10/21/14 OOTD

Today, I went to the salon & spa to get my hair did. She took it from a bright blonde to a reddish brown. Its very close to what my natural hair color has become (I think from my roots, haha). I like it, its a nice change for the fall and wouldn't be too hard to go back to blonde if I really wanted to. 

THis whole outfit is from Maurices

I'm too lazy to link all of the pieces. 

This is the outfit I wore today. I absolutely love it.  I wish that you could see my boots better, and see the burgandy stripes in the sweater that match the boot socks... instead, it looks like I'm wearing a red band under my knees. Anyway, the sweater is a little more brown and red than it shows. The boots are dark rich brown riding boots. I paired it with a tiny belt because I like how it wraps when its closed. I like it open too, but this looks more polished to me. 

This dress is from www.wetseal.com

I don't think they have this exact one any more

Just for fun, I decided to try on a new dress that I got from Wet Seal a few weeks ago. It's a A-line skater dress made out of scuba material. They were having a "Buy Two, Get Three Free" sale on all of their clearance. Which made it 22$ for 4 awesome dresses. I'm not going to complain. During this sale, I got 22 items for about 140$.  Ignore my cat, he was jumping up and grabbing ahold of the hemline.

This shirt and skirt are from www.torrid.com

Again, too tired to look up the links but it is still current.

I got this outfit a few weeks ago. There were some major sales at the end of summer/ beginning of fall so I got this for a lot less than I should've. A lot.

Anyway, I actually packed it to take on a trip with me, but I was actually afraid to wear it. It's a faux leather skater skirt. I really like it, but it was so out of my comfort zone, at the last minute I thought it looked awful so I took it off and paired this sweater with a pair of black jeggings. 

I was a bit disappointed that I chickened out. 

A few past outfits- for fun

I hadn't really taken a lot of body selfies before, so here are a few I have. I thought it'd be fun to share a few from the past. I am about the same weight in all of these photos that are recent. It's amazing how different clothes and hair can make you look.

September 2014... 

One of my favorite Fall looks

All purchased at Maurices

 Maurices Gray Washed Denim Button Down Shirt

Maurices dark jeggings

Maurices Grey Vicki Metallic buckle Boot (suede)

(wish you could see them)

Maurices plaid/ floral scarf

(no longer available online)

Early September 2014

Maurices Dusty Plum Lace Dressw/ brown belt

Maurices lace boots

I like how it defines my waist

And... two weeks later

This adorable dress did nothing for my shape.

I learned that I could not wear sheath dresses

and perhaps this one was a little too big.

I love the well made material, very thick

very cute dress- if you want to try it out check it out:

jessica howard short sleeve color block sheath dress

from Gwynnie Bee

That same day, I also received this brand new dress

Again, sheath dresses aren't my thing

It was likely too big (but smaller wouldn't fit hips)

pattern points to my big behind.

Material was soft. Brand new dress.

It may have looked better with a jacket or vest, 

but I wasn't digging the pattern enough to try. 

If you think this bold look may work for you:

Triste Patchwork Shift dress

This was in January of 2014

Little black plungeline neck dress

I do not remember where this came from. 

And here I am when I was 15 or 16.

I hated my body so much, you can tell by the way I am standing.

Now, I find it unfortunate, because I would love to look like that again.

And here I was in August of 2014.

Redtro Red Bathing Suit by Torrid

I love this, but while I have more confidence, 

I will not show any leg hahaha. 

You're lucky I made it this far :/

Maybe someday soon :D

Curvy Fashion Sites

The Body Acceptance Movement seems to be growing, and with it newer places to find fab things for our fabulous selves are starting to pop up. This is so exciting to see. I've done a few quick reviews here. Take them and do what you will, I'm a Hourglass/pear/triangle shape so my shape is a bit tricky. Please feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think of these sites. Please, let me know if you have any others that you think should be checked out.

Forever21

• Lower end pricing
• Amazing Sales
• Plus Section
• Junior sizing

I've been shopping at Forever 21 for about two years or so in their Plus section. It is quite small considerably compared to the "non plus" section. The price is pretty great, and they are a great way to add in some trendy pieces for cheap (Dresses $22-39ish). Their sales are always pretty amazing, and you can get dresses for around 10$ if you know how to bargain shop. I was a little addicted.

One thing you have to watch with Forever21 is that their sizing is pretty inconsistent, which is pretty normal for women's clothing  but Forever21 is junior sizing. Luckily my chest and waist can work well with this. The downside? Their pants aren't the greatest. Some of their dresses are extremely short. 

A lot of these styles are meant for the younger crowd, but I don't concern myself with such facts. I like what I like. While a lot of the trends are too young for me, I love experimenting. 

