Lane Bryant Fashion Style Off

 Lane Bryant Snake Denim Jacket ~ Lane Bryant Genius Fit Ankle Jeans ~ Lane Bryant Ribbed Layering Tank Top

Click HERE to vote for your favorite blogger look!

I am ecstatic that I will be attending Full Figured FashionWeek in New York City this year!  I was also happy to hear that I was selected to attend the Lane Bryant Bloggers Conference and to participate in their Facebook Style-Off.  Lane Bryant selected several bloggers that received a $200 gift card (yes you heard me right...amazing) to style a look for the Facebook Style-Off before the conference, and I was more than happy to use it to style my look and pick up a few other cute items too.  Lane Bryant had a bogo sell going on at the time of my purchase, so I was really able to maximize my gift card.  All of the blogger looks will be featured on the Lane Bryant Facebook Style-Off page and you will have the chance to vote for your favorite look!  It was hard to make a decision on what kind of look to put together, but ultimately I decided to go for a monochrome look that I feel anyone can wear.  The Lane Bryant Genius Fit Ankle Jeans fit marvelously, and when I saw the snake print denim jacket on the site I knew instantly that it was the perfect match.  I love how my look all came together…simple but stylish.  You don't have to wear revealing clothing or an over the top look to stand out.  My simplistic style is what makes me shine.  I live by the motto "Keep it simple." If you are a star no one can ever dim your eternal light.  So don't ever feel pressured to wear clothing that doesn't fit your style or personality.  The Style-Off challenge is beginning today!  Click the link to the Lane Bryant Style Challenge, and vote!

Swimwear| Swimsuitsforall & Full Beauty Swim Bra

I was delighted when I was contacted by Swimsuitsforall and Full Beauty to review a swimsuit and a swim bra.  I felt this was the perfect post to review both of the items!  I had a lot of fun last summer wearing my two-piece "fatkini" but I was compelled to select a one piece this year.  I know that a lot of you are not comfortable wearing a two-piece, so I thought I would select another suit that I feel is just as appealing and sexy.  This fringe swimsuit has the perfect balance of coverage and sassiness!  Swimsuitsforall is a company that offers fashionable styles for all body types, but what is especially exceptional about this company is that they offer a plethora of fashionable styles in the plus size range.  I really love this swimsuit because it is very flattering on my curvy body.  The suit is made with quality and is not thin or flimsy, and what diva doesn't love fringe!  Fringe will be a major trend this summer.  If you have a large chest this suit will offer support because it has a built-in padded bra.  I wear a DDD, so I decided to pair the suit with my swim bra from Full Beauty for extra support.

The Swim Bra

Full Beauty offers a wide range of lingerie, and to get the support and lift that I like to have in my swimwear, the swim bra is a perfect solution. The Comfort Choice swim bra has thin, quick-drying foam cups, convertible straps that attach anywhere to work with a variety styles of swimsuits, and an underwire to lift and shape.  I requested a 38DDD, but was sent a 40DDD, and even though it was a little big, it still offered a great amount of support which you can see from the pictures.  I would recommend this bra for ladies who have an extremely large chest, and really want to look polished and lifted in your swimwear.  It is great to know that plus size women have so many options when it comes to swimwear, so I really appreciate companies like Swimsuitsforall and Full Beauty for offering more options to look sexy in our swimwear this summer!  You can receive $10 off your purchase when you use the code 10FORYOU during the checkout process for Swimsuitsforall.com.

Tailoring to achieve the perfect FIT

One key to why many of my clothes look flattering on my plus size body is because I am a true advocate for tailoring your clothing.  I cannot tell you how many times I have found an item that I loved and it just didn't fit right, but when I started tailoring my clothing I no longer had to worry about achieving the perfect fit.  I really loved the details of this dress that I wore to a friend's wedding, but I didn't like the fit, so I decided to make the dress straight instead of having an A-line design.  The color was a hit, more of an orange-coral, and I received so many compliments.  Overall, I like the finished product.  I feel that the bottom part of the dress could have had a closer fit, but since it was a wedding I didn't want the dress to fit too tightly. A good tailor can be hard to find and it is not cheap.  I paid a whopping $18.00 to have this dress altered, and if you add that to what was paid for the dress it is not an inexpensive option.  Although it can be costly, it is worth every dime for me to be able to have my clothing look good on my body.

Dress - HSN, shoes - Catos, clutch - vintage)

Skater Skirt Revamp

I also had my tailor alter a skirt that I wanted to revamp and turn into a skater skirt.  A lot of skater skirts are very short, so when you create your own you can achieve the perfect length for your body type.  There are many ways to utilize a tailor but here are my top three ways:

1. To take in the waist of my pants - I do this often with my jeans.
2. To shorten a hemline - You can change a skirt or dress into a totally different outfit.
3. To change the style of a dress or skirt - I may want an A-line design to be straight, or I may want to turn a straight skirt into a bodycon.  The options are limitless with tailoring.

If you don't have a tailor the best place to start is the Internet or your local cleaners.  The Internet is a good place to look because you can see reviews from other customers, and lots of times the dry cleaners my have an outsourced tailor that they work with.  I hope this post was helpful and please feel free to tweet me with any of your questions!

My Favorite Pink Lipstick

You can purchase Sam Fine Fashion Fair Pink Parfait lipstick HERE

My favorite lipstick for the last two months has been Sam Fine for Fashion Fair Pink Parfait lipstick!  It is absolutely gorgeous, and I am always getting questions about what color I am wearing whenever I wear it.  It is the perfect shade of pink, not too bright or too light.  I don't need a lipliner or a gloss when I wear this lipstick because it is a "star" all alone.  This product was worth every penny that I paid for it!  What is your favorite pink lipstick?  Talk to you all later...xo

Rihanna My Way | Part 2

Crop Top - Forever 21 (Get it HERE)
Pants - H&M (New Look has a version HERE)
top - Ashley Stewart (old)
sandals - shoemint.com

I don't know what my obsession is with Rihanna's fashion right now, but I go through phases like that sometimes!  Don't worry, I promise you will never see me bent over exposing my "butt-cheeks," but I am quite fond of some of her looks.  People always tell me that wearing a crop is daring, but for me it has become a way of life.  It's really not that serious and one of the reasons that I wanted to create this "celebrity inspired" series on my blog is because I always hear people say that the style of certain celebrities could never be worn in our "everyday" life, but I am here to prove that is simply not true.  It is easy to create an inspired look with blazers and skinny jeans, but how do you take a look that most people would consider "risque" and make it a little more subtle (which is even more challenging when you are plus size)?  I think I nailed it though, and I am totally proud of myself...LOL  I would wear this outfit to a party, a cook out, or for date night, but I would not recommend wearing this on a first date.  I definitely plan to rock this crop top again in a similar way this summer.  Are you inspired by celebrity fashion?  Thanks for stopping by and thanks so much for all of the lovely comments that you all leave...xo