Can't wait--this weekend marks the official start of hot, summer nights, playful days, and memorable moments to treasure for a lifetime.
So, what do you have to do this summer? I have to teach business courses at two of our local colleges, run my web and consulting businesses, clean up around the house--actually I am looking forward to that one :) it was a long winter wasn't it?, buy for black cat plus's fall season and see what is in store for Spring '09, finalize our private label product line, finalize our next model search contest-attorneys take forever to review...reamp our web site...btw--all suggestions and input are welcome on that one..send them to Jodell@blackcatplus.com, go to Chicago and New York City, attend a few summer concerts, visit with friends and family, take one of our show cats to get his champion status, get back to doing yoga and pilates on a regular basis, eat regular meals instead of eating while standing up, talking on the phone, or sitting in front of the computer...and look forward to spending time with my husband every day and especially when we go on our summer Vegas vacation.
Whew! That is a lot! But I cannot wait!! I love summer! What will I WEAR to all of these events?
I have a checklist of things to bring with me to the various events...capris are still a hot item for plus size women. Remember to go to a bit longer length if you are short. Pressed for space in a suitcase? Take a set that you can mix and match with other items. We love the casual yoga inspired sets from Neon Buddha and Kaktus. Want to show off your legs?? Try our Nina Nguyen anklet. Nina made extra long lenth just for us! I love mine and wear it all of the time. The gemstones in the anklet are so pretty. I have to start packing now!!
How about you?? What do you have to do this summer? Let Black Cat Plus help you make memorable moments!!
Oh and here's our memorable moments promotion!! Sign up on our mailing list and receive a coupon for $20 off any regular priced apparel item and give us one suggestion and we will make it TWO $20 coupons!! Come 'on!! Help us to our goal of being the #1 Plus Size Web Boutique for contemporary plus size fashions!! We can do it with your help!!
Oh--and one more thing to add to the list--one more week until I attend the premier of Sex and the City with friends!! More as it happens...
Jodell
Friday, May 23, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
What's In Your Closet?
Just a couple of real quick things. A bit of this and that this week. Tells you where my mind is at!
Quick shameless product plug here! But we are excited to have our Kristine Accessories back in stock!
Finally!! We have our new shipment of the infamous flat wallets back on our site! Fun colors in turquoise, hot pink, and lime and the staple colors of beige, black and the metallics! Check them out when you get a sec. Why do we love them? They are flat and do not take up a lot of room at all in your purse and you would not believe all of the stuff that you can get in them. And while you are at it, from Kristine--check out the square bangle bracelets, stackable and a different twist on a favorite accessory.
In other news, we are getting ready to finalize our fall buying plan! Can't wait for you to see what we have in "store" no pun intended here :) for you for Fall!
Want a hint or two? What will you see? It is official that Floral prints, natural shades and black will be strong this Fall and separates, especially jackets and blouses, will be key pieces. We're working on it!
Speaking of separates? Take inventory now to see what what can transition easily from spring to summer to fall. I love reading my surveys and I recently read that tops out-number bottoms in women's closets by a 3 to 1 margin. Does your closet reflect those stats? Mine does. I also have had jackets that I have had around for years that I still wear. How about you?
Our best sellers this week have been Fenini, Kaktus, and once again the awesome Kiyonna line.
For those of you who have inquired about our next modeling contest? We are working on it! Expect to find details on our home page at the end of June 08 for our fall campaign.
In the meantime, we have a contest going on. Sign up now on BlackCatPlus.com and we will email you a $20 off coupon good towards any full price item worth $40 or more that we have on our site!! We love our customers!! And want YOU as one of our preferred customers!!
Jodell
Quick shameless product plug here! But we are excited to have our Kristine Accessories back in stock!
Finally!! We have our new shipment of the infamous flat wallets back on our site! Fun colors in turquoise, hot pink, and lime and the staple colors of beige, black and the metallics! Check them out when you get a sec. Why do we love them? They are flat and do not take up a lot of room at all in your purse and you would not believe all of the stuff that you can get in them. And while you are at it, from Kristine--check out the square bangle bracelets, stackable and a different twist on a favorite accessory.
In other news, we are getting ready to finalize our fall buying plan! Can't wait for you to see what we have in "store" no pun intended here :) for you for Fall!
Want a hint or two? What will you see? It is official that Floral prints, natural shades and black will be strong this Fall and separates, especially jackets and blouses, will be key pieces. We're working on it!
