Personal Shopper for Plus Size

So, me and a girlfriend have decided to venture into this business of helping plus size women find their ideal clothing. We've noticed some women struggle to find clothes that fits them, especially here in Malaysia. Unfortunately for us big girls here in Malaysia, everything is super small, even the L sizes. Yes, majority of Asian women are small. We even have size XS. We are stuck to shopping at Marks & Spencer, Ms Read, Flow, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, and to those on the borderline gets to shop in H&M, Wallis and some in-store brands in Parkson, Isetan & Robinsons. We have been doing our own little research and discovered, most of us big girls have to shop online for sizes 18 above and hope that it would fit them. But alas, most would buy just because the size is big. Not because it would look good on them. Whatever is available, they'll take...to their taste...and here's the problem. Some assumed that they are limited to a certain style and never dared to try something new.

So the past month, Linda and I have been clearing out our preloved clothes online, and have invited some of these lovely ladies to come by and try on our clothes before purchasing. Our taste are quite eclectic, so we had a wide range of styles. We had lotsa fun, and met so many interesting lovely ladies. Here we discovered that some size clothes would fit differently on different sizes. For example, Linda is a size UK18, but yet, she cant fit into a dress that a size 20 could. The built of a woman makes a lot of difference. There are certain size UK16 that I cant fit, and yet, there are size UK14 that I could.

Yes, yes, I know this is not new. But what we hope to do is help plus size women to discover what looks best on them. We're in the midst of starting the business - sourcing for a wide variety of clothes and accessories. We also have a shoemaker who could make-to-order shoes according to your sizes. Not all women are born with slender legs, so most boots sold in the market out there only caters to women with small calves.

If you think this is something that would help you, do give us your feedback on what other problems you encounter when it comes to fashion.

Plus-size Dress tips

How was your Sunday? I had gone out with my bff for some dimsum and did some window shopping. Yes, you heard me, window shopping. After Bangkok, I've successfully refrained myself from shopping. Sure, a little here and there for my daughter is not shopping. Then again, I am saving up for my next trip.

Anyway, considering I have not gone shopping, nor trying out clothes so much, I thought why not make a list of some of the obvious tips for us plus-size girls in picking the right dress. I've tried em all, and will share with you what I personally think works for us big girls. And then, I will also point out what's a no-no for us too.

Dresses - my favourite. I must admit, at one time, I hated wearing dresses. I always felt it made me look even shorter. But with the right length, and the right design, dresses are great silhouette for plus-sizes. The most important factor is your body shape and size.

If you’ve got a lot of curves, but not so much height, shopping for a dress can seem like a daunting task. You’ll drown in a floor-length dress, and ankle-length hemlines will make you look even shorter than you are. What does work for you? Dresses that falls right at the knee. Keeping your calves visible will elongate your legs, while covering your thighs will create sleeker lines in your figure. Me...I am a shorty! So, ideally, knee-length dress is the way to go.

Swing dress helps create waistline. It will provide an hourglass look that all women seek. Of course not including waifs. With swing dress, nice to add in a belt. Thin belt. Unless you really do have shape, then by all means use the wide belt. Please don't wear figure hugging dresses if you do not have a flat tummy. In Malay, we call those who wears close fitting clothes - SARUNG NANGKA. No, we do not want to look like those fabric farmers wrap their jackfruits with. We celebrate our curves, not our tummy.

When wearing these dresses, pick designs that aren't too big. For example, big flowers will just make you look wider. It will look as though you are wearing your curtain.

Even a dress in the same shape and size, when it has bolder wider prints will just make you look bigger. This is more obvious when it is a shift dress. Shifts are good as long as your tummy does not show. Also to consider, the size of your arm. If you, like me, inherited big arms from the glorious gene pool, avoid sleeveless.

But if you are tall, and plus-size, you can get away with anything. Height definitely helps hide your fats. Below are photos of my bestfriend wearing the exact same dress as me, and looking gorgeous. The kaftan dress looks way better on her, and she is not overpowered by it. On me, it just became top heavy and seriously frumpy! I looked like a midget it in. Now, with this, make sure to pair them with a plain handbag and shoes either in black, or brown. I don't agree with some that says to wear with bright colours. I just feel it would add on to the already busy design.

Other dresses to consider are of course the timeless vintage style. These are dresses that anyone can pull off. Ok ok, with the exception of ME! The strapless figure hugging dress works for plus-sizes. You don't have to be skinny to look good. Add a statement necklace with it, and a contrasting purse, and you are set for a great night out. You should wear high heels with this dress. Flats will be too boring when you have such a hot dress on.

I love the wide collared dress. Very 60s. It adds drama to the rather plain dress really. And if you have these wide collars, DON'T wear any necklaces. Keep the earrings small. Do not wear with dangling earrings. This dress is cute to wear with flats. Can't help but imagine Maria walking to meet Captain Von Trapp for the first time, singing her way to win the hearts of the kids. I love vintage design!

I hope these tips helped you. Any more ideas would be great too. I would love to hear your opinions as well. Some of these dresses are for sale. Let me know if you'd like to have a view of what is available from my collection. Do leave your comments below! Cheers!

I Heart Bangkok!

It's Christmas eve and we're just resting in our favourite cafe here in Pratunam, The 93 Hotel. Cheap drinks. Good food. Friendly waiters. Mind you, not everyone is friendly in this city. We did come across some unpleasantness here. But all in all, it's been a great getaway. Money spent, feet turned jelly and body ached. But it was still great.

We've decided that Krung Thong Plaza is definitely a must-go for us looking for plus size clothes. We love HaBiBi the best. Anyone under size 16 will love this place. Pucci-inspired dresses and some retro design were aplenty.

Yesterday I had gotten a couple only, but today, I purchased several more gems from there. At RM70, this dress was a steal.

It comes in pink and grey as well. If you are interested to buy it off me, just message me.