The majority of ladies on the Golden Globes red carpet may have fit into tiny designer sample sizes, but that didn’t stop the more voluptuous women stealing the show. From plus-size divas Gabourey Sidibe and Supporting Actress (Drama) winner Mo’nique (both stars of hotly-tipped flick Precious) to Big Girls Browse’s favourite modern-day bombshell Christina Hendricks with her waspish waist and impossible bosom, I loved the looks the more curvaceous women went for, and picked out a few others that would look just as good on fuller figures as they do on Hollywood stars…

Mo’nique shows just what a good dress can do in her burnished gold Reem Acra frock. On paper, you wouldn’t think a strapless, draped and folded dress in a shiny fabric would work on a plus sized woman. But the draped cut of the skirt, the super-supportive style of the ruched, crossover bodice and the quality fabric mean this drapes beautifully. If you want to try this at home, remember the key is a good strapless bra, smooth skin (exfoliate and moisturise like hell!) and loads of confidence!

Mo’nique’s young co-star went for a tried-and-tested plus size shape from glam designer Kevan Hall. Sheer sleeves cover flabby arms*,a jewelled band around the bust creates shape and adds impact, and the soft folds of sheer fabric are pleated towards the band to pull everything in. The green colour is perfect too – kudos to these women for avoiding boring black just because they’re bigger!

*I’ve been chastised for mentioning ‘flabby arms’ here – I was referring more to what the dress shape can do, rather than attacking Gaby herself. Many women identify their upper arms as their least favourite body part, and this dress shape is flattering if that’s an areas of your body that you’re self-conscious about.

On the slimmer side, our curvy girl goddess Christina Hendricks was dressed by Project Runway alumni Christian Siriano. And boy, what a dress! Ruffles on the hip and a sweetheart strapless neckline just served to draw even more attention to that amazingly tiny waist, turning Christina into a real life Jessica Rabbit. If you’ve got wider hips and bust and think you can’t wear fussy shapes, let Christina show you that you can – if you’ve got the guts! I absolutely adore this look…now to work on that waistline!

Christina’s co-star, Elisabeth Moss, wasn’t quite so successful. She’s tiny, but the dress makes her look like she’s hiding away. While I love her choppy little haircut and the baby blue colour of her dress, I just don’t feel like the cut does anything for her. In Mad Men we’ve seen that Peggy has a gorgeous hourglass figure, but petite, curvy Elisabeth is drowned in this heavy bedsheet! Like the Fug Girls, my first thought was “is she pregnant?” as this dress is so maternity-like. Ladies, let this be a lesson to you. Just because you’re not a size zero, it doesn’t mean you should hide yourself away under big pouffy dresses – they just make you look bigger!

One curvy girl who’s not afraid of flaunting what God gave her is Mariah Carey! And while I applaud her for showing that Herve Leger bandage dresses aren’t just for size zero women (it’s fab from the waist down, These really do suck you in!) all that boobage is just a bit too overtly sexy for me. I wonder if Nick Cannon had the job of applying all that bronzer to her cleavage?

Sigourney Weaver, meanwhile, showed how to dress with class if you’re larger up top. Her body’s actually more sporty than curvy, and she’s definitely far from plus size, but her broad shoulders give the impression of her having a bigger chest than she probably has. Her super-slimming dress by Herve L. Leroux (the man who created the Herve Leger brand) is the perfect frock for making the most of your body which is why I had to feature it here. I wish Mariah had worn this instead as it’d be amazing on a fuller figured woman.

Top photos via HPFA.

At the blogger’s preview of Beth Ditto for Evans I got the chance to see the pieces from the collection up close and there were loads that caught my eye. However, I decided if I was going to give this collection a go, I may as well go for one of the stand-out, ‘famous’ pieces. The body-con domino print dress was the item Beth herself chose to wear to the launch party, and I loved that the super-fitted shape and bold print were so unusual for a plus size range. Beth’s known for sticking two fingers up to convention so I decided to do the same. Keeping away from the pieces that were more ‘me’ (like the strapless stained glass dress) I put in an order for the domino dress. And I must say, it was a novelty to be ordering the smallest size for once!

It takes a brave Big Girl to pull off a fitted dress like this, but I was really impressed to see that Evans have done a lot to help you on your way. The dress is far heavier and of a better quality than I expected, lined throughout with another layer of quite heavy stretch fabric. This saved me whipping out the spanx slip I usually wear under anything fitted, though I did put on my trusty magic knickers – a body hugging style leaves little to the imagination around the tum and bum.

Shape wise I had my usual problem of excess fabric at the waist (I’m resigned to always being a size smaller on the waist than I am on the hips and bust!) which is good news for apple shapes…though this probably isn’t your ideal dress shape. But the whole point of Beth’s collection is about giving larger women the chance to try things that aren’t normally available to them – fitted shapes, bold prints, interesting shapes and sequins galore.

