Conquering my fashion limits, one dress at a time

"Dress like you're embracing life, not hiding from it." ~ Peter Morrissey

I 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.