Sex And The City Chic - A Lane Bryant Review

*This outfit was gifted

Anyone feeling festive? The time of year has come when everyone is in the holiday spirit. The streets are adorned with beautiful lights, fun activities are available for an afternoon of family fun and many people are getting ready for their office party to end the year with a bang! I like many other women out there try to make the most of the season. The events calendar is getting booked up, and our party looks are starting to come together following some amazing sales and offers over the Black Friday weekend. I am happy to say I have some fun, festive and sexy looks this December and I can't wait to rock them!

Those of you who are familiar with my style will know that I love to dress up and get girly from time to time. More often than not when I want to tap into my softer side I'll wear a 1950s swing dress, tailored bodycon dress or I'll mix it up and go all out in a tutu! One of my all time favourite television shows, which just so happens to be a cult classic is the amazing Sex And The City! I was hooked on this show back in the day and find myself watching the entire collection of episodes every year around this time. My favourite character on the show was and is still Ms Carrie Bradshaw. I loved her style and sense of dress. She always managed to look sexy in an understated and feminine way with a bit of an edge. From the very first episode, right the way to the 2nd movie we saw Carrie rocking tutus in sleek and stylish ways...

Speaking of my love for tutus some of you may remember this look of mine from the summer...

I really enjoy big puffy skirts and usually they come at a midi length which is just the perfect length for me. I'm not a huge fan of how short skirts look on me and as I prefer to go bare legged, midi length skirts are perfect on my 5'5 frame. Recently I was given the opportunity to review some amazing clothes from Lane Bryant and they have a variety of winter looks to suit every shape and style. When I first saw their Metallic Layered Tulle Skirt I knew it was an item I just had to try! Once again I had an idea of a Carrie Bradshaw inspired look with a twist and this skirt was just perfect for what I had in mind! 

I'm wearing this skirt in a 22/24 and I have to say the fit is amazing! The length gives a nice amount of coverage and feels really warm, especially for this time of year. Soft layers of chiffon on top of a lining in a soft gold, the ruffled layers and cut make for a really nice and stylish piece. Unfortunately this skirt is currently out of stock, hopefully they get more in, it's such a gorgeous one! Usually this time of year I end up wearing dark colours with one burst of colour for fun. With this look I wanted a soft and girly look so when I saw the Metallic Ribbed Turtleneck I thought it would go really nice with the skirt. 

I'm wearing this turtleneck sweater in a size 22/24 and I have to say I absolutely love this one! I have worn this top with jeans and wet look leggings and it works every time! The soft blush coloured fabric has soft touches of glitter and would be great for a casual yet festive item of clothing. To finish off my look I knew I wanted to wear my usual make up. I don't really play around with my eye make up but I do like to try out different shades of lipstick. Hanna borrowed me one of hers to try and I absolutely loved how the deep plum colour contrasted with the blush and gold tones of my outfit. 

I originally had planned to finish off this outfit with a pair of black heels but Hanna had pulled out a pair of cranberry heels that she had and thought would look great on. These are from New look but are unfortunately unavailable. The good news is that they have a new pair that are really similar so I may have to pick them up! I pulled on a sparkly black hair scarf to compliment the black on the heels and finished off the look with a rose gold clutch.

I look for fashion inspiration all the time and everywhere I go! Women all over the place have some amazing looks and really showcase their personality through their sense of style. It might be a TV character or someone down the street. I look for things I like and try to find ways to bring that into my personal style. You know what I always say, have fun with your look!

Remember whatever you wear, feel fabulous in it and wear it with a smile!

Esmeralda In Blue - A GCGMe Review

*This Dress Is A Gifted Item

One thing I love is being able to channel the style of another woman, be it a friend, celebrity or even a fictional character. In this dress I feel a little bit like a Disney princess, not your overly glammed up Disney princess, in this case I was channelling Hunch Back Of Notre-Dame's Esmeralda!

 I was recently contacted by Australian fashion company GCGMe. I had never heard of the brand before but was thrilled to have been asked to review something for them once I had checked out their plus size maxi dress selection. What I really liked about the brand from browsing their website was the variety of options for women who like to embrace colour and something a little more glamorous. I really liked their maxi dress options and had my eye on several! I eventually opted for the Macy dress and I am really happy with my choice!

