A Plus-Size Lingerie Boutique Opens in South Philly
As a medium build, somewhat busty gal, I’ve got a pretty big beef with Victoria’s Secret.
First of all, no woman wants to try on underwear while having to stare at a huge photo of Gisele Bundchen and Heidi Klum in the dressing room. Seriously, not cool.
Second, regardless of cup size, if you’re looking for a bra with greater coverage and support, you’re left to choose from a small selection of neutral colored, grandma-esque brassieres. Oh, and don’t even get me started on the whole branding-the-ass thing.
Fortunately, the plus-size ladies of Philadelphia now have an alternative to VC and all the other chain stores which seem to think size and sexiness should be exclusive.
After selling plus-size intimate apparel online for over ten years, Valerie A. Cuttino, owner of Lovely’s Lingerie, just opened her first boutique earlier this month in the Pennsport Mall (234A Moore St.). 
The mid-to-high-end lingerie fashion boutique caters specifically and exclusively to the modern BBW, carrying a wide selection of undergarments from sizes 1x-6x. We’re talking everything from elegant lace nighties to naughty leather corsets and even bathing suits. For any brides-to-be out there looking for the perfect wedding day/honeymoon unmentionables, the boutique offers special bridal consultations on Sundays.
Ultimately, Lovely’s Lingerie hopes to be a friendly and comfortable environment where women can come and embrace their bodies without being forced to walk around in ill-fitting undergarments with a logo or pink dog on their ass.
In other words: fuck Gisele and the rest of her super-skinny, inexplicably big-breasted “Angels.”
5 Ways To Lose Weight By Looking Great (Thanks Fitbie!)…
Being a self-proclaimed health addict who spends way too much of my time scouring the Web for fitness/healthy eating articles, I was more than happy to stumble upon Fitbie’s “Fashion-Forward Ways to Lose Weight.”
This article offers 10 chic ways to lose weight using some of the seasons most popular styles. I just had to share with you some of my favorites but be sure to check out Fitbie for the entire article.
1. Lipstick: Fitbie states that wearing lipstick, especially those of a coral, red, or fuchsia hue, can prevent you from eating messy or sugary foods since you won’t want to constantly mess up your kissers. Nutrition Director Sari Greaves, RD, from Step Ahead Weight Loss Center confirms that you will want to eat daintier as no not smudge your makeup! My preferred lip colors are from Sephora.
Left to Right: Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain “Always Red” $12/Charlotte Ronson “A perfect Kiss Lip Gloss” $14 (Sophia-Creamy Coral)
2. Carry a Clutch: Marisa Moore, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Fitbie that carrying a clutch, instead of a shoulder bag or purse, keeps your hands busy, making it more difficult to carry a drink AND a plate of food (genius because, lets be honest, the cocktail would always beat a plate of food if I had to choose one).
From Left to Right : Clare Vivier Aqua and Neon Foldover Clutch from $156/ H&M Straw Bag $17.95
3. Buckle Up: Fitbie suggests wearing a belt to not only kick up your style a notch, but to also help define your waistline. (Also, it is a nice reminder to have: once it starts feeling a little tight you know to put down that last donut)
From Left to Right: Forever 21 Colorful Braided Belt $6.80/ Tory Burch tory Reversible Logo Belt $195
4. Do Denim: Hopefully you work at a more laid back office where you are given the freedom to wear jeans on Friday. A study from the University of Wisconsin showed that people who wore their favorite dark-washed jeans to the office took 491 more steps than those who wore suits.
From Left to Right: Forever 21 Stretch Skinny Jeans $10.80/ Madewell Skargorn Bones Skinny Jeans $128
5. Sneak Attack: Fitbie’s article encourages commuters to save their heels for the office and rock some your favorite paire of sneakers into work. Not only will this make your morning routine more comfortable, but it will also give you the availability to get a quick work or walk out in during your lunch break.
From Left to Right: Nike Free 4.0 Women’s Running Shoe $90/ New Balance 860 $89.99
~Michelle Mass
Also Tomorrow: Shopping Party & Fundraiser at SA VA
Wow, your Wednesday night sure is filling up quickly. Before heading over to The Trestle Inn to drool over BUS STOP boutique’s sexy shoe showcase, stop by SA VA in Center City (1700 Sansom St.) where they will be holding a special shopping party and fundraiser from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
While enjoying complimentary beverages, guests can shop the SA VA spring collection which is centered around eternal bloom and features ultra feminine pieces marked by soft shapes and wispy fabrics.
A portion of the party’s proceeds will be donated to InLiquid to help support their mission to create opportunities and exposure for emerging artists while making art more attainable to the general public with programming such as the upcoming Art for the Cash Poor and CAFe.
You’ll also be simultaneously helping SA VA in its mission to create a new kind of fashion community through local living wage creation, community partnerships and socially conscious clothing and accessories. If you didn’t already know, 90 percent of the garments the Philly-based brand sells are made in their adjacent garment center, always with fair-trade and often eco-friendly materials.
Certainly beats heading straight home after work and spending the rest of the night watching American Idol.
