It’s the one downside of slimming – clothes that no longer fit. A new range promises to flatter you at every stage of your diet: fat AND thin. But does it measure up?

In her own clothes: Louise has lost nearly a stone recently but still favours her old outfits

Like so many women, my weight has yo-yoed over the years. I ballooned during my three pregnancies, and I’ve tried myriad diet and exercise regimes. I’ve lost nearly a stone in the past year and am now a size 14-16 on my top and a 10-12 on my bottom.

But I still prefer to stick to my old clothes, even if they hang off my new slim frame. My friends love shopping but I buy online or in catalogues as I don’t like seeing myself when I try things on.

And I’m not alone. Recent research by WeightWatchers found many women who arrive at their target weight stick with their old clothes. Perhaps, like me, they seek comfort in hiding behind their old baggy fleeces and sweatshirts.

I still wouldn’t dare walk into Zara, Topshop or H&M, even though I could now wear some of their clothes. The staff are too skinny, the sizes are on the mean side and there’s nothing worse than being told the item you like doesn’t come in your size.

With this in mind, WeightWatchers commissioned TV fashion expert Louise Roe to produce a ‘weight-loss wardrobe’ for Debenhams.  (more…)

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London designer Olivia Rubin has created a capsule collection for the high street retailer.

Lilac bird asymmetrical dress, £40; Pink chiffon wrap dress, £45

Selected Dorothy Perkins stores around the country are enjoying a dose of a designer collaboration today.

Central Saint Martins graduate Olivia Rubin has designed a capsule collection for the high street retailer emblazoned with her signature graphic prints in girlie shades of pink and lilac.

Keyhole shift dress, £35; Coral-print maxi, £45; Peplum dress, £49

The pink and black jersey maxi dresses, swimwear and slouchy tops take care of the holiday wardrobe, while the chiffon gowns and asymmetric mini wrap dresses patterned with a delicate bird print are perfect for summer weddings. Prices start from £25 for a bird stripe T-shirt and top £49 for a peplum dress.

Rubin said she enjoyed teaming up with the retailer and catering to the Dorothy Perkins customer, and also diversified with a small range of jewellery which will be added to the range soon.

What Victoria’s Secret models looked like in 1979

With their Seventies perms, overly blushed cheekbones and deep tans, the models in this 1979 Victoria’s Secret catalogue are virtually unrecognisable from today’s glossy Angels.

The 32-year-old Victoria’s Secret catalogue, unearthed by Retro Space, shows young ladies lounging in bed wearing marabou slippers and relatively demure knee-length slips.

Flaunting body shapes more akin to those of ‘real’ women, they can be seen reading books together, and chatting in front of still life paintings in chintzy, dated sets.

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That’s what a leading clinical psychologist claims. I puts her to the test…

 Clothes are one of my greatest pleasures, but also the source of much anxiety. Faced with any social occasion, I invariably go over the top, agonising for months about what to wear. I never, if I think about this honestly, feel comfortable in what I’m wearing.

And this isn’t just because I work in fashion and am surrounded by women who look incredible in the latest must-have clothes. While I often experience extreme envy when I see a catwalk model — a craving that makes me forget my age, bank balance and shape — this lack of self-confidence stems from earlier in my life.

I grew up, the youngest of seven children, in a family where money was tight. Consequently, I wore hand-me-downs from my three elder sisters and clothes that were made by my mum: little checked pinafores and rough, hand-knitted sweaters.

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Floral Appliqué Dress, £90 at Lipsy (more…)

Kristen Stewart looked like a bona fide fashionista as she showed off her amazing legs at Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs: The Exhibition. The star was later spotted putting on a PDA with her Twilight co-starRobert Pattinson.