The members-only shopping site ideeli — which offers clothes and accessories at a steep discount for a limited time — has added new plus size sales. “Plus Size Perfection” will be held on alternating Wednesdays starting at noon. It kicked off this week.

Petite sales will be offered on the other Wednesdays.

Plus size designers participating so far include Ravon, Tiana B, Tahari, Donna Ricco New York, Seven7, Juicy and Calvin Klein. The first sale included casual and fancy dresses, jeans, tops, coats and even lingerie. Prices were good too. This adorable khaki skirt from XCVI, which retails for $105, was offered for $29. And this pretty blue dress from Tahari was on sale for $59, though it retails for $159.

The conversation around special sizes first began with ideeli’s followers on both Facebook and Twitter, where members began expressing a strong interest in seeing plus size options on the site.

“Many designers cap their collections at size 10, yet there is clearly demand for contemporary styles in fuller-figured sizes. With special size apparel still underrepresented in retail – particularly in the popular flash sale category – we couldn’t ignore the incredible response from members and we’re excited to now offer a great selection of brands, styles and sizes on a consistent basis,” says Mary Harmon, group vice president at ideeli.

View the photos below, and click here to watch a behind-the-scenes video from Riley’s shoot.

But here’s the catch: Because Inclusive will be sold only on H&M’s website, plus size ladies in the United States won’t be able to get it. According to Frockwriter, the items will be available in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Swedish Finland and the UK.

It’s a real shame, because the clothes look great. They’re much more fashion-forward than a lot of plus size lines by other retailers. We may not be able to buy it here, but Inclusive is a real step in the right direction.

Here’s a look at a few of the dresses that will be available:

Morae is the daughter of actress Lisa Raye, and appears with her mom on the reality show “Lisa Raye: The Real McCoy.” According to Bossip.com, Morae is Apple Bottoms’ first plus-size spokesmodel.

Morae herself recently said that in the modeling world, what’s considered “plus size” is what the rest of the world considers normal. She told Gloss magazine: “I don’t because most people don’t realize when you see plus-size models, you see a girl that’s about a size 12 or 14. To me, it’s just thick, it’s not plus-size. I don’t think I’ll ever be skinny; I don’t want to be skinny.”

Here are some behind the scenes pictures from the Apple Bottoms shoot, which was done by photographer Derek Blanks. Looks like the shoot will be featured in an upcoming episode of “Lisa Raye: The Real McCoy.”

Click here to shop Apple Bottoms’ plus size line.

If you’re larger, shopping for maternity items can be hard; it seems like many stores only offer items in “standard” sizes. And often, what is available, can be very expensive.

I like Torrid’s line, though the items are a little tamer than the typical trendy, somewhat sexy clothes the store sells. Torrid’s maternity options also aren’t too expensive — definitely a plus when you’re buying clothes that won’t be a permanent part of your wardrobe.

The majority of the items Torrid is offering are tops, with a few cardigans and dresses thrown in. There are only a handful of pants; two skinny jeans (one with a belly band, the other without) and a pair of leggings. But again, when you’re looking for maternity, a focus on basics is a good idea.

One of my favorite items is this pretty red dress with crocheted shoulders and back. It also comes in black, and the crochet detail adds some visual interest to an otherwise simple look. The dress is $54.

Another favorite of mine is a rather sporty-looking faux wrap top that’s available in plum and black. It’s got a nice peplum bottom that cinches below the belly, and a pretty rosette detail on the back. It costs $38.

Torrid’s maternity items are available in sizes 0 (12) to 4 (26/28). Many items are online-only, but you can call Torrid to find out what store near you has maternity items. Their customer service number is 866-867-7431.

• Follow three fashion fundamentals: silhouette, proportion and fit. When they are in harmony and balance, anyone can look fabulous.
• Invest in the essentials: wrap dresses, belts and skirt/top combinations. Each of these items will have long lasting staying power.
• Shop smartly: When people shop on a budget they are very thoughtful and mindful about how new items will fit into their wardrobe and lifestyle. Think strategically about your overall wardrobe and how the garments you are purchasing will fit in.
• Embrace your shape: Even if it seems that everyone is wearing a particular style one season, be sure to evaluate how it will work with your shape before committing to purchase it yourself. Embrace your own shape—it’s beautiful — and adopt the trends that accentuate your best features.

“If getting fashion right were easy, everyone would look fabulous, but it can be challenging… Providing helpful styling tips is great because it helps people celebrate their new look and recalibrate their thinking about style, while finding an enhanced self-confidence,” Gunn said.

Valerie Bertinelli, Sara Rue, Nicole Sullivan, Jason Alexander — and now Carrie Fisher.

