S15.E03: Just Fabulous!

[yeswedo]

Quote

The designers must create an outfit to flatter all body types, and the challenge proves to be more difficult for some than others. Guest judge Nina Dobrev joins.

[Primetimer]

One designer gets the chance to have a look sold at an online retailer that happens to be a sponsor. Your editors discuss!

View the full article

[weightyghost]

Where did bitchy Alex come from? He was so helpful last week. 

I'm glad they at least called out all the crop tops. It may be 'in' right now, but very few actually want to wear them. 

So practical jacket and pants get called out, but the neon sponge dress gets high regards, in the normal woman challenge. I liked the belt aspect but come on. 

[cindylu]

What was up with Erin's earrings?

[Nidratime]

I would love to try all those outfits on as a 50+ after being a size 6 or 8 all my life as a younger woman.

[threebluestars]

There were MAYBE 2 outfits in that bunch that average women could wear. These challenges are always such a joke when they have size 2 models to work with. I say give everyone a size 12 model and then see how those outfits looked. 

[NorthstarATL]

I thought Laurent would win when she got the sympathy edit! (Or go home, but once she rejiggered her outfit to align with Tim's criticism there was no way she'd lose.) I thought the military could definitely use it, as they are scrapping some of the camo, but I hated the zipper, and fixated on that. Unlike last episode I LOVED Erin's, even more so when she surprised the judges with the cinching! That was really cool!

 Glad Brik stayed, even if I wanted him to make something better than last week's, if only to annoy Cornelius!

I love Nina Dobrev just because, and I thought she did a decent job as a judge. She at least had some more constructive critique than Heidi did. What was up with Heidi's outfit? Did she just wake up for the runway?

  As usual this early on a LOT of designers get lost in the crowd, not getting much screen time, and no judging if they are safe.

[Nidratime]

Just want to let you ladies know. Pasta and alcohol ... they are not your friends. (Oh, and gelato.)

ETA: Oops. Meant to combine this comment with my post above. Making a little joke about how "one" -- as in *me* -- ends up not being a size 6 or 8, ;-) and pointing out how a number of those outfits in this episode wouldn't have been very "forgiving" to the average woman.

Edited September 23, 2016 by Nidratime

[Straycat80]

So the average woman is tall, skinny, wears crop tops and drop crotch jumpsuits? I don't think so. I could not imagine older, curvier women wearing any of those 'best' outfits or the jumpsuit that won. 

I was rooting for Linda because she was older and I wanted to see what else she could do. I thought the dress was ok but the white raggity shear curtain kimono was bad.

I guess Cornelius is going to be the mean girl this season.

Please Lifetime: stop featuring Jenni and her obnoxious laugh, it's not cute or funny! 

[DEL901]

Oh, Cornelius. What makes you think the judges are colour blind (even if they sometimes act that way)... "I hope they noticed the pop of colour I used".   Really?  Pop of colour?  Your whole damned skirt had a lime green print.

And agree with everyone on the wearability issue.  Really, a drop waist jumpsuit?  And some of those coats that Violet from Willy Wonka could have worn after she turned into a giant blueberry!

[nb360]

1 minute ago, Straycat80 said:

I was rooting for Linda because she was older and I wanted to see what else she could do. I thought the dress was ok but the white raggity shear curtain kimono was bad.

I was rooting for Linda, too. I liked her outfit last week. But Laurence was right when she said Linda was doomed w/ the knit dress -- nobody can wear a knit dress well and it was such a BLAND color. But I hope she keeps designing.

[Nidratime]

Quote

I was rooting for Linda because she was older and I wanted to see what else she could do. I thought the dress was ok but the white raggity shear curtain kimono was bad.

That sweater, stretchy dress would have been a disaster for any woman with a belly and/or a booty. I was shocked she picked such an unforgiving fabric for an "every woman." That was Linda's down fall. Not that most of these designers designed for actual women either.

[Eliza422]

2 minutes ago, Nidratime said:

That sweater, stretchy dress would have been a disaster for any woman with a belly and/or a booty. I was shocked she picked such an unforgiving fabric for an "every woman." That was Linda's down fall. Not that most of these designers designed for actual women either.

The model had a pooch as she walked down the runway - that alone doomed her.

[AuntieDiane6]

JustFab seems to be aligned with Kate Hudson's Fabletics.  It seems it's an outfit-of-the-month club and you have to join.  Very confusing. 

