Social Media Enthusiast. Learning Designer. Curvy Fashionista.
I'm a 30-something Canadian born Bengali (parents are from Kolkata, India...for those of you who need to know that type of thing). I've been chubby-curvy-plus-sized my entire life. Standing at a height of 5'2 and with a darker complexion, it has always been a challenge finding outfits or "looks" that really suit me.
Living in the fashionable city of Toronto since birth, with a solid career has finally allowed me to embrace my love of pretty fashions in clothing, shoes and everything in between.
Have you been following my instragram posts? You should! You should! š
If you have been, then you know work-day-Irene is Queen of Shameless Bathroom Selfies!
With colder temps creeping into November, I thought I’d do a recap of some of my favourite!
How I Got The Look: Royal blue peplum top with bow details on both sleeves is an oldie from F21+; This fabulous white floral skirt is also an oldie from H&M; and Payless versions of Toms on my feet.
Oooooo! I remember this pic…it was the “travel outfit” on the eve of my trip to New Mexico. Stay tuned for that trip recap blogpost soon! š How I Got The Look: Shoes from Payless; Top & Skirt from Reitmans; Soft trench from F21+
How I Got The Look: Panda tee from F21+; Yellow midi skirt custom-made-for-me on my trip to Vietnam; Leopard printed Keds on my feet How I Got The Look:Striped midi skirt & Popcorn tee both from F21+; Shoes from Payless This entire look was made up of pieces found from Forever 21+ …. but at various times during the year. This top is really a bodysuit.
This flamingo dress is my absolute favourite summertime sundress ever!!! ā¤ ā¤ ā¤ ā¤ ā¤ How I Got The Look: Dress from Tatyana Boutique; Cotton 3/4 length tee from Old Navy; Shoes from Payless
How I Got The Look: Long cardi & Butterfly slouch top from Reitmans; Platform flipflops are Coach
How I Got The Look: Booties from Payless; Pleated midi skirt from Hudson Bay Co.; Long-sleeved top from F21+
How I Got The Look:This lovely grey sweater has delightful copper embroidered polkadots on it ā¤ – from Old Navy; Pencil skirt from Reitmans; Sparkle kicks from Sketchers
How I Got The Look:Old old old Reitmans skirt; Top from Old Navy; Booties from Payless; Slouch socks from ArdeneAs you can tell from this recap post… I seem to have a favourite few stores that I frequent often to create many of my day-to-day looks.
Hope this post gives you some style inspiration for your upcoming weekday outfit choices. Follow me on Instragram for more Shameless Bathroom Selfies daily (ish).
Got a favourite look? Let me know in the comments section š
Have you LIKEād the Petite Plus, Meowās Facebook Page yet?
That’s why Halloween is one of my favorite times of year – cuz you get to do just that.
Since I’m a corporate-type by day, I wanted to do a little something with my outfits that was a gentle nod to Halloween…Ā A lil’ nod once a week,Ā every week leading up to the big day for the entire month of October.
Here’s what that looked like…
A Nod to Halloween – The Month of October
Gentle nod with a striped dress (F21+) and soft trench (F21+); Sparkle kicks (Sketchers) … giving off a Mime, Jailbird or Beetlejuice vibe.
Trying for this all-black-everything look for complete with my “Handbook for the Recently Deceased ” tee (PublicButter)Ā with this angled pencil skirt (F21+) and Black booties (Winners). Sadly this was photographed without my stripped cropped blazer, to truly give off the Beetlejuice… Beetlejuice …BEETLEJUICE vibe!
Halloween Weekend – Saturday Night
With October 31st falling on workday (boo!) …the weekend before was the weekend of all Halloween’ing!!!
How lucky am I to have artsy friends in my life.Ā Joel Colbourne and his amazing make-up job transformed me into a scary skeleton!Ā Check out this Instagram for more of his makeup artistry. ā¤
I had picked up this fab Skeleton Dress fromĀ Unique VintageĀ while I was in L.A. last November …ps: very, very delayed blogpost about that trip coming soon š
The make-up just brings this cute dress into spook-tacular frock… Worthy of winning Toronto Lindyhop’s “Most Scariest Costume” prize at the 2nd event I was at!!!!
Halloween Day – Office Costume
It took a month of convincing … but finally my office team agreed to dress up as Cowpokes for October 31st!
