Have you tried out the new “midi” length skirt? It’s not a maxi, not a mini…it’s a midi. One of my friends pointed out that it’s actually just plain tea-length, lol. But fashion is all about repackaging the past, right? 🙂
Anyway, I bought my first midi skirt about a month ago at H&M, but it took me a while to find the right top to pair with it. With such a full bottom, tops that were loose or had any extra fabric just overwhelmed the whole look. It’s a very ladylike, almost dressy skirt, so just a plain T-shirt looked too plain. Finally, I pulled this top out of the bottom of my closet and tried it on a whim. I think it worked well! With this neckline and the midi length, full skirt, I’m rocking a very 40s/50s look. Also, the print of the top helps balance the outfit. You can’t see my hair, but I went with a side chignon…another classic, ladylike look. What do you think?
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| I don’t know what kind of neckline this technically is, but it is the most flattering I’ve found for my shape. |
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| Don’t be afraid to tuck in your shirts with this type of skirt. I was apprehensive at first, but it creates a much slimmer line. |
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| Silly…but it had to be done. My friend Wendy (who took all of these pics) made me do it! Thanks, doll!!! |
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| This skirt was made for twirling! |
So, I guess I’m a fan of the midi skirt. I will definitely try to find more things to pair it with when fall comes in earnest. This particular one is quite sheer…even with its many layers…so first thing on my list is to buy another slip!
Skirt: H&M (Yes, really. A straight sized store actually had something I can fit into!)
Shirt: Ashley Stewart
Belt: Dots
Shoes: Dressbarn
Jewelry: Forever 21
Have you tried the midi skirt yet?? What did you wear with it?
Last Friday, I woke up feeling like I’d been drinking whiskey, shootin’ pool and singing all night in a smoky bar. Not that I had been…no, really. lol. So anyway, I decided to dress to my mood. I put on some Joan Jett and went for some leopard print and leather. 🙂
This black and white leopard print top from Forever 21 is the perfect cut…it’s not really a “crop top” like it’s advertised, but it is boxy with enough structure to lay nicely over my various curves. It’s not too low in the front, so those of you who like more modest styles should love this cut. 🙂 I paired it with some black bootcut jeans from Forever 21, a faux-leather jacket, some studded kitten heels, and some dark metal accessories. My hair-as you can see-is wild and crazy–as if I just finished playing a mad set at The Empty Bottle. lol.
What do you wear when you’re feeling tough?? Do tell!
Shirt, Jeans and Bracelet: Forever 21+
Faux-leather Jacket: Giacca (by way of Filene’s Basement)
Studded Kitten Heels: Kathy Van Zeeland (by way of TJ Maxx)
Purse: Coach (don’t you love the bright yellow??)
This was my first time attending Chicago Fashion Connect’s industry mixer. I’m so very glad I went! I had the opportunity to hobnob with several of the city’s fashion bloggers, designers, models, and other industry insiders.
I went with a sort of boho-chic look and debuted my fabulous Fergie boots for the first time!
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| Love this dress! It’s incredibly comfortable and has a fun, wild feather print. 🙂 It’s from Forever 21 (of course). |
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| Have I mentioned the love I have for these Fergie boots??? I got about a 3000 compliments on them! They are a stone colored leather…not suede, but with a brushed, raw look. They zip on the side and the leather folds down over the heel of the boots. SO CUTE! |
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| The September mixer for Chicago Fashion Connect was held at a great space, Old Town Social. |
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| I enjoyed talking with Sandy and Chakib from Red Carpet Concierge. They have an event coming up later this month to honor fashion makers in Chicago. I can’t wait to find out more about what they do! |
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| I had SO much fun with Stella, another fashion blogger who focuses on upcoming/emerging designers. Her blog is http://www.estrellamodas.blogspot.com/. Check it out! She’s awesome!!! |
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| AAHHHHHH! I totally had a fan-girl moment when I met Jaye from http://rockcurvatude.blogspot.com/. Isn’t she GORGEOUS???!? I absolutely love her blog and have been following it for a while. I can’t wait to collaborate on future projects with her! |
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| Raven is the brain behind Chicago Fashion Connect. She wanted to create a space for Chicago Fashion professionals to connect, network, and just gab about the industry. |
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| Jaye from Curvatude!!! |
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| Adriana (I think that’s her name!) is a makeup artist and Gabrielle Glass of Gem V Couture, a local jewelry designer. |
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| I only got to meet these girls briefly, but hopefully, I’ll run into them again soon! They are all so ridiculously pretty!The woman in blue is Kesha Wilson, a wardrobe stylist, and next to her is Aisene Ya from http://www.fashionmanaged.com/ and Ms. Ayo Fashola, an indepenent beauty consultant. 🙂 Lovely! |
It was a nice event and I made some connections that could lead to some fun projects. I’ll definitely want to attend another mixer! Thanks to the Chicago Fashion Connect team for putting it on!
