But, today I bring you the item of the week. The item(s) of the week are the belt line "Beloved Endeavor " by 34 year old, professionally trained designer, Deena of the blog Fat Girls Like Nice Girls Too.
The belt is a quintessential piece to any wardrobe. Belts can make even the most baggy dresses and tops look fitted and attractive. So, if a belt is a must have why not stand out with yours? As plus size women I think it's important to not only look as good as "straight" size girls do with the resources they have but, to stand out as well. With custom made clothing from places like etsy becoming more and more popular for plus size women it is starting to get a little easier for plus size women to not only find attractive clothing that fits them but, to stand out as well. That is something you can certainly achieve with these belts.
I have pictured 3 of the 5 belts currently for sale above. These belts feature lots of ribbon and pleating and can be custom fitted to any size. All belts are made with real leather bans and some even feature Swarovski Crystals. The belts range from £35.00 - £57.00. You can purchase your self a belt here.
To give more insight about Deena and her belts I have included a short interview when you click read more
Tiffany - Do you have a name for your belt line? If so can you explain the decision behind the name?
Deena - The name of the belt line is "Beloved Endeavour". The name was chosen as making belts is a true labour of love. Its something that I love doing but its also hard work so this name was perfect.
Tiffany - Your blog, Fat Girls Like Nice Clothes Too, is pretty successful so why did you decide to begin making belts? Which came first the blog or the belts?
Deena - I initially started making belts around a year before the blog was born but I stopped after a while for various reasons. I started the blog because plus sized fashion is something I am passionate about but I missed the belt making too so I recently decided to dust off the sewing machine and relight that fire!
Tiffany - On the whole how well have your belts been received? Do you get orders in “straight” and “plus” sizes?
Deena - The belt designs have been very well received but it has been more popular among plus sizes than straight sizes. I think this is probably due to the blog and my online visibility in the fatosphere.
Tiffany - Often times people see clothing and accessory lines and don’t realize the amount of work involved in the production of those items. So for consumers and aspiring fashion designers can you please explain the amount of work it takes to create your belts?
Deena - In brief its this.....I start off scouring magazines, shops and looking at what people in the street are wearing to gather ideas. I also spend a lot of time in charity shops, secondhand stores, fabric stores and haberdashery stores gathering more ideas and materials and basically just absorbing as many different influences and ideas as possible. I also take a lot of photos of things I see in the street from statues and sculptpures to flowers and random objects that people leave in the street.Inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places.
I then sit down and sketch out ideas bearing in mind what trimmings I may need to complete the idea. If there is something I want to use but don't have it can I get it? Where can I get it? Is it too costly? Will people like it? Once I have a sketched idea I start experimenting with materials using either my dress form or working flat on the table. It might take a couple of attempts to get something just right but once I'm happy with it I work on pricing and photograph the item ready for sale. I tend to work on individual ideas rather than a collection as such but I do ensure that all the designs sit well together. My working process will be different to that of other accessory designers but its what works for me. Designing clothing is a whole different ball game with around fifty additional steps!
Tiffany - Lately with places like etsy gaining popularity it seems custom made clothes for plus size women are becoming a new trend. Most of your belts can be fitted to any size Why did you decide to make your belts customizable instead of having ready made belts in standard sizes like most stores?
Deena - The main reason is to ensure a perfect fit. As I make them all myself I am able to provide a custom fit service- rather than expecting the customer to fit the belt, I cut the belt to fit the customer. This may change though depending on feedback as having ready made belts will make delivery quicker. Also, I have a few limited run belts and as I don't know what size any potential customer will be, I have made sure that they can be adjusted to fit a wide range of waist sizes.
Tiffany - Too some people your belts can be considered expensive. Is there a reason for the cost of your belts? Does being a independent designer play a role in the cost of your belts?
Deena - Pricing is always a moot point when it comes to indie designers because the prices are always higher than you will find at mainstream retailers. Personally speaking I don't have extortionate mark ups and I always keep prices as low as possible but at the same time I need to cover my costs and include a sensible margin too. Indie designers unfortunately cannot compete with high street retailers on pricing as major retailer wield much more buying power than the majority of us could ever hope for and can their profits are driven by volume sales. What indie designers excel at is offering a carefully crafted product that is often custom made to your requirements and thats one thing you just can't get on the high street.
Tiffany - Your belts feature lots of ribbon and pelting. Can you explain the inspiration behind the belts you currently have on sale?
Deena - I am a total magpie. I am attracted to shiny objects, ribbons, trimmings and all manner of bits and pieces and have boxes of such things that I have been collecting for years. My trimmings box is often my first port of call for new ideas so naturally my belts heavilly feature ribbons, metal trimmings and diamante. I often just sit at a table surrounded by all these acroutements, experimenting with different ideas and seeing what happens.
Tiffany - Many designers are already featuring their spring/summer lines in the form of look books. Will you be featuring a spring/summer line of belts? If so can you give us some insight into your inspiration from your new line and what we can expect from it?
Deena - I don't strictly design for a specific season as my belts are intended for wear all year round. I will however be introducing some other colours into belt designs apart from just black and a couple of new styles are on the way.
Tiffany - Have you ever attempted to sale any of your belts to any stores? If so have there been any challenges regarding the fact that you make plus size belts as well?
Deena - I haven't yet approached any bricks and mortar stores so all my sales have been online. I do plan to branch out soon though. I anticipate that it may prove to be a bit of a challenge as not all straight size retailers will want to associate themselves either directly or indirectly with plus sizes but I hope to melt them with my charm :-)
Tiffany - Do you have any plans to expand your belt line into a full accessory or clothing line?
Deena - I have every intention of expanding into clothing but not for a looooong while- so don't hold your breath! I will be focussing on belts for the forseeable future until the belt business is firmly established in the marketplace.
Tiffany - Thank you very much for answering theres questions. I look forward to reading your answers and featuring you on my blog.
Deena - Its been a pleasure! You've asked some great questions!
1 comments:
I didn't know she made belts too. You learn something new everyday.
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