No ladies, you are not dreaming, this is real ! Your favourite magazine Plus-Size-Tall.com organises a plus size model search EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU with the most glamorous model and photographer Velvet d’Amour. Where ? When ? Why ? Don’t Panic.We are telling you everything about this special event.

Be the star of Velvet’s upcoming new fashion magazine !

You all know Velvet d’Amour, don’t you ? ( If not, shame on you ). She’s an iconic plus size model and fashion photographer ( here is a link to her website where you can see her incredible talent as a photographer : Velvetography ). She rose to fame on the catwalk of Jean-Paul Gaultier back in Autumn 2006.

Velvet d’Amour launches a fashion magazine in which she wants to highlight an other form of beauty. She wants to show  that being beautiful doesn’t necessarily mean having Kate Moss’ body. Thanks to her magazine, Velvet wants to put the spotlight on women who are proud of their curves and who are not ashamed of being different.

This proud woman is in each of you, ladies. That’s why we hope many of you will participate in this plus size model search . You can participate  until October 15th.

What do I win ?

- You win a photo-shoot  directed by Velvet d’Amour with a professional makeup artist and a hair stylist.

- You will live an unforgettable day where you will discover the inner workings of fashion. You will have a blast .

- You will become  one of the stars of an international magazine.

- You will have the special privilege to meet one of the most charming plus size fashion celebrities.

- You will get beautiful pictures of yourself. You will keep digital versions of  the photos.

And that’s not it! Plus-Size-tall.com will cover some of your travel expenses ( up until £100 ). Please note that the photo shoot will be taking place in London.

Life is beautiful, isn ‘t it ?!

How does the selection work ?

This is an online model search.  Just go to the Community page of Plus-Size-Tall.com.

If you are not a member, create a FREE account.

If you already are a member, go to the  MODEL SEARCH section.

Each form field  is required. You must insert 3 photos : one face shot, one front shot and one back shot.

This model search is without conditions of either weight or age. However, you must at least be 18 years old.

You have until October 15th, 2011 to apply for our free model search. Velvet d’Amour will look at each profile and will contact 5 applicants to get to know them in details ( This is not a popularity contest ).

The name of the winner will be announced in late October. The photo-shoot will take place in November.

Feel free to talk about this model search to your friends

Last word ?

Plus-Size-Tall.com and Velvet d’Amour wish you good luck .

Yesterday, Beth Ditto took the Paris Fashion Week by storm. Photos of Beth Ditto show her doning 2 beautiful dresses at the Jean-Paul Gaultier catwalk. Beth Ditto also sang at the fashion show and was largely applauded. The invitation card for the Jean-Paul Gaultier show stated that it was about showing beauty between XXS and XXL.

It was not the first time that Jean-Paul Gaultier had put curvy women on stage during a fashion week. Plus size models such as Velvet d’Amour and Johanna Dray did this for JPG 10 years ago.

Putting Beth Ditto on stage is sitll somehting else, for Beth Ditto has now become a fashion icon. She has her own clothing collection (see our article : Beth Ditto at Evans, first review) and is a usual guest at the Paris, London, New York and Milan fashion shows.

Pictures of Beth Ditto at the Jean-Paul Gaultier show her wearing the amazing 3-D dresses that the designer created this year. Spectators such as comedienne Catherine Deneuve, had to wear 3-D glasses to see the beautiful prints on the dresses.

Beth Ditto walked twice on stage, sang a song and welcomed Jean-Paul Gaultier with a glass champagne. To show that Beth Ditto mattered, Gaultier in return was wearing a Gossip t-shirt.

During the Paris fashion week, Zac Posen also had plus size model Crystal Renn on stage, but Beth Ditto’s curves are much more … curvy

Here are the photos and pictures of Beth Ditto at the Jean-Paul Gaultier fashion show :

Plus Size Model Agency Ford + and plus size fashion magazine Madison Plus have joined their creative forces to offer us a Perfect Summer. Set in Central Park, in New York City, this series of pictures stars plus size models Sabina and Alyona.

If you want to enjoy these pictures in high quality, the clever girls of Madison Plus have created an online magazine that you can flip through.

The Perfect Summer : madison-plus.com/the-perfect-summer

The famous Blue Cross Sale at Debenhams is on. This weekend, you can get an extra 10% off. Debenhams’s offering in women’s plus size clothing (lien : debenhams.com/plus-size-clothing) consists almost exclusively in clothing from Ann Harvey. Here is our quick selection from this Ann Harvey Sale, during this last weekend of the Blue Cross Sale at Debanhams.

