Forever21 – Page 3

Weekend OOTD: Flirty Hi-Lo Dress

It finally happened — I got to enjoy a weekend in Toronto without wearing a jacket!!!

Yup! I’ve been working like a dog lately…..but this weekend I was determined to enjoy at least one of the amazingly sunny days out & about the city! This past Saturday I barred my arms, legs and toes! HAZZA! Even busted out my summer fedora!

As y’all know I’m not a big wearer of make up….especially daytime during the weekend. I also hate doing my hair. Sooooo wearing a cute little summer fedora (or any woven hat) is my solution to looking like I know what I’m doing…outfit-wise 😉

I’m not a big wearer of jeans …but I think a woven hat like this one, would also good pair of worn-in jeans and a simple white blouse – perfect weekend look.

But since I work from home, leaving the house is an EVENT to be celebrated…. so instead I decided to wear this light and airy dress:

I picked up this great flowy Aztec patterned dress from Forever21 during the fall…and never officially worn it out. I had to get it altered (shortened) so that the hi-lo would really be notable and above my knees. Pairing this dress with a simple sandal kept this look daytime casual… for last-minute plans of Saturday Flea Market shopping and lunching with a girlfriend.

What did you wear this weekend to take advantage of the sunshine friends?

How I Got The Look:

White & Gold sandals from Le Chateau

Hi-lo Aztec print dress from Forever21+

Wicker fedora from H&M

Gold & brown Michael Kors bracelet watch

April Outerwear

If you’re a fellow Toronotonian….than you must be feeling the pain of the constant weather flux from +21 degrees one day to a chilly -4 the very next.

I personally refuse to wear a winter coat in April! However, a girl needs more than one piece of outerwear to make it through this fickle weather comfortably. So here’s how I’ve managed to come up with creative solutions based on the weather forecast.

Weather: High Teens (+18) (Monday, April 14 2014)

I managed to get to and from the office WITHOUT a proper coat. This little cobalt blue blazer (along with a ‘just incase’ silk scarf) was all I needed in terms of outerwear to the office yesterday! Plus, zero hosiery was required – so peep toed heels had to make an appearance too!

The Look: 3/4 Sleeved cobalt blue blazer, DressBarn; Purple leopard peep toed heels, NineWest; Berry bandage skirt, Forever21+; Lepoard peplum top, Reitmans; Bianca Tassel necklace, Stella & Dot; Gifted gold vintage earrings

Weather: Below Zero (-4) (Tuesday, April 15 2014)

I awoke to snow-covered rooftops, strong winds and heavy flurries this morning, as I walked my pup. So I was forced to pull out my wool Fall coat, pink pashmina and large brimmed hat (plus booties) to make it in into the office today. Seems my poor hat hasn’t been stored properly, but I think it still worked well regardless of the extra floppy one side 🙂

The Look: Black hat with leopard ribbon, Winners; Camel wool coat, Old Navy; Pink pashmina, Necessities; Purse, Guess; Black leather bow tie gloves, Danier

Weather: Single digits (+4) (Wednesday, April 16 2014)

Anticipating tomorrow’s weather, I think I’m gonna wear my shawl + hat combo to the office, making sure my under layers are warm enough to get me by (thinking a lightweight sweater and ankle length pants) … but who knows what my mood will lead me to outfit-wise when I wake friends 😉

The Look: Houndstooth shawl, Reitmans; Black belt, Lane Bryant; Hat from Vintage Clothing Show (forget which booth)

How have you been managing keeping your outerwear fashionable and functional while the weather decides if we’re finally going to let go of Winter and fully embrace Spring/Summer?

Use the Comments section – tell me!

Have you LIKE’d the Facebook Page yet? ….. if you haven’t…you really should! 🙂

Jumpsuits & Rompers

I’ve come along way with accepting my body as it is. I don’t follow a set of ‘large lady clothing rules”, per say. One should wear what they want, because they want to. Because THEY like it and feel good in it.

