Getting Spring Ready at Old Navy

March 10, 2016March 26, 2016Leave a comment

NYC has been warming up so I figured that it was time to check out some spring collections and my first stop was Old Navy. Now I’ll be honest, I have a love-hate relationship with Old Navy mostly due to the fact that they have yet to offer their plus size clothing in any of their store locations. Although it is yet to be seen if they will ever offer plus sizes in store, I often make a point to try on their straight size offerings when I can as they are very budget friendly. I say this because I believe one shouldn’t avoid certain retailers just because they don’t cater to the needs of plus size consumers as there are possible styles for a full figure hanging on the straight size racks. Of course they tend to be limited in number, but they are worth taking a look at. I didn’t purchase anything during this visit, yet I wanted to share some of my current favorites some of which are available in plus size. Check them out and let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: Originally this post was meant to be my first “inside the fitting room” video but due to some technical difficulties I was not able to get this edited. For this reason I must apologize for the limited images.

1.) Dresses

Cutwork Cami Dress | Eyelet Tie-Waist Shirt Dress (not found online but available in store)

I’m not sure what is is about spring that brings out so many cami dresses at various retailers, but the navy blue detail on the hem of this cami dress makes up for the repetition of this style. I should note that while this dress is lined the material has a bit of sheer. Even so, with some flats or sandals this is a great piece to wear for a spring picnic in the park and when paired with a cardigan it can be used at work. I have a very low tolerance for heat which makes me sweat buckets once the temperature goes higher than 65 degrees Fahrenheit so I have made a point in the last five years to find some comfortable and office appropriate summer work wear. I think that paired with some wedged sandals or nude heels the tie-waist dress will definitely fit the bill. I am wearing an XXL in both, but considering how roomy these dresses are (the cami dress actually has a smocked back) I suggest sizing down in both. Continue reading →

End of Summer 2015 Dress Shopping List

August 30, 2015March 26, 2016Leave a comment

Summer isn’t over yet, but with all the pre-fall pieces already being released by many retailers, the prices of many summer pieces have already begun to drop significantly. Now is definitely the time to stock up on some of the summer styles we may have passed on earlier this season. My favorite summer staple is the summer dress because of the fact that it is a complete simple, and comfortable look. The best part is that many of these can easily transition into fall with the simple addition of some layers and boots, not only to keep you warm, but to change the look and make the style your own. With that in mind, here are my top picks for (affordable) end of summer dress shopping. (Note: Everything here is currently listed for less than $40, not counting shipping in handling.) Continue reading →

Blue and White Boho Summer

August 8, 2015March 26, 20163 Comments

Ever since high school I developed this habit of avoiding shops that cater more to straight sizes, mostly because I figure since my size and shape is obviously not taken into account in the design of their offered pieces, I would only be wasting my time by looking there. Of course this mode of thinking is false, as evident from this outfit made up entirely of straight size pieces.

Back in late May I ventured into Forever 21 to do some shopping recon and my eye was immediately lead to this navy blue and cream bandana skirt. I scanned the racks for my size and I was not surprised to find that it wasn’t available in plus. Not to be defeated so easily, I found the skirt in a large (their largest offering of this piece) and went to try it on. I fell in love as you may have seen on Instagram:

Continue reading →

PCA/ACA National Conference 2015

April 20, 2015September 14, 20163 Comments

In addition to this blog, I am actually a design and art history historian as well as a cultural anthropologist. It’s a quite a mouthful I know. Though much of my academic writing and research has taken a back seat since receiving my masters last spring, I have made some efforts in the final months of last year to expand on some projects I had started in graduate school, including my paper on Target, its designer collaboration collections and plus size blogging– a paper I submitted last October to be considered as a possible presentation for the Fashion, Style, Appearance, Consumption and Design area of the 2015 Popular Culture Association and American Culture Association’s National Conference.

I was told that once you send in your abstract for consideration it takes approximately a minimum of two weeks to hear back from the area chair, I heard back in two days. From that day I was in crowd-funding and paper editing mode. It was an intensely stressful time given the the other responsibilities I had to deal with such as work, looking for another job, apartment hunting, eventually moving, and starting this blog. It should come to no surprise then that I did my final edits to the paper and accompanying PowerPoint the week before I was set to present. Yet even with all the anxiety fueled by the craziness that is my life, I was very excited to spend Easter weekend in New Orleans for my first (national) conference.

I think my abstract is the longest in history; there was so much to cover in such a little space.

I arrived the day before I was scheduled to present which gave me a chance to sit in other panels for different academic areas, such as Film Adaption, Fat Studies, Tolkien Studies, Material Culture, as well as Libraries, Archives and Museums, to name a few. Admittedly the experience did shake my confidence as I started to question the significance of my paper as the work by my fellow scholars was not only impressive, but presented in such a way that kept the audience engaged for the entire panel. I was in awe of these scholars who clearly have had much more practice than I. Continue reading →

I Am Not THAT Big!

March 29, 2015March 26, 20169 Comments

For most of my life my family influenced my negative view of my body and my fashion choices. Though I have begun to love my body, I suffered with insecurities linked to my size and body type which stemmed from microaggression. Through no longer direct, they are now akin to passive-aggressive implications than are directed at me via gifts, both store bought and hand made. Allow me to elaborate with some recent examples.

Back in 2013 I lent my voice for the third time for my church’s rendition of G.F. Handel’s Messiah. The then director decided (at the last minute mind you) in a white top and black ankle length bottoms as the dress code for the night of the performance. As a rule I really didn’t own much white and due to the fact that I am a petite woman I (still) don’t own many things that are too long. I complained to my mother and my aunt, both who were also part of the choir, and said that I would be sitting out this year since I had nothing to wear. They both then took it upon themselves to go shopping for me. Being that I was in my third semester of graduate school and had a crazy finals schedule, I let them. Needless to say I was surprised when one weekend my aunt came over with a measuring tape declaring that she would be making my skirt. The only reason I agreed to this was because the concert was a week away and the fabric was gorgeous.

This picture does nothing for this skirt but take my word for it, the fabric is beautiful!