CurvyPlusStyle

Author: Kiyoka

  • CurvyPlusStyle Blog Plan

    CurvyPlusStyle Blog Plan

    I’ve been blogging for two months now! It feels like it’s been longer. It’s taken me 12 years to get to this point, but I’m very happy about it. Over the holiday break, I took some time to get clear about my intentions for the blog and want to share them here.

    I fell in love with fashion blogs because of their personableness and realness. I loved that I got to read about what someone wore to work or an event. I loved the bits of their personal story sprinkled into mix. For the most part, we’ve lost that and I want to try and recapture some of that magic.

    Additionally, the plus size industry has changed a lot in the past 10 to 15 years. There are a ton of new brands that need to be vetted. In summer/fall, a retailer, whom shall remain nameless, was promoting a new brand on Instagram. The brand made a statement about targeting apple-shaped women, the most underrepresented shape in fashion and I immediately called bullshit. If you ask me, plus size fashion has always centered on the apple shape. It’s only been within the last 15 years or so that they even tried to create “curvy” options for women, like me, with broader hips. The entire time that I followed blogs, there may have been two pear-shaped bloggers, but no one with style of interest. All of that to say, this one is for the thigh and hip girls.

    My intentions for CurvyPlusStyle are three-fold: Brand Reviews, Rankings and Features; My Signature Style; and Commentary.

    Brand Review, Rankings and Features

    As I said before, there are so many brands that are new to the plus size arena, and I want to try them out for myself and share my experience. I specifically want to focus on whether or not these brands work for women with large thighs, broad hips, and big butts.

    Brand Reviews are an assessment of the collection based on my experience including the fit, price point, sizes available, sales/discounts, returns/exchange policy and overall shopping experience. I intend for brand reviews to be in-depth on brands that I’ve had multiple experiences with and continuously updated so that the latest information is available.

    Rankings are another assessment, but by category including best quality trousers, best denim jeans, best price point. I intend for rankings to be annual.

    Features are mentions of brands that I don’t have enough experience with to write a full review. For example, this piece on The Limited.

    My Signature Style

    This is where it gets personal as the name suggests.

    Porter Magazine used to do a regular column in print and it detailed a signature of a celebrity. I loved that feature and am creating my own version of it here. It will detail my signatures such as wide-leg pants, pointed toe shoes, embossing. It will also feature my seasonal hauls or what seasonal/personality pieces I add to my wardrobe.

    Commentary

    Here I simply want to ponder some of the challenges I experience with fashion and the happenings of the industry in general.

    From the beginning, 12 years ago, I said I didn’t want to provide advice and that’s still true. Today, I would add that I don’t want to influence and I don’t want to create content. For me, it’s about sharing my experience. If you’ve discovered this site and have been enriched by something that you’ve read, you’re welcome and thank you!

  • Is plus-size defunct?

    Is plus-size defunct?

    Have you tried shopping online for plus size clothing lately? Have you typed into a search engine ‘white blouse plus size’ or ‘straight leg trousers plus size’? If you have, then you’ve had the same experience that I’ve had, which is every single brand or retailer on the planet shows up in the search results. At first it seems like a good thing because who doesn’t want options, but as I dig deeper into it, I realize that it is not what it seems.

    Traditionally, plus size has been size 12 and up. Most brands carry up to a size12 or 14. The problem is if you wear a size larger than 14 and you’re searching for plus size clothing, undoubtedly you’re going to get brands who carry up to a size 14, but they do not carry your size. Cue the frustration. Now that so many brands have expanded to carry more sizes, there is no longer a distinction. The lines have been blurred. It seems as if the term plus size is officially defunct. But when we asked (and continue to ask) the fashion industry to include us, is this what we really wanted?

    Back when we shopped in-person, I wanted to be able to walk into a store and find my size on the same rack as a size 6 because special shops or a rack in the back didn’t make sense and was dismissive. Misses and women’s still doesn’t make sense. But now that the lines are blurred, I’m not certain that’s what I really wanted. In fact, I miss retailers and brands that dealt exclusively with plus size because it was easier to find what I needed or to know what brand served me. Plus, there weren’t as many concerns about fit. The stalwarts get it right (often, not all the time). With this “shared” model, we’ve lost that undivided attention. It feels like a case of be careful what you ask for.

    I’m not saying we need to go back to the one rack in the back. And frankly, it’s not practical to think that every brand is going to carry every size. In this regard, the industry gave us what we asked for, but we should done a SWOT analysis because now we’ve traded one challenge for the next.

    I don’t know what the answer is. I just know it’s frustrating.

