This post is really for our European and United Kingdom readers, as Anna Scholz is primarily only available to them and to those of us who were smart enough to convert our dollars to mostly sterling back in 2000. The designs at Scholz are priced as the sort of things young plus starlets might wear - and among them are a range of absolute plussie fashion dos, and one or two examples of fatshion “please don’ts.”

My view of Anna Scholz designs is for the most part pretty positive: prints are cut and arranged to flatter a curvier figure, and the luxurious looks are well worth the cost. So I’m going to get the please don’t out of the way and move on to the more positive feedback I have to give.

My please don’t would be anything with this general appearance:

For some reason, designers are really pushing these tie-neck, ruffled front looks, and are pushing them for plussies. Since only Kathy Kinney can pull off the Mimi Bobeck with any style, let’s just leave it to her. Resting any sort of embellishment on a larger bustline just emphasises how huge the person is, rather than that person’s features; it also detracts by making them look kind of sloppy. On a thinner woman it might look fun or funky, but for larger women, this is a trend to be bucked harshly.

On the other hand, the trend towards what we in the US call ballet-neck tops I think is a great one.

This sweater (jumper, in Euro-speak) is one of those flattering lines that go well when transitioning from work wear to casual wear. There’s just something about the design that imparts an impression of grace to the wearer, and while no design is universally flattering to body type, this goes pretty far in working for multiple plus body shapes.

While I know that other plussies in the fatosphere are sick of the overuse of jersey in plus designs, I see it as a gateway fabric. Clothing designers feel safe with jersey knit, and it makes them feel more confident using it to dress with larger people. Given time, they’ll move on to other fabrics: organic cottons and fine-woven hemp, tencels, silks…even cashmeres! So even though I’d probably like the dress better in another fabric, I like the cut and design. I’m not sure I personally am brave enough to wear it, but it’s got some great potential.

For those of us in the US, Anna Scholz directs us to find her lovely goods at Neiman Marcus. I think that tells us everything we need to know, and I’m contemplating converting all my income to sterling or the euro now.