Oh, the prom. It wasn't a total bad experience for me. But finding a dress was a major mission and that is something I will never forget.

I didn't know it back then but my prom experience was a prologue to who I was becoming... confident, secure and driven. When I look back, I smile because I had such a fearless attitude back then and didn't let anything hold me back from doing what I wanted to do.

I couldn't afford a designer/custom prom dress and couldn't find one in stores that fit me like my thinner friends could. The year was 1988 and my options at the time were Lane Bryant, Avenue (called "Sizes Unlimited" back then), May's and Alexander's.

After having no luck, I decided to wear my white confirmation dress that had been sitting in a garment bag for a year -- my mom found my dress at a bridal shop and it worked perfectly for me. It was the prettiest dress I owned and I felt beautiful in it... it was lace and satin and had a mermaid silhouette. I also wore my satin white pumps from my confirmation. Borrowed a clutch from my mom and I was ready, with my Salt N' Pepa asymmetrical haircut, cat eye and red lipstick.

I had no date and my dad drove me in his white Nova that had the front bumper falling off. But I went to my prom, held my head up high and walked in like I owned the place. I had so much fun, danced with some friends and then went home, feeling great that I decided to go. It felt empowering. I mean, who wears a wedding dress to a prom? Me, LOL.

Fast forward almost 30 years later and I got the opportunity to relive my prom again when Full Figured Fashion Week added a plus size prom event to their schedule.

This time, I wanted to get the dress that I wanted and that would certainly not be a wedding dress. I wanted something different and unique. And that's when the amazing Hannah Olsen of Hannah Caroline Couture stepped in.

Hannah is an up-and-coming fashion designer that passionately believes in inclusive fashion. She wants to offer clothing to every woman. She offers standardized sizing up to a 5X but will also do custom work as well. What I loved about working with her on my dress was that she made sure I was part of the process at every step. I chose my fabric, told her what silhouette I wanted and etc.

I love prints so I wanted to incorporate that in with a bold color.





You can never go wrong with getting custom made clothing. You may think it's not affordable but I assure you, it's well worth it AND some designers will work with you according to your budget. All you have to do is ask.

A special thank you to Hannah and Cameo for making my plus size prom do-over an amazing time and a night to remember.

You can check out Hannah Caroline Couture at http://www.hccdesign.co/

You can check out Cameo de Bore at http://cameodebore.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CameoDeBore. Sometimes Cameo will show new products and sales on her Facebook page so it's well worth it to follow her on FB.

I love my prom dress so much and it's so cozy that I want to wear it every day. So If you see me in the supermarket wearing this dress, that's why. :-)

If you care what other people think, you will always be their prisoner. ~ Lao Tzu

If you have been a regular reader of this blog, you know I have been going through a style evolution in the last couple of years. My style has improved in the sense that I am now wearing clothing that properly fits and looks amazing on my size 26/28 body. 

When you look good, you feel good, as you can see in recent pictures of me. AND... it had nothing to do with losing weight. 



For many years, I was programmed to always reach for the larger size and wear baggy clothing to hide my fat. I grew up in a time where polyester pull-on pants were one of my few fashion options and if I wanted to wear jeans, I had to shop in the men's section. 

My lifesaver in the 80's was Gloria Vanderbilt who made plus size jeans that fit amazing and was within my parents' budget. I had a pair of turquoise jeans that I loved and wished I still had, to this very day. Thanks Miss Gloria!

I'm so overjoyed that I get to see plus size fashion expand and evolve in my lifetime. While it is not perfect, believe me, if you grew up as a teen in the 80's, you know how much better it is now. 



At the start of this year, I realized that dressing better for my body was not enough. I still hid parts of me under clothing but now it was not as noticeable since my clothing fit well and I was daring to wear more of what I love, which are prints and bold colors. However, I knew deep down that I was still hiding. And I felt ashamed.

I preach loving yourself to the world and here I am, not fully loving all of me and continuing to hide the parts of my body I hated. This was limiting me in how far I could go in terms of my style and wearing what I love. 

So I decided that in 2016, I would take more fashion risks and take baby steps outside of my comfort zone.

What I have learned so far this year is that some baby steps happen when you least expect it and once you take one baby step forward, the next step is easier. And once you take a few baby steps, you feel reborn and the love for yourself will grow larger than you expected.

As I blogged about previously, this year kicked off amazingly, with me being a part of SmartGlamour's #ImFlattered campaign and also scoring a gig as a First Fit Reviewer for Gwynnie Bee. You can read more about that here.

