01Jun

Ideas Come To Life…

Filed in Behind the scenes | Plus Size Models | Products 1 Comment

Time flies at Hips and Curves, but this week seems to have gone by even faster.  On Monday, the stylists were busy coordinating looks for a big photo shoot.   Tuesday, meetings, meetings and more meetings.  I was excited to report that tons of orders were being placed for the Essential Everyday T-shirt Bra in our featured summer colors, lime and turquoise.   I personally love the lime and need to get my order in :)   Wednesday the office was electric again.  Last minute samples were arriving for the shoot, stylists were coordinating looks – corsets, thigh highs, shoes, bras and panties.

Thursday was a group effort getting everything ready for the shoot.   The crew built a beautiful set using one of our new harem canopies and spent a large part of the day setting up lighting and scenes.  The stylists were busy putting together the final pieces for each look, steaming lingerie, pulling shoes and hosiery from the wardrobe closet and staging and labeling each look on clothing racks.

When Friday arrived there was a buzz in the air. The model arrived and took her seat in hair and make-up. The make up artist, hair stylist, photographer and wardrobe assistants discussed the looks and shots for the day.   Then, with lights on, fans blowing and music blaring, the model arrived on set in a red jacquard corset and a stunning long black slinky ruched skirt.  It was then that the magic began.  Everyone’s hard work and long hours paid off. Ideas, meetings and samples came to life for the first time.  The shoot was a success.

PS – Make sure you check out the “behind the scenes” email newsletter for more!  If you’re not already signed up, you can sign up here.

PSS – The stylists used my suggestion for one of the outfits – the underbust corsest with the ruffle trim demi bra!

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17Apr

Re-define the Norm

Filed in Plus Size Models | Self Love 4 Comments

Okay. I was having a girls’ night the other night and before the movie we started talking about women’s studies and somehow got onto the topic of women’s image. We went all over the place; talking about suffrage, women’s rights, the lack of chivalry and politeness in general (sorry guys, but chivalry just isn’t as common as it used to be!) and of course, women’s self esteem and self-image in the world today.

There once was a time any man would hurry to open a door or pull out a chair. You would pass by and hats would tip to you left and right. In the society we live in now, that has become a rarity. These days it’s more common than not, to have an elevator door close on you as you rush to make it in, and hats are left on as if stuck with superglue.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying all men behave like this. It’s just the number of those who have lost their manners has increased dramatically over the last few generations. There are still some men (and if you find one, keep him!) that will open the door for you, and not only you. To be a true gentleman they will hold it for you and the group walking in behind you. They will hurry to open your car door, and let you pass ahead of them as you walk through a tight squeeze on the sidewalk.

Some would argue that this decline in society contributes to the lack of self esteem and self respect that we see in the women of today. I even heard a close friend of mine say “Men make me feel the worst about myself. Sometimes I feel as if I don’t even deserve to have a door held open for me anymore.” We know it isn’t anything personal men, but women are complicated and observant beings and the little things mean a lot. I’m sure it also stems from the difference in how boys and girls are raised. Girls are brought up awaiting their fairytale prince and being told to stay clear of the wrong kind of guy. However boys these days are being taught less and less about manners and chivalry, replacing Cotillion with PS3′s and YouTube. Continue Reading

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13Apr

Let’s hear it from the Boys…

Filed in Behind the scenes | Dating | Plus Size Models | Self Love 10 Comments

I’ve always been interested in what makes men attracted to certain women so I decided to ask three of my friends to tell me why they love dating curvy girls like us…. Here are their answers…

From Manuel – a civil engineer and one of my dear friends from Italy:

Ciao Misty! Here are some thoughts to your question… thanks for asking.

I think what I like most and I would extend many men like about bigger women is the absolute appearance of the female form.  Many women, while trying to stay thin or exercise too much are coming to a point where they look more like men dressed up like women.

When you combine the softer appearance of a real woman with a proportioned body, the image conveys the idea of a woman who fully appreciates all that life has to offer, who seeks every joy in life and that shows to the world her appreciation of Joy.  Furthermore, it enhances and boosts all the sexual symbols that are embedded in our brains, and the desire of experiencing all that fulfillment is pervading!

hmmm… I can’t wait for my Italian vacation later this year to get some of that appreciation in person!

From Adam – an extremely fun and dynamic CEO from Los Angeles:

Okay, let me start off by saying that I love women. I love their femininity, their sweetness and their softness.  This goes hand-in-glove with what you’re asking.  Crudely, I’m drawn to hips and butts and boobs.  More subtlety, however, I love women’s curves.  It’s the curves in a woman’s silhouette that melt me every time.   I like feeling wrapped in love, enveloped, if you will, and a “skinny” girl just can’t hold me the way a woman of substance can.

As for the “look” of a curvy girl, there’s just something about natural cleavage and the soft yielding flesh of a healthy figure that makes me swoon every time.

Ah yes, there is nothing I love more than making a man swoon!

And finally my favorite sentiment 

From Matt – a blue collar guy from the Midwest with a heart of gold:

You know, there is a place between the shoulder and hip that is meant for an arm.   I mean… have you ever driven through Nebraska?   It’s flat and boring and I think that is why not too many people live there.   I like scenery and points of reference, terrain that lets you know where your at. 