But, I’m still mindful of what cuts, fabrics and styles are the most flattering for my body’s shape and how comfortable I’ll be when actually wearing a particular piece.

Being petite, often cuts are “off” on me….meaning, if I find something that fits right in the hips, it’s wayyy too big in the arms and shoulders. So perhaps halters and strapless necklines are the way to go for summer dresses and tops, oh-so flirty, sexy-cute casual look of them …. buuuuuuut have you met my boobs? There’s no way I’m gonna be able to manage a strapless bra for more than a few hours before it becomes unbearably uncomfortable and my entire posture turns into a real life question mark. So finding clothes that make me feel good and actually look good on me that require little to zero alteration can be a tricky – trying to find clothes that are also on trend can be an exceptionally challenging.

You must have notice all the hype around Jumpsuits and Rompers in plus sized fashion these days. Wondering what your thoughts are on them?

Let’s take a look at a few rompers and jumpsuits from the plus-sized fashion retailer sites…to make a better assessment:

Strapless Polka Dot Jumpsuit (AsosCurve, $51)

Ruby Rocks Printed Romper (Simply Be, $54)

Wide-Legged Sleeveless Jumpsuits (eBay, $42 US)

Taupe Drawstring Jumpsuit (Venus, $39)

Floral Open-back Romper (Forever21+, $21) – this model is wearing the 1x size

Abstract Muse Jumpsuit (Forever21+, $27.50) – again, this model is wearing the 1x size – Thoughts?

MY Immediate Thoughts on both Rompers & Jumpsuits:

Cute! Cute! Cute!
Buuuuuut….all the images display women whom are barely plus sized. Perhaps most of the above images are 1x models.
Wonder what it would look like on a 2x and 3x model…would it look just as cute? Things that make you go hummm…
IF you’ve got a tummy and serious hips and a larger bust … is this trend not meant for you?
For the Romper…Deep, low v-back……. ummm, how do I keep the ‘girls’ up & happy when wearing this thing?
What about the dreaded ‘camel toe’ situation – it’s just bound to happen in a onezie …and that just ain’t cute in plus or straight sizes!
Once all my T&A fills up this one-piece….how short/long will this thing really be on me?
How does one pee whilst wearing this? … Seems like I’ll have to be completely naked on the pot in order to get business done, seeing as apparently one must be bra-less in order to wear these low-back numbers.

I’m usually a ‘fashion, before function’ kinda girl. Buuuuuut….when it comes to rompers & jumpsuits, they seems like wayyy more trouble than their worth.

As convenient as online shopping options are, when it comes to trendy pieces like rompers and jumpsuits, before I can commit or judge whether it’s a look that I like, look and feel good in…… ultimately, I need to try it on first before I can really say if this trend is for me! And if I do decide to get on this style bandwagon, I definitely don’t wanna be dropping a ton of cash on a piece like this. Again, that’ll all depend on whether I “like” vs. “love” this jumpsuit/romper look on moi!

I’m personally always looking for a flattering fit — regardless of what the trends may be. Not sure if this is one I’ll be following. But, as Marie Denee aka The Curvy Fashionista says: “Don’t Knock it Until You Rock it” – so we shall see if this trend is gonna be a PPMeow! fav this spring/summer! 🙂

Who’s already jumped on this bandwagon? Rompers? Jumpsuits? Where from?

Share friends…use the Comments section … tell us everything! 🙂

#OOTD: Pink Blush Lace

I must control my shopping! I must control my shopping!

This has become my yoga mantra these days. But everywhere you look there are lovely spring fashions and sometimes it causes me to lose my mind. Especially when the prices are under $29!!!

My newest weakness is Forever21+. I try so hard to limit my purchases from this spot, as the price point is TOO perfect that EVERY SINGLE plus size diva in Toronto is gonna be rocking the same outfit. Buuuuut, I’m only human….and there’s no harm in trying things on…right? Right!

I tried on three items recently: this purple halter dress ($29), pink blush lacey dress ($29) and this green maxi dress ($17).

