Dirty is in her lover's arms, it is London in the morning

Word up, readers. A number of you have, in the past few months, written in asking for plus-size shopping recommendations in London. And each time I've lazily replied, with some hilarious comment about how I'll be sure to put up my answers on the site soon, totally look out for them, etc., etc. It took Miss J's fabulous and popular innovation, Ask TFFF, to spur me to action. That, and threats of violence.

Remember, we're weird here in the uck, as no-one pronounces 'UK', so you need to add two sizes to your US size to work out your UK size. E.g. US 16 is a UK 20. All the sizes in this post are UK.

Let's start with Zone 1's shopping hub, around the misery-fest of Oxford Circus and Bond Street tube stations...

High Street

Store: Primark
Flagship: Oxford Street
Tube: Marble Arch or Bond Street
Sizes: Up to 18/20, generous

High-street mecca for everyone because dresses cost £10! Knickers for a pound! Scarves, earrings and bags abound for a fiver! Definition of fast fashion, it's very trendy but very unethical, made by orphans in far distant lands, etc. But their stuff is totally cute, so...every cloud.

Store: Monsoon
Address: Oxford Street/London-wide
Tube: Oxford Circus
Sizes: 8-22.

Think 'Boho Luxe': lots of blouses and dresses, very silk/satin/embellished. They have lovely accessories and jewellery too, very affordable, and a sister shop called Accessorize which is (clue in the name...) accessories only.

Store: Evans
Address: Plaza Centre, Oxford Street/London-wide
Tube: Oxford Circus/Tottenham Court Road
Sizes: 16-32.

Great for knee-high boots with room in the calves. Owned by the same company as Topshop, it used to be terrible but it's getting better, though still quite polyester-focussed.

Store: Dorothy Perkins
Address: Oxford Street
Tube: Oxford Circus/Tottenham Court Road
Sizes: 6-22.

Marginally less cool than Topshop but also less expensive, owned by the same umbrella company. Cute tops and blouses, although it's somewhat mumsy -- think Marks and Spencer for old-before-their-time twenty-somethings. Uh, but you can find nice things if you have a rummage, and it's all in sizes 6-22, rather than a separate plus range. Plus Tall, Petite and Maternity ranges.

Store: New Look
Flagship: Oxford Street
Tube: Bond Street/Marble Arch
Sizes: Inspire Range, 16-26

The flagship is a walk-up with fabulous gold steps leading into HEAVEN: New Look has the BEST range of shoes on the high-street. That's fact, and not journalistic hyperbole. The clothes are so-so, but I've found some fab H&M-esque numbers there, and obviously OMG GILES DEACON!!! does a range. Walk right past the Lily Allen tat though.

Department Stores/Boutiques

Store: Base
Address: Monmouth Street, Covent Garden
Tube: Leicester Square/Covent Garden
Sizes: 16-28

Specialist plus-size only boutique.

Store: Selfridges
Address: Oxford Street
Tube: Bond Street
Sizes: up to 26 for selected brands.

Stocks Marina Rinaldi.

Store: Harrods
Address: Knightsbridge
Tube: Knightsbridge

Harrods' Plus Collections department stocks Anna Scholz (up to size 28), Elena Miro (Elena Miro also has a shop on Regent Street), Gianfranco Ferre, and Persona.

Store: Beige
Address: New Cavendish Street
Tube: Bond Street
Sizes: 16-28

Specialist boutique that stocks Elena Miro, Persona, Oui, Hucke, Wille, Elena Grunert, Alain Weiz...

Underwear and Hosiery

Store: Rigby & Peller
Address: Conduit Street (pronounced 'Cund-it', which, whilst not rude, for some reason makes me snort and chuckle)
Tube: Oxford Circus
Sizes: up to 40G

Titty galore! R&P does expensive, but fabulous, lingerie. They have a super-strict measuring service (their mission is to get people into the right bra!), without being Trinny and Susannah-ish about their titty-wrangling, and carry sizes up to 40G. It's fairly expensive but so, so worth it for their stuff, or even just to get measured right as they really know what they're doing.

Store: Marks & Spencer
Flagship: Oxford Street
Tube: Bond Street/Marble Arch

Cheap and basic bras, but a great selection: black/white/beige/nude T-shirt bras; multi-way bras, strapless, bright colours, lacy, sports, underwire-free, shaper, minimiser, maximiser... M&S is boob central, basically.

