My Top Fav FAB (Custom) BodyCon Designers

Okay so evvvvverybody makes or offers these...You know, the party dresses that hug every curve (or dip of cellulite). EVERY gyal in the dancehall (lol) wears these and they're the go-to sexy freakum dress to just throw on and step out.

You can go from Herve Leger to the cheapies at Forever 21, but I'll never get sick of the body con dress. Just remember, some are better than others. And when it comes these, fit and fabric is key. (And a good body shaper/Spanx doesn't hurt either). You often see every girl at the party with one of these on, so oftentimes, custom is the FAB way to go with these. I'm not a stranger to a night out with the girls at a dancehall party, boat ride or club, (especially in the summer) so I love having these in my wardrobe as that go-to pick when I really want to look fabusexilicious without having to try too hard. I let the dress and shoes speak for themselves and the rest falls into place ;)

Here are three of my all-time fav custom body-con dress designers. Not only are they FAB. A majority of them are divalicious female entrepreneurs making their OWN WAY (and I love supporting those as well).

Butch Diva

(Image from ButchDiva.com)

This Brooklyn designer's catsuits and body-con dresses have been worn by entertainers including Patra, Lil Kim and Raye 6. What I love about Butch Diva is that the designer and founder, Tiffany, gives you one-on-one customer service, measures a dress to fit your body like a glove and also has cuts that are forgiving of a lil tummy or other imperfections that come with having curves. Also, you can mix and match fabrics, from psychodelic and animal prints to stretch lace. (And not to mention she's a TRINI GYAL ... #TriniLove... LOL). Her looks aren't for the faint of heart nor the faint of FAB but you can also get some more demure dresses made as well.

Here's a Butch Diva custom dress I had made:

To find out more or get your own custom dress visit: ButchDiva.com. I went in, picked the style I wanted and the fabric combo and she made my Fab dreams come true. (She can also add embellishments like feathers, which were part of the original dress.)

Also, I'd def. recommend her for my plus size and curvy divas. You would be SURPRISED at how small a piece can look on a hanger and how many different sizes and shapes the dress fit perfectly. I went to her showroom once and there were women of various sizes, from the petite of petite to the Vah-vah-vah-voom and the sample size fit amazing.

House of Goodluck

This designer's pieces are phenomenal. I have yet to get a piece made by her but I plan to soon. Not only does she do the body-con dresses--- and do them well--- her fabric and design combos are sick! Just SuperFABulicious! Also, she's a beast when it comes to studding, adding zipper details and other embellishments. She also does custom shoes and other items as well, so you KNOW you won't be wearing the same thing as someone else. (Oh and the designer, Patrice, is another Trini gyal as well! #TriniLove)

(Photos from House of Goodluck and DamnShorty.com)

Nakimuli


When I first saw this designer's African Hologram dress, I just DIED, went to HEAVEN and was RESURRECTED in fabulicious nirvana. Her latest pursuits have been bodysuits, leggings and two-pieces in poppin' contrasting colors and prints, but she still incorporates the body con dresses in her lines and offers custom services for dresses as well. I'm STILL in love with this one and plan to contact her soon to get my own made:

(Image from Nakimuli Tumblr)

I wonder if she could add a zipper down the back or a strip of contrasting fabric right down the middle. Sexy FABulicious, right?

L'impasse

This custom coutour boutique's dresses have been worn by the likes of singer and reality TV star Mashonda. Lil Kim, Lisa Raye, K. Michelle and Nicki Minaj. I'm sure I'm late on this FAB boat but who cares. They offer hawtness, so I'm talking about it NOW. LOL. Beading, embellishments, sequins, studs, they do it all. FLAB-U-LUCIOUS Goodness... They have a boutique in Manhattan and I might just need to take trip and visit.

Rue 107

I first swooned over this line of body con dresses when I saw their line featuring cartoon characters including Woody Woodpecker and Bugs Bunny (or a likeness of them). Usually the characters were sewn on the sides or front of the dress, which I thought was unique and stood out among the pack of designers on the body con bandwagon.

Photo from Kaboodle.com

She then went on to add peacock-like designs to the sides that had me swooning even more:

Above, recording artist Raye 6 (Photo from MJeanBaptist.blogspot.com)

Rue 107 also offers leggings, tops, bathing suits and body-suits, along with more dresses in playful prints and colors.

