It’s the age old question, how can I tell my partner what I want in bed and avoid an uncomfortable conversation? The answer: you can’t. Just talk about it! Talking about sex can be an awkward experience, even in long-term relationships. You’re allowing yourself to be vulnerable; opening up and revealing your deepest desires. Especially if your tastes align with the kinkier side of things, this could be a very nerve-wracking discussion. So if it’s going to be that uncomfortable, why put yourself through it? Let me break it down for you: The More You Talk About It, The Easier It Gets ..read more

It’s Halloween, you and your work mates have been dressed as Game of Thrones characters all day (great job with your Daenerys costume, you looked fab). It’s rapidly approaching 5 p.m. and you’re at a loss for what to wear tonight on your hot Halloween date. Don’t stress, we’ve got your back! Using your own lingerie, these sexy costume ideas prove you don’t need to break the bank to create the Halloween costume of your (and your partner’s) dreams. Sexy Homemaker Indulge a 1950’s housewife fantasy by wearing an apron over your favourite vintage-inspired bra & panty set. Or, if ..read more

Lindy West’s collection of essays “Shrill: Notes From A Loud Woman” was a culture shock that gave voice to the frustrations and inner thoughts of millions of American women. Now Shrill is coming to Hulu as a limited run six episode series that explores some of the themes that West explores in her book like fat acceptance, body positivity, and female empowerment. The series Shrill follows a plus size female writer who is inspired by West herself as she grapples with trying to be heard at work and trying to get better opportunities while dealing with the complexities of navigating relati ..read more

It was a blessing and a pleasure to work with Elly Mayday over the years. Everyone at Hips & Curves is deeply saddened by her loss. Elly’s light and beauty came through not only in her photos, but behind the scenes as well. Elly was open about her journey with ovarian cancer, and we were fortunate to have been given an insight into her life, to share her struggles, her optimism, her authenticity when it got tough, and her drive to inspire others. She made an impact in the world. Along Elly’s path she acquired surgery scars. She was never shamed by these marks. She saw her scars as ..read more

When you’re single the arrival of Valentine’s Day can cause some major anxiety. Couples are everywhere you look and every piece of advertising is designed to make you feel like you’re inferior if you’re not part of a couple. It’s enough to make you want to go to bed immediately after work on Valentine’s Day with a bottle of wine and Netflix on your tablet and not reemerge until the next morning. But being single on Valentine’s Day can be amazing. Forget all about the unrealistic expectations and remember, everyone’s life looks better on Instagram. This year you’re on your own and you can c ..read more

Social media is giving plus size women a platform they have never had before. And the beauty industry is finally noticing and changing. Before the rise of social media it was almost impossible for plus size women to see women like themselves in the media. In print, on TV, and in films plus size women were relegated to a handful of sidekick roles that were never the romantic lead. But social media gave plus size women the platform they needed to carve out a place for themselves in the beauty industry and celebrate their beauty. Now social media influencers that are plus size are dominating fash ..read more

Even before it aired Netflix’s show Insatiable had to face the wrath of the Internet. After the trailer dropped people were immediately put off by the vibe of the show, and the premise is even worse. It’s stunningly tone-deaf attempt to create an edgy comedy and it fails on all fronts. The show follows a teen girl named Patty Bladell. At the beginning of the show, she is an overweight teen that is bullied constantly about her weight. She gets into a fight and her jaw is wired shut for a few months, during which time she can only have a liquid diet. Then she amazingly loses all the excess weigh ..read more

A lot of women have a love/hate relationship with shapewear. And that’s easy to understand. The history of shapewear isn’t one that makes shapewear seem like a fun lingerie option. Every time fashion changed historically another piece of shapewear was developed to twist and bend a woman’s shape into the shape that was considered fashionable. Your mother or your grandmother probably wore a girdle every day from the time she was a teen until she couldn’t take it anymore. Sounds totally uncomfortable and stressful right? So it’s no wonder that in the 70s and 80s women started saying no to shapewe ..read more

Using the term “plus size” to describe fashion, or women, is fraught with controversy. Some women don’t mind the label and think it’s just a fashion term that denotes a particular type of clothing. Other women embrace it and are turning it into a body positive label. But for a lot of women the term “plus size” has an extremely negative connotation and they avoid using it or being associated with it. Some women go so far as to refuse to shop in the few stores that focus on plus size clothing because of the negative connotations of the term. There is a perception in the general public that “plus ..read more

Dietland premiered in June and instantly hit a nerve. The show is a TV adaptation of a novel by Sarai Walker and it’s about a plus size woman coming to terms with her body and sparking a revolution in the way that people look at beauty, body positivity, and what it means to be plus size in American culture. Piggybacking on the Me Too movement and the general cultural focus on female anger and female empowerment that is sparking discussions about acceptance, Dietland gives plus size women the heroine they deserve in the fabulously flawed Plum Kettle. Played by Joy Nash (who modeled for H&C ..read more