As in my last post, Marks & Sparkles also do plus-size hosiery, and lots of plus-size items. Most of their clothing is horrifically frumpy, but - and Jeremy Paxman be damned - for bras, knickers, vests, socks, hosiery, and basics, you can't go too far wrong.

Accessories

Store: Topshop Flagship
Flagship: Oxford Street
Tube: Oxford Circus
Sizes: N/A

Philip Green is an evil skeezeball, and Topshop's sizing system verges on sadistic, but daaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn the ground floor accessories section at their flagship is worth it. Handbags, belts, purses, scarfs, hairpieces, makeup, telephones and household items, earrings, necklaces, concessions and pop-up shops, everything... You'll find shoes in the basement, too.

Store: Liberty
Address: Regent Street/Great Marlborough Street
Tube: Oxford Circus/Piccadilly Circus

Liberty is lovely. It's like Tiffany's. It can do no wrong. Be soothed by designer handbags, inordinately expensive perfume and lovely, lovely things on the ground floor, before tripping up the fabulous staircase to the shoe section... Plus you can have Champagne & oysters there...yum.

Vintage and Ethical

From Liberty, stroll through Carnaby Street (ignore American Apparel and check out shoes in Office and bath things in Lush) to Soho, which has a bajillion adorable little streets where porn shops/sex cinemas sit cheek-by-jowl with little boutiques/vintage shops. Do try not to mix the two up.

West London: Rellik (vintage), and From Somewhere (ethical).
Soho and East London: Beyond Retro (vintage), and Junky Styling (ethical).
Victoria: Cornucopia (vintage).
South: Radio Days (vintage).

Apparently London has all this other shit, like Buckingham Palace, the Queen, Royal Parks, the Tower, Dungeons, museums, galleries, theatres, and shit. But who cares, right?

Readers' Recommendations

Don't forget to check out the comments to this post, which is full of personal recommendations from fashionable Brits: including suggestions for larger-sized shoes, a couple of mentions for excellent lingerie company Bravissimo, which I shamefully forgot to include, and other tried-and-tested outlets.

Legs & Co.

Legs are leg - wait for it - endary!

To quote Mrs Doubtfire star Sally Field: "You like us! You really like us!" Who would have thunk, when harsh taskmistress Miss J issued a clarion call for your questions, that we'd be so inundated with responses? Did y'all have nothing to do this weekend but consider your sartorial dilemmas?

Luckily for our readers, here at TFFF Towers we have an entire troupe of trained minions -- Oompa Loompas, actually, on the lend from Johnny Depp -- whom we send a-scurrying to research the answers to your every fash-related question. (In addition to their day-to-day tasks, which mostly consist of fetching caffeinated beverages, and baking us apple crumble on our whim.)

The wee Oompas' first question comes courtesy of reader The Dowdydiva, who this season will be taking inspiration from childhood favourite, Rainbow Brite and the Colour Kids. She asks, "Whither wouldst one purchase tights/pantyhose/hosiery in Fire Engine Red or Royal Blue, rather than Neutrals In The Theme Of Grandma?" Adding, "I'm tall, in the manner of cool hepcat Allison Janney, so tights with tallness, please."

Here's what my favourite Oompa Loompa (Montgomery J. Penthouse) uncovered:



1. 60 Denier Bright Tights, £4 from M&S. Available in Purple, Teal, Pink (shown), Apple Red, and Black. (UK delivery only.) M&S, despite Jeremy Paxman being a hater, also have a grool selection of other styles, including lace, leopard-print, ribbed, and zigzag. Available in sizes S, M, L, and XL (up to skirt size 24).

2. Cotton Footless Tights, $11 from Hue. Available in Black, Coffee, Grey, White, Apple Red and Pink; and in sizes 1, 2, 3, and 4 (100lbs to 250lbs). Hue also have leggings, fishnets, capris and socks.

Finally, like Vanessa Williams, we saved the best 'til last:

3. Solid Colour Tights, $8 from We Love Colors. They're not kidding with the title: these babies are available in 45 bright colours, and in sizes up to 330lbs/over 6' tall. Plus the online store has footless tights, metallics, leggings...

Who You Gonna Call?

