Hayley Joy online

Sharing the beautiful women we dress on YouTube.

It’s been a long time in the making, and now that it’s a reality, I wonder what took me so long! Launching a Plus Size Youtube channel http://bit.ly/2AU1ZPN is my 2019 commitment… and my why is all about introducing Plus size women, far and wide, to the Hayley Joy brand, of respectful Plus size fashion.

The beautiful Reana and I talking about how to wear print if you’re a 6XL

For far to long I’ve heard the same story about the frustration around Plus Size shopping, and that frustration is 100% justified. I’m a Plus size myself, and I know how it feels to go into a store when they’ve advertised that they stock Plus sizes, and not one thing fits. It’s disrespectful and soul-destroying.

Dressing a variety of sizes and shapes is a very big part of our beautiful world at Hayley Joy.

My commitment at Hayley Joy is to honour my Plus size truth. The entire store is filled with fashion that fits, no matter your size or your shape. I’ve also realised that in order for you to have the confidence to walk through the door, you need to see the clothes on real Plus size women, and that’s why I’ve launched a YouTube channel, showcasing the beautiful REAL women we dress at Hayley Joy.

Arlene and I talking about embracing colour, no matter your size or your shape.

Feel free to subscribe to the Hayley Joy – Plus Size, Youtube channel http://bit.ly/2R51d7Q

Here’s a how to in case you’re new to YouTube:

How to subscribe if you’re new to YouTube:

1. Sign into your YouTube app on you phone/tablet or your google account in your internet browser on your computer.

2. Sign in by using your gmail account and password.

3. Search Hayley Joy Plus Size Fashion on Youtube.

4. Click on any one of my videos and click on the red subscribe button under the video.

5. Click on the 🔔 next to the subscribe button to be notified when I post new videos. I’m so excited to share my evolving journey with you.

❤️ Hayley

January 29, 2019 0

Me and Maths.

Today I put a post on Facebook about maths not being my strong point. Judging by the many supportive comments and private messages, I thought it a good opportunity to do some deeper explaining.

This is a story about “Me and Maths” (I averaged 16% until I was able to drop it as a subject. Maybe if I loved it, like I love iPhoneart, I would have nailed it. Definitely something in that, about the things I nail, and the things I don’t).

Designing for Plus sizes, has many challenges, the biggest one for me being the fact that I don’t upsize regular sizes. I have created an exclusive Plus size basic block range of patterns, based on my Plus size body. Every single style that we design and manufacture at Hayley Joy, must be able to be sized from a small to a 7XL…AND…it must be as flattering on both sides of the size spectrum.

There are designs that float around in my head constantly, that never make it into the range because there is to much “maths” involved. I do have a mental block when it comes to me having to look at measurements and style lines from a mathematical perspective. I see it in my head perfectly, and I can hand draw it onto pattern paper, but it doesn’t work that way when there are 10 sizes to be made in every design.

Today was the day to break the “fear of maths” shackle!

2019 is going to be the year that I stretch myself on many levels…AND…I have committed to myself, that I’m going to follow through on every single one of these mental block situations that I have. No more hiding behind “maths is not my strong point” scenarios.

Soooooooo, this new design is one of those that only I can take on, because my brain thinks in Plus sizes, and most importantly designs in Plus sizes. This particular design is the beginnings of a new jacket design, and that piece in the picture is going to form a very over the top, collar/lapel detail. How full, how wide, how long are all incredibly important considerations, because when you take that concept and project it onto regular sizes, you can be generous and get away with it, but when you’re projecting that detail onto a 5, 6 and 7XL, there are very, very different considerations.

I booked time off, took a deep breath, and put myself to work on the pattern table, where I haven’t been for a long time, because to be honest, if I couldn’t get the design out of my brain, and onto the pattern paper, because it involved maths, then I procrastinated it to the point where it never happened. Well I’m done with procrastination and I’m most certainly done with holding myself back.

I nailed it and in doing so I’ve opened doors to other things that have been lurking in my “to-do” brain.

The aim of this blog post, is to inspire you to take on that self-inflicted hurdle, that limits a whole world that could open up for you.

Shared with love, always ❤️ Hayley

January 9, 2019 0

How my fabric print journey is teaching me patience!

This is a perfect example, of the patience that I’ve learnt, on my iPhone photo to fabric design journey.