  • FW ’23 Wardrobe

    FW ’23 Wardrobe

    I’ve been working on my wardrobe for the last year or two and I’m finally feeling comfortable with my personal style again. I’ve been wanting to do a “haul” style viideo sharing what I purchased this year, but I’ve not gotten to it until today. I’m not sharing everything I bought, but my favorite pieces.

    *In the video I mentioned fall when I mean spring.

  • Fat Feet

    Fat Feet

    The majority of my shoes are medium width, but there are certain styles of shoes that I cannot wear or can only wear if they come in a wide fit. I don’t actually have a wide foot. My feet are fat, the top of my foot to be exact. Shopping wide width shoes can be dreadful. The number of shoes available in wide-width is low. And they tend to look functional or orthopedic, but not at all aesthetically pleasing.

    The styles of shoes that I like has not changed since I’ve gained weight so I’ve had to develop a strategy to get the look I want.

    Forgiving Brands

    Vince Camuto and Franco Sarto

    These are a couple of my go-to brands for shoes. While Franco Sarto does carry wide widths, I find that both brands’ medium width shoes are very comfortable for me.

    Forgiving Styles

    d’Orsay Styles

    I’m a pump girl through and through, but some times traditional cuts pinch the top of my feet or my feet look squeeze in. I find that the d’Orsay style offers some relief because one or both sides of the shoe is cut out and the middle of my foot is not constricted.

    Low-cut toe boxes

    A few years ago, mules made a come back in a big way, but I couldn’t find a single mule that fit my foot. The top of my feet were just too fat. I stumbled upon a pair of Vince Camuto mules with a low-cut top of the shoe. I remember this was the subject of conversation during the Louboutin craze because their shoes have this lower cut where the top of the toe box starts right at the top of the toe. Similar to the d’Orsay style, covering just the toes and leaving the top/middle of the foot exposed is less constricting.

    Other Strategies

    Size up

    My regular size is 10.5, but not many brands don’t make half sizes beyond 9.5 so I often purchase size 11 shoes. Usually anything larger would not work for me, but depending on the style of shoe, sizes above 11 may work. For example, I was looking for a traditional mule slide. This style of shoe usually does not fit me because of the top of my foot, but I tried these Gianni Bini’s in a 12 and they gave me just what I needed in fit and are now one of my favorite pairs of shoes.

    There are a lot of things frustrating about plus size fashion, but I have to admit that I’m having fun getting creative and mastering my style.

  • Flesh-tone Shoes

    Flesh-tone Shoes

    Years ago, I bought a pair of chestnut brown platform Jessica Simpson heels. The kind with the wood stacked heel. As a bottom-heavy woman, platforms have never been my friend. I sound like a clydesdale. Initially, I didn’t love the shoe for that reason. It was more of a on-trend impulse buy. Those shoes stayed in the box for along time. Then one day, I pulled them out and tried them on with a hunter green wrap dress from Banana Republic and there was something about the way the shoe blended into my skin that that I loved. I was getting height and it looked natural. That was the start of my love affair with flesh-tone shoes.

    I say flesh-tone and not nude because in fashion, nude tends to equal the color of caucasian skin.

    It’s not easy to find if your skin falls into the chestnut brown range. There is a lot of camel and maybe even chocolate on the market. But this year was a good year. After purchase 5-6 pairs of shoes, I settled on two pairs – one Chestnut and one Tobacco. I even got a a sweater and pants in the color.

  • The Limited is Still Around

    The Limited is Still Around

    Let me start by saying that in my 20s, my closet was filled with clothing from The Limited. I loved the brand. I even worked there for a while in college.

    I remember when I first started gaining weight and was having difficulty shopping at my favorite store. Literally, the next day I walked into a store and there was a sign on the table that said they would start carrying sizes 16-18 soon. I was so happy. One year later, they moved larger sizes to online only. Another year or so after that, they stopped carrying 16s and 18s and started Eloquii. Did you know that Eloquii started as a Limited Brand? Anyway, enough fashion history.

    A few weeks ago, I saw someone with a great red blazer on and immediately started searching for one. I didn’t really think I would buy a red blazer because I usually don’t like to buy “filler” until I have my foundation wardrobe secure and I don’t have a good black blazer yet.

    One of the first blazers I saw was this red (Garnet) blazer by The Limited which is sold exclusively by Belk. Admittedly, I knew that The Limited was selling clothes on Belk, but honestly, I thought it was fake. LOL! That’s actually one of the reasons I decided to try it. I wanted to see if it was legit and if this rendition of The Limited was really capