Ok friends….seems like Fall came and went in a blink of an eye and we’ve already been thrown into Winter weather. I thought before we start focusing on winter wear, we’d take a look at some of the trending colours and vibes in Fall fashion on the blog.
Here’s a roundup of a few I personally have embraced over the last few months of blogposts. Each image is linked to this individual post, just click on it for more details on the look 🙂
The Classic Combo: Black n’ WhiteAcid PinkBlue Hues
Fall (and Winter) is perfect for ‘Sweater Weather’ …. so here are a few looks incorporating just that – sweater glamour:
Sweater Dress GlamourSporty ChicTransition Summer into Fall with sweater love
The big patterns I noticed and loved the most this Fall have been BLOOMS ON BLACK and PLAID!
Blooms on BlackMad for Plaid IMad for Plaid IIMad for Plaid III
and last, but not least….is LEATHER!! It was everywhere:
Loving the leather at the hems and shoulders of this Newsprint Navy frockWarming up my leather moto with a black n’ white plaid ponchoWearing a leather jacket as a blazer to take a jumpsuit to the officeLeatherette panels and collar for some edgy office wearAdding leather to dark florals
And of course a combination of everything above to transition a maxi skirt for sweater weather and leather — a little teaser of an upcoming blogpost friends 😉
Transitioning Maxi into Fall/Winter wear
Waddya think of this Farewell to Fall roundup? Think there’s potential to take some well into the Winter months too.
Any stand out as your personal favourites? Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts!
Ok friends… I’ve been working on this post for a little while. I was worried about what the backlash would be from readers. So I feel I must write this preamble first:
I believe there is not ‘right way’ to have a body. You can be the healthiest version of yourself and never come close to being model-skinny. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. THIS is the body I was supposed to have, and I’m determined to actively celebrate it …. now …. and as I see fit!!! It’s taken me a long time to get to this level of self-acceptance, it’s a work in progress, but I’m thrilled to finally be here. After all, isn’t owning your body the healthiest thing of all?
Having said all this, I am a huge fan of foundational undergarments that help smooth bulges and hides the lumps & bumps under clothes so that they lay more smoothly against the body. Corsets have been around for over 100 years and many have rediscovered the corset’s versatility to not only accentuate a woman’s curves, but to provide relief and support for the back, in fashion, in costumes worn either under or over clothing, and in waist training to help achieve a different waist shape over time.
Recently I joined the #measuremebeautiful campaign and measured myself: 48 – 40 – 48. My Bust. My Waist. My Hips. Turns out I’m a natural “hourglass” shape. But regardless of what your natural shape is, if an hourglass shape is what you want, you can have it … by getting yourself into a corset.
CheChe of AlterEgo Clothing reached out to PPMeow! to help a newbie – ME – with all the ‘need-to-knows” before buying a corset.
Types of Corset – which is best for You?
There are two main styles of corsets: Over-the-Bust and Under-the-Bust. Under-the-bust is probably the most wearable as it can be worn like a laced belt to tighten and tame the waist. It’s basically a large belt. The two most popular styles at AlterEgo are the “Waist Cincher” (i.e. without hip flare recommended for those who have a more straight physique) and the “Waist Trainer” (i.e. with a hip flare recommended for those who are hippy-er….like moi).
The Waist Cincher (left) vs. The Waist Trainer (right)
What Makes a Quality Corset?
A Real Corset will have steel-boning. The boning in corsets is necessary to keep that taut design that stops the corset from folding with your body. Bodices, which look somewhat like corsets, will be much cheaper in both price and quality, and they will not have any boning of any kind in them. True corsets need to have strong fabric, such as heavyweight canvas or cotton, which supports the structure. You should be able to yank on a corset’s fabric without anyone worrying that you’re going to rip it apart. This is not necessarily the outer layer that people see, there is usually a fashion layer that has “prettier” fabric. 🙂
The inside of this corset: Notice the double steel boning and modesty panel (this is the extra flap of fabric to hide the strings once tied up)
How Much Do They Cost?
Corsets are investment pieces. Translation: a good quality corset is expensive (upwards of $100). When buying a corset you have to think about how often you want to wear it. Everyday? Once in a while? Very occasionally? Go for an affordable make with steel bones to keep you rigid. Remember: you get what you pay for, so be prepared to get the type of corset you are willing to buy. A high-quality corset will last for years. If you are not willing to spend, chances are you are not going to get anything of a decent quality. AlterEgo’s corsets begin at the $130 price point.
