Author: PetitePlusMeow

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.

Fur Vests – Yay or Nay?

Most times I believe one should wear whatever feels good or YOU think makes you look good, regardless of the ‘rules’ or opinions of others. Often when I’m unsure I’ll take a quick iPhone pic and send it around to a few close gfs for a vote: Yay or Nay … before exiting a change room. Thank you Ladies – ya’ll know who you are 😉

But one afternoon wandering around the Queen W hood after a lazy late Sunday Brunch, I found myself poking around the fantastic finds of 69Vintage and found the most amazing fur & leather vest!!! And above this find was a sign that read: 50% off! sweaterdress fur1

Now…at first glance looking at this piece on the hanger it gave me a Tina Turner Mad Max vibe, quickly followed by thoughts of “where the heck would I ever where this?” So I petted and caressed the fox fur and lamb leather softness, and walked away to pursue the rest of the store. But my heart and hands kept returning to the rack with this amazing find. Such a high quality item was bound to be ridiculous expensive … plus its vintage…..$$$. Much to my surprise it was tagless…which means FREE, right? 😛

sweaterdress fur2

After multiple try-ons, humming and hawwing….this lovely piece found its way home with me for a steal price of $50! BOOM!

Best part about it: no one else will ever have it! It’s one of a kind…and it’s in MY closet now! Woot! Woot!

sweaterdress fur3 Fur vests are hugely popular this season. But being busty, short, thick and BROWN… I’ve shyed away from incorporating such a piece into my wardrobe. There’s a fine line between looking like a curvy fashionista vs. an Ewok on the streets of Toronto.

Here’s how I’ve managed to introduce this outrageously fierce fur vest into a Look … What do you think: Yay or Nay? Use the comments section to let me know your thoughts.

How I got The Look:

Fox fur leather vest from 69Vintage, Queen St W
Cream Sweater Dress from OldNavy, Eaton Center
Brown flat ankle boots from Payless
Open-toed black platform booties from Aldo
Snakeskin belt from LaneBryant

Photo credit: Tami Falus

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Toronto Vintage Society: “Looks” from 2013 Events

Early last year I finally climbed onto the MAD MEN band wagon, bulk watching season after season via Netflix and totally fell in love with it ALL! The beautiful vintage furniture, fab accessories plus the amazing dresses and hairstyles. A tasty eyeful of Don Draper didn’t hurt either…*hubba hubba* Having ample amounts of both, any era where hips & tits were celebrated and embraced is where I need to be! So I began Googling and Pintrest-ing to see how I could incorporate vintage inspired looks into my wardrobe… affordably.

I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a fantastic little MeetUp group called Toronto Vintage Society (TVS) – whose members host events, post photos and news on shops and shows to inspire people to get out and make vintage/retro more than a hobby…make it a lifestyle! Now…I’m a total novice when it comes to the love of all things vintage. It takes me a minute to get that the talk of ‘surf’ is not taking place in the water, and getting involved with an Easter Parade does not involve floats. I’ve taken the business approach of “fake it, til’ you make it” when it comes to vintage inspired looks.

By hanging out with the awesome peeps from this fab group #TVS I’ve gotten a chance to discover Toronto’s rockabilly world of brunch and burlesque, attend a 1920s Gatsby Garden Party, a Tiki-Tacky Surfs-up shindig, and capped off the year with a fabulous Vintage Holiday get-together complete with karaoke x-mas carols. Each of these events needed a very specific outfit of course. Take a look at what the past year has yielded in terms of Rockabilly/Vintage/Retro “looks” from my closet.

