How many chances do you get to wear a feather capelet??? lol. Immediately after I bought it at Forever 21, I started wondering how I was going to pull it off. When I found out that Jaye of Curvatude had also bought the same capelet, we cooked up a scheme to style our feathers in three different ways. We’ll each post a look on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of this week, so be sure to check back with both of our blogs!

So…What DO you wear with a feather cape? For my first look, I added a ruched LBD from Forever 21, over-the-knee boots and sparkly accessories….all together…I feel like I should be ruling on Mt. Olympus…or at least a little corner of it. 🙂

Only one word describes us…FIERCE!

My friend Stephanie, owner extraordinaire of vive la femme clothing boutique, recently debuted Perch, a sweet and feminine junior plus size line (12-18).

These are just a few of the great pieces that are available in the store…

What a great addition to her store! And they are priced at $50 and under!

This line at vive la femme totally got me thinking about Junior Plus Sizes. Were you a curvy teen like I was??? I remember shopping in the plus size section of Parisian’s (remember that old store??) which only carried adult, business-focused clothes or weird elastic denim knee shorts and strange printed or appliqued t-shirts. Needless to say…I hated everything. At that time, there were next to no options for plus size teens. I’m SO happy that that seems to be changing! If you have a younger curvy lady in your family, take her down to vive la femme and let her see that there are clothes that are made to fit her body and can make her feel fashionable and beautiful!

If you don’t live in Chicago, there are thankfully some other options for plus-size teens outside of the small sections in big-box stores. Here are just a few…

Torrid

Trendy, flashy, edgy clothes.

I remember the first day I stepped foot into a Torrid. I was literally in shock. I think it was at a mall in Tennessee…when I was well into my 20s. I couldn’t believe all of the color, the flashy trendy clothing…and fun and playful styles that lined the racks.

If you have a curvy teen in your life, I encourage you to find a Torrid in your area and plan a special shopping trip. They are pretty expensive, but they also have some great sales. Of course, you could also shop online if there’s not one close to you.

And…the styles aren’t just for teens, but I think it’s the type of store that can do so much to help curvy teens feel good about their clothes and the way they look.

Modcloth
For those teens (and adults too) that have a vintage, retro style. I picked a couple of the sweeter, simpler styles here that I feel might appeal to high-school and college-aged curvy gals…but Modcloth also has some steamy, curvaceous styles that will be right at home in my closet! Their line is available in sizes 0-22, which I think is amazing! Check out their website. I’m sure you’ll find something for your curvy little sister…and for yourself!!!

Forever 21
This is an old standby…with a wide variety of pieces for junior plus-sizes and for regular plus. About half of my wardrobe is from Forever 21! lol Did you know that the Forever 21 on State St downtown has the whole bottom floor dedicated to plus size? It’s one of their only stores that have the plus size clothes IN the store! If you’re in Chicago, it’s a must-visit.

PacificPlex
This is one that I stumbled across while doing research for this post. They carry junior plus sizes 1-5x, and their prices are pretty reasonable. They have prom dresses too!

Oh how I wish even half of these options were out there when I was 15! I hope this list will introduce you to a few junior plus options that you didn’t know existed.

Did I overlook any?? What junior plus size lines/shops have you found?? Leave your finds in the comments!

Have you heard about the new series of events here in Chicago aimed specifically at frugal, fashion-forward, full-figured fashionistas???? Well, since I’m one of the creators, I’m going to tell you ALL about it!

Introducing….

Chic Swaps is a totally new–classier–take on clothing swaps. Struggling through piles of dusty, old-fashioned clothing covered in cat-hair is NOT my idea of a good time. But…I have a ton of cute, fashionable clothes in perfect condition–some that have never been worn before!–and I just can’t bring myself to get rid of them. Are you like me?

Well, that’s why I came up with this idea…I want to send my gently used, still-stylish clothes to a good home, and I would love to find some new items to perk up my wardrobe! And, I want to spend an evening gabbing  with other curvy fashionistas, sipping on some wine, snacking on sweet treats, and picking up some new shoes and jewelry at vive la femme and violette shoe salon! Doesn’t that sound like fun???

Read more about the logistics of the event here.

Here’s the thing, though…we only have spots for 30 chic swappers, and tickets are sold according to size. So, if you want to join me and swap shop in style, you must first Add Your Name to the Invite List.

Before every event, an exclusive invitation will be sent out with a link to purchase tickets (only $15!). Once all 30 spots have been filled, that’s it until the next swap!

The first swap is a Sweater Swap on February 19th at violette shoe salon (2031 N Damen). Invitations go out soon, so add your name to the list SOON!

If you have questions, email info@chicswaps.com. And be sure to Follow us on Twitter @chicswaps, and Like us on Facebook.

Can’t wait to see you there!!! 

Just after Christmas, Curvatude and I hosted an awesome night of shopping at vive la femme boutique and violette shoe salon, called Dazzle Til Dawn. I loved seeing so many beautiful curvy women trying on clothes that made them feel sexy and gorgeous! Here’s a few pics from the night-all courtesy of Kriss Abigail Photography. View the full gallery here.

We split our time between the two stores, trying on clothes at vive and adorable shoes and jewelry at violette. Also, we had Toni Van Schoyck on hand with a display of awesome Gigi Hill bags and purses, and Shayna Shapiro was there from NARS cosmetics to give the girls complimentary cat-eyes or smoky eyes. Oh…and did I mention that Lush Cosmetics provided amazing little goody bags to all of our attendees? And of course, Kriss Abigail was our official photographer for the evening.

It was a fun, glamorous night, and I met some incredible women!

My NYE was so good, it took two weeks to get over it and write this post! lol. It was the absolute perfect time to debut my first designer dress!!! I’ve been raving about Shavonne Dorsey for a while now, and I’m so happy that I now own one of her pieces! This is the Sasha Dress in Black. Don’t you love it???

Outfit Breakdown: Sasha Dress in black– Shavonne Dorsey; Jewelry — Forever 21 and Jewelmint and violette; Free Press platform suede heels in blue — TJ Maxx.

And what adds the right amount of drama to this LBD? A feather capelet, of course! lol. This amazing piece is from Forever 21 and I can’t get enough of it! I have a whole other post coming that’s a love song for this feather cape!

I had multiple stops on my NYE adventure, but I ended up ringing in the New Year at The Metropolis Ball at Flat Iron in Wicker Park. It had a rockin’ band and the place was packed!

 I hope you all had a fun, safe, and exciting night out…and that 2012 has been kind to you so far!

xoxo