4th of July purchases: Avenue

Last year, I skipped over summer shoe-shopping and wore my sandals from the year past. So this year, I was due for a new set of shoes. After having found a great skirt at the Avenue in an emergency situation back in September and some really cute shoes recently, I figured I could try it out again for some great shoe finds. So over the past few months, I have found some great finds. And these are my purchases from this weekend:

Yes, You can wear gladiators and have wide feet!
Tan Kara Studded Gladiator Sandal, $26.90
Avenue.com

Perfect-for-the-office flats
Blue Mindy Croc Embossed Peep Toe Flat, $16.99

Avenue.com

Cute shoes right? Best part is: You can try them on at the store. Check out the selection here.

Crystal Renn Lost Weight?

Looks like we need to find a new face of the plus-size industry...

Crystal Renn: becoming a straight-size model?

Crystal Renn appears to have lost more weight [The Cut]

Plus Size Store Gone Terribly Wrong

Let's admit it - plus-size shopping isn't the best experience. At first you're optimistic, hoping to find the most perfect outfit that makes you look fantastic. And chances are, when, and if, you find that, no matter the price, you buy it. So let's paint a scenario: Last weekend, I drove an hour to this plus-size store (no names) that I loved during college and I was ready to spend. I figured I'd find a great going-out piece there because they have lots of cute clothes and I had places to be that night. But what I actually found:

Annoyance, frustrating, an ulcer from all the stress. There were short dresses, print-EVERYTHING, rompers, maxi dresses, way-too-sexy strapless shirts, heels that reached the sky, and....SHORTS. This might be a dream to some plus-size girls but for me, I'm more realistic. I'm looking for something that makes me feel fantastic AND makes me look good. I tried on a dress which looked super cute and it ended up being WAY above my knee. Say what? I'm not sure why plus-size stores make clothes this way. And the shorts? All the sizes were still there (surprisingly) because oh wait, no one buys them.

As a plus-size girl, I want to be able to wear great clothes too. But here's the reality: We can't wear everything that thin girls wear. So some tough love: There are flattering plus-size clothes out there. So if you want to wear short-shorts, that tiny strapless romper or a tight, shiny, short, hot-pink cocktail dress, you have to lose weight or tone up. Just the facts of life.

Evans UK Must-Haves Summer Styles

These are my Evans shoes Summer must-haves. And they are 50% off. Here they are:

Black Studded Court Shoes

Ivory Quilted Ballerinas

I think I may purchase these babies. Love them.

NY Times Covers the Plus-Size Market

With the 2nd annual Full-Figured Fashion Week taking place last week, New York City became reacquainted with the sassy, curvy divas of the world. The New York Times joined the plus-size clothing conversation and covered the business possibilities that lie in the plus-size industry. They interviewed the FFFWeek founder Gwen DeVoe about curvy girls' shopping habits and she said, "Every curvy girl that has a dollar is willing to spend that dollar." And she's completely right. I have been up and down in sizes but at those times where I'm eating one too many cookies and shopping at plus-size stores, I spend more on clothing because when I actually find something that fits properly, I will buy it no matter the price because you know what, you may not find something like it anywhere else.

And here's the bottom line: About starting FFFWeek, DeVoe says, “I’ve been told several times that no one fantasizes about being a plus-size woman, and that’s probably true, but the fact remains that you have to work with what you have.” Designers, keep the clothes coming.

Plus-Size Revelation: Bigger Women Have Cash Too [NY Times]

Monif C. Must-Have Bathing Suits

Memorial Day is coming up and I'm in the market for a great suit. I've stuck with the same one for two years and now it's time to get sassy. I've been searching far and wide and I found two suits that I absolutely fell in love with. They are sexy, black (of course), and look like something I would feel comfortable in at the beach. They are a little pricey but they may just be worth it.

Monif C. "St. Tropez" Fringe Plus Size Swimsuit - Black

monifc.com

Monif C. "Espana" One Shoulder Ruffle Plus Size Swimsuit w/ Detachable Strap - Black

monifc.com

Find more swimsuits and Monif C.'s signature convertible dresses here.

