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Showing posts with label Ready to Stare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ready to Stare. Show all posts
“You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it." ~ Mandy Hale
"Women who support other women are confident, generous visionaries." ~ Mariela Dabbah
When Alysse from Ready to Stare and I planned our LA trip, we had such #tripgoals that involved many blogger meet-ups and fun nights out on the town.
Unfortunately, it did not go as planned with our jam-packed schedule but we quickly realized that we had each other and that's what counts. We also connected unexpectedly with so many amazing women that had us feeling so empowered. Our tribe is one that is magical and so amazing.
And sometimes when things don't go as planned, that's when the most awesome things happen.
One of those amazing women we connected with is Anaheim-based blogger Veronica of Cid Style File who gave us a mini tour of Anaheim and had dinner with us at the Anaheim Packing District on that Saturday night.
Veronica was my +1 to the Torrid Pool Party earlier that day and I haven't seen her in years so it was a great opportunity to see her hood and also connect her with Alysse. That's how tribes grow and strengthen. And when it comes to plus size women, tribes are truly important because they are safe places where we are accepted unconditionally and don't always feel like we're the only big girl in the room. Veronica blogged about this herself here.
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| Veronica and I |
Veronica is such a sweetheart and she and Alysse hit it off quickly. For dinner, we knew we wanted to be comfortable and wear effortless looks that are chic but fun. The weather was a bit chilly while we were there so I opted for a maxi dress and strappy wedge sandals, both from Lane Bryant.
Alysse opted for an LBD with a twist. The crochet ruffle hem was so cute and girly!
You can definitely see our style aesthetics in our dress choices but also where we dared to venture out of our comfort zones. The tie-dye print of the maxi dress made me pause for a minute because I thought maybe the print wouldn't look good on me and I usually wear flats. Alysse's dress was a little longer than her usual and a bit more conservative than what she usually wears. But I love how she made it her own with the choice of her sandal and statement necklace, all from Lane Bryant.
I'm so in love with this maxi dress from Lane Bryant that I actually wore it twice in LA! The second time I wore it, I paired it with some pull-on sneakers and some fun sunglasses.
The length was perfect on my 5'7" frame and it was lined, which made it even more comfortable. It was lightweight and didn't get snug when I sat down. This is a dress I will be wearing all summer. I'm wearing a size 26/28.
I can never find strappy sandals that fit my wide feet and these sandals from Lane Bryant fit with no problem and I was able to walk well in them. They were really comfortable. I'm wearing a size 9W.
Overall, this LA trip has changed my life. It has empowered me to live more fully and strive to live my best life daily. It has renewed my hope in community with the amazing tribe I became a part of there. And it has shown me that when women empower each other, we are unstoppable. My dad used to say, "No (wo)man is an island." And he is so right.
I just hope that the next city Alysse and I visit on our #bestfatlife travel series will be just as amazing. Stay tuned!
Special thanks to Veronica for taking our pics!
You can shop my look below:
Black clutch - my own
You can shop Alysse's look below:
Thank you for coming along for the ride on our blogs during this amazing experience. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see even more photos. @readytostare @fearlesslyjustme
Click here to read about Alysse's night out experience and see more of what she wore from Lane Bryant.
*This post is in collaboration with Lane Bryant but all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also contains some affiliate links and I'll earn a small commission if you shop through them. This is one of the ways I can continue to bring you inspiring content. Thank you!
"The greatest fear in the world is of the opinions of others. And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd, you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom." ~ Osho (Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously)
What started out as a day where I thought I would be body shamed and told I was wearing a "tablecloth" actually turned out to be one of the best days of my life.
I have secretly loved gingham for a long time but never had the courage to wear it. I always felt uncomfortable at the thought of wearing a print where I knew someone would have something to say.
The opinions of others can be a pain in the ass and can really make you feel crappy. Yeah, I said it. People can be mean and it's not just strangers. Family members, friends, neighbors, hell, that lady at the bus stop... someone always has something to say about my body, my health and what I wear.
I love prints but have not always been as confident in wearing them as I am now. It took a lot of work on myself and how I let the opinions of others affect me.
Over time, I realized that many opinions are fueled by a person's personal feelings about the thing they are giving their opinion about. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME AT ALL.
Shocker!!!!
And I have a choice in how I let the opinions of others affect me in my life. I can accept their opinions and let it limit me or I can basically wear what I want and do whatever I want in my life. After being limited for a long time, I chose the latter. You can't live your best life if you're letting others limit you and affect how you feel about yourself.
