Tag: shopping

Q&A with Body Positive, Comic Book Convertible Dress Designer, Danielle Ward of Little Petal

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New York Comic Con 2014. I was determined to be one of the first people to get this limited edition Sailor Moon t-shirt that had been announced by Viz Media on Twitter a few days before. During my more than two hour wait in line for the con to officially open,  I decided to put on some lip stick and I was approached by this beautiful young woman who asked to use my compact to touch up her make up. We talked about make up, the con and of course her cosplay. She was wearing this interesting dress which she changed three times while we were on line.  Later that same day as I walked the show-floor I bumped into this young woman again at a booth covered with pictures of women in dresses like the one she was wearing and she introduced me to the designer, Danielle Ward. Owner of Little Petal, she designs and creates custom convertible dresses that are comfy and sophisticated.  These dresses are unique recreations of characters from comics, manga, anime, film and even video games.  As someone who, at the time, hadn’t cosplayed but wanted to, I was stunned by the concept. One dress, multiple styles. I put down my deposit immediately. Danielle is so amazingly creative and talented that I just had to find out more about her.

Check out my talk with Danielle below!

Disclaimer: Responses have been edited for clarity and length.

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Leanna (Little Petal’s Webmaster) and Danielle at Megacon.

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Sweater Weather Picks 2016

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This year fall in NYC has been a bit of a tease, going from crisp, cool temps to summer sometimes even within the course of the same day. While I have yet  to fully swap my spring/summer wardrobe to my fall/winter collection, I am looking forward to refreshing my closet with some new pieces. I did some online shopping recon and noticed that this fall we have a great selection of comfy knits from various retailer. So I’ve complied a list of these chic sweaters and sweater dresses to prep for the cooler temperatures ahead. For this list, I made sure to have some budget-friendly options as well as some splurges that are well worth the price given their quality. Check out my picks below and let me know in the comments if you have any favorites.

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Summer Weekend BBQ Ready (feat. Lovesick)

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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!

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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

 

Full Figured Fashion Week Day 4*

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While my morning started at theCurvyCon, I made my way over to Lord & Taylor for my last FFFweek event. I got to spend time with my new blogger friends at the VIP reception where we got to spend some time with the models prior to their summer fashion presentation.

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Emily from Something Gold, Something Blue blog and I at the Lord & Taylor VIP reception. It took all week but we finally got some downtime to take a selfie together.

The fashion show included pieces from brands available for sale at Lord & Taylor. The outfits covered almost every situation you can think of such as sleep, going to the gym, working in an office and date night.  Take a look at some of my favorite styles below. While Lord & Taylor isn’t  always budget-friendly, now is the best time to shop there because they are having their friends and family sale until tomorrow, June 20 so if any of the styles from this “Best of Spring 2016” presentation peaks your interest go to your  nearest Lord & Taylor location and try to nab them for a lower price! Continue reading →