While browsing through the items on display during the Blue Cross Sale at Debenhams, we noticed that their plus size clothing section was also on sale. Specifically, it is a Ann Harvey sale, as Ann Harvey is the online plus-size brand carried on the site.

Here is our selection :
- a shadow strop coat (£22.50 instead of £150)
- a chambray tunic (£10.50 instead of £35)
-  a bank strip shirt (£10.50 instead of £35)
- a bra support top (£12, not on sale, but we just liked it)

You can get an extra 10% off on the Blue Cross Sale at Debenhams, if you shop online by the end of this week-end. For the women’s plus size clothing range, visit debenhams.com/plus-size-clothing.

Upcoming plus size fashion magazine EVOLVE is organising a plus size model casting in London. EVOLVE Magazine is sourcing fuller-figures female models for its agency database for research, exhibitions, photo shoots, fashion and other editorial content.

The Evolve Model Casting will take place:
- Date: 16th of May 2010
- Time: 12pm-4pm
- Place: Pearl Bar
10 Beak Street
London
W1F 9RA
(Just off Regent Street)
The nearest tube stations are Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus.

Good luck to all participants on this plus size model casting!

Very seldom can we find fashion blogs that cater to either tall women or to women with big feet. Well, our interviewee Chichi has precisely created 2 blogs catering to fashion conscious women: My Lovely Big Feet, as wells as Miss and Mrs Tall Clothes. Here, she tells us about her what makes her tick when it comes to outsize fashion and shoes.

1/ Chichi, you have 2 fashion blogs: a Shoe Blog (http://www.mylovelybigfeetblog.com) and a Style Blog (http://www.missandmrstallclothes.com). How did you become interested in fashion blogging? And why 2 blogs?

I have always been interested in fashion for as long as I can remember especially with shoes. When you are tall and you also have big feet you then have one of the most common dilemma faced by women who fall into one or both categories as where to find fashionable and trendy items. It was on this basis that the 2 blogs came along.

2/ What are the topics that you cover most often (related to fashion or not)?

All of the topics covered are fashion related which could come in the form of fashion news, current trends, next season trends, celebrity style inspired etc etc.

3/ Do you think that most of your readers are the same from one blog to the other?

I would have thought so, but what I have come to realise is that not all tall women have large size feet though but they are somehow interlinked.

4/ What is the most frequent mistake that tall women make when it comes to buying an outfit?

Buying outfit in the regular range hoping that it would fit their enlongated body.

5/ How does a tall clothing specialist like Long Tall Sally compare with mainstream stores with a Tall section, New Look or Dorothy Perkins?

I am really grateful that store like Long Tall Sally have really step up in offering fashionable clothing for tall women though there’s still room for improvement. One could possibly buy their wardrobe from them if they so wish as they are dedicated to making sure that tall women have the access to beautiful clothes as other women of different heights.

Based on my own shopping experience, stores like New Look or Dorothy Perkins may have tall section but choices are very limited. Sometimes, when you clicked on a category like dress – you will only find one item, which is very sad.

6/ Do you think that tall people in the UK often have to buy online from American sites?

It’s very hard to say because I shop online a lot and I haven’t come across any online store in the America that could be compared to Long Tall Sally, though the number of online stores offering tall women’s section is more in America compared to the UK. I have bought from J Crew and I love their quality.

Secondly, people are put off buying from America because they have to pay import tax on top of shipping charge.

7/ On a personal level, what does fashion blogging bring to you?

It brings so much joy and satisfaction simply because what I once considered to be a curse (in terms of having big feet) is what I am now so happy to write about. Through this two blogs I hope other tall women or women with large size feet can now feel proud of what they have.

8/ One last word?

Always have your own personal style regardless of trends.

Chichi’s sites:

- My Lovely Big Feet (http://www.mylovelybigfeetblog.com)

- Miss and Mrs Tall Clothes (http://www.missandmrstallclothes.com)

Mais oui, even the French edition of ELLE magazine has noticed the plus size fashion craze: this Friday (March 26), ELLE France is launching its “Spécial Rondes” (i.e. the Curvy Issue). It is a first for this major and influential magazine. Plus-Size model Tara Lynn is on the cover of ELLE’s plus size issue. French women do get fat, but they do so in style!

Over 32 pages of this week’s new issue of the French ELLE are dedicated to plus size fashion: beauty tips, trendy brands, pictures of model such as Tara Lynn, Big Beauty and Johann Dray.