The first draw for me when it came to the shape and style of this dress was the off the shoulder detail. I think all women have those areas that look beautiful on everyone, one in particular is the decolletage. Showing a hint of skin is really sexy yet subtle and for dresses of this shape, extremely comfortable to wear. I haven't seen that many tops or dresses with an off the shoulder neckline that have really grabbed me and this dress ticked all the boxes for me. Firstly I love maxi dresses that just sweep the floor. There's something really elegant about a dress that sweeps over your heels. This dress had a really nice length against my 5'5 frame. I should note that in these pictures I was wearing flat ankle boots. 

Available in sizes S-4X this is one that works for pretty much every shape and size of woman and really flatters when worn. This dress comes in 8 colours so you have your choice of options. In my case I had to pick the cobalt blue version in size 3X. I really like the length of the sleeves as they cover the biceps really comfortably with an elasticated cuff to hold the shape. There is also a detached waist tie which can be worn to cinch you in at the waist. I chose to go without mine for these pictures because I liked the way the dress hung on me without the tie. The binding at the waist moulded my bust really nicely and was in a really good place for women of all bust sizes.

At the moment I am wearing my hair loose a lot of the time and as it's currently styled with slight waves. When I first tried this dress on in front of the mirror it gave me the feel of an exotic gypsy. I instantly thought about the Disney character Esmeralda and how she was dressed in the movie. Large hoop earrings, hair scarves and simple shoes. These are all features of my day to day style so it was easy for me to figure out how I was going to style this one. 

Play around with your style, sometimes when you take inspiration from someone or somewhere different to the norm the results can be interesting and fun. You may end up with a slightly different spring in your step and a new style you can rock from time to time!

Remember whatever you wear, feel fabulous in it and wear it with a smile!

Pinup Perfection: The Dolores Doll!

Sometimes you just have one of those days when everything clicks and you feel amazing in your clothes. I usually like to dress to my mood and try to find ways to make it work with the weather. Lucky for me the sun was bright and hot in London the other day and I had just received my latest Collectif purchase! I bought my first dress from Collectif 2 years ago and I have to say I have been in love with the brand ever since! The Dolores Doll is a favourite for many ladies and so far remains my favourite cut of vintage dress from any brand! I now have 3 and I still want more! 

What I love so much about this cut of dress is that is suits absolutely everyone! It's not often that you can find a dress that suits women of all heights, shapes and sizes! The cute little puff sleeves are really lovely and are so comfortable. The length of the dress stops just below the knee, true to the 1940s and 1950s cuts for a dress, but also very flattering for anyone to wear. The even better news is that most women have to size down to have the perfect fit. In most brands I wear a 22-24 but always go for a size 20 in this dress, and I would easily be able to get into an 18 if my bust was smaller! They are all available in sizes 6-22. 

The thing is, in my day to day life I don't often have much time to just feel girly and playful and I always love wearing my vintage clothes because I feel ultra feminine and sexy. There's something really sexy about vintage clothes as they highlight all of the best attributes of the female figure. Tall, short, fat or thin everyone suits these dresses and I find that they are wearable in many more places than people think. I have seen these used in countless weddings, summer events like garden parties, a day at the races...the list is endless! When I first saw this baby blue polka dot Dolores it had to be mine! I went onto to the site to make my purchase and as usual the size I required was gone! I was absolutely gutted and so I kept my eyes glued to the website. A couple of weeks later I saw the dress appear in my size and so I snapped it up before it was gone, despite the fact that I didn't have the money at the time lol. You all know how I feel about blue! It's my favourite colour and I am always looking for new blue fashions. It's not often that I can pick up something I know I'll love and wear often, and I just knew this one would be more than welcome in my wardrobe!

I wore this with my white Petticoat from Vivien Of Holloway. I have to say of all the Petticoats I have tried theirs are the best by far! Available in an assortment of different colours with a high elasticated waist band. All 26-27 inches are a silky soft chiffon that is really comfortable on and really gives any swing dress that extra boost you might want from time to time. They do cost a little more than some of the others on the market but I cannot stress enough these are worth every penny! 

I don't have that many cardigans or boleros and one staple colour I'm missing is white! I thought this lace bomber jacket from a previous Evans Collection would look cute with the dress. Bomber jackets are heavily featured in vintage and rockabilly fashion and so it was an easy choice for me. 

I love to dance! I don't get the chance to much but I often buy my vintage dresses with the view that I will go jive dancing in them one of these days! I haven't been jive dancing in over a year and despite the fact that I'm not that good I can't resist twirling in my swing dresses and watching them swirl around me! What can I say they bring out the playful side of me. I have however worn my white Dolores Doll to a night club in the past and I was not short of compliments or opportunities to throw some shapes!

