Thursday, October 20, 2011

ALTERNATIVES to Jeans

Are JEANS your staple go to piece no matter what the season is? Do you want to mix it up a bit? A dear friend of mine asked me what is a good alternative to jeans. Although I LOVE jeans and JEGGINGS, a good alternative is the MAXI SKIRT!!

max·i·skirt   [mak-see-skurt] S
a long skirt or skirt part, as of a coat or dress, ending below the middle of the calf but above the ankle.

At first I was a bit hesitant to wear them. I thought they would hug my curves in all the WRONG places and show some of my imperfections. BUT, I found a few skirts and dresses that I just LOVE! It literally feels like I am wearing pajamas but looks so polished and put together!
Nordstroms has some in a variety of colors, although I would stay away from the lighter colors;they show the butt dimples. Old Navy has a navy blue maxi skirt that I really like; affordable and flattering. BUT, the best maxi skirts I have found are at Anthropologie. They are heavier in weight and hang just right. They feel like you are wearing your favorite blanket; so soft and cozy.

For the fall, I am pairing my maxi skirts with a fitted tank (patterned or plain) and a solid cardigan waist length or a jean jacket, and knee high boots. When you have a loose flowing skirt pair it with a fitted top for shape to avoid looking like a tent. Same goes for the length of the cardigan or jacket. Have it hit at the waist to avoid looking disproportionate and to show off that "junk" you got in your trunk!
(AND, if you are short, you can just roll the waist up or get it hemmed)

Would LOVE to get any questions or comments from you guys!
Cheers!!
Alternative to Jeans

Ruched top
$78 - anthropologie.com

Old navy tank top
$15 - oldnavy.gap.com

Bobeau knit cardigan
$30 - nordstrom.com

Shell top
$118 - anthropologie.com

Old navy tank top
$8 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old navy tank top
$8 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old navy tank top
$8 - oldnavy.gap.com

Maxi skirt
$158 - anthropologie.com

Maxi skirt
$88 - anthropologie.com

Old Navy maxi skirt
$30 - oldnavy.gap.com

Enzo Angiolini leather boots
$150 - nordstrom.com

Stella & Dot
stelladot.com

Stella & Dot
stelladot.com

Stella & Dot
stelladot.com

Stella & Dot
stelladot.com

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

That looks like SH*T!!~ Fear the Frills~~

Some trends just don't look good on curvy figures. Occasionally I will write about what trends to avoid and what NOT to wear. Which brings me to my first "THAT LOOKS LIKE SH*T!" post.
Frilly, romantic bow blouses are everywhere this season. They are light and airy and come in gorgeous colors that OOZE femininity and look AMAZING on the right body. BUT, women who have been blessed with giant knockers must avoid such blouses! Bows add volume and make well-endowed women look even bigger. AVOID THE BOWS! Let the skinny girls rock them!!
The following are blouses that curvy women should AVOID!!
CURVY WOMEN~FEAR THE FRILLS

Tory Burch sleeveless top
$325 - nordstrom.com

Vince Camuto blouse
$99 - nordstrom.com

Classiques Entier silk top
$158 - nordstrom.com

Ruffle top
$88 - anthropologie.com

Robert Rodriguez cami top
$285 - nordstrom.com

Betty Jackson Black tiered top
£25 - debenhams.com

Mulberry button front shirt
$400 - mulberry.com

Old Navy shell top
$20 - oldnavy.gap.com

Cami tank top
$20 - tillys.com

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Don't be afraid of the Jeggings!

Ok, this years Fall trend once again is the Skinny Jean or Jeggings.
Skinny jeans are just that, skinny. They’re totally in right now, skinny is the silhouette of the moment. Jeggings just take skinny to the next level. Jeggings are simply jeans + leggings. What I love about jeggings is that you get all the comfort of leggings, but none of the casualness that curses leggings. Jeggings may seem like they are just for the young and rail thin, but think again. If you’re not a twig and you often do all sorts of moves to get your jeans up over your thighs, believe it or not jeggings may be for you. Why? Because jegging fabric is much more forgiving than the denim used to make skinny jeans (jeggings have 5 -7% lyrca/spandex compared to 1-3% in skinny jeans). For those of us with butts, hips and thighs – jeggings actually have a higher waist which can help to give a more flattering slimming effect. (Hint: They suck you in in all the right places). Therefore you do NOT feel nor look like a sausage stuffed in its casings.