Though we try at TFFF to tackle subjects near and dear to the hearts of our readers we can always go one step further. As such were opening up the lines for our first ever advice column - ASK TFFF.

Got a problem? Give us a ring!

Want to know where you can find a great pair of plus sized jeans? How to wear the hottest accessories? Or maybe even just wear to get a good pair of shoes for work. Anything pertaining to fashion advice goes and each week we'll pick a special letter and answer it in depth. Think of us as an emergency fashion help line - or ready to wear Ghostbusters, depending on the level of your problem. We're ready to tackle anything as long as it has something to do with getting you dressed.

To throw a question our way email us at:
ASKTFFF@GMAIL.COM

I look forward to hearing from you guys!

La Belle Americane

Every so often there is an editorial that just gets under your skin - something that stands out in your memory as being completely flawless in its execution. La Belle Americane is one such edit for me. Shot for Vogue Paris by Patrick Demarchelier and styled by Carine Roitfeld, it really doesn't get much better in terms of creative talent. Add to this the fact that it showcases Ms. Crystal Renn, looking fierce in the hottest designer looks and you've got a recipe for perfection. If there were a high fashion plus sized monthly (and lets cross our fingers that one day there is) I would hope that this is what some of the content would look like. Until then I have my old issues of Vogue Paris and a big dream.


Thanks to Kasper & West Mags from tFS for the scans

Food for thought : I feel like I've seen more plus sized models in Vogue Paris per capita than I've ever seen in US Vogue with the noted exception of the shape issue and even then... Anyone else notice this? Whenever I can find a great edit featuring a plus model I'll post for inspiration but I feel as though (at least based on what I've seen) the majority of these pictures are in European magazines as opposed to American ones.

Back to the Future

You've seen all the catwalk shows, you've read the magazines, you've even spotted a trend or two on the high street... but you're still not clear on what 2008 holds for your wardrobe. Luckily, TFFF has gazed into its crystal ball (it's big and shiny and fabulous! -- we're thinking of having it set into platinum, wearing it on our ring finger, and pretending we're engaged to.. I dunno, someone fashionable), and possibly we also interviewed Dawn Pedersen, the Creative Director of trend-spotting company TRENDZINE, to let our readers know what the future holds...

The lovely Dawn was in Milan -- working on trends for S/S '09! -- at the time of the interview, so we're talking staccato keywords rather than in-depth answers, but we hope this helps in planning your shopping in this, the last year to end in an '08' in the first decade of this century.

Keywords for 2008

Transparency (lighter fabrics, look out for the new sheer cropped pants layered under dresses set to take over from leggings). Clean lines (split-level layering less decoration and more focus on fabric quality). New softer trousers (this season's jodhpur shape morphs into a softer ethnic pant for summer). Lux sportswear in fabulous fabrics for any occasion. Consumers will slowly edge out of 'it bag' mode and move towards other luxuries, i.e. expensive watches and jewellery will gain ground.

Length

Extremes will be the hottest news from daring cocktail shorts to midi and long length dresses.

Shape

The waist continues to be a focal point but generally clothes follow a slim straight silhouette.

Colour

Expect the unexpected; darker than usual in summer and pastels in winter. Mixtures of neutrals and flashes of brights.

Prints

Lots of floral patterns especially on lighter sheer fabrics. Fantasy style prints (take over from gothic symbols)

Fast versus Ethical Fashion

Fast fashion -- there's always room for fast fashion stores that supply cheap, trend-led clothing. The media attention surrounding eco-fashion was big last year and the interest should continue. Consumers are in the driving seat and will make the biggest difference. Designers mustn't rely on the 'Eco' tag and make design the primary consideration to attract more consumers.

***

Don't forget to scroll down to my Heels.com post, where you can save 10% off shoes, exclusively to TFFF, until the end of January -- only 17 days left!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

This is the New Arrivals front page at Lane Bryant.

Pinstripes and loud prints galore!

What do you see? Besides the obvious answer of a whole lot of ugly.

No offense to anyone who might like these shirts but we have to admit that these are not exactly the most fashion forward pieces. I'm not trying to pick on LB since they are not the only ones guilty of this sort of thing but sometimes I find myself shocked by the sheer amount of ugly clothes that are pitched at plus sized women. Go into any plus sized chain or the plus department in almost any store and you will find a wide array of loud prints and muumuu shapes. Things that aren't only unhip and unflattering but are just plain garish. Either that or the most dull assortment vertical striped button downs you've ever seen in your life. Granted some stores claim they're trying appeal to an older consumer within their plus sized departments but is the older consumer really looking to wear something made out of disco era curtains? I doubt it.

There are a always a few treasures amidst the trash but sometimes its like searching for a speck of gold in a landfill. I know we've talked about designers and stores that don't carry plus sized clothes but why are the offerings so very limited within stores that are meant to cater to plus clientele? Do the powers that be just not care or is there the idea that if you're plus sized you just don't have a clue about fashion anyway?

I would love to hear opinions about this since on the whole I just don't get it.

TFFF Interview: Rachel Clark

As much as we've tried to cover all aspects of the skinny model issue its difficult to know exactly what goes on behind the scenes. What is it really like for the girls in the industry and how are they affected? Before the holidays I had the opportunity to ask a few questions to Rachel Clark, a young model on the rise and one of the current faces of Louis Vuitton about the industry, its pressures and what its like to be a model nowadays.

TFFF: When did you first become interested in modeling? How did you get your start?

RACHEL: I wasn't very interested before I started (I was a complete geek tomboy, not a girlie girl), I just went on a whim for it after a hurricane came through and I lost my apartment and my job. I walked into an agency and they signed me on the spot in Miami basically. I lived a few hours from my agency in Florida so I didn't really have much of an opportunity to work while I was there. When I was shipped to New York last February I signed with Supreme who instantly put me smack-dab in the middle of fashion week and I've been in New York ever since.

TFFF: What is the relationship between an agency and a model in terms of health?

RACHEL: I know my agency maintains a very close and caring relationship with all their models. We depend on each other so it's always good to be aware and connected. From my experience, the agency is always on the ball and quick to schedule doctor's appointments for the girls' immediately as things arise because it is important for us to be in good health and to handle medical issues as soon as possible ensures our fluid schedules. I've been scheduled appointments on the spot for a wide range of things, from wisdom teeth to anxiety and even ear aches from frequent flying.

TFFF: Have you ever felt any personal pressure to lose weight from anyone within the industry?

RACHEL: Never. Not once. I have a crazy fast metabolism though and an inability to gain weight so I have to eat constantly to keep weight on which has landed me a notorious rep for eating obnoxious amounts of terrible food with ALL of my agencies. The drivers in foreign countries always gave me a hard time with my constant McDonalds and KFC runs in between shows. Sometimes they would even have it waiting for me when I'd come out from a show. Heck, the head of MDC (Models.com) even refers to me as mayo queen which is just too cute to let go.

TFFF: How do you keep a positive and healthy outlook?

RACHEL: Well I don't really have anything bringing it down in the first place -besides the occasional guy on the street who yells "eat a sandwich" Of course I reply "make it." You have to be able to take criticism and know how to let it roll off you. Understanding and having a lot of patience for negatively inflicting people while knowing and being comfortable with yourself and even being able to laugh at yourself now and then works wonders.



TFFF: Do you feel the media has blown issues regarding model weight out of proportion?

RACHEL: I'd sooner believe people are more influenced by the likes of well known celebrities blaring extreme weight loss across the gossip mags and tabloids if anything. I don't know a single 10 year old girl who knows any runway models but they sure as heck know the names of certain party happy "It" girls in Hollywood. Claiming that people are suffering the influences of such vague concepts as "all those skinny runway models" or fashion in general is really just another media scapegoat for those who can't accept responsibility for their own personal decisions they've allowed themselves to be victimized by.

From a medical standpoint, an eating disorder is considered a mental disorder in one form or another. In most cases they're coupled with addictive personalities, depression, anxiety, and even subtle hints of masochistic tendencies. For the imbalanced factors that aren't genetic, one could go to a psychiatrist who would have a field day trying to pin point which subconscious deep seeded issues provoke the behavior and mindset of a person who suffers from such disorders. I've yet to hear of a diagnosis that blamed a magazine for a disorder that requires such a cocktail of imbalances.

TFFF: Do you think regulations would be helpful or harmful for models?

RACHEL: Well it depends on the purpose of the regulations. The issue divides here for a lot of people. Some feel controversy and concern over the health of the models, others are concerned about the influence the image generates. If it's to get rid of the image of skinny models then it would be harmful to the employment status of all those skinny models, that's a given.

