Let’s Talk Bras!

September 30, 2016October 3, 20162 Comments

With the great amount of attention that we put on shopping for great outfits, we tend to ignore what lies beneath. Foundation-wear is essential to looking great for every outfit that you put together which is why I was so excited to learn about Curvy Couture from body positive designer and blogger, Alyssa Dalessandro of Ready to Stare at Curvy Con this year.

With the inspirational Alyssa at the Curvy Couture booth.

Curvy Couture is an online plus size intimates retailer that sells lingerie and bras internationally up to a H cup. As I got the chance to take a look at some of their bras in person at their booth I decided to order one for myself. I’ve never owned a t-shirt bra so I decided to order one in the color nude, a shade that has yet to grace my bra collection. My favorite thing about my experience shopping at Curvy Couture was the fact that returns are free and the team is goes the extra mile to help you get the right fit. I’ve had my new bra for a month now and it has become one of my favorites. That said, I figured this was a great opportunity to discuss bras and bra shopping. So if you’re looking for a new bra or to just refresh your collection here are some points to keep in mind.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.

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Fall Transition Kimono Style

September 8, 2016December 30, 20161 Comment

I’ll be honest, my personal style is eclectic. I can go from hyper feminine to polish professional, to dark and edgy, to Sunday Best within a week. Notice that there is no mention of boho in that mix. I’m not sure what it is about that particular trend that I find not for me. My workaholic nature probably won’t embrace the concept of a light and relaxed style. Anyway, that changed once I saw this floral print kimono on the Wet Seal Instagram feed I wanted to see what I could do with this new addition to my closet. I’ve teamed up with fellow “budgetista”, Angelica from Affordable Curve for some transitional style inspo, make sure to check out her looks here.

Look # 1 : Breezy & Dressy

With this kimono’s dramatic bell sleeves and floral blossom print on a brilliant blue background I immediately thought about sizing up to wear this as a dress only to realize I should have sized up two sizes because of my large bust. When that original idea didn’t pan out I thought, why not wear it over a dress? I love the mix of silk, jersey and faux leather textures here. I swapped the fabric belt for my new faux leather obi belt I managed to score from Torrid last month for less than $2! (Note: Always check the clearance section between seasons.) The strap front pep toe heels are a step above the heeled sandals that I would usually wear to the office during the summer. For a more conservative professional look I could swap them for flats or closed front pumps.

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Summer Weekend BBQ Ready (feat. Lovesick)

July 1, 2016January 9, 2017Leave a comment

Summer is here and that means fun in the sun with family and friends. One of my favorite summer activities are barbeques. There is something to be said about how much better hot dogs, burgers and even fish taste fresh off the grill. Anyway, while I am still working on organizing one, I happy to know that I have my outfits ready for the occasion. So with this Independence day weekend already in full swing, I figured why not celebrate in style with my new favorite pieces from Lovesick., the affordable sister brand of Torrid.

Lovesick officially launched in late April with most of the pieces clearly having a more boho vibe, which is far away from my usual style; this is not to say that I haven’t given it a try in the past. Though it is nice to have a new affordable plus size fashion brand out there and I also greatly appreciate the fact that when you make a purchase Lovesick donates 1% to Plan International USA’s Because I am a Girl project. Their projects are designed to end the cycle of poverty and to empower girls through education. They use the funds donated to provide tuition, uniforms and school supplies to girls around the world. As someone who has been homeless due to poverty, and has also volunteered for a the women’s empowerment non-profit (4 Real Women International, Inc.) for the last 5 years, this is a cause I am more than happy to support.

That said, check out my two Summer BBQ inspired looks styled with two of my first Lovesick purchases.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.

Look #1: Oversized Boho

This gauze fabric top with sharkbite hem was made for summer. It is really lightweight and airy so you can stay cool in the summer heat. Unfortunately by the time I finally got around to placing my order they no longer had any in a my usual size, yet I feel that going up a size gives this look a more laid-back fit. I paired it with these midrise jean shorts I got early fall last year. As you can imagine, shopping out of season I scored a major steal, but more than that I had some time to work up the courage to actually wearing these. It took me 8 years before I started wearing shorts again and these are currently the shortest pair I own, yet they won’t be the last.

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theCURVYcon 2016 Teal Swagbag Haul!

June 29, 2016September 12, 20186 Comments

One of the perks of attending theCURVYcon as a Teal ticket holder was the huge swag bag. I know that social media is full of buzz surrounding the Platinum bag, but I wanted to share how awesome the Teal swag bag is too. I should also mention that this video serves a dual purpose as not only am I sharing my swag but submitting a contest entry to win a new Canon DSLR camera. Wish me luck!

Note: This video was filmed between the hours of 2 and 3 AM in the morning which is why I am kind of all over the place.

Check out my theCURVYcon 2016 Recap here: http://bit.ly/290l5Jp

Style notes: In this video I am wearing the crop eyelet shell top from Lane Bryant in a size 18.

Thinking about attending next year? You can purchase your 2017 theCURVYcon tickets here: http://bit.ly/292Nyg8

theCURVYcon 2016 Recap

June 26, 2016November 25, 20164 Comments

Last year marked the first ever annual Curvycon and as you can guess, I was beyond upset at the fact that I couldn’t attend. So I made a point to get my ticket for this year’s con early so I wouldn’t miss out. This was incredibly important to me because Cece Olisa and Chastity Garner were the two first plus size bloggers I found when I was introduced to the medium. Words cannot express how significant this event is for the body positive and self love movements. There was just this feeling of love within every aspect of the event that I just had to share my experience.

Day 1 – Healthy Curves Workout and Pop-Up-Shop + Sip hosted by Gabifresh

The morning started with sessions hosted by blogger and CURVYcon co-creator, CeCe Olisa, and fitness guru, Anowa Adjah. I must say that they were not playing around with this workout which made me glad that I came prepared. It felt great to workout in a non-judgmental space with body positive instructors. I especially appreciated how both Cece and Anowa made it fun and educational, stressing that working out is not punishment for the body you have but rather a form of self love.