Win an item from our Gilt Trip trend!
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Have you seen our Gilt trip trend? It’s full of gold, glitter, metallics and sparkles – just the thing, to perk us up this winter and get us in the party mood. So we’re giving away a gorgeous item from this very trend! All you have to do is watch our video below and answer the following question:
In this video, what colour trousers is our model Wendy wearing?
If you know the answer, then send it to us in the comments below. Don’t worry if your comments don’t appear as we’ll be approving them all, once the competition ends.
The prize: The winner will be able to choose their fave item that has appeared in this video.
Entries close on the 9/12/2012 and the winner will be picked at random after this closing date.
The very best of luck! 
xx
Terms and Conditions
1.The promoter of this competition is Candid Collections Limited, trading as Simply Be, Griffin House, 40 Lever Street, Manchester M60 6ES. (“Promoter”)
2. Each entrant taking part in this competition shall be referred to as a “Participant”. Participants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition.
3. The competition is only open to UK residents aged 18 years or above. Employees of the Promoters, their associated companies, their agencies associated with this competition and their immediate families are ineligible to enter.
4. To enter, Participants must submit the following: The answer to the question on the Simply Be Blog page. Only one entry per person.
5. Entries must be submitted via Simply Be Blog page.
6. Entries must be submitted between 28th November 2012 and midnight on the 9th December 2012 (the “Competition Period”). Entries are deemed to be received at the time of receipt into the Promoter’s database. Late entries will not be accepted and the Promoters accept no responsibility for entries which are lost or corrupted during transmission.
7. The winners will be drawn randomly from the Participants. The Winners will be notified via email.
8. There will be only 1 winner.
9. The decision of the Panel is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
10. The overall winners will be decided by a random draw from the Participants.
11. THE PRIZE – one Winner will receive their choice of item from Simply Be that has appeared in this Gilt Trip trend video above, prize is subject to availability. If not in your size, an alternative will be given subject to stock availability.
12. The Prize is not transferable and there is no cash alternative.
13. If for any reason this competition is not capable of running as planned, whether caused by infection by computer virus, mobile phone failure, line drop out, bugs, tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other cause beyond the control of the Promoter which corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness or integrity of the competition, the Promoter reserves the right in its sole discretion (subject to any written direction given by a relevant Regulatory Authority) to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition.
14. These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
Watch and WIN with Simply Be
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It’s time for our second blog video competition and this time it features the beautiful Candice Huffine. Take a look at her in action on her Paris shoot and you could WIN a Simply Be item from this very video.
To be in with the chance of winning, simply watch this video interview with Candice and answer the question below:
In this video, how long did Candice say she’s been in the modelling business for?
If you know the answer then send it to us in the comments below. Don’t worry if your comments don’t appear as we’ll be approving them all, once the competition ends.
The prize: The winner will be able to choose their fave piece that has appeared in this video.
Entry deadline is 16/09/2012 and the winner will be picked at random after this closing date.
Good Luck! xx
Terms and Conditions
1.The promoter of this competition is Candid Collections Limited, trading as Simply Be, Griffin House, 40 Lever Street, Manchester M60 6ES. (“Promoter”)
2. Each entrant taking part in this competition shall be referred to as a “Participant”. Participants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition.
3. The competition is only open to UK residents aged 18 years or above. Employees of the Promoters, their associated companies, their agencies associated with this competition and their immediate families are ineligible to enter.
4. To enter, Participants must submit the following: The answer to the question on the Simply Be Blog page. Only one entry per person.
5. Entries must be submitted via Simply Be Blog page.
6. Entries must be submitted between 7th September 2012 and midnight on the 16th September 2012 (the “Competition Period”). Entries are deemed to be received at the time of receipt into the Promoter’s database. Late entries will not be accepted and the Promoters accept no responsibility for entries which are lost or corrupted during transmission.
7. The winners will be drawn randomly from the Participants. The Winners will be notified via email.
8. There will be only 1 winner.
9. The decision of the Panel is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
10. The overall winners will be decided by a random draw from the Participants.
11. THE PRIZE – one Winner will receive their choice of item from Simply Be that has appeared in the Candice Huffine video above, prize is subject to availability. If not in your size, an alternative will be given subject to stock availability.
