SWAKdesigns.com Blog

SWAKdesigns.com offers free shipping and new lower prices!

2007-04-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

We've gotten Spring fever! SWAKdesigns.com is proud to announce free standard shipping on all U.S. orders! Whether you live in Los Angeles, Manhattan, Columbus, Nashville or any other city in America, you now receive free standard shipping on any of our fantastic designs. To further reward our customers, we have decided to lower prices store wide! Now you can get the same great quality items for a new lower price. There's no telling how long these promotions will last, so shop SWAKdesigns.com today and live it up for Spring!

SKORCH Magazine Makeovers

2007-04-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

On March 12th, our friends Jessica Reese and Carrie Woomer at SKORCH Magazine were invited on the AM Northwest Morning show to makeover four beautiful plus size women. Based in Vancouver, WA, SKORCH Magazine is an online fashion magazine for women size 12 and up. The magazine is published monthly and includes articles, reviews, special coupons, and empowering interviews with industry leaders. In the interview, Jessica and Carrie try to dispel the misconception that plus size women can't find good clothes to wear. This is a great example of how to go from everyday vanilla style to something fun to wear that makes you look and feel like a whole new woman. For more information on SKORCH Magazine, visit http://www.skorchmagazine.com. SKORCH recommends great places to shop as well - check out page 22 of their current April issue that features SWAKdesigns!

How To Dress For Your Plus Size Body Type

2007-03-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Understanding your body type is the most helpful way to improve the fit and appearance of your wardrobe. Just like your favorite pair of shoes, your clothes should fit you well, look stunning and make you feel the way you deserve. Some cuts might look great on the hangar but if they just don't do it for your body type, they might as well be drawer liners. The ideal piece of clothing should look great, create an overall silhouette and the fit should be as naturally flattering to your figure as possible. For all intents and purposes, there are four basic body shapes used to talk about fashion. We all know our measurements change over a lifetime, but our basic shape is a product of bone structure that remains constant. Let's get to it!

The Pear Shaped Figure This is the most common female body type. You can call yourself a pear if your upper body is noticeably smaller than your lower body. If you were to gain five pounds, four of them would go to your hips and thighs. You may have a long or slender neck, sloping or narrow shoulders, narrow back, small to medium bust, defined waist or full calves. You definitely have very curvy hips, thighs and seat. Emphasize your face, neck, bust, waist and arms. What the pear shaped woman should aim to do is bring the eye up and broaden the shoulder line. This can be done with wide neck colorful tops. You want to maintain focus above the waist. Use flowing comfortable bottoms to elongate your lower half. More of a skirt gal? Straight skirts are your friend. Your upper body is your best asset, so wear semi-fitted and tailored tops. Necklines like cowl necks and square necklines will help broaden your shoulders. Here is a great article about the best plus size jeans for those with pear shaped curves.
The Apple Shaped Figure This body type is somewhat unique to the full-figured group. You can call yourself an apple if your upper body is noticeably larger than your lower body and if you were to gain five pounds, four would go to your waistline. You may have a full face and neck, broad shoulders, medium to full bust, a full and slightly undefined waist, narrow hips, flattish seat and slim legs. Most of your weight is carried forward in your midsection. Emphasize your legs, hips and arms. Go for skimming straight tops that elongate your upper body and draw focus toward your legs with an interesting hemline. Avoid tops that are fitted, as they will only accentuate your larger middle, and keep collars or lapels narrow so that they do not draw any extra attention to your fuller bust. When choosing a skirt stay with something that is more fitted like a classy pencil skirt as it will accentuate your legs. Flattering jeans can be hard to find for this body type as well. Here is an article from our friends at about.com to help you find the perfect pair.
The Hourglass Shaped Figure Many consider this the "ideal" body type (we like to stick with Christina Aguilera... everyone is beautiful!). You can claim this body type if you are very curvy with a well defined waist. If you were to gain five pounds, they would distribute evenly around your curves. You may have symmetrical shoulders and hips, full and shapely bust, distinctly defined waist, medium to broad hips in proportion with your shoulders and shapely legs. You definitely have curves in all the traditionally feminine places. Emphasize your shoulders, bust, waist and hips. The idea is to elongate the overall line and accentuate your waist. Because it is defined, drawing attention to your waist by wearing pants with a contoured waistband, belts, or wrap tops that sit just at your waist is a great way to accentuate your assets. Look for light draping fabrics to suggest and yet soften your curves. Stick with clothing that is semi-fitted as opposed to too fitted or tight. Stay away from oversized or baggy styles since they will overpower your bone structure.
The Rectangle Figure Your body type is rectangular if your shape is even up and down without a lot of curves. If you were to gain five pounds, they would distribute evenly across your frame. You may have a full neck, broad back, average bust or undefined waist. Your figure will be very balanced and symmetrical top to bottom and your upper and lower bodies will be similar in width. Emphasize your arms, hips and legs. The idea is to create the illusion of a curvier frame. Use v-neck and u-neck lines to create a feminine anchor. Long lines in straight shapes for tops will elongate your upper body and minimize a wide ribcage or waist. Draw focus to your great legs and thighs with a good pair of jeans or gaucho pants. When looking for a jacket try something longer as it will help lengthen your upper torso. Try straight tailored skirts, or skirts with a dropped waist; both will slenderize. Avoid belts, and gathered or pleated fabric at the waist, as they will accentuate your thicker waist.

