Clothing
Avenue: Daily Deal
The Deal: Get 20% off your entire purchase at Avenue.com. Swimwear is already discounted up to 40%.
What We Say: Avenue is a great place for plus-size women who do not want to cover up their body with drab clothing just because they’re voluptuous. Their merchandise is just as stylish and updated as that of a store for smaller-sized women. Avenue knows how to make a plus-sized woman feel great-looking and confident with clothes that complement a woman’s attributes. Now is the time to scour their extensive collection of dresses, shirts, tops and bottoms. Their already reasonably priced items are even more appealing when you get 20% off at check-out.
Pictured: This glamorous, purple sleeveless top matches black slacks. We like the peek-a-boo keyhole in the back. Check out www.avenue.com for more great styles.
Daily Deal: BopBasics Deal at ShopBop.com
The Deal: Buy any 3 items from the Bop Basics collection and taken an extra 30% off the total at ShopBop.com
The Lowdown: Casual, stylish, and versatile pieces make up the Bop Basics collection, a mix of light sweaters, comfy pants, tunic tops, and cashmere cardigans that are just perfect for your weekly (daily?) mall run. The exclusive designs are a great way to balance out your wardrobe, and this sale makes it easy to stock up on all the essentials. Pick up yoga pants , a long-sleeve v-neck, and the Bop Basics Track Jacket (now on sale for $26.40), all for under $100 after discount!
Shop It: ShopBop.com. Just enter code SHOPBOPBASICS for the 30% discount.
Daily Deal: Macy’s Cashmere Sweater Sale 30-50% off
“THIS SALE HAS ENDED”
The Deal: Women’s Cashmere sweaters now reduced 30-50% off at Macys.com
The Lowdown: Put together a few cozy ensembles with super-soft cashmere sweaters, hoodies, and cardigans. This Cable V-Neck Sweater from Charter Club is just $69.99, originally $120 and to give any pair of jeans a luxurious touch. Or, go for a classic argyle look with a Pointelle V-Neck Sweater that’s also discounted—$50 off. This just might be the perfect sale for rounding out that holiday wardrobe.
Shop: Macys.com
Answers to Common Swimwear Questions: The Budget Fashionista’s Guide to Swimwear Part 5:
In part 5 of our swimwear guide, we answer your questions ranging from “do dark suits help you tan” to “the difference between lycra, spandex, etc.” Have a swimwear question? Contact me.
Answers to Common Swimwear Questions
Question 1: Lycra, Spandex, nylon, Supplex – what’s the difference and why should I care?
Here’s why: each offers a unique fit and function. First, decide if you are wearing a suit to sunbathe or swim. If it’s the former, choose a soft, lightweight fabric like cotton or Supplex. If it’s the latter, choose a suit with higher Lycra (spandex) content.Still confused? Below is a mini glossary of common swimwear fabrics:
Nylon: Nylon was developed in 1938 by DuPont as the first completely synthetic fiber. The material offer resilience, abrasion resistance and high flexibility. It’s often added to natural fibers to boost a garment’s durability.
Cotton: Cotton suits are softer and comfier than nylon but rarely form fitting. They lose shape, shrink and bleed and fade colors.
Supplex: Supplex is another DuPont invention which offers the plush touch of cotton with the strength, durability and performance of nylon – but softer. Plus, it won’t wrinkle, shrink or fade.
Lycra/Spandex: Lycra/spandex won’t ride up or slip off while you swim or ride the waves. A bonus: The higher the spandex content, the greater the slimming ability. But, keep in mind spandex fibers break down easily with exposure to chemicals in swimming pools, hot tubs and even sunscreen. You’re not alone and miracle products do exist. Take for example, Panache’s molded gel underwire bikini tops (available at figleaves.com). They not only resist water and maintain shape in and out of water, but they present a pretty convincing breast-lift. You may also want to try other tricks like front-tie halters to define cleavage and boost your bust. Finally, there’s always regular underwire for lifting and sculpting any chest size. If the thought of waiting in line to try on a handful of suits in a teeny tiny fitting room with unflattering florescent lighting doesn’t appeal to you, then online shopping is a great option. It’s worth noting that most e-commerce sites – including figleaves.com, Bluefly.com
Tricot: Tricot (nylon-spandex) is generally constructed from four-way stretch fabric, meaning your suit moves with you.
Question 2: I’m small-chested but every time I wear padded tops in the water the inserts get soaked and lose their shape. How can I avoid this problem?
, victoriassecret.com, dELiAs.com
and Target
—offer comprehensive size listings and charts and hassle-free return policies (so you can try suits on at own home and then send them back if you change your mind). Also worth noting, a few sites, including Lands’ End, now offer high-tech display software like My Virtual Model, so you have the option to “virtually” try on your swimsuit before you buy.
Question 4: Are there any suits that will get rid of my cellulite?
Clothing does not remove cellulite; the easiest way to disguise it is by sporting cute boy shorts or sarongs. A nice tan can also reduce visible the dimples and cottage-cheese- like texture of cellulite.
Question 5: Will dark suits help me tan?
A dark suit will not increase the intensity of sun exposure to your skin. However, there are some new suit manufacturers that claim their swimwear actually helps you tan. One company, Cooltan, uses a unique patent-pending fabric knit with millions of tiny pores. The pores provide as much coverage as a medium-level sunscreen, so results will not be drastic; your suit-covered skin will receive as much sun exposure as the rest of your sunblock-slathered body.
The Budget Fashionista’s Guide to Swimwear
The Budget Fashionista’s Guide to Swimwear Part 1: The Do’s and Don’t
The Budget Fashionista’s Guide to Swimwear Part 2: What’s Hot and What’s Shot
The Budget Fashionista’s Guide to Swimwear Part 3: The Best Swimsuit for Your Skin Color
The Budget Fashionista’s Guide to Swimwear Part 4: What’s Hot and What’s Shot
The Budget Fashionista’s Guide to Swimwear Part 5: Answers to Common Swimwear Questions
Petite No More: As Americans Get Bigger, Clothing Sizes Get Smaller
Lately, I’ve received tons of questions from petite shoppers who find that the current American clothing size system is skewed larger. And, as much as it hurts to admit it, they’re right. The Boston Globe recently featured an article on this very topic and found that as Americans have increased in size (along with our crazy obsession with being thin) clothing sizes have decreased. So what was once a size 14 now is a size 8, a size 8 is a size, etc.
From Boston.com
... While Americans have statistically gotten larger, women’s clothing has gotten smaller—that is, if the numbers on the size labels are to be believed. It’s no secret that retailers have been playing to women’s vanity for years by downsizing the sizes on garment labels, but the practice has reached an extreme in recent months with the introduction of the sizes ‘‘double zero” and ‘‘extra, extra small.” If vanity sizing continues on this path, analysts say, it is only a matter of time before clothing sizes are available in negative integers.
In this age of internet shopping, I say they should bring back the standardized sizing system they chucked in 1983. If that means we’re all a size bigger—so be it. One of the reasons why we tend to look like a hot mess is because we focus way too much on size and not on what fits our body (low rise jeans anyone?) I have celebrity stylist friends who cut out the size tags of garments (especially ones from French and Japanese designers) before giving them to clients because ther clients would freak out if they knew they really wore a size 44 (US 8/10). We’ve got to let this size thing go.
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