Did I leave empty handed? NOPE! Another mini-haul for moi!!! Only two of the three dresses above…and this cutie-pie cherry-rope bag ($12)!!!!

I love pink!!! I would wear pink head to toe everyday if I could. So this pink blush lace dress needed to be worn ASAP!! Just wore it to the office this Monday, with a grey cardi to keep it more professional and warm enough for spring weather 🙂

How I got The Look: Dress from Forever21+; Grey cardi from Old Navy; Mint-toed nude pumps from Hudson Bay Co.; Necklace from One Girl Who (St. Clair W/Bathurst Sts.)

SexyPlus Clothing Grand Reopening!

I was fortunate to have met Stefanie Augusteijn a few years ago B.B.B. (Before Becoming a Blogger). When I moved to midtown Toronto, her boutique SexyPlusClothing was walking distance for me when it was located just south of Rosedale subway station on Yonge St.

I’ve picked up a few coveted pieces from her shop in the past, including my beloved high-waisted leopard pencil skirt, my black lace wrap top and the highly complimented Cherry Bomb dress.

She’s recently relocated this fab shop. This past weekend a friend of mine and I took a Saturday morning road trip out to Mississauga to be a part of Stefanie’s Grand Reopening & 5-Year Store Anniversary Party!

There were promises of Fresh New Spring Arrivals + Buy One Get One 50% offers along with Fashion and Beauty Prizes…and best of all Gourmet Cake and Refreshments!

Don’t let the outside fool you – the store is beautiful! And Stefanie designed it all herself!!! The fresh, bright off-white of the entire space and hardwood floors with pops of that SexyPlus signature pinks all over the place, along with the familiar alphabet artwork of Lime Green Squid just make you feel all smiley. 🙂

Lime Green Squid's plus size art — Lime Green Squid’s artwork

Closer Look of Lime Green Squid’s artwork. A few of these framed pieces were given away to a few lucky customers of SexyPlus Clothing.

“Dress for the weather you want, not the weather you have!”

Decided on wearing this green & black maxi dress w/skinny black belt ($17 Forever21+) with a cropped cardi ($10 Old Navy) combo with my grey moto leather jacket (Winners) and Rocker-girl boots (Aldo) … regardless of the snow flurries that followed us from Toronto to Mississauga that morning. My hair was uncooperative this morning as you can see. Sigh…

Here’s a few snaps of all the shopping fun that was had at this beautifully renovated boutique for plus sized babes:

Me with Stefanie, owner of SexyPlus Clothing

Special shoutouts to go the lovely shop-girls, Dream Taylor and Sabrina who were uber attentive and helpful, providing honest opinions and encouragement once you’re ready to emerge from the change rooms. I tried on several pieces, including this lovely ‘Hello Yellow’ dress, this Black n’ White stripped number and this Tiki inspired beach-ready dress:

I even became the SexyPlus “Guinea pig” for trying on the new Convertible Maxi dress, as Stefanie transformed this lovely navy chevron patterned fabulousness whilst on my body for all to see the many different looks this one piece was capable of. Please ignore the giant bra straps that are taking away from the loveliness of this dress – clearly I was not prepared to be apart of this impromptu fashion show 🙂

Check out the pics below to see what this Marie Convertible dress in navy chevron can do:

It was a delightful afternoon….but as you can see from my face in the above pic, I was clearly torn as to which pieces I wanted to take home with me. I limited myself to only ONE new purchase of all the items above – I’ve got myself on a strict budget as my closet is bursting at the seams these days with all my recent mini-hauls.

Finally, I decided to buy the Captain’s Bodycon dress – it’s made in Canada!

Waddya think? Did I make the right decision? (Oh…ignore the moustache socks also…lol!)

SexyPlus Clothing’s new location: 5100 Maingate Drive, Unit 14 Mississauga, ON —- with lots of FREE parking friends. If you get a chance, you should def make the trip out to see what pretty fashions need to be yours!

From SexyPlus Clothing: The Captain’s Bodycon dress – it’s made in Canada!