What Size Should You Buy?
You should buy a corset which will reduce your natural waist by 4-6 inches. So if your natural waist line is, say, 40 inches, you should buy one that is 34-36″. Incredible, but true!! Now, the length of your torso is of great importance, so be sure to check all measurement charts and carefully compare them with your measurements when selecting. Plus, so much can depend on personal tolerances for compression, your goals for your corset, what you wear under your corset, the “squish vs firm” factor. AlterEgo will help you with the math and measurement – there is a bit of science to it. 😉
Same corset just with modest panel flipped to reveal lace-up. This one measures 32 inches.
How to Wear a Corset?
Traditional corsets have a busk front (a stiffened section with fastenings like hooks and eyes) and a lace-up back. The strings draw together in a bow at the centre of the garment (not the top or the bottom as I assumed). The idea is that you hook the front first then tighten the back (with help, if necessary) to your fit. Don’t worry if the edges of the garment don’t meet at first. Eventually they will, I’m told. 🙂 There’s a ‘modesty panel’, which is an extra flap of fabric that can be folded in (like I’ve done in the photos below) so that you’re able to see the lace-up back more clearly.
How to Care For & Clean a Corset?
If you’re going to be wearing your corset underneath clothing, you might want to consider wearing a thin tank top, rather than have the corset against your body, to maintain the life and freshness of your piece. This will help prevent having to clean your corset often. For spot-cleaning you can use a mild detergent and/or use a fabric freshener like Febreze. NEVER use the washing machine. From time to time you might want to have your corset professionally dry-cleaned if you wear it often.
I’m wearing a 32″ cotton Waist Trainer style above… Tummy be gone! 🙂
Being top-heavy/busty/a member of the-big-titty-committee, I constantly deal with lower back pain. I was pleasantly surprised at how much pressure it relieved off my back instantly, while improved my posture and making me look taller! I have to admit, I was and still am a little overwhelmed at the amount of boob that seemed to be at dangerously suffocating levels whenever I sat down..LOL (sorry for the blurry pics below). BUT overall, wearing a corset made me feel like a sexy, brown Jessica Rabbit …. MEOW indeed!!! 🙂
Sitting in a corset isn’t the easiest thing to do….lifting the boobs to suffocatingly dangerous heights!
Personally, wearing one of these on a regular basis isn’t for me. I have no interest in wasit-training. Nor do I have an extra hand in-house to help with the lace-up back … and I’m wayyyy too impatient to learn to do it myself. But, I could totally see myself changing the look of an OOTD by wearing a corset overtop of it. And for those sung-fitting outfits I’ve been avoiding, wearing a corset underneath would put them back into my closet rotation. PLUS, with all the fun-filled events with the Toronto Vintage Society, I can totally see myself wearing a corset for an event or two!
With Cheche’s help, we spent a fun afternoon playing dress-up and finding a perfectly fitting corset, just for me.
The photos above were of a simple cotton “Waist Trainer” style corset. But there are a ton of customizable options for you too!!! AlterEgo‘s corsets are made in Canada and custom orders takes approximately 2-4weeks to arrive. AND they can be shipped directly to your home! I can’t wait for mine!
There are tons of customizations available too (L to R): Gold satin, Black lace, Black Leather halter and Black PVC with laced up hip flare. There are also Bridal options too – just ask!Talk about WOW – this custom black lace floor-length tail corset is amazing!
Stayed tuned to PPMeow! for an upcoming post showcasing previous OOTDs Before vs. After THE Corset – where I’ll recreate some of my previous Outfits of the Day pictures, only this time WEARING my new AlterEgo Corset to showcase the transformational differences. Weeeeeee!!!
Thinking of getting a corset of your own? Mention that Irene from Petite Plus, Meow! sent you — Cheche at AlterEgoClothing will take extra special care of you 😉
Between my recent vintage shopping and new pieces I’ve picked up here and there over the past few months, there are a ton of NEW (+ new-to me) accessories that I haven’t integrated into an outfit from my closet as yet. So, I was determined to adorn myself with newness in my office outfit(s) this week.
I’ve been waiting patiently for Spring to officially get here already to wear these pieces I picked up from Your Big Sister’s Closet
On Monday I finally unveiled them to the office, along with my new Dorothy Perkins pencil skirt with my mint-toed nude pumps and lacy shoulder pink 3/4 top. I have this top in mint seen here, but I recently re-discovered that I had it also in pink (hidden in the deepest corners of a drawer). Hooray for buying things you in multiples once they’ve stolen your heart completely! 🙂
I also wore these behind-the-ear cuffs I picked up from the Steampunk Fair a few weeks ago. Thought it might be too edgy of the office, but I wrote them anyways anticipating less than positive reactions from colleagues. Between the necklace and the skirt, this unique piece of jewellery got oh-so-many compliments! Thrilled that the ones I picked up – the clock-arms – there weren’t too many for sale that looked quite like them. 🙂
Putting all the above pieces together….and TA-DA! A more exciting Office ready Monday. Waddya think? Belt? No Belt? You Likee?
How I got The Look:
Mint-toed nude pumps from HBC, Eaton Ctr
Checkered pencil skirt from Dorothy Perkins, HBC (Yonge/Bloor)
Pink lace shoulder top from Forever21+, Eaton Ctr.
You maybe remember me going on and on about this cutie red anchor sweater in a recent post.
Well I found this fab lil’ navy pencil skirt with red anchor print from Old Navy too – it was on sale for $17 (Reg. #25…still a steal!). I’ve already worn it so much, I just haven’t posted about it. So here I go!
Mostly I’ve worn this skirt in a more dressed down weekend look – like below with this lacy-back sweatshirt I picked up on sale from Pennington’s around Boxing Day Sales time.
Pennington’s MBLM line seems to size things very generously – I was very excited to find out that I was a size 0 in this sweatshirt that I had to Intsagram about it immediately from the change-room!
To take this cutie-pie skirt to the office, I decided to mix patterns pairing the anchors with a collared blue pinstriped shirt (DressBarn ages ago).
I belted it and wore my red pumps (from Aldo) and my cherry accessory set to complete the office-day look.
I really love how it turned out! What do you think?
O’ St. Paddy’s Day! An excuse to drink in excess and claim you’re Irish! It’s great! I’m a big fan of any excuse to drink beers in the afternoon or all day among friends, whilst the bar spontaneously breaks out into song and the occasional jig with fiddle solo. In previous years, the shenanigans would begin by getting ourselves down to an Irish Pub for breakfast-brunch around 11am to secure fantastic seats/section for the rest of the day to comfortably letting the beers flow, as groups of friends and friends-of-friends joined our table-o-fun throughout the day. See pics below of all previous shenanigans of St. Paddy’s of my past.
So I was seriously bummed that St. Paddy’s Day fell on a Monday this year. Plus, with nearly all my peeps coupled off, moved far, far away from the city, start having babies…trying to round-up the troops for early celebrations on the weekend wasn’t working out. 😦
But then a Facebook invite lifted my hopes: Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It: Retro Road Show’s St. Patty’s Bash @ The Dovercourt House! 80s/90s music with nominal cover charge and in my neighbourhood. Perrrrfect!
Now…what to wear?
I picked up this fabulous dress at an event in Guelph last summer called Consign Your Curves. Where curvy women opened up their closets and sell their never/barely worn garments before hauling it all away to Goodwill or storage lockers abyss. Sadly, in all the time I’ve owned this piece I haven’t found an opportunity to wear it….until THIS weekend, I thought!
But that evening I didn’t feel it was GREEN enough. In fact, I realized how little items of green I own. Instead I ended up wearing 2-piece illusion dress (sheer green/black skirt) from Forever21+. With a few green pre-cocktails at a friends place we headed to Dovercourt House where we danced between two floors of video dance party goodness. There was even a photobooth with props…which we clearly enjoyed!
Now, since Monday is really St. Paddy’s Day…I couldn’t attend meetings in the office without bringing a touch of the Irish with me 🙂 Originally I put together the below for an office appropriate St. Paddy’s approved Outfit of the Day.
