Powered by Blogger.
"Dress like you're embracing life, not hiding from it." ~ Peter MorrisseyI continue to learn more about myself as I get older. After my brother died last year, I have been in therapy and while I initially went to help with the grief, it has turned out to be this incredible thing where I am learning more about myself and making changes that have helped me be more comfortable in who I am. This rings true when it comes to my style.
I lost my way for a bit because my confidence wasn't at a high point where I felt comfortable enough to truly be me when it comes to fashion. And now with getting older, I am also trying to stay true to my style while dressing for my age. I know some people will say that I should dress how I want but at 45 years old, I'm not a kid anymore and I feel I have to set an example for my nieces, my goddaughter and my younger family members.
So no more F**K you graphic tees or brass knuckles as a fashion accessory. I still rock with my handcuff print handbag that I have had for about 15 years but I think I can get away with that, lol. And I will always love my graphic tees, sneakers and tulle skirts. But as I have gotten older, I have wanted to still keep my style but add some class, maturity and femininity to it while keeping my edge. I also realized that I didn't wear a lot of things because of how critical I was of my body and showing parts of it. At this point of my life, I want to live limitlessly where my fear doesn't stop me from trying new styles.
I don't really like body con dresses or dresses above the knee. I don't know why but I have not felt comfortable in them. When I was a teen and in my 20's, I wore body con dresses and above-the-knee skirts and dresses. But somewhere in my 30's, my confidence took a hit and so did my style. I wore a lot of black and dark colors. B-O-R-R-R-I-N-G! And I am so NOT boring.
So a few months ago, when I attended an event for fullbeauty's Fall 2015 Preview. Designer and TV personality Cherie Christmas was there, wearing this beautiful blue print wrap dress from her new collection with the brand, I was in love! And at first thought, I assumed I could not pull it off. She begged to differ and told me she would make sure I had it when it became available.
Me with Cherie Christmas -- My entire look is from Simply Be except the shoes (from Lane Bryant) and Audrey Hepburn necklace (a gift) |
Fast forward two months later, the coveted blue print wrap dress arrives and WOW! I am more in love with it.
I paired the dress with my blue patent flats from Lane Bryant, a neon green clutch that I borrowed from a friend and a gold necklace and hoops that I have had forever but never worn.
I took Cherie's advice and sized down to a 22/24, so the dress fit me like a second skin but it was comfy and looked great. The color is amazing and it made me feel so good that I had fun taking these pictures while visiting Philadelphia.
I love how it shows off my body and curves but still has a chicness element to it. And I love the color - it just pops! This is a dress that you will definitely get noticed in -- in a good way!
If you haven't checked out Cherie's collection at fullbeauty.com, you definitely should. The necklace, bag and chain belt below are also from her collection. And get this... that chain belt is actually a bag strap!!! Yes! It comes with a smaller quilted black bag that has a smaller strap. The chain strap makes the bag convertible. You can wear the bag as a clutch, a shoulder purse or a crossbody. The chain belt can be worn as a belt, a necklace or a bracelet.
And as you can see, the chain belt fit me with plenty of chain to spare. My waist is 49" and I wear a size 26, for reference.
The bag with the chain belt is called the The Cherie Glam Clutch and you can check it out here. It comes in gold too and it's on my must-buy list.
I have my eye on the black tote (above) that was so wonderful and the perfect size. That's going to be my next purchase. You can check out the Cherie Tote Bag here.
These are a few other looks I have my eye on from fullbeauty (see above). The black top and print pant on the left is from Cherie's collection as well. You can't go wrong with a print pant. And the dress on the right is from Roaman's (click here). Love!
All in all, I love the collection. Cherie really pays attention to detail and is open to feedback. She is all about fit and making clothing that will have women feeling great when they wear her pieces. And being that I am above a size 22, this means everything to me.
You can check out the dress I'm wearing here: The Cherie Imitation Wrap Dress
You can check out Cherie's entire collection here.
fullbeauty also launched an in-house active collection this fall which is all about fit and function. I'm eager to try pieces from there as well since I am always looking for comfortable activewear. I love that fullbeauty is recognizing that plus size women are the same as their thinner sisters... we want fashion, we want to look good, we work out and we love versatility in clothing.
Yes! I feel like I'm conquering the world, one dress at a time. :-)
Please note: The dress and bag were gifted to me by fullbeauty. But all opinions in this post are my own.
"My memories are of denim. I remember being 12 in my Levi's. Wow!" Stefano Gabbana
When I think of my pre-teen days in middle school, my memories are of denim. Like Stefano Gabbana, I remember being 12 in my Levi's.
However, the difference here is that I was a plus size kid and had to "borrow" my dad's Levi's. As a child growing up in the 80's, I was thankful for the men's department because for me, the only designer brand that offered my size 36/38 bottom some jeans in the women's department was Gloria Vanderbilt. God bless that woman.
While I loved my colored Gloria Vanderbilt jeans (She was before her time with colored denim), it wasn't quite the same as wearing regular wash denim. When I put on those Levi's, I felt normal. I felt like everyone else. I felt like I didn't have to try hard to fit in fashion-wise because I was wearing what the thinner kids were wearing.
1985 - when acid wash denim was hot (and now it's back!) - I'm on the right |
A few decades later, plus size denim has evolved and there are more options. But now at a size 26, my options are still limited. And let's not even talk about the fact that I have a small waist in comparison to my bust and hips AND I have large upper calves and smaller ankles. So skinny jeans for me are no-go, even in plus sizes. Retailers seem to think all calves are one straight size. But I digress.
However, denim has played such a big part of my life because it is my go-to everyday piece. I love how I can take a pair of jeans and wear it effortlessly from day to night with a switch of shoes and an addition of a jacket or different top. Add some accessories and a hot clutch and BAM, there you go! So I refuse to give up on finding the perfect fitting pair of jeans for me. But it feels like there is still more changes to be made when it comes to offering fashion to women above a size 24.
I have made no secret for my love for Catherines. I've been a brand ambassador for them twice this year and I never endorse a brand unless I truly love the fit and quality of their clothing. They are one of two places I have been able to get denim off the rack, that fits well. And they offer up to a size 34 and 6X. Yes! So when they reached out to me to be a part of their #denimdebut campaign and gifted me some jeans, I jumped at the chance.
I opted to choose a pair of medium wash jeans from their new True Stretch line to try something new and get out of my fashion box. I usually wear dark denim because I am not comfortable showing off my lumpy thighs. But I realized I was making my lumps more visible than they actually are. We see things differently than how the world sees them, when we focus too much on the negative. This is something I am working on one day at a time.
I paired my jeans with a embellished neck tank top, black lace mixed-media jacket and suede booties, all from Catherines. I added a pop of color with this dope green bag from Fashion to Figure.
I love the silver fringe detail at the neck of this tank. It takes a simple tank and makes it FANCY. And I love all things fancy.
This jacket is the best thing I own at the moment. The sleeves have stretch so they fit my large upper arms well. And the length of the sleeves are perfect (I usually have issues with sleeves being slightly long on me). Love the mix of lace and faux leather - very chic. And this jacket looks very expensive.
Now I have yet to find a pair of jeans that fit me like a second skin but I will take what I can get. Sure, the fit isn't smooth because of the size ratio between my thighs, knees and calves. But I think I still look pretty damn good. And that's what counts.
Thanks Catherines for offering some of the best fit and quality in clothing for plus size women that I have seen to date. And that is my personal opinion (no endorsement deal at all). I think my pictures and beaming smile say it all.
You can shop my look here:
Check out Catherines on social media with the hashtag #denimdebut to see how other plus size fashion bloggers make their own denim debuts in Catherines new denim line this fall. What do you think of my look? Do you have issues finding great denim? Please leave me a comment below and let me know!
**Sponsored post disclaimer: The clothing in this post was gifted but all of the statements and opinions are my own.**
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons