Up To My Neck

Sure, it might be summer time 'round these parts, but the hottest accessory right now is the scarf. What? Oh yes, dear readers, get ready to tie on one. But while every celebrity and her mother is wearing Sir Alistair Rai (yawn...so five months ago), the DCGF has rounded up the freshest, coolest scarves and wraps that will put you ahead of the fashion pack this season and beyond.

First up is Little Factory's laser-cut "Uppercase Scarf," at right. Look closely: the scarf is comprised of the letters of the alphabet. Get out!

The scarf comes in white or black, and also in "Numbers" and "Lowercase." Each measures 160cm by 10cm (or about 62" by 4") and are 100% microfiber suede. And with the lightweight, open design, they're perfect for hot weather.

Now don't get upset, but currently the Uppercase version is out of stock in both colors. I wanted you to see it, though, because it's my favorite of the three and I'm sure they'll have more very soon. I want, I want, I want!!

For a more colorful look, I like this Crocheted Beaded Silk Scarf from Manushi in Nepal. It's sold via Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade organization that supports the work of artisans around the world.

Manushi - meaning "energetic woman" - is a women's collective in Kathmandu that designs and creates products, in addition to aiding in entrepreneurship and skills training. Sound familiar?

This vibrant scarf is woven from recycled loom-end silk with beads on the fringe, so it's environmentally friendly, too. And no two are alike. I think this would look amazing with a crisp white linen dress for daytime, or a black tee and denim pencil skirt for evening. You don't even need to add any jewelry! It's such a statement piece. Oh, and it only costs $20. Perfect.

And finally, the highest-tech and most expensive of the bunch is also the most likely to provoke strangers to stare at you and little children to point. In other words, you have to be a committed fashionista to pull off this one.

Check out the Color Changing Scarf by Yasuyuki Machida, available from the MoMA online store! The polyvinylidene fibers change color when exposed to heat or cold, including changes in one's body temperature. This version in green changes to yellow and there's a gray one that turns white when it comes into contact with skin.

Kinda reminiscent of the Generra Hypercolor tees of old, right? Only way cooler. And at $110, it's certainly not cheap, but think of all the fun you'll have! The only question is, green or gray?




Any purchase made at a Goodwill Retail Store or on eBay funds Goodwill's mission of training and employment programs for people with disadvantages or disabilities.

Goodwill’s fashion blog provides detailed knowledge and insight on vintage and contemporary clothing and accessories that are valuable to fashion shoppers. The facts and opinions shared present readers with entertaining, exciting and value based information on vintage and contemporary fashion and shopping trends.

SheFinds.com - Cool Site Spotlight

BeautyPlusPower.com has achieved its success mostly based on word of mouth - you tell a friend, she tells 2 friends.... etc. So I figure that when I find a cool site, I should make sure to spread the word about it too. One of my latest finds is SheFinds.com. She Finds is not a plus size site, rather its a general fashion & trends site. They check out everything from shoes to purses to cosmetics to yes, even the occasional plus size fashion mention! They have a blog and a really fab newsletter and tend to spotlight unique companies you may not have heard of. They also do a lot of sales & coupon updates, which are majorly useful!

Here are some sweet links to features that might be useful to BPP girls:

Bras for big busts: http://shefinds.com/archive_91/bras_for_big_busts/

Plus Size Clothing & Shoe Advice: http://shefinds.com/archive_131/Hard-to-Fit/

Shapewear guide: http://www.shefinds.com/archive_64/Shapewear/

Archives 7/4-7/10 2005-2007

Here's this week's entries from the archives...

July 4 through July 10, 2005

Independence day?

Leather dies style 21206

Style 22692 Bundling & Bagging

How quickly we forget

Bagging Tutorial

July 4 through July 10, 2006

Process and Progress

H&M Is Taking Over the World

Hot working bras

Freudian slip

The devil wore Prada

Machine washing

Miracle's off the hook

July 4 through July 10, 2007

Library of Congress

Geek Holiday day 1

I am not evil

Geek Holiday day 2/3

Geek Holiday day 4

fringe factor

Lately, I've been inspired by fringe. I love the flossy feel of it, and in particular, I love to dance in it (many hours have been spent watching 1920s film footage and practising Charleston-esque moves!) In the past, I considered fringe to be reserved for cowboys on Appaloosa horses, as well as the women in my family who wear lovingly custom-designed chaps and jackets on their motorcycles. As with any type of decoration, I still think that fringe is most attractive in moderation (unless you're dancing to smoking hot jazz, when more is definitely more), but I hope to see a touch of show girl on the streets this summer. If you're looking for DIY inspiration, Svenja Specht's spring collection for Reality Studio was influenced by a trip to Morocco, and features fringed accessories (the head decorations above are my favourite). If you really want to make people's eyes pop, you may be interested in the Roxy tights by bebaroque - with the lauding of Susie Bubble and Queen Michelle, I'm sure to see some fringed legs in the UK this fall.

A little gratuitous fringe action to get you in the mood...

(pink tights photo by Saga)

Happy Fourth of July!

I wish I had some red, white, and blue jewelry to show today, but I'll have to make do with what's on the page. Here in Arkansas, it has rained until a few minutes ago when the sun has come out in full force! Now, for the jewelry: above, a jade bracelet with wonderful lampwork by Suzette Celestin. Below, a bead necklace with mixed stones including turquoise, apatite, citrine and chalcedony. Finally, two more bracelets: the first is a moonstone braceletmade with grey-green and whitish faceted nuggets of moonstone, and an agate bracelet with yellow crazy lace agate and a wonderful Karen Hill Tribes chain.
Have a safe and happy Fourth!!!



jewellery accessories jewelry fashion shopping braceletsbeads handmade beaded jewelry beading helmi gioielli smykker tak? juvelen lampwork beads The Jewelry Blog jewelry trends accessories jewelry handmade necklace coral braceletcoral

Black & White with a Punch!

Every store I go into, I am seeing Black & White. It seems that the absence of color is the new color for Spring. I think its actually a really sleek look, and can be very flattering on plus sizes, if done in the right proportions. However, I recommend adding a real punch of color with your bag or shoes if you are going to go this route, otherwise you will look totally drab. Here a couple of my ideas:



Franco Sarto Knotting Hill Large Bag
$141.95 at Zappos.com

Gabrielle Rocha Ellie Shoes
$69.95 at Zappos.com

Above: Satin Tie Halter, $38 at Torrid






Chinese Laundry Bucana Heels
$62.95 at Zappos.com



Guess Collection Vixen Flap Handbag
$161 at Zappos.com