TGIF all!

As we all know plus size clothing has come a long way, especially when it comes to the  suit.  For years the only place you wore a suit was to work.  Because they were only for work,  they were only offered in either black or navy blue. Back then suits were definitely not apart of your recreational or social wardrobe. Fortunately the pant suit has undergone a major transformation and shift.  Suits now come in vibrant hues and in a variety of prints such as tartan.These suits are no longer just for work.  Now your suit can be dressed down for brunch with the girls or dressed up for a night on the town.   For plus size suiting, gone are the days of just having drab black and navy options.  Our suits now come in a variety of colors, prints and styles.  While I am happy to see the change, I would like to see more of our suits in bold colors and  prints such as geometric shapes.  While there is room for improvement, plus retailers such as ASOS, Eloquii and even Lane Bryant are leading the charge to change how we view suiting.

So if you’re looking to try something new, I strongly recommend investing in a colorful suit. Trust me you won’t regret it. You check out some of my favorites here and here, here and here!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blazer: c/o Lane Bryant (here)
Pants: c/o Lane Bryant (here)
Shirt: Lane Bryant (old, similar here and here)
Shoes: ASOS (here, similar here)

Happy Monday all!

Initially this post was going to be about my 70’s inspired outfit but when I saw the pics all I could focus on is my gut.  I’ve been in a tug of war battle with my gut for over a year.   Since I’ve gained weight my pooch has gotten noticeably bigger and I’ve become super self conscious about it.  I’ve become so self conscious  I stopped tucking my shirt into my pants to conceal the size of it.  I now only wear pants with shirts I know that will would cover my gut.  During my blog shoots I would make myself almost dizzy sucking in my pooch to make it look smaller.  Doing all of these extra things to conceal my gut has made me unhappy.  I don’t want to stop tucking shirts in my shirts or avoiding pants. So I’ve decided to to take control and restart my exercise routine to reduce the size of my pooch.  My goal is not to have a flat stomach but to be comfortable with my fleshy pooch again.

So if you have something you are super self conscious about know that you are not alone.  We all have something we want to change about our bodies.  The trick is still loving yourself despite your flaws.

Have a wonderful day!

Blouse: H&M (wearing a 14, here & similar here)
Jeans: Eloquii ( here and similar here)
Boots: Simply Be (no longer available, similar here and here)
Bag: Etsy (here)

TGIF all!

When athleisure first became a thing, I wasn’t a fan of it.   I thought it would be like trucker caps and go away quickly.   Funny thing is athlesiure didn’t go away and somehow has gotten better.  After seeing a how some plus size women embraced the trend (damn Pinterest!),  I decided to dip my toe into the athlesiure pond.  I figured a pair of track pants would be a good way to ease myself into the trend.  I kept it simple by getting these black Eloquii pants that could easily be incorporated into my current wardrobe.  I first wore them when I was in New York for Curvy Con and I wasn’t disappointed.   The pants were super comfortable despite being a tiny bit big the waist and can definitely be styled in a variety of ways.  For this post I paired them with red ankle boots and a polka dot (polka dots are also big this Fall) button up shirt for a casual Friday look.

Since my dip into athlesiure was a  great success, I’ve now become obsessed with track pants and now have my eye on these! LOL

Have a wonderful weekend!

Shirt: Lane Bryant (old, similar here and here)
Pants: c/o Eloquii (here, similar here and here)
Boots: Zara (here, similar here and here)

Happy Monday all!

It seems like Mother Nature missed the memo about Fall’s arrival. Despite the un-Fall like weather, there are several new trends I plan to try this season.  Then there are the Fall staples such as leopard print that are closet mainstays.  Leopard print has come a long way, especially for plus size clothing.  Prior to blogging, I equated leopard print with kitschy decor and Peg Bundy.  Now it’s been classed up and is back on trend.   I treat leopard print as a neutral so I pretty much wear it with anything.  If you own leopard print pieces, wear it with a bright color for a great contrast.  Or top off a monochromatic look with a pair of leopard print heels.

Leopard is a fun print that works for everyone and can breathe new life into your existing Fall wardrobe.

Have a wonderful day!

Coat: Ashley Stewart (old, similar here and here)
T-Shirt: H&M (here)
Pants: Eloquii (here)
Shoes: Steve Madden (old, similar here and here)
Earrings: Mango (here)
Purse: Longchamp (old, similar here and here)

Happy Monday all!

We all know that shopping for our bodies can be a struggle, especially when it comes to brick & mortar stores.  I’ve felt the massive disappointment and envy while “shopping”.  Fortunately there are some “straight size” brands that actually are plus friendly.  Today I’m sharing my favorite PS friendly brands. To keep it real, some of these brands only fit up to a size 22.  I wish they would include  22+  but unfortunately they don’t BUT don’t be discouraged!  Still try the item on, you might be surprised!

1. Old Navy:  I absolutely love ON.   They tend to cut their clothes very generously so an XXL can fit a size 22 or 24 depending on the garment.   I have TON of Old Navy clothes.  Im too bottom heavy for their size 20 pants, but a PS woman with a smaller hips and butt would be fine.
2. Gap: ON middle sister offers clothing up to a size 20.  If you’re a 12-18 on the top then you’ll be fine with their tops. Because my arms are chunky and Im busty I stick to their sweaters and cotton shirts.
3. Loft: Yes, Loft. Loft XXL is allegedly a size 18 but it fits a 20 body fine.  The trick with Loft is to check out how much elastane is in a garment. The higher percentage of elastane, the more stretch in the garment (that goes for all “straight size” items).  I primarily buy Loft during the Spring and Summer when the shape of the items are cut looser.
4. Ann Taylor: In the past couple of years Ann Taylor has been sizing down so I haven’t shopped them often but there are still a few PS friendly options. You just have to look and try the items on. They offer clothing up to a size 18.
5. eShakti: Ya’ll know I ride for eShakti.  The majority of my cute dresses come from them.  No need to worry about PS friendly clothing from them, ALL (and I mean ALL) of their clothing is offered from size 0 to 30.  They even customize clothing for $9-10. The only set back is waiting damn near 3 weeks to get your clothing. eShakti you gotta do better with that, seriously.
6. Who What Wear x Target Collection: I’ve been a massive fan of Who What Wear’s collection for Target because they don’t skimp on the PS offerings in their line.  The clothes are super affordable (everything is under $60) and on trend.

What PS friendly brands do you shop?

Have a wonderful day!

Skirt: Ann Taylor (old, similar here and here)
Top: Loft (old, similar here and here)
Bag: Nordstrom (here)
Shoes: Zara (no longer available, similar here and here)