Belts are great wardrobe accessories and you should stock up whenever possible in an array of colours and textures. Sometimes a belt is the quintessential piece that can make an outfit come together. We’ve got some cool ones in store at SexyPlus Clothing.

I’m also wearing a tube top under the sweater to prevent major plunge. Tube tops are a light way to make certain tops “family friendly” without feeling warm or bulky. We have them in store in white, black, hot pink, sable, brown and more. They’re only $14.

Send us your styling questions, challenges or share your plus size fashion tips by sending them to stefanie@sexyplusclothing.com and we’ll share with others worldwide. Also, join the conversation and see the social side of SexyPlus Clothing on our Facebook page.

Thank you for visiting sexyplusclothing.com!

Time permitting, I will be posting my plus size OUTFIT OF THE DAY on our Facebook page as well as here in our Blog. I will provide tips on accessorizing and how to get the most out of your wardrobe.

For example, today I am wearing a sleeveless plus size raspberry coloured dress with our elegant long duster cardigan. I cinched the look with a belt which serves two purposes: 1) to keep the cardigan in place, and 2) to emphasize my waist (the smallest part of the female body) to create a silhouette. Click image to enlarge.

Remember, many summer dresses and sleeveless dresses can be worn all year round when paired with the right cardigan, wrap or bolero. I’ve also got my tall black boots on with this look whereas in summer I would have bare legs with a pretty matching sandal.

Send us your questions or share your plus size fashion tips to stefanie@sexyplusclothing.com and we’ll share with others worldwide.

Thank you for visiting sexyplusclothing.com!

For years I wore bicycle shorts under my skirts so my thighs didn’t rub together. I wouldn’t wear clingy, form fitting dresses or tops because I didn’t want the waist of my underwear and pantyhose to accentuate my rolls. A girdle like my mother or grandmother wore was out of the question. They always seemed like torture devices, incredibly constricting and uncomfortable. Then I was introduced to shapewear. My friend calls it foundation wear, with freedom. A new world opened up to me. I discovered that I could wear fitted dresses with confidence and feel sexy in my clothes again.

I started to experiment with different brands of shapewear and one of the biggest problems I found was having to pull it down and back up again every time I went to the bathroom or having it roll down my stomach because the thing wasn’t long enough to stay in place. Thankfully, the Body Wrap brand of shapewear thought of that too. Their high waisted shapewear can be tucked under your bra, and there is a handy overlapping fly in the crotch that you just pull open to easily do your twinkle. The polymide/elastane material rebounds to its original shape.

Weather you are a size 10 or a size 24, we all love a smooth, tight look and we all struggle with certain areas of our bodies. The Body Wrap will open up a world of fashion and confidence for any woman and I strongly recommend it.

There are three styles available at SexyPlus Clothing: High-waist panty, Long-leg underbust body suit and my favourite the High-waist, long-leg panty. All are available in black or nude from Large to 4X. An affordable acquisition that will either get you into the dresses you already have, or expand your wardrobe in ways you never thought possible.

I am often asked:

“Nina, darling, where ever did you get that gorgeous outfit?”  “Where did you get those killer shoes?”

Some of those questions are due to my flair for putting clothes together, making an old outfit seem fresh and new, funky, sexy and classy all at the same time.  I see it as building a “role for the day”.  More on that in a later post. 

Another significant part of it is simply that I own pieces that are one of a kind, vintage or simply not mass-manufactured.  Trust me, nothing worse than being in a room full of women and finding more than one who is actually wearing a piece of clothing you have on at the exact same moment.

Recently, I am very often heard replying “Oh, I got this little beauty from SexyPlus Clothing”. But this wasn’t always the case.  For over a decade, I indulged my fashion sense by importing clothing, aka buying them online, which afforded me access to clothing unavailable and unseen in Canada… styles that were never recreated here from the very few plus size stores in town.

But I paid dearly for this privilege as wading through the murky process of online shopping and shipping can be costly and frustrating… from wrong sizing to unexpected shipping costs.  Trial and error have made me a whiz at it, and I can now help you out as well.

And so, here is my Top 5 checklist of online shopping:

1.      Do Your Homework

It’s simply not enough to google “women’s plus size clothing” and just click on the first link found.  Oh no no.  After you have found a few online suppliers, google them in turn.  You’ll be amazed at the reviews and commentaries you’ll find if you just look for them.  And also trust your instinct.  If the website seems created by a 10 year-old with a pre-loaded homepage template, chances are the company does not have enough procedures in place to ensure a pleasant and safe shopping & shipping experience.  Read the website’s FAQs, their standard cost of international shipping (Canada often falls into that category, go figure!) and other policies.  It’ll save you a heartache and a half!

2.      Size Does Matter!

Nothing worse than waiting 4 to 6 weeks for a gorgeous purple satin strapless bubble dress only to find out that their size 2X is more like a size 24 or, inversely, more close to a regular size 12!  I mean, if it’s much bigger, you always have the option of having it altered if you’ve got a good seamstress (you should ALL have a good one on your speed dial, ladies!)… but who truly wishes to incur that much more cost and time on an item that should have fit better if the website had clear indications of how the garment fits.  It’s ok if certain clothing is truly “Junior Plus” … they should clearly mention it though.  A sizing guide should be on the website somewhere as well!