My FAV jeggings are Mossimo from TARGET. Cheap and affordable and very slimming! I pair them with a blousey top or tank (to hide my muffin top) and I avoid all fitted tops with the jeggins =NO BUENO! If you need warmth a longer cardigan is a PERFECT solution to hide your butt if you are feeling a bit self conscious. I complete the look with a pair of knee high Enzo Angiolini 'Saylem' Riding Boot's that I just got at Nordstrom's. They are sooooo comfy! I wore them all around New York and my feet never hurt. AND NONE OF MY OUTFITS ARE COMPLETE WITHOUT MY STELLA & DOT Jewelry (see below!)

Another great pair of my favorite jeggings are from Nordstrom's. I just bought them and they were surprisingly affordable. They are Hue 'Classic Jean' Leggings and only $38. I got them in black and denim. These are a bit thinner and more like leggings, so I pair them with LONG tunic shirts or tanks with LONG, below the butt cardigans. I wore them with sandals in NYC but plan on wearing them with boots and heels as well along with my FAB jewelry!
JEGGINGS!

Bobeau elbow sleeve cardigan
$30 - nordstrom.com

Cardigan
$118 - anthropologie.com

Old Navy floral top
$27 - oldnavy.gap.com

Hue 'Classic Jean' Leggings
$38 - nordstrom.com

Enzo angiolini shoes
$150 - select2gether.com

Stella & Dot
stelladot.com

Stella & Dot
stelladot.com

Friday, September 16, 2011

Fall Trend-COLOR BLOCKING

Color blocking, the use of two or more color combos in an outfit, is HUGE right now.   You can color block an outfit by putting blocks of SOLID color next to each other.
One of my FAVORITE super cheap color blocked shirts is from Old Navy and it's on sale for $16!  I love the persimmon color combined with the taupe.  THe positioning of the colors is flattering.  It's a great casual everyday shirt.  I pair it with a pair of cropped jeans for a casual look, or a taupe colored flirty skirt when I want to feel a bit more polished but still casual.


Casual Color Blocking

Monday, September 12, 2011

Fashion for REAL SIZED WOMEN

I've been a "big girl" my whole adult life.  I have struggled with my weight and body image for 14 years now.  I use to have a SMOKING hot body!  I am tall, 5'10" and in high school my measurements were 36, 26, 36.  I have always been an athlete.  But as I got older and had 2 kids, birth weight totaling 21 lbs, the weight decided to stay on.  
I run, on average, 7 miles per week, spin for an hour a week and do yoga and weight lifting in between.  I'm active, but the extra weight I have is as stubborn as I am.  The Doctor says I am "fit" yet overweight and that's just how my body wants to be.  So I deal with it.  I still work hard to be fit and eat well and just DEAL with the fact that I am a "big girl" (I hate that term btw!).  I will never be a size 4.  
All that being said a lot of fashion trends do NOT look good on curvy girls or anyone over a size 6.  So, I wanted to start a blog about what on trend fashion's looks good on REAL women.  We all know that the AVERAGE American woman is a size 14.  Most fashion forward boutiques and department stores don't carry anything larger than a size 10.  Even as Americans get larger, designers and retailers cling to the idea that style comes in one size: small.  They base the trends accordingly.  Items that look FAB on petite girls, look HIDEOUS on curvy ladies..  So, I am going to write about what works for me.  
I have always been obsessed with fashion; clothing, shoes, jewelry are my passion and shopping is my hobby.  My goal of writing this blog is to encourage and empower ladies like me that have womanly curves and a little extra "junk in our trunk" to look their best and feel confident! SO all you big titty, big booty, curvy ladies, this one is for you!  Stay Tuned...

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Revamping my blog~

I am totally going to change the dynamic of my blog, stay tuned (=

Friday, March 18, 2011

Favorite Artist-LAURIE ZESZUT-who happens to be my best friends mom

Laurie Zeszut is the most amazingly creative person I know!  Her art is bold, bright, and whimsical.  I want to be a Laurie Zeszut painting!  I have the above Serigraph and COVET it!  She doesn't limit her work to canvas either.  She paints on chairs, tables, beds, dressers, etc.  I would LOVE to see her start her own children's clothing line!  Images like these on little girls shirts and dresses would be BRILLIANT!  She is one cool broad and my wish for her is that she NEVER stops painting and showing the world her uniquely AWESOME work!!  Check out her site!  

http://www.zeszut.com/html/gallery.html