Speaking of those Beth signature elements, the domino print takes a bit of getting used to, and I have to admit I usually tend to stay away from anything with too much white in with my pale, flabby skin. I’d probably throw something over the top and put on a pair of killer heels to help streamline the look a bit.

Overall, I’m surprised to say I think this dress is a success. Obviously, I’m at the smaller end of the sizing scale when it comes to this collection, but I can definitely see this working on brave larger women.

As for me, I’ll probably only wear it on days when I’m feeling brave, and I’ll be ready for a lot of standing up straight and breathing in! I’m afraid I’m just not as confident as Beth in terms of ‘letting it all hang out’ but I’m definitely working on it!

The Beth Ditto at Evans range can be purchased here. The Domino dress is £40.

Gossip singer Beth Ditto launches her highly anticipated range of clothing for plus size retailer Evans tomorrow. The range will be available online, but we’ve just heard about some exciting extra stuff that’ll be happening at the Marble Arch flagship store if you’re in London. In a move that mimics the hysteria of Beth’s mate Kate Moss’s launch at Topshop, those generous folks at Arcadia will be offering up prizes, gifts with purchase and refreshments for people in the queue at 9am…

According to those in the know, “Evans are offering the first 20 lucky shoppers through the doors of their Marble Arch flagship store in London at 9am, the chance to receive an exclusive lips handbag from the collection. In addition there will be lots more treats in store such as style advice, gift with purchase (while stocks last), limited edition badges, branded water bottles and sweets by hip London confectioners ‘Suck & Chew’.”

I got to preview the collection a few weeks ago, and must confess I was surprised by what’s on offer. Most of the emphasis so far has been on ’show’ pieces like the purple sequinned tent dress, 80s style jumper and the fitted domino dress. However, for me the real stars are the leggings (with extra-deep double layered waistbands to hold in your tummy) and a great little cropped jacket. There are also some fabulous winkle picker shoes and some great bags (I’ve been carrying the domino-lined studded suede hobo every day since that preview and I adore it).

Rumour has it Kate Moss has already snapped up a kitten print oversize t-shirt dress (one can only assume she’s got a 14 and plans to wear it very loose!) so bear in mind when you’re planning your shopping trip that you’ll probably have to get in there quick. It looks like even slim women want a piece of the action, despite the range being made for Big Girls!

Beth at Evans – What you need to know:

- The collection is launching in the following stores: Marble Arch, White City London, Bluewater Park, Birmingham Pavillions, Glasgow Argyle St, Liverpool, Nottingham Clumber Street, Brighton, Leeds, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Manchester Trafford, Meadowhall, Cardiff, Dublin Henry Street, Plymouth, Belfast Castle Court and Bristol.

- The full collection is also available online at www.bethdittoatevans.co.uk from July 9th 2009

- The clothing range is available from a size 14-32 and footwear from a size 4-10.

- Prices range from £18 – £65

Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks may not be plus size, but with that gravity-defying bosom and handspan waist, she definitely embodies the kind of curvy girl many of us would love to be. A dress worn by the star to the SAG awards was recently auctioned off. Back then, her measurements were 40-28-40. Those are some curves! With her Marilyn-esque proportions, she’s a poster girl for the curvaceous woman. Let’s face it, nobody pulls off a wiggle dress like Joan Holloway!

To channel Joan’s look in real life, your best bet is obviously vintage. Pieces were cut much smaller in the waist back then – perfect for hourglass women like Ms Hendricks. The US is the best place to go if you have a Big Girl waist. There’s much more floating around in larger sizes than you’ll find in Europe. Try eBay, of course (don’t underestimate those ‘bulk’ vintage lots, loads crop up on Australian eBay for some reason) and make sure you know your bust, waist and hip measurements. There’s nothing worse than buying something you love only to find it doesn’t fit (you can take stuff in, but you can’t let it out).

If you’d rather not hunt down second hand pieces, there are some great brands making modern reproduction pieces too. Try Bettie Page clothing, a Vegas-based boutique and online store full of wiggle dresses and retro pieces. They go up to a sze 3X, which has a waist somewhere between 34 and 38 inches.

Stop Staring is also a popular brand, worn by Paris Hilton, on Gossip Girl and modelled by Ashley Greene from Twilight. The figure-hugging Mae dress is very Joan, and again sizes go up to a 3X.

Don’t underestimate the power of decent underwear, too. In the 50s and 60s women sculpted and shaped their silhouettes with girdles, we can do the same with a a lot less pain with modern shapewear (though most of it is nowhere near as pretty as the stuff the cast of Mad Men get to wear). See the Big Girls Browse lingerie section for some ideas on what’s out there.

For more tips on buying retro reproduction, check out the huge shopping list I compiled for Catwalk Queen. As this look is so flattering on the fuller figure, a lot of the brands featured make their dresses in larger sizes.

[images courtesy of AMC]