Taking Shape Tropica Maxi Dress

When I went to visit the Taking Shape Store in Southport a few weeks ago, one of the dresses that I ended up coming away with was the Tropica Maxi Dress  Not only was the dress right on the money for the tropical print, it also gave the illusion when I looked in the mirror that I was taller than I actually am.

This is not to be confused with Jurassic Park and the "dinosaurs are closer than they actually are" mirror sign.  I am not a dinosaur, just a short girl who likes to look tall.

Anyhow....... I was going out for a meal tonight and so decided to take a few pictures and show you what it looks like.  I may take the length up very slightly, not because there is anything wrong with it, but more than I can and will trip over anything remotely near my feet.

Sizing wise I would say that you can probably size down one.  I like to have roominess in my clothes so stayed to my usual.  For height reference with the length of the dress, I am 5ft4.  

As you can see, the neckline has some lovely beading detail which looks like a necklace, hence no need to wear one!  

I wore the dress today with some simple sparkly black flat sandals but you could easily take this dress from day to night by adding jewellery and a pair of heels.

I have a feeling that this is going to be my go to dress for the summer.  What to wear when you have five minutes to get out of the door and still look stylish?  The dress that does it all for you of course!

Spring Formal

One of the things I worry about when asked to go to a formal Spring event is what to wear?  The basic black that you can fall back on in Autumn/Winter seems a bit out of place on a glorious summer day, so the question is, what do you wear?

+Marisota recently sent me a look sheet of formal looks for Spring/Summer which I have decided to share with you as there were a couple of items that I fell for.

Black blazer £50.00
(I couldn't find a link on the site)

Spotted Mesh Prom Skirt £49.00

I am dying to buy this skirt.  There are so many things I want to wear with it and try it with.  Different colours, with belt, without belt, high shoes, low shoes, the lot!

I wasn't asked by the way to do this post for Marisota, I just loved the skirt so much that I wanted to share it with you!

Joe Browns Vintage Flower Dress

Today I have to show you another purchase that I made this week.

I have had my eye on this dress for a while now as I love the Joe Brown dresses and the vintage look of this dress had me sold.  After spying a cheeky discount code for +Simply Be I decided to thrown caution to the winds and give it a whirl.

Joe Browns Vintage Flower Dress

The patterning on this dress is beautiful and very 50s esq.  I found that the length was just right on me, just a little past the knee.  The sizing is a little generous, it works on me but I would suggest that anyone with smaller breasts than I size down one.

There is one thing about this dress that I wasn't too impressed with.  The material is so thin that you can see through it.  To be honest I did debate about keeping the dress because of the quality of the material, but as I wear a black slip under all my dresses anyway and I loved it so much, I decided to keep.

Below is a picture of the material up against the morning light.  Now of course it doesn't show as that see through when it is next to your skin, but it is certainly something to consider.

I wore this dress to work today (yes I do get dressed up to go to an office, I know) and I wore it with some gold seasons from Hush Puppies and a costume pearl necklace which I found in a charity shop.

If you are a slip girl like myself, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the dress to you, but for £40.00 it is something to ponder on.

Kaleidoscope Shift Dress

In line with my blog post yesterday which highlighted some of the improvements I wanted to make to my blog, I am going to try and post more fashion posts.

With that in mind, today I have for you the Printed Ruched Front Detail Shift Dress for you from +Kaleidoscope UK.  This is the first time that I have bought from this website but I was lured by the on sale section and bought myself snapping up this dress which I got for the bargain price of £22.50.

One particular bugbare I have are the amount of dresses that you purchase that look like great quality, only to find that when you hold them up the light, you can see straight through them.  Happily the material on this dress is good quality and is lined, but without that constricted feeling you can sometimes get with lined dresses.

I am 5ft4 and for me the length of 39 inches is just perfect.  The pinks, turquoises and yellows look vibrant against the black background but without making it look tacky.  I was happy wearing this all day at work and was really comfortable.

What are you wearing at work lately?