Buuuuut, over the weekend when I was killing time before the Mirvish show: Arrabal at The Panasonic Theatre (a surprisingly good show told all in dance!), I found myself in The Hudson Bay Company poking around the Dorothy Perkins section (my fav)… I discovered their UK clothing line called Billie & Blossom. Typically UK sizes are about two sizes smaller than stated, i.e. a UK 16 is really a size 12/14 in Canadian sizes. But this delightful butterfly patterned pleated coral dress seemed to fit as it should on moi at a UK18! Plus, the sleeves were just right and I love the neckline. And this morning I had-had-had to wear it instead… with my Kelly Green blazer, of course to give it a touch of the Irish! 🙂
I had hoped to convince a bunch for Folleauges (friends who are colleagues) out for a few green beers after work today and maximize my outfit to double duty – nobody likes wasting a good outfit on an insignificant day. But the afternoon had got away from me, and when I next looked up it was already after 5pm, Irish pubs near the office had line-ups growing since before 3pm and my office was a ghost-town. Sigh..
How did you celebrate St. Paddy’s Day? What did you wear? Share in the comments section…or better yet, post pictures on the Facebook page. I’m dying to see what y’all got up to 🙂
xo, Irene
How I got The Look:
Saturday Night: Blue-green dress from Asos + Rocker-chick buckle&zlip booties from Aldo
Monday March 17 – Office Day: White-Pink-Orange dress from DressBarn (original choice); Butterfly patterned pleated coral dress by Billie&Blossom (Hudsons Bay Co). + Kelly Green blazer from INC, Hundson Bay Co. + Black leather pumps from Guess
Accessories: Earrings & necklace were both gifts from wayyy back & St. Paddy’s Day headband from Old Navy many many moons ago
Last year upon finally jumping on the Mad Men bandwagon, discovering and falling in love with the Rockabilly/Vintage scene Toronto has to offer, the Toronto Vintage Society organized a meetup event last night’s one-night-only live music: “Sweet 16th” installment of the Rock-A-Billy Shake-Up, at the Junction’s – 3030 (3030 Dundas St. West).
My friend Liz, a fellow TVS member and blogger of The Vintage Inn, has done a fabulous post about the bands of this event, click here to read all about it 🙂
Some of you may remember this cherry-bomb pin-up dress from a previous post. I love this dress! It was meant for an event like this! I wore it with my rocker-chick buckle & zip booties (as winter does not want to leave Toronto yet), in hopes it would yield better results with the men-folk than it did the last time. Uggh!
The plan was to meet grab dinner at 3030 with a few TVS members prior to the show. The menu looked fantastic….plus it would give us a chance to giggle & catchup, whilst securing us a solid spot to enjoy the music for the rest of the night, winter coats and all. 😉
Although the food items were all pretty delicious, the ordering system is very interesting. Patrons must first acquire a seat, then go up to the crowded bar to try and nab a bartender’s attention, only then is a menu of food offerings shared with you (no menus at the table). If you’re successful at this point you are given an order number on a stand, to put on your table and someone will search the venue for your little number and bring you your food. Popcorn chicken, Blue cheese MacN’Cheese, Tostada of sorts and a plate of Bacon, were just a few of the items various people from our little possy ordered.
Also interesting is that their offerings of beers is different at both of the bars in this venue. Soooo say you’re a fan of Mill St. Organic — and you happen to be sitting in the backroom where all the performances are, what you must do is order your appies at bar one, pay, and then walk yourself over to bar two through crowds of people to order your pint of choice. Annoying? Yes..buuuuut it does allow a girl to strut all over the venue at least once to check out the crowd and for the crowd to admire your outfit 😉
First up was a London, ON band called The Hi-Tones (above) – I totally fell in love with the lead singer’s sailor inspired dress! I’m totally crushing on the nautical look these days – anchors away crazy!
Since this was a #TVS event, I got to catchup with a bunch of members I haven’t seen since the Vintage Holiday Party, and even got to meet a few new members who recently joined this fabulous group. I also got to meet a fan of Petite Plus, Meow! She came up and introduced herself and sang prasies of my wee blog! In fact, my post about shoes inspired her to run out and buy the exact same ones 🙂 My heart smiled all night with her compliments – thank you, thank you, thank you, lovely girl!
