts which will be hitting the internet soon!

One major uncontrollable issue which we often face on these shoots is the weather. On this occasion, it was the old British classic, a rather hasty bout of heavy rain. While this isn’t so much of a problem when you have nearby cover or are on an indoor shoot, when you’re in the middle of a park with valuable camera equipment and perfectly quaffed models who understandably fear the dreaded frizzy hair syndrome, its far from ideal. As this picture shows, the only option was to cover up as much as possible and make a frantic dash to the car!

Having dried off and freshened up, it was back to work with the next set of photos being taken in front of the beautiful lake in our local park. Luckily the rain had subsided but the wind had picked up and not only did we have climate issues to face, but it seemed that we had caused quite a stir amongst the feathered creatures of the lake! Geese, ducks, swans and Canadian geese became increasingly interested in what we were up to and decided to come and investigate. While Amy and I were less than welcoming and took the decision to flee at top speed, Michelle and Marzena held their nerve and successfully scared the fowl off. Crisis averted, we successfully captured some more great shots of our favourite plus size clothing from the Yours Autumn/Winter collection.

So, next time you see some promotional shots on our website or in-store, bare in mind that at times the picture may not paint a thousand words but believe me, the stories are plentiful!

Dream Denim…No Matter Your Shape!

Whether it’s a night out with the girls, a hot date at a restaurant or even a cosy night on the sofa, a well-fitting pair of jeans is the answer to so many of our wardrobe dilemmas. Therefore, when purchasing the most versatile piece of all our clothing, it is vital that you know what to look for and choose the right pair for your shape. This can sometimes be an overwhelming task with so many styles and brands to choose from. Well, you need not worry any longer, if it’s plus-size jeans you’re looking for, just follow our simple guide and you’ll be slipping into the perfect pair in no time!

The principle rule for buying jeans is the same for every woman: Whatever size you may be, think SHAPE not size. Most of us fall into one of four body shape categories; pear, apple, hour-glass and straight. Once you’ve decided on which of these you are, simply apply our top tips for pain-free denim shopping.

Pear

It is estimated that 70% of us fall under this body-shape banner. If you carry most of your weight on your lower body (hips, bottom, thighs) and have a smaller top half then you do too!

-To balance out your curves, always opt for boot cut jeans.

-Dark colours are the most flattering so steer clear of stonewashed or ‘distressed’ denim and add colour with your tops and accessories.

-By wearing your jeans slightly lower on the waist or even on your hips you will make your bottom appear smaller.

-Look for large, flat pockets on the back of the jeans rather than bulky pockets or too many buttons.

Pear Shape’s ideal jeans….

Apple

Do you carry most of your weight on your tummy and have fewer issues with your lower half? Then you’re an Apple shape. Apples can find it hard to find to find jeans that fit on the waist and show off their slim legs. So remember….

-Make sure that your jeans fit around your tummy rather than below or above it.

-If you’re lucky enough to have slim legs then make the most of them with lighter shades of denim.

-Embroidery or embellishments on the leg of the jeans will draw the eye to your slimmest parts.

-Look for some stretch in your denim for comfort on the waist band and a proper fit on your legs.

Apple Shape’s ideal jeans….

Hour-Glass

Hour-glass shapes have a well balanced silhouette with a similar width of hips and bust and defined waist. If you’re lucky enough to be this traditional womanly shape, then you will want to show it off.

-Wear your jeans on your waist with a dynamic belt to accentuate your narrowest part.

-As with the pear shape, boot cut or flare jeans keep your shape balanced and flatter your hips and thighs.

-Darker colours are a good option as they slim the thigh and hip area. Wear a vibrant top and draw attention to your curves.

Hour Glass’ ideal jeans….

Ruler

A Ruler body shape means that you have a similar body width up and down your body and may lack feminine curves. You probably don’t have much definition on the waist so this is the area to concentrate on to create a sexy shape.

-To add some curves to your legs and hips, try a ‘slouch’ fitting pair which will give the illusion of some definition.

-To create a waist, keep the waist band of the jeans fairly loose so you are able to wear a well fitting top.

-Avoid any jeans with stretch in them, looser fabrics will disguise any parts of your body that you are not confident with.

-Wear a lighter denim shade if you are confident with your legs and keep vibrant colours to your top half.

-Add some bright accessories for a touch of femininity.

Rulers’ ideal jeans….

Fashion Imitating Life

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the ‘Yours Clothing’ weblog. Here at yours we’re committed to keeping up to date with what’s hot in fashion and that’s where I come in….my name’s Harriet and from here on in, I will be updating this blog every week giving you up-to-date fashion news, views and a chance to have your say! This week I’ve been investigating how the media is influencing the direction of fashion, and in particular the long-overdue increase in plus-size recognition!

For many years plus-size fashion seemed to begin and end with unimaginative manufacturers producing shapeless garments which were clearly aimed at customers who wanted to hide their true shape and blend in to the background instead of celebrating their curves or making any kind of fashion statement. Plus size clothing was largely functional, fairly plain and let’s face it, pretty dull! I believe however that we are now entering something of a plus-size revolution. Women are tired of feeling under pressure to conform to the ‘size zero’ ideals we see plastered across the cover of dozens of weekly magazines. We are all beginning to become more confident in our own skin and we see this reflected not only in the fashion industry but also in the media with pop music and television also promoting the fuller figure.

Mika for example, the ‘Brit Award’ winning singer-songwriter soared into the UK top ten singles chart in July 2007 with his hit single ‘Big Girl (You are Beautiful)’ which celebrated girls with “curves in all the right places”. He claims that he was influenced by growing up and seeing the discrimination suffered by his mother who was a fuller-figured woman. Another prime example is that of Beth Ditto, the lead-singer of American based band, ‘The Gossip’. In November 2006, NME magazine voted Beth the coolest person in rock in their annual ‘Cool List’. One year later it was the ‘Sexiest Woman of the Year’ that Beth was nominated for at the NME awards. It begs the question whether a woman with Beth’s figure would have been nominated in such a category five years ago or whether our attitudes to what’s sexy and what’s cool is changing. I for one feel that it’s the latter.

Perhaps the greatest proof of this change in attitude is the story of Chloe Marshall, who this year has become the first plus-size candidate to reach the finals of ‘Miss England’. In March, Chloe triumphed over seven other girls to be crowned Miss Surrey 2008 and this week she will represent all fuller-figured girls across the country in the national finals. We’re sure you’ll join in us in wishing her the very best of luck!

So, the music industry is beginning to realize that promoting a healthy body image and not conforming to the typical ‘pop star’ figure is in fact what music fans want and the judges of the country’s largest beauty pageant have recognized the same. It doesn’t end there however…television producers have similarly started to give more air time to fashion, make-over and body image programs that do not try and change the shape of their real-life models but rather their attitudes as to what is attractive. Channel 4 have allowed their fashion expert Gok Wan to show women “How to Look Good Naked” by boosting their confidence and showing them how to dress for their body shape. Similarly ITV’s Trinny and Susannah “Undress the Nation” in order to prove that we are not all shaped in the same way nor should we be. They also tackle the issue of plus size fashion and the lack of high-street retailers who produce stylish, modern outfits.

That is until now! Having taken on board the influences that surround us in the media every day, we at ‘Yours Clothing’ have listened to you and we have created affordable, fashion led products which join in in celebrating real, curvy women with a strong sense of style and a desire to keep up with high-street trends. Every week, as well as discussing the latest fashion news, I will be selecting a few items which I feel demonstrate our brand and also reflect what’s big in fashion right now!

So, this week my Favorite Fashion Fixes are:

1. Floral Short-Sleeve Halter-Neck Top
This gorgeous pink and white flower-patterned top comes complete with a built in halter-neck vest with matching beads to add a real touch of summer style without compromising on comfort or adding any extra layers which maintains a smooth silhouette. Furthermore, at just £15 I think it’s a bargain! An absolute holiday must-have.

2.Cropped Denim Jacket
While we continue to struggle with what to wear in the showery weather, this denim jacket offers the perfect solution, with a flattering cropped shape and ¾ length sleeves, its not to bulky or heavy and easy to slip on when the sun goes in. I love the cute military style buttons on the shoulders too…right on trend this season!

3.Red Gypsy Top
This top combines this season’s must-have style of ruffles with a really flattering neck-line, it skims the top of the shoulders while still covering the sometimes troublesome top of the arm area. In this hot vibrant colour it’s sure to get you noticed but for the more demur customer, it also comes in classic black and crisp white.

Article by Harriet