Bon'a parte

Bon'a parte is a mail-order company originally from Denmark who are now selling in the Uk The styling in the catalogue is a bit odd; there are a lot of printed harem trousers and the like which look "interesting" on the models but I'm not sure if this would transfer well for a jaunt down Byres Road. That said there are some gorgeous things, put together in a wearable way and available up to a UK size 26. There is also an option to buy entire outfits as pictured, which maybe takes some of the creativity out of dressing but which might work well for the seriously time challenged trying to keep up with current trends
Overall the look is a prettier version of the casual layers you get in Fat Face or that Next misinterprets every season

Tanya Gold in today's Guardian

I'm not sure I believe everything Tanya Gold has to say about why fashion is so hateful in today's Guardian but it sure is a great polemic

Click here to read

Happy Shopping News

A couple of new developments on stores front this week that mean that against the prevailing tide there new places for non-standard sizes in the Glasgow area to find clothes.

Firstly there is a new mega-sized Sainsbury's near the Braehead Shopping Centre. Now mostly I turn my nose up at supermarket clothes, lousy styling and lousier trading policies leaving you wondering who is really paying for those £2 t-shirts. However Sainsbury's are very upfront about their sourcing and claim that their cotton t-shirts are fairly traded. The stuff is cheap, but not pile em high cheap. I bought a lovely tweed skirt for £25 and would have expected it to be priced about double that in Monsoon. The clothing range is also laid out in a spacious nicely-lit special area of the store so it avoids that jumble sale feel that you sometimes get from supermarket clothing. The Sainsburys TU range goes up to 22 in the mainstream range and includes a "Grace" range sized from 18-28.

Then in Glasgow today I visited the new H&M emporium that has taken over the ground floor of Buchanan Galleries. And Huzzah they have reinstated their BiB clothing which has not been available anywhere in the West of Scotland for a while now. This range tends towards the boxy and the word acrylic appears on labels at lot more often than I care for. However there are some very wearable things and its still its a major boost for fashion aliens to be able to walk into such a mainstream shop and just pick up a little number from their shelves.

I'd love to show a couple of pictures from these ranges but sadly neither Tu or BiB have a dedicated website that shows the range which just seems a bit odd really. You need to do actual shopping the old-fashioned way to source this stuff, and you can pick up your bread and milk at the same time.

My New Winter Coat

I spend a lot of time surfing the web looking for new sources of distinctive clothes in larger sizes. I keep coming across the same 10-12 sites usually connected to the same mail-order group.
However it was my pleasure recently to find Curvety which I came across as one of those banner adds that skulk annoyingly at the side of your google search.
This site has a small but mostly well chosen selection of Clothes in sizes 16 up to 36 in some styles. As an example of how lovely their stock can be I direct you to the picture of my new winter coat.
Had I seen this in Monsoon or Planet I would be whooping for joy. Look at the lovely mismatched button detail and the flattering semi-princess shape with no annoying flappy belts or bits that just move around on larger bodies. I will watch this site with interest and hopefully purchase more from them

Tights of might

So many things can wrong with tights that buying them can seem like an ordeal. Sagginess, chafing, rolling waistbands and holes that appear from nowhere can make these the most hated part of your lingerie wardrobe.
However if you find a pair that suits your shape then you will love them forever. Stocking up for winter now is a shopping ritual. First, check the fashion press for current trends (colour is still big as are patterns, texture not so much this year) and then you look for the best black opaques anyway.
So far this year I have gone as most everyone does to Marks & Spencer. There range is wonderful and this year is augmented by an extra-extra large size in some styles that gives some welcome choice to what is a very limited market for plus sizes. I particularly like the wide range of styles with a Bodyshaper top including those with zig-zag and diamond patterning.
However John Lewis has the edge on M&S this year with plain opaques that will fit up to a size 20 comfortably. The colours for these, including a good true black, are glowingly perfect and the fabric is durable but fits and holds it shape well.
For non-opaques I recommend Aristoc Body toner range which is like a nice pair of Spanx type thingies with tights attached which are reassuringly supportive and comfortable to wear and which come in a good selection of shaping styles High leg, low leg, tummy tuck,etc.
As an update I decided to broaden my search by trying a couple of continental pairs of black opaques bought from the UK Tights website. Classic Transparenze Sophie 70 and Cette Classic Dublin. Neither is as good as M&S or John Lewis's. The Transparenze in particular being a crotch-dangling nightmare to wear requiring frequent trips to the loo to hoist up. However the service from the website was quick and efficient if you want to try this mail-order option.

YES YES YES YES

Every time I passed a bus stop for the last couple of weeks I've seen posters for New Look's Yes Yes jeans line. I happened to be shopping today and thought I'd have a look half expecting to come out with the usual scowls cause it would not be available in my size. I was happy to be proved most wrong. There was a full selection from the Yes Yes range in their Inspire section that goes up to size 26. And even better their core range of bootcut Jeans comes in 4 leg lengths; 28, 30, 32 and 34 inches.
The cost for these is £12. Amazing. I tried not to think about exhausted, overworked third world labourers as I handed over this small amount at the till. The fit of the jeans is good, a nice bit of stretch in the fabric and a good inky colour. I highly recommend these for anyone wanting a good basic pair of denims

The Secrets of Planet Fashion

I've been writing this blog for a while now and through that time been searching magazines, websites and mail-order catalogues for the perfect place to shop for tailored clothes in natural fabrics that look distinctive and feel comfortable to wear.

How many times have I walked past Planet ? Either in one of its department store concessions or its high street store. I'd just discounted it as overpriced clothes for tall women with too much fussy detail.

I recently followed a link to their size guide where things are very generously proportioned. This led me into their Glasgow Store in Buchanan Street which feels pleasantly boutiquey and picked a selection of items to try: a wrap dress, jersey top and pair of boyfriend trousers as pictured left.

These have turned out to be just about the most comfortable pair of workwear trousers I have ever bought. The fabric has a slight pinstripe and is a soft wool with 4% elastane. It was reduced from £99 to £29 and I might never wear anything else. I did however need to get them taken up.

I loved the trousers so much that I asked the staff if there was a matching jacket, two people came to my aid. There was not a jacket but a waistcoat and were a bit apologetic that though it too was reduced in the sale it was not so much of a bargain having gone down only from £89 to £59 . I tried it on and again it looked and felt fantastic. Sold!

I didn't get the dress or top mostly because , as anyone keeping up with this blog will know. I have plenty of bloody clothes already and sometimes its good to show restraint.

However I think Planet is now my new favourite shop and I expect to be revisiting it plenty of times. I already am in love with this Jacket from their upcoming Autumn collection

One last lovely surprise was that when I went to pay at the cash desk I was offered a card that records my purchases over a year (including concessions) If I spend £500 (duh!) I get a £50 voucher back.

Also I was chatting to the woman serving, telling her how much I liked the stock. She said to me "Most of our customers buy their stuff in the sales" This is one of the most-honest and confidence-inspiring things anyone in retail has ever said to me. Its lovely to have a new store crush.