That said, some of the fashion isn't really in a lot of curvy girl's comfort zones. Crop tops, cut outs, and such don't work for all curvy girls. If you can rock it or are comfortable- get it girl! I just know I'm not in that place ;)

Wet Seal

• Lower end pricing
• Amazing Sales
• Plus Section
• Junior sizing

Wet Seal is very similar to Forever21. Their plus section is really new, and they have only added a physical store that cary them recently. I've only made two orders from this site, but everything I've ordered from them so far has been pretty great.

The last time I shopped with them, they had a Buy 2, Get 3 free on clearance items. Yes... these items were marked down to around $10 on their own. I got five dresses for $22. I also got boots, work shirts, etc... My total order was 140$ and I got 22 items. I'd say that's a pretty great deal.

The quality is hit and miss with them, but so far the quality actually has seemed better than Forever21 but only time will tell. They've got a great selection of dresses and such, but like forever21, their style is aimed more towards a teen-twenty something.

Torrid

• Entire store dedicated to Curvy girls
• Moderately Higher Prices
• Pretty consistent sizing

I've shopped at Torrid for a while. I remember when they were the "Plus Sized Hot Topic". I'm not quite sure when they started catering to both the alternative and the classy fashionistas, but its been a pretty nice mix considering I like to play with my items a bit to see what I can do. 

Torrid's prices are moderately higher ($60+ dresses typically, shirts around 40$+) but their quality is much higher than the other stores. Torrid typically uses thicker materials, and focus more on being complimentary to the larger body types (skimming fabrics, different cuts). 

That said, I'd say that their cuts and sizing run more like in the middle of junior plus and women's. You've got to be careful when you order, and typically I can wear a much smaller size at Torrid than forever21 or wet seal. 

Overall, I've been pretty happy with them. I will never buy from Torrid at regular price because they have tons of sales, and typically almost always are doing a Buy on Get one, or giving out "hot cash" to redeem later which can be $25 off $50 at times. Keep your eyes open and visit (and yearn) often and you'll be able to find some great deals. 

Gwynnie Bee

• Sizes 8-32
• Multiple Brands
• Pricing moderate to high
• Clothing Rental- monthly fees

I have only recently discovered Gwynnie Bee two months ago. I stumbled upon it when researching Birchbox and Ipsy somehow. I never thought about a clothing rental places, and the fact that it was Plus was one of the most exciting things that I have ever found as an adult. 

I browsed the site and added items to my "closet" for over a month. So many cute things, I couldn't at least try it. They were giving out one month free trials so I went for it. Now, I am addicted. I can't say enough about how great this site is. If you want to check it out, let me know and I'll get you a referral (pretty please? haha). 

Anyway, I've only been renting for about a month now, but it has been an amazing experience. You get to wear something as much as you want it, and return it as quickly or slowly as you like. When you're done with one peice, you get a new one.  It is so exciting to see the new items that are going to be shipped to you! Also, if you love something, you can purchase it for a discount.

The only downsides are:

It's cycled through the Gwynnie Bee community. That means, others can abuse the clothing. I've never gotten a bad piece. All of mine have been perfect condition. I know I should knock on wood now. I've gotten over ten dresses this month. I fell in love with one of them and almost bought it, but I have so many clothing that I'm looking to actually cut back on what I own.

The only other thing is that while you get to choose what goes in your "closet", Gwynnie Bee will send whatever they have in que waiting, so its a surprise until you see it closeted. You can get excited, or you can say "that's cute, but there are so many otheres that I really want!" and if you have specific occasions, you're gambling. From what I hear, you can e-mail them and make requests though.

Gwynnie Bee has casual, but mostly dresses and office wear. I pretty much think that I am going to use this service to try and budget what I spend and not buy much other than staples and coordinating items. 

Maurices

• Both junior plus and women's sizing
• sizes xs-XXl & 0-4+
• Moderate prices

I've been shopping at Maurices since I was in middle school. Back then, they were only in a few cities in small towns and catered to both men and women. They were trendy to a point, but not extremely. I dont know exactly when they changed their marketing strategy but they are growing quite fast now. They've changed from "blah" stores to a very modern and pretty "empowering women" theme. 

Their theme is white and tiffany blue. It's really quite lovely. I've got way too many of those tiffany blue bags lying around. They are the reason I actually developed a shopping addiction. They were the first place I had ever shopped that had curvy fashion forward outfits. 

I love my local Maurices and would recomend them to anyone, skinny girls to us curvy girls. They have XXl in the standard size section, and then 0-4 in the Plus section. I can shop anywhere from the XXL to the 2 (but usually go with 1). They offer some of the exact same styles on the plus section as they do the regular sizes... so that is actually pretty nice. 

Maurices is the one place that has both sizes that I feel completely comfortable shopping next to the other girls. Its a great environment.

Online ordering is easy, and their sizes are pretty true. i rarely have a problem with something not fitting right, but you've got to be careful with the XXL. it can go either way.

This is by far my favorite store ever, and everyone there knows me by name. I used to go in once a week, but I've been trying to limit it to once ever two, three weeks or so and not purchasing as much. Its a problem, a drug.

They're styles are both trendy and classy. They've got a little bit of everything from casual, to date night. I'm in love. Maurices does "model" searches, and really focuses on all women being beautiful and stylish. They're very pro women and are active in trying to bridge the gap between the sizes. Next thing I know, they will be making everything made in plus sizes, and eliminating the sections... hmmm. That's a great idea... ;)

H & M

I've never shopped at H & M plus, but they've got some cute things. They're pretty "hipster" trendy and while I can sometimes be a hipster, I find their clothing a bit bland. I love their accessories though.

Simply Be

I've also never shopped here before, but I've seen so many awesome things on this site. I just discovered it while doing some research on this. Their prices seem to be from moderate to slightly higher, but they sem to have a wide range of styles.

Love Couture

I had no idea that this had any plus sizes. It doesn't have a huge selection, but its a nice win for us curvy girls. I guess I'll have to check it out.

Macy's

Ohhla-la. Higher prices, but Macy's can't really go wrong.

Lane Bryant

I always visit Lane Bryant, but I rarely ever find anything that I love there. I had stopped going recently because their prices are pretty high (higher than Torrid's, not quite Macy's) and their style is a little bit different than mine. While I've seen really cute clothes here, they styles rarely work for me.

They seem all to be built for a more "apple shape" as most everything is very bulky in the waist and shoulders. I absolutely hate their jeans.

That said, Ive seen this look amazing on some girls, and they are the original Plus sized store to me, so I give them lots of love for that alone. Even Fashion Bug had both sizes.

Fashion to Figure

I've never shopped at Fashion to Figure, but I'd heard some great things from Gwynnie Bee members, so I checked it out and I am blown away by how cute everything is. It's more of a classy tendy from what I can tell, and it definitely looks like they've created them with a more upscale look. I saw a few skirts and dresses that I am dying of desire from... and this one jacket....

That said, Im trying not to buy as much so I'll just covet from my computer and debate for hours if I should do so. That said, their prices seem pretty reasonable from what I've seen, especially for how they look. I don't know the quality, but it seems pretty legit.

SWAK Designs

Another place I haven't purchased anything with, and they look like they cater to different styles, but I heard about them from Gwynnie Bee as well.

Body Positive- Growing Up Curvy

Curvy Girl Fashion/ Growing up curvy.


Growing up, I was never a tiny girl. Even at a young age, I had curvier hips. When I was on the swim team in middle school and high school, I had curves when no one else did. I thought I was fat, and while I love swimming- I would walk around in my towel until the last possible moment because I didn't want anyone to see my hips.



Looking back on photos, I actually had a pretty amazing body. It was just before its time. I had a flat stomach, shapely legs, and a great collar bone. Since then, I've started living on the road and on the go to the office, stopped exercising as much, became diabetic, have fairly unhealthy lifestyle with poor sleeping and eating habits. Don't get me wrong, I am aware of the issues that I need to work on.



That said, I am the size that I am. I look back with slight envy and even a little pity for that girl I barely recognize as myself. She was shy an insecure, and didn't talk to anyone. She wore baggy t-shirts, hoodies, and wide leg jeans. Granted, the grunge look was in, but I wanted to hide in a tent of clothes, thinking it would hide me so I could burry myself in the shadows and not be noticed. I had really long crazy kinky curly hair, plae skin, and freckles. I wanted to hide the best that I could.



It's funny, because I remember kids making fun of my for my weight. I do remember one day one of my former friends said something about my weight and I lifted my shirt and showed her my abs. Everyone stared in awe and they were like... what? who knew those were there? I was 140ish and a size 5-7 in jeans and probably a M in tops. Unfortunately, I bought Men's Large tee shirts, and the baggiest boy jeans I could find.



I didn't start gaining the majority of my weight until I graduated college and became an assistant manager (horrible schedules and eating habits). Now there are no traces of those abs I once had. The strange part is that I'm typically more confident than I was back then. Don't get me wrong, I don't LOVE the weight that I am at. I do, however, love my curves. I'd just like to tone them. I've grown used to having that "ghetto booty". I've come to learn that while most women are really judgmental of other women's weight, there are only two types of men. The men that love a skinny girl with big boobs, and men who loves a girl with some bodacious curves ;)


My dream is to learn to be more body positive. This whole movement is a bit inspiring. Meeting a few people who were more body positive has helped my confidence grow. Meeting men who were totally into my curves was another boost. I'm nowhere completely confident, but no more baggy tees and jeans. I love fashion, and I love trying to find outfits that highlight the right curves, and hides the wrong ones.

I've come to find that my biggest insecurity is now my lower belly (pooch)- I hate it, and my chubbier arms. Honestly, the butt and hips? I'd love them to be toned, but they don't freak me out as much. Perhaps that's because even while they're four times the size the y were, I always had a butt. You can also make a booty look good with the right clothes. A pooch? All you wanna do is hide it.

All that aside, there have been some really influential people in my life. None of themwhich are celebrities, other than Christina Hendricks and Kate Upton. People critisize them for having strange shapes but they totally rock them. Its mostly jealous girls who hate them. Some men totally aren't into the curves, but there are so many men obsessed with these girls. They totally work it too, with class. Surprisingly, I have a friend who dresses however she wants and is proud of her curves. I always envied her confidence a little, but more so realized that it didn't matter what anyone else thought.

My younger cousin also inspired me. She is very like minded, and very self concious at times. She struggled with her weight growing up, but I remember the first time I saw her in a dress, I thought- look at her, she looks so good. She looks cute. No one is saying anything about her behind her back, the entire family thinks she looks lovely. And she did. Thats what made me realize that I was wasting my life away caring what soem douchebag might think about my big butt. I then realized that if someone didn't like me because of my size, I didn't want to be friends or lovers with them even if I was skinny.

I stopped doing the whole, "Maybe he'd love me if I were skinny" because if he didn't like me curvy, I don't like him period. I also realized that while those that hate bigger girls are more vocal about it, they aren't as mch of the population. Women tend to be the biggest haters out there. Its the women who criticize the most.


That's when I realized that I don't blame the skinny girls. Not all skinny girls hate on us. We all need to band togetehr. There is so much hate and crime in the world, that we need to be more positive in general. We don't need to hate on men as women, and we curvy girls don't need to hate on the skinny girls. If we do, we're just as bad as those jerks who tell us things we don't want to hear. It shouldn't be about comparrisons, but rather embracing ourselves and our differences. If that skinny girl doesn't like you and makes rude comments? Stay classy. Don't hate on her for being skinny, because you sound downright trashy and you sound like a child being combative. its showing weakness, its showing that you should be ashamed. Since you shouldn't, hold your head up high and let everyone else think in their head what you want to shout. They all think it, so it doesn't need to be said. I'm not saying don't stand up for yourself, I'm just saying be classy about it and don't resort to calling her anorexic or disgusting. Hate only breeds more hate.

Some people are fat-shamers. Some people are rascist. SOme people are bigots. Some people are just jerks. It doesn't meant that they represent the masses, they just think they speak for them. It may seem like everyone, but its not.


I've only actually gotten into fashion in the last four years or so, but I am obsessed. When I first started gaining weight, Maurices was the only place that carried plus in my style. Now days, I have Maurices, Wet Seal Plus, Forever21 Plus, Torrid, and a few others. My most recent obsession has been Gwynnie Bee, a Plus sized clothing rental site. You select a plan, and you can send back items as often as you like, or keep them as long as you like- when you send one item back, they send you a new item... shipping is al included. You "closet" items that you like, and then you get a suprise when you see what is being shipped to you. Don't like it? Send it back. In 2-4 days, you'll have a new package arriving.


I'd like to do a bit of an OOTD (Outfit of the Day), but I guess I will see how it goes. I'll post both my fave outfits, and the ones I'm not too fond of, so you can see how everything fits on me. I have a strange shape, a big ol' booty so everything is different.


I'm working on trying to lose weight. That's a ridiculous obstacle, so I'll be mixing that in as well.


Now the problem will be geting a decent body shot. I'm good at selfies, just not whole body shots (I'm going to try to get used to seeing these even though currently a full body shot is my worst nightmare).


I'll let you know where things are purchased from, and in some cases - I may be selling some of it off. Woo-hoo! Need to find some time for that ;)

I'm on a mission to make life more classy. The world could use a little more of it. I am on a mission to create a positive world around me. I can't fix the world problems by myself, but I can try to make an impact, if even small on those around me.


If I can leave you with one piece of advice to everyone-Stay classy. Hate only breeds more hate. I know its hard to stand by that rule when someone is being a total nerfherder, but pain only causes more pain. Those that hurt, hurt others. Instead of hurting others- try spreading love and eventually you'll love yourself and you will feel loved.


Take care my loves, and stay sweet.