ABOUT US

There is a horrible misconception out there that plus-size women don’t care about the way they look and aren’t interested in fashionable clothes.  Rubbish!  We know that when you are wearing an outfit that really works with your body, you feel sexier, more confident, and more ready to take on the world!  Here at Dare Fashion, we believe that women of all shapes and sizes have a right to clothes that make them look and feel beautiful.  With this in mind, we create fabulous, fun, and affordable clothing that is designed to flatter the curvy figure. 

We named our flagship line Dare to Wear, because we design clothes for plus-size women who dare to be noticed.  Women who dare to stand out in a crowd, wearing stylish and beautiful clothes that accentuate their curves to create a look that is alluring, yet tasteful and sophisticated.  Our romantic, Victorian-inspired line was a runaway success, and we have since added our signature line, Dare by Natalia, also designed for the curvy figure, but with more contemporary styling.  We know that plus (+) also means positive, we hope you feel more positive when you are wearing our fashions!

OUR DESIGNER

Natalia grew up in Siberia, where her mother and grandmothers taught her to make her own clothes using an antique foot-treadle sewing machine. It was the Soviet times – material possessions were scarce - if you loved a dress, you wore it till it was threadbare, then took it apart and used it as a pattern to make new dresses.  Natalia was an energetic and creative child, and more than anything, she loved to make fun things to wear.  Throughout the long, cold Siberian winter, she would busy herself with sewing and knitting projects – she made hats, mittens, scarves, sweaters, and dresses, all the while developing an eye for color and pattern and fantasizing about being a fashion designer.

When she came to the US, her first foray into fashion was as owner of an eBay store selling club and occasion apparel.  She received countless pleading emails from customers, “Can you get this in plus sizes?  I have nothing great like this to wear!”  She searched far and wide for fashion that worked with the curvy figure to create a look that is feminine, romantic, and alluring.  She could picture in her head exactly what she was looking for, but it was nowhere to be found.  Suddenly, she realized that if she wanted to see the clothes that she imagined, she would have to make them herself… and that’s when Dare to Wear was born.

When designing clothes, Natalia always starts with the fit.  She first imagines what would bring out the best features in the figures of the plus-sized women that she knows best: beautiful divas such as her best friends Marina and Catarina, and her Auntie Lubov.  Upon this fit, she likes to layer detailing from many influences, ranging from the Victorian, Renaissance and Romantic to the fantastical Goth and the playful whimsy of Japanese Harajuku street fashion.  She hand-picks and matches colors and patterns with finishing elements such as lace trims, corsets, and ribbons to create looks that are daring and edgy, while remaining sweet and feminine… stylish and sophisticated looks that are uniquely Dare Fashion.

DARE TO CARE

Here at Dare Fashion, we dare to care about our environment!  We have a strong commitment to green and sustainable practices (unavoidable when your day-to-day operations are run by a guy with a doctorate in Ecology).

• All of our garments are made locally, right here in downtown San Francisco.
• Whenever possible, we ship our products in reused or over-run boxes.
• When shipping to our retailers, we don’t individually wrap our garments in plastic, and we don’t ship them on disposable plastic hangers.
• When we must wrap our garments, we use compostable plastic bags.
• We print our shipping labels on reused or recycled paper.
• Our office is located in downtown San Francisco, easily accessible by the BART subway, Muni bus lines, and walkable from many locations.
• Both Natalia and Ben also reduce their carbon footprint by biking to work every day!

We have sought to streamline our procedures to use and reuse resources most efficiently without ever compromising quality or style.  Our goal is to have our customers looking beautiful and glamorous while keeping our planet healthy and green!