Nene Leakes Slays the Cover of Pose Magazine

Nene has been on a roll lately and she doesn't seem to be slowing down. With the success of her clothing line through HSN, Nene has yet to take a break of the fast life and I love it. Nene has always been my favorite on The Real Housewives of Atlanta for being the take no crap tell it like it is sista. Although this is not her first magazine cover, it is definitely one of my favorites of her. She is making sure she stays "Very Rich Bitch" as she would say lol. I love it Nene!!!!!!!! You can check her out in Pose Magazine this September.

MLB Star Prince Fielder Nude...Que The Outrage

Now y'all know anytime a big person does something out of the ordinary (of small minded people) the outrage rings in heavy, even for Texas Ranger's star Prince Fielder.

ESPN is releasing their annual Body Issue and they have seemed to feature people they usually would not. While we are used to seeing the industry standard chiseled and toned athlete, this year we are getting everything from the 77 year old golfer Gary Player to the pregnant volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings. However it's the 275 pound Fielder that is causing the uproar.

You would think that a PRO ATHELTE that brings in multi-million dollar contracts would no have need to defend himself to the critics. After all, if he wasn't in good enough shape how would he be able to preform on a daily basis for a professional team. Yet he is still left with negative comments because of his body type...SMH

Knowing that he is not the average size of a MLB player he told ESPN:

"You don’t have to look like an Under Armour mannequin to be an athlete. A lot of people probably think I'm not athletic or don't even try to work out or whatever, but I do. Just because you're big doesn't mean you can't be an athlete. And just because you work out doesn't mean you're going to have a 12-pack. I work out to make sure I can do my job to the best of my ability. Other than that, I'm not going up there trying to be a fitness model."

It kills me that something that is so positive is torn down just because it is not the ideal image of some. So instead of congratulating him on his confidence and amazing career, not to mention how fine he is LOL, people take one look at his naked body and share their hurtful words. What a shame!

I have to applaud Prince and ESPN for stepping out side the box and showing love to those who don't fit the industry mold.  I totally encourage more outlets to feature more individuals which will then lead to a change in what many see as normal.

Meanwhile lets take another look at his amazing shoot!

Plus Size Celebrities and The Plus Size Clothing Industry....Sigh

Actress Melissa McCarthy will be creating a plus size clothing line, which many of us will be very excited to see and purchase. She recently did an interview with  Redbook on her reasons for creating the line and It actually made me a little angry.

Melissa stated,

“When I go shopping, most of the time I’m disappointed. Two Oscars ago, I couldn’t find anybody to do a dress for me. I asked five or six designers—very high-level ones who make lots of dresses for people—and they all said no.” 

Here's the thing, There are many and I do mean MANY plus size designers that would have been honored to make a dress for Melissa. The problem I have is that many celebrities are either unaware of their options or think that if their dress isn't made by a specific designer it will not be as fabulous.

How many times have we seen celebrities like Melissa McCarthy, Gabourey Sidibe, Rebel Wilson and countless others face problems when it comes to killer fashion on the red carpet. I am always left feeling like how...why....

I find it hard to believe that none of these women are able to at least get to a computer and pull up the internet to find better options. But, as much as it is the celebrity responsibility it is their stylist responsibility. As a stylist your job is to make sure your client has every option possible. If the stylist is not able to make things happen then they should be fired. There is a reason the plus size fashion industry is a billion dollar industry. There are amazing designers out there! There is no reason for them to be on the red carpet in anything less than stunning like these numbers below,

This should be an every day occurrence specially since they have the financial means to make it happen. I know when starting out things can be rough, however, their options should never be limited and/or unfashionable....

I just had to vent a little bit, LOL. Being a stylist that caters to plus size women was mainly because I know the struggle we face to look good. There are always options and solutions to looking fabulous.

How do you feel about this???

Ashley Stewart Signature Collection Launch with Kendra Porter

I was invited to attend Ashley Stewart's Signature Collection Launch event in Harlem, NY by the fabulous stylist Kendra Porter. I couldn't believe she invited me herself. Being that I am in Syracuse and this event is in NYC (like most plus size events), I probably wouldn't have went if I was invited by a random person. I saw this as an opportunity to connect and network with people that can help me grow my craft and business.

I created a plan, got a couple of girls to go with me and we hit the road. Three and a half hours later we were checking into our hotel and getting ready for the launch. Believe it or not but this was my first time in New York City and I was excited. I definitely wanted to jump into the city life and feel the vibe. The event was great! Kendra gave a very nice presentation of the collection and provided helpful information on finding clothing to flatter our body types. We also got to shop in the mean time and who wouldn't love that.

Meeting Kendra Porter was awesome. She actually recognized and came up to me and we ended up speaking for majority of the event when we could. I was also able to meet and speak with Erica from the corporate side of Ashley Stewart. I know that Ashley Stewart is very active in the community and also does a lot of work with bloggers and other plus size fashion mediums. I left the event with my goals accomplished. I got to meet and have great conversations with Kendra and Erica. I planted the seeds that I firmly believe will grow.

 

 

 

This will not be the last time I head to NYC for Size Fabulous. I only see great things in it's future!!!

Did Harper's Bazaar Fail Gabourey Sidibe????

Not often, if ever do we get to see a plus size celebrity, model, woman in an editorial spread for Harper's Bazaar. When I heard Gabourey Sidibe was featured along with other celebrities and models I was excited. I am still excited about it. It shows that we are making our way to being included in mainstream and popular magazines.

I feel like the only difference between plus and straight size women is their size. They are still as beautiful and fabulous as their counterparts. Yet we are still treated as if we can and don't have the same life. I recently had a high school friend on Facebook talk about her horrible experience over hearing a group of boys say she would be cute if her body was smaller. She is now in the process of planning  weight loss surgery and I hurt for her. Plus size women is constantly made to feel that we are not good enough simple because we carry a heavier frame. It's not that we are mean or hurtful people, we just weigh more.

Looking at plus size women in magazines and on TV gives us hope that we are on the verge of being completely accepted. HOWEVER when a plus size person is featured in something and they make her look worse than everyone else it is a big let down and the feeling that we are still not accepted is heard loud and clear. I love that Gabby was featured but her clothing selection was beyond terrible and a bit disrespectful is you ask me.

After looking at the other women that was features it is very clear that they had no idea how to dress Gabby. I find it hard to believe that at this time they could not find more flattering pieces to have her wear. I understand that this was a high fashion editorial spread by lets get real. The title of the shoot is called "Singular Beauty", but there is nothing beautiful about how they made Gabby look.

Let's breakdown her outfit. She is in all black for the most part. I don't know if they thought it would make her look more slim, but fist of all the blacks are two different shades. They look like pajamas and do nothing for her figure. She has on basic black pumps also which is fine. Now this jacket honey.....Fail.The coat is very straight and makes her look boxy. It would have been better if it was buttoned up and tied around the waist to give her a more feminine silhouette. To top of this horrible look the put a scarf on her head. The scarf is cute but makes her face look very round. It would have looked better if maybe they created a wrap style or turban style head piece.

I have not seen one person say anything positive about Gabourey's photo and doubt we will. I think it is a disservice to feature a plus size woman and dress her horribly. We have too many plus size high fashion designers for her to not have something fabulous to wear. All I can do is SMH at this photo of Gabourey. I have included some of the other people photographed for "Singular Beauty" so you can see how they look.





How do you feel about Gabby's picture?????