#OOTD: April Showers

I just realized that I haven’t actually blogged about this particular outfit that I posted to Instagram a few weeks ago. Figured I’d do a ‘rainy-day’ outfit post seeing as we’re in April….and you know what they say, “April showers, bring May flowers”…

Toronto sure could use some springtime flowers already! Sigh…

I have the best pair of galoshes!!! These pink paisley rubber boots basically screamed “Irene” when I scored them a million years ago from Wal-Mart. They are still in great shape and continue to keep their waterproofy-ness…although I have noticed that I can’t wear them for too long, as they make my feet extremely warm. These boots have been my go-to for those early morning and last evening Dog-Walks, but I’ve worn them as part of an all-day outfit occasionally.

These pics were taken as I was getting ready to see a Saturday Mirvish matinée performance – fashionable & functional seeing as it was raining cats & dogs that afternoon. So I went for light, bright colours like this Robin’s egg blue card with this ‘hello yellow’ tank with solid navy w/Tuxedo stripe pants. The look was very plain, so I added this amazing springtime scarf I picked up at Winner’s to really tie everything together…in a bow 🙂

Did you like my rainy day look?

Subscribe to my WordPress site friends …. let me know what you’d like me to blog about next.

What looks to you find challenging to put together? What would you to read about on PetitePlus, Meow?

Use the comments section and let me know 🙂

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

How I Got The Look:

Springtime colourful scarf from Winners; Yellow tank from Reitmans

Robin’s egg blue cardi + Navy Diva pants from Old Navy

Paisley galoshes from Wal-Mart and vintage yellow swirl earrings from a #tvs friend

Herringbone jacket from Forever21+, seen here

#OOTD: Pink, Pearls & Perkins!

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.

St. Paddy’s Day!

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

#OOTD + Scarborough Town Center

Only two more weekends before my gf ties the knot with her lovely fiancée! Weeee! This weekend we – the Bridesmaids – are taking the Bride out for some special girlie time, followed by a joint evening-o-fun with friends of both the Bride & Groom.

I needed to make an outfit that’ll be lady-like appropriate for High Tea, yet able to go straight into an evening of Off-Key Karaoke Singing at their Stag & Doe. All the while keeping in mind that all of these shenanigans are taking place in the depths of Scarborough … which is a huge factor when considering shoe options in the cold winter weather of February…(I’m soooo sick of boots…sigh.)

This was the first time I was travelling into Scarborough via TTC since moving to the Queen West hood. It was a journey and a half! But upon arriving at Scarborough Town Center – I was dazzled by all the renos. This mall has really stepped it up since my highschool days of being a mallrat. Since my ride was running late, I had ample time to explore both levels of this mall and even took advantage of some of the winter clearance sales and beginning of Spring deals too.

My mini-kill-time-in-the-mall-haul consisted of:

Laura Petite – where I scored fabulous deep green leather gloves for $19, a silver chain for $9 and earrings for $7; and
Old Navy – picked up ANOTHER pair of my fav Diva pants are back in this great floral black with white pipping $25 plus this cute Navy skirt with red anchors $17

Some of you may remember this dress from a previous post [see Making Old, New Again]. Well, I finally got the hem of this dress shortened and now it’s perfect!

So for my Outfit of the Day (OOTD), here’s what I’ve come up with:

Prior to getting this dress hemmed, I’ve often worn it with a longer open cardi…either my cream long-sleeved knitted one from Winners OR my brown short-sleeved one from Reitmans.

But this time around, I decided to change the look slightly pairing it with a short grey cardi to hide the peekaboo cutouts on the back of this dress. Saving them for the evening look instead 🙂

Curious about what peekaboo cutouts I’m speaking of….and want to see how great this dress can look when you’re not limited to winter salt-stained covered boots? Scroll to the bottom of this post to see some of the lovely shots of JUST this dress from the creative eye of Rebecca Northcott. (Oh blue suede platforms, how I’ve missed you old friends…sigh.)

