"Wear them, they will make you brave."~ Ann Brashares, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

I have always been vocal on the topic of finding jeans that fit my size 26/28 body AND seeing more bodies that look like mine in campaigns and in the media. 


Jeans have been the devil for most of my life. I love them so much but finding a pair that fits has been like looking for a Holy Grail.





We decided to review a pair of the same jeans from Avenue and see how they fit all of us. We were each given a size 26 and a size 28 in the 1432 Skinny Jean in Medium Wash. 

For the record, my measurements are 57-51-68 and I'm 5'7". I typically wear a size 28 regular in jeans. My calves measure 23" around the largest part so skinny jeans are always an issue for me.

Avenue is a brand that has been around since the 80's and they have always offered up to a size 32.  I personally have been rocking with them since then and even worked for the company in the late 80's as a store employee. 

For me, I have a belly and a small waist. I have rolls in my thighs so I tend to shy away from light colored jeans because they show EVERYTHING. So this was a major challenge for me. I'm still on this journey of loving all of me, including what I THINK are my flaws. 

But then I thought about the four other women in this collab and how they were going to wear the jeans too. And it did make me feel brave, just like the character Bridget in the movie Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants said they would.





I also paired them with my new Audrey Hepburn tee from Torrid and my sequin sleeve bomber jacket from Ashley Nell Tipton's line at JC Penney last year. Something about sequins, Audrey and also wearing my favorite leopard print Puma sneakers made me feel brave enough to wear these jeans out in the world with my not-so-smooth thighs.

I have to say, I loved the fit on these jeans. I fit into the 26 average and everything fit well except for the waist. Since I have a smaller waist in comparison to my hips, I almost always have a gap in the back of my pants and have to wear a belt. These were no different. 

Small tip for my smaller waist girls: I have found that if jeans have back elastic, they don't gap. 

I wore them all day to really see how the recovery is because no one likes jeans that stretch out as you move and then don't bounce back. These have great recovery and provided me with support, which I loved.



I decided to wear these jeans on a day at the park. They recently built a new park across the street from my house and it has a track, hopscotch grid, tennis court and other cool things. I have been wanting to start walking the track for a while now but kept putting it off out of fear of people staring at me. 



Sometimes I just love to walk so I usually don't intentionally wear workout clothing. I am usually in a tee and jeans like I was this day. So I thought to myself, why not do a lap while wearing these jeans? And I did and I made it!

That day I overcame some more of my fears like wearing light colored jeans and finally getting to the park to walk a lap. And guess what? No one stared at me. Sometimes I think we all get into our heads too much instead of just living. 

So when I made it to the FINISH line, I was so happy and overjoyed. I felt proud of myself. And that's what being fearless is all about. 





As we left the park, I saw a No Standing sign and thought to myself all of those times where people told me I was not worthy of being here or taking space and how I never gave up and stayed put. I can stand where I want, being me. 



Just as I am allowed to have fashion accessible to me in my size RIGHT NOW and not 4 sizes from now. Thank you Avenue for always offering great fashion in my size and not giving up on that customer. It means so much to me and I am sure to so many more women out there like me.

Shop my look below:

1432 Skinny Jean in Medium Wash from Avenue

Audrey Hepburn Diamonds Crew Tee from Torrid

Puma Clyde Suits Sneakers at 6pm.com

Click below to see how my Sisterhood felt in their jeans:

Saucye West
Jessica Kane - Life and Style of Jessica Kane
Corissa Enneking - Fat Girl Flow
Lisa Schoenberger - MustangSallyTwo

Jacket: Melissa McCarthy Seven7 via Gwynnie Bee / Tee: Torrid / Pants: 2 B Continued Jeans

"Why change? Everyone has his own style. When you have found it, you should stick to it." ~ Audrey Hepburn

When you're told as a young child what to wear and what NOT to wear, it's hard to shake those fashion rules from your mind and not let it affect your style and what you wear. 

Looking back now, I see how suppressed I was fashion-wise and sometimes, I will admit, I feel like I wasted so much time listening to what others thought. But then I think of the overall journey and realize that I had to go through those moments to get to the place I am now. 



I'm 46 and I have mermaid hair, love wearing graphic tees, anything leopard print and sneakers. I love wearing pearl necklaces, bangle bracelets and hoop earrings. I love shiny things and all things sparkle. I own so many moto jackets in different colors and just love to mix lace and leather. I don't feel my age AT ALL.

And most importantly, I have learned that age, size and gender should never dictate your style and who you are.



I was reminded of that this weekend while my nieces visited. My middle niece is 14 and she's wonderfully different. She reminds me of myself. She loves wearing black and purple, loves skulls, leather, studded pieces, flannel shirts and Doc Martens. 



She is a brilliantly gifted artist who aspires to work for Disney Pixar one day. And she is currently having a hard time with being true to herself in this judgmental world.




Seems to me it's harder now than it was when I was coming up. I grew up in the 70's and 80's when there was no social media and we actually met up at 3pm after school to fight it out with our fists but even that was rare. Most times, situations were mediated and squashed quickly. You had that one bully in school but it wasn't to the extreme it is now.