There were a ton of folks from Toronto Lindy Hop in attendance, many of whom tore up the dance floor with fancy swing-spin and twirls and whirls. Very impressive! Think I’ve found my next ‘fun’ to fill the void that the lack of BollyFuze classes have left in my heart……stay tuned for more on that. 🙂
I’ve been bombarded with work commitments this week and haven’t been able to blog as regularly as I like. I’ve been so busy that I was considering working late instead of going out Friday night. I’m soooo glad I attended – what a fantastic way to end the work week! A big Thank You to Toronto Vintage Society to introducing me to such a fun scene…can’t wait for the next event! xo
Lace is maybe the loveliest of all fabrics! It’s just so pretty and feminine and when it comes in black…uber sexy!
Last year, I discovered this fabulous plus clothing line called Kiyonna. This line seems to have a ton of lace offerings to the plus population…and their sizing is nearly perfect for those in the petite category when it comes to arm & shoulder lengths too! Often their website has deals for online purchasers…which helps, as their items tend to be on the pricey end. I personally am still a bit wary about online shopping. Simply relying on pictures of items on photo-shopped models on a computer screen without being able to ACTUALLY try something on first, isn’t my favourite way to shop for clothes. (I did manage to get brave…and buy a Hot-Mama Kiyonna dress…THE Valentina Illusion Dress..Meow indeed!)
To my surprise I found that Stefanie, owner of SexyPlusClothing carried a few fab Kiyonna pieces in her shop… and I quickly snapped up this lovely black lace 3/4 sleeved wrap top! It really is a lovely versatile piece that goes great with a skirt or pants….for office, special occasion, date night…huh huh 😉
Take a look at how I’ve worn it in the past and recently to the office with a black cami underneath, gotta keep ‘the girls’ in check among co-workers ya know.
Want to save 20% off on Kiyonna order – click here friends!!!! 🙂
How I got The Look:
Black lace wrap top by Kiyonna, from SexyPlus Clothing – when they were located at Rosedale/Yonge Sts…so sad they’ve moved out to Mississauga 😦
Berry pencil skirt by Dorothy Perkins, The Hudson Bay Co. (Yonge & Bloor location)
The Shoes: Hi-glossy black pumps from Payless; Beige peep-toed booties from NineWest; and Black snake-skinned ponty-toed booties from Madeline
Navy tuxedo stripped pant from Old Navy, yup…the Diva line – Best. Pants. Ever!
My friend and fellow blogger, Karen Ward aka The Curvy Canadian, is also the shop owner of Your Big Sister’s Closet – a lovely little plus sized botique in The Junction (Dundas/Keele area of Toronto). She and her husband, Peter, are hoping to meet The Dragons in The Den!
Dragons Den is a CBC TV show where where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business concepts and products to a panel of Canadian business moguls who have the cash and the know-how to make it happen. Launching a business is no small task. No matter how big an idea you think you have, it still takes a lot of work and a ton of cash. It takes more than passion to convince these boardroom giants that your idea is worth their attention. The Dragons are ruthless and rightly so – it’s their own personal money on the line.
Your Big Sister’s Closet’s first audition was this past Saturday – March 1st. This audition is preliminary – meaning it was with the show’s producers – these are the people who determine if we are a good fit for the show and pitching to the Dragons. Karen and Peter auditioned last year, but were not selected for the show. This time around they were prepared to blow this audition out of the water by bringing them a gorgeous fashion show – something really visual that will translate well for TV and will really WOW them! That’s where ME, along with several other plus sized beauties come in 😉
Karen & Peter needed models to show off their botique’s lovely clothes and walk in a runway-style show for the audition. We each needed to come into the store once before the audition for a fitting to determine what we’d be wearing. A simple request right? Right. Now, how could I visit this lovely botique ofnunique-pieces-of-fabulous and not do a bit of shopping? C’mon…ya’ll know I didn’t leave that shop empty handed!
I fell in love with this purse and giant pearl necklace immediately upon seeing it in the Curvy Canadian’s recent blog post! I lost a night’s sleep knowing I wouldn’t be able to visit the shop until later that week…so I left a blog comment and FB messaged Karen & Peter demanding that they hold these pieces for me STAT! And today…they’ve come home with me! Yaya!
Then during my sytle appointment, I found this Pin Up Perfection Hi-Waisted Pencil Skirt — I wore the bow in the front, but I think it would look great off to the side or even buttoned up in the back – super cute! I’ve been coveting this skirt for many moons… it was actually one of the first things in pinned in my Pintrest closet, and now it’s in my ACTUAL closet! Below pics are just me trying it on in the change room … I think when I do wear it out-out it’ll be with a loud-splash-of-colour top, like hot pink or fire engine red. Huh…thoughts?
