JMS at Walmart, and in my closet!

Now you've never heard me use the words Walmart and Excited in the same sentence before... But all that is about to change!

Why am I super-excited about Walmart these days? Three little letters... J-M-S. As in Just My Size! As in, not only the most comfortable panties and best fitting pantyhose you can buy, but now as in Wear-to-work, Play-in-all-day and Wear-out-on-the-town fashion apparel! You heard me... I said, Fashion apparel!

Here's what happened to me at work a couple of weeks ago... I've already shared with you about the fantastic speaker at our national sales meeting here - But I was also asked by the amazing woman responsible for everything the fashion show portion of the meeting if I would model an outfit from the Hanes JMS line. If you don't already know... Hanes is so much more than the #1 Men's T-shirt and underwear!

Anyway... Seems there were two JMS outfits from the line without models. So, rather than hire one more agency model to show two outfits, she said she'd love to have me an another employee walk them instead. Of course, I was flattered. Especially on a personal level since it was exactly this time last year that I was hiding in the back row of our meeting hoping not to be noticed. But today, after dropping nearly half my weight with CLEAN, I was being asked to model an outfit in front of 500+ HbI employees. No... Really!

I'm also grateful to have been asked to do this for another reason too... You see, for as many years as I've known about the tremendous success of the JMS casualwear line at Walmart and on-line, I simply never believed it was meant for me. I was so stuck in my thinking that Lane Bryant was the only authority on plus-size fit. And certainly not because Lane Bryant fit me... Honestly, on top of being really expensive relative to the quality, only a handful of Lane Bryant skirt and sweater styles fit me comfortably. Lane Bryant pant styles were always unflattering on me. After their designers decided that plus-size women no longer needed/wanted belly coverage from their pants, I stopped wearing pants altogether.

Truthfully, it seemed to me that all clothing designers had their heads turned ten years ago by girls flashing their stomachs, so they forgot all about the rest of us that actually prefer and need pants with zippers more than an inch long. Let's face it, not every girl has a waist that falls on her hip bones. It wasn't until late last year, after what the fashion industry refers to as, "mom jeans" (which I call pants with an adequate waistline) finally came back that I began shopping for pants again. It's still shocking to me that 70's bell bottoms and leggings from the early 90's made it back before waistbands on slacks, but I'm slowly getting over it.

So I have to tell you... As I was handed this super-cute JMS outfit to model, my first thought was that I wouldn't have to decline modeling at the meeting to stop from embarrassing myself, because I thought there was no way it would fit. Well guess what!? It fit. Like. A. Glove.

The smallest size JMS cuffed jeans slipped over my hips and hugged my waist at exactly the right spot for perfect comfort. Bending, sitting, standing still or even if you find yourself walking in a fashion show, Exceptional fit and superb comfort come standard in JMS.

As for the top I modeled... And, this will kill you... It was blue and white horizontal stripes! Horizontal stripes that absolutely flattered my shape, thank you very much!

How, you ask? Well, I'll tell you... The outfit I modeled was nautical-themed, so navy blue and white stripes on top, worn over cuffed jeans made total sense - Imagine an outfit our non plus/average-size friends might wear for a stroll through a beach-side resort or on a weekend aboard their yacht. Well now... Thanks to JMS, that same nautical ensemble totally works for my shape too! How? Because JMS is designed by fabulous, real-life, full-figured women who get what it means to really fit curves. Therefore, while the top is all about cool, horizontal stripes, (typically a no-no for a fashion shrew like me) JMS brilliantly offsets what I perceive as negatives, through the addition of a shape-flattering v-neck with built-in peek-a-boo tank, and 3/4-length sleeves. These subtle design elements allow stripes to flatter, not flop! Had I not worn this outfit myself, I would have never believed it! Want to see it?

Here it is!

                                        Photo courtesy JMS/Hanes Brands, Inc.

I got to wear the exact same pair of sunglasses, (on top of my head, because walking the runway in sunglasses could only lead me straight off the edge!) those same bangles on my arm and I carried that bag too - All sent down with the outfit from the Hanes Brands/JMS showroom in New York! 

I can tell you from wearing these pieces... They not only fit right, and were super-comfy but everything is also very well constructed. So every piece will last beyond one season of wash and wear. And, because JMS style is trend-right without being the five-minute kind of trendy, you'll want to pull them out to wear year after year. 

Get the top here and jeans here.  Just don't let the low price of this outfit shock you out of being able to complete your order - If you need to see higher numbers because that's what you're used to, just buy MORE! I couldn't wait to get these jeans and some JMS Capri's into my closet so I stopped at Walmart on my way home after the meeting and bought several pair in every style. And, I paid less than $80. Take that, Lane Bryant!

Want to see more of the JMS line from Hanes Brands?

Here are a few photos I snapped at our sales meeting...

A whole collection of beautiful, mix-and-match pieces made especially for us!

I'm a bit partial to the Graphics collection... Which is to be expected

since I work for the creative team behind all Hanes graphic apparel! 

To see it, feel it and fit it for yourself, shop JMS on-line or skip on over

to Walmart. JMS fashion makes shopping at Walmart smart and cool!

Another very cool thing I learned about our business at the sales meeting is that there is finally an up-tick in hosiery sales. For years the category has been in decline - But no more!

I'm excited about this news because I've been wearing pantyhose or knee-highs to work every day since 1985. Frankly, nothing else I wear makes me feel more feminine, so I didn't get the decline in sales... I mean, I get it... Business casual is the norm at offices, and Sunday-best seems to only apply to little girls in Easter bonnets. Nevertheless, I grew up in Europe where leaving the house without tights was, considered indecent like forgetting to put on shoes.

This rebirth for hosiery means I'll continue to find my Hanes favorites, (L'eggs, JMS and DKNY) in stores, and that attention will continue to be paid to design and wear-enhancements. Speaking of enhancements, did you know that Hanes makes a run-resistant pantyhose? I'm not talking about our Sheer Energy brand slowing down... I'm talking about a pantyhose that won't snag, run or let you poke your finger through it, like you will can with non-Hanes pantyhose brands. No-run technology gets a big high-five from me!

Yes, I work for Hanes... Very proudly so. But the fact is, this is more about you than it is about me or Hanes. JMS is flying off the shelves at Walmart so Hanes hardly needs me to sell it - and, they don't know about my blog. But you and me... We're friends, and I always let you in on the great things I love! I'm sharing JMS with you because you need to know there is an affordable and dare I say, a much Better option for plus-size apparel. You also deserve to know about all great-things Hanes... Such as Wonderbra, Champion, Bali, Playtex and Barely There, just to name a few of our many amazing brands!

Besides, you know me... I've been a Hanes customer, Hanes wife and a Hanes mom for decades longer than I've been an employee. I'm faithful to the brand because Hanes always earns my trust. Truthfully, the Ranger would never have survived the years between three and fourteen without Hanes socks. Because everyone knows kids can't wear socks with those pesky toe bumps on the sides... And, Hanes socks are the only socks to eliminate toe bumps!

So I've shown you the outfit I modeled in a stock-photo from the line worn by a professional model... Now, because I love you more than my Mini, and because I've been to Walmart and bought a whole closet-full of JMS to wear all summer, I can show you the outfit on me. Minus the navy/white striped top, because that piece is completely sold out in my area...

Fortunately, I love it in pink just as much!

And I love it with my white JMS Capris too!!

What are you waiting for? Get over

to Walmart and get your JMS on!