With the #ImFlattered campaign, I wore a fitted dress that was mid-thigh. I always hide my thighs and never wear dresses above the knee so this was HUGE for me. I have lumpy thighs so I try to hide them as much as I can.

#ImFlattered Campaign

Gwynnie Bee was quite a different story. I had no idea this would be another baby step for me in stepping outside of my comfort zone. I thought it was just a job and a great way for me to get more exposure as a blogger. However, it has been so much more than that. 



Being in front of the camera has taught me to be less stiff and more free with my body in terms of movement. I'm a perfectionist and my own worst critic so I tend to look stiff when taking pictures. 


I also have no control of what I am trying on for GB so it forced me to try new styles that I wouldn't even dream of looking at. I've gotten the opportunity to try on a mini dress, a cape dress, open back styles, sleeveless styles and more. 





Working for GB has further opened my mind to the fashion possibilities out there. It has also helped me be more comfortable in my skin. I look at my professional shots and the love for me just continues to grow. 

It's also amazing to be able to inspire other women to try new styles. They see me and can relate because my body looks like their body. It really fills my heart and spirit when I see the positive feedback from customers.



The months of April and May have been MAJOR for me. I made two more baby steps that I am so proud of myself for taking. 

Shape Magazine contacted me in early April, asking me if I would be interested in participating in their #LoveMyShape campaign. They sent me a sports bra with the hashtag on it and all I had to do was take a picture of myself wearing the bra and send it in with a quote answering the question, "Why do I love my shape?".

Sounds easy, right? Uh, NO!

Wearing a bra in a picture for the public to see was a big thing for me. I was concerned about how I would be received. I hear horror stories about internet trolls and I have been lucky in the sense where I have not been bothered much by negative comments. I was also scared of how my peers, family and friends would see me and how they would react.

BUT... this IS Shape Magazine. This would be major exposure in an arena where I can inspire other women to be healthy and fit at any size. This is an opportunity that I was lucky to get since my blog numbers are not high in comparison to other bloggers out there.

So in the snow and freezing cold, I had my best friend Herman take my pic. And it felt liberating. It felt empowering. Also, I thought I looked great.



When the feature launched on Shape.com, I was so proud to see that I was the largest girl in the group featured and received so many wonderful comments on social media from other women who were so inspired. 

Click here to check out the Shape.com feature (I'm slide #18).

About a week after the Shape.com feature, I got asked to be a part of a Revelist video featuring three women who have never worn a two-piece swimsuit. 

It took me a week to think it over. I was freaking out at the thought of being seen in a two-piece swimsuit. What would people say? What would they think? But honestly, deep down, my inner voice was telling me to do it. I knew deep down that this is yet another baby step I needed to make, for myself and for all women out there. So I did it!

And.... it wasn't bad at all! I won't front; I was terrified. But I pushed myself to do it and have no regrets at all. The Revelist folks are so wonderful and supportive. And I loved how I looked in my swimsuit! So much so, that I swear I'm hitting the beach this year. I haven't worn a swimsuit in about 20 years so this is MAJOR. 

I just made the decision that me and my lady lumps (on my thighs) would rock this video out and be fabulous. I kept telling myself I can do this.

You can check out the video here on Instagram and here on Facebook.

After wearing a sports bra and then a two-piece swimsuit, I am feeling like I can do anything I set my mind to. If you would have told me years ago that I would have worn a swimsuit in public, I would have given you the side eye and thought you were bugging out. LOL! 

I'm feeling pretty kick ass at the moment and am ready for my next baby step. It's all a process. You just have to be ready for it.

2016 has really been a whirlwind for me. In the last month and a half, so many wonderful things have happened that I am convinced this is going to be the best year ever. 

I was a part of SmartGlamour's #ImFlattered campaign that went viral

I can be seen on the SmartGlamour site (The Katie Dress)

Me at the PLY fashion show during New York Fashion Week FW2016 (left: my friend Alex LaRosa, PLUS Model Magazine Feb 2016 cover model)

I started writing articles on the community website On The Plus Side

One of the best things to happen this year is a new project I was chosen to be a part of. Plus size clothing subscription service Gwynnie Bee recently launched their First Fit reviews on their site. The reviews are courtesy of everyday women (not models) offering honest reviews on fit and style of new arrivals. These women come in all shapes and sizes. It's truly size/body diversity. Not every body is the same and to me, this is an amazing feature.

Currently, I am the only woman my size (26/28) to be a part of the project and that inspires me even more, to do the best I can with this opportunity because it's not about me. It's about helping women find their best fit while shopping. 