When I went to Los Angeles with Alysse from Ready to Stare, I vowed that I would live my best life during this trip. And I did! I wore a two-piece swimsuit on the beach, I wore white and now I wore what some would say is a "tablecloth".
Well, I call it magical. And seriously, I am in love with this Gingham Fit & Flare Dress from Lane Bryant so I don't care what anyone says.
We started the day by visiting Little Damage in downtown LA to try their Black Roses ice cream. It's $7 ($6 plus $1 for one topping) but well worth the experience. We stood on line for like 30 minutes and then met up with some of our blogger friends to indulge.
It tasted alright but it's not something I am eager to try again. It tasted perfumey to me but hey, you only live once, right?
Then the rest of the day was spent at The Plus Bus Boutique for our closet sale during their Birthday celebration. It was an amazing day spent with amazing people in an amazing dress.
Plus, Alysse and I were twinning! She had on Lane Bryant's Gingham Belted Skirt with their Chambray One-Shoulder Top. Alysse is not someone who wears full skirts so she definitely stepped out of her comfort zone. I love how she made this look her own with the top, which is her style. She wore Lane Bryant's Faux Suede Mule in tan while I opted for some pull-on sneakers, also from Lane Bryant. (Mine are sold out but there's white ones still available)
So when we spied this heart mural wall while getting some elote the night before (shoutout to the Elote Man!), we knew we had to return and take some pics there in our gingham fabulousness. How fitting that we posed in front of a wall of hearts and love, wearing a print that people would surely body shame us for. How's that for sticking it to the "man"!?!
Next time someone tells me I can't wear something, I am going to keep walking and decide for myself if I want to wear that style. It is my body, my rules and my style.
And always have a kickass friend beside you as you live your best FAT life.
You can shop my look below:
Click here to read about Alysse's gingham experience and see more of what she wore from Lane Bryant.
Plus, Alysse and I were twinning! She had on Lane Bryant's Gingham Belted Skirt with their Chambray One-Shoulder Top. Alysse is not someone who wears full skirts so she definitely stepped out of her comfort zone. I love how she made this look her own with the top, which is her style. She wore Lane Bryant's Faux Suede Mule in tan while I opted for some pull-on sneakers, also from Lane Bryant. (Mine are sold out but there's white ones still available)
So when we spied this heart mural wall while getting some elote the night before (shoutout to the Elote Man!), we knew we had to return and take some pics there in our gingham fabulousness. How fitting that we posed in front of a wall of hearts and love, wearing a print that people would surely body shame us for. How's that for sticking it to the "man"!?!
Next time someone tells me I can't wear something, I am going to keep walking and decide for myself if I want to wear that style. It is my body, my rules and my style.
And always have a kickass friend beside you as you live your best FAT life.
You can shop my look below:
Flower Crown - my own
You can shop Alysse's look below:
Chambray One-Shoulder Top from Lane Bryant
Chambray One-Shoulder Top from Lane Bryant
Stay tuned to our blogs for more of our California adventures! And don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see even more photos. @readytostare @fearlesslyjustme
Click here to read about Alysse's gingham experience and see more of what she wore from Lane Bryant.
*This post is in collaboration with Lane Bryant but all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also contains some affiliate links and I'll earn a small commission if you shop through them. This is one of the ways I can continue to bring you inspiring content. Thank you!
A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality. ~ Yoko Ono
I am not a fan of wearing white.
So when planning this trip with Alysse of Ready to Stare and we were discussing what we would wear, I was shocked when I found myself suggesting we do a white look.
Maybe the fashion gods possessed me in that moment? Yikes.
I have been on this journey of venturing outside my comfort zone for the last few years and fashion is a big part of that. Every time I wear something that I have never worn before or thought I couldn't wear, I feel so empowered and free. My confidence continues to be more consistent when I make decisions for me and not for others.
But those choices are never easy.
The day we decided to shoot our images, Alysse showed me this California Dreaming mural and she thought it would be perfect for our white looks. So thus began our journey to finding this mural and dealing with a fear that Alysse herself was trying to overcome.
Alysse admitted to me that she hated to drive, especially in big cities and in major traffic. Well, everyone knows LA traffic is crazy. She knew going in that this would be a major huddle for her to overcome as I don't drive. Yeah, I'm a true New Yorker. The subway is my car.
Watching Alysse spend 5 days driving in LA traffic, where we had so many places to visit and go, even venturing into Orange County, I was in awe. Just as I wore that two piece swimsuit in public at Venice Beach, she made the choice to drive in traffic despite her anxiety about it.
