rebecca northcott photography – Page 2

Gussied Up & Tess Munster!

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).

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!

10255049_10152291511960376_5493591035417597110_o — 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 Gussied Up owner, Victoria — Me with Victoria, Owner of Gussied Up!

Shots taken with my iPhone: Me + Victoria and Me + Tess Munster

How to Wear Sequins & Shine

Sequins was a big trend this winter….and it seems to be carrying into spring. But knowing HOW to wear sequins is a bit tricky. So I thought I’d dedicate this post to just that!

I personally own 5 sequins/shiny items:

Copper/silver chain purse (Aldo)

Black pumps (Guess)

Copper/Gold tank-top (INC, Hudson Bay Co.)

Gold sequins mini-dress (Sears)

Blue & black headband/fascinator (Ardene)

Here are a few general tips for incorporating sequins into your wardrobe:

Mixing sequins with simpler articles of clothing that do not have embellishments will almost always look good. You can dress up something old or something plain without fear of going overboard. For a super casual downtown vibe, I’ve donned my sequins tank layered with long cardi or flannel button-down, black jeans, and a beanie.
If you’re a little wary about wearing sequins on your clothes, you can still work this style out through your accessories! You might choose a pin, a headband, a purse, shoes, or a piece of jewelry – sequins are great for accent pieces. As you can see … I started that way with a purse, headband and shoes…easing myself into the sequins scene. 🙂
You don’t have to stick to standard black or even silver. Sequins come in every color of the rainbow, after all, different colored sequins can create a dazzling effect. There’s no reason not to experiment with different colors.
However, let me repeat: do not try every colour all at one! A multicolored sequined extravaganza might be great for a costume and is common with Bollywood looks….., buuuuuut keep it down to one or two. Otherwise you’re going to look a little like a disco ball threw up on you, and possibly blind someone.

So waddya think? Were my general tips above helpful?

Would YOU incorporate a bit of sequins into your wardrobe and outfits?

Rebecca Northcott, of Rebecca Northcott Photography took a few fab shots of me in this gold sequins dress – insisting that this glittery frock be brought out and worn more often. I wholeheartedly agree! I’ve only worn this ONCE for a company Holiday Party (more than a year ago). But by pairing it something more casual, like these tall knee-high/thigh-high black leather boots (from AdditionElle), gives the dress more wearability for a fun night out and about rather than just limited to a Holiday/New Years/one-time only events. What do you think?

Photo credit: Rebecca Northcott

THE Valentina Illusion Dress

Very rarely is there a dress that will look absolutely amazing on any woman’s figure regardless of their proportions.

Well, Kiyonna’s Valentina Illusion Dress …. no matter your shape, the contrasting side lace panels will give you a knockout hourglass silhouette.

The silky stretch fabric on the front of the dress elegantly flatters your curves while the ruching in the mid-section masks any tummy troubles.

The beautiful lace continues on the shoulders, sheer sleeves, and covers the entire back of the dress, giving the appearance of a completely different dress from behind.

This seductive black & burgundy dress is finished off with a complimenting crossover sweetheart neckline for added appeal. Without a doubt, this dress is the sexiest outfit I own!

I bought this dress a few years ago – shopping therapy after a particularly rough day (discovered it at SexyPlus Clothing).

Sadly, I haven’t had many opportunities to really wear this spectacular piece out….as this is the ultimate ‘titty-city’ dress. Too much for a wedding or a first date and wayyyyy too much for office, walking the pup or grocery shopping. Sooooooo……where do I wear it?

Where would YOU wear this dress? Got any ideas for me?

I need an excuse to bring this dazzling dress out & about ASAP!

Use the Comments section and tell me!

Photo credit: Rebecca Northcott, Rebecca Northcott Photography

BIG NEWS: Want to save 20% off your Kiyonna order – click here friends…..just for PPMeow Followers 🙂

Spring Photo Shoot with Rebecca Northcott

What do you immediately do when a camera is pointed at you and you hear, “Say cheese!”? Do you know which side is your “good side”? Do you know what angle and what light really makes you look your best in photos?

I’ve generally got one standard photo stance: look straight ahead at the camera, smiling ear-to-ear with an involuntary head tilt. Not at all model-esk.

Rebecca Northcott is a photography who has recently moved from Leeds, England to put down roots in Toronto, Canada with her hubs. Yup …she’s a newly wed! 🙂 She’s already done a few outfit photoshoots on my blog here, here , here and here. (More to come in the future too I’m hoping, xo Bexx). Since I began blogging a mere four months ago…I’ve realized how difficult it is to pose for that perfect shot! I’ve been fortunate to have Rebecca’s professional eye – a much welcomed change from those photos taken with my shaky hand and iPhone.

Rebecca has been developing her craft since she was 17, she’s had her work published in magazines and has worked for a range of clientelle over the years. Her recent move to Canada has been a blessing and also a challenge going from a huge client base in UK to rebuilding from scratch here. Rebecca’s photography style is classy natural lighting with up close portraits. They are her favourite. Her self-proclaimed OCD about having perfect sharp images is a standard she has set for herself, one which gives her a buzz and excitement as nothing else does.

She shared with me that she still get nervous before every shoot, because she knows how important it is to the client she’s working with. Having worked with her several times, I can confidently say that she will produce something wonderful each time – it has always been a pleasure and a fantastic experience working with her!

In an effort to continue to keep her portfolio current, she asked me and a few others bloggers to model some of the lovely Spring Arrivals of Your Big Sister’s Closet so she could snap some editorial type pictures . How do you say no to a request like that? 😉

So last weekend we, Alex of Not Afraid to Wear Heels, Hanna of Classically Curvy, Karen of Curvy Canadian and moi, PetitePlus, Meow! arrived at the store to get styled in fresh spring fashions with light pastel-makeup faces and headed to High Park for the photoshoot. Weather forecasted a +7 degree day … but I was still armed with nude hosiery and a shawl…mama didn’t raise no foo!

The above summary shot links to Rebecca’s Photography page on Facebook, where you’re able to read all about the collaboration and a bit more about each of the outfits worn in each shot. Between the multiple bloggers who were involved in this shoot, I thought I would dedicate this post to the artist, Rebecca Northcott, and the art of photography.

I recently stumped upon this article called “The Truth About Photography and Brown Skin”. Writer and photographer Syreeta McFadden eloquently breaks down the problem: Photography has an “inherited bias” against dark skin. McFadden explains that when it came to the invention of color film — developed to be used by the public and taken to a lab — “the technician worked off a reference card [aka Shirley Cards] with a perfectly balanced portrait of a pale-skinned woman.” This is how modern photography was calibrated: Using a white woman. Which means, as McFadden points out, “film stock’s failures to capture dark skin aren’t a technical issue, they’re a choice.”

Looking at my fellow models from the above “Is It Spring Yet?” photoshoot – I can only imagine that editing MY photos must have taken a lot more time and careful adjusting before they were ready to be shared with the masses. Take a look at the end results of my photos with the talented photographic eye of Rebecca Northcott below:

Rebecca Northcott Photography‘s future goal is to get her own studio space and possibly photograph a celebrity or two (here’s hoping!), while continuing to provide her services and create collaborations on personal projects to those in the community who cannot afford professional portraits.

If you want to get in touch with Rebecca, lifestyle photographer specializing in Weddings and Portraits for families in Toronto, Ontario (GTA), use the various links baked into the above post ….as her website is getting a facelift at the moment 🙂