Patience is something that eludes me in most areas of my life, because my mind races continuously with pattern, print and of course colour, and I want to see them all, now! The introduction to Photoshop for the final stage of the building of the fabric prints, has humbled me, and I now know that what I see in my design brain, requires many hours of patience, to achieve the final result. This rose print, that I created from a photo that I took with my iPhone, of a beautiful pink rose in my garden, and then put through some very interesting apps on my iPad, is an example of the patience that I’ve learnt on my photo to fabric design journey.

Rose photo edited in iPhone and iPad apps

I built this rose print from scratch, and out of interest I’m logging the hours for these prints. This one took 15 hours. It was intense because it’s the first time I’ve gone down this print road, but the result has been so incredibly rewarding. I’ve seen the samples on, and they do exactly what the plan is, fit and flatter, and offer the colour that my market so desperately want to wear.

Hayley Joy, Miracle Shape top, in Lilac Roses

I design for a hugely diverse market, and my objective when planning the prints, is to always take into account how much cover I can achieve, whilst still offering the maximum amount of colour. The lighter colours are a challenge because they tend to show every lump and bump, but when you choose a crazy colour like this vibrant lilac, and you cover it with roses, which just happen to be one of my favourite flowers, you fool the eyes of the beholder, because between the colour and the print, there is so much going on, that lumps and bumps don’t have a chance to feature.

Not sure how many of these marathon prints I can do, but I’ve dreamt of a print like this for so long, and knowing that I can create it myself, makes me a very happy fabric and fashion designer.

❤️ Hayley

August 8, 2018 2

My Life, my Passion, my Inspiration.

I took a very ordinary photo of a not so ordinary flower. It should have been trashed…but…there’s always app editing to save a bad photo.

My day today was crazy, beautiful and so incredibly rewarding. We’re printing new fabric designs for Hayley Joy for Summer ’18, and today was one of those days where everything that came off the heat press, lived up to my design dream. I’m doing lots of florals and of course lots of colour.

The heat press runs at 200 degrees, and our space is small, so little mini breaks are a necessity. This flower has been incubating in my design head since I edited it yesterday. I couldn’t wait to play with it, so on my little mini break, I went on a crazy editing journey. We joked and said that at the rate I was going, I could be designing “a print a minute”.

This is the edited version that I took on the design journey.

Once I’d cleaned the image up and created something that I could work with, I started playing.

The first edit was a simple one so that I had a base to work from.

From there it was into my most favourite app called Frax, which creates incredible Fractals. There were so many amazing results, here are a few of my favourites.

This will definitely illustrate why I’m so inspired by app editing. After all, this was a very pretty flower, captured badly, that should have been trashed.

These remind me of very glammed up seashells.

I see this design on silk scarves (my big dream is to have my own Fractal prints, printed on pure silk.)

From here I started to build actual prints for my clothing collections.

I can’t wait to print these on Chiffon.

I often get asked for fabric prints with yellow. It’s not a colour I ever really work with, but I’ve decided to honour the requests this season, and really liked this combination.

I’m not sure what I would do with this, but I love it, so I’ve added it to my think tank.

And last but not least, my absolute favourite – a labour of love to isolate it onto the black background, but so worth the effort. This one I’d print on a huge canvas.

Hope you’ve enjoyed the journey.

❤️ Hayley

July 17, 2018 4

Pretty in Pink

After a marathon fabric shopping excursion, I stopped to get some water, and there was a bunch of pink roses at the door of the shop.

There they were in an ugly bucket, on an ugly stand, in a dull concrete environment. I stood staring at them, thinking about how even in a really bland setting, a pretty bunch of pink roses, will always be pretty.

I suppose this philosophy can be applied to so many areas of our lives. Pretty is pretty, no matter the circumstances, and it’s up to us to take the time to smell the roses, and see the beauty.

In my line of work, I spend as much time selling Plus size fashion, as I do convincing my clients to see the good in themselves. A pretty heart is just as important as a pretty face, in actual fact I’d go so far as to say, that to have a pretty heart is so much more important than having just a pretty face. Body image is a very sensitive issue and that’s why I always design with the intention to make my clients feel amazing about themselves.

Spending the day in an outfit that gets loads of compliments, will automatically make you feel pretty.

I hope my photo (taken by me on my iPhone, and edited by me with my knowledge gained in an online iPhone photography course run by Emil Parkalis), brings some prettiness into your life.

❤️ Hayley

September 26, 2016 0

A commitment to all Shapes and Sizes.

Being able to dress any size, and any shape, in my Plus size collections, is the highlight of my design career. When I opened Hayley Joy, I was determined to create an environment, where every woman felt welcome and respected.

