I was recently on the hunt for a new black cardigan when I came across a fashion site that I hadn't come across before called Wear All that I thought that I would share with you.
Sites that have fast, affordable fashion that cater to plus size ranges are few and far between and after a few items accidentally dropped into my shopping basket, I thought I would show you my new outfit!
Margaret Crochet Knitted Cardigan £9.00 from Wearall
found here
Floral Print V Neck Sleeveless Dress from Wearall
Found here
I didn't intend to pair the two together originally, but upon getting the dress through the post, I wasn't entirely sure about the bodycon fit on me. I loved the colours and design of the skirt so much however that I decided to do a Tim Gunn and "make it work".
Spending less than £25.00 on a dress and cardigan is my idea of a bargain so I have put together some other items from the site that I love and intend to buy to start off my new Autumn/Winter season (even though I am in denial that Autumn is fast approaching).
I love finding new places to shop and with each of these items less than £20.00, even my bank manager can't object ;)
I was recently given
the opportunity to interview Sheila Toor, Senior Designer for the Therapy Brand at the +House of FraserThe Therapy line aims
to interpret catwalk trends, being fashionable, but not too fashion forward at
an affordable price.
Here is what I asked:
What
inspired you to get into fashion design?
From a young age, I
have always been fascinated by clothes. My love of fashion design, however,
started when I was 11 years old, after I made a pair of jodhpurs as part of a
project. I made them from a horrible scratchy fabric but I didn’t care — I was
so proud and I thought I looked great!
That’s when I knew
that fashion design was the career for me. Even today, I’m still as passionate
about crafting clothing as my eleven-year-old self was back then. The only
difference is that I now steer clear of those dodgy fabrics!
If you
had the chance to be able to dress anyone, who would it be and why?
Now this is a really
difficult question! I’m always most excited to dress those who are similar to
me and have a real passion for fashion. Someone who has their own unique style
and whose eyes light up as they spot the rail of clothes are the most enjoyable
to work with.
Vintage-style prints and shaping are becoming ever
more popular.What trends from the past
would you like to see return and which do you wish had never happened?
I think we’d all
rather forget the questionable styles of the new-romantic era in the late
1980s. I mean seriously, what were we thinking!?
Personally, I would
love to see a revival of 1940s fashion. The era’s flattering, feminine dresses
perfectly enhanced a woman’s hourglass shape, while the beautiful floral prints
were just to die for. Ladies always looked effortlessly elegant and, of course,
drop-dead gorgeous!
The
plus-size market is quickly growing momentum with more people than ever wanting
the same fashion available to them as the straight-size ranges.Do you think more fashion brands should
incorporate a plus-size range?
Totally! Ladies
should be able to express their individual style however they choose and should
not be limited by something as silly as a garment’s size label. As attitudes
change, I’m certain we’ll see more and more brands including plus-size clothes
in their range as standard.
There are many rules that women obey when it comes
to fashion, especially when you are a size 16 plus.Do you believe that fashion rules should be
obeyed or is your own sense of style more important?
I’m all for
individuality and the beauty of fashion is its versatility. Life would be
boring if everyone dressed the same, so I definitely rate individuality over
style rules.
I live by the mantra
that as long as you feel great, you’ll look a million dollars. Choose items you
like, prints you adore and clothes you feel comfortable in. After all,
confidence is the most important part of any outfit.
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!
Today’s edition of the Magnificent 7th Challenge is Workwear/Back to School.
I have had an absolutely crazy time lately and have not been able to schedule anything when it was supposed to happen. I am hoping that this week will see a return to normality.
For this challenge what I decided to do was show you some of the outfits I wear at work.
The word love is bandied about often, but frequently only used to
describe the more mundane, without any real feeling behind it.You might say 'I love coffee' every single
day but when was the last time you told a person that you loved them?
La Redoute carried out a survey recently and found out that 22% of the
UK has not said I love you in over a year and that only 30% of people say it
daily, despite that more than half of us feel special when the words are
uttered.These statistics surprised me
until I tried to think of the last time I told someone that I loved them and I
could not remember.
I love many people in my life.My
amazing mum who at 74 only looks 54 and acts much younger than her age.I can only hope to look as good as she does
when I reach 74!My sister to whom I
definitely do not say I love you enough too and my best friend, who is my rock
and has been with me through thick and thin, through good times and bad.
La Redoute was founded in France in 1922 and after coming to the UK in 1995,
they discovered that the UK needs a little inspiration when it comes to the
language of love.With this in mind they
have created the video, complete with 'Mr La Redoute'.
This video shows messages sent from family and partners to their loved
ones, spoken in French by 'Mr La Redoute' and then the author comes out to translate
the message.
I loved seeing the reactions and responses of the people who received their messages.First, the slight bewilderment at being addressed by an attractive French man and then the delight when their love ones come out and gave the translation.
After watching the video the first thing I did was ring my mum and tell her that I loved her.It is such a small sentence 'I love you' but it can have a tremendous impact and can really make somebody's day.
"If you love someone, you say it, right then, out loud.
Otherwise, the moment just passes you by"
(My Best Friend's Wedding)
At the moment you can also fall in love with French style with La Redoute who are currently offering £30.00 off a £75.00 spend when you use code 8401.
I was recently contacted by Jen
of Alexi Accessories who are a new British jewellery brand. I was asked if I wished to review something
from their Signature Collection and of course I jumped at the chance.
I decided to choose the hollow circle necklace* which is made from sterling silver and features cubic zirconia stones
around the halo of the circle. This necklace retails for £46.50.
The necklace is simple and
elegant and will feature well either to add the finishing touches to an evening
outfit or alternatively add a little sparkle to a workday outfit.The chain is a good length, 16 inches with a
2 inch extension which is neither too short (don't you just hate it when that
happens) or too long. I have worn this necklace for an evening out matched with a simple black dress and have also worn it at work with bright colours. It is a piece that will work easily with your wardrobe as it will never date and has a contemporary elegant look.
There are some timeless pieces in
the Signature Collection that will suit most people's tastes, they also have
their Brooke Collection which has been inspired by nature and the world around
us.I particularly like the Ashleigh Pendant, which is very whimsical and ornate.
I would highly recommend that you check out this new jewellery brand which has some amazing pieces, either for yourself, a friend or family member. A well placed hint to a significant other wouldn't lead them too far astray!
* This item was gifted to me but all views are my own.
This weekend, along with many
other plus size bloggers and lovely ladies (plus a husband or two!) I am
heading to Leeds for Plus North.
To say that I am both massively
excited and nervous in equal measures in probably an understatement.
Plus North last year was a real
game changer in my life and the highlight of my year.Being surrounded by people who had had
similar life experiences to myself and knew how it felt was something very new
to me.
Plus North immediately felt like
a safe environment where nerves were dissipated upon the first hello with
people.There was a wave of automatic
acceptance and a friendliness from everyone that made me feel instantly at home. I met so many amazing people whom I cannot wait to reconnect with this
year as well as some faces that I have yet to meet in person and can't wait to do so.
I have been lucky enough to be
chosen to model again this year and will be on the catwalk, praying I do not
fall or trip over, for Yours Clothing and So Fabulous.
Me modelling for Yours Clothing last year!
If you are reading this, I hope
to see you there!If you are attending this
year please give me a wave and a hello.You may get a glazed look at first as I am horrible with putting names
and faces together, even if I follow you online so bear with me!
Swimwear has always been an issue for me. My day to day body confidence can sometimes go out of the window when I think about buying a new swimsuit as there are just so many factors to consider.
Last time I went on holiday choosing a new swimsuit was somewhat of a colossal task. Whilst I would have no issues in wearing one, I want to make sure that I look my best but more importantly, make sure that I feel comfortable in what I am wearing.
+Marisota have created this infographic for swimwear in order to help you choose what to wear while you are lounging by the pool and there is some brilliant advice that I wish I had had last time I was browsing the swimwear section.
Whilst I do not wish to hide my body, I do want to show it off to it's full potential and then the only thing I have to worry about is getting a tan!
A whopping 60.7% of the people surveyed found that their stomach was the area where they lacked the most confidence and I admit, this is the category I fall into as well.
Whilst I am not at a stage where I could simply throw on a bikini and not feel self conscious, having some style tips that I can work from, and grow confidence from there, will help greatly. A bespoke swimsuit or swimdress with a cup size will help me to feel glam whilst something with a little bit of support in the stomach area would help me feel less self conscious.
I was recently contacted by +boohoo.com and asked if I wanted to try out something from their new plus size range and of course, I jumped at the chance!
In the end though I decided to go for what has been my nemesis so far, the jumpsuit! I have tried out three different versions of jumpsuits in the past and none have been right for me so I was hoping that the Ruby Leaf Print Wrap Front Jumpsuit would fit the bill.
This jumpsuit is 95% Polyester, 5% Elastane and comes up true to size. If you are a little busty like me than you may want to put a little camisole on underneath or pop a strategic stitch in order to avoid any gaping.
I absolutely love the print and decided to go big with the accessories, little a wide belt (old), a chunky necklace that I picked up from a shop on Ebay and my reliable +Simply Be heels and crochet cardigan.
Although I love the jumpsuit I am not entirely about it on me. I would ideally prefer for my particular body shape for it to come in at the waist, which I have done by adding the belt instead.
The colour, the material, the print and the elastic around the ankles are all things that I love about the jumpsuit so I must therefore conclude that the only thing I don't like, is me in it! Actually you can strike that, I do like me in it, but I am so far off the edge of my comfort zone that I am practically absailing.
I would highly recommend this jumpsuit for anyone who has a penchant for them and indeed, anyone who has yet to try one.
I am a rubbish blogger. I cannot believe how long it took me to write this blog post.
Some time ago now I went on a blogger meet up in Manchester with some fantastic plus size blogger babes. We decided to have a little shopping trip in the +Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre which had been arranged by the lovely Steph of Seeing Spots which was followed by a brilliant cocktail making class at +Tiger Tiger Manchester which had been sorted by the brilliant Debz of The Not So Secret Diary of a Wannabe Princess
I will share a few photographs that I took during the cocktail class, please bear in mind that they were cocktail fueled photographs!
The beautiful Naomi
Concentration for making cocktails is key with Gemma of Pink Gemma
Dude, Where's My Cocktail?
Why are our glasses empty? I don't know, I'm blindfolded!
I must confess that I was very nervous to go to the meet up, not only because the only person I had met in the flesh before was Steph, but also because I was meeting some bloggers that I had admired from reading their blogs and was a little "blogger star struck". Not least Naomi of DiamondsnPearls with her radiant smile, Em from Terrible Tumbles who I thought was just fabulous (and was in the flesh too) and the beautiful Nicola of Chunky Cat Cuddler who makes gorgeous jewellery and is so so lovely.
We decided to stay for a "few" drinks later on given the 50% off offer, how could we not, which resulted in my weaving my way back to Deansgate ready for a bus ride home, trying not to fall asleep or look like a drunken mess.
I had a brilliant time and I think we definately need to do it again. Spring Fling anyone?
You
know sometimes when you spend ages getting ready for a night out, an
event or even just a blog post, and the reflection in mirror isn't
what you hoped? This challenge is for those times when you look in
the mirror, no pre planning involved, and think "I look good
today".
We
all have our good days and our bad, but this challenge is to record
those good days and to remember that confidence, at any size, is
beautiful.
I
am late with this challenge this month as I completed got lost in the
days and scheduled posts all out of sync.
I
recently wrote about a hashtag on Twitter called #bodyunshamed where
you were allocated a blogger to say three nice things about, and then
you had to apply the same to yourself. Unfortunately I was too late
to get involved but I did have a go at the three things I like about
myself, found here
Body Unashamed
Society
tells us that if you like something about yourself, you are either
vain or deluded. I personally don’t see what is wrong about
saying that you like something about yourself. There are many things
that I don’t like about myself so focusing on the good is surely
much more positive path.
With
that in mind, I was looking through my recent Instagram photographs
and I came across this one. It is only showing my lips and a
necklace I was wearing but the reason I chose it is that it features one feature I like and one I
don’t. So focusing on the good,
I like my lips!
I decided to buy another Joe Browns dress (yes another) as I love that they are not afraid of bold prints and bright colours. I went with the Joe Browns Rambling Rose Dress which is priced at £44.00. I loved the dusky pink colour and the beautiful floral print.
The sweetheart neckline on the dress is just right on me and I love the pleating detail to the side and best of all, IT HAS POCKETS!!! The length is shorter than I would usually wear being above the knee so some may want to wear leggings, but I just went with heels and a cheeky smile.
This dress definately breaks all of the rules that I am supposed to follow (screw the rules) so I thought that it would be perfect for this challenge!
I bought this dress in the summer but I will definately be carrying it through to the winter, I just need to add a cardigan and some tights.
When it comes to your beauty and
skincare routine, is there a job that you hate doing or just don’t have the
time for? In my case, the job that I never seem to have enough time for
or just plain can’t be bothered to do is body moisturise.
I always start with good
intentions; I buy all the beautifully scented body butters and lotions,
determined that my skin will be silky smooth and looking fabulous. Then
life gets in the way. The rush in the morning to get ready when I just
don’t have time to sit there waiting for moisturiser to sink in, at night when
I have a shower and, anxious to get into my PJs, I simply forget.
It comes down to laziness I know,
but body moisturisers just seem to be my “last straw” when it comes to my
beauty and skincare routine.
I have mentioned in my recent
“Shop the Stash” post that I have started to use the Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser.I have been getting on
so well with it that I thought I would tell you more about it.
Unlike the usual body moisturisers which needed to be rubbed in and given time to sink in properly, this spray is light, easy and takes up no time at all. You simply spray where you wants, run your hand over the area once and you are done. The sprays sinks immediately into your skin and you are able to put clothes on straight away.
They retail at Boots for £3.99 but I recently managed to get two cans of the Cocoa Radiant on Ebay for two for £6.00 so make sure to check there first.
Definately recommended, it is easy to use, quick to sink in and makes your skin feel gloriously soft.
When you picture relaxation, what do you think of? For me it has to be a
massive bath, filled with bubbles with a glass of wine in hand. Bliss.
Unfortunately the one thing that our house does not have is a bath, just a
shower so whilst I may dream of a huge bath of bubbles, that vision only gets
played out when I check into a hotel or go on holiday.
One of the consequences of this is that I am completed fixated about
bathrooms. Old fashioned taps, huge bath on legs; my dream bathroom would
probably cost thousands.
I decided to have a look at Bathroom City and see if I could find my ideal bath and just look at this beauty. I want to sink into it and luxuriate. Now at £1,897.00 this Devon Bath might take a while for me to save up for but hey, I don't have a house yet so I can still dream.
At the moment Bathroom City are running a competition where you win £200.00 to spend
which will go towards the bathroom of your dreams. The competition is running from the 1st August to the 31st October 2014 and all you have to do is enter your name, your email and the name of your chosen social media profile such as Twitter. You can enter here
This a project I would have loved to have been involved with alas I didn't see the tweet at the time which was calling for bloggers to participate. You were each given a blogger to write three things that you find beautiful about them, and then share three things yourself.
Whilst I was too late to join the project, I have seen many people joining in with the three things that you like about yourself, so I decided to join in. In a time when criticism against the way you look, act and what you wear seems to be everywhere, a little self love is not a bad thing.
My Determination
I have a strong will and determination which can sometimes lead
to stubbornness, not my best trait. However, that same determination has also
helped me to quit smoking over two years ago through sheer will (which I will
have re-employ as I have semi started again) and has helped me to break out my
shell and enabled me to go to events, meet new people and travel to places on my
own which I never thought I could do.
My Face
When I say that I like my face I am not being conceited. There
are many things that I could list that I don’t like about it. The bright red
freckle on the end of my nose, the ridge above my lips; my wonky eyebrow that is
higher than the other; the gap between my teeth. But one things that taking selfies has taught me is that
you only get one face and you need to embrace it. If I share a picture of my face on Instagram it means that I was feeling pretty when I took it. That isn't something that anyone should shy away from doing.
Love your reflection, because you only get one.
My Hair
I have long fought against my hair. I have been a blonde, a brunette and a redhead. My hair has been curly and straight, long and short. When it was curly I wanted it straight; but then when it was straight I thought it looked boring.
Over the past few months though I have stopped the fight. My hair is thick, with a natural curl and looks best when I just let it do exactly what it wants and you know what? It looks better now than it has in years.
The thing that I have learned from writing this post today is fighting against who you are and what you look like benefits no one, especially yourself. Embrace what you look like, celebrate the person that you are; because there is no one else like you.
So there you go, that is my three things, what are yours?
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! Today’s edition of the
Magnificent 7th Challenge is swimwear.
Having not had a holiday abroad
for a few years, I haven’t bought any swimwear recently and in fact the only
swimwear I own has been featured on here previously in the Flash the Flesh Challenge
For today’s post what I decided
to do was have a look around at what is currently available, looking
specifically for swimwear that accommodates my bra size which when I looked
around last time; was rarer than a body positive comment on the Daily Mail.
I am happy to report that I did find much more variety available although to get my exact bra size in a swimsuit would cost me the tune of £139.00. Whilst this Ample Bosom swimsuit is gorgeous and something I would wear, I couldn't justify paying that much.
I did also find a bikini top that although wasn't an exact fit, it would have been fine. However again the pricing was an issue. £48.00 this time just for the top which I honestly cannot see how Elomi can possibly justify.
Deciding that I would either need a bank loan or a breast reduction in order to find swimwear in my bra size, I turned instead to looking for swimsuits and swimdresses and found some that I really love.
Are you tired of being told that
you and your life doesn’t fit the mould that society expects?I know that I am.Being expected to look a certain way, act a
certain way; have all the same views as others; to “fit in”.I have
HAD IT.
It is a pack mentality; the
trouble being that the pack is far too large with too many commentators.Any individuality you possess can be crushed
under the weight of it.The mob (aka
Daily Mail readers and their ilk) will criticise you for any breaks of the rules
that they perceive to be set in stone.
So what rules of society do I
break?
I am still single in my thirties.
I don’t have children (nor do I want them)
I am fat and happy.
I don’t dress the way that many deem that I
should.
I am not afraid to say what I think when I am
passionate about something.
I have no inclination to “fit it” for the sake
of it.
What society would tell me that I
am, gleaned from this list is that:
I am left on the shelf
I’m lying to myself about not wanting children
but everyone does
I am fat and thereby it is inconceivable that I
could be happy
I am wearing clothes they don’t want to see me
in
I am too outspoken.
I don’t care.
Life is about choice, not
conformity and the fact that I don’t fit into society’s little “how to be” box
no longer bothers me.
My ducks will never be all lined
neatly in a row.I don’t even have any
damn ducks; although I do aim to dress like a peacock.My path in life is not straight and clear; it
is winding with complicated intersections and although I have fallen off it at
times; it has always been there to take me in another direction.
One day I would like to meet
someone to share the rest of my days with, to get married and be happy.That day will either come or it won’t, but I
won’t think that my life is ruined if it doesn’t happen. I am not “left on the shelf” because I was
never for sale.
Today is the day that I choose to
stop listening to society.I will no
longer read the Daily Fail which is full of nothing but hatred, body snarking
and vile views.I will no longer judge
myself as society says that I should, just because I am single.I will no longer let others views affect how
I lead my life nor have an impact on how happy I am.
I will skip down the path that is
growing day by day under my feet.I have
no idea where it leads but one thing I do know is that I am going to make damn
sure that the journey is fun.
I haven't been able to do many outfit posts lately but I wanted to share with you what I am wearing today for work.
I love outfits that you can just throw on and feel comfortable it. I particularly love my necklace today although I confess that it is a bit on the heavy side!
The attempt to look sultry but ending up Monday morning grumpy look
The dress is from +Very.co.uk for the bargain price of £25.00, the cardigan and sandals are from +Simply Be and the necklace I found in a charity shop.
