How can one dress turn my plussize apple shape into a sultry hourglass??? Well, Kiyonna figured it out, and this magical garment is called the Valentina Illusion Dress! The secret is in the colorful center with contrasting black lace panels that nip in at the sides and have ruching across the middle…creating the optical illusion of a full, luscious, curvy hourglass figure.
If you know me, you know that I don’t do things half way…and I simply adore a good theme party!! So…I was thrilled when two of my awesome friends got married last month, with an Art Deco theme. Art Deco is all about glamour, metallics, and linear symmetry…and it shows up in everything from the art, architecture, jewelry, cars, and of course, the fashion of the time. When I was looking for the perfect dress, I was inspired by images like these…
Glamorous, long dresses…defined by intricate draping, beading and distinctive linear patterns and pleats were the haute couture of the day. I searched and searched for the perfect dress….and I found it at Macy’s from a label called Betsy and Adam!
I thought a floor-length gold lamé gown with a super low v-neck and a side slit might be a little over-the-top, and then I was like…who cares? I look FAB-U-LOUS!
I actually lasted about 3 hours in these heels before changing into flats…and that’s pretty amazing, right??
It was a great night, and I felt beautiful and glamorous…What more can a girl ask for?? 🙂
When my friend, Stephanie Sack of vive la femme was selected as a featured business for the October issue of Crain’s Chicago Business Magazine, I was thrilled for her! (Read the article here) Then…I found out she had recommended ME to be the model for the cover shoot! I was absolutely stunned and flattered and nervous! TWO curvy girls on the cover of Crain’s Magazine?? My brain could hardly process it all.
As the day of the shoot drew near, I got more and more nervous…what was I going to wear??? I had to pick out an outfit that was suitably conservative, feminine, simple…and yet fantastic enough for a queen-size Queen. lol.
I finally settled on an amazing full-skirted Comfy USA shirt dress that I bought at vive la femme earlier this year. Piles of pearls, a black belt, and black pumps were the perfect accessories. 🙂 So without further ado, here I am…representing the “Queen Consumer” on the cover of Crain’s Chicago Business Magazine!

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| The amazingly talented and adorable photographer for the shoot was John R. Boehm. |

This issue was the small business issue, and three Chicago businesses were featured. Dr. Chet Steinmetz is the man behind the lenses at Visual Effects. Stephanie Sack is the empress of the known universe, of course. And David Zimmer owns several Fleet Feet stores in the Chicagoland area. Here’s some behind the scenes snaps of from the cover shoot. 🙂 Can you tell Stephanie and I are NOT shy??
And here’s a fun video of the shoot produced by Stephen J. Serio and Jeff Hartvigsen…Thanks to everyone for a fun, awesome morning!
A new plus-size powerhouse is on the scene! About 5 months ago, The Limited debuted a new plus-size line called Eloquii. Full of on-trend options, they have a great selection of business wear and weekend basics with sexy details. The line is available online, but they also carry the line as a shop-within-a-shop in select locations. I finally got the chance to visit the one in Water Tower place here in Chicago a few weeks ago!
Here’s a snapshot into the pop-up Eloquii shop inside The Limited.
Love this electric blue split peplum dress with leather details!
This one-shoulder pleated fancy dress was a gorgeous deep raspberry color that I just adored!
Rocker chick!!! I loved this “luxe leather” drop-waist short dress. I snapped it up super fast and wore it to a bachelorette party that weekend (with different shoes, of course!).
How fun are these bright yellow jeans? Paired with a super soft grey cardigan and a basic tee, you are set for a weekend fall outing.
My favorite look that we put together at the store! How hot are these red snakeskin print jeans? And the blazer with leather lapels and sleeves? I feel like I should be playing a sold out show in the Vic! Where’s my entourage???
I’m so thrilled that The Limited has invested the time and resources to really develop the Eloquii line. They are still working out the sizing on some items, so having the opportunity to try the clothes on in a store is extremely helpful. For instance, in the red snakeskin jeans, I wore my true size, but in the black version of the same jeans, I had to size up. The sleeves are also a little tight in some of their suit jackets. But overall, I was very pleased with their sizing and the cuts and colors of their fabrics.
The managers at The Water Tower store were also amazing and so friendly. Another thing that really impressed me about the store was the presentation of the clothes. Unlike some stores with plus-size sections, they were not shoved into a back corner and crammed full of racks that you have to paw through. The clothes were beautifully displayed, with complementary pieces tabled together and racks open to the room for easy viewing. It was a very nice shopping experience, and I left with 3 amazing additions to my wardrobe!
So…call your local Limited and ask if they are one of the lucky locations that carry Eloquii or check the store locator!
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