3.      Confirm your Possible Return

So you’re stuck with said purple satin dress and not only does it not fit, but you look like the Easter Bunny’s psycho sister.  If you didn’t do your homework and did not find out about their Return Policy, you might be stuck with it… or worse, not get reimbursed for sending it back.  So read the policy beforehand, and then call or email if you wish for a return or an exchange.  Most companies give you an RA number to put on the package you are sending back; yup, you’re responsible for those return shipping fees!  They will either promise to reimburse the cost of the item on your credit card, will honor a credit note or will ship you the same item in another size/color (again, you’ll have to take on the shipping costs).  Practice does make perfect in these cases… as does knowing how sizes truly fit from one online store to another.

4.      Don’t chance it with Customs

This is the tricky part.  Not only are you often paying over $30 for shipping but you’ll most likely get dinged again by customs once it passes the border.  Nothing you can do about that.  What you can arm yourself against is the amount of taxes they’ll charge.  You particularly want to avoid the Foreign 18% tax for merchandise that is manufactured overseas.  Oh yes ladies, this is a big one. Try to find out if your garment was manufactured in North America so as to benefit from the free trade agreement, and ask the sender to state it on the shipping label so as to avoid that pesky 18% tax.  In the rare case that customs still charge it, you always have the option to refuse the receipt of the package, return it to customs and ask for a reassessment of the custom charges.  It will more often than not be granted, but you may have to wait upwards to another 8 weeks to get your order back!

5.      Voice Yourself

Now, this is just a good all-around policy and a courtesy that has been lost in past years: if you are happy with your order, tell them!  And if you’re not happy:  TELL THEM!!  Be hurt and disappointed, but do remain polite and tactful.  We are ladies, after all.  Such feedback serves many purposes.  It gets your frustration off your chest and unto theirs, if they care.  It ensures that they know they got it right or wrong somewhere along the line and may gain or lose sales if more customers feel the same way.  And often, but not always, you might gain insider tips from them or store credits.  Being given a $10 credit code may not cover the cost of shipping, but it’s still $10, ladies!!  And I once wrote in and had my return shipping costs reimbursed!  Oh the power of the keyboard.

Of course, though you’ll still be tested on the waters of online shopping, these tips and tricks will ensure a minimum of mishaps! 

I am lucky though that I live in Toronto and can shop in store at Maximum Woman which now carries the entire SexyPlus Clothing collection. But after reviewing the SexyPlus Clothing website thoroughly, I can attest to the fact that the garment descriptions are thorough, the sizing is accurate and tested by the owner herself, the payment process is secure, the shipping and return policies are fair and clearly outlined, and of course, the styles are simply amazing, unique and very figure flattering.

If I did not live here, I would definitely be a SexyPlus Clothing online customer. They have my fashion forward stamp of approval!

Click here to read the interview 

The event took place inside the beautiful and elegant Thornhill Country Club and was meticulously coordinated by Mary Corrado.

Above: Mary Corrado, President of The Business Agents – www.thebusinessagents.ca, and Linda Ockwell-Jenner.

Above: Stefanie Augusteijn (that’s me!) from SexyPlus Clothing, and Kathryn McCallum-Pipes from Curvaceous Consignments.

Above: Wanda White from Curvaceous Consignments – www.curvaceousconsignments.com

The afternoon’s events included presentations by Keynote Speaker Linda Ockwell-Jenner, a Speaker and Business Development Consultant born in Birmingham, England who immigrated to Canada in 1993. In 1997 Linda faced her toughestchallenge when she was diagnosed withbreast cancer. Making things more difficult were financial pressures, withLinda juggling three jobs in retail and hospitality. By 2000, Linda was enjoying life and a new relationship only to be diagnosed once again with breast cancer.

Overcoming this terrible disease a second time, Linda went back to school in 2001 where she discovered a passion for speaking and founded www.motivationalsteps.com. On Sunday, Linda spoke to us with a mixture of humour, emotion, and left a permanent message of hope.

We later enjoyed the comedy of one of Canada’s top female entertainers Judy Croon, a fashion show by SexyPlus Clothing and Curvaceous Consignments sporting the most unique and fashion forward looks in plus sizes, a fashion show by Jockey, a delicious lunch and good old fashioned socializing. There was an air of sincerity and warmth among the women (and a few men) which made networking seem natural, when it can sometimes feel like “work”.

I was proud to model SexyPlus Clothing and sported the Pretty Woman Series Babydoll Top in Pink with our new Perfect Plus Size Capris in Black (shown above), as well as our Wild Roxanne Plus Size Top in Hot Pink. Being the owner of SexyPlus Clothing and not a professional model, I must admit that it was fun. I felt super confident because I am obviously partial to the clothes, and was grateful for the applause. The other models, customers of Curvaceous Consignments shown below, did fabulously and I think they had fun too. The audience seemed to enjoy the fact that we were regular women, of different sizes and shapes, representing plus sizes which are so rarely featured in fashion shows.

