Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Designer Plus Sized Finds: La Grande Dame

As plus sized women we have for a long time not been able to find the same on-trend, high-quality designer apparel options that are available for straight-sized women.
The tides are slowly starting to turn.
A great online boutique called "La Grande Dame" (http://www.lagrandedame.com/) specializes on high-end designer apparel for plus sizes with designer offerings including Marina Rinaldi ( the plus size division of Max Mara, often the clothes are the same but sized accordingly), James Jeans, Melissa Masse, David Meister and Central St. Martin's alumn, Anna Scholz.
They have great basics and career and special occasion staples, specially for those of us who love luxury materials and great construction standards.
Here are some great fall/winter finds from La Grande Dame:

David Meister LBD, $308.00





James Jeans Hunter straight-leg jeans,$207.00


Melissa Masse Lapis Blue Leggings, $150.00


Marina Rinaldi Taurus Leather Blazer, $785.00



Marina Rinaldi Angora Coat, $869.00 (I have a beautiful Alpaca Marina Rinaldi coat in chocolate brown. It is really luxurious and decadent so I call it "my affluent coat"...LOL. It makes me feel like I am Mercedes Kellogg about to rush off to lunch with Oscar de la Renta)



I love the 1920's flavour of this Marina Rinaldi sequined skirt ($440.00) and top ($271.00). The top would be gorgeous if worn with a leather or denim jacket and jeans too..



I also really love the 1940's vibe of this adorable sequined Tadashi cocktail dress ($415.00). It would be wonderful with period platform pumps, a great pair of earrings and an Ava Gardner-esque hairstyle...



As Tim Gunn said in his book Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style (Tim Gunn's Guide to Style), it is important for every woman to invest in high quality staples that are going to be go-to's in her wardrobe year after year.

Even if your personal style runs to the eccentric and super-edgy like mine does, having great building wardrobe pieces allows me to be confident and ready for any occasion since I just have to style those "workhorse" pieces to suit my personality and style.

For example this is how I styled a fairly basic body-con Marina Rinaldi LBD a few years ago for a photo shoot:



Vivienne Westwood necklace, safety pin instead of an earring, dramatic make-up and a 'fro-hawk and the look was as edgy as the shoot and my punk-goth heart required.

8 comments:

Diana said...

La Grande Dame is actually doing plus-size activism via business: the owners have been actively writing high end designers that they admire, and asking them to start creating offerings for plus sizes. Progress is slow, but the message is being received - and it's impressive that they're doing such an awesome thing!

Milla said...

I love Catherine at LGD...
She is a great lady..
She told me she's been after Marc Jacobs to do plus size...
I wrote to Juicy a long time ago and asked to do the same eventually, they did.
I also called Diane Von Furstenberg a while back and got on their case...
OXOX,
Milla

Diana said...

Keep at! It's wearing them down! :)

La Grande Dame said...

Thanks ladies!!

Women have to understand that if you want designer clothing for plus sized women, someone has to buy it and so many women think they don't deserve beautiful clothes, or, they will buy designer clothes when they lose 20 lbs.

You look hot now! You deserve it. Women should feel comfortable looking good regardless of their size and until a large portion of plus sized women start embracing this, designers will shy away.

Milla said...

There is definitely a market...
I really think that "if they make it, they will come" to paraphrase "Field of Dreams".
But they have to make the plus garments just as cool and fun and well-made as the straight-sized ones.
I mean I look at the seams and buttonholes, and fiber content of everything (Thank you Christa. You taught me that).
Right now I think that there's going to be a lot of growth in designer contemporary for plus.
I would LOVE for plus size Marc for Marc Jacobs.

Anonymous said...

Those plus size designer clothes really looks so adorable. I love them all. Your designs are really so beautiful. Keep us posted!

Women Leather Blazer said...

nice post love reading it.

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