Friday, October 19, 2012

Vintage Vixen Reviews Affordable Couture: A New Fashion Book


Vintage Vixen has a really cool blog and she reviewed the new fashion book I wrote with Jemi Armstrong,
"Affordable Couture: A Guide to Buying and Collecting Couture."
I'm really happy Vintage Vixen liked the book and shared it with her readers.
It's the perfect gift for anyone who loves runway fashion and wants to know how to become a fashion insider.
Illustration by Jemi Armstrong,  co-author "Affordable Couture."
Affordable Couture is full of Jemi's fabulous fashion illustrations and an international directory of the best places to pay less for couture, vintage couture, high-end designer and vintage clothing in six cities.
Here's a link to her review: Vintage Vixen: Let's Go To Bed (Plus a Giveaway)


Saturday, October 13, 2012

Gucci's Fat Sister: PPR, Parent Company of Gucci, Also Owns OneStopPlus

Photo of Gucci Outlet Store Courtesy of Premium Outlet Malls

It's a small world, even if you wear a larger size. If you don't read the business pages, you might not know that PPR, the parent company of Gucci, owns OneStopPlus, a popular online shopping mall.  
Francois-Henri Pinault, head of PPR, is the same  man who is married to Selma Hayek but has a love child with supermodel Linda Evangelista.  

Monday, March 26, 2012

Why I Love Shahs of Sunset

Photo of Asa courtesy of Bravo TV
I love the reality TV show Shahs of Sunset. It's true and here's why. Reality TV has opened the floodgates for diversity. Whether we like or dislike, approve or disapprove, Reality TV is a showcase for real people. And that means real women. Women with curves and all that goes with them.

In the first two episodes we saw mean girls and gayness, with an extravagance towards livin' the life.
Aren't there mean girls and gay guys everywhere? Don't you know some chicks that bitch and whine about everything? Don't most of us have a swishy pal to dish the dirt with? Don't most of us succumb at one time or another to the "I want I Gotta Haves" over something fashion related?

The Iranian community is up in arms over what they feel is an innacurate portrayal of their culture.
But is there really a cultural divide when one is young, rich and living in Beverly Hills?

I don't watch the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but I bet that there's a bit of bitchiness and showing off, albeit in perhaps a less obnoxious manner, they're older after all.
The RHBH live in grandeur, wear expensive, designer clothes and live La Dolce Vita. And just as the RHBH are real women, they are more like cookie cutter cut outs, more Stepford Wife than Real Life.


And then there are Asa and MJ, two of the females on Shahs of Sunset. Two completely different creatures, one short in stature and the other statuesque. One with an overbearing Persian mother, another a "gypsy" with a boho lifestyle. These two female characters have figures that are buxom, curvaceous, full, lush, voluptuous, well-rounded and zaftig, just to list a few synonyms for hot and curvy!
Whether you like the show or not, the cast's escapades are food for fodder, tweets for Twitter and a raison d'être for the Persian expat community.
Read more about the two, enterprising, curvy cast members.
Asa Soltan Rahmati and Mercedes "MJ" Javid

Saturday, February 4, 2012

What Size Am I And Does It Matter?

If you live in the United States, no matter how old you are, you have probably seen a TV episode of I Love Lucy. Lucy was played by Lucille Ball, a talented actress and wonderful comedian.
In the show, she played the wife of Desi Arnaz (they were married for a few years in real life too), a Latin band leader. Lucy always wants to "be in showbiz," and the running gag in the story line is her constant pestering to "be in the show."
After one of the showgirls becomes ill, Desi offers Lucy her big chance with the caveat that she has to fit into the showgirl's costume. Can you guess what size the costume was?
The outfit the showgirl wore was a size 12. Yes, that's correct, a 12.
Fast forward to the 21st Century. There are no standard size specifications for women's clothing sizes.
Menswear sizing is still determined and sold by the numbers.
But when plus sized women shop, they are faced with the dilemma that every company has a proprietary size chart and even then, their clothing may not adhere to the chart.
In my closet I have tops that range from an XL to a 22, dresses in missy size 14 to plus 1X.
What does it mean? Nothing, except of course a lot of frustration, since many designers and companies that offer plus size clothing only sell online.
I love shopping online, and take the risk that what I order won't fit and will need to be exchanged or returned, often at my expense.
A recent online purchase ended up costing me twice as much, since the item didn't fit. I know my measurements and had checked the company's size chart before I placed the order. I was disappointed, but sent it back. The company sent back the wrong size and the top was too big! So by the time I received the third top, the cost of shipping actually doubled the cost of the top.
I'd like to say the answer is to know your measurements to prevent this type of problem.
However, knowing your measurements is only half the  equation. You must understand your body type, as well as other details like what necklines, sleeve styles and lengths fit you best.
My neighbor, who weighs at least 35 pounds more than I do, is also five inches shorter than me, yet she wears a smaller bathing suit.
A clothing designer must determine what body type he/she is going to address, which is why a lot of plus size clothing is just so...BIG. It's very hard to dress women, we come in a lot of different shapes, even if we all can wear the same size.
So when you're shopping, don't worry about the size the garment is, choose the garment that fits and looks the best. If an alteration will make the item fit even better, go for it. I know it's an additional expense, especially after you may have paid for postage. But if it fits well and looks great, you'll feel better. And you will wear it. After all, how many things are hanging in your closet that you don't wear?