Speaking of separates? Take inventory now to see what what can transition easily from spring to summer to fall. I love reading my surveys and I recently read that tops out-number bottoms in women's closets by a 3 to 1 margin. Does your closet reflect those stats? Mine does. I also have had jackets that I have had around for years that I still wear. How about you?
Our best sellers this week have been Fenini, Kaktus, and once again the awesome Kiyonna line.
For those of you who have inquired about our next modeling contest? We are working on it! Expect to find details on our home page at the end of June 08 for our fall campaign.
In the meantime, we have a contest going on. Sign up now on BlackCatPlus.com and we will email you a $20 off coupon good towards any full price item worth $40 or more that we have on our site!! We love our customers!! And want YOU as one of our preferred customers!!
Jodell
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Tailor Made
A girl's best friend? A good tailor. Tailoring is a necessary piece to dressing well. Recently, a local customer saw something on my web site that she absolutely loved. However, when she tried it on, the two piece garment looked big and unkept on her frame. She was crushed as she really loved the fabric and the garment. So, I suggested she buy it and take it to the tailor to see what he said he could do with the skirt set. If she did not like the suggestions, she could bring the item back and I would refund her purchase. I gave her the names of two tailors I work with and trust would do a good job.
Don't know a good tailor in your area? Ask around and try them out by starting with a no problem alteration such as taking in a hemline or taking in a skirt at the waist. Watch while they pin the garment and be clear with them about how you want that garment to look.
My customer? The end result was spectacular!! The tailor "trimmed" the side seams and took in about four inches total, added more ornate buttons and took up the hemline. The outfit looked totally different on my customer and she loved the results.
What kinds of things can be taken to the tailor without a lot of cost? The easier pieces are dresses, pants, and suits or separates that are not too difficult to work with.
Really like a piece that is too small? Buy two and have a tailor insert fabric from the extra garment. A good tailor can get that garment to look as it was tailor made! In cost-conscious times, take a look at your wardrobe and see if there is anything that you can have re-worked for a totally new look and new outfit!! More as it happens! Jodell
Don't know a good tailor in your area? Ask around and try them out by starting with a no problem alteration such as taking in a hemline or taking in a skirt at the waist. Watch while they pin the garment and be clear with them about how you want that garment to look.
My customer? The end result was spectacular!! The tailor "trimmed" the side seams and took in about four inches total, added more ornate buttons and took up the hemline. The outfit looked totally different on my customer and she loved the results.
What kinds of things can be taken to the tailor without a lot of cost? The easier pieces are dresses, pants, and suits or separates that are not too difficult to work with.
Really like a piece that is too small? Buy two and have a tailor insert fabric from the extra garment. A good tailor can get that garment to look as it was tailor made! In cost-conscious times, take a look at your wardrobe and see if there is anything that you can have re-worked for a totally new look and new outfit!! More as it happens! Jodell
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Spring/Summer Must-Haves!
Ok!! Checking in real quick this week!! So much to do here at BCP!! Thanks to our customers--we have doubled our sales this month!! YAY!! We look forward to bringing you up and coming designers, hot, hot, hot accessories, and flattering plus size contemporary fashions!! Thanks so much for the encouragement and support!! It has been a fun journey!
Ready? Get the pen!
The next installment of spring and summer must-haves!!
#1 on our list and now yours!--A great, basic, white shirt. We KNOW you need one. You know you need one! You have probably worn your other one to death and it is ready for the give-away pile. Crisp, tailored and even sheer for evening. A simple shirt is the answer to your prayers. Well, we found one that fits and is anything but ordinary!! We love our Fenini Asymetrical Shirt pictured above.
You'll also notice what we call a bit of "Flounce" details this spring and summer. Yes, you do too know what we mean!! Ruffles and bows and all things that we thought about when we were young fashionistas in training! A bit of flounce is perfect to add just a hint of femininity. Check out the details in tops and dresses. Sleeves, hemlines, necklines that is where you will see a bit of flounce!
A must have item-- full skirts in wonderful patterns. Flowered, printed in abstracts as shown above, plaids, stripes, they work for work or for a picnic outside! Pair with a basic top and you have QUITE the outfit! Just remember, full on the bottom needs a close-fitting top to strike the right pose--i.e. balance! And as for hemlines, up, down and everything in-between!! Anything goes!!
And for shoes....you may want to check out a pair of wedges especially if you need height, like a pump. Wedges are comfortable just like a flat. They are so right with everything casual from long skirts to short shorts!!
Have a wide foot?? Check out Jodell's favorite store for wide shoes. Leonard's Wide Shoes in Las Vegas!! Wait, you do not have to travel to Vegas. Well, you can if you want. Remember what happens in Vegas... You can order on the web!! Leonard used to live in Rochester and went to the same high school as Jodell!
There's Trivia for you!! Great products and great service at Leonard's!!
P.S. We have more items coming in for Mother's Day!! Wait until you see our Yoga wear and for early summer--more Wraps!!
More as it happens!! Jodell
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Jackets Jackets and More Jackets!!
Want a suggestion for a way to be cost-conscious and right in style without breaking the bank?
Add one item this season to your wardrobe! A topper such as a Jacket or a Vest!
Jackets and vests are wardrobe builders that can go high-style or casual.
Jackets can be in such fabrics as denim, linen, silk or cotton twill. Take a look at our Kaktus cotton twill Picasso and Minstral Jackets! They are a colorful, playful and fun pieces that we could not resist!
Don't want anything too heavy?? Try adding a lighweight laying piece which is perfect for summer. Our Belush cutwork detail jacket is a great option at a Me-WOW Price!
Need to attend a special occasion and want to wear a basic color and fabric underneath a jacket? Try a fabric that is elegant and refined such as silk! Our Rising Phoenix Jacket is a real show stopper and qualifies as wearable art! You will not see this jacket on other attendees!
A few fit tips: Make sure that the jacket is long enough to and large enough in the upper arms to fit. There is nothing worse than to have a too-short jacket as it ruins the whole silhouette.
Also, back in style-the vest!! We went high style with our vest choice this season. Vests can actually be found in the same fabrics as the jacket and a wonderful piece that can top off an outfit.
Happy Shopping!! Jodell
Add one item this season to your wardrobe! A topper such as a Jacket or a Vest!
Jackets and vests are wardrobe builders that can go high-style or casual.
Jackets can be in such fabrics as denim, linen, silk or cotton twill. Take a look at our Kaktus cotton twill Picasso and Minstral Jackets! They are a colorful, playful and fun pieces that we could not resist!
Don't want anything too heavy?? Try adding a lighweight laying piece which is perfect for summer. Our Belush cutwork detail jacket is a great option at a Me-WOW Price!
Need to attend a special occasion and want to wear a basic color and fabric underneath a jacket? Try a fabric that is elegant and refined such as silk! Our Rising Phoenix Jacket is a real show stopper and qualifies as wearable art! You will not see this jacket on other attendees!
A few fit tips: Make sure that the jacket is long enough to and large enough in the upper arms to fit. There is nothing worse than to have a too-short jacket as it ruins the whole silhouette.
Also, back in style-the vest!! We went high style with our vest choice this season. Vests can actually be found in the same fabrics as the jacket and a wonderful piece that can top off an outfit.
Happy Shopping!! Jodell
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Dear Vogue...Can you include the larger sizes in your SHAPE issue?
WOW! I was so excited to see that the latest copy of Vogue featured the SHAPE issue. And then I read it...
Ok, to be fair, I will be positive first. I have written this entry about ten times because every time I re-read it, I came off as sounding haughty and pissed, so I would start again. And I am not a haughty and pissed kind of person as I don't think that accomplishes anything to do with positive change. The tone I am trying for is exasperated and flabbergasted because I don't think this concept is difficult to understand or hard to pull off. So picture me exasperated and flabbergasted here because I need to get this written.
It was so great to see that a fashion "bible" such as Vogue is dedicating an issue to shape and featuring an article entitled, "Dressing For Every Shape From Size 0-16." Great for the 14's and 16's. I am glad to see that those sizes are being included.
Not so great for me because I am an 18! And what about 20, 22, 24 and up? We all wear clothes last I checked?
I was eager to read about dressing for your body type, since at Black Cat Plus we are always on the lookout for silhouette info as we include silhouette info in our plus size contemporary clothing descriptions. And, the 87 Swimsuits to Flatter Every Figure article? Every figure...not so much.
The five different body types mentioned in Vogue? Tall, Pregnant, Thin, Curvy, and Short.
And the rest of us? Some of us do read Vogue?
In Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour's Letter from the Editor she talks about the young models on the runways at the recent New York fall fashion week collections. She said, "Overall, they were pale and thin, and entirely lacking in the joyfulness and charm that once defined the supermodels. This is, of course, not their fault: Designers now near-uniformly favor a non-vivacious, homogenous ideal."
Note to Designers and Vogue: Ever see the plus size models? Not pale and thin. And joyful and charming is an understatment!! They look as though they are glad to be there and are glad to be who they are!
Wintour urged designers to to "consider athleticism and vitality as assets in the wearing of great fashion."
P.S. to Vogue: How about we add, "full figured and vivacious?"
We're here...please see us!
Jodell
Ok, to be fair, I will be positive first. I have written this entry about ten times because every time I re-read it, I came off as sounding haughty and pissed, so I would start again. And I am not a haughty and pissed kind of person as I don't think that accomplishes anything to do with positive change. The tone I am trying for is exasperated and flabbergasted because I don't think this concept is difficult to understand or hard to pull off. So picture me exasperated and flabbergasted here because I need to get this written.
It was so great to see that a fashion "bible" such as Vogue is dedicating an issue to shape and featuring an article entitled, "Dressing For Every Shape From Size 0-16." Great for the 14's and 16's. I am glad to see that those sizes are being included.
Not so great for me because I am an 18! And what about 20, 22, 24 and up? We all wear clothes last I checked?
I was eager to read about dressing for your body type, since at Black Cat Plus we are always on the lookout for silhouette info as we include silhouette info in our plus size contemporary clothing descriptions. And, the 87 Swimsuits to Flatter Every Figure article? Every figure...not so much.
The five different body types mentioned in Vogue? Tall, Pregnant, Thin, Curvy, and Short.
And the rest of us? Some of us do read Vogue?
In Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour's Letter from the Editor she talks about the young models on the runways at the recent New York fall fashion week collections. She said, "Overall, they were pale and thin, and entirely lacking in the joyfulness and charm that once defined the supermodels. This is, of course, not their fault: Designers now near-uniformly favor a non-vivacious, homogenous ideal."
Note to Designers and Vogue: Ever see the plus size models? Not pale and thin. And joyful and charming is an understatment!! They look as though they are glad to be there and are glad to be who they are!
Wintour urged designers to to "consider athleticism and vitality as assets in the wearing of great fashion."
P.S. to Vogue: How about we add, "full figured and vivacious?"
We're here...please see us!
Jodell
Monday, April 7, 2008
The Daytime Dress a Spring Essential
Pressed for time in the morning and want to grab something quick and easy to wear? How about this spring's essential for stylish, contemporary plus size fashions?? Consider semi-tailored, close fitting dresses in either a wrap, belted shirtdress or sheath style are sure to be popular this season and must-have pieces to add to any wardrobe. Note in our blackcatplus descriptions which silhouette is flattering to your shape. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, there are plenty of choices this spring in dresses from prints to solids--bold and muted and everything in between. Why do dresses continue to stay in our boutiques and in our closets??
#1--They are easy to wear!! You do not have to think to coordinate!! Pick a dress and grab a bag and shoes and you are off to work!
#2--They are business-like and give you freedom to work and you can show a glimpse of your personality with details on the dress or adding accessories.
#3--They are longer and have more volume than in past, seasons which can easily be taken from day from work, luncheons, out for dinner, weekend party, and shopping to evening--parties and dinner dates! You can wear a dress over trousers or pair with tights and high heels.
Want a change of pace?? Incorporate two-piece dresses and skirt sets to mix and match your wardrobe.
You are sure to find a dress this season that is vesatile and can be used for work and many other occasions. Want to be on the best dressed list?? Check out our dress category on black cat plus---we are adding more styles each week. Happy Dressing!! Jodell
#1--They are easy to wear!! You do not have to think to coordinate!! Pick a dress and grab a bag and shoes and you are off to work!
#2--They are business-like and give you freedom to work and you can show a glimpse of your personality with details on the dress or adding accessories.
#3--They are longer and have more volume than in past, seasons which can easily be taken from day from work, luncheons, out for dinner, weekend party, and shopping to evening--parties and dinner dates! You can wear a dress over trousers or pair with tights and high heels.
Want a change of pace?? Incorporate two-piece dresses and skirt sets to mix and match your wardrobe.
You are sure to find a dress this season that is vesatile and can be used for work and many other occasions. Want to be on the best dressed list?? Check out our dress category on black cat plus---we are adding more styles each week. Happy Dressing!! Jodell
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