12. The Prize is not transferable and there is no cash alternative.
13. If for any reason this competition is not capable of running as planned, whether caused by infection by computer virus, mobile phone failure, line drop out, bugs, tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other cause beyond the control of the Promoter which corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness or integrity of the competition, the Promoter reserves the right in its sole discretion (subject to any written direction given by a relevant Regulatory Authority) to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition.
14. These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
Blogger of the Month: Becky Barnes!
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Welcome to our first ever Blogger of the Month feature! Every month we’ll be interviewing a fabulous fashion blogger to find out what inspires them. We are very pleased that the gorgeous Becky Barnes of The Ramblings of Mrs BeBe is going to kick things off.
Here she is in our very own high low hem dress!
But enough from us – let’s hear from Becky…
How long have you been blogging?
Less than a year
What do you blog about?
Mainly plus size fashion, but I am known for having the occasional rant about things that get on my nerves!
Who inspires you? / Where do you get your inspiration from, when writing your blog?
I like to people watch, if I see great style on someone in the street I think about the items I have in my wardrobe that I can recreate the look with. Of course other bloggers are a constant source of inspiration and I love whiling away the hours on Pinterest.
Biggest achievement? (blogging/otherwise!)
I’d have to say organising Plus North (The plus-size fashion event that took place in Leeds, early July), it was just amazing to see so many fabulous women in one room, enjoying fashion and having fun, I swell with pride every time I think of it!
How would you describe your style?
Eclectic, classic with a twist.
What do you do when you’re not blogging? / What would be your ideal job?
I’m a full-time mum, I recently sold my business where I ran a Vintage Tea Party Service. I’m not really sure what my ideal job would be, I’ve never been a career girl. I’ve always wanted to be in Musical Theatre, so a lead part in Les Miserables would be pretty cool!
Which celeb style do you admire the most?
This question has been asked a lot lately, and I’d like to be able to name a plus size woman, but I just can’t think of anyone. Beth Ditto isn’t my cup of tea style wise and as much as I love Adele, and I think she’s well dressed, her style doesn’t set my world alight. Think I’d have to say Fearne Cotton, I love her style the way she mixes classic glamour with punky edges.
What do you like about Simply Be?
I love how Simply Be stay on trend whilst always offering a wide size range, it’s great to know they believe style doesn’t stop at a certain size.
Any favourites from the current Simply Be collection?
I’m loving the Horse Print Shirt and the floral jacket and trousers. The western style denim shirt is a great addition to anyone’s wardrobe – so versatile and easy to wear.
Do you have any style advice/ general words of wisdom you’d like to share with our readers?
Wear what makes you feel good, confidence shines through and improves most outfits… Oh yeah and to hell with the rules!
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Trust your instincts.
What single item could you not live without?
My trusty and now famous denim jacket.
Apart from your own, can your recommend any favourite style blogs or books we can add to our reading list?
I love Rosie over at aroselikethis her cute young style makes me wish I was young again! And the fabulous Hanna at thewardrobechallenge Hanna always looks great!
Shoes or handbags?
Shoes every time! 
Anything else you’d like to say to our readers?
Enjoy fashion no matter what your size, you might not be happy with your body but that’s no reason not to look fabulous. You never know a passion for clothing might start to change your perception of you, because you know what? You’re amazing!
Becky – we couldn’t agree more! Get more from Becky over at The Ramblings of Mrs BeBe.
June 2012 Round up
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We’re already into the month of July, after what felt like a very quick June and have captured our best moments of the past month right here…
We ran our first ever Pinterest competition to tie in with Euro 2012. Thanks to all of you who entered, and even though England failed to make it past the quarter-finals yet again, it was great fun getting involved in our competition. Keep your eyes peeled for more of these coming your way.
We’ve launched our very first Facebook app. This Dress app helps you to pick out your perfect dress for that special occasion. It’s really fun and you can even choose dresses for your friends. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a go here.
Polka dots, pop colour and pastels, we saw an array of colour and style from our Runway Collection! Beautiful designs and on trend pieces captured this line. Here is a behind the scenes video at our photo shoot with the gorgeous Naomi Shimada.
We love the trends and this month we saw tribal and aztec take the stage. Go bold in this safari inspired look!
Our Glamorosa range was beautifully modelled by bloggers Cath Bore at The Full Story and Kathryn Kaupa of MissKathryn’s MissTakes. The Glamorosa range is great for those of you with a bigger bust. Have you tried it yet?
