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We're not shallow, lipstick-and-shoe-obsessed girls here at TFFF Towers, y'know...well, we're not just shallow, lipstick-and-shoe-obsessed girls. Sometimes we expand our cultural horizons and watch the telly, read magazines, or, er, shop for homeware instead of fashion. How deep is that? On that note, let's talk Live Action Telly, or, as it's more commonly known, theatre. The papers here are currently full of news 'n' reviews for the latest Neil LaBute play to be staged in London. Fat Pig, starring TV's Robert Webb (of the embarrassingly excellent Peep Show), Kris Marshall (of, um, the BT ads), Joanna Page (of the piss-poor Gavin and Stacey, that people will keep insisting is good, even though THEY ARE WRONG (I'll brook no argument on this)), and Ella Smith (of that Holby City episode, one time) as the eponymous 'fat pig'; is basically a theatrical version of Shallow Hal. Robert Webb's Tom falls for Ella Smith's Helen; his colleagues, Joanna Page's rejected Jeannie, and Kris Marshall's Carter, mock him soundly for dating a fattie. Meanwhile, from what I've gleaned, Helen happily chows down and teaches them all valuable life lessons. Or something. Given it's LaBute, I'm guessing there's not an awful lot of hugging, sharing and learning going on...  Robert Webb and Ella Smith in Fat Pig, at Trafalgar StudiosNow, your correspondents haven't actually read or seen the play, so I can't pass judgement, but I thought I'd share some of the stuff that's floating around, and open it up for discussion. Here's some choice quotes from the articles and reviews: "Other people may consider it a problem – they think that if you wanted to be thinner, you could, and there's also that transition we make from fat to lazy. But why are we so judgemental about other people? Helen is insecure – she says she's 'pretty OK', but that's not really OK. Not that that's anything peculiar to people who are overweight."Neil LaBute
The Independent"Famed for exploring the heartlessness of America's heartlands, LaBute treats the Tom-Helen affair with superb emotional accuracy. Their first encounter is beautifully done: Helen swathing herself in self-deprecating irony ("big people are jolly, remember?") and Tom, in a don't-mention-the-war manner, desperately trying to avoid all size jokes. All their scenes ring tenderly true, with LaBute showing how two people, in spite of social pressures, can be drawn together by shared tastes, sexual appetites, and matching conversational rhythms."Michael Billington
The Guardian"LaBute is often described in interviews as a bear, even a big cuddly bear, and in the programme he makes it clear that he identifies with Helen, the 'overweight, sensible and perfectly lovely heroine of Fat Pig' who, like him, is 'a stress eater'. But as he would agree, there's a rather obvious difference, which is that she's a woman and more easily mocked than most plus-sized men. Indeed, Kris Marshall's Carter can't disguise his hilarity when his office chum, Robert Webb's Tom, falls for Ella Smith's Helen, who stuffs herself with pizza or whatever else is going."Benedict Nightingale
The Times"He is uncharacteristically soft on his fat heroine. To be as overweight as Helen is not normal, but LaBute doesn't inquire why she has put on so many surplus pounds, jeopardising both her health and her romantic life. All he's concerned with is the cruelty of the thin mocking the fat, and our lack of courage in accepting human differences."Charles Spencer
The TelegraphSo, opening this up for discussion -- a change from our remit of fashion, I know, but worth talking about nonetheless. For me, a lot of the reviews (particularly that Telegraph one) focus on 'why is Helen fat?' rather than on the broader (no pun intended) points of the play; preferring instead to judge the character (and therefore the actress) as 'not normal', unhealthy, greedy, all the usual suspects.
And now for something a little bit unexpected, fashion week fixture and Barney's Creative Director, Simon Doonan has expressed interest in creating a plus sized line. If Simon Doonan designed a clothing line he'd focus on an oft-overlooked demographic. “I would love to do a plus-size line,” he told us at last night’s El Museo gala at Cipriani. "I think there’s a huge opportunity for doing clothes that are size 12 and up."