Since I didn’t get their permission to share the team photo… here’s what **I** looked like for the Cowboy theme:
Halloween Night – The Village (Church St. in The6ix)
I’ve lived in Toronto my entire life and this was my 2nd time ever enjoying the sights and sounds of Church StreetĀ aka The Village” on Halloween Night! (Click here for the 1st)
Somehow I’ve managed to insert myself into a fabulous social circle of shameless,Ā onsie-wearing friends who were all more than happy to parade around in public with me.
I fell in love with the Giraffe onsie fromĀ Kigurumi … thinking it wouldn’t be a popular choice.Ā I was wrong.
Found a total of 5 onsied Giraffes in The Village…only managed to photograph these 3 šĀ Photo Credit: Joel Colbourne
Oh, the fun that was had simply walking up and down the street as a zoo of animals!
We were sooooo famous – everyone was asking to take our photos.
WE WERE A TOTAL SPECTACLE! š
Curious about what I’ve done for Halloween in the past?
Oh and a personal favourite: The Quadboobā¦ugh! #TheWorst
Well, have you heard of Sugar Candy Bras?
The Sugar Candy Everyday is a luxurious seamless bra that is specially engineered for the fuller bust. With support panels that are designed to maximize lift and support without compromise.
Your shape is unique, which makes it sometimes difficult to find bras that are made in standard sizes, work for you. Story of my life.
This Sugar Candy Bra comes in 6 easy sizes to suit over 35 cup and band size combinations.
I had the opportunity to try out this bra myself of a few months. And I have to say it really does meet all its brochure claims and has exceeded my expectations.
Those common bra-blems I rhymed off above, none of those were an issue when wearing the Sugar Candy Bra. ā¤
Its one-piece cup construction was surprisingly supportive, with nice lift for Thelma & Louise … that’s what I call “The Girls”. š
I’ve never worn a bra that didn’t have an underwire before.
The soft, stretchy materials made of luxuriously soft yarn and its elasticized band made wearing this bad boy all day an easy thing to do.
Like all bras, with wash and wear over time it will lose its shape and fit more loosely. But with the many rows of snaps on back, you can adjust that with wear super easily.
Sugar Candy is not intended to replace your typical wired bra, but to provide you with comfort and support at home.
I have worn this bra around the house, during the few hot summer days we had here in Toronto when wearing clothes was just too much. Going bra-less can be uncomfortable and sweaty. This Sugar Candy Bra was super helpful in keeping me covered up just enough, while keeping “The Girls” up and separated.
Thank goodness Canadian weather allows for me to mostly follow this needlepoint philosophy instead. š
I hope youāve been enjoying and following my Fall Double Feature series in collaboration with Cassie from Style Cassentials. Ā Weāre discussing fall trends all week long. Ā IfĀ you missed any of my previous posts, you can check them out hereĀ and here.
Today we are talking aboutĀ Black nā White aka Modern Monochrome: The Classic Combo! When youāre done reading my post, head on over to Style CassentialsĀ or catch up with her onĀ FacebookĀ for all the details on how Cassie is styling the trends. š
You really canāt go wrong when you rock a classic like black nā white together. Ā This is the first crop top Iāve ever been brave enough to wear. Ā Waddya think?
I actually wore this exact look for New Yearās Eve this past yearā¦minus the open-toed booties. Ā Swapped them for black stockings and my rocker boots instead, to better suit winterā¦
As a proud Torontonian, I am a bit embarrassed to say that I haven’t been to a TFC game in nearly 10-years.
So when the opportunity arose to go to a Ā game and sit in the designated cheering-section with a boy you’re newly dating, how can a girl say no. š
Now, you may not know this, but I’m not exactly a sports fan. But, I’m all about dressing up appropriately for any kind of event. So I did a bit of research and asked a few questions and discovered that TFC colours were: RED, BLACK and WHITE.
Basic colour staples in any girls wardrobe – especially in mine. Ā But instead of wearing something I already had, I chose to go the DIY route and get crafty!
TA-DAH!!! Ā Here you see a custom, one of a kind, Irene creation. Ā This tank top was on sale at Eddie Bauer for $10. Perfect TFC colour combos as the white fades into red.
The morning of the game, I had the bright idea to cut out felt letters and affix them on to the shirt, creating the be-all-and-end-all outfit requirements for any and all sporting event invitations in my life: Ā GO SPORTS!
WHAT I WORE:Ā Tank top, Eddie Bauer; Leggings with mesh calves, JoeFresh; R2D2 socks from Torrid; Sneakers (not seen here) and Lettering by moi š
With unpredictable weather, I wrote a white checkered fleece zip-up (Old Navy), just in case and wore my gold-studded cross-body bag (Aldo) so that nothing would have to be place on the ground of a crowded and likely beer-covered floors of BMO Field’s stadium.
See that gifted scarf around my neck…completing my sporty-fan-girl outfit? That’s the 10th anniversary TFC scarf.
The soccer scarf phenomenon began in the early 1900s. This trend originated in the United Kingdom where fans needed a way to stay warm without sacrificing their team spirit. It was here that the idea of āteam scarvesā was born.
If you look closely, you’ll notice that one of the fringe on each side of this scarf is made of blue wool. That’s meant to be a nod to the pre-Toronto FC history of soccer in the city. Specifically it was part of the colours worn by the Toronto Blizzards and Toronto Metros Croatia, who were both teams in North American Soccer League. See the things you learn when you date a soccer dude :p
Today, the team itself has simply been called “TFC” and “the Reds” by the media and the club.
Have you ever been to a TFC game? Ā Here are some things you can do to participate:
Visually.
Wear Red. Black. White. Ā Or a combination of the three.
People don’t really make banners or anything. But if you wanna make one and if you got TFC swag like a flag or scarf… bring them and wave them proudly. š
Verbally.
There were SOOOOO many chants you can participate in. Ā Sadly, I was too into it myself during the game, that I didn’t record any myself from the enthusiastic fans around me calling themselves THE U-SECTORS (fans sitting in the U section of BMO Field, I was told later). Ā THEĀ U-Sector vocally leads the entire south stand, and has also contributed to the highly visual nature of TFC support.
But here’s a clip of what goes down among these chanting fans:
There were many more creative chants sung to the tune of many well known songs. One of my personal favourites was done to the Jesus Christ Superstartune:
T-O-R…. O-N-T …Oooooooh….. T-F-C! ā¤
IF you’re the type that needs to know the lyrics before confidently yelling them to a tune among a stadium full of day-drinking fans…here’s one for you along with its YouTube vid so you can study up š
Just Cant Get Enough (this one is usually sung after a goal)
When I see Toronto, I go out of my head
I just canāt get enough, I just canāt get enough
All the things you do to me and all the things you said
I just can’t get enough, I just cant get enough
We slip and slide when we fall in love
and I just canāt seem to get enough of…
(Repeat with Dooās and jumping)
I’m always down to try out new make up products if it means making my 5-min face look even more fabulous! š
Earlier this summer I tried a product called LipSense – a long-lasting liquid lip colour. This product boasts claims that are pretty tough to ignore:Ā its waterproof,Ā does not kiss-off,Ā smear-off, or rub-off. Ā Each lip colour lasts for up to 18 hours with 1 application! Ā With over 30 colors to choose from and thousands of layering possibilities…I couldn’t wait to try this out~!!!
Ani Novshadian of “Lovely Lasting Looks” is a LipSense product distributor, and gave me the 3-part starter kit to use. Ā Here’s how it worked for me.
The 3-part Starter Kit
The colour ($30CAD) + the gloss ($25CAD) + the oops remover ($12CAD)
The colour needs to be applied to dry, clean lips in several layers, spread in a fluid sweeping motion without lifting the applicator. Ā 3 even layers – with 5 seconds of drying time in between each layer.
Then the gloss needs to be applied generously. Ā And you are encouraged to apply this gloss often throughout the day for long-lasting results of the colour.
The prices listing in this image are in USD
MY Results: Round 1 – Salmon
Ani was kind enough to show me how to apply the product. And together we picked a fun, loud, summertime colour for me to try: Ā SALMON!!! ā¤
For 3-weeks, I followed all the steps, being very diligent and steady with the colour application of thin, even layers…allowing for drying time before the next layer.
As you can see…. MY lips looked nothing like the lips advertised above š¦
The biggest excitment to me for using this product was its long-lasting never needing to reapply colour claims. Ā Let’s see how that worked out for me:
What the Salmon LipSense colour looked like on my lips into the evening š¦
The below were my lips the morning AFTER using the Oops Remover (the 3rd piece of the Ā starter kit).