Woohoo! Did I mention that while I was at the Fashion’s Night Out event at vive la femme last week, that I got interviewed by Ellen Warren from the Chicago Tribune? Well, the feature will be in Sunday’s Tribune, but I was surprised to see a segment about plus size fashion and shopping on today’s WGN’s Style Files!
Watch it here.
The pictures below are all screenshots lifted from WGNTV. 🙂
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| I love this Iliana Knot Dress from Igigi…It has adjustable sleeves and is a gorgeous, rich purple! Thanks to the manager of vive la femme, Amanda, for helping me pick it out! |
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| Nikeya Young-a plus size model, blogger, and writer (and all around gorgeous diva)-tries on a belt that I ended up buying! |
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| This is the gorgeous underwear set that I bought from Isabella Fine Lingerie…so sexy! |
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| This simple blue Perfect Tank Dress is from SWAK designs…it fit perfectly, and it would be completely appropriate to wear to a ton of different events…but for the sake of my bank account, I had to put it back on the rack! 🙁 |
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| Owner of vive la femme, Stephanie Sack, was utterly charming and wonderful to work with! |
The entire experience was wonderful, and I can’t wait to see the Sunday Tribune!
The finale event of my Fashion’s Night Out in Chicago was the “Cupcakes, Curves, and Cleavage” event at Vive La Femme.
This event was a special collaboration between Vive la Femme, Isabella Fine Lingerie, and Vaudezilla. I nearly swooned over the gorgeous clothes and delicate bras and panties on display!
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| I didn’t take this picture…I forgot to take one of the store, so I grabbed this off the net. 🙂 |
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| White wine and cupcakes to start the night off right!!! |
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| yum, yum, yummy! |
If you’re a plus-size woman in Chicago, and you’ve never been to Vive la Femme, you need to make plans to do so immediately. It’s the only plus-size boutique in Chicago (as far as I know) and it has some of the most gorgeous clothes from the leading plus-size designers. The attentive staff are intuitive about your style, and will pull a variety of clothes for you to try on. The price-points are low for designer duds, but if you are trying to stick to a budget, you will have to be strict with yourself and choose only a few pieces. You WILL be tempted to blow your whole paycheck!
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| Stephanie Sack is the fabulous owner of Vive la Femme. She is full of energy and is psychic when it comes to what clothes look great on you! |
For us large-chested women…it is notoriously hard to find pretty matching bras and panties that are sexy and supportive. I do most of my underclothes shopping at Cacique…but now, I’m an Isabella girl! Isabella Fine Lingerie is one of those shops in Lincoln Park that–as a larger woman–I would never venture into, because I’m convinced that they would never have anything to fit me. Ooooohhhh ladies, how wrong I was!! This shop has the largest range of sizes available in Chicago…and the bras and panties are delicate and gorgeous, which is a nice change from the industrial, “sensible” underclothes that are usually offered. For the event, they had set up a special display of the lingerie offered in larger sizes and had two wonderful “boobologists” on hand to help each customer find the right fit. I bought a gorgeous set (will post pictures later!) and I definitely plan to return to the store whenever I want something special to wear under my clothes!
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| Stock photo of Isabella Fine Lingerie (I didn’t take it!) |
The ladies from Vaudezilla added another wonderful dimension to the event. They are a Chicago Burlesque company (with performers of ALL SIZES) that hold performances and classes. Red Hot Annie and Abigail a la Mode were there to represent the company. We ended up getting into a great discussion about body acceptance-no matter what your size-and the freedom that can be found in burlesque dancing. I absolutely plan to attend one of their classes, and I hope to write about it here. 🙂
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| This is a promotional photo for Vaudezilla-not my photo. So sexy and gorgeous! |
I also got to hang out with Nikeya Young from Plus Model Mag and the Examiner. She was absolutely gorgeous and so stylish! She keeps super busy–writing, modeling and whatever other projects come her way. Isn’t she beautiful????
We were both interviewed by Ellen Warren from the Chicago Tribune, and we talked about shopping as a plus-size woman and the challenges that entails. I can’t wait to read the article and see the pictures! I’ll post it here, of course.
Whew! So, as you can see…it was a whirlwind evening and I had an absolute blast!!! I’ll post more about what I bought at Vive la Femme and Isabella. 🙂 What did y’all do for FNO Chicago?? Do tell!
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