Basically, I try on different pieces and then write honest reviews on them. I have to stress that I am not styled. I usually wear black pants and flats with whatever tops I have to try on; black flats with dresses and a black tank with jackets. The goal of this project is not to style outfits. It's to show fit on different bodies and offer honest reviews to help subscribers have a better shopping experience. 

It has also been an amazing experience for me since this is my first time in front of the camera in a professional setting. It has helped me loosen up and work on my poses. It has also helped me to have some fun and interact with other people. So this has not just been an opportunity to inspire others but inspire myself to get out there more.



I love being able to try new brands and it reminds me to not focus so much on the number on the size tag. It reminds me that I have to try on clothes and know my measurements. Sizing is so inconsistent across the board so this is a great opportunity to let women know if an item is true to size or if you have to size up or down.

The Gwynnie Bee folks are so great and really care about their customer. Working with them has been an amazing experience.

Believe has become my "word"; the word that sums up my life at the moment. It is something I say to myself all the time. If you believe in life, in yourself, in the unknown, in everything... that is the basis of achieving what you set out to do. 

I can't wait to see what happens with Gwynnie Bee and I am so excited for what's to come for the remainder of 2016. I hope I will inspire a nation of women who are my size and look like me, to shop better, treat themselves with love and dress their bodies fearlessly. When you feel pretty and love yourself, you will want to dress accordingly. Sounds like a big, crazy dream but I am claiming it and putting it out into the Universe. I just believe.

Click here to read more about the First Fit Review project at Gwynnie Bee.

Images: Gwynnie Bee/Ferny Chung

Valentine's Day is in a few days and it's a day that many of us single people are not really fond of. It reminds us that we don't have someone special in our lives to share in a day such as Valentine's Day. And that honestly sucks.

But in recent years, I decided to not be so bummed about Valentine's Day. It's a day of love and why not show love for myself and my loved ones? You can make the day yours - that is the beauty of having free will. 

The foundation of life is loving yourself. When you love yourself, you are happy and that shows. You will be able to love freely and endlessly. If you love and adore yourself, life is just a better place.

I'm a big believer of appreciating the little things. I'm a simple girl. And one of the things I absolutely love is fashion. I love prints, I love being able to dress up when I want, I love feeling fancy and free, and I just love that you can dress your body any way you want. To me, that's a great way to show yourself some love.

So my girls Darlene of Suits, Heels & Curves and Dana of Who's The Girl Dana? and I decided to focus on our fashion loves for this next installment of our #CurvasenNYC collaboration.

Would love to know what you think of my look and the overall collaboration... #beinspired

Fashion. Style. Attitude. 

Those three things are so interchangeable despite each having its own impactful definition. Fashion can determine your style but your style influences what fashion you choose to wear. And your attitude can change according to what you wear and if you are staying true to your style.

Last time, I talked about changing it up for the new year and evolving my style. It's not easy staying true to yourself while evolving your style because those old "rules" and things you told yourself you would never do, creep back into your head. Those little pesky negative thoughts can limit you, if you let them. 

I'm at a point in my life where I want to explore life and change the world the way I am meant to and part of that is exploring my style and dealing with the limits I have put on myself because of what was told to me was flattering and such. I believe we all have a purpose in this world but when you limit yourself in any way, you are not fulfilling that purpose fully.

For me, I'll admit I am not a heels girl. I have flat feet so heels are not comfortable for me. But I also admit that I like how heels elongate my legs and gives me a sexy, more mature vibe. I will always love my wacky print flats and sneakers but with evolution, there is always room to add new things to the mix while still staying true to my style.

I paired the cardi with the Suprema Long-Sleeve Mesh-Trim Tee in Grey Heather, the Comfort Slide Jean (in grey), the Soft Metallic Belt (from Lane Bryant), this beautiful Pearlized Crystal Statement Necklace from Ann Taylor and metallic flats from Old Navy and a black tote I borrowed from a friend.
First, let me say I AM WEARING GREY JEANS. Mannnn, listen... I would never choose these jeans on my own because they are lighter than what I usually wear. But since I was trying to get out of my fashion zone. I went for it. 

They were a little of a challenge to get on (LOL) since they are a skinny jean fit BUT once I got them on, I didn't want to take them off. They're so comfy and soft. I love them so much. For reference, I am wearing a size 26W in the jeans and my hips measure about 68". They really stretch well. (Pls note: the jeans look dark in my images but trust me, they are much lighter.)

How the jeans look on the Catherines site

This tee is a great basic to have. I wore the black version in my last Three-Way Style post and want it in every color it comes in. It's a great layering piece in any look. 

I'm also learning to embrace belts more. Since I have a waist, a belt just enhances that. But if you don't have a defined waist, a belt can really help you give the illusion of a waist.