Away with the Fairy Folk

I am the first to admit that I have been a little away with the fairies for the past few weeks (on a side note, wouldn’t that be really cool, runing away with the fairies, I wanna do it!). There are various sides of my life that are madly swinging on the axis and my sense of direction seems to be all askew.

Things are finally settling down a little bit and one of the things that I want to get back into shape is my blog. Whilst I have never been one for writing and scheduling posts more than a couple of days ahead and I never work to a specific format, I feel that some sort of structure is needed.

The top on my blog priority list is the comments. I have previously answered each and every comment posted on my blog as I feel that someone is taking the time to comment, I should reciprocate in replying back. This hasn’t been happening lately, in fact for a couple of months now and I feel horrible about it.

My action plan is now to take ten minutes from each day to ensure that I reply. Replying to someone three weeks after the fact seems a little pointless and I want to make sure that I am now replying every day.

Same goes with reading other people’s blogs. There are so many that I love and read but yet again, I haven’t had time to comment. Knowing how happy it makes me to receive a comment, I feel bad for not doing the same as much as I want for others too.

This too will be rectified!

I will always put in my opinion and lifestyle pieces into my blog whenever the mood strikes me but I want to bring more fashion into the equation too. I have several pieces that I have bought but just not been able to photograph.

My life would be so much easier if I had someone following my around with a camera…… Anyone want to apply? If you are male, can make me smile at the drop of a hat and can work for free you will be hired in a millisecond!! ;)

Anyway, that is my action plan, more comments, more fashion, better organisation and if a man with a twinkle in his eye shows up along the way, I won’t complain.

Sail Away With Me

Being a typical Pisces, most of the time my head is in the clouds as I dream of being in far off places so when I was contacted recently by MSC Cruises and asked to envision myself on board the MSC Splendida, experiencing cocktails, dinner with the Captain and dancing, it wasn't hard to do.

I have always wanted to go on a cruise ship. When I think of a cruise ship experience, my mind immediately takes on a theme of splendor and romance. I think of elegance, dining at the Captain’s table; waltzing around a dance floor; black tie and beautiful dresses.

Considering that I dress up every single day, the thought of dressing for dinner is one that greatly appeals to me. I can think of nothing better than a beautiful dinner, a night of dancing and then gazing at a star filled sky with a glass of champagne in my hand.

The question that immediately springs to mind when I think of this is: what would I wear? You want something comfort enough to sit down for dinner, elegant but not severe; something you can foxtrot around the floor in and above all: something that stands out from the crowd.

I was given £150.00 in order to put together my dream outfit which I decided that I wanted to be a mix of modern and vintage, seamlessly blended together, just like I think a cruise ship experience would be.

Grazia Floral Print Dress from +Marisota 

Shoes - +Simply Be 

Necklace - Jewelry boutique

Bracelet - 1950's French jet bead necklace

Today's Work OOTD

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Manchester pop up shop arranged by +Marisota where I had a look at their Shapeology collection and Mark Heyes was also there with his gorgeous Ava Collection.

I tried on various outfits while I was there (see my previous post Marisota Pop Up Shops) but the one I was thinking about when I got home and decided to get, very surprisingly for me given that I am a dress girl through and through, was a pants and top combination.

I am loving the printed trousers that are everywhere at the moment and I am drawn to anything with a beautiful cobalt blue colour so here is my outfit which I was wearing today at work.

Tribal Print Jacquard Trousers * £39.00

Mark Heyes Jersey Top with Mesh Insert * £35.00

Shoe Tailor Low Wedge Sandals £30.00

Necklace - Primark

* I was gifted a voucher for Marisota with which I purchased the above noted items.

Cyclones in the Head

I think that today is going to be a sorting my head out post.  I haven’t done one of these for a while but I find that for me, it is the best way of channelling my thoughts and problems into some sort of order.

Some people write diaries, some people talk to a counsellor, some people (like I used) bottle it up; this is the way that works best for me.  So here goes.

My head is currently mush.  Literally, if you looked inside my skull you would see something resembling apple sauce because there has been that much in there lately that I think my brain might have exploded under the pressure.

I have learnt by past experience that I cannot just file away things without dealing with them; I am and have to be more careful with myself these days.  It is all about sorting through and dealing with things one by one rather than shoving everything in a box and ignoring.

One of my good traits is that I am organised.  When everything is in its place and I know what is happening around me, the world becomes a better place.  That is what I need to do.  Organise my thoughts.

When you have a better understanding of your tolerance limits, when you know what takes you down a dark road and you recognise when you have a little more on than you can handle; you also know that it is better to deal with rather than avoid.

Today for example.  I was sat at work this morning and the thoughts in my head were whirling around like a cyclone. I got myself into such a state that I was practically in tears.  That is why I am writing this now, I put myself under a mental stop sign to take a minute and breathe.

In reality, I can cope with everything that is happening in my life at the moment.  I just need to acknowledge it all. 

I am worried about illness in a family member, but I can’t change outcomes, only support.  I am supporting another with their worries, but have to remember to also support myself.  My confidence has taken a nose dive, but it will be back.  My sense of life direction is spinning, but it will refocus.   My work life is changing and I’m not sure on the direction, but I will be.  There is a tiny knife in my back that I didn’t realise was there, but now I see it, I can steel myself to it.

I feel better for writing this.  It doesn’t change anything but it helps just to refocus.  People ask why you would hit “publish” on a personal post, but I find that by posting it, it helps to keep me on an even keel. 

Fashion, rants and daily thoughts will resume tomorrow!

Summer Sandals

We are speedily getting to that point of year (crossing fingers and toes as I type) when we need to start thinking about breaking out the summer sandals.

I tend to replace my summer sandals each year, mainly for the reason that I fall in love with new ones every time.

What I want from a summer sandal is a simple style, something that can take me from day to night if needed; comfortable and preferably with a small wedge to it.  With that in mind, this year I have decided to go for the Low Wedge Sandals from +Fashion World   They come in both black and gold and have a lovely sparkle to them.

After purchasing the black pair I also decided to go for the gold pair also.  They are ultra comfortable and come in different width fittings to make sure that you get the perfect fit.

What sandals are you wearing this summer?

My Current SimplyBe Loves

My current loves from +Simply Be 

I need those Gemini Tropical shoes in my life!!!

 

I Feel Good

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.

This photo was taken when I attended the Capturing the Curves photo shoot the other week.  I had already got changed into my regular clothes at this point but wanted to take a quick photo to remind myself of the make up and styling until I got the proper photographs through.

I feel very vintage in this photo and for once, I really love it :)

Silent Sunday

Styling Plus

Foreword: This is a competition entry, but as ever, I am saying what I think, unedited!

La Redoute are giving two bloggers the chance to be ambassadors for a year and also a a trip to Paris.  What is not to love about that?  They have asked us to write about fashion and give a styling tip.

Now, if a friend or someone you knew asked you for styling tips, what would you say? Would you suggest colours for them to wear or perhaps recommend shapes that might be flattering to their figure? Maybe if you are playing it safe, you can go with the mainstay of “You can’t go wrong with a little black dress” – which is of course very true!

If someone had asked me a year ago for styling tips I would not have had a clue where to start, but now; my thought process when it comes to clothes has changed.

My tip for styling yourself? When choosing an outfit, forget for a moment that it is yourself that you are dressing.  Pick up the items that sings to you from the hanger.  Choose the dress that you love so much that you can stop thinking about it.

Ignore the fashion rules

Below I have shared three photographs of styles that "the rules" tell me I shouldn't wear.  Stripes, a busy pattern and a high neckline.  I love wearing each of these dresses and I think that this shines through, more than if I had been playing by rules dictated to me because of my size.

Fashion should be about what you love and what makes you happy.  That is my styling tip.  Take yourself out of the equation, choose what makes you smile and that as Tim Gunn says "Make it work!"

This a competition entry for La Rodoute.

The Perks of a Plus Size Blogger

The plus size community seems to be at antsy with itself lately and it is a sad thing to see.

Bloggers are being accused of various things to include: peacocking about working with brands, having too many gifted items on their blogs, always going on about going to events and generally saying that everything is "gorgeous" as long as it is free.  They are also accused of encouraging consumerism and killing fairies.  Ok, not the last one, but such negatively towards people in the same community as yourself makes me rant a little.

I properly started blogging about fashion about a year and a half ago.  I started because I caught sight of Becky's blog, saw all the fabulous, colourful and fashionable clothes that she was wearing and her awesome attitude and thought to myself, I want a piece of that.  Not the free clothes, the confidence and her attitude.

The number of plus size fashion blogs I read grows on a daily basis.  I don't pick and choose based on their brand interaction, I chose on the basis of if I find their blog interesting and also the kinds of clothes that they wear.  Seeing how clothes work on different bodies is extremely helpful to a plus size person and also seeing someone wearing something that you would not have dared to, encourages you to be a little more adventurous and jump out of your comfort zone.

One of the unexpected perks that has arisen is that occasionally I get opportunities from brands in order to review clothes or maybe attend an event. This isn't something I expect or court, but when it does happen, it is obviously extremely exciting. When I see other bloggers doing similar things, I feel happy for them also. 

The biggest perk I have gained from blogging though is this: I am so much more than the shadow of the person that I used to be.  Fashion blogging has completely changed my life. I am no longer hiding and I wear the clothes that I want to, not the clothes that I "should".

Someone said on Twitter today that wearing clothes doesn't give you confidence, but they are wrong.  Fashion can take you out of your safe place, which often can be the very place that you are hiding in, and into places that you could never dream of. 

The other bloggers in the community continue to inspire me and I draw my own confidence from them.  I don't care if the clothes they show are free, paid for, stolen or borrowed, what makes me continue to read their blogs is their confidence and their friendliness to others.

The plus size community has always been a supportive and friendly one and it is a shame when discomfort arises because some work with brands and others don't.   Blogging is hard work and time consuming, especially if you are working too, or have children, or both! If someone gets a perk from doing their blog then well done to them.

I love writing my blog, both my opinion posts and my fashion posts.  If I stop loving it, I'll stop, simple as that.  If you don't kind reading someone's blog, then don't read it.

This is just a little of my perspective, but I urge you to check out Hanna's post and Leah's post

*Edit
Having read Gina's comments on the Facebook feed

Capes for Heroes

Today is the donation date that I have been speaking about on a couple of blog posts recently. 

The idea behind it stemmed from the Facebook #nomakeupselfie from a couple of weeks ago. 

What I have noticed about these Facebook games is that it is always focussed on cancer.  Whilst Cancer Research is of course a very worthy cause, what about the other charities that need donations and awareness as well? Alzheimer’s Research, The Stroke Association, FMA UK, SANE, the RSPCA, the Down’s Syndrome Association, everyone has a charity that means something to them because a friend or relative is or has been affected or indeed themselves.

I want to do something to emphasis that although charities like Cancer Research are important; there are others out there too that need help and support. 

The idea is that we are all to post on our blogs and Facebook/Twitter accounts a picture of ourselves holding a sign with the name of your chosen charity, the link or text message number of how you can donate and the hashtag #IDonated. 

Here is a bit about my chosen charity and my picture!

Capes 4 Heroes is a non profit organisation that have a very simple, but very powerful idea. Here’s what they have to say:

“We make and personalize superhero capes for kids with disabilities, kids with life threatening illnesses and kids who just need to feel empowered. We hope our capes give these deserving kids an extra boost of strength and courage and make them feel like the superheroes they truly are!”

Sometimes it isn’t about trying to cure a disease, sometimes it is as simple as putting a smile on a child’s face when they really need to smile.

You can donate a cape to a child for $30 or alternatively whatever you can afford to via Paypal on this link You can also nominate a child who you think needs a superhero cape of their own on the website. They also send capes to the UK.