Cath in the Glamorosa denim dress
Kathryn in the Glamorosa tunic
A gym in Vancouver, Canada only accepts plus size women and screens their clients. This caused a big debate, with most of you agreeing this is a great idea. What are your thoughts?
We reached over 20,000 fans on Facebook – hooray! Thanks to all of you who have supported us and shared our page with others. If you’re online head on over to our Facebook page and join in the fun! Give us a shout, chat with us and join in the debates.
We were all very excited here in the Simply Be office to see the arrival of the new AX Paris line. Get their dresses in sizes 14 -32 with sizes 28 and 32 exclusive to Simply Be. These gorgeous day dresses and party frocks are selling fast so don’t miss out! We love these two outfits, the spot print with bow is fun and girlie while the sequin trim maxi dress shows off our elegant style! Which dress is your fave?
If you missed out on the Simply Be Autumn/Winter 2012 Preview site, you can still check it out here. Let us know your top ten wishlist and you could be in with the chance to bag £250!
Finally as we come to the end of the month, our big end of season sale begins! Find yourself a great buy from this year’s summer sale.
Coming up next Simply Be at Plus North! Don’t miss out on our review at Plus North in Leeds, featuring bloggers, fab fashion and the Simply Be team x
WIN tickets to Ms Curvaceous UK – Sponsored by Simply Be
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Simply Be are proud to be sponsoring this year’s Miss Curvaceous UK!
AND we’re giving you the chance to WIN tickets to attend the grand final this Friday night in London, hosted by none other than international curvy supermodel Nina Blakemore and featuring the 15 finalists modelling Simply Be clothing on the catwalk.
We’ve got 3 pairs of tickets to give away – all you need to do is leave us a comment below and we’ll pick 3 winners at random!
Competition ends midday Wednesday 11th April – so you have to be quick!
Regional heats have taken place in major cities across the UK, with the final heat taking place in London this Friday hosted by none other than international curvy supermodel Nina Blakemore.
The lucky winner of Ms Curvaceous UK will be awarded a life changing modelling contract with the leading modelling agency for curvy women in the UK, Hughes Models. Ms Curvaceous UK will also get the opportunity to appear at London Fashion Week and Liverpool Fashion Week, and be featured in double page spreads in not one but five top magazines for curvy women, including Just as Beautiful and Evolve Magazine.
At the Grand Finale showdown the contestants will demonstrate their modelling ability, battling it out on the catwalk. They will be judged on their pose, posture, confidence, walk and ability to express themselves both physically and verbally.
When and where is this event taking place you ask?
7.45pm Friday 13th April 2012 held at 229 The Venue.
229 Great Portland Street
W1W 5PN (Opposite Great Portland Street Underground Station)
Leave your comment below for your chance to win tickets!
How to walk on the catwalk
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The winners of our model competition will receive some invaluable tuition on how to perfect their runway strut. But what if you want to get a head start? Simply follow our tips…
Get your posture right
Before you even take a step, you need to get your posture right. When you’re a catwalk model you need to exude confidence, so that means shoulders back and head held high! Imagine you’ve got a piece of string running up out of the top of your head holding you upright.
Walk the walk
Pay attention to those toes! You should walk with your toes pointed straight forward, and aim to place your feet in a straight line in front of each other – this will give your hips a sexy sway. Don’t bring your feet too far in with each step or you’ll end up walking a wobbly, drunken looking line instead of a straight one! Don’t flap your feet down – take a measured heel to toe approach. Longer strides look more elegant and confident than baby steps – you may need to lift your knees higher to achieve this. Try and let your arms and hands do what they would do naturally, with relaxed hands. Your upper body should remain as still as possible whilst your legs and hips do the work.
Pause for thought
When you hit the end of the catwalk, turn your body to the side but face forward, dropping your weight onto one leg. Pause and hold your pose for just a beat then turn and strut back down again, turning your head at the very last moment.
The eyes have it
Regardless of what you do with your body, you can’t look confident and sexy unless your face says so too. Look confidently straight ahead – and don’t watch your feet. The client will know what sort of look they are going for so follow the brief, be it smiley, sultry or tough. Practice different looks in the mirror.
