Beautiful You Monday: Support Those Who Support Us!

It was less than a month ago when Crain's New York Business published an article about how both retail stores and fashion designers were slimming down their plus size offerings. According to the article:

Like many other consumers, the plus-size customer hasn't been opening her purse much lately. Sales of such sizes (generally 16 and over) fell 8% for the 12 months that ended in March from the year-earlier period, when the drop was nearly 4%, according to trend tracker NPD Group Inc. By contrast, sales of regular women's sizes fell only 2% for the year that ended in
March, and the petite sector had just a slight decline. [source]

From the outside looking in, it seems like the ultimate catch-22: we want clothing that fits and want to feel respected by retailers who design beautiful garments for our straight size sisters, but often, the price tags tend to be so expensive, we tend not to want to spend the money. When we don't spend the money, the retailers take that as a sign that plus size women must not want trendy plus size clothing, and they discontinue lines or relegate them to "exclusively online" status. Then, we complain that it is so difficult to find quality plus size clothing in the stores.

Ladies, this is why we MUST support those who are bringing plus size clothing to US! The producers of Full Figured Fashion Week are doing exactly that by bringing to plus size ladies--whether we are the ultimate fashionista or just a plus size lady who takes pride in stepping out in style--the designers who are creating designs for US! As Ms. Chastity Garner so smartly put it in her guest blogging appearance on The Curvy Fashionista: "If you don’t [support plus size designers] you will be reduced to shopping online or those few mainstream plus-size stores or say goodbye to originality, the curvy girl will be subjected to the plus size clothes of the past."

So who are some of the designers who will be taking part in Full Figured Fashion Week? Here's just a taste, as I am sure that the producers probably have some surprises in store:

• En. V New York
• Agape Goddess Wear
• Ashley Stewart
• Big Girls United (BGU)
• Candi Apple Couture
• Jewel Shannon Designs
• LaMaica Fashions
• Monif C. Plus Sizes
• Osun Designs
• Qristyl Frazier Designs
• Robert E. Knight (presented by PLUS Model Magazine)
• Sealed with a Kiss Designs (SWAK)

And please note, these are just some of the designers taking part in the two fashion showcases taking place during Full Figured Fashion Week! We will be sharing some of the designers taking part in the Curves in the City Shopping Soiree later this week (and will be raffling off two VIP tickets to that event, so stay tuned!)

Ladies, Full Figured Fashion Week is 10 DAYS AWAY! Don't wait and then have to only hear about what you missed from your friends who are already packed and just waiting to board that bus/plane/train to NYC on June 25th. Check out the official schedule of events and purchase those tickets TODAY!

All week, we will be giving you some inside scoop on some of the events of Full Figured Fashion Week, and will be raffling off tickets to some of the events. Be sure to stay tuned. But for now? Get those tickets!