How I got The Look:
Groovy polka dot dress from Forever21+, Toronto Eaton Center
Tall grey boots from Payless
Grey v-neck cardigan from Old Navy, Toronto Eaton Center
Carmel/beige floral fascinator from Your Big Sister’s Closet (Dundas W/Keele Sts)
Odette Cuff + Odette Earrings from Stella & Dot

Photo credit: Rebecca Northcott, Rebecca Northcott Photography

Fashion Forward Polka-Dot Blazer

After what feels like many moons since I’ve woken up at 6am , I get myself dressed for a day at the office. As promised, I found the following two pieces in my closet…wayyyy in the back which I paired together today for a fantastic little office outfit perfect for a breakfast networking meeting with fellow CSTD (Canadian Society of Training & Development) members, followed by a busy day of project deliverables and deadline submissions, before I head off on my EXTRA long weekend! [Toronto is about to have it’s the first long-weekend (Family Day) since the Xmas holidays. I’ve taken the Friday and Tuesday off too…for a little Irene-time – woot! woot!]

This 2-piece illusion dress – sheer green long-sleeved top attached to a simple black pencil bottom – might be the very first Forever21 piece I ever bought, ever! Prior to this purchase, I’ve always shyed away from going into that shop – the name alone scared me. Always felt I’d be roaming through the racks when some official shop security-type person would approach me saying “Excuse me Ma’am, You’re clearly NOT 21…let me escort your old a** outta here to a more age-appropriate store. Thank you Ma’am….” (Yup…I’m sure I’d get double-‘ma’am’d’). As you can see from some of my previous posts, this irrational fear has not stopped me from shopping at Forever21 – in fact, I’ve actually had tons of luck with fabulous finds there. My only issue is that because items are SO affordable, that every plus size girl in town is gonna have my outfit. And I’m not down with that.

So I try my hardest to shop all the time and EVERYWHERE to ensure that I can create Looks that are unique and interesting without being too easily attainable. Don’t get me wrong – I love knowing my outfit choices has inspired someone else’s fashion-juju, after all immitation is the highest form of flattery. Buuuuut…it is nice knowing that’s the pieces I own are somewhat exclusive and just mine 😉

I’ve only worn this dress a few times, mostly around the holidays for those impromptu cocktail socials that seem to pop up at a moments notice as everyone tries to maximize their Xmas cheer and host get-to-gethers. Bringing a sheer top to the office is always a challenge and daring act – especially if you’re a big-boobie girl working in a more conservative work environment, like me. My love of blazers seem to really help me take pieces that at, first glance, are not entirely office-appropriate into chic and fun office wear. Now blazers don’t have to be boring and boxy. I’m very particular when it comes to my blazer finds too! Looking through my collection, I’ve noticed many of mine are not the ‘standard’ solid coloured type at all. Most…nearly all of mine hanging in my closet are loud – bright coloured or patterned.

Like this fashion forward polka-dot blazer I picked up likely 5-years ago from Winners while on a lunch-break. As soon as I saw it on the hanger it made me nostalgic for Madonna’s Lucky Star-Searching for Susan-big hair-and-shoulder pads era! I remember my co-worker, who was shopping with me, saying how old-fashioned it was…like that was a bad thing. By that time I absolutely fell in love with it regardless of her commentary, and bought it immediately! What’s nice about this piece is that it has zero collar or lapel, taking away extra bulk around ‘the girls’ …which I certianly don’t need. And it has the tiniest hook-and-eye clasp to keep the blazer closed, creating a nice long/slim look for me I think …always a nice feature 🙂

So this is what I wore to work today. You likee? (Sorry about the crapy bathroom selfies…sigh. No time or motivation to take proper timer-app pics at 6am. Also, sorry about my terrible hair. Winter toque static…blah!)

How I got The Look:

2-piece illusion dress (sheer green/black skirt) from Forever21+, Yorkdale Mall

Black n’ white polka-dot blazer from Classic Trenz by T.Renz, Winners

Large silver tear-drop earrings and grey tall boots from Payless

Michael Kors white ceramic watch