Susannah Constantine and Trinny Woodall have written two great books on the subject of body type and how to show off what you've got while avoiding common pitfalls of being a plus size. You can get both at a bargain at Amazon.com. Here are some links!

What You Wear Can Change Your Life Featured on Oprah Books What Not To Wear

Remember, this is just a guide as everyone is unique. Use this as a reference but find what works best for you and defy convention! Until next time, Happy shopping! Christina

Top 5 Plus Size Fashion Trends For Spring

2007-03-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

Spring is upon us and you know what that means: new styles! Here are the top five plus size trends hitting the runways and stores near you.

Dresses Dresses are the key item for Spring 2007 and beyond. You can expect to see dresses everywhere going forward so for the spending conscious among us this is a great place to invest in your wardrobe. Dresses are classic and this season's styles have the staying power to remain cutting edge for a good time to come. But let's go one step further. What sort of dresses are 'it' this Spring?

Wrap Dresses Diane Von Furstenberg started this style in the 70's and it's back with some new modern takes on a classic design. This style of dress is very flattering on almost any body type so look to these tried and true favorites this season.
Lucy Dress - $38.00
Trapeze Dresses These might as well be gold for the pear shaped among us. Because of the generous cut towards the bottom of these dresses, most of us can pull off smaller sizes than we would normally wear and flatter every part of ourselves instead of compromising one area for another. Stylish and comfortable? The line forms to the right.
Monte Carlo Dress - $42.00
Print Dresses Big bold prints are hot this Spring. Show your love for the flower that you are with refreshing floral prints. Choose Pucci patterns, geometric shapes, or go wild with some animal print - they're all winners. When wearing a strong print, be sure to remember the cardinal rule: wear one great print and keep everything else rather neutral.
Brandi Dress - $42.00
Handkerchief Hemlines This flirty style is perfect for keeping them guessing. For those unfamiliar, a 'hankie' hem falls in graceful points at the bottom resembling a scarf. This style works very well on almost any figure and is sure to intrigue. Remember keep your pastels and florals handy!
Erika Dress - $38.00

Pastels Spring is a time for renewal and this season pastels are reborn. These feminine hues are soft on the eye and inspire thoughts of new beginnings. Grow your wardrobe today and you won't be able to help feeling just a bit more cheery every time you go to put one on.

Janie Top - $28.00
Black and White If pastels aren't your thing, you're still in luck. Black and white are a winning combination in the coming months. This timeless pair is sure to fit in anyone's top choice and is so versatile you'll be able to wear the same item to the office, out to dinner or even to a wedding. Diagonal stripes are feminine and classic, not to mention slimming!
Madison Top - $32.00
Accessorize Belts, pashminas, necklaces, bangles! So many choices - and all of them are right. Experiment! These accouterments are inexpensive enough that you can try out any style you might have been holding back on. Shy about the 80's look? Try it out with a few bangles. Feel your inner flower child just aching to be set free? A brightly colored chunky necklace may be the key. For as little as $8-$15 you can find a whole new genre that might just be what you've been looking for. This Spring get adventurous and become reborn with some new flair.
Fleur De Lis Necklace - $8.25
Metallics and Lace Why limit yourself to solid colors and the same old standard fabrics? A bit of sheen from a subtle metallic accent or a touch of lace can transform something your mom would have worn into a chic head-turner.
Rockstar Top - $38.00

So now that you're armed with the latest 411 on the top fashion picks for this coming Spring, go out there and own your curves! Stay tuned for our next article and happy shopping... Rhonda

Welcome!

2007-03-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting the grand opening of the Sealed With A Kiss weblog! Our goal here is to provide you with the latest and best information about the world of plus size fashion. This is your personal link to what's new and hot for the coming season and how to wear it. We will discuss plus size fashion do's and don'ts, industry trends and how to get the most style for your dollar. Some information about your author might be in order. My name is Christina and I am one of the women behind SWAKdesigns.com. We started SWAKdesigns because we saw a problem. Full figured women just aren't given the same selection and shouldn't have to sacrifice time, style and hard earned money to get what they want. We try to make everything at SWAKdesigns convenient, affordable and fashionable. One stop shopping! From dresses to accessories, when you shop with us we hope you are getting an item that will look and feel great and service you just can't beat. Have some suggestions about how we could improve or maybe some topics you'd like to see discussed? Send me an email! My address is christina@swakdesigns.com and I would love to hear from you. Another woman behind SWAKdesigns, Rhonda, will be posting her thoughts here as well. We hope you enjoy! As a special thanks to YOU our reader and new friend, we are offering a special blog-exclusive promotion. Take a look at our site, SWAKdesigns.com. If you see something you like, add it to your cart and when it's time to check out enter coupon code BLOG15 to receive 15% off your entire order. Remember, this promotion is available only to you our new readers from your friends at SWAKdesigns.com. Until next time, Happy shopping! Christina