Designer fashion wishlist – Avenue 32

One of my biggest bugbears when shopping online is stores that have so much choice I fear placing an order in case I miss something brilliant in the process. A girl doesn’t have the three hours needed to look through everything on some of the big online retailers. Choice is excellent if you’re looking for something specific, but sometimes I crave an edit. That’s where sites like Avenue 32 come in. They take the stress out of the online hunt by doing the hard work for you, bringing shoppers cleverly chosen selections from a crop of must-have designers, rather than stocking everything under the sun just in case. With some of my favourite designers like Temperley, Phillip Lim and Giles in stock, this is pure designer fashion heaven. And even if you can’t afford to drop £1k on a dress, you can dream…here’s my current wishlist in action!

The Panache Bra Fit Challenge: Reviewed

Panache, maker of two of my favourite bras in the world (the Tango Luxe and the Zara) has recently added a new section to its website – the Bra Fit Challenge. It’s a simple online tool that asks you a few questions about your current bra and then gives advice on whether you need to rethink your choice. I was asked by Best British Bloggers to test out the tool (with some handy Strictly Come Dancing-esque scoring paddles) to see if it really will help women find the perfect fit…

Make your plus size dress hunt a bit easier

One of the biggest problems women face when hunting down the perfect dress if they don’t fit the average high street sizing chart, is the time it takes to find what you’re looking for. More and more stores are limiting their in-store sizing, so online is often the place to go. But often you’re either forced to scroll through loads of inappropriate styles due to bad navigation or site organisation, or you keep coming across things that aren’t available in your size as you hunt down the few that will work for you.

So I was interested to discover the range of Plus Size Dresses at www.plussize-dresses.com. Essentially, this site aggregates the best dress styles from various stores, to make your search that little bit easier if you’re size 12+.

Tried & Tested: Panty By Post

If you’re a longterm reader you’ll know I write loads about underwear. I think all good outfits begin with the right foundations, so I love browsing the web for innovations in lingerie. Panty By Post is my latest discovery, a Canadian company which sends out monthly lingerie treats to subscribers across the world.

This is definitely not the first company to offer monthly pants by post. A few years ago I won a competition to get a year’s worth of Coco Ribbon pants by post. But they were rather dull one-colour thongs. Where Panty By Post excels is in the styles that are available and the quality of the knickers themselves. The company imports French lingerie, so it’s incredibly well-made and there are lots of style options, from frilly thongs to hipsters and classic briefs and boxer-esque French knickers. Some items are even photographed alongside suspender belts. I’m not sure if you get the whole set as part of your subscription, but if you do I think that’s pretty fab!

Save 25% at Style369.com

Style369, Arcadia’s younger and more stylish plus size store is currently offering 25% off their new Spring 2011 stock. This includes dresses from Max C, tunics from Lovedrobe and all manner of basics, trends and footwear. To help you spend your money wisely, I’ve picked some of my favourite pieces from the New In section. Just click the links below to shop – you don’t need a special code, the discount should be applied automatically at the checkout. Only some items on the site are included in the promotion so double-check before you put in those credit card details…

Links à la Mode: All kinds of everything

All Kinds of Everything

Shop by body shape at Joy of Clothes

In general, brands and shops tend to organise clothes based on occasion or style (unless we’re talking H&M, in which case there’s more of an irritating jumble sale approach) but I’m sure many of us would appreciate more attention to what suits certain shapes. Imagine walking into a shop and having a whole section devoted to pear-shapes, hourglass figures or apple shapes, alongside the tall and petite section.

Then rub your hands together with glee when you discover that it now exists – online at least! Some friends of Big Girls Browse have created the perfect solution for shopping by shape…