Rated M for Morbid & Macabre

For the second year in a row, I have spent Hallo-week with my bestie, Brooke, in Baltimore. In an earlier visit a few years back, I had managed to convince her to take me to the Edgar Allen Poe House and Museum, but that visit was fairly short due to the fact that both she and her daughter were majorly freaked out by the vibes the house gave. (It was pretty dark in there, so I totally understand.)

At the time, it was really cool to at least do a quick walk through, though I did have a list of other Poe-related things I wanted to check out, mainly Poe’s graves (yes, that’s graves plural) and a few other sites inspired by his work, including the Annabel Lee Tavern. Fast forward two years, and we finally got to do just that. Continue reading

Back in Black (Faux Leather)

Fall has gotten quite a bit of a slow start this year in New York, and so I’ve been forced to wait longer than usual before I finally break out my favorite season staples. I will admit that I do enjoy the challenge of styling summer into fall, though the anticipation for crisp fall weather has me feeling antsy.

This weekend I finally got my wish as the temperatures dipped closer to the seasonal norm, allowing me to finally break out the newest addition to my leather jacket collection along with sweater from my Cider haul from last fall and some new jeans that I bought in the most unlikely of places.

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5 Tips for Thrifting While Plus

I’ll be honest, I haven’t done much thrifting as an adult compared to when I was a child and teen. Back then it was more or less a necessity due to the fact that my family couldn’t afford much so we had to make the best of what we could find in thrift stores. Once I got older and I started working, I made a point to start shopping in stores that I previously couldn’t afford now that I had “adult money” to do so.

Fast forward to 2023, thrifting has become as much if not more expensive as shopping mainstream brands. Couple that with the fact that there are so many people intentionally looking for items in plus sizes to repurpose the fabric as they design something smaller. That was my long winded way of saying that I’ve been avoiding it, but I have friends who have taken to “shopping green” whom have made a point to pull me away from mainstream/fast fashion so I’ve  started to join them in their adventures these last  couple of years. That said, here are 5 things that I’ve learned as I’ve started to thrift again.

1.Don’t be afraid to look

Even though I am on the lower end of the plus size spectrum in terms of size, I have this habit of avoiding places that don’t outright sell plus sizes.  As an “old fat”  (someone who has been plus size her whole life) I still carry the trauma of crying in fitting rooms during shopping trips with my mother because I couldn’t find things that fit me, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise I make an effort to avoid going through those same emotions even today. Continue reading

Strawberries and Self Care

Well…it’s been a while since I’ve been back with a blog update. I’ll be honest, I had major plans for the start of the year. I even had a weekly styling series plotted out that just ended up simply not happening.

Basically I hit a creative slump and I was finding it harder and harder to shake off the depressive episode I found myself in during the holidays which ended up lasting far longer than I would have liked.  To the point that I even missed out on sharing any V-day inspired looks this year! And if you’ve been with me since the beginning, you know that has been a “time-honored” tradition for this blog over the last 8 years.

So where does this cute strawberry print pajama/lounge matching set come in? So, here’s the thing –  I’m shopping again. For clothes that is and this major turn of events inspired me to not only create content on my social platforms again, but return to posting on the blog, which I have greatly missed.

I had actually been eyeing this set online for weeks now and only got around to seeing it in person about a week or two ago after I stumbled into an Old Navy in need of some much needed retail therapy after a very long day at work in office. Old Navy tends to be my first stop at the turn of the season to stock up on dresses that would get me through both spring and summer. This is the first time that I’ve ever given their sleepwear more than a passing glance and I’m so glad that I did.

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My Two Cents: On Sustainability and (Plus Size) Fashion

Sustainability has become THE topic of conversation over the last 5 or so years when it comes to fashion and for good reason considering global warming is only getting worse with every passing day. However, I can’t help but notice how it has also become a weapon of shame used against those of us who are unable to shop the same way our well-off and/or straight size peers can.

Speaking from experience, when your income is low you typically have no choice but to shop places that will allow you to stretch what you little you can spend. Often what happens with this is that thoughts around quality and even quantity goes out the window. For the most part its a “you take what you can get” kind of mentality that takes over so the last thing on your mind are fashion trends and/or social issues. And this gets harder when it comes to shopping plus. Which is not to say that no sustainable plus size fashion brands exist, they do. However the reality is that many of us can’t afford to put down $100-400 for a dress or basic top even if it is for a good cause as “saving the planet.” However, if you are in a position to support those brands, please do, just don’t come for those of us who can’t. Continue reading