I was recently gifted the most gorgeous pair of Michelle heels from Hotter. I got my first pair of shoes from the brand last year and I have to say I am in love with them! The inner soles are made of a really foamy material which contains over 1000 air bubbles. The technology used for the soles of these shoes make them so comfortable and their heels are virtually pain free! The black suede shoes with patent t-bar and heel detail were a must have for me and work perfectly with almost all of my vintage style dresses!

To see how I have previously styled my Dolores Doll dresses check out my recent post where I wore my white polka one with hot pink accessories. Also check out the review of the amazing summer bouquet dress available in 2 colour ways! 

2 of my favourite bloggers and friends Caroline (Curvy Wordy) and Georgina (Fuller Figure Fuller Bust) have also reviewed the Dolores Doll. Check out their blogs to read their reviews and see how they styled the dress! 

Remember whatever you wear, feel fabulous in it and wear it with a smile!

Oriental Magic - A Scarlett And Jo Review

*Both The Dress And Shoes Are Gifted Items

The amazing thing about the summer is that everyone and everything has a real zest for living. People are optimistic about the season and the rest of the year, the weather is amazing and we have unlimited options for bright and fun clothes. I'm loving all the amazing prints and colours available from all the summer collections I have seen this year and of course pastels and aqua tones are very much in at the moment. 

Usually I'm not one for surprises but I was pleasantly surprised when Gifi Fields, Founder of Coppernob Fashion and the man behind Scarlett & Jo called me last week. He had been working on a dress that he really thought I would like. Knowing my love of beautiful floral prints and vintage styles he told me about this amazing print from the 1930s that he had featured on a new style of dress that was coming to Evans. Of course I loved the sound of it and wanted to see what he had come up with!

I have to say once again I am in love with a dress from Scarlett & Jo! The shape of this dress alone ticks all of the boxes for me. I love to wear bodycon style dresses and I enjoy my curves and the shape of my silhouette when I do. For many years I was of the impression that as a bigger woman my body was undesirable, unflattering and un-sexy. Literally 2-3 years ago my perceptions changed. I realised I have never had a problem attracting male attention and everything I was thinking was all in my own head! After getting my first Powerfit dress I was reminded a fuller figured shape is a different kind of beautiful and should be celebrated as such. For this reason I love bodycon style dresses and urge more women to head out and get one! Another style of dress I really enjoy wearing is the wrap dress. I find that wrap dresses suit women of every shape, all bust sizes and all heights. They add a smartness to them which makes them wearable all times of the day with just enough sass. This dress combines the 2 styles perfectly and the length is really comfortable.

The fact that the fishtail hem of the dress falls just below the knees means that this is one you can comfortably wear a slip, shorts or shapewear should you want the extra coverage. Often when we girls wear shapewear we are concious of it showing by the hem of a dress and this length allows you to be carefree even on a somewhat breezy day. I'm wearing this one in size 24 and I have shapewear underneath. I should note that when I was taking these pictures it was a little breezy on a typical summer evening. As you can see the structure of the dress is maintained by the weight of the fabric so you can go on as normal without having to adjust your dress constantly. Often with wrap style dresses there can be a slight problem in the bust area. Often for women with larger busts we can run the risk of having our bra slip or even having a breast slightly exposed while the other remains in tact. I find myself often adjusting my wrap dresses because of this or evening having to pin them. Women with a smaller bust often have to worry about the fabric flopping and the neckline of the dress losing it's structure. I will say with this dress I was really impressed. The underline panel in the wrap detail cuts right across the inside of the dress and as the fabric has quite a lot of stretch it clings to your bra without crushing your breasts into a strange shape. The good news, the flap stays firmly in place! 

I really love the 3 quarter lengths sleeves on this one. The fabric is soft and rich so I doubt you would need a jacket or shawl when wearing this one on a warm day. I have to say I love the aqua base colour of the dress. Deep pastel tones like this really sit in nice for the season and this kind of dress would be lovely to take on an exotic holiday somewhere. As much as I love aqua tones sometimes I find they can clash a little with my skin tone. I really like how this colour compliments my complexion and because of this I kept my styling very minimal.

When I first tried this dress at the S&J offices it really gave me a feeling of wanting to dance. I joked about this with Gifi and asked him if he was thinking of ballroom dresses when working on this collection because the Red Lace Fishtail Dress had the same effect on me lol. I decided to pair this with a pair of black heels. I was recently gifted the most gorgeous pair of Michelle shoes from Hotter. I have a thing for t-bar style shoes and these are so comfortable and work with pretty much every dress I have so they were a must! 

You know what I always say, wear the clothes you feel amazing in! Every woman deserves the opportunity to feel and look sexy in something she feels comfortable in. I once again have to thank Scarlett & Jo for making this a possibility for me, a woman who once didn't think that would ever be a possibility. 

For more on Scarlett & Jo  and to see what else is available in the collection check out their Tumblr and Evans pages.

Remember whatever you wear, feel fabulous in it and wear it with a smile!

All Girls Love Roses!

It's no secret that I love to own clothes that are versatile and can be worn in many different ways. I don't have the sort of budget or closet space to have items that I limit to specific events or days. And because of this there are some clothing brands who are right up my street, one of them is of course Scarlett & Jo. 

I like many women love to feel good and I do my best to look nice and have fun with my style. I have to say when I first stumbled across the brand it was when I was first introduced to plus size fashion blogs. I had seen so many gorgeous women wearing clothes that made them look a million dollars and what's more, they were my sort of size and shape! Scarlett & Jo was quite honestly the first major label on the high street to get me into a dress since I was a child! I couldn't resist their miracle dress, latter labelled the Powerfit dress and it was this very dress that got me hooked to the brand! 

Fast forward a couple of years and several clothing items later and I was re-introduced to the brand from a whole other perspective. I was contacted by Aiofe, PR assistant to Gifi Fields; founder of Coppernob Fashion and the man behind Scarlett & Jo. Gifi had not only seen my blog posts and review comments on the Evans website, he wanted to meet me. A couple of weeks later I was one of 8 bloggers invited to be involved in the launch of the SS15 collection from the brand! It was during this shoot that I was asked to wear this gorgeous black and red rose fit and flare dress! I really didn't need any persuasion as I loved this one just by looking at it on the hanger and being that my favourite flowers are red roses it was a must for me!

Admittedly I had only worn some of the more form fitting items available from S&J but I instantly fell in love with this dress. Firstly the fit is perfect for me! The careful engineering of the garment allows the dress to mould and sculpt your bust and behind whilst skimming over your stomach area. Three quarter length sleeves always work for me and the length stops just at my knee, perfect for my 5'5 height. I have to say I tend to gravitate towards deeper shades of red such as burgundy and wine but when I wear my vintage or vintage inspired items I love a bright Scarlett red! The brightness of the red I find makes the dress a really fun piece to wear and one that could be worn on colder seasons. The fabric is soft and thick and makes the fall of the dress have more structure. I haven't found myself in a Monroe situation on windy days when wearing this one lol. 

During the shoot however I was constantly thinking about ways I could style this dress. Scarlett & Jo love to create garments that have a sexy sophistication to them with a romantic flare. That being said inspired a very classy and elegant shoot. On a somewhat warm spring evening recently I was heading to an event by Evans to celebrate the fact that #StyleHasNoSize I thought it would be fitting to wear an item stocked by them. I decided to pair this dress with some black leggings, my black biker jacket, red bow ballerina pumps and a black head scarf. 

Since the shoot I have had the great opportunity to get to know the Scarlett & Jo team and some friendships have been formed, especially between myself and Gifi. His passion for the brand and his work as a whole really does come through in the clothes. What's nice for me as a customer and friend to the brand is being able to see how proactive the they are with the feedback they receive. Gifi and the team really pride themselves on giving their customers great service and value and they are constantly looking at ways to keep on top of their game. I can honestly say I have never been disappointed! 

I wear my items from the brand quite a lot and the thing I love about them is how timeless they are. Many things we buy are perfect for a certain trend and then can look somewhat dated after time. The classic designs and prints used by Scarlett & Jo have made their clothes items I have been able to wear on many occasions and quite often. The great news this is all without the colours running or fading after several washes. I must say though even though this dress is no longer on the website there are some gorgeous new lines available in their High Summer collection. 

Photos From The SS15 Shoot, Photography By Nicky Rockets 

For more on Scarlett & Jo  and to see what else is available in the collection check out their Tumblr and Evans pages.

Remember whatever you wear, feel fabulous in it and wear it with a smile!