I learned, some time ago, from a super-charged woman named Katia  Miller (www.positivefabulouswomen.com) that in networking you must first ask how you can help, so in that spirit, I will introduce you to other female entrepreneurs who were present and helped raised funds for breast cancer research on this emotionally charged and delightful afternoon.

Above: Moira Sutton, CEO, Success Breakthrough – www.successbreakthrough.com

Above: Susan Bernstein, Executive, ISAGENIX – www.terryandsusan.com

Above: Rosemarie, Settings by Fogelman & Co – 416.783.1030

Above: Pamela Gallo, Co-founder, Boho Tea – www.bohotea.com

Above: Emma Laser Treatments – www.emmaskincare.com

Above: Agnes Loshusan, Independent Executive Sr. Sales Director, Mary Kay – www.marykay.ca/aloshusan

Above: Joanne C. Wilson, Romance Specialist, The Wedding Travel Team – www.theweddingtravelteam.com

Above: Our friendly photographer for the event Rob Corrado C.P.C., PPOC, LPPO, Corr Vision Photography – Light Made Visible – http://www.corrvision.com/

There were many more extraordinary women but I did not manage to capture them all in pictures or in introduction – partly because it was so informative and enjoyable exchanging with the ladies I did meet. While there was shopping and sharing, fine dining and fashion parading, the bottom line is that we must FIND A CURE for BREAST CANCER and support all those affected by it through compassion, financial support, awareness and love.

Click here to give – it’s FREE!

Thank you to all those who attended and sponsored this event. I was honoured to be among you.

Sincerely,

Stefanie Augusteijn

Faces by Pureness is a makeup beauty/artistry service provider.  I have met and worked with Pureness on a number of occasions and she is definitely professional, kind and talented. If you are looking for a pro with experience, versatility and a great disposition, Pureness is your girl.

**A word from the CEO of Faces By Pureness**

2010 is underway. Remember to look for Faces By Pureness in the newest Sway and Elite Magazines. We thank you all for the love and support. 

We are offering discounts for photo shoot makeup and eyelash extensions. For many, 2009 was hard but we want to make you feel good today, so you can see a brighter future! Call today for an over the phone consultation, 647.456.4099 or email makeup@facesbypureness.com or BBM 306D49B7.

We thank SexyPlus Clothing for their continued support and amazing outfits that have helped Faces By Pureness not only have the Face but the Style too!

Hey ladies,

Let me introduce More of Me to Love, a free community and online store that helps people be happier and healthier in the bodies they have, no matter their size. Their community of experts and members provide the support, information and encouragement necessary to realize that having more of you to love is just one of the great things about you.

Check out their latest Blog Post by Golda Poretsky, H.H.C. : Don’t Play It Small When You’re Feeling Too Big, and get to know More of Me to Love. You’ll enjoy their honesty, the resources and information they offer, and their extensive online store. 

Become a Fan of the More of Me to Love Facebook Page, and follow them on Twitter to stay connected.

One service in particular that some full figured women may be hard pressed to find or even ask for is Brazilian waxing (yes, the kind where everything gets removed). The staff at Kinsgway Beauty are professional, courteous and get the job done in the most comfortable and caring fashion. Mary is also quite an artist with eyebrows, and fixed mine which were in bad shape and way too thin.

Enjoy 20% off your first service exclusively for SexyPlus Clothing customers until January 31, 2010.

Kingsway Beauty and Skin Care Clinic

Quality services at affordable prices. Over 25 years of experience.

• Specializing in ANTI-AGING FACIALS, non-surgical face lifting, microdermabrasion, laser hair removal and electrolysis (disposable needles only).
• Treating rosacea as well as aged, photo damaged and acne prone skin.
• Experts in treating problem skin & hard to treat ethnic skin types. We remove skin tags, keloid scars, broken capillaries on face & other minor skin irritations.
• Teeth whitening services (non desensitizing in 20 min).
• Carrying a wide range of cosmeceutical & cosmetic skin care for all skin types including Yonka, Guinot, Juvena and Peter Thomas Roth, as well as wrinkle prevention / reduction serums. 
• Total competitively priced aesthetic day spa services available, including permanent makeup & lash perming, Brazilian waxing, threading, manicure, pedicure, reflexology, facials, ear & body piercing, hot stone massage, lash extensions and ear candling.
• FREE five minute consultation & skin scanning.

20% off first service exclusive to SexyPlus Clothing Customers. Valid only till Jan. 31, 2010. Print this page and present it on site for your savings.

Located at:

27A Oak Street, North York, Ontario  M9N 0A4

(416) 244-6775

Directly South of the CROSSROAD PLAZA (Weston Rd./Hwy 401)

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Have you been asked recently about your website and felt embarrassed because you didn’t have one or it wasn’t up to date? You probably made an excuse about it and tried to change the subject. You might have even said to yourself “I really have to sort that out!”

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