As you can see my lips were super dried-out and some of the colour was still adhering to my lips. š¦
MY Results: Round 2 – Aussie Rose
Sigh… needless to say I was super discouraged. Ā But I wasn’t ready to give up.
Ani asked me to try with a different colour as sometimes certain colours weren’t as “easy”. Ā So for the next 3-weeks I used a different, lighter lip colour to see if it might work better for me.
Here’s how that went…
At this point, applying generous amount of the LipSense gloss seemed to have giving the colour new life ā¤
But then as the day went on, this colour quit on me too:
This product just made me hyper aware of my lips. Ā It wasn’t a comfortable wear. Ā It seemed to suck the moisture out of my lips. And sadly, this “lasting colour” barely made it with me through a day out-and-about
This is not the look I wanna suddenly notice on my face while out and about …yikes!
Here’s the results of the Oops Remover on my lips after a day of wearing the Aussie Rose lip colour. Ā As you can see, the colour was really tough to remove, leaving my lips with every line visible and lip crease super dry.
Overall, this was a fun product to try out – lots of colours to choose from – sadly, it just didn’t hold true in terms of long-lasting effects it claims.
And as much as I’dĀ love, love, loveĀ to be known asĀ “Makeup Mama Me-Ow”Ā š …. Ā LipSense just isn’t a product for me.
What do you think of these results LipSense? Ā Have you used it before? Ā What were your results? Tell me in the comment section below.
Think these products might be right for you? Ā Want them? Thinking of becoming Ā distributor yourself?
Ani offered so much product support to me, as a consultant, when I was struggling to get the results. Ā If you’re looking to better understand the business model of this company, contact Ani as she is terrific coach.
Contact Ani Novshadian, Independent DistributorĀ visit her site here.
I wrote this a while a go ā and seeing the remaining āsummer dayā left in Toronto are ones that require sweaters and closed-toed shoes, this post needed to be shared sooner than later.
Enjoy. Ā xo
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The trickiest part to summer (I think) is figuring out what to wear to the office thatās professional, while keeping you cool and comfortable in the heat of summer days. Ā Hereās a quick outfit of the day that got lost on my iPhone ā pardon the sleepy expression ā early morning sun and posing on my balcony clearly donāt mix:
9a-5p
Iāve owned these pieces for many moonsā¦but have never paired them together, nor have I ever thought of creating an āoffice outfitā with them.
How I Got The Look:
black peep-toed flats (Payless) Ā these have become a fabulous ācommuterā shoe to get from home to office via TTC (usually withā¦
Here’s a #tbt to summer 2015 when the #toronto sign was new and all the rage š
How do you mix patterns? A bit unsure how to do it – try starting with easy black n’ white patterns for a fail-safe gateway into becoming a pattern mixing fashionista yourself š
I’m kinda diggin’ my hair this short … should I do it again? Let me know what you think?
Summer sales are everywhere friends! Ā So run out and get your shopping on!
Found this black nā white tiki crop top at Reitmans on sale + 50% off the sale priceā¦so it was basically free!
Staying in the same color family is the easiest way to mix patterns in your outfits. Ā You can use contrasting colors, as long as the prints have a color in common.
Mixing black nā white is the easiest I think!
I added pops of colour with my accessories instead: Ā with my yellow earrings & necklaceĀ set and with my aqua-teal purse and sandals.Ā
Contrary to OāMagazineās āadviceā (insert eyeroll emoji here) ā¦ me and my plus sized non-flat belly having self decided to rock thisĀ tiki top is a crop top, pairing it with a horizontal stripped maxi skirtā¦displaying a visible belly outline.
Oh yeah. Ā Iām breaking all kinds of mainstream fashion ārulesā with this outfit ofā¦
Ok team, I’ve been dealing with some feelings. Ā I hadn’t planned to be writing about them, but I can’t seem to write about anything else right now.
So here it is: Ā 9 years ago today I got married. Ā Yup! August 9, 2008… I fell in love and married a great, weird, handsome guy. Ā And today we would have been celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary.
But we’re not. We’re not because we’re divorced. After 8 years together, 4 of those years being married to each other, as we grew up and changed as people, we were no longer serving as positive sources of energy for the other.