Kids nowadays are ruthless with cyber bullying and memes. Cameras and video via their phones and now those fists have been replaced with guns. There isn't just one bully anymore to fear but a group of bullies -- sometimes it can feel like the whole school is against you. This is how my niece feels and I have to admit, I feel helpless and just want to take her out of school and protect her from the world.



This weekend, she was crying about Valentine's Day, saying that she refuses to wear a dress because that's not her. She said she'd rather wear jeans and a tee instead. And I was trying to console her and tell her that she can wear anything she wants, when my youngest niece Angel, who's 10, blurted out:

"Just dress how you want to be!"

Man, out the mouth of babes! We all just looked at her and I asked her to say that again. Who knew a 10-year old would change that moment into a positive one? 



It made me think how hard I fought against society and got to this place where I dress how I want to be. And my wish for all three of my nieces is for them to not wait until the age of 46 to dress how they want to be. This reminded me how important it is for me to share my journey with them and inspire them to be true to themselves. Everything I do, every step I take, is for them.

I know some people get annoyed with me or think I am some Pollyanna who is all about unicorns and rainbows. But I have to be that way for them. They have already lost their dad and no child should suffer a great loss like that. But it happens. So my life is now devoted to them.



Being different is amazing and wonderful. Why would you want to be like everyone else anyway? So I tell all my nieces this daily and I especially remind my middle niece of this, as I pull her into a tight hug. I tell her that she is brilliant, beautiful, smart and incredible. And that I am proud to be her aunt.

And when she left to go home with her sisters, she said to me:

"I love you, Auntie. Even all your over-the-top stuff! You inspire me."

And that made my heart swell. Even though sometimes we don't realize it, style and fashion are not just for you but for everyone. You can inspire someone and give them life by just dressing how you want to be.

As a matter of fact, I love prints in general. If you peeked in my closet, you'd see an array of prints and a handful of solid color pieces, which are usually vibrant colors. I have loved prints since I was a kid. It's just something about the patterns and colors meshed together. I always look at a printed piece of clothing as a work of art and a way to be fearless in fashion. Prints are something that almost every woman has struggled to wear because of what we think will happen once we walk out the door. It's not just a "big girl" thing. My thinner sisters have felt it, too. People can be critical and cruel with their words, while thinking they are offering sound advice. And sometimes we do care what others think, when really we shouldn't.

Some people believe prints are unflattering and "ugly". But lately prints have been becoming popular and more women are embracing prints as a trend. Which is good news to me because now there are so many prints to choose from, that I am beside myself. LOL

I love Audrey Hepburn. Everyone who knows me, know I loves me some Audrey.

I call my bedroom the Audrey room. There's framed Audrey movie posters, huge Audrey canvas I scored at IKEA and even an Audrey clock that my brother gave me for Christmas two years ago. I own two Audrey tees, an Audrey lunchbox, books and am now on a quest for some Audrey ballerina flats. My friend Donna actually found an Audrey Hepburn wine glass that she gifted me! I even have an Audrey luggage tag on my suitcase.

My Audrey canvas in the background

People often ask me, "Why do you love Audrey so much?" and it is assumed that I love her because she was and is still a fashion icon. Nope, that's not the reason. Don't get me wrong. I love her style and have mimicked it at times in my life. But what I love about Audrey so much is that she was fearless.

She had been through a lot in her life. Audrey lived in Europe during World War II, mostly in the Netherlands and her father was absent for most of her life. Her plan was to be a ballet dancer and she trained so well that by the time she was 15, she was dancing in secret for groups of people to collect money for the Dutch resistance. Her family starved and really suffered during the war. But she used her creative talents as an outlet and even drew as a way to pass the time. This is why she became so passionate in helping others and became a humanitarian later in life, becoming a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

After being told that she was too tall and weak to become a prima ballerina, she worked in theatre to pay the bills until she was discovered and became the wonderful actress that she is known for.

Audrey never gave up. She was a decent ballerina but that wasn't her calling. She was great at theatre but that wasn't her calling. All of these things just led her to her actual calling. I always believed that acting wasn't her true calling either. It was another step towards her true calling of being inspiring to others. Helping others through her own experiences and being able to make enough money to be able to help others too. Audrey was about love, persistence, kindness, gratitude and generosity. She was so thankful for her life, even the bad times. Because she knew there was always a lesson to be learned. And she knew how to live her life gracefully and with dignity.

So, why do I love Audrey so much? Because she was someone who I strive to be like. She had such a wonderful heart and despite all the setbacks she encountered (even in her adult life, she suffered miscarriages, failed marriages and eventually died from cancer), she always had a smile on her face and never turned away from anyone.

Her birthday was May 4, this past Sunday and I always try to have one good adventure and do three good deeds in her honor. This year was no different. People like her are rare but they make such an impact. She will always be my hero. I'll be honoring her all month because for me, May is Audrey month.