Well said, darlin’… I’m happy to be your road map anytime!

We want to hear from other men – what makes you attracted to curvy women?

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30Mar

The Barbie Of My Dreams

Filed in Plus Size Models | Self Love Leave a comment

It’s Barbie’s 50th anniversary and everyone is celebrating. I just came across an article about a life size Barbie car with a tall, lanky Heidi Klum standing next to it. I guess Heidi does represent the perfect life size Barbie. After seeing her photo I wondered what it would have been like if we had a more realistic doll to play with growing up. There have been reports which claim that Barbie and her skinny doll friends may promote young girls’ insecurity about their image which, in turn, may contribute to body insecurity. And we all know that in some cases, body insecurity in children can lead to eating disorders later in life.

What if we had a different doll to play with when we were growing up? She would still wear fashionable clothes, drive a convertible and have a hot boyfriend, but instead of the 39-19-33 measurements she’s famous for, she would have a real body with curves. I wonder if we would have a different view of our body while playing with her’s?

Well, I looked it up and apparently there does exist the Barbie doll of my dreams. The doll was released in 2002 and I found this blog post about it.

Emme, the plus-size model who made it more than OK for cover girls to be a size 12, is bringing an industry not known for positive body images up to size. Tonner Doll Co. last week introduced a toy created in the image of Emme.

The doll’s designer, Robert Tonner, would rather talk about the beauty of Emme (the person) than the messy issues surrounding feminism, Barbie and eating disorders. Tonner, a former Bill Blass designer and doll collector, said he created the Emme look-alike after being swept away by the model’s appearance on a talk show. If he’s out to make any statement, it’s more “Emme is beautiful” than “Big is beautiful.”

But, the Barbie versus Emme comparison is hard to ignore. For 50 years (WHOOPS!), an impossibly proportioned figure has reigned in the fashion-doll aisle. So when a size 12 joins her on the shelf, it’s got to make some waves. And, the life-sized Emme is anything but silent on the subject: “Barbie needs some new friend.”

Emme was the first model to speak to these issues before a congressional subcommittee and the chair ambassador of the National Eating Disorders Association.

“Yes, it is just a doll, but it’s a chance to open the doll industry to the idea of inclusiveness,” Emme says. “Don’t you think that girls who play with dolls would include all types if there were any available? They’re not the ones who think all dolls should be blond, blue-eyed and thin. That’s introduced to them.”

Perhaps times are changing. Maybe when I have daughters I’ll be able to buy them a Mia Tyler or Barbara Brickner doll?

What do you guys think? Do you let your daughters play with Barbie Dolls?

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16Mar

Weight and Politics

Filed in Plus Size Models | Pop Culture | Self Love 2 Comments

There is a ton of talk on Twitter today about Laura Ingraham referring to Meghan McCain (John McCain’s daughter) as a “plus size model”. While mocking Meghan on her radio show, Laura Ingraham said

“O.K., I was really hoping that I was going to get that role in “The Real World,” but then I realized that, well, they don’t like plus-sized models.”

Although I’m not big on politics, the story caught my eye when I read Meghan’s response in the Daily Beast. I definitely thought it was worth sharing with you guys.

I have been teased about my weight and body figure since I was in middle school, and I decided a very long time ago to embrace what God gave me and live my life positively…. I am a size 8 and fluctuated up to a size 10 during the campaign. It’s ridiculous even to have this conversation because I am not overweight in the least and have a natural body weight.

But even if I were overweight, it would be ridiculous. I expected substantive criticism from conservative pundits for my views…. My intent was to generate discussion about the current problems facing the Republican Party. Unfortunately, even though Ingraham is more than 20 years older than I and has been a political pundit for longer, almost, than I have been alive, she responded in a form that was embarrassing to herself and to any woman listening to her radio program who was not a size 0.

In today’s society this is, unfortunately, predictable. Everyone from Jessica Simpson to Tyra Banks, Oprah and Hillary Clinton has fallen victim to this type of image-oriented bullying. Recent pictures of Pierce Brosnan’s wife, Keely Shaye Smith, on the beach in her bikini raised criticism about her weight and choice of bathing suit — as if the woman should be wearing a giant muumuu to swim in the ocean. After Kelly Clarkson’s recent appearance on “American Idol,” the first commentary I read on the Internet was about her weight gain instead of her singing.

My weight was consistently criticized throughout the campaign. Once someone even suggested I go to a plastic surgeon for liposuction. Afterward, I blogged about loving my body and suggested critics focus their insecurities about women’s bodies elsewhere. On the other side, my mother was constantly slammed for being too skinny, so the weight obsession of the media and our culture goes both ways. It also goes to both parties. Hillary Clinton has consistently received criticism for her pantsuits and figure. Whatever someone’s party, these criticisms are quite obviously both wrong and distracting from the larger issues at play.

The question remains: Why, after all this time and all the progress feminists have made, is weight still such an issue? And in Laura’s case, why in the world would a woman raise it? Today, taking shots at a woman’s weight has become one of the last frontiers in socially accepted prejudice.”

Kudos for Meghan for putting things in perspective! Read her entire response here and check out Meghan discussing the issue with the ladies on The View:

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