Doonan noted it's ridiculously hard to become a somebody as a fashion designer these days. "There’s more designers than the world would ever need in a hundred million years, there’s more clothing lines, there’s 400 bloody shows in the New York fashion week. So there’s no shortage for womenswear. But I think there’s an opportunity to do insanely great things in the plus-size market," he said (ahem, Project Runway alums). He continued, "As a freakishly undersized male, I understand the plight of the oversized female. You know that thing of looking for clothes and they’re not there."Having a selection of plus sized clothes at Barneys would be heavenly but will this ever come to fruition? My inner skeptic says no but perhaps I'm just jaded. This is one of the few times I have ever heard anyone in his position express interest in making plus sized clothing but as we all know having an interest in doing something and actually taking the initiative to do it are two very different things. He does however make an excellent point - there is a need for high quality clothing in plus sizes, only a handful of designers are making anything for the plus sized market. I'm sure Mr. Doonan would be a welcome edition - he has loads of personal style and his book Eccentric Glamour was a witty ode to fashion non-conformity. Lets see if he puts his money where his mouth is.
The internet has been buzzing about Whitney Thompson winning America's Next Top Model and becoming the first "plus-sized" (and I use the term lightly since Whitney is only a size 10 or so) model to win the competition.  Now on the one hand you have the naysayers who feel this is a great big publicity stunt and on the other you have the overly optimistic news items acting like the results of a reality show are going to really change the tides of fashion. Since I didn't watch this cycle and can't judge based on Whitney's overall performance I can only base what I think of her on her polaroids and the few modeling shots up on Elite. I do like what I've heard of her in a couple articles.
"I'm not going to lose 50 pounds — if someone asks me to do that, I'll go to another [modeling] agency," she said. "I've already heard online from boys and girls all over the world who are dealing with eating disorders. They're thanking me for standing up and saying, 'I am a plus-size model and I am beautiful.'"
From what I can see she's a classic beauty with a lovely look - but was we all know all the real interesting stuff on ANTM happens behind the scenes and feel free to fill me in since I missed it this time around. Thoughts on Whitney's win? Love it? Hate it? Does it even matter anyway since lets face it the only girls to go on to have legitimate fashion careers on that show were not the winners.
'Twas in the spring, then spring became the summer, it got too hot to wear a cardigan... uh, I don't know where I'm going with that too-poor-to-be-a-parody, so let's just move right along to today's topic: skincare! I don't know about you, but I've been revelling in the recent warm weather: sunbathing every day, skipping to work in skirts, bare legs and sandals, getting my skin out... ...and of course, all that sun, combined with already dry skin that's been under wraps all winter, has taken its toll. I'm in need of some serious skincare TLC, and have bust open my cupboard full of ultra-rich body butters, oils and moisturisers to try and quench my dry skin. Because when you're flashing the flesh in a summer dress, skin needs to be plump, dewy, and happy. Annoyingly, you can no longer seem to get one of my favourite body moisturisers, the Barefoot Doctor's Damn Sexy Heavenly Body Butter. This might have something to do with the fact the good doctor had sex with a bunch of his patients, major scandal, and so on; but c'mon, what's a bit of unprofessional behaviour when moisturised skin is at stake? Here are some of my favourites: Bidadari Shimmering Body Souffle, by Sanctuary, comes in a pleasingly heavy glass jar with a fancy metal fastening: you feel special just popping open the lid, before you've even plunged your fingers into the jellyish souffle. The texture is soft and wobbly, like lightly whipped cream, and spreads easily and generously: you only need a small blob for each leg, rather than a whopping great handful. The scent is an acquired taste, however, and it is a shimmer product: but subtly so, adding a gentle glimmer to sheeny skin, rather than a Pussycat Dolls-style glitter overload. Soap and Glory Big Butter Lemon, Flowers and Orange, comes in a bog-standard plastic pot, but don't let the whiff of cheap packaging fool ya: this product is scent-sational! (Yes, I went there. No, I'm not proud.) I actually like the kitschtastic Rainbow Brite-ish packaging, but it's not the chicest product out there. However, it does smell creamily, dreamily good, and butters you up a treat. Buffy the Backside Slayer, a butt-buffing body butter bar by Lush, is practically perfect in every way: it's a little bit gritty, to exfoliate; it's a little bit greasy, to moisturise; it's a little bit scented; it leaves buttucks so peachy you could make cobbler with them; and it's got a funny name. If it doesn't leave you as bootilicious as it should, try the more emoliant Aqua Mirabilis bar instead: just as good, minus the great name. Cocoa Buttercream Frosting Body Butter is not for the mature palate: in fact, none of Jaqua's products are. They may come in sophisticated card boxes, with elegantly stickered tubs inside, but they all basically smell like a 6-year-old sugar addict's dream. If you like chocolate, vanilla, icing, sugar, marshmallows, etc., this is no bad thing. The thick butter spreads on skin brilliantly, though it is really, really rich -- use just a couple of times a week, and be warned, wasps and bees will probably follow you around. [Sorry everyone -- Photobucket hates booty, for some reason. Image will be restored when I'm back in my Bunker O' Photoshop. Sheesh. I bet Style.com never has this problem.]