Here is a photo spread from the coming issue:

Fashion blogger Lisafashionista of BeautyPlusPower.com was kind enough to write a piece for us about Spring 2010′s trends in plus size fashion. Here, she tells us about Multiple prints, Metallics & Sparkle, and Biker Jackets. Beauty Plus Power is the USA’s largest online directory of plus size clothing options for women who wear a size 12 and larger

Early spring is one of my favorite times of year because the heavy coats come off and the styles come out.  In the winter, I wear a LOT of cashmere turtlenecks with jeans and boots, which doesn’t give me too much room to flaunt trends.   If the Spring 2010 runways were any indication, we’ll be shedding our winter wear for more dramatic styles this season.  Although there are definitely lots of daytime looks like Nautical, Neutral & Buffalo Plaid, many of the new trends are uniquely suitable for a night on the town.

	Multiple Prints Why wear one print when you can wear two? These aren’t subtle prints either; I’ve seen lots of bold prints with bright pops of color and strong patterns. This Anna Scholz dress accomplishes the trend nicely – the second pattern is used as an accent so it doesn’t overwhelm the look. I also love the pairing with the bold footless tights. We Love Colors has plus size tights in over 50 colors, including 4 or 5 shades of orange and purple that would look hot with this dress. To do this trend on a budget, take a look at Alight.com or Evans.
	Metallics & Sparkle Sequins, pailettes, glitter – if it shines, you’ll find it. The plus size market in the US is definitely slower at adopting this trend than the UK or straight size brands – I had a tough time finding a good example of this online. This top is from the Lane Bryant Icon collection and I love how the light hits it and makes it almost look like an animal print. Also try: Torrid, Avenue, Faith 21 by Forever 21
	Biker Jackets I was actually going to take about feathers or cut outs for my last trend, but every site I went to look for those, I kept getting distracted by all the cute biker jackets. I saw asymmetrical styles, biker jackets made of wool or sweatshirt material, as well as the standard leather, both fake and real. This hot number is a faux leather jacket from PlusSizeFix.com. It’s chic enough that you don’t even have to take it off when you get to the party! More available styles: INC at Macys, Tahari at Bloomingdales

On its brand new website, the Italian version of VOGUE, VOGUE Italia, has created a mini-site called VOGUE CURVY. Available in English and in Italian, this is a glamourous addition to the plus size fashion scene. VOGUE CURVY gathers contents from VOGUE Italia, international editions of VOGUE and daily fashion tips. The site offers great pictures and videos, as well as contributions from respected plus size bloggers like Gaby from Chicago, USA (Young, Fat, and Fabulous) and Sakina from Paris, France (Saks in the City).

The new interest in plus size fashion from “regular” fashion magazines does not seem to be ending any time soon. After V Magazine, Grazia UK, Glamour and Vogue USA, it is VOGUE Italia that makes it big onto the plus size fashion scene.

VOGUE Italia just launched its brand new online site, at http://www.vogue.it. Beside the usual VOGUE fare, you will find 2 mini-sites called VOGUE Black and VOGUE Curvy. Obviously, both target “minorities”, i.e. people who seldom make it to the cover of the print edition of VOGUE : black people and fat people.

VOGUE Curvy is available in Italian (http://www.vogue.it/vogue-curvy) and in English (http://www.vogue.it/en/vogue-curvy). The design of this mini-site is very pleasant, almost glamourous, just like the rest of the VOGUE Italia website.

VOGUE Curvy offers plenty pictures of the likes of Crystall Renn and Lizzie Miller, as well as fashion and shopping tips. Bloggers have been invited to give their inputs : Gaby from Young, Fat, and Fabulous and Sakina from Saks in the City bring in plus-size fashion news from the US and from France.

In an interview with Plus-Size-Tall.com, Sakina says that she was contacted by VOGUE Italy because its editors loved her style, her blog, and her universe. So, she was able to convince them to let her make videos about plus-size fashion in Paris. Sakina also says that she will be contributing to VOGUE Curvy every other week, taking turns with Gaby as the resident guest blogger.

All in all, VOGUE Curvy is a bright initiative from VOGUE Italia: it may not yet be the time VOGUE had a plus size section in its print edition, but it is the right time its sites offered something for the plus size fashionisitas.

British comédienne Katy Brand is known for being funny and witty. She also has a good voice, as demonstrated by her spoofs of Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse for her own TV show: Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show, on ITV. However, it is on BBC1 that Katy Brand rocked the TV audience: in the “Let’s Dance for Sport Relief” show, she showed up dressed as Beyoncé in the well-known video for her Single Ladies song. And Katy Brand showed the world that she was a talented dancer as well!

Here is the video of Katy Brand, dancing on Beyoncé’s Single Ladies song, on BBC1. She simply outstaged her two fellow dancers, despite their “regular sized” attractiveness. Katy’s appearance was very well received and she made it to the final.