Photos From: Rue107.com


So next time you're looking for hot party or special occasion dresses that are CUSTOM MADE, you have a list of FAB designers to choose from. And NO, they're not in order of hawtness nor customer service or other factors, simply my top 5 that I either love, have admired or plan to rock in the future. Support young black women in business and stay FAB.

***(Oh and don't forget, either get your body tight or wear a shaper underneath... Spandex is def. unforgiving... I even cringe seeing my own pic in that dress above because the four pack I once had is a lil more chunky these days...Had to tuck and suck in the belly the whole night LOL! I'm working on it ladies #TeamFAB&FIT... )***

Xisses Miss Jane

THURSDAY FASHION OBSESSIONS: DENIM TOPS & NEON SATCHELS

I love looking through dancehall party photos. It's a guilty pleasure. Love seeing the creativity and divaliciousness of FAB partygoers unafraid to express their fashion creativity, no matter who judges or dislikes it. And on one of my usual perusals, I saw a gyal in a cute cropped denim wrap top that had puffy cap sleeves. It was adorable and reminded me of my love of denim tops. 

I've always been a fan of wearing denim in the not-so-usual way, so denim tops are def. a fav of mine. I have a weakness for men who wear denim button-downs as well, since my earliest crush on one of the sexiest men to ever live, Bob Marley. (I tried to get an ex to get into that trend but he thought it was too country western for his tastes lol).

I happen to always have a denim top in my wardrobe, whether long-sleeved, cropped, a tank or a vest. They always add that casual sexy edge to a dress or skirt (which I'm most likely to be seen wearing). Back int the day I had a denim bustier that I wish I still had today. Gosh the things we take for granted in our youth. 

This top is from one of my fav boutiques in SOHO (and they prob have them elsewhere) called Necessary Clothing. I was surprised to find they have a Web store! I prefer the whole routine of going to Broadway and visiting every one of them (as if they have diff. things to offer LOL) but the Website is def. convenient and makes the clothes available to my FAB gyals nationwide. 

The skirt I have on is actually a strapless maxi dress that I simply pulled down to my waist and rolled the top of. It's from Forever 21 (old). 

Here are some other great denim tops I have my eye on:

Necessary Clothing ; Zara; Asos ; Zara

Asos; Asos; Topshop; Topshop; 

#Random but am I the only one who believes oftentimes the product models do the clothes no justice? I think they should have real models in various sizes rock these looks in the product shots. Some items, if I were going by the photo alone, would not be enticing to me, but I've learned to visualize how I would look in something and what I'd put with it. It also helps to see other stars/bloggers who have similar body shape/style wearing the clothes. These hanger-size or teenybopper models just are not the biz for me. 

Anywho, denim will def. be part of my summer-going-into-fall wardrobe. Try pairing them with crop pants, flowy skirts, contrasting colored denim or even a formal maxi skirt and I even want to try and incorporate it into my work looks. The office has a business attire dress code, but why not sneak in a little denim under a blazer every now and then? 

Okay, moving on to my next obsession: neon structured satchels.

I saw a guy (heeeey boo) wearing an neon yellow satchel like the one above while I was on my lunch break. I'd fallen out of love with purses that have long straps because sometimes the straps can be annoying to handle (the purse can swing from every which way while walking the busy and oftentimes crowded streets of NY) and also I never liked the feeling of a strap across my chest (which doesn't look that great if your boobs are over a size B...which mine are). I'm one to carry short-strap bags (in that siddity, mid-arm, ladies-who-lunch, kind of way LOL).

BUT, I couldn't help but swoon at his bag and almost followed him more than three blocks just staring to get details in my head so I could look for the bag myself. LOL #FashionPsycho.

Here are a few I found online:

Asos; Asos; Cambridge Satchel Co.;  Loehmann's (Who the hell knew Loehmann's had a Web store? LOL... Guess I'm mad late on that... But again, I'm a gyal who loves the real-life shopping experience... I LOVE going to Loehmann's on my lunch breaks simply to look and try on shoes and bags... )

Okay I'm tired and fighting the sickies... Random ending but what more can I say.

Stay FAB ladies ;)

Xiss Miss Jane