Ok…back to Saturday and the Dragons’ Den Auditions! We – the curvy models – were each styled by the lovely Karen at her boutique prior to Saturday. My outfit choice was narrowed down to two lovely looks:
1. Professional Business Woman – this black and white houndstooth peplum dress with a lovely black tweet blazer with a single silver studded accent down the shoulders (a safe look I often create myself for the office with a bit of an edge),
OR
2. This Lady-Like Purple Lace …. with a ton of girlie girl accessories including the lovely giant pearls and giant pink facinator!
On the actual audition day, we met bright and early in the atrium of the CBC building downtown (250 Front Street West, at John Street) for 9am with our hair and make-up done as we usually do it. They brought our planned outfits and we changed there via a clever pop-up changing tent they brought along. (Brilliant!) Part of the WOW-factor to keep this audition memorable to the producers was that we were going to carry body positive picket signs that said things like “Plus Size and Proud”, “Curvy and Confident”, etc. Similar to the #BoPo Art Installation I was apart of in February for the store’s 1st year Anniversary Party.
I arrived at the CBC Studio a little before 9am, half-asleep with a Starbucks and post-wedding hair (was a bridesmaid in a gf’s wedding the night before – stay tuned for blog post about that fabulous night), to find Karen and Peter just unloading their car with all our lovely outfits. They gave me the important task: Sign them in for the auditions and report back! We were lucky #21 on the list. As you can see (above pic)…there were a ton of entrepreneurial hopefuls who got there hella early all with the same wish: to be selected to pitch to The Dragons on the show.
This was my first time “cat-walking”. I mean, I strut down the street all the time, buuuut I was terrified with a fear of falling onto my face whilst a giant #BoPo picket sign fell on top of my head. Dun dun dunnnnn… Happily, we all strutted our stuff to perfection once in front of the producers.
The camera crew really seemed to LOVE our little possy of plus-sized lovelies! They got tons of footage of us practice our strutting choreography as directed by Peter, whist Karen rehearsed her pitch for the Dragons. They even asked us to do several cheering clips – so much so that I can still faintly hear us chanting “Dragons’ Den! Dragons’ Den!” for much of the afternoon.
What a fantastic way to kick of the month of March! The morning was spent with such a great group of women – some of whom I’ve met before and others, meeting for the first time. Shout outs to my new blogger sistas: Alex of Not Afraid To Wear Heels and fellow WordPress-er Hanna of Classically Curvy.
Fingers crossed Your Big Sister’s Closet gets selected for the show….weee! You can count on a follow-up blog post from moi if we do! 🙂
How I got The Look:
EVERYTHING is from Your Big Sister’s Closet – 3126 Dundas Street West in Toronto
My watch is Michael Kors and the ponty-toed nude pumps with mint toe are from The Hudson Bay Company (Queen & Yonge Sts)
I’m not a sports fan. Buuuut when a work colleague instant messaged me Friday afternoon to give me grief about the fact that I was working…when I should be a patriotic Canadian, by stopping everything I was doing and watch the Olympic Men’s Hockey US vs. Canada Game… how could I argue?
As y’all know….Canada dominated moving into the finals! And at 6am this Sunday bars everywhere opened their doors to die-hard Canadians who support our athletes by drinking beers and cheering at big screen TVs with complete strangers in unison.
I too wanted to be apart of this hoopla! However, unable to commit to the extra early wake up call that is required to get up, dressed cute and out the door to a crowded bar to maybe find a seat at the wee hours of the AM with a possy of peeps, just wasn’t panning out. I ended up watching the game cozy in my snuggie with the pup from my couch instead. But I did venture into the city for long-standing Sunday brunch plans.
Sadly, try as I might, there is no way to get my hands on one of those cute 2014 Red-White-Black pomp-pomp HBC touques – If anyone has connections for getting me one of my very own – speak up friends! In an effort to make up for not representing in person at 6am, my Outfit of the Day (#OOTD) needed to be a nod to our Canadian Olympic athletes doing us proud over there is Sochi. So here’s what I’ve come up with:
Love this Dorothy Perkins dress I picked up a few years ago on sale. I especially love the detailed double-puff of the short-sleeves. It is a bit short to be worn on its own once all my T&A fill it out, so I often wear it as a long tunic or simply fold or tuck as I did today. The black n’ white polka dot Diva pants worked out perfect to add a bit of interest/pattern with this all solid colour look. Plus, these pants fit easily within my over-the-knee/thigh-high boots. I kept the make up uber simple, avoiding heavy eye-make up – just masscara and a bit of gloss.