And, really JustFab, if you're going to partner with Project Runway, make it easy to see the winner's design.  The site doesn't even have a SEARCH bar and you have to sign up before you can even browse!  A lot of poor marketing decisions, if you ask me.

Edited September 23, 2016 by AuntieDiane6

[backgroundnoise]

Sigh.  Since when did "Design for all ages and sizes" translate into bared midriffs?  There were very few that addressed that brief.  Erin's was my favorite for that, because I think it could be flattering on various types, but I really dislike neoprene.

[Whodunnit]

So does anyone else think that the winning look could have been a fashion forward prison jumpsuit worn in North Korea? My whole family thought it was should have been on the bottom...

[Madding crowd]

Last week I liked many of the looks (even if they weren't really wearable), this time around I only liked a few. I really can't women bigger than size 2 or older than 22 wearing Erin puffy dress. I don't really like neoprene anyway but disliked it for the shape, colors everything. The jump suit was boring but it looked well made. I thought Alex's outfit was the best out of the top three, but nothing earth shattering.

I knew Linda wouldn't be in it long, but she really made a plain and very boring dress and the coat looked like old sheer curtains I had years ago. I wish they could have a consultation with Tim on material before they make their selections. Most of the prints were pretty ugly this time around. 

[Ketzel]

The challenge was particularly ill-defined - make an outfit that fits and flatters all women from just-past-puberty to senior citizen status, of any shape, any weight, any height, any skin tone, any hair color . . . the high fashion equivalent of a snuggly flannel nightgown? Nah, that doesn't meet the 'flattering" standard. Call it the Magical Unicorn challenge and be done with it.

Edited September 23, 2016 by Ketzel

[njbchlover]

6 minutes ago, Whodunnit said:

So does anyone else think that the winning look could have been a fashion forward prison jumpsuit worn in North Korea? My whole family thought it was should have been on the bottom...

Prison jumpsuit is a better description than I had - my mind went to baggy overall jumpsuit that a mechanic would wear.

I was disappointed in the runway - I didn't think there were many outfits for "every" woman, or what everyday, normal sized, average women would want to wear.

[avecsans]

What was the point in bringing out the droves of women at the beginning?  I thought the designers would have to choose their models from the crowd and that it would be a "real woman " challenge.

Nina and Zak exasperate me.  I was not a fan of Brik's outfit either, but they talked about it as if it were the worst thing they had ever seen.  Then they praise that neoprene nightmare as if Coco Chanel herself had designed it.  Who would wear that, and on what occasion could it be worn?  At least it didn't win.  I hate jumpsuits as a rule but I thought Laurence's would be cute on certain young, skinny people.  And I liked the black outfit with the bow (can't remember the designer's name) but it desperately needed a pop of color.

In general, I think this is a pretty good group of designers.  I'm looking forward to learning all their names.

[Madding crowd]

I actually find Heidi to have the most thoughtful opinions. She is right that Erin's dress was not wearable by the average woman. And I don't think they literally meant 'every woman in the world' must wear it. Enough women would want it that it would be sold at JustFab. I do think some classic pieces can be worn by women of different ages and sizes. These designers however, would probably rather die that design such pieces. I get very annoyed with Zak calling everything 'unoriginal', then having high praise for a simple jumpsuit which has been around forever. I didn't exactly mind the jumpsuit but hardly original.

[FormerMod-a1]

I actually liked the jumpsuit from the front, but not from the back.  From the back it looked like the model's butt was at her knees.  Not a good look for anyone, I don't think.

The white dress.  I could see the design in it, and it did stand out.  But I couldn't help thinking white traffic cone.  And even with the waist cinched, it added so much bulk to the body.  Also not a good look for anyone.

The 3rd top look, bare midriff and giant bow.  The bow was my least favorite part.  I can't imagine that much volume on a chest of any size.  Even on a smaller chest, I think I'd be distracted wearing it.

[Jordan Baker]

22 minutes ago, Whodunnit said:

So does anyone else think that the winning look could have been a fashion forward prison jumpsuit worn in North Korea? My whole family thought it was should have been on the bottom...

When I read "prison jumpsuit worn in North Korea," I actually thought you meant the neoprene dress. I missed the "winning look" part. I liked the jumpsuit OK, although I know it wouldn't work on most women.