The best thing about our friendship is that we get each other and we support one another. That support becomes empowerment for both of us. We are not afraid to tell the other if we are freaking out or need a moment. We have that unconditional love for each other and give each other a safe space to not feel guilty or judged for our fears.
So when planning this trip with Alysse of Ready to Stare and we were discussing what we would wear, I was shocked when I found myself suggesting we do a white look.
Maybe the fashion gods possessed me in that moment? Yikes.
I have been on this journey of venturing outside my comfort zone for the last few years and fashion is a big part of that. Every time I wear something that I have never worn before or thought I couldn't wear, I feel so empowered and free. My confidence continues to be more consistent when I make decisions for me and not for others.
But those choices are never easy.
The day we decided to shoot our images, Alysse showed me this California Dreaming mural and she thought it would be perfect for our white looks. So thus began our journey to finding this mural and dealing with a fear that Alysse herself was trying to overcome.
Alysse admitted to me that she hated to drive, especially in big cities and in major traffic. Well, everyone knows LA traffic is crazy. She knew going in that this would be a major huddle for her to overcome as I don't drive. Yeah, I'm a true New Yorker. The subway is my car.
Watching Alysse spend 5 days driving in LA traffic, where we had so many places to visit and go, even venturing into Orange County, I was in awe. Just as I wore that two piece swimsuit in public at Venice Beach, she made the choice to drive in traffic despite her anxiety about it.
The best thing about our friendship is that we get each other and we support one another. That support becomes empowerment for both of us. We are not afraid to tell the other if we are freaking out or need a moment. We have that unconditional love for each other and give each other a safe space to not feel guilty or judged for our fears.
After watching her be fearless in her driving, Alysse empowered me to rock this white look and not stress about it. I don't like to get dirty and I was always told white makes you look fatter. I thought, well, if she can conquer her fear of driving in heavy traffic and big cities, I can wear white.
And you know what? The world did not come to an end. I didn't get dirty and I certainly didn't look bigger. I actually looked amazing!
Ironically, the pink bottom part of the wall was dirty and it bothered me at first. I didn't even want to shoot near the wall. And then I was thinking about me wearing white and not looking great. It was in that moment that I had to change that conversation with myself.
I told myself that the dirty wall was actually cool because it represented the grittiness of LA against the prettiness of the mural -- LA is beautiful despite being gritty. And I told myself that I can look great in whatever I wear because I know how to dress my body lovingly and I know my style.
Once I changed how I was talking to myself, I became happy and so confident in my Burnout Floral Fit and Flare Dress from Lane Bryant. It did help that the dress was comfortable and had stretch. I paired the dress with Lane Bryant's Faux-Suede Mule in Taupe to give some color to the look. I added a necklace and purse I've had for years, to finish the look. I'm wearing a size 26/28 in the dress and a size 9W in the shoes.
I love a fit and flare dress because it shows off my waist and offers room for my hips. Those days of me hiding my upper arms are over too! My wings are free!
This was yet another moment during our LA trip where I lived fully and pushed through my anxiety and ventured out of my comfort zone. And it was because of Alysse, who conquered her own fear of driving in big cities. Our friendship continues to inspire me to live my best life NOW.
During our mission to find this mural, we ended up seeing so much street art in Los Angeles that it became a mini street mural tour too!
Alysse said best in her blog post about our California Dreaming adventure:
Click here to read about Alysse's California Dreaming experience and see what she wore from Lane Bryant.
This was yet another moment during our LA trip where I lived fully and pushed through my anxiety and ventured out of my comfort zone. And it was because of Alysse, who conquered her own fear of driving in big cities. Our friendship continues to inspire me to live my best life NOW.
During our mission to find this mural, we ended up seeing so much street art in Los Angeles that it became a mini street mural tour too!
Alysse said best in her blog post about our California Dreaming adventure:
So what's the lesson? Travel. Wear white. Get lost. Face your fears. And never let anyone else tell you what you can do.
You can shop my look below:
You can shop Alysse's look below:
Tie Front Fit and Flare Dress from Lane Bryant
Tie Front Fit and Flare Dress from Lane Bryant
Stay tuned to our blogs for more of our California adventures! And don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see even more photos. @readytostare @fearlesslyjustme
Click here to read about Alysse's California Dreaming experience and see what she wore from Lane Bryant.
*This post is in collaboration with Lane Bryant but all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also contains some affiliate links and I'll earn a small commission if you shop through them. This is one of the ways I can continue to bring you inspiring content. Thank you!
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