Big Sweater Energy

Last year I spotted an oversized black and white stripe cardigan on my Instagram feed and fell in love with it. It was just too perfect for those crisp, cool fall days leading into the chill of winter. Unfortunately by the time I learned about this cardigan’s existence it was sold on the Hot Topic website. That is until this summer when it reappeared in two different color palettes along with a plaid knit option; I immediately added one to my cart.

Was it weird to order this in the middle of July? Definitely. But I regret nothing because this is sooo cozy.

I actually debated as to whether or not I should size down because I knew it was oversized,  yet I found myself selecting my size (HT Plus Size 1) instead to ensure that the fit would be oversized on me not thinking about how huge it would end up being. They seriously weren’t kidding when they said “oversized,” but my brother convinced me to keep it because of all the “fall sweater weather cozy” vibes which is all I really want.

The best thing about this kind of piece is that it can be styled to be casual, sporty, dressy and even professional. The oversize fit it, the stripe design and the classic cardigan silhouette offers many different options when it comes to styling this piece and I’ve had a lot of fun coming up with a few. Here are three outfits that I styled with this one cardigan for some fall (into winter) style inspiration. Let me know in the comments which one is your favorite.

Disclaimer: While this specific cardigan seems to no longer be in stock I have included some similar options for you below to consider just in case you’re looking to trying this trend for yourself.

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Sunflower Summer Days

Living in NYC during a pandemic has been interesting.  Like I haven’t left my borough (Queens) except to pick up some things at the office back in May, making this the longest I’ve been away from the city (Manhattan) in years.  My summers usually includes work and taking long walks in the city afterwards usually around the neighborhood. Usually this involves browsing at the local book store, if not the library, meeting my friends for dinner and a movie, going to a marketing/social media/blogger workshop or checking out some of the events advertised on Facebook, like the Japanese food festival I attended last summer. Obviously things were very different this year.

Thankfully even with COVID and quarantine, Summer 2020 was not cancelled as most of us had joked when the season first started. Sure, I stayed closer to home yet this turned out to be a little fun because I got to do things like ride a bike again for the first time in 14 years and read a book under a tree at a park my parents used to take me and brother when we were kids. So much nostalgia and not just in Queens because just this past weekend, my friend Diana and I made the trek to Roosevelt Island, our favorite hang out spot back when we were in college to see how much it has changed since we last visited.

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theCURVYcon 2018 Recap

After two eventful weeks I’m finally back with my recap of this years CURVYcon.  I’ll be very honest, I was very close to not making it at all this year due to finances. Yet I have clearly been blessed to have some supportive friends that decided to sponsor my ticket once again. Unlike last year I was unable to attend certain events due to work so I can’t speak of the  Platinum Cocktail Party or the lunch but at least I can fill you in on the rest of the festivities that went on that weekend.

Day 1 – Shopping, Fashion shows and changing the world

The day started with a fitness session with Jessie Diaz of Curves with Moves along wit Beyonce’s background dancers from Coachella. While I didn’t arrive in time to witness the body love dancing I did get to follow it extensively via IG and got to see that my friend Brooke of Madame Finehouse had the time of her life. I did get to walk the show floor to do some shopping and mingling though. I got to finally got to check out Eloquii’s new fall line as well as got introduced to a few brands like Hanky Panky and Smash Shoes.

After shopping until we dropped we headed up to the main stage for the fashion show. This year the fashion show was done by Loft and we got to see some items from their fall line modeled by CURVYcon attendees as well as influencers like Amber of Style Plus Curves and Sabrina. (You can check out the items featured in the show here).

Got to spend the day with Jonquel of JonquelArt.

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Spring Floral Feels

Last week we got an unexpected treat in terms of the weather here in NYC. For two days we got to take a break from the chilly temps and have a sneak peak of what is to come this spring. To celebrate the occasion I decided to rock my natural curls and tried something very different (for me) – a pastel floral flounce hem crop top and high rise jeans.

Made of what has to be the softest material in the world*, this knit  floral print top has a ruched center construction with a self-tie that can be used to adjust the length. This is the  first time I have found a crop top that works well with my petite frame and short torso as most of the time a crop top fits like a regular shirt on me. I tied the drawstring a bit high to show a sliver of skin but it was tasteful as the flounce hem also provided some coverage.  Because of the deep V-neckline  I added my leather cord spiral cage pendent necklace with a rose quartz crystal that matched perfectly with the blush color of this top.

I paired the crop top with these close-fitting Seven7 stretch skinny jeans I got at the Platinum Lounge during theCURVYCon last year. I went for this dark wash high rise pair as Seven7 is a bit out of my price range for jeans so I figured that while they were offered as a Platinum perk I might as well take the time to try something new. However, they stayed unworn and with their original tags in my armoire since then.  I was all for giving this trend a try, yet I still found myself scared to try a high rise jean because I believed that it was a style that worked best with a traditional hourglass body shape. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is not the case. These jeans complimented my shape, were high enough to wear with this crop top without showing too much skin and incredibly comfortable as well. The softly frayed hems with split side seams also added an interesting detail that fit the overall boho aesthetic of this look.  Continue reading

Spring Into Summer Refresh

With Spring  finally breaking through what felt like the longest winter ever (not that I am complaining because I actually love the cold),  I have also gone through some changes. For one thing  I finally got my hair cut  after putting it off for a good eight months, even going so far as to get it cut shorter than last year with a brighter shade of red as a highlight accent. As someone who has always had long hair its been quite the adjustment, but I figure its a new year and a new season so I might as well go all in. Warmer temps and new hair got me in a bit of a shopping frenzy, however in an effort to stay on budget, I have made sure that at least some of my new wardrobe additions actually work to refresh some of my favorite pieces that I currently own and challenging myself even more with different kind of looks that I never would have put together before.
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