SA Fashion Week

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to an installation at SA fashion week for Cloche  a local milliner who as I discovered is doing some really beautiful work. I had no idea that SA even had any milliners, let alone good ones who haven't emigrated, so her show came wonderful surprise. The pieces were graphic, strongly structured, ornate and heavily embellished in Ethiopean beads and silver filigree on grey felt bases. They were sublime, and immaculately finished. They left me happy for beauty in the world and dreaming of Aztec kings.

After that I had stayed on to watch the next show which was three collections by established designers. These collections were the pole opposite of what I had just seen with Cloche. I am not giving names because what I am about to write is far from complimentary.

To start with, all three could have been done by the same person. Surely a designer wants his or her work to be distinctive and unique? The public should want to buy into a designer's aesthetic because it stirs something in them. That should be a personal thing, and it should not appeal to everyone. These tried to appeal to a mass lowest common denominator. The mindset that if something is dull and mediocre enough everyone will like it purely because it doesn't evoke strong enough feelings for them to hate it.

The design was uninspired and certainly uninspiring. To be honest, I have seen more interesting and original design from first year fashion students and the sketches that some of our matric farewell clients come clutching. There is little that I can actually say about the design because it was so mediocre that it left almost no impression on me with the exception of the discomfort of drop dead boredom.

The fabrics were cheap and generic. Don't get me wrong, I have seen skilled designers do amazing things with really cheap fabrics. These however were all on the theme of cheap cotton twill and t-shirting interspersed with a bit of that horrible printed lycra stuff that should just be jetted out into space and that nasty stretchy net and mesh that I thought we left in the 90's. In order to work well with lower end fabrics, you need to put in the hours searching for something unusual and then ensure that your design and pattern making is top notch. The other problem is that the fabrics in no way worked with, or to emphasise either the design of the garments or the pattern. There was no knowledge of fabrics in these choices. They were most likely chosen because they were easily available and in the correct colours and on budget. Fabric choice is an art in itself and the incorrect fabric can make the best cut look bad. which brings me to the next point.

I am been kind when I say the the cutting was mediocre. The most important part of a garment is the pattern. That is what gives a garment it's design. It is all fine and well to draw a pretty picture, but if you don't have the pattern making skills, nothing will bring it to life.  A pattern needs to be made with intent, not the lackadaisy "lets make a square peg fit a round hole" attitude prevalent here. It was basic but cowardly.  Boxy shapes without the knowledge of draping that can take boxy to a new plane as YSL did in the 60's and also without the ingenuity that would make it them compelling and embellished with random tucks a la Comme de Garcon but toned down to the point where there was no point. They did nothing and added nothing. Design should always be elegant. This was a heavy, clumsy, uncultured hand with a wax crayon clutched in it.

The other hand clutching a grubby wax crayon is the construction and finish of the garments. Yes, the designers were already setting themselves up for disaster by using bad fabrics which are very difficult to get a good finish on. They do not stitch, cut or press well which is making an already overwhelming job that much harder. That aside, the finish of the garments was horrendous, overlocking everywhere, skew hems, lumpy, puckered seams and rippling zips. I would be mortified to ever see a garment of that calibre in my factory and I certainly would not allow it down a runway for the world to see.
Do these people think that no-one knows any better or that no-one will care? There is a particular mindset that seems to have crept insidiously into mainstream thought which says that the quality of creation of a thing, be it a painting or a piece of clothing or even a building is irrelevant and that all that matters is that it had a great concept behind it. Sorry, but the concept is irrelevant if you haven't the skill to give it dignity.

These collections are nothing for the designers to be proud of, they belong in a flea-market stall, not on a runway. And although I know that I should not base my opinion of Fashion Week on three shows, just the fact that lower end street wear (which I would have no problem with in it's place) is given the status of couture and is lauded as an achievement makes me sad. It does however also make me remember why I do what I do.

Dressing for a fuller figure: Part 1 - What lies beneath

As someone who lived on the larger side of life for my teens and most of my twenties, I understand the frustration of shopping for large clothes, and as a designer who often makes beautiful clothing to make the best of a voluptuous figure, I know how to dress for curves. Dressing a voluptuous figure is no more difficult than dressing a slender one, sadly most of the advice out there is along the lines of either lose weight, wear a tent or add so much unflattering detail that you can't see the person for the frills! I don't plan to tell you to do any of that. In fact, most of what I will tell you is the pole opposite of what is generally considered flattering for a larger figure.

1) Body

If you hate your body, there is not much that anyone can do to make you look gorgeous. Shed all of the guilt and self-loathing then we'll start. I am not going to tell you to lose weight because that really isn't an answer for anything. As Mika warbled, " big girls, you are beautiful!" Embrace your body as it is now, not as you wish it were. You are living in it now and unlike a house, there's not much chance of you moving out. Very few women who plan to lose weight actually do it successfully and long-term. Crash Dieting, pills etc will only damage your health and as long as you are healthy, who cares about a few (or a lot) of extra kilos. That said, and now that you have determined that cake is better than lettuce, take a look at your body and decide which parts you love and want to show off, and which ones need a little help.

2) The Help 

Dressing well isn't about size, it is about shape, and you perfect your shape with the right underwear. One of my favorite quotes is by Christian Dior "without foundation there can be no fashion" he was so right. Have a look at photos of women pre 1960. You really think that they just naturally looked that good? No bra was ever responsible for Jane Russel's gravity defying 38DD's in the strapless dresses of the day.  Even flappers in the 20's wore foundation garments. The ideal eras to use as inspiration are 30's - 50's, Women were super curvaceous and the fashions were all about large bums and boobs with tiny waists and ranged from sleek suits to playful day-dresses to elegant draped evening wear, and under it all was, you guessed it corsets!

Don't think of a corset purely as the Victorian variety. There are dozens of different garments in the corset family and they each do something different. Dependant on the outfit, either you choose your clothing based on your undergarments (day-wear) or visa versa for eveningwear. The corset for beneath a heavily structured fishtail dress is very different to what you would wear beneath a languid bias-cut gown (and yes, more than anything you need the corset for the gown as the structured fishtail will inevitably have one built it!) 

 A corset and a girdle are every girl’s best friend. A corset will support your bust and pull in your waist creating a perfect hourglass. A girdle will flatten tummy, smooth out your silhouette and lift and round your bum. Wear either piece or both together depending on the outfit and the amount of shaping you require.

Bras & knickers

If you are a D-cup or larger, a bra will never give you adequate bust support. In actuality, a bra on a large busted woman will over time also damage her spine. Simply put, a bra takes the weight of the bust and hangs it from the shoulders while a corset centers the weight over the core. (which also allows it to be strapless) the underwire on a bra can also cause pinched nerves and skin lesions on large sizes. A good alternative to a bra is a vertically boned Merry Widow, which is a soft flexible 1950's style corset. Don't buy one with bra-cups in it or you are defeating the purpose of a corset. (there is an article in the FAQ's on my website on why corsets don't have cups) the boning of the Merry Widow must go over the bust.

If you are going to be wearing a bra for everyday (usually with a girdle) invest in the best one you possibly can and ensure that it fits correctly. Only a very small portion of the women who come through my shop wear the correct size bra. Unfortunately most shops that offer measuring services will measure you to be a size that they stock no-matter how incorrect it is. For them, it is all about getting the sale.

Many of you know of an experiment that I did a number of years ago where I went to nearly a dozen lingerie shops to be measured and not one was correct. I was measured as anywhere between a 32C and 36B. My real size at the time - a 34A is always held in short stock and the first to sell out.

The easiest way to find out your size is to download a measurement diagram and measure yourself - It's easy. Another good thing to remember is that each company has their own patterns and one company’s bras may fit you better than another one. Although it is less common in European and American made product, sizes do vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. When buying bras online (the only way to really get a good selection) measure yourself with the diagram supplied by that website as it is written with their product in mind. Last but not least - read the labels and the blurb on the website and do not buy anything made in China or Korea. If possible support manufacturers (not importers) in your country. If the website doesn't tell you where the product is manufactured either ask them or go somewhere else. 

Although they are becoming increasingly difficult to get, a longline bra is one of the nicest styles to wear; particularly with a girdle. This bra continues 2" - 4" down your ribcage and is lightly boned beneith the bra cups. They help to smooth the ribcage and don't cause back flub. They also ensure that there is no gap between your girdle and your bra where your skin may ooze out and ensure a completely sleek silhouette.

*Note: A longline bra is not a corset or a basque. If it extends past your ribcage and/or has suspenders (garters) throw it away and carry on looking.  Basques are vile! Yes they look sexy, for about three and a half minutes before the "boning" buckles and they create all sorts of new rolls around your stomach. A good general rule is to avoid anything that has panels of completely sheer stretchy mesh - nothing see-through offers support. 

When shopping for underwear, take your time in the fitting room, make sure that what you are trying on offers enough coverage and doesn't create new bulges and lumps with the elastic. With panties, if in doubt try another cut or a size larger and never ever ever wear a g-string (and that goes for all girls of any shape and size!) they are unflattering - let's face it, anyone who thinks that a pair of pendulous orbs hanging out on either side of a piece of genital floss is sexy, should be institutionalised. You wouldn't let your breasts look like that, don't do it to your bum. 