The actress famous for playing Princess Leia in the original “Star Wars” trilogy has announced she will be the new celebrity spokeswoman for weight loss company Jenny Craig.

(Jenny Craig photo)

“A day comes when you can no longer face not wanting to leave the house because you don’t like the way you look,” said Fisher. “A day comes when you want to stop apologizing for it. When you want to make a decision to live the rest of your life in a healthy way.”

Fisher, who reportedly weighed 180 pounds at her heaviest, was about 105 pounds when she made the “Star Wars” movies in the ’70s and ’80s. The slave costume she wore in “Return of the Jedi” made her an instant sex symbol for sci-fi fans everywhere.

“I look on the Internet and they say, ‘Whatever happened to Carrie Fisher? She used to be so hot and now she looks like Elton John,’ ” she tells People magazine . “I was really hurt.”

Fisher will appear in Jenny Craig’s new advertising campaign that launches in February 2011.

Curvy List is about loving yourself at whatever size you happen to be, so I think it’s great that Fisher has chosen to get healthier. Her goal is realistic — 30 pounds — and if she succeeds, she’ll still be a beautiful, curvy woman.

If you ask me, she looks stunning. But of course she was stunning before.

Raven’s long been a curvy style star, and she’s always confident, no matter her size. “I thought I looked fabulous before and nobody else did,” she told People. “So, whatever.”

Raven recently shot a pilot for “The Great State of Georgia,” written by plus size author Jennifer Weiner.

The “Million Dollar Makeover” kicked off in late December and continues through Jan. 31. Entrants must “like” Macy’s at www.facebook.com/macys to access the contest application. Entrants will also be required to submit either a video or picture.

“Macy’s Million Dollar Makeover is my typical makeover on steroids,” said Clinton. “The winner will not only get some quality time with me to update their look, but will get a truly life-changing experience. From fashion to finance to fitness, one lucky person will undergo a complete life transformation.”

Eight contestants will be selected in early February to undergo a makeover session with Clinton. Each contestant’s personal story and makeover will be filmed and posted to Facebook for an open voting period that begins in March. The videos will be posted two per week, with the most-voted on video each week proceeding to the semi-finals in April. The two most-voted on videos from the semi-finals, will compete in a finals round – with the victor winning the million dollar makeover.

Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy of "Mike and Molly" (CBS)

A Marie Claire writer has stirred up several hornet’s nests with her recent post, “Should ‘Fatties’ Get a Room? (Even on TV?)” Maura Kelly, who admits she struggled with an eating disorder and her own weight, said some shockingly hateful things about the stars of the new CBS show “Mike & Molly,” even claiming to be “grossed out” by the idea of overweight people being physically affectionate.

She writes, “I think I’d be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other … because I’d be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything. To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room.”

Kelly then compares overweight people to drunks and heroin addicts.

But she doesn’t stop there. She goes on to offer glib advice — eat vegetables! get exercise! — and suggests that fat people are lazy. Apparently, in her world, it’s super easy to lose weight. More from Kelly: “I think obesity is something that most people have a ton of control over. It’s something they can change, if only they put their minds to it.”

Try telling that to the men and women everywhere who do their best to eat healthy and exercise every day, yet still can’t manage to lose weight.

And of course, Kelly’s post has set off a firestorm of angry responses.

Mark Roberts, “Mike & Molly” creator, recently told Entertainment Weekly: “What she did was not out of any concern or love for anybody. It’s just judgmental behavior. We all have our own problems. We all have things that we’re dealing with. To be honest, at the end of the day, it’s really nobody else’s business. To come out and publicly say the kinds of things she said about other human beings, it’s very high school. As I read it, I just pictured a girl sitting in a high school cafeteria saying snotty things to her other snotty friends. It just sounded very childish and not very thought-out. I’m guessing if she’s any kind of a human being, she’s really, really regretting what she did.”

(Kelly has posted an “apology” on the blog post, but it reads like it was written for her, and isn’t really much of an apology at all)

Feminista’s Erica Kennedy was horrified by the Marie Claire post. She writes: “This actually frightens me. Really. Because now we know what’s really going on in Maura Kelly’s head.  And we know there are other women who read this and thought it was okay to post.  There are plus-size women who work with these chicks, in whose faces Maura Kelly & Co. smile every day, and now those plus-size women know THIS is what their peers think of them. They know that these women don’t, in fact, consider them equals, they consider them pitiable and contemptible fatties.”

And that’s where the real tragedy of this situation comes in. Reading some of the more than 3,000 comments currently on the Maura Kelly article, you see people who agree with her. And even the most confident curvy woman is bound to take it just a little personally, and — if even for a second — wonder how many people look at them and are “grossed out.”