Practice makes perfect
Even with all the best advice in the world, there is no substitute for practice. Get a close friend or family member to give you some tips, or ask them to film you so that you can watch your walk back again and see what can be improved. Once you’ve got the basics right you can add a subtle twist to really make your walk your own – your ‘signature walk’. Watch videos of some of the most successful models and see what they do to add character to your walk.
It’s time to get practising ladies!
Here are some of the finalists from last year’s model competition strutting their stuff!
How to take a good model competition entry photo
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We’re sure you’ve heard about our plus size model search by now – we’re on the look out for the new face of Simply Be! For full info on how to enter our model competition, visit Simply Be.
So you’ve got until the end of August to send your model comp entry photos to simplybefashion(at)hotmail.co.uk. We’ve asked for 3 photos from you, including a full-length shot, a headshot and side profile. The photos need to be either 6″x4″ or 7″x5″ in size but don’t worry too much about the size – as long as they are large enough for us to see you clearly you’ll be fine!
But where do you start with taking your photos? Firstly, think about the Simply Be brand. We’re about confidence and loving your curves! So let’s see that confidence shine through in your pics.
Now this may sound like a strange one, but make sure your photos look like you. We want the essence of your personality to come through; so don’t feel like you have to pretend to be someone you’re not. Plus if you get through to the final, we’ll be expecting to see someone that looks like your photos!
By all means do your hair and make-up – of course you want to look your best! But please don’t use Photoshop or anything similar to alter your appearance in any way. We want to see the real you.
Lighting is very important. Try to find a room with as much natural light as possible and make sure the light is to the front or side of you rather than behind you, or you’ll look really dark. And if you can pose in front of a plain background, all the better – it’s all about you!
Do you have any top tips for taking a good photo that you’d like to share? If so – post them below!
Simply Be & Plus Size News July Round-Up
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We thought we’d do a little round up of some of the things that have been happening over the past month, in case you missed any of it.
Following on from on Zandra Rhodes collection launch, there have been lots of fab write-ups from around the blogosphere.
LaCara from Oh La La Curves did a fab write-up, including some breathtaking pics of London from the top of the amazing Paramount venue.
Lauren of Pocket Rocket has some more wonderful pics and shares her take on the range.
Naomi of Diamonds ‘n’ Pearls got a lot of love for her pineapple print tunic dress too.
We gave some of our fave bloggers brand exclusives before our AW11 collection went live.
Lauren wrote about Bespoke and made a fab Lookbook montage.
Kat at Plus Size Beauty covered Frock and Frill after she wore the range to the Zandra Rhodes launch.
Em over at Boombands got an exclusive on Anna Scholz, as she’s such a big fan of the designer.
LaCara blogged about Angel Ribbons - some gorgeous lace pieces this season.
Em from Boombands also covered some of her recent Simply Be acquisitions
She looks so fab in her Joe Browns tunic top.
…and super glam in her maxi dress from our Very Berry collection.
And on the plus size news front?
Many of us in the plus size community were surprised to learn in an interview with model Marquita Pring that she ‘pads up’ for certain clients who require her to look larger than she is.
Hot on the heels of the Vogue Italia cover starring Simply Be model, Candice Huffine, Vogue Australia has featured its first ever plus size spread featuring the gorgeous Robyn Lawley.
Simply Be have been nominated for a Company High Street Fashion Award - vote for us here.
Oh yes and one more thing (although this is technically August news) – we have just launched our 2011 Model Competition! More on that to follow, but in the mean time, get all the deets here.
New In Joe Browns
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The Joe Browns collection has always been one of the most popular ranges at Simply Be. The Joe Browns style is so distinctive there really is no other range quite like it!
If you’re a big fan of the Joe Browns look you’ll love their latest additions – we think it could be their best collection yet!
Cat lovers will fall head over paws for this cat motif tunic dress - how cute?!
This tunic is so versatile that it’s no surprise they’ve called it the ‘All Occasion Tunic‘!
We love this red dress too – there is just so much detail with the gorgeous appliqué and embroidery around the neckline.
Tribal Safari Fashion Trend
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As the weather hots up, so do our wardrobes! There’s no trend that looks better in the sunshine than the tribal look.
Animal prints are key, be it big cat or zebra. Plait trims and fringing give a handicraft feel. Mix in khaki, camel and stone colours for explorer chic.
The Simply Be girls love the look too! Take a look:
