Magnificent 7th

We will be posting on the 7th of each month, and the aim of the challenge is to create an outfit to fit the theme, using clothes from our wardrobes, and yes that does mean digging deep into the depths and finding those long lost clothes! Hopefully one of us won’t end up in Narnia, but you never know with a bloggers wardrobe!

This month’s theme is dressing in the style of your favourite celebrity.  Now I can't really say that I have a favourite celebrity.  I don't particular immerse myself in celebrity culture or gossip magazines so am winging this a little.  I decided to go with Jennifer Lawrence in the end as I like her style, she seems to fall over a lot (like me) and seems to be the kind of girl that you would have a great time with.

When I have looked at Jennifer's style she always looks great in bright colours and isn't afraid to show a little cleavage so as such, I decided to show you a dress that I got some time ago, but haven't yet worn.

You can find the Enchanted Lands Dress at Taking Shape for £39.00.  On the website the dress looks a lot shorter than on me.  I am 5ft4 and the dress lands midway between my ankle and knee.  The sizing is spot on and the material is lovely and airy.

I love the vibrant colours of this dress and I don't even mind the hanky hem.  

Kaye http://polishedcurves.wordpress.com/

Nicola http://chunkycatcuddler.blogspot.co.uk/

Gail http://gailygumdrops.blogspot.co.uk/

Mary http://marysbigcloset.blogspot.pt/

Kathryn http://misskathrynsmisstakes.blogspot.co.uk/

Steph http://seeingsp0ts.blogspot.co.uk/

Charley http://www.biggirlabouttown.blogspot.co.uk/

Rebecca http://sullen-hearts.blogspot.co.uk/

Leah http://www.justmeleah.blogspot.co.uk

Lindsey http://linzerellofatshion.blogspot.co.uk/

Vicky http://www.thecurvedopinion.com

Nikki http://nattynikki.blogspot.co.uk/

Christiana http://www.lifeofouk.blogspot.co.uk/

Leah http://www.thirtysomethingcurvyme.blogspot.co.uk/

Nancy http://sugardarlingblog.blogspot.co.uk/

Beverly http://www.thecurvyword.com/

Gillian http://www.weegillie.com/

Katt http://acurvycupcake.blogspot.co.uk/

Sarah http://plussizeproud.wordpress.com/

Hannah http://www.fabulouslyfatfashion.com/

Hollie http://prettybigbutterflies.com

Kitty http://misskittykaos.blogspot.co.uk/

Emma http://emmaatouchofsparkle.weebly.com/

Michelle http://stageyourpresence.blogspot.ie/

Abi http://aisforabi.blogspot.co.uk/

Sarah http://pookledo.blogspot.co.uk/

Charlie http://www.freakumdress.co.uk/

Sally http://www.thehumanmannequin.co.uk/

Mayah http://www.beautyfulyouniverse.blogspot.co.uk/

Lucie http://www.fatbeautyx.co.uk/

Natalie http://www.awheelbarrowfullofstyle.blogspot.co.uk/

New Look Wishlist

New Look Wishlist 

Green Hummingbird Print Skater Dress

Cameo Rose Black Scuba Mesh Insert Floral Print Dress

Cameo Rose Cream Floral Print Bustier Skater Dress

Green Tropical Print Kimono

Cream and Neon Coral Floral Print Backpack

Pearl necklace
$22 - newlook.com

Pink ring
$8.36 - newlook.com

No Crying at Boo Hoo

A few months ago I was allowed to have a browse through the new plus size collection from BooHoo and choose an item.  This particular post has been sat in my drafts for a while now and I stupidly forgot to hit publish!

Surprisingly for me I went for not the usual choice of bright choices and patterns, but instead was drawn towards the Lilly Peter Pan Contrast Collar Dress as it spoke to my earlier years of wanting to be Wednesday Adams.

The dress is true to size and very comfortable, however if you are not comfortable with a bodycon style fit, I would recommend that you size up.  The dress also comes with the opposite colouring of white dress and black collar which would look gorgeous in the summer.

I styled this dress for my photographs simply with a red heart locket and simple black sandals.  You could easily dress it up with some heels and a different necklace for work or alternatively, add some Converse and you can nod to the sports lux look too.

Given that it was a few months since I first checked out the new plus size collection, I decided to have a look and see what was available now and I totally fell in love with this kimono below so I had to share it with you.  

Isobel Neon Floral Kimono £20.00

I absolutely love this kimono.  The colour, the print, I NEED this in my wardrobe.  It's perfect.

What are you loving about the new Boohoo plus size range?

Fashiola

I was recently told about a new fashion search website called Fashiola   Now usually when I hear about this sort of website I immediately discount it as I have been used to these sort of search engines previously which have either had no plus size section or alternatively a very limited choice.

 

In this case however I was given the website information from a PR whom I have worked with regularly so I decided to check it out.  What a pleasant surprise it turned out to be!

 

The site is well set out and easy to use.  As well as being able to search for clothing there is also a handy discount code section and another which shows the current trends for 2014.  Additionally there is a style book section where you can browse through collections that people have put together or alternatively make your own.

 

The main feature of the site enables you to search for fashion, shoes or accessories in womens, mens and childrens sections with brands available from sites like BooHoo right up to D&G and Alexander McQueen.

 

The search facility gives you many options in order to filter down exactly what you are looking for.  I was searching in particular for a dress for a wedding and found that it was very easy to navigate. 

 

 

I am happy to report that the plus size community have not been an afterthough with this website as with so many others.  There are at present over 1400 items of plus size clothing in the women's section which is very impressive but I also found that there were many more items available without having to pre section the plus size option.  I searched in the main section for dress in a size 24 and it brought me over a 1000 options!

 

Here's what they have to say about themselves:

 

"We’re excited to have arrived to the UK and into such a strong online fashion market. The strength of our brand is evident in our fantastic fashion brand partners in the UK. There are thousands of online fashion shops, but how are shoppers able to search for a particular piece of clothing quickly online? We have solved this problem by giving a complete overview of all brands, prices, styles and availability of the goods in the correct size and for the best price in the market.

 

 

Have a look for yourself!

 

 

*Although I was given the information about this website I was not asked to write about them and was not paid to do so.

A New Look

I was recently contacted and asked if I would like to review a couple of pieces from the +New Look Inspire Range.  What I decided to do was to choose things a little out of my comfort zone so in other words; not a dress!  

What I have been absolutely loving lately are the beautiful kimonos that I have seen people floating around in and I was dying to try one for myself.  The trouble with kimonos is that I already know that they won't suit me.  Big floating sleeves and the cut means that they just won't work with my body.  I decided that the White Floral Waterfall Blazer * would be the perfect ode to the kimono as I wanted something fitted but with short beautiful draping detail and of course a gorgeous print.  

As I was already out of my usual comfort zone I decided to team the jacket with a bright blue top and some black skinny jeans *.  Here is how it all worked together.

The waterfall blazer is gloriously soft to the touch and doesn't crease.  The fit is true to size and I wore it comfortably all day.  The skinny jeans fit well and I went with the 30 inch length which was just right for me at 5ft4.  

The blazer styled with the jersey top with mesh insert from +Marisota gives a more formal look but it would also be perfect with a simple camisole.

What do you think?  Are separates my thing?

* Denotes a gifted item 

Yes All Women

When you look 20 or 30 years into the future, what do you envision?  Flying cars?  People living on other planets?  Teleportation?  Well if you look back at the movies of a few decades ago, this is the kind of thing that they expected us to be doing.

Next year we will hit the year that Marty McFly travelled to in Back to the Future 2.  I don't see many hover boards floating around but they are a few things that they were pretty spot on about; like video calling.

In essence, when you look towards the future, you see progression, things that are better than the way they are now.  

29 years ago "The Breakfast Club" was released.  Here is a quote from the movie when talking about women and sex:

Wow, you think, what backward thinking I'm so happy times have changed!  Oh wait......  Actually that thought process is still as much in play today as it was then.  

Girls are sent home from prom because their outfits are "causing young men to have impure thoughts".  In rape cases victim blaming is rife not only in the media and on the social network sites but also in Court (this is only one example of many out there).  Songs like Blurred Lines become bestsellers.   People like David Starkie get to go on Question Time saying things like "Violence, not consent, should be the classification of rape."

We still live in a society where when you get unwanted attention from a man "I have a boyfriend" works better than "No".  

The hashtag on Twitter #yesallwomen which has followed after the killing spree of Elliot Rodgers has done much to highlight what attitudes women face on a daily basis.  

My own experience is of men thinking that because I have large breasts, I am automatically "up for it" or I'm "easy".  I have been grabbed in bars more times than I can count but the thing that scares me the most is the perception of others that this is somehow acceptable because "well they are so big".  It is NOT alright to touch me without my permission.  It isn't okay; it's a sex crime and I shouldn't be told I am overreacting if I label it as such.

It doesn't matter how far we have progressed in other aspects of our lives, like with the technological example.  A woman may be able to give testimony in a rape trial by way of video link, but until what she was wearing or how much she had to drink is no longer relevant; we are still living in the stone age.

A Curious Fairytale

I was recently given the opportunity to review a piece of jewellery from a Manchester based store on Etsy called A Curious Fairytale (what a fantastic name for a jewellery shop by the way!)

Mostly when I buy jewellery I don't go into the high street stores but instead prefer to check out charity shops and online stores for something a little more unique and that fits with my personality.  The necklace I was sent was their Once upon a Time Cameo Necklace which is selling on their Etsy store for £15.00.

The quality of the necklace is superb with the pendant having that heavy feel to it that you know means that it is not going to fall apart after a few wears.  I have worn this necklace with several different outfits now, both to blend with the outfit and also by showcasing the necklace itself.

Here are some of my other favourites from the shop.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them and will definately be buying from them myself in the future.

A Reminder

Because sometimes, just like today for me, we all need a reminder.

 

Shop Your Stash

Welcome to the Shop Your Stash Challenge run by the lovely Hollie of PrettyBigButterflies. This is all about finding a gem in what you already own and creating a blog post on it. This is to let go a little of the stress that comes with being a blogger - even if it is just once a month. Rummage through your beauty products and climb through those clothes draws. You might surprise yourself!

This month we were to chose something that we had brought back to life for the Summer.  What I have chosen to do is show you an old black (yes, I did say black) jersey casual dress and how I have revamped it ready for the Summer months.

It is a simple does what it says on the tin dress that you can throw on and let your accessories do the talking, if anything you choose to wear any!

The first way I am wearing it is designed for the daytime with black sandals and a big chunky necklace.  I would be happy going out for the afternoon, shopping with the girls and I have also on occasion worn this dress to work, styled much like this when it is hot.

Then imagine this.  You are at work, wearing the sad outfit when your work colleagues decide that tonight is the night to nip into the city after work for few cheeky cocktails.  No time to change, what do you do?  

What I have done here is simply swap out the sandals for some heels, changed my neck to a pearl costume jewellery piece and add something I have discovered recently which is quite frankly a genius invention.  Wingz !

If you have never heard of Wingz before, they are sleeves; either short, elbow or wrist length that you can add underneath your dress.  Whilst some may choose to wear them if they are not happy with their arms and want coverage, from my point of view I love the different options that they give you in being able to style in different ways.  In this case the lace Party Wingz * have helped me to bring a night time edge to my outfit  and also add an interesting detail with the lace.

 So what do you think?  I was sent the lace elbow length Wingz and also a shorter jersey pair and I am looking forward to playing around with different dresses and seeing what changes I can effect.  The things with wearing a dress is that it is a full piece and only by using accessories can you make it look different.  I think this is where the Wingz really come into their own.

Check out what the other ladies have done to change up old Summer outfits!

* gifted item

Bird Printed Doll Dress

A couple of Saturdays ago I attended the +Simply Be store in the Arndale Centre, Manchester.  You can read about my visit here

I was lucky enough to given £50.00 to spend in store and after playing dress up and taking photographs with the magic mirror (which you need to try, it's brilliant) I decided on the Bird Printed Doll Dress * I had previously seen the dress on the lovely Sally from The Human Mannequin and thought that she looked gorgeous so wanted to try it for myself.

My magic mirror picture from the store.

I sized up with this dress to accomodate the boobage, but i think most people would find it true to size.

I first decided to style the dress with the office in mind (yes, I like to dress up) and so went with a chunky necklace and my black ankle boots from Dorothy Perkins.

After taking the pictures however I was going out in the afternoon so decided to keep the dress on and style it down a little by changing the chunky for three long ones and adding some black sparkly sandals, from +Fashion World .

The bird necklaces are from Primark

The red heart necklace was a bargain £1 from Ebay

I adore the print on the dress and I like the high-low detailing.  I will be getting a lot of wear out of this dress all summer and with the addition of a cardigan it will probably take me into autumn too!

* Denotes gifted item

Silent Sunday

How I am silently feeling at the moment!