The Best & Worst of the Met Gala
The Met Gala, it’s the who’s who of everything really. Whether you’re an actress, pop star, social queen or just dating someone really rich — everyone who’s anyone is there and flaunting ridiculously dramatic dresses. It’s also one of the most blogged about events in the fashion, even more so than the Oscars where starlets play it rather safe. The Met Gala is the night to let it all go and experiment. The results are often awe-inspiring, or, sadly, just plain awful. Here, we take at look the former and the latter.
The Worst
Kirsten Dunst is a big fan and also close friend of the Rodarte ladies, and we applaud here for supporting friends. But it looks like she should be handing out lollipops to kids after they visit Santa.
Model Anja Rubik barely wears an Anthony Vaccarello dress. The holy-high slit and slippery bandages over her boobs are a desperate cry for attention. Is this night about artistry or is it a singles mixer?
NO, no, no B! We love you, but you look horrendous in this Givenchy mess and a bit too eager to show off our post-baby bod.
The Best
You can always count on Dree to bring it. She looks so casual cool in this Topshop Uniqueness Dress.
Katherine McPhee is a tangerine dream in this Ellie Saab dress that fits her so well.
Yeah sure, we’d probably pick her no matter what she wore, but this Deep green Wes Gordan gown and the bright pink Stella shoes is perfection!
Great Gifts For Any Mom…
Ok, maybe you’re mother isn’t super chic, quirky, professional or free-spirited. Maybe she’s just a little bit of all those things. Regardless, she deserves an above-average gift.
So to officially conclude our Mother’s Day Gift Guide, here’s a slew of thoughtful treasures perfect for pretty much every type of mom other there…
Art Institute Student Creates An Award-Winning Wedding Gown
The Art Institute of Philadelphia is swarming with talented young people and Adriana Maria is one of them.
Currently enrolled in the Institute’s Fashion Design Program, Adriana officially made a name for herself last month having won Philadelphia Wedding’s “Sew in Love Fashion Showcase. Philadelphia Wedding, a publication of Philadelphia Magazine, asked design students to create a one-of-a-kind wedding gown that cost under $500. The dresses, refereed by Fashion Icon Nicole Miller, Project Runway winner Jay McCarroll, Danielle from Bridals by Danielle, Pattie Lamantia from The Wedding Shop, Mary Dougherty from MKDA Agency, Danielle Hoysa from Bridal Garden and Philadelphia Wedding’s Editor-in-Chief, Carrie Danny, were judged in three categories including creativity, execution, and emotional response.
Having been deemed the best of 21 entries (all from five local design schools including, Drexel, University of Delaware, Philadelphia University, and Moore College of Design), Adriana not only will have her dress (pictured left) featured in the Fall/Winter 2013 issue of Philadelphia Wedding, but the budding new designer also won the chance to work closely with the Bridals by Danielle owner on her brand new eveningwear line.
Making the competition even more exciting, 50 percent of ticket proceeds from the April 20th reception event went to the non-profit organization, Wish Upon A Wedding, which provides wedding renewals for couples who face life-threatening illnesses.
Great job, Adriana!
~Michelle Mass
Gifts For The Fun Mom…
If your mother isn’t afraid of bold colors or prints and has a personality to match, here’s some Mother’s Day gifts worth considering…
Burberry’s New ‘White Line’ is Ummm…Confusing
Image Courtesy of Burberry's US Store.
On Wednesday, May 2nd, the British clothing house Burberry released a white collection for Spring/Summer 2012, including a video intro to give shoppers more of a feel for the line.
After watching the models look windswept in slo-mo for 55 seconds with camera panning over them, we’re wondering why? The line doesn’t make sense.
Now, I’m a huge Burberry fan. But who the hell is wearing a trench coat during the summer??? I don’t care how light or breathable the material is, no one in their right mind would don a trench mid-May. I love my trench more than like it’s my first born child and even I retire it the moment temps start reaching into the 7os.
In addition to focusing on the model’s trench coats, the video highlights each model’s white jeans. I’m a big fan of white, especially slim fit white jeans, but they’re nothing new. Based on the video, there doesn’t seem to be a difference between Burberry’s white jeans and a pair from H&M.
I only liked the male model’s sweater out of the entire collection. The subtle, yet oversized Burberry check is iconic, and incorporates the classic look Burberry is known for.
Overall, I think the line would fare better in an area with a cooler, rainier climate than the US. The line would be perfect for England where the average temperature through the summer doesn’t go past 70; however, in the US, it seems like a lost cause.
Gifts For The Working Mom
If your mom is a nine-five gal who’s always on the go, here’s some Mother’s Day gifts sure to appeal to her professional side.
The Cody d’Orsay
The search hasn’t been a vigorous one, but I have found my perfect shoe for this summer- maybe even for life, because, and believe me when I say, I am in l-o-v-e.
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| As seen on The Man Repeller |
Say hello to the Cody d’Orsay heel by 3.1 Phillip Lim. The shoe, with it’s minimally designed chunky heel and ankle strap, has such a sleek but fun aesthetic and would match any outfit effortlessly. In addition to the clear, the shoe comes in a splendid bunch of variations like camel, textured black leather, metallic silver and more. Similar to the PS1 decision-making-process-fantasy I often ponder, I don’t know which pair I’d choose. At a starting price of $595, I don’t see why I just don’t buy them all.
Seriously though- if I could, I would, and it would be so worth it.