The neoprene dress, though . . .  I don't think it would look good on anyone. It had a "uniform worn at clown college" look to it. I didn't get the love from the judges. But, then again, I rarely do! 

[Whodunnit]

Heidi was right, the sleeves on the neoprene dress looked stupid. Maybe it  would look ok on a flat chested pregnant woman?

[auntlada]

There were several runway outfits I would have loved when I was in college -- in the 1980s.

[Knuckles]

Of all the designs, I though Mah-Jing's take on a denim dress was the best. Yeah, it was unbelievably short, but that was for the runway. The seams in red were interesting but subtle, and vertical, which helps most women. It wraps, so it is forgiving. If you want to award someone for designing for the "average" woman, that was the most wearable, for most of us.

Nina got her editorial look...a neoprene dress with puffy sleeves, and a cinch waist...the fullness of the skirt would be difficult for any woman over a size 10...you would look enormous, and the neoprene would add bulk as well. I admit it was cute, but it was a very junior look, but even high schoolers might shy away from it...it echoed childhood dresses. 

Cornelius is already tedious, and it is episode 2. Laurence is very cool, personally, but her jumpsuit was not. The short sleeves, and non-existent waist, the drab color and the pants bagging at the ankles said generic prison issue to me. Or, what to wear when you are cleaning up the side of the highway after your weed bust. Sexy? no. Flattering? no. 

Edited September 23, 2016 by Knuckles

[PepperMonkey]

I liked Erin's dress. And Heidi and the hacks (Zac and Original recipe Nina) were correct: you can clearly see who she "is" as a designer. She's got her own thing going and that's not a bad thing in fashion. I wouldn't buy it nor would I wear it, but it definitely had uniqueness going for it. I did laugh a bit when Tim brought out the models for Zac's Handsy Time: he looked kind of puzzled when they were raving about Erin's.

Didn't like the black outfit as a whole, although I loved the pants. The top, to ME, was terrible: giant bow-check, sheer-check, high/low-check, bared midriff-check. Just, no.

Could definitely see the jumpsuit on many different women if all of them looked like Laurence. As a "woman of a certain age" (TM Zac) I didn't care for the way the zipper looked with the dongle; the back would have been fun - loved the orange insert - IF it hadn't been for the pockets. Talk about a saggy bottom. Also, as someone who has worn jumpsuits from time to time over the eons, I can never figure out why people keep designing them when they are such logistical nightmares to navigate.  I totally disagreed with this win, even though I like Laurence: she is a pretty cool chick.

I really thought Brik should have gone before Linda, even if Linda's was terrible, and yes, yes it was. Brik was on the bottom last week and made virtually no improvement this week. Those pants were god horrible. The jacket/blazer (?) looked like part of a bad 80s power suit when they were trying out different shapes to make those things more interesting.

There are some pretty good designers here this year, though, y'all, especially when you compare it to season 14.

And I have to apologize for hating Mah-jongg for taking those flowers away from Cornelius last week. After having to listen to Cornelius THIS week, I wish Mah had taken them and hit him over the head with them a few times.

[CraftyHazel]

I can already sense a whiff of Gretchen-ism in Erin.  The defensive, petulant look on her face when Heidi said the sleeve didn't appeal to her was pretty OTT for someone who's being praised to the nines for a...let's be real, here...ugly, unflattering dress.  And besides that, her like, speech pattens, like, bug me, because like, she says like, like way more than she like, needs to.

I'm fine with Linda leaving.  That kimono was terrible, and the dress was almost as bad.

Cornelius is going for the bitch edit, I see.

If you're going to ask the designers to design for the everyday woman, the designs need to look good on a wide range of body types. 90% of what walked that runway wouldn't look good on anyone over a size 6 or 8.

[Misslindsey]

I really liked Erin's design. I feel like I am enjoying her design aesthetic. I am not wild about neoprene, but I liked the dress. I did not mind the sleeves. I like the way she seems to really think out her design.

I hated Laurence's jumpsuit. A low waist, drop crotch jumpsuit would be my worst nightmare. The back looked like the model had a saggy butt complete with pockets. It did not work for me. I like Laurence, but really hate this jumpsuit.

Alex's I liked as well. It did look well made. The pieces were not anything new, but they worked together for me. I thought the pants were great. I did like that they were separates as well. I actually enjoy his snark.

Was Jenni the one who made the extreme drop crotch pants? If so I though she would be hovering near the bottom. Those were ridiculous and I cannot imagine a ton of women wanting to wear them.

