The Summer Maxi

I love today's look.  I recently nabbed this dress on-line from Lane Bryant while ordering a few bras.

Dress:  Lane Bryant (Sold out on-line)

After literally a year and a half of trying on (and trying out) every bra out there, I finally found a bra that works well for me - Lane Bryant's back smoothing bra.  Seriously that thing is magic, and I haven't had a bra so comfortable in probably a decade!

But wait, I'm here to talk about the dress...

Sandals:  Target (Kids' Department)

Glasses:  Valentino

Necklace:  Shoxie.com

I have already professed my love for the maxi dress, and the bold color palette of this one is perfect for summer! 

It's one of those great maxi dresses that can dress up or down well.  I wore it to dinner and a showing of "The Avengers:  Age of Ultron" with the family this past week, but I would also wear it to the beach, out shopping, for a casual wedding, and a ton of other places.

Watch:  c/o JORD Wood Watches (Available here)
Bracelets:  LOFT and New York & Company

Earrings:  Torrid (I seemed to have lost one during the shoot - it was sitting on my shoulder :-))

I'm not usually much of a fan of Lane Bryant's clothes, but this piece was a real winner!!

Purse:  Target

Do you shop at Lane Bryant?  Are you a fan of their clothes?  Their bras?  Would you wear this dress?

Punky Sexy Day-Glo Lady

Sorry that I've been away from the blog all week.  I have been having some problems with my glasses.  I'm waiting on new lenses, but in the meantime, it's made blogging hard.  On the good side, my brother is in town visiting!! I haven't seen him in two years, and it has been so wonderful hanging out!  I've also been enjoying the warmer weather and sunshine.  I know that the dangers of skin cancer are all too real, but my mood is so elevated with increased Vitamin D exposure!!

As much as I still deal with body anxieties and self-deprecation (and I will be discussing some recent battles soon in an upcoming post),  I sometimes also find myself to be incredibly sexy!!

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)

Bodysuit:  Boohoo (Available here)

There are unwritten rules that women aren't supposed to say they love themselves or their bodies or to think that they're sexy.  We live in a culture that often teaches us a narrow ideal of beauty that only 5% of us can ever attain.  Because of these ideals, many women struggle to feel good about their bodies and appearance.  We are taught that it's normal to have these body issues - that this is just a part of being a woman.  While insecurities are probably a natural part of being human, the extreme focus on our bodies and appearance are not natural at all.  This insecurity is a direct product of a corporate and media culture that makes money off us feeling that way.  We buy more stuff (diet products, gym memberships, make-up, etc.) if we feel bad.  Healthy body images aren't good for business.

Heels:  Target (Similar here and here)

Glasses:  Valentino

A woman who says that she loves her body and finds herself desirable is often considered egotistical, at worst, dangerous. A fat woman who says this...well, she's a lethal weapon!

I love this outfit because it has a ladylike feel with the knee length skirt and heels, is fun and unexpected thanks to the neon yellow heels, and is also super sexy. 

Hello neckline that dips down to my waist!! 

The kilt feels a little punk.  The overall look has an irreverence to it that feels a little anti-establishment. And hey, the radical notion that a fat girl can feel sexy?  Totally punk!

Yes, this outfit is me being a punky sexy Day-glo lady, and I absolutely love it!!

Clutch:  Target

Earrings:  Etsy

Women are not one-sided.  We can be sexy and still be ladies.  We can be serious and still be fun.  We can play within the system and yet reject established ideas.  An outfit that expresses all these sides...Why the hell not?

P.S.  A quick note on the fit of this bodysuit - I bought a US 14, thought it was a little small and ordered a 16, which is what I"m wearing here.  In retrospect, the fit was better on the 14 and I will be exchanging.  For wearing out and about, I would recommend using double-stick tape.

Skirt Week 2: Summer Basics

Skirt Week 2 continues today with another maxi skirt.  I styled this two ways - for an easy after-work look and for a casual Friday at work.

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)

A black maxi skirt, like black pants or a black pencil skirt, is a wardrobe basic. 

Tee:  LOFT (Available here)

Pairing it with a white sleeveless tee, as I did in the casual look, could be a little plain and boring, but I threw on a bright printed scarf to add visual interest.  Flip flops completed the comfy look.

Scarf:  Eva Mendes for New York & Company

I wish I had tucked the top in a bit more for the photos as it looked a little better and less sloppy that way, but overall, I wore this with comfort in mind so it was great.

Sunglasses:  Calvin Klein

Ring:  Purchased at local jewelry show

Since it got chilly the evening I wore this, I threw on my black moto jacket, and it was a good choice for a casual after work dinner out with the man and kids.

Earrings:  The Limited

For work, I maintained the color palette, but added a blazer with a textured print and wore booties instead of flip flops.

