I need to know more about this dress! All of Fashion Bug's bridal gowns are $109.99, with a single white suit about $50 more. Will the quality work for the price, even on a special day? I'm definitely going to try to find out.

Photo (c) Fashion Bug

I had a chance to hear back from Rebecca Zazove, the Marketing Manager of Barefoot Tess, and she addressed some of my concerns about their wide width selection. It turns out that many of their "average" shoes actually accommodate a wider foot quite well, and all you have to do is contact them for assistance. I definitely feel better about what they have to offer.

From Rebecca herself:

"I do want to mention that while there are only a few styles listed under our "wide" category (those are the shoes that are manufactured as wide, complete with the "W" stamp on the size), we have a tremendous selection of shoes that run wide or can fit a wide foot. As of yet, we have not included these in the "wide" shop by size category as women with wide sized feet have voiced concern over shoes being identified as "wide" without the "W" stamp on the shoe."

I also got a glowing email from one person who shopped at Barefoot Tess with wide feet, so I will be incorporating that in an upcoming review, too. Have you bought anything from Barefoot Tess before?

I could complain about the whole "Fat-shionistas" thing (can't we be regular fashionistas?!), but this article at The Daily Beast is far more positive than anything I've seen in a while, so I'm going to give it a pass. In it, Rhiannon Gammill from Manolo for the Big Girl provided the best quotes of the day, including this one which deserves to be embroidered on a pillow:

“I want the woman who can say ‘This is who I am, you don't have to like me and you don't have approve of me, but I've been to this pony show before and this time I'm getting what I want. I've got one voice, two chins, and more style than should be allowed by law and I'm not apologizing for any of it’ and then, I don't know, puts her cigarette out on her arm.”

Hear, hear!

I love these sandals, but while I was over at Barefoot Tess shopping away, I realized something upsetting. While many a shoe blogger (and myself) have championed their size selection (up to 15, depending on the style!), their wide shoe offerings are dismal.

Sometimes I'm willing to compromise, because not all of us have wide feet, and not all of us have big feet, either. However, Barefoot Tess is a great go-to company for the woman with larger feet, and their wide foot, larger size selection is abysmal. When I went on there today, they have 9 pairs of shoes that match the 10W search feature: one pair of moccasins, a few sad pairs of rounded-toe heels, a pair of winter boots. . . you get the picture.

I want to love Barefoot Tess, but they're making it really difficult right now. Sure, I can by those gorgeous Corso Comos up to size 13, but my wide-footed sisters are left high-and-dry at a 10W. Are you surprised at this discovery? We've talked about Barefoot Tess before, but I was sure they would turn it around for summer. Where do you shop for wide shoes?

Photo (c) Barefoot Tess

This cover-up item actually happens to be a dress, but for those of us planning on going to the beach soon, it can easily take the place of a big t-shirt cover-up. This item is bright and cheerful, so it looks playful and beach-appropriate, and you can wear a drawstring waist skirt, yoga pants, or shorts with it when you head out on the boardwalk.

If you secretly love the often-dreaded t-shirt cover-up, this one is an A+ compromise. It's not shapeless, it's not boring, and it's not sloppy. Yesss! Here it is, up to 3X, for $49.

Photo (c) Always for Me

I was recently hanging out on another plus-size site today, and I had a negative experience that I hope we'll always avoid here. I've been dying to know this little tidbit of extra info about one of the posts on the website in question, but my response went unanswered.

I tried once more to get the writer's attention, just because (out of professional curiosity!) I really wanted to know. Instead of a nice reply of "I'll get back to you later! Sorry," the blogger in question simply said that she was too busy to answer my question, but in a negative way that won't get me checking back soon. It was disheartening, because aren't we all in this together? If someone was dying to know something about one of my posts, I'd be glad to help them out. . . I suppose this is nothing that a sale or two won't fix! Sometimes you just think that people like blabbing about plus-size fashion as much as you do, I guess!

That's what I love over here: we never have a negative comment, and our reviews are always fair. We're super supportive of each other's tastes--and never snobby. Let's keep this going! Thanks for making this a great experience.

Contribute to the community today.

After asking you what you thought about expensive plus-size pieces, I read an interesting post over at Manolo for the Big Girl. One of their Editors, Plumcake, is fabulously dressed and has twenty-two items of clothing in her closet (excluding gowns and intimates, she says). She's also one of the best-dressed people that most of her friends know, she said, so I suggest we take a look at what she has to say (even if we love cheaper clothes) and try to pick up a few investment pieces during one of those amazing sales at Melissa Masse or La Grande Dame.

Page through the Manolo for the Big Girl debate on what you're willing to spend. It's super interesting!

Photo (c) Igigi

I got an email today describing La Grande Dame's green efforts, and I thought you might want to know about it. They participate in a project called "Round Up" which offsets some of the carbon emitted during the shipping process. All you need to do is click on the "Round Up" button on La Grande Dame when making an order to round your purchase to the nearest dollar. The change gets used to purchase carbon credits, and it's a win-win situation!

Head on over and help the earth!

Photo (c) La Grande Dame

Don't forget that you don't need to wear a baggy tee cover-up this summer: I've come up with a list of the best ways to pep up your warm-weather gear when you're hanging poolside.

My favorite summer cover-up is definitely the shirtdress, because it's easy to slip on and off with the full-front button placket, and it's really easy to add shape with the almost always included waist tie and/or belt.

Heading to the beach? Read this list of cover-ups now!

Do you feel like your wardrobe is falling flat? Here's how to pep things up in your closet, and breathe life into a tired ensemble or two. Try layering, not layering, adding accessories, and switching up colors, for starters!

Check out plus fashion tips here.