Gatsby Garden Party – Spadina House Museum, Toronto
How I got the Look:
Dress with pearl collar from DressBarn
Cream floral fascinator from Your Big Sister’s Closet, Dundas W. Toronto
Cat-eye sunglasses from Spring

Tiki Tacky Party – Cadillac Lounge, Toronto
How I got the Look:
Hair Flowers from The Bay
Floral Dress from AdditonElle

Vintage Holiday Party – Toronto
How I got The Look:
Dress swing dress from Collectif, Rosie the Rebel Dovercourt/Bloor Sts
Grey leopard cardi from Reitmans
Black n’ white t-strap shoes from Naturalizer
Black feather & net facinator from Aldo

If you’re curious about what the TVS is all about and what exciting things we have lined up for 2014…check us out at:

http://www.meetup.com/Vintage-Retro-Society-Toronto

Winter Coats

Ok – Toronto weather this winter has been madness! From my window, I would wake up to lightly frosted window panes and snow-covered rooftops, and begin to think “Do I really have to wear winter boots today…le sigh” (that’s french for sigh).

Between freak ice storms, drops in temperatures to -40 by midday to a balmy +9 by the next day, it is clear that Toronto girls gotta have more than one winter coat in her closet. The biggest trick of all: How to stay warm, while still looking cute?

For the past few years I’ve managed to score fantastic deals on winter coats by buying them during the Boxing Week sales right after Christmas. Last year I scored a lovely standard black Liz Claiborne parka from Yorkdale Mall’s Sears which has gotten me through the bulk of this winter. However, with the Sears closing in the Eaton Center, there have been phenomenal deals on outer wear – up to 60% off, and additional discounts if you use your Sears Card…..So I just HAD to check it out!

This is one of two winter coats I picked up at these sales this year. What I loved about this one is that it WASN’T black!

Being short, I find it challenging to find a winter coat that isn’t too long, yet provides enough length coverage for the booty. This one was perfect, warm, and light…not to mention the helpful pull-ties to help give your body shape cinching in the waist. It also has double pockets – large square button front ones (perfect for your iPhone) and slim hidden sides ones to slip your hands into without creating too much bulk to your overall look. Plus the severe fur hood totally won me over!

How I got The Look:
Navy winter coat from Jessica, Sears Toronto Eaton Center
Sunglassess, NineWest
Leather bow-tie gloves, Danier
Faux leather pants from EDIT Jeanne Beker, AdditionElle Yonge/Queen Sts
Taupe suede booties, Rebels

Photo credit: Tami Falus

Peplum, Pencil Skirt and Pink Pumps

A peplum top and a pencil skirt are two pieces, when paired together, can never go wrong! Especially helpful for plus sized divas, as it cinches in at the waist and helps create an hourglass shape.

Photo credits: Tami Falus

The classic black and white combo with a loud splash of colour with the pink pumps gives me a bit of edge, to an otherwise lady-like outfit.

How I got The Look:
Black peplum collar tank from Forever21+, Toronto Eaton Center
Stripped pencil skirt from Thyme and Honey, Marshalls Richmond/John Sts
Pink pointy toed pumps from NineWest

What is petite?

The term “petite” is commonly misunderstood. Many people believe that petite = short and slim and skinny. But this is far from the truth.

Weight has nothing to do with being petite. It’s actually your HEIGHT that determines if you fall into the “petite” category. In fashion/clothing, petite is a standard clothing size designed to fit women of shorter height, typically 5’4″ or shorter.

“Regular” clothing is designed for women who are at least 5’5″ tall which means regular size clothing will not properly fit women who are shorter than this.

Fit is EVERYTHING. If something doesn’t fit you properly, it’s not going to do you any favors.

I found this video from The Petite Shop that helps explain it better:

Welcome to Petite Plus, Meow!

Hiya friends!

For the last few years now I’ve learned and managed to embrace my plus sized-busty-vertically challenged bod with zeal by making sure I “dress with style” for everyday, regardless of having an occasion!

Many people have suggested, even urged, for me to start blogging about my fashion finds and looks that I put together for myself. Not having ever felt like I was an authority on anything fashion related…I simply accepted the comments as compliments and never took them too seriously.

I’ve been finding recently however, with all the fashion blogging sites I personally follow, none of them really speak from a petite (short) plus sized large busted woman of color’s perspective. So, here I am hoping to fill that void/niche with this Fashion & Lifestyle blog. 🙂

My name is Irene….and I welcome you to Petite Plus, Meow!

Contact email: petiteplusmeow@gmail.com