I walked into The Annex from my place, to have a catch-up Sunday brunch at Insomnia Cafewith a few gfs – new & old! I’ve only been here once before, Xmas Eve two years ago after midnight mass with a few friends who were visiting from out-of-town. However, this spot is apparently known for their Brunch menu. And a fantastic little surprise – they have a $5 mimosa special!!! They have an entire section devoted to Eggs Benny (my fav!). I had the pull-pork option…and as they say, “you eat with your eyes first”…see my plate below…it was fantastic! We had a particularly lovely server today too – which really made leaving the comfy chairs/sofa area they sat us in, oh-so difficult. Looking forward to visiting this spot again, as they have daily deals on drinks as well as $10After10pm menu options! Woot! Woot!
How I got The Look:
Red puffed sleeved dress by Dorothy Perkins, from The Hudson Bay Co. (Yonge & Bloor Sts)
Accessories from Laura Petite – Earrings & Neclace (picked them up yesterday in my kill-time-in-the-mall-mini-haul)
White wide-belt with silver details from Lane Bryant
Black n’ white tiny polka dot, Diva cut from Old Navy [see Best. Pants. Ever!]
Over-the-knee/Thigh-high black wedge boots from AdditionElle (Queen & Yonge Sts)
Earlier this month I blogged about my friend Karen and her hubs, Peter’s store anniversary party. Their store, Your Big Sister’s Closet turned 1 this month and I was asked to be a window model for their Body Positivity Art Installation. The concept was to make plus sized women more visible and to address what is not usually addressed.
I have to admit, putting myself out there in the “real world” was harder than in the virtual one I’ve created via this blog, but it was a great opportunity to make a statement. Me, along with a few others, were asked to wear whatever fabulous clothes we looked and felt great in, and were to stand in their store-front window holding up a sign that has either displayed our weight or measurements or some other indication that we were a curvy, bodacious lady, and an adjective that describes ourselves. So for instance, Karen’s sign read: Size 20 & Fabulous!
Originally when Karen reached out to me as “one of the most #bopo ladies in the cityshe knows.”.. I have to say, I didn’t know if that was a good thing or bad thing. And upon researching ‘bopo’ via Urban Dictionary, I was very alarmed at its definition. But Google said #bopo stood for Body Positivity, which relieved my initial concerns – once I stopped laughing hysterically. (Wanna know what was so funny? Check out Urban Dictionary’s def here … Ahem! No doubt that would certainly draw a crowd and make the news! But for all the wrong reasons, haha!)
Karen lined up a designer who came from NYC for a trunk show called Curvy Couture – showcasing bras right up to H cup – Hooray! Along with a full candy bar, coffee and complimentary hair touch-ups and nail care all day from event sponsor Donato Salon + Spa. Check out my “before” and “after” shots – big thank you to Michelle & Tracy for making and keeping me pretty all day!
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet amazing, positive and beautiful women!
Even networked with other plus fashion bloggers and hob-knobbed with Toronto celebs like Sheena Snively from MTV and the Full Figured Model, Ophilia Alleyne.
Together we brought awareness to the public promoting a simple message: ALL BODIES ARE GOOD BODIES! My sign read: Curvy & Confident!
Sizeism is widely considered to be the last socially acceptable form of prejudice. Body shaming happens every day, all over the city. This Art Installation entitled “There’s No Right Way to Have a Body” was meant to bring awareness surrounding our society’s obsession with size and size shaming.
Overall, it was a Saturday well spent being ogled as a full-figured beauty in the window of Your Big Sister’s Closet! 🙂
How I got The Look:
Mint & black lace sheer hi-lo top from Carpe Diem, Your Big Sister’s Closet (Dundas W/Clendenan Sts.)
Black crop top from Forever21+, Toronto Eaton Center
Solid black leggings from Old Navy, Toronto Eaton Center
There were a ton of folks from 
PPMeow! 