I always hope the older contestants on Project Runway will do well, but it seems like a lot of them do not. Though I skipped some PR Lifetime seasons, so I do not know for sure. I wanted Linda to do well, but that knit dress with the urban Kimono was just sad. I was hoping she would add the urban sombrero to her urban kimono to complete the look.

Cornelius needs to have a seat. His reasoning that he listened to Tim, but was not in the top three during the first challenge, and that he would be irritated if the same thing happened was so over the top. Then him going around the room to practically every designer saying "I do not mean to shade, but.......", was a bit much, especially because he did mean to throw shade.

Brik's design was so bland to me. I feel like he needed to add something else to make the outfit more interesting, maybe something under the jacket. I do not know, just something. I am getting a sense of what most of the other designers are about, but not so much with Brik. I did want him to stay to piss Cornelius off.

I would like to get out of the drop crotch pant trend and the oversized jacket trend.

[KLovestoShop]

Heidi's dress was not appropriate.  I wonder if she needed a Brazilian to wear that thing.  It was cut way to high up, and looked like a nightgown.  Certainly not a just fab look. 

Most of those designs were not for an every day woman.  How could Linda think she'd get a free pass with that awful dress in that bad fabric?   I really wish the woman from Just Fab would have been there to tell these people that their designs were NOT for every woman. 

Erin's dress looked like something from Just Pregnant.  

[Archery]

It hurts me to go in on a Boston brother, but Cornelius needs to shut his face. 

I'm as middle aged as anything, but Erin' s dress is totally something I would fashion-splurge on.  I'd try it on, put it back, walk past it a couple times, then go What the hell! and grab it. I think I would feel awesomely funky in that thing. 

Edited September 23, 2016 by Archery

[mamadrama]

Okay. So Alex's pants. When they walked down the runway, all I could see was a large vulva in the drop-crotch. Seriously. The way those hung and then kind of "pouched" when she stopped, especially with the big seam going up the middle, it looked like she had a cartoonish camel toe. I could NOT take my eyes off of it. 

I do not think I have ever used any of those words in the same sentence before now. 

[bitchin camaro]

I think my favorite line of the night was JMag saying that she doesn't design for the typical woman - and you're expecting the usual "I only work with size -4 models" but she says she likes to dress for girls who like to wear crazy stuff. Good on ya, Jmag.

I really like Erin's dress, and I would totally wear it (well, maybe not the neoprene version.) I didn't love the winning jumpsuit, and can't see how that even remotely falls into "regular woman" wear, but I like Laurence's sense of style and I look forward to seeing what else she comes up with.

[Miss Ruth]

Did I miss a week?  The title says this is episode 3. 

[sofaslug]

3 minutes ago, Miss Ruth said:

Did I miss a week?  The title says this is episode 3. 

Maybe they're considering "Road to the Runway" as episode 1?

[Almost 3000]

37 minutes ago, Misslindsey said:

I wanted Linda to do well, but that knit dress with the urban Kimono was just sad. I was hoping she would add the urban sombrero to her urban kimono to complete the look.

J. Peterman for the win!

[bobbyjoe]

The episode began and I was just telling my husband how much I liked that last week was mostly free of the usual producer shenanigans, when, about 30 seconds into tonight's episode they start with the "Cornelius is throwing shade at..." blah, blah, blah garbage.

Jeez, PR, you seriously need an intervention.  Repeat after me: you do not need this crap.  It's played out, we've seen the same variations 8000 billion times now, and your own PR:Juniors shows how good the show can be when it's not all "ohmigod, designer x is saying nasty things about designer y."  

I kind of like several things about this season so far, so please, please, PR, do not ruin this, okay?

[GaT]

Well, I thought last week made it seem like a promising season, but nope, we're back to the bullshit.

As has already been mentioned by others, what was with all the crop tops with bare bellies? Also, sleeveless, drop crotches, short skirts, these are not for "all women", these are for skinny young women. Most of the looks didn't have anything to do with what the challenge was supposed to be. The look I thought fit the challenge was Brik's which the judges hated. They loved Alex's outfit & I thought the crotch on the pants was really weird, it looked like the seam was too tight, & I don't even want to talk about Erin's Smurfette dress, how could they possibly like that piece of crap?

