Jul 10, 2017 - Fashion A whole lot of red
I love red, and it’s probably the most flattering color on me, but I rarely wear it because I have a tough time finding items in that color I like. So I did a deep dive over the weekend, and came up with the following, starting with this dress, which is so easy and really comfortable-looking, but just a little sexy, too.
I love the idea of a pop of color at your feet, and this sandal is so adorable.
Just a pretty, becoming floral wrap dress from Rebecca Taylor.
Red chinos are perfection with a white button-down or tee this time of year.
A gorgeous skirt with such a graceful hemline.
This slouchy plus-size tee has the most flattering neckline.
The tomato red is pretty ideal on this James Perse tee.
Just a fun, party-worthy plus-size dress.
The stripes here area lot, but I think this is really chic, and the price is great.
A well-cut, office-worthy blouse.
The cutaway shape of this blazer is so damn snappy.
An Iro jacket in red makes all kinds of sense: throw it on and your boring jeans and a tee are suddenly a happening outfit.
It’s a little on the bare side, but I am in love with this dress—it is so feminine and kind of sweetly retro.
And finally: these were too good not to include.
Kim France
I was born in Houston, Texas in 1964 and have lived in New York City since 1988. I had a long career in magazines, working at Sassy, Elle, New York, and Spin, and in 2000, I founded Lucky magazine, which I edited for ten years.
Great choices, and thanks for the plus size options. But, really, no need to label them as such. We can tell…we really can.
Great post!
Just out of curiosity, what makes something a “chino?” Is it a kind of fabric? Is it different for men and women?
Love that you’re including options for bodies of all sizes, but please, please stop labeling things “plus size.”
I know the term “plus size” is cringe-inducing (should we then consider sizes 0 – 14 “negative size”? Ugh), but I appreciate the heads up, because you can’t always tell from the image what the available sizing is.
You could use “extended sizes”, but that to me implies that the clothes are available in 0 – 14 AND larger, and that sadly is often not the case.
Someday, all of this will be but a stupid memory of when clothing manufacturing and marketing was idiotically divided in this way, but that day is sadly not today.
You can’t tell from the image that it is a plus sized garment? Here’s a hint…the model is approximately a size 12 or 14. aka “plus sized”.
I can from this image, but some websites show plus size options on “straight size” models, so it isn’t always easy. I would link to an example or two, but I’m lazy.
Ok, less laziness – here is one of the worst offenders, Neiman Marcus. This is the image for this plus size Eileen Fisher dress – that model is NOT plus sized:
https://www.neimanmarcus.com/Eileen-Fisher-Silk-Georgette-Round-Neck-Shift-Dress-Plus-Size-Plus-Size/prod198760224_cat000116__/p.prod?icid=&searchType=EndecaDrivenCat&rte=%252Fcategory.jsp%253FitemId%253Dcat000116%2526pageSize%253D119%2526Nao%253D0%2526refinements%253D&eItemId=prod198760224&cmCat=product
One company which offers the plus size options (this is what the fashion industry calls them for now) does not show any of its plus size garments on actual models. Of course it is hard to shop online with no clue of what an item looks like on a real person. Since their regular items are photographed on real people, I contacted them to ask why they don’t use models for the PS lines (PS as in afterthought). They said it would cost more, so they won’t do it. That’s how much the plus size market matters to them. We don’t count. We are invisible. And we should take our dollars somewhere else. Curvy girls count, and their bottom line need a kick in the you-know-what. Clueless!
I love red! My favorites are my red cotton cable sweater (an oldie from J Crew) and red striped St. James mainiere. Those sandals look like Ancient Greek!
Ugh, sorry about the hideous link, although it seems to work!
Love my red JCrew chinos. Not a plus size but agree with the language. We can tell!
I ordered that Zara striped shirt dress. The cut is beyond bizarre with very full arms and a Gumby-ilke torso. It’s a shame, because the fabric and overall idea are superb.
Thanks for the link to Shegul, I just found an excellent wool suit there on sale. It’ll be my first job interview outfit not made out of polyester, ha.
RE: The plus size debate. I understand you’re trying to save people from clicking over to an item that’s not for them, but tell me, just how awful would it be for a straight-sized person to click on something that turns out not to come in her size? Plus-sized women do this ALL THE TIME, just hoping something they like might come in an XL or a 16. I think they’ll be able to deal.
I’ve stopped labeling anything plus-size.