Double Standards at ABC

A scandal rocked the plus-size world when ABC didn't air the Lane Bryant ad during Dancing with the Stars and admittedly, the ad was a bit risque, but after seeing Erin and Maks' freestyle performance last night, complete with a loveseat and a bed, I was really shocked that ABC allowed this kind of performance. All of the dances throughout the season showcase the chemistry between the dancers but this one was a little much. The Lane Bryant ad was steamy but this dance performance was uncomfortably sexy and a little inappropriate for a primetime show. Double standard, ABC?

Curvy Girls on Television and Pop Culture

When Glee came back in April, I was excited to see that Mercedes had more lines and a greater presence in the show. More of the plot revolved around her which was refreshing and exciting. Mercedes became a cheerleader (gasp!) and therefore became popular. And the writers still managed to talk about the inevitable - her weight problems - in a very graceful way. She is such an important part of the show, that Puck, the football player who lost his cool when he shaved his mohawk, wanted to date her. Though he was using her to regain his popularity, it was nice to see him genuinely treat her well. This stud sang to her and called her "babe" AND he didn't start rolling his eyes when he walked away either. It was a little precious. In the end, Mercedes quits the cheerleading team, becomes her sassy self again and decides that it won't work with her and Puck and somehow, it all works and makes sense. However, it begs the question, why aren't all big girls on the show treated this way?

I've talked to many fellow plus-size gals about this issue - how all big girls are not treated equally in pop culture. There are many famous African American women who are big, successful and known for things other than their weight. Queen Latifah is starring in a big movie about attracting a basketball hottie. Mercedes is sassy, confident and shows it off on Glee. Mo'Nique won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her acting in Precious. These feats are all super exciting for curvy girls everywhere but makes you think, will curvy girls of other ethnicities ever be treated this way?

On Glee in particular, the big white girls are featured in a "Spinster" club. The purpose of the Spinster club in this episode is to show Rachel that she should stay with Jesse (a cute singer from a rival school) so she doesn't end up like them - sad and alone. These big girls do not take care of themselves, have no style and look extremely depressed. It's actually quite interesting how you can have such a dynamic, curvy character as Mercedes and such depressing and unattractive big girl characters. But then again, such is high school and the world.

The closest that we've come to big, successful white women in mainstream pop culture was Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray and the cancelled television show, October Road, which involved the sexy hunk falling in love with the curvy girl in their town. Rosie O'Donnell had it going on for a while, but then she got a little crazy. But young, attractive big girls? They aren't everywhere and it would be nice if there were a positive, attractive, well-known big girl to look up to.

Maybe the tides are turning and it will happen soon. Maybe not. It really comes down to the culture. African American women celebrate their curves while many European cultures (Greeks, for sure), look down heavily (no pun intended) on big women. So where does that leave America? In between reality (wake up, there are curves here) and fantasy (everyone wants to look at perfect people on television). Let's get a curvy, beautiful white girl (yes, we do exist) on a hot TV show and maybe, just maybe, change will come.

Glee Episode 17, "Bad Reputation" - Best Line Ever.

There's a reason why I wrote a "Sassy Spotlight" on Amber Riley, who plays Mercedes on Glee. The best line of last night's episode:

"And why do you think I'm angry all the time? It's called being sassy."

Watch Episode 17, "Bad Reputation," here.

"Just Wright" Trailer - Does the big girl get the guy?

I've been over romantic comedies these days but this one caught my eye. The upcoming movie, "Just Wright" stars the Queen herself, Queen Latifah, and hip-hop star, Common. Common plays a basketball player, Scott McKnight while Queen Latifah plays a physical therapist, Leslie Wright. She helps him get through his injuries and introduces him to her friend, Morgan Alexander, played by Paula Patton, and they fall in love. We see this scenario time and time again - the funny, sassy big girl (with a very pretty face) charms the dashing, handsome young guy with her humor...but that isn't enough. He gets smitten by a model-type and then the big girl remains the friend that's there for a good laugh. But this trailer shows that there is hope for the big girl after all. This same thing happened in October Road, a show that was canceled on ABC in which the big girl in town dated the hottie (loved that show - R.I.P.). I'm looking forward to see if the big girl does get the sexy man. Check out the trailer below and go see it in theaters on May 14th!

Glee Episode 16 "Home" talks body image this week - we knew it was coming

After last week's roller-coaster, Madonna-filled, kinda-on-crack episode of Glee, this week's episode was very different, but in a good way. Rachel wasn't in the spotlight and we didn't even see Emma, but we definitely got to see other sides of characters, including Kurt, Mercedes and Mr. Schue. Much of the episode revolved around Mercedes, the sassy curvy girl that was always an important part of the cast, but mainly noticed for her amazing vocals when she would belt out at the end of a song. But as Kurt and Mercedes said last week, they aren't just there to support Rachel - they want to shine on their own. So they became a part of the Cheerios and this week, they met with Coach Sue Sylvester in her office. After Sue's brilliant line, "Why don't you two have a show on Bravo?" the topic of Amber's weight came up.

And I think the writers of Glee handled the topic beautifully (and the song Mercedes sang was "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera - ha, so witty). To not bring up her weight would be a little unrealistic since, 1) she was a curvy girl on a cheerleading time 2) weight is such a huge part of our lives, especially in a high-schooler's view of the world. After Coach Sylvester asks her why she isn't wearing the female version of the uniform, her gay bff Kurt tells her not to be embarrassed about how she looks in the uniform and she shoots back, "Oh no, I'm not embarrassed - the uniform will just show too much skin and I don't want to start a sex riot." Loves.

So Coach tells her to lose 10 pounds and so her diet begins. When she picks up grilled chicken and vegetables in the cafeteria, Kurt urges her to eat less since they've always wanted to be part of the in-crowd and this was their chance. She then went on to an extreme diet which we knew would end badly - she started to imagine her friends as comfort foods like a piece cake and a hamburger. Eventually she fainted, which brought her to the nurse's office, opposite pregger Quinn (we see the bump again in this episode which reminds us that yes, she's still pregnant - we kinda forgot). This part got a little sappy but it was still well-played; Quinn connects with Mercedes about her eating problems and really makes us think about how body image and food are not just a topic that big girls deal with, but thin girls too. Mercedes admits that she was never one to obsess over weight - she loves herself and that's what we love about this scene. She loses herself in this dream to become part of the Cheerios, but finds herself again when she sings "Beautiful" at the pep rally later on. The reporter, who was really trying to do an expose of Sue Sylvester, praised the performance and it gave me goosebumps too (especially when Puck joined the group singing - ah, he has a heart!). And there, my friends, is how Glee confronted body image.

So thanks Glee for bringing up the issue of weight but dealing with it in such a way that connects to girls of all sizes. I'm glad we tackled this issue along with other serious ones like widows/widowers dating again, Kurt's relationship with his father and Mr. Schue's mid-divorce life, but we want Rachel and her craziness and perfect voice back. Bring her back.

Check out a clip of this week's episode below and catch the rest here.

Niecy Nash & Louis van Amstel - back again next week!

On this week's Dancing with the Stars, all the couples danced a Samba or an Argentine Tango. While the Samba didn't really work out for most of the couples, Niecy Nash and Louis were lucky to dance the Argentine Tango (possibly my favorite dance - all the music was instrumental which was fantastic). Though the dance is supposed to be about getting money from the man, Niecy inserted some comedy into this intense dance routine. And surprisingly, it didn't lose it's flavor. The performance started with her trying to eat a rose and ended with Louis eating a cookie but in between, it was all dance to me.

As the judges said, the performance was Niecy's best to date because it really showed that she has grown as a dancer. They loved her moves and Len loves her "sassy personality." She really brings some excitement and something different to the show - without her, it would just be good celebrity dancers not really surprising us because you kinda expect them to be good. While you continued to watch Kate (of Jon & Kat Plus 8) because you expected her to fail, you're actually watching Niecy getting better each and every week.

Niecy and Louis ended up in the Bottom Two last night but they managed to escape the jaws of the ballroom. The competition is getting super tight so hopefully Niecy will come back next week stronger than ever. See you on the tacky, glitter-filled dance floor next week, Niecy.