Ok ladies, this is one of those deals I stumbled across that I just couldn’t pass up letting you know about. The deal is that if you buy one item at regular price, you get the next item (equal or lesser value) for only $10! The deal is only taking place through tomorrow night (Sunday, Feb 21, 2010), so get on the ball. :)

Get shopping!

Here are some of my favorites:

Deep V-Neck Sweater – $24.99 (on sale!)

I Love You Ruffle Cami – $12.99

Just yesterday, Lane Bryant, Catherines and Fashion Bug went through a major site redesign that combined all three sites into one. It’s pretty cool, they’ve made it easy for you to mix and match your styles and make one purchase across the brands. They also include Cacique as  a separate brand.

This also means that you end up only paying one shipping cost, which the site says will be flat rate of $7 for ground shipping, no matter the size or amount purchased (sweeeet!). Each of the stores are having some pretty awesome deals right now to kick off the new site.

Out of the three, I’ve always tended to be more interested in Lane Bryant than the other two, but I thought this would give me a good chance to check out the sites and find some items I love from each of them. I put together this cute outfit I’d totally wear! In fact, I already have those jeans from Lane Bryant. They are tried and true. :)

Click the Image For More Info on the Product

The ballet zippers are literally calling my name! How about you? What do you think of the sites being combined? I have to admit I will probably still mostly buy from Lane Bryant, but I love the fact that I now have more choices!

"España" One Shoulder Ruffle Swimsuit w/Detachable Strap - $118.00

With all the snow we’ve been getting this winter, it’s hard to imagine that swimsuit time is just around the corner! The other day I saw this awesome video on Youtube from Monif herself talking about the Spring 2010 collection of Plus size swimsuits. I absolutely love the idea of connecting with your audience in this way! Using free resources such as Youtube to show off your line of clothes on real women, is a great way to go. Hat’s off to Monif C. for getting social with us.

The funny thing is, I had already seen this lovely swimsuit on the site and was starting to drool. I absolutely love the one shoulder ruffle and the latin flare!

Below is the video where she shows off several of the seriously trendy swimsuits.

What do you think? I giggled a bit when she says you won’t be swimming in the Olympics in any of these, and really love that they’re actual swimsuits! It’s not as if I spend a ton of time in a swimsuit, but when I do, I want to look good! Thanks Monif C. for having such amazing clothing and for reaching out to us in this way. Social Media rules!

Yesterday I mentioned on Twitter that I had added a few stores to my List of Plus Size Stores online and wanted to know if anyone had a favorite to add. Right away, @redressnyc replied and said I should add their store Re/Dress NYC. I headed on over to the site and started looking around. Unfortunately I didn’t see where I could buy online (which is a main factor for my list), but they quickly let me know that they’d soon be selling on Etsy. Since they weren’t really set up online yet, I went about my business and starred their tweet so I’d come back to it later.

Since the store is in NYC, and I probably won’t get a chance to check it out until I’m there for a conference in October, I really didn’t spend too much time looking at the site. It seems like an awesome place for plus size women who want great fashion to shop though! Anyway… this evening I was searching Google News for stories about plus size fashion and the same store showed up again! This time it was an article from NYdailynews.com covering the model search that Re/Dress NYC is holding right now. This made me take a double look. So I went back to the site and dug a little deeper.

As they mention in both the article and their own website, the model search is for women who are size 18+. Yes! That’s right, 18+! How exciting is that? We can barely find stylish clothes in those sizes, let alone have a chance to be the spokes model for a company. This seems like a really awesome opportunity for both Re/Dress NYC and the lucky winner. I may even enter it myself!

How to enter:

1. Email 2 or 3 jpg images to modelsearch@redressnyc.com
2. Write a 250 word essay about what you love about your body and/or advice for women who need a self esteem boost and email that with your photos to modelsearch@redressnyc.com
3. Send $10 payment via paypal to paypal@redressnyc.com
4. Read the fine print!

I wanted to give Re/Dress a shout out for also being on the ball when it comes to Twitter. It’s important to be a part of the community, and Twitter is a great way to achieve this. Thanks Re/Dress NYC for conducting this model search for women who don’t often get opportunities like this, and for having a great little store (which I can’t wait to check out next time I’m in the ‘hood).

The Ultimate Guide

On my quest to find the best online plus size retail stores, I’ve found some amazing shops (and some not-so-great). Following is a list of all the stores I’ve found that I think meet the grade for CurveApparel.com. All of these plus size stores do a great job of keeping us curvy women looking great!

AlwaysForMe.com Great for plus size swimsuits and lingerie. annascholz Amazing designs in the U.K. Avenue.com BarefootTess.com Large-sized Women’s shoes! b&lu Belle Avenue Chique Plus CJBanks.com eDressMe These plus size dresses are pretty pricey but so so so fabulous! These are designs you’re not going to find anywhere else. evans

IGIGI Just For Curves Kiyonna.com Old Navy Lane Bryant Maximum Woman Monif C. Plus Sizes PlusSizeFix.com Silhouettes Shop translated They have some seriously gorgeous dresses! Sealed with a Kiss Designs Torrid.com Zaftique.com Check out the great plus size leggings!

What is your favorite online store for curvy women? Please let me know if you have any comments about the stores listed above or would like to have one added to the list.