Bella On the Scene: “The Just My Size 30th Birthday Party in NYC”


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I arrived to NYC in the whee hours of the morning yesterday to participate in this year’s Full Figured Fashion Week® (FFFWeek)  festivities. My first event to attend was the Just My Size 30th Birthday Party celebrating the brand. Me and JMS go way back and the company is always so courteous and professional. They started out by sending a private car service to pick me up from my hotel, an Escalade I might add, and when I arrived to the showroom, some of the best goodies were waiting for myself and the other bloggers in attendance.

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Me and Alexanda Boos, of True Model Management rode together to the event.

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(Food & Gift Bag photos courtesy of Estrella Fashion Report)

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The JMS reps shared with us the inspiration behind the latest collection and I was most impressed with their latest invention, the stashable bra ($12.99). Yes, someone finally got our boobies covered after all these years of stuffing money, keys and ID’s in our bras. This bra has a hidden pocket just for those items. 

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There was also a survey recently done by JMS on a few topics that affect us ladies and the results are below:

Just My Size 2014 Passion for Plus Survey

According to a recent survey conducted by JMS/Just My Size, when it comes to confidence, size doesn’t matter. More than 6,200 plus-size women participated in the annual survey.

2014 Just My Size Passion for Plus Survey reveals …

Confidence
– 2/3 of plus-size women say they are confident in themselves

– 72% of respondents said they are more confident in themselves today than 5 years ago

– Almost one third of respondents said they would not change anything about themselves

 

Bras
– 39% of survey respondents stash items in their bras

Jeans
– 31% of survey respondents women said they don’t have a favorite pair yet

Tees
– How do you dress up a basic tee?
o 40% said tees are just right as is
o 24% add a necklace
o 22% pair with jacket

Color
– 44% of respondents said they wear their favorite color 2-5 days a week

Hosiery
– 32% of respondents said wearing hosiery adds a finishing touch to their outfit

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But another highlight about attending these event is catching up with all my blogger buddies. Check out who was also in attendance to the JMS Birthday party.

Group Shot 2 at JMS Blogger Breakfast

 

(Above) Pic via JMS

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(Above) Me w/ FFFWeek creator, Gwen DeVoe, and her assistant Nikki

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(Above) Myself w/ Cassy and Steph of Daily Venus Diva and Chasity of Garner Style, pic via Estrella Fashion Report

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(Above) Again w/ Chasity and also Alissa of Stylish Curves

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(Above) pic via Estrella Fashion Report

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(Below) Official JMS Press Release:

 

Nearly Two-Thirds of Plus-Size Women Confident in Themselves,

According to Just My Size National Survey

 

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (JUNE 19, 2014) – According to a recent survey conducted by plus-size apparel brand JMS/Just My Size, when it comes to confidence, size doesn’t matter. Of the more than 6,200 plus-size women who participated in the annual survey, more than 64 percent said they were “confident” or “very confident” in themselves.

 

The results of the national survey of plus-size women on confidence and style were released today in New York City during Full Figured Fashion Week®, where the brand also celebrated its 30th birthday.

 

“The Just My Size brand has been celebrating the curves and confidence of plus-size women for 30 years, so it is only fitting to release the results of this year’s survey as we mark this birthday milestone,” said Karen Fitzgerald, general manager of Just My Size Activewear. “We are thrilled to see so many women talking about the role that confidence plays in their lives.”

 

Almost three-quarters of respondents said that they were more confident today than five years ago, representing a 10 point increase from 2013. One respondent pointed to the growing number of plus-size women serving as positive role models. “I see more women who are independent and spreading the [word] that we are who we are. No apologies. That thinking has rubbed off on me.”

 

Confidence seems to breed confidence. Another respondent noted, “In a society where being bigger is often frowned upon, a woman who can flaunt her curves with her head held high is a confident woman.”

 

When asked to evaluate their level of confidence in different aspects of their lives, respondents highlighted strong confidence at work. More than 87 percent of respondents said they were “confident” or “very confident” in their work. “I have worked to push myself into doing things outside my comfort zone, which has made me more confident,” said one respondent.  

 

Although personal confidence for plus-size women is increasing, only 11 percent of respondents said that plus-size women are more confident than women who are not plus-size. Some respondents pointed to a gradual shift in attitudes toward plus-size women: “We are in a size acceptance movement, teaching ourselves and others to love the skin you’re in.”

 

 

While almost two-thirds of respondents said they were “confident” or “very confident” in themselves, only 48 percent said they were “confident” or “very confident” in their personal style. Additionally, only 40 percent of respondents said they dressed to flatter their shape.

 

“Style confidence starts with knowing what core pieces work best for your body type, and JMS is focused on making great-fitting, flattering essentials designed specifically for the plus-size woman,” said Fitzgerald. “We want women to feel great inside and out.   We’re passionate about plus-size – and about confidence.”

 

JMS is known for key style essentials at a value, providing the building blocks for her wardrobe from season to season, trend to trend. Introduced in 1984, the JMS/Just My Size brand began as a hosiery collection, and expanded to include intimate apparel, jeans, casual basics and activewear.

 

The JMSsurvey respondents reflect the brand’s passionate plus-size community. More than            96 percent of survey respondents were size 16 or larger; and the average size of respondents was 22. The JMS brand has more than 820,000 fans on Facebook, and many of the brand’s most active posts surround style and fit tips.

 

About JMS/Just My Size

JMS/Just My Size, a leading women’s plus-size apparel brand, offers bras, panties, hosiery, casual essentials, jeans and activewear. JMS intimate apparel and hosiery are available at leading retailers nationwide; JMS apparel is available at Walmart stores nationwide. JMS/Just My Sizestylesalso are available online at www.justmysize.com.

 

The JMS brand, owned by Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE: HBI), is a leading marketer of innerwear, activewear and hosiery apparel under strong consumer brands. According to The NPD Group, a global information company, Hanesbrands Inc.is America’s leading manufacturer of plus-size apparel (Consumer Tracking Service, units, year ending March 2014).