My brief to Hayley Joy production was that every style I designed and put into production, had to be able to be sized from a Small to a 7XL, so when we worked on the new Miracle Swing camisole, I held my thumbs that it would look amazing on all sizes.

This photo of Veronica who is one of my oldest and dearest customers, proves that we are absolutely on the right track. I’m loving every minute of pushing the design boundaries for Plus sizes…NOTHING.IS.IMPOSSIBLE, and Veronica is the perfect example of that philosophy.
❤️ Hayley

September 21, 2016 0

New Season, New Shape, New Collection…it’s called Ethereal.

Exciting times in Hayley Joy production…we’ve been developing a new shape, the Hayley Joy Miracle Flare Top, to add to our Plus size Miracle top collection.

With this style, my brief to my production team was ‘Ethereal’, I wanted something floaty but flattering. The challenge is always to be able to size from a Small to a 7XL without losing the aesthetic. My commitment is that every style must be able to be produced in all sizes. I also wanted a different sleeve design, I wanted a beautiful floaty sleeve, that would look feminine, be flattering, and above all else, be cool.

Huge advantage to being the in-house model…I get to try all new samples on. I’ve tried it on, and it’s a winner. I loved the feel of this top and I know you’re going to love it.

❤️ Hayley

August 31, 2016 0

Plus size leggings that don’t roll down…and I know, you know, what I mean.

The Hayley Joy basic leggings are one of our true basics. They have been engineered to fit like true Plus size leggings should…into the waist, and with the correct shaping to prevent them from rolling down under the tummy, when you sit down and stand up.

I can hear you saying, “yes exactly”!
I’m often asked how I know what is required to design styles for true Plus size shapes, that genuinely fit and flatter. Well here’s the thing, I am a Plus size myself, so it makes sense that I should be a magician at designing for odd and Plus sizes. I have a design policy that I use for all new designs…I design, we sample, and I test drive them by wearing them for a couple of hours, in the factory, going about my normal job.

I have a very basic checklist for new styles, the leggings one looked like this:
1. Sit perfectly in the waist.
2. MUST NOT ROLL DOWN when sitting and standing up. (This is all in the back crutch design, which I take into account, because it cannot be the same as it is for normal sizes.)
3. Added bonus would be, if the leggings kept their shape all day and didn’t make knees. (Not always achievable, but I try my best to check the quality of the stretch before they go into production.)
4. Make sure that the non-curl elastic does its job and doesn’t twist, and that the elastic is loose enough that it doesn’t dig into the waist, especially if they’re being worn for exercise purposes.

I can absolutely vouch for the HJ leggings. I wear them for Pilates and never have to adjust them. I wear them to work in with long funky tops, and I wear them smart/casual as well.
I love the comfort factor, and it’s soooooo important for me to go through a day, in a garment that doesn’t make me feel like I want to rip it off at lunchtime.

The basic Black leggings are a great basic, but I do love the printed ones, as they provide great cover on my, not so perfect legs.

❤️ H

To shop now at Hayley Joy online, click here

July 24, 2016 0

A Plus size, unstructured jacket, for all occasions.

The Spring/Summer ’16 range of Miracle Wave jackets, are now available from Hayley Joy Online.
http://hayleyjoy.com

I love being able to share great Plus size designs with you…these Hayley Joy Miracle Wave jackets are my new favourite HJ style. I’m all about designing for comfort and the longer I wear HJ, the more spoilt I become.

This Miracle Wave jacket style came to be, after many conversations in HJ retail, about the need for a basic styled jacket, that could work for different occasions. So many of my Corporate clients struggle to find a basic black jacket that is long enough to cover their problem areas, as well as smart enough to fit in with the Corporate look. This style seems to be acceptable in most corporate environments.

Semi-casual occasion wear is another gap in Plus size clothing. It’s really difficult to find a smart/casual jacket in all sizes. There are lots and lots of ‘one size fits all’ options available, but I’m afraid they don’t go anywhere near me, and I get really despondent trawling the shops. I put myself through this every so often, as part of my market research. I walk in the shoes of my clients, and that gives me perfect indications of what I need to be designing. The advantage of this style is that you can keep it simple, or dress it up with scarves, jewellery or a sparkly camisole.

And last but not least, it is the most wonderful travel garment. It doesn’t crease so you can fold it up, keep it in your handbag, and when needed you just slip it on and it looks perfect.

I will be introducing them, through the season, in a variety of different fabrics and they are generously sized from small to 7XL.
❤️ Hayley

http://hayleyjoy.com/hayley-joy-miracle-wave-jacket

July 20, 2016 0

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