I usually try and avoid wearing too much black … especially in the summer. But there are a number of fun black-summertime-prints that I just couldn’t resist!
This hi-lo maxi dress (Target) has been with me for a few summers now – don’t look too closely, as you’ll see the black bits fading due to wash and wears. It’s one of my easy-peasy-favourite pieces.
Being petite (short) the train of this dress does sometimes cause me trouble. I’ve been known to trip up the stairs in this dress and also had a horrible experience with an escalator that nearly ended this dress’ life! Luckily, I managed to rescue and repair it and keep it among my summertime wardrobe still 🙂
Since the dress has a giant pattern with solid black boarders, I added a pops of colour with my coral purse (Aldo) and bright green stoned earrings (Stella & Dot), plus my stroppy gold & white sandals (Le Chateau) plus my vintage cat-eye sunnies to keep the looks casual for weekend wear of errands and city roaming.
Are you a fan of wearing black in the summertime? How do you incorporate it into your summer looks? Use the comment section below and let me know how YOU’D style this dress?
Have you LIKE’d the Facebook Page yet? You should!!!! 😉
Gussied Up, a plus size clothing boutique owned by the lovely Victoria McGroarty, celebrated the store’s 3rd anniversary this weekend – with a Meet & Greet with Miss Tess Munster!
This delightful Bathurst boutique has classic pieces and Canadian designs in sizes X-3X. With versatile pieces like day-to-evening dresses, casual blazers, leggings and cute but practical undergarments.
This past visit I had my eye on the vintage-inspired bathing suits — any era with fashions that celebrates hips & tits wins my heart every time! The feminine details for belts and bling is what I go weak in the knees for (ended up buying a sweetie-pie one I’ve had my eye on since seeing it on Instagram).
MINE! The Black Bow Belt!
With the weather oh-so gorgeous, I walked up from West Queen West (a significant distance) – so I decided to dress down cozy and comfy with my navy faux Toms (Airwalk from Payless), pink stripped maxi (from AdditionElle), cat-eye sunnies (from The Public Butter), pink moustache scarf (from Winners), faded denim-hoodie jacket (Jessica Simpson from HBC) and my MK grey cross body bag to make my Saturday afternoon stroll to meet Miss Tess Munster!
The line up to meet Tess nearly wrapped the corner of Dupont! Lucky for me….Rebecca (of Rebecca Northcott Photography) and I had a “tag-team approach”… and who ever got there first would save a spot for the other, regardless of the dirty looks to come our way by fellow-in-line fans! 😉
Tess is a Plus-Size Model, Make Up Artist, Body Positive Activist and Blogger based in L.A., who turned her hobbies into a successful career. She is a petite woman with an amazing smile that truly does light up a room!
She recently founded the #effyourbeautystandards movement which has over 65,000 shares on Instagram alone, that changed her life. She receives letters and emails from different women every day thanking her for empowering them to love their bodies, and to not be ashamed of being short, pale/dark, or dare I say…Fat.
The features that Tess was bullied about in her youth, that she now embraces, that has led to her success. She really is an inspiration, encouraging other women to embrace and accept who they are, as they are.
Tess hopes that girls who are bullied, and women who lack confidence will begin to see their inner and outer beauty at whatever size.
For everyone that says we can’t show our tummies, wear a pencil/form-fitting skirt, wear a bikini, wear sleeveless tops… YOU can!
That’s the main message of the #effyourbeautystandards campaign — Tess wants YOU to join her in wearing “daring” fashions & stop hiding your body because society tells you to.
BE a total babe regardless of our size..big OR small we all deserve to feel beautiful.
Take a look at some of the beautiful shots Rebecca captured at the Meet & Greet with Miss Tess Munster at Gussied Up:
Tess was a delight to meet! A genuinely nice person — happy to give hugs, pose for pictures …even TAKING SELFIES with her adoring fans!
I’ve got a massive #girlcrush on this woman – even more now that I’ve met her!
Tess with Rebecca, of Rebecca Northcott Photography
Tess is proof that determination, relentlessness, and positivity can look beautiful on anyone, and that there is a wonderful life past a size 20.
Gussied Up located at 1090 Bathurst St (at Dupot) in Toronto, Ontario. You should def make a visit to see what fabulous fashions finds need to be yours!
Here are a few shots taken by my iPhone camera too:
Me with Victoria, Owner of Gussied Up!
Shots taken with my iPhone: Me + Victoria and Me + Tess Munster
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.)
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.
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 artworkCloser 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!
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!
PPMeow! 