Moi – 2008 as a young bride
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In our early 20s among our different friend groups, we were the first couple to get engaged. The first couple in buy a house. The first to host dinner parties, themed parties, and BBQs. The first to throw a wedding. And the first to get divorced.
It’s been 5 years since we divided up our assets and dissolved our marriage. Ā And in that time, everyone among the friend circle I kept around me have now ALL paired off, moving far far away into their first homes and becoming pregnant with their first (or second) child. While were all in our thirties, I feel like this weird alien among friends who I no longer recognize.
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Canada Long Weekend was spent on my balcony watching fireworks and drinking with this couple-friend of ours who got married exactly one month before we did. They’re still together, happily supportive of each other and are proud parents to a gorgeous little boy. Funnily enough, this couple started as a work friend of my ex’s. But it turns out they’ve only kept in touch with me regularly all this time. ā¤
As happenstance would have it, one of them bumped into my ex on the streets of Toronto a few days before our hang out…so you know they spilt all the tea with me!
Last summer, I heard through the grapevine that he’d gotten himself remarried. The big news uncovered for Canada150 was that he and his new wife are expecting their SECOND CHILD!!! š®
This news was a shock. But I wasn’t sad or mad at finding out. I felt genuinely at peace knowing he’s been able to find someone to give him what he wanted in this life. The same feeling I have when I’m sitting as an attendee to a friend’s wedding or baby shower. I’m happy for them. Sincerely.
But then … later like this morning, waking up remembering its not-my-wedding-anniversary … there’s pangs of something that comes over me. Ā Me… comparing their achievements with my own (or lack there of), taking away from what I’ve got going on in my life. š¦
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This long weekend was an oddly busy one for me. It was filled with friend groups on a wide spectrum:
Friday night with a unique Caribanna event specifically for the sex positive, open-minded Cis-Trans-Poly crowd of friends of friends for dancing, performances and late night eating.
Saturday I had brunch with 3 fellow “September Babies” who once were my go-to-hanging-out-and-shooting-the-shit-with peoples, but this year they’ve all found partners and hangouts of “just us” are few and far between.
Sunday I travelled all the way to Oakville to an annual backyard BBQ that has always been known for as boozy-palooza where things get weird….buuuuuut this year she’s preggers and the backyard was filled with more kids than adults.
I feel like this weird alien among friends who I no longer recognize.
It’s hard coming up with gratitude for all the good in your life when chronic pain and leg spasms cloud everything – my life these days. š¦ Ā But I know I’m blessed.
I’m blessed to be able to spend all my disposable income on myself, the pup and the kids I’m a ‘courtesy aunty’ to. I’m blessed to have such diverse groups of people in my life – people I likely wouldn’t have found had I remained a married woman. Ā I’m blessed to own a bit of real estate in the city. I’m blessed that I have been able to travel to cool destinations and write about them. I’m blessed to be able to foster and rescue dogs. I’m blessed to have a job where my employer supports short-term leave with pay. Ā I’m blessed to have everything I need and more at my doorstep: groceries, restaurants, green spaces, beaches, transit, dance friends, live music and bars.
In these 5 years of not being married, it’s given me the room to have a variety of different experiences, to become comfortable with who I am as a person, and has helped me figure out what I want AND don’t want in a life partner. At the same time, I’ve come to the uncomfortable realization that I may not find myself a life partner, and that’s ok too. I’m still working on being ok with this last part. š
Any one else able to relate to what I’ve been trying to say in the word vomit above? Ā Gawd…I hope so. š Ā Let me know what you think in the comment section…
Stay tuned every Monday and Wednesday for new content, plus throwback posts on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
A few of us caught wind that on August 15th folks were gathering at the Rosie the Riveter Memorial in Marina Park (Richmond, California) to try and set a NEWĀ Guinness World RecordĀ for āThe Largest Gathering of People Dressed as a Rosie the Riveterā!
The current record was set last year when 776 Rosie and Rosie lookalikes gathered at the Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, MI.
This year, they hoped to round-up 1000 Rosies!!!
The rules for dressing like Rosie:
How I Got The Look: headscarf and earrings from Ardene; jeans from Old Navy; denim shirt from Reitmans; mens red socks, Forever21; boots from Aldo
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
Since we couldnāt be in California for the event, a few of us from theĀ Toronto Vintage SocietyĀ wanted to be there in spirit and rounded up the troops for a perfect photo opportunity in front of the fab colourful
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PPMeow! 