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The Good, The Bad & The Fabulous About Beth Ditto’s New Winter Collection

Singer/songwriter and fashion icon Beth Ditto is back with her new Winter 2016 collection!

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Photography by Hanna Moon

The GOOD:  Ditto’s first collection, which launched earlier this year in time for the Spring season, was a hit with fashion fans of the icon. The new winter collection is not as colorful as the spring collection but it offers what Vogue calls:

“unapologetic, riotously kooky prints featuring gloopy nail polish and eyelash motifs appear on looks intended to reveal and accentuate, rather than hide a fuller figure; this eleven-piece capsule is about confidence, not cowering away, after all. With her label, Ditto is bringing her highly charged, Riot Grrrl-inflected aesthetic center stage—whether mainstream fashion is ready or not.”

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Photography by Hanna Moon

Ditto has her own unique aesthetic and she thrives on being different. Her confidence is contagious and most likely, the reason why she has so many fans out there. We love that she wants to make ethical fashion and pieces that are designed to last.

She said earlier this year when her first collection launched:

“I wanted to make pieces to last years. Beyond trends, beyond chain stores. I wanted to create something all its own, something just for us, made with love and consideration. Made ethically in the USA as a small company with no big corporate input. Uncompromising, unapologetic, and timeless. Go-to pieces designed to last. A movement by us, for us.”

Ditto told Vogue this week that the new collection is “more structural and more sophisticated” and “re-creating the idea of what flattering is“.

The BAD: The drawbacks to Ditto’s new collection are…

Pricing – We understand that her goal is to create clothing that will last. However, $65 for a tee? $265 for a top? The high prices do not make her collection accessible to the masses. We recognize that her brand is not fast fashion and she states these are investment pieces but we’re also certain not every one of her fans and plus size women in general will be able to afford her pieces or regard her pieces as investments. And that disappoints us, especially since her goal is to create a movement by us, for us.

Sizing – Her first collection was offered up to a size 28. Now a few items are available in that size, not all. Some items only go up to a 22! And where are the 4Xs?

Imaging – Some plus size influencers are not happy with how plus size women are portrayed in the lookbook images. They think the images show plus size women in a negative light and feed into the stereotypes that plus size women are unkempt, provocative and overly sexual. You can view the lookbook here.

With that said, we celebrate any designer creating plus size clothing that’s ethically well-made including Ditto. Her clothing is not for everyone but there is space in the fashion industry for anyone wanting to use their innovative ideas to create clothing that can empower people to be more confident and inspired.

The FABULOUS: There are some pieces in the collection that are personal favorites for us like…look_4_045-edit_2048x2048

Klaus Denim Pants, $225, Sizes 14-22

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Eyelash Sweater, $245, Sizes 1X-3X

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Lola Twin Noir Dress, $245, Sizes 14-28

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Klaus Skirt, $165, Sizes 14-28

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You can view the entire collection here.

What do you think of Beth Ditto’s new winter collection? Please let us know on social media @plusmodelmag!