[Babyfoot]

Alex dubbing Cornelius "Lady Cornelius from the Land of Shade" was simply perfect.

[millennium]

2 hours ago, Miss Ruth said:

Did I miss a week?  The title says this is episode 3. 

It's inaccurate and confusing.

[millennium]

3 hours ago, Misslindsey said:

I wanted Linda to do well, but that knit dress with the urban Kimono was just sad. I was hoping she would add the urban sombrero to her urban kimono to complete the look.
 

The fact that she would invoke the specter of the urban sombrero in a design competition speaks to her overwhelming dearth of clue.  Why would you go out of your way to associate your design with the most famous fashion flop in popular culture?

I'm already tired of the show trying to make a Cornelius/Dexter feud happen.   If I want to see lame attempts at starting a fire, I'll watch the Survivor premiere.

Is the Laughing Girl featurette going to be a weekly thing now?

Was Kimber on the show last week?

Did Tasha come from straight from her job at the MTA?   That blue shirt she wore looked borrowed from Ralph Kramden.

For some reason, Erin made me think of Nellie Olsen.

I thought Laurence's own look outclassed everything that walked down the runway tonight.

Edited September 23, 2016 by millennium

[tpplay]

Hello, all!

I've been watching Project Runway since its first season.  I've had different opinions from others, from the judges - all that.  But for the first time I am really angry about tonight's show.

How on earth is Heidi or Nina's saying "I would wear that" or "I would not wear that" the bar for this challenge????  They are way way way way NOT AT ALL the "every day woman."

I'm not saying drab ugly design should win.  But honestly - if designers are told to design for the every day woman of any race, of any age and of every size - doesn't this plain old eliminate consideration of whether HEIDI FREAKING KLUM would wear it?  Are we not talking about waitresses and stay at home moms and office managers and EVERY DAY WOMEN???

Truly, with that challenge WHO CARES whether Heidi or Nina would wear it?

Would a size 16 woman who works as a bank teller wear it?  Would a woman who worked nights as a waitress wear it?

Do these people even know who an "every day women" is???

I am - just - really furious at this moment.  It has nothing really to do with who won or didn't - although that crazy shaped like a funnel dress is something no "every day woman" ON EARTH would wear.  But yes, let's hear about taste, and let's hear about construction but also let's hear about whether an "every day woman" would wear this garment.  Wasn't that the challenge? Are these women so privileged that they honestly don't know what "every day woman" means?

UGGH!  I am so disgusted.

[loki310]

Did anyone catch what product the hair stylist recommended for the AA model with the natural hair in his little talking head segment? It was in a blue jar... Something like seed oil? I wanted to check it out! #productjunkie

[millennium]

2 hours ago, tpplay said:

Do these people even know who an "every day women" is???

I am - just - really furious at this moment.  It has nothing really to do with who won or didn't - although that crazy shaped like a funnel dress is something no "every day woman" ON EARTH would wear.  But yes, let's hear about taste, and let's hear about construction but also let's hear about whether an "every day woman" would wear this garment.  Wasn't that the challenge? Are these women so privileged that they honestly don't know what "every day woman" means?

UGGH!  I am so disgusted.

Look at the dozens of women paraded before them as the challenge was given.   They weren't so much "everyday women" as they were "everyday, young, fresh-faced, telegenic and not very overweight women."

[azshadowwalker]

The crotch on Brik's pants took that outfit from bland to atrocious in half a second. How does that dude keep sticking around? 

[Pepper Mostly]

3 hours ago, Babyfoot said:

Alex dubbing Cornelius "Lady Cornelius from the Land of Shade" was simply perfect.

I loved that moment and loved that Alex called him out. Cornelius, you are not cute. If you're going to throw shade, you need to be witty. If you're going to set yourself up as queen bee, you need to have the talent to back it up. You fail at both so shut up. 

3 hours ago, millennium said:

IIs the Laughing Girl featurette going to be a weekly thing now?

Was Kimber on the show last week?

Did Tasha come from straight from her job at the MTA?   That blue shirt she wore looked borrowed from Ralph Kramden.

For some reason, Erin made me think of Nellie Olsen.

I thought Laurence's own look outclassed everything that walked down the runway tonight.