For health, of course there should be a healthy model regulation (who on earth wants sick models?) but health is not truly defined by how thin a girl looks so it would be difficult to enforce. It would be discrimination if a girl who appeared too thin was in perfect health and was barred from working. Statistically there will be a few women out of however so many who suffer from an eating disorder, I do not doubt that a few of those women happen to be models and the statistic of them being so could increase for those who are not well taken care of. The family and friends of the deceased models who were found to suffer from eating disorders claimed they knew of their next-to-nothing eating habits and yet did nothing to intervene or help. Common sense and awareness from their agencies or anyone who observed such behavior could have saved them, their families, and prevented the waves of controversy and finger pointing from staining what many of us would have as honest work.

TFFF: What shows are you looking forward to for F/W?

RACHEL Are you kidding? All I'm looking forward to right now is Christmas break!

Heel we are now, entertain us

Dear reader

Have we told you lately that we love you? 'Cause we do. We could demonstrate our affection in numerous ways -- blowing kisses, sending love poetry, making awkward sexual advances to be sternly rebuffed, whatever.

Instead, we give you this, to say a happy new year, and thanks for reading:

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Heels.com is, as the name suggests, a shoe-tastic e-tailer, featuring shoes from designers like Betsey Johnson, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and LAMB. Like Cher from Clueless, I'm very picky about my shoes, and joyously, this site lets you narrow your choice by style, brand, colour, heel height and size -- or a combination! Check it out, and happy shopping:


Clockwise from bottom left: Cognac flat with zipper flower detail, $347.99, Marc by Marc Jacobs; Cream-and-black vintage court, $234.99, Betsey Johnson; Leopard-print stiletto, $81.99, Steve Madden; Black-and-white peep toe, $212.99, BCBG Maxazria; Brown leather buckled mary-jane, $124.99, by Corso Como. All from Heels.Com.

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Dark lips at Dolce, Lanvin & in W
There is a certain drama to dark lips that is incomparable - we live in a sheer lipgloss, lipbalm kind of world so to go dark is something extra glamorous, reserved for those times when you don't want to blend in. We've been seeing strong boldly colored lips on the runways and in the pages of magazines for awhile now but what's the best way to wear this look without overdoing it? Since I'm absolutely in love with this sophisticated look I've got a few helpful tips to get you started.

First of all you want to make sure your lips are in their best condition possible. Dark lipstick will highlight any dead or dry skin you might have on your lips so be sure to exfoliate your lips. A lip exfoliator like The Body Shop Lip Scruff can get rid of any icky dead skin and a lipbalm like Lush Lip Service can keep your lips moisturized and looking great its time for the fun.

Prep your lips with a bit of primer so your lipstick will last longer and look its best. Philosophy Big Mouth, is a great one that helps lips look smoother. Once your lips are prepped and primed its time for color. Use a lip liner to fill in around your lips. I like to use a neutral colored liner instead of one that matches my lipstick exactly. That way if my lipstick fades I'm not left with a brightly colored ring around my mouth.

When it comes to applying the lipstick itself use a lip brush instead of applying it straight from the tube. This will allow for a much more precise application - since the color is so dark you don't want any unfinished edges or smearing. Take your time and fill in the lips slowly.

Now that you know how to apply the lip color its important to know what shades to work with. You don't want to go too dark - it will only look goth and dated but you don't want to go too light either as it defeats the purpose. The overall look should be rich and plummy in color. Be sure to try a few shades on before you decide. I love Lipstick Queen's Berry shades in Berry Saint and Berry Sinner. One is sheer (Saint) for the times when you want a more day (and office) friendly look and the other is rich dark matte (Sinner) for evening. Both are the exact same shade just in different formulations and the berry color looks lovely on almost any skintone.

Naturally when doing a really dark lip the rest of your makeup should be kept to a minimum. Dark lips with a dark eye often can look too theatrical, you're better off letting the focus stay on one feature. Keep your eyeshadow, blush and any extras neutral - let your lips do the talking.

Do you wear deep dark lip colors? Red is in a class by itself of course - I'm talking the really deep plums were seeing right now. What are some of your favorite shades? Apart from the Lipstick Queen shades I really love Russian Doll & Tamango by NARS.