Bidadari Shimmering Body Souffle, £9.95 by Sanctuary
Buffy the Backside Slayer, from £4.50 by Lush
"touch me then try to leave" body cream, $28.00 by Benefit
Soap and Glory Big Butter Lemon, Flowers and Orange, £9.50 at Boots
Johnson's Baby Oil, $5.29 from Drugstore.com
Cocoa Buttercream Frosting Body Butter, $22.00 by Jaqua
Enjoy showing off your beautiful new skin this summer, but: don't forget to use suntan lotion and after-sun!!! You'll thank me when you're old and yet un-wrinkly. You may feel greasier than Peter Andre, and have to wash your sheets all the damn time, but seriously: USE SUNSCREEN!!! [/End of TFFF mini-lecture]
Once you pass a certain cup size finding a cute bra is a needle in a haystack search. Everything tends towards representing one of the three Bs - Blah, Beige or Boring. Its as though lingerie designers think aesthetic sensibility decreases as cup size increases. Past a C cup and the lingo becomes all about "support" possibly because after taking one look at the myriad of plain beige bras a girl really does need a group hug - as such were going to focus on three brands that provide some much needed eye candy.  FREYANow this is some seriously cute stuff - if you've ever wondered where Elle Woods would buy her undies look no further. While there is a good mix of basic and bold the really over the top bras are what make this line special. As far as sizing goes Freya has the biggest selection of all the brands - they extend up to a J cup though make sure to measure and follow the sizing guide carefully. As I said what I love about these are their penchant for brightness. The whimsical color combinations and details really make the bras fun. I personally love The Daisy bra for its sheer joie de vivre. The lime green and hot pink are so relentlessly girly I can't help but smile. Pricing: $$$ Sizes: C - J Sugar or Spice?: Sugar Available @: Figleaves.com & Several retail locations FAYREFORMOoh la la! These are among the more decadent offerings with styles that scream boudoir moreso than bedroom. Lots of lace and little bows - it all screams French coquette or madame depending on who you ask. Everything is very sensual and elegant - the sort of stuff one might wish to save for a special occasion but nuts to that, every day is special. Since I mentioned coquettes before I have to say that the Paragon bra is absolutely perfect if one is feeling particularly coquettish. Its sexy black lace but the pastel accents make it just a little delicate. Pricing: $$$ - $$$ Sizes: Sugar or Spice?: Spice Available @: Bare Necessities.com & Several retail locationsCACIQUE I am going to have to give credit where credit is due - when it comes to cute underthings Lane Bryant actually delivers. While the vast majority of their product line underwhelms me the Cacique intimates line is chock full of very attractive non-run of the mill bras in a wide range of sizes. Granted, the styles tend to be more sugar than spice but high five to LB for doing something right for once. The Polka Dot Plunge bra is a particularly cute option with its retro styled polka dots. Pricing: $ Sizes: B - H Sugar or Spice: Sugar Available @ : Lane Bryant nationwide Alright ladies, I've put up my picks for cute bras. What are yours? Where do you look for cute bras?
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