Blazer:  LOFT Petites

Booties:  Target

Glasses:  Firmoo.com (Available here)

How do you make your basics a little less boring?

For the blazer in other looks, see here, here, and here.

Skirt Week 2: Creative Draping

I love pieces for work that are comfortable but that also have a lot of polish.  I find myself reaching more and more for knits and drapey fits.

Skirt:  New York & Company (Available here)

This scuba knit pencil skirt and lightweight drapey sweater from New York & Company are super comfortable.  I added in a loose fit top with architectural pleats for a color and a bit of polish.

Sweater:  New York & Company (Available here)

Blouse:  Target (Available here)

This sweater is the perfect weight for spring - it works well for air-conditioned offices without being too warm once I head outside of the office.

I do plan on getting the skirt taken in a bit more.  Since it's a stretchy knit, I want a super pencil-y fit through the hips and legs!

Tote:  Target (Available here)

I finished the look off with a fringe necklace and my floral lace-up heels.  I had actually planned on wearing the shoes from this look, but they were really old and when is started to put them on, I realized one of straps across the top had come apart from the shoe! :-(

Shoes:  Prabal Gurung for Target

I have very small but wide and thick feet.  It's always so hard for me to find new shoes that I just hate when I have to retire a favorite pair.

Necklace:  Target

Cuff:  The Limited

Do you have a difficult time finding shoes that fit? How do you maintain your work style while keeping comfort in mind?

For the top in another look, see here.
For the sweater in another look, see here.

To catch up with the other posts from Skirt Week 2, see here:
Golden Mix
All White Everything
50s Flair

Skirt Week 2: 50s Flair

Skirt Week continues tonight with my laser cut midi skirt.

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)

The first time I wore this skirt I mentioned that I was thinking about hemming it to more of a true midi length.  My tailor did a fabulous job in making this skirt feel like it was made for me.

Blouse:  The Limited (Available here)

Sandals:  Payless (old)

Clutch:  The Limited

For work recently, I decided to style this skirt with a retro vibe, playing up the classic 50s shape.  I paired the skirt with a button down-top and low-heeled black sandals.  The yellow clutch adds a pop of color and a slightly more modern vibe.

Glasses:  Valentino

Earrings:  Etsy, Francesca's
Ring:  Francesca's

The lace print glasses have a bit of a cat eye shape which worked well with the retro feel of the look. The lace print on the glasses also perfectly complemented the skirt.

I really like how the shape of fuller midi skirts like this work with my shape.  This retro style definitely works well with curves.  Since my upper half is larger than my bottom half, the fuller skirt also helps balance me out. 

All that said, this is a style that I prefer to only wear on occasion.  I felt pretty in this outfit, but I generally prefer to style my pieces in a more modern way.  I plan to wear a longer crop top and booties with this skirt next for more of a modern fun and flirty style that feels more "me."

Are you a fan of full midi skirts like this style?

For the skirt in another look, see here.

For the first two looks from Skirt Week 2, see here and here.

Skirt Week 2: All White Everything

Skirt Week 2 continues tonight with an all-white look. 

I love wearing white almost as much as I love wearing black, but I don't live a very white-friendly lifestyle.  Messy kids and my own klutzy ways means that wearing all white can require a great deal of special care and caution, so I don't wear head-to-toe white often. That said, I do love the look enough to brave it on occasion. 

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)

This wrap style skirt and drapey jacket from Eloquii have so many possibilities.  I will mostly wear the two pieces separately, and I bought them with the intent of doing so, but I also love the pieces worn together.  It's such a summery relaxed version of a suit. 

Jacket:  Eloquii (Available here)

Top:  Forever 21+

Necklace:  Gift

Tote:  Target (Available here)

For work, I wore an ivory camisole.  The look is pretty and modest, but I liked the crop top with the suit just a bit more. 

Top:  LOFT

The sliver of skin showing helps break up the flowiness of the pieces and offsets the longer length of the skirt.

Booties:  Target

Ring:  The Limited

Beige booties keep the focus on the suit.  If I had white or ivory shoes, I would have went with those, but the beige booties also work quite well as they virtually blend into my skin tone, created a more elongated line.

Cuff:  The Limited

For the non-work option, I added a python print clutch to add a bit of pattern, color, and texture. 

Clutch:  The Limited

I chose a black tote for work to create a simple monochrome color palette.  I enjoy black accessories with white looks.  The fringe on the tote lends a more casual vibe to the relaxed suit.

Sunglasses:  Calvin Klein

Head-to-toe neutral looks are always so sophisticated to me.  In interesting shapes, a neutral look feels anything but boring.

Glasses:  Firmoo.com (Available here)

Would you wear an all-white look?

For the crop top in other looks, see here and here.
For the jacket in another look, see here.

To catch up with the first look from Skirt Week 2, see here.