G-strings also give far worse panty line than a pair of well fitting full (or boyleg) panties as the thin elastic at the top cuts into your hips making you look like you have saddlebags even if you don't. And, they give you urinary tract infections. I won't go into the details of that one, you can ask you doctor for the roundup, but they are unhealthy and that is more important than anything!

Girdles

Many of our clients refer to their girdle as their "vacuum packer" and that is just the perfect description. A girdle is a garment that was popular from the late 20's through to the early 60's in various forms which is designed to flatten the tummy and smooth, sculpt and lift the bum, hips and thighs. They are indispensable under not only workwear and more formal clothing bust also under well-fitted daywear. There are a number of different types of girdles available, but very few that are worth your time and money. The ones that you need are:

1: the classic High Waist Open bottomed girdle. It looks like a high waisted skin-tight mini-skirt and often comes with detachable suspenders. Perfect under any skirt or dress the high waist sculpts your waist and flattens and smooths your tummy.they are usually lightly boned around the waist so they don't pinch or roll down. Many women ask about all-in-ones, which are a girdle with built in bra. Personally I find it far more comfortable to wear a two-piece, so I seldom recommend them It is also very difficult to get a correct fit with an all-in-one as torso lengths vary so much and the bra-cups often end up sitting either too high or too low. If you are large busted rather wear a corset with a Shortie girdle over it for the same effect.

A shortie is a standard waisted girdle – i.e.: the top edge is in the waist not above it. Do not wear a shortie girdle with a bra. As the girdle ends too low in the waist, digs in and creates an unflattering roll of skin above it. These are for wear with corsets only.

2: a Panty-girdle or pants-liner.

A panty-girdle looks like a full panty with a reinforced front. If you can get a high-waisted one, buy it in all colours! When buying a panty-girdle, you have to try it on, guess work just does not do. Make sure that it sits securely under your bum cheeks but does not cause a roll either at the top or the bottom. There are some really great seamless ones out at present which do away with the problem of tight elastic around the leg holes which in cheaper ones digs in to cause unsightly bulges and can chafe quite badly. Pants-liners are a panty-girdle with long legs – ankle length. Standard panty girdles are great for under slacks or jeans, pants liners are for under tight pants, and believe me when sized correctly, they work! Pants-liners are quite hard to get hold of, but there are some very good support hose on the market which are a great alternative.

Do not EVER buy a panty-girdle with legs that end on the thigh. They are one of the most heinous inventions ever. Not only do they roll down at the top, but they force your thighs to ooze out at the bottom too, and it is impossible to go to the bathroom in them. All in all, they make you look worse than you did before and with a full bladder to boot!

Dont even think it. Not any brand, not ever!

Note on choosing girdle sizes: If it takes you 15 minutes to wriggle into, it is the correct size. If a girdle is too loose it won’t do what it is meant to do. We had a client come through recently wearing the most ill fitting girdle I’ve ever seen, it actually added on 3cm around her waist and hips. Unfortunately this particular incident was due to an ignorant sales-person at the store she had bought it who told her to buy it two sizes too big otherwise it would be too tight! 

Stockings

Not necessary, but nice. Stockings really finish off an outfit!

I’m taking actual thigh high stockings, not pantyhose. Stockings are kind of like a sexy girdle for your legs – they smooth out any cellulite and imperfections and give the illusion of perfect contours. If you are going to wear fishnets, wear a pair of sheer stockings under them to keep your skin smooth. 

A misconception is that stockings are uncomfortable. Not true at all, they are far more comfy than pantihose, in that they don’t twist and work their way downward over the course of the day. Ensure that your suspender belt or girdle has a minimum of six suspenders – three on each leg. Any less and your stockings will not hold correctly. Always buy stockings a size too big – they will sit higher on your thigh, not cut in at the top and will last much longer without laddering.

Modern clothing is generally designed to stretch to fit, not to truly fit, which is why very few women look their best or even really know how to dress for their body. In the past everything had to fit correctly as there was no stretch and as a result, clothing was not only more flattering, but also far more foolproof. If the skirt didn’t fit, there was no way you could pretend it did!

 Wearing correct underwear will feel different to anything that you have worn before. It will, particularly in the beginning be restrictive and a lot tighter than what you are used to, This is what underwear is meant to feel like - it is meant to perfect your body and provide a base over which your clothes drape. It also gives you the peace of mind that comes with knowing that everything in your sleek silhouette is exactly where it should be. Check yourself from all angles to ensure that everything is smooth then look at yourself in the mirror, is that gorgeous body not worth a little extra work?

And, if you still have any doubt as to the magic that foundation garments can work on a voluptuous figure, just watch Christina Hendricks in Mad Men. She’ll change your mind!