Breathes there a woman anywhere as fabulous as Laurence? I am bowing down at her feet. Agree on her jumpsuit too. I've found that if one doesn't judge an "everyday woman" challenge as an "everyday woman" challenge but just as a "make an outfit" challenge, its easier to go with the flow. I liked most of the outfits on the runway tonight as a result, even the insane dropped crotch pants. I'm loving this season so far. I have high hopes for Kimber, who caught my attention in the Road to the Runway show. I love how she came to NYC to go to design school and make her dreams come true. 

Erin doesn't remind me of Nellie Olsen, she reminds me of 80's era Madonna! I think its the gap in her teeth.

[candall]

6 hours ago, Knuckles said:

Or, what to wear when you are cleaning up the side of the highway after your weed bust.

Still laughing. 

6 hours ago, PepperMonkey said:

I really thought Brik should have gone before Linda, even if Linda's was terrible, and yes, yes it was. Brik was on the bottom last week and made virtually no improvement this week. Those pants were god horrible. The jacket/blazer (?) looked like part of a bad 80s power suit when they were trying out different shapes to make those things more interesting.

Right.  I had that pointy overlap blazer back then.  Bitchin'.

Linda's fabric choice was a mistake, which she realized right away; the "urban kimono" was a cringer.  But hell-o-o, Brik sent out EXACTLY the same problem that put him in the bottom last week--a structured top that wasn't even on speaking terms with his loosey-goosey bottom.  No shiny fun confetti to distract the kittens this time.

I think the final decision was probably based on "Manbun vs. Age 55."

********

Cornelius!  STFU with your black & white stripes over giant green houndstooth.  Yeah, I saw your pop of color--it hurt my eyes.

I could see neoprene smoothing some bulges and flab, but wow, that skirt in size 12+ would be in parade float territory.  Also, I've never understood combining coral and powder blue.  Adjustable waist was clever, though--it made a big difference in the look.

I'm good with the win for Laurence, but the suede strip across the butt is right where I put the tape measure when I need my biggest circumference for body measurements.  I don't need any eyes drawn there, thanks.

[rehoboth]

8 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

Last week I liked many of the looks (even if they weren't really wearable), this time around I only liked a few. I really can't women bigger than size 2 or older than 22 wearing Erin puffy dress. I don't really like neoprene anyway but disliked it for the shape, colors everything. The jump suit was boring but it looked well made. I thought Alex's outfit was the best out of the top three, but nothing earth shattering.

I knew Linda wouldn't be in it long, but she really made a plain and very boring dress and the coat looked like old sheer curtains I had years ago. I wish they could have a consultation with Tim on material before they make their selections. Most of the prints were pretty ugly this time around. 

I think Tim has said that most of the competitions are won and lost in Mood.  It's pretty rare that designers overcome a horrific fabric selection.  Sometimes they use the offending fabric minimally.  Sometimes other designers give them some of their leftover fabric.  And sometimes they never see anything wrong with their knit, their heavy velvet, their obnoxious color, their sheerness, their couch upholstery, etc...

[candall]

21 minutes ago, rehoboth said:

I think Tim has said that most of the competitions are won and lost in Mood.  It's pretty rare that designers overcome a horrific fabric selection.  Sometimes they use the offending fabric minimally.  Sometimes other designers give them some of their leftover fabric.  And sometimes they never see anything wrong with their knit, their heavy velvet, their obnoxious color, their sheerness, their couch upholstery, etc...

I believe it.  The most egregious handicap, after the "One Day Challenge," is the ridiculously short window for choosing fabric.  Run!  Grab something, anything! 

Why do the producers try so hard to ensure the clothes produced will be crap?

Edited September 23, 2016 by candall
clarified my point

[Lizzing]

The winning jumpsuit reminded me of the WAC uniforms women wore in WWII when working on planes, with just a few modernized details.

I wanted Linda to stay over Brik; her outfit was terrible, but he didn't heed the judges' warnings from last week, which is more egregious in my mind.  Linda did lose this at Mood; she could have done a sweater dress in a better knit and it could have worked.  I used to have this Calvin Klein sweater dress that I wore until it literally fell apart from use and that thing hung well, didn't cling anywhere on my then size 14 body, and was even washable.  So I know it can be done, but not with that cheap/thin/overly stretchy knit she chose. 

8 hours ago, backgroundnoise said:

Since when did "Design for all ages and sizes" translate into bared midriffs? 

I blame last year's winner/winning collection for the notion that all sizes are cool with bared midriffs.  Some people are, I'm sure.  But I doubt it's anywhere close to most.