theplussideofme

Brand Spotlight: Littlewoods.com

theplussideofme — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:07:58 +0000

I am having some serious British envy over the plus size fashion at Littlewoods.com online. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been scouring the internet for different options to wear during FFFWeek, especially something white for the cruise event, and I might have just found a couple options at Littlewoods through two of their lines South (UK 8-24) and So Fabulous (UK 14-32). They do not ship to the US, but there are ways around that (or you can find a UK friend who will help you out!).

Here are my favorite pieces:

So Fabulous Floral Burnout Skater Dress

So Fabulous Lace Sleeve Biker Jacket

So Fabulous Sequin Bodycon Dress

South Lace Skater Dress

So Fabulous Lace Jersey Dress with Belt

So Fabulous Ellen Jersey Dress

South Mono Floral Print Dress

The Ellen dress is my favorite, and I think it’s perfect for dinner and drinks or for one of the runway shows during FFFWeek. What I like most about these pieces is that they fit my kind of conservative (as far as skin showing) style, but do so in a very fun and sexy way.

Have you shopped from Littlewoods.com before? What are your favorite pieces?

*This post is sponsored by littlewoods.com. The items shown reflect my own personal favorites of their lines.

FFFWeek News Round-up: Designers for Runway Showcases

theplussideofme — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:08:51 +0000

It’s only a little over a month before Full Figured Fashion Week begins, and I am getting more and more excited by the day. It looks like others are too, as the cruise has sold out and the runway shows are on their way to selling out. If you need to purchase tickets or look at the week’s schedule, click here.

This week, FFFWeek announced which designers, retailers and boutiques were showing for their two runway shows. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about what plus-size brands are out there, so it was pretty shocking to realize that many of these were new to me. That made me extra happy because having more choices is ALWAYS better when it comes to fashion. I went through all of the designers and grabbed a photo of their work to show you here, and I’ll also link to their sites so you can have a snoop. I will be snapping pictures up the day of the event, so be sure to follow me on instagram to see those

FFFWeek has two runway shows, one for indie designers and another for retailers and boutiques. The Indie Designer Showcase is Friday, June 21st, and the Retailers/Boutique Showcase is Saturday, June 22nd.

Click through the jump to see the list of designers and a photo of their work.

*These brands are showing at FFFWeek. This list does not reflect where I shop at or brand affiliation with theplussideofme.com.

The indie designers are:

Amiiee

Photography: Erika Hokanson (Source)

Elocin

(source)

Huudaverti

(source)

Live Unlimited London

(source)

NAKIMULI

(source)

OnOz

(source)

Rue 114

(source)

Sean Anthony Designs

(source)

T-Tyme Lady Couture

(source)

The Skinny Billionairess

(designs are forthcoming)

(source)

TruDiva

(source)

Youtheary Khmer

(source)

ZMJ Denim

(source)

The retailers and boutiques are:

Ashley Stewart

(source)

Curvezz

(coming soon)

Dean of Fashion

(s0urce)

Evans

(source)

Kaylene

(source)

Lane Bryant

(source)

Sonsi

Swimsuits for All

(source)

Enjoy link hopping! Also, a lot of them have more looks on their Facebook pages, so be sure to check those out:)

*This update is part of my Fashion Front series!

OOTD: Breaking in Summer

theplussideofme — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:21:24 +0000

For the past couple of days, I’ve been vacationing on the coast of South Carolina. Because I’m on a college schedule, my “summer break” is this early week in May, and it feels like I’m trying to start the summer season a little early. The first day was wonderful and warm, but since then it’s been a sweater-on-the-beach kind of week. Nevertheless, I’m enjoying these few days of sleeping in, sand under my feet, and fresh seafood for dinner.

Last night my sister, brother-in-law, and I traveled to a more remote part of the coast for dinner, and I decided to wear that other dress I mentioned in my last post about Lane Bryant. I got this dress as my BOGO Free shopping, and Grown and Curvy Woman showcased it in her Lane Bryant Fashion Style-Off look. It’s a really comfortable and easy dress. I didn’t do much accessorizing, as beach equals simple and comfortable to me, but because the way this dress is designed, it doesn’t need much.

The dress has braiding along the neckline and gathers at the waist. I wore a silver bracelet and my new Nine West Outlet sandals.

The beach makes a much better background than a brick wall, eh?

Lane Bryant Dress, Nine West Outlet Sandals (similar), JewelBox bracelet

I’m off to enjoy some more sun. I hope you have fun plans to break in the summer season.

*I purchased this dress with a gift card provided by Lane Bryant. This post was of my own doing, and the item reflects my own purchase decision.

Lane Bryant Fashion Style Off

theplussideofme — Fri, 10 May 2013 00:39:11 +0000

During FFFWeek, Lane Bryant is holding a blogger conference, and as part of that, all invited bloggers are participating in a style off. While I’m not necessarily a “competition” kind of person, it does feel like one large “five take” post with all bloggers taking on the challenge to style an outfit differently. Lane Bryant sent us all a $200 gift card and set us loose to pick an outfit. I chose to purchase mine online during their BOGO free sale, so I was able to get my entire outfit PLUS another dress that I will wear to the beach next week. Here’s the outfit I put together for the challenge.

I had previously tried on this batik dress in store, so I knew it was a good fit and style for this “style off”. The top is smocked and is expandable, and then the bottom skirt has a double layer that gives the dress movement as you walk. What drew me to this dress was the mirrored print and the vibrant colors. I picked up on the coral accents with my shoes and belt. I don’t have a lot of fancy sandals, and I was kind of shocked how comfortable these were. I guess I thought sandals like these would be tight against my ankle, but these jeweled sandals fit perfectly. I finished off the look with the studded jean jacket, which is my go-to choice to wear over a dress during spring/summer.

Lane Bryant will post all of the bloggers’ looks on their Facebook page through an application, and you will all be able to vote on your favorite look once they are posted. A few blogger friends have already posted their looks on their personal blogs. Check out how Hanna, Dani, and Bella Styles styled their looks.

I’ll be sure to tweet and post the link once all of it is loaded. I’m looking forward to meeting the Lane Bryant team in NYC.

Did any of you take advantage of their BOGO sale? What would you have picked to make your styled outfit?

*All items chosen by me and paid for by Lane Bryant. These items reflect the honest pieces that interested me as a shopper. Thank you, Lane Bryant!

FFFWeek Fashion Front and News Round-Up

theplussideofme — Sun, 05 May 2013 19:05:35 +0000

So I apparently accidentally let the cat out of the bag early that I was part of the Fashion Front (oopsie), but now that it’s been announced, I wanted to share who else was on the Fashion Front so that you may find some new blogs to follow now and through the FFFWeek events in June. But before I share this group of bloggers with you, I wanted to fill you in on the latest FFFWeek news:

Host Hotels: The Affinia has officially sold their block of rooms, but FFFWeek still has a group rate deal with the DoubleTree Hotel. If I were you, I’d contact both and see if any spots sneakily opened up at the Affinia (which is the site of a couple events). DoubleTree is just a couple blocks down from the fashion shows, so either location is great! Check out the page on Host Hotels for more information. I stayed at the Affinia last year, and it was so nice to be around other attendees of the events. I will be staying in an apartment this year just a block down the street.

Blogger/Stylist Events: There are a few events that are invitation-only (based on applications) for bloggers, magazine writers, etc. to meet and talk with specific plus-size brands about their products. Currently, the Kmart blogger event registration is open (event is on the 21st), as is the Ashley Stewart Blogger Breakfast registration (event is on the 17th). Both registration deadlines are May 20th, so get those in now if you are interested in attending the events.

Shopping Details: If you are planning on attending FFFWeek (or even just visiting NYC on your own), then you may be interested in learning where all of the plus-size shopping spots are located. Karen of Curvy Canadian wrote a piece for FFFWeek’s blog with the addresses of the best shopping destinations. This list includes department stores, independent designer showrooms, and larger retail locations. Check out Karen’s piece here.

Now! To the Fashion Front bloggers: I was lucky to meet some of these bloggers last year, and I’m looking forward to talking with them more and meeting the others for the first time. Each blogger brings to the group a different perspective to plus-size fashion, so that’s exciting just in itself.

Along with myself, the Fashion Front bloggers include:

Marie Denee of The Curvy Fashionista (USA)

Gaëlle-Vanessa of The Curvy and Curly Closet (France)

Danielle of Danimezza.com (Australia)

Ashley Rose of This Is Ashley Rose (Australia)

Lilli of Frocks and Frou Frou (Australia)

Glen of Full Figure Plus (USA)

Karyn of Killer Kurves (Canada)

Brittany of Pockets and Bows (USA)

Jennifer of Jasifer Lions Club (USA)

Karen of Curvy Canadian (Canada)

Ty of Gorgeous in Grey (USA)

As time keeps moving, I am getting more and more excited to attend the events. I knew Olivia was attending, but I also found out that Hanna and Dani will also be there! I’m also bringing a friend from home, Brittany, which is making the trip even sweeter.

Is there any particular information that you need in order to make your trip to FFFWeek smoother? Let me know and I will try to help!

OOTD: The Quest for a Good Patterned Blazer

theplussideofme — Sun, 05 May 2013 00:00:28 +0000

Every Thursday my mom and I sit down for our ritual viewing of Project Runway. This show leads to a a lot of frantic internet searching for similar items to those displayed on the show, and one of the items that I’ve been coveting this season is a quality pattern-print blazer. Nina Garcia wore it in the Thunder Down Under episode, and you know it must be love-at-first-sight if I’m paying more attention to her blazer than super-buff guys.

(source)

Blazers are probably the hardest thing for me to buy because I’m a 24/26 top but with fuller arms, so I tend to not fit into blazers for stores who only sell sizes up to 22/24 (I’m looking at you ASOS). I had to pass on a lot of blazers, but decided to throw caution to the wind and get a blazer that might not fit from Eloquii. Eloquii is closing soon , but because of that they are having really good sales, so that helped a little bit in trying out risky sizing.

Lucky for me, the risk was worth it. This is Eloquii’s Navy Status Blazer, which has a floral and paisley-ish pattern. I could use an extra inch or so just about everywhere, but it is survivable . What I love about it, though, is its light weight material and causal vibe. Wearing it with a flowy blouse and dark jeans gives me a polished but casual look that will see me through teaching or going out with friends.

Am I completely satisfied in having found my Nina Garcia-esque blazer? No. I still want a very geometric pattern blazer, so if you see any in the 26-ish size range, send me a link! But I am able to finally stop my frenzied-searching, so thank goodness for that (And thank goodness that this season of Project Runway has ended – my wallet may now have a little rest)

One of those awkward gems you just have to share.

Eloquii Blazer, Penningtons Blouse, Old Navy Jeans, New Look Wedges

Are you into patterned blazers? What types of prints/patterns do you look for (stripes, polka dots, florals, etc)?

OOTD: Desert Rain

theplussideofme — Sat, 04 May 2013 01:23:16 +0000

A couple weeks ago I shared two different Kiyonna dresses that I wore in one day, and lucky for me I get to now share a third! Kiyonna contacted me to see if I would like to try a piece of their line as part of their Blogger Brigade series. If you look at Kiyonna‘s website, they always have pictures of various women wearing their clothing, which I find really helpful in deciding if the item would work for me or even how to style the item.

Blogger Brigade: Hailey from Discourse of a Divine Diva

When they asked me what item to get, I knew I wanted to try one of the maxi dress styles. I love how maxi dresses look dressed up with minimal effort, and the details that Kiyonna puts into their dresses really allow you to dress it up or keep it casual. I chose the Desert Rain Maxi in black, and I accented the piece with silver and turquoise accessories.

I will totally admit to wearing this dress 3 times in the past week and a half. When you work 2 different jobs, you can get away with repeating an outfit often . If you decide to purchase this dress, I recommend sizing it to your top size, as the hips do have extra room if you are a larger pant size than top size. I’ve been a loyal Kiyonna shopper for a long time (they’ve seen me through every wedding I’ve gone to in the past few years), so it was particularly sweet to get to try a piece for their Blogger Brigade. I love them even more for their size range, 10-32!

If you were to wear this maxi, how would you accessorize it? What do you think of their Blogger Brigade series?

*Dress was provided courtesy of Kiyonna for their Blogger Brigade series

A Few of My Favorite Things

theplussideofme — Fri, 03 May 2013 02:44:33 +0000

There’s a lot of good things floating around the internet this week. Here’s a few that you should check out:

1. The Clements Ribeiro Swan SS13 collection will land on Evans.co.uk (and hopefully the USA site) on March 14th, and Evans asked a few bloggers to model the line. These girls look AMAZING, and I am so thrilled to see a collaboration like this taking place. Check out Marie, Callie, Nicolette, Georgina, and Bethany‘s personal blogs to check out their individual styles.

2. On top of that good fashion news, I also learned that Gabi Gregg of Gabifresh.com collaborated with SwimsuitsForAll.com on a swimsuit line (out May 15th), AND indie designer Ashley Nell Tipton is releasing her collection for purchase on her site AshleyNellTipton.com mid-May.

Gabi in the galaxy print bikini

Ashley Nell Tipton’s Release Photo

3. There’s also other good things floating around that won’t make your wallet scream out in pain. Gabi Gregg (yes, I’m still talking about her) wrote a piece for rookiemag.com responding to readers who felt like they couldn’t dress the way they wanted to due to family, society, “rules”, feeling the need to blend in, etc. The entry is titled: Because You Can: Make ‘Em Look.

Chasity of Garner Style also wrote a response piece, but this time it was to those who write hateful comments about her body. I have to admit that her piece was pretty timely for me. I’ve been struggling to deal with getting a lot of hate traffic from random forums where they are putting down myself AND all the girls I put on my 20 bloggers at 24+ post. It’s upsetting to think that not only am I getting mean notes, but that I’ve also opened up these other bloggers to these people. But as Chasity says in her post, “Now in the words of Beyonce, ‘I love haters.’ You need them. They get the crowd going. In the last few days, I’ve gotten so much traffic just from their rants and raves on my weight. That works wonderfully, because through their rants and raves women who needed that encouragement to love themselves find my blog and other plus size fashion blogs. Anytime I can help someone accept themselves, I’m all for that.” [emphasis added]

4. Reconnecting with my blogging/twitter friends. I haven’t had the most time in the world to devote to this space, so it’s been nice as the semester comes to a close to pick back up in the conversations on twitter or email. I miss these ladies, and I always feel more inspired after talking with them.

What are some of your favorite things? Any links that I should check out?

FFFWeek 2013: Tickets Now Available!

theplussideofme — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:41:00 +0000

Last week I received some news that will send me on an exciting adventure this summer. I am officially one of 12 bloggers that make up the Fashion Front at Full Figured Fashion Week in NYC , and I am so excited to go back to New York, see old blogger friends, meet new ones, and experience FFFWeek up close and personal through the Fashion Front. As we get closer to the event itself, I will post new information about the event on my blog. I hope to see you there, or if you can’t go, I hope to share all of the exciting things happening in plus-size fashion during the week with you via my blog.

This week the team behind FFFWeek officially posted their schedule. You can purchase tickets or register for events on their schedule page, so make sure to scroll through and look at the bottom of every entry for ticket information. From what I’ve heard, the Curves at Sea evening cruise and the Indie Runway are already getting close to selling out. Crazy!

It’s not surprising though. The Curves at Sea cruise was my favorite event last year.

There was even an engagement during the cruise–pretty much the sweetest thing I’ve ever witnessed.

Olivia

What I love most about 2013′s schedule is that they kept some of the known favorites of the week (the cruise and runway shows), but they are also expanding the types of events to include panels that cover topics such as make-up, wellness, and social media, a class focusing on sensual movement exercise, as well as a silent auction to benefit Breast Cancer Awareness and a launch party. Check out the full schedule and purchase tickets here!

Let me know if you are going! I’d love to see you during the week or answer any questions you have about the event.

Shop Dresses from my Closet

theplussideofme — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 03:31:34 +0000

Hellllooooo! I am doing a closet sale again, and I’ve decided to focus on particular kinds of pieces at one time instead of a mash of everything. This week, I’ve uploaded 24 dresses for sale, ranging from size 22-28. There’s a little bit of ASOS, Torrid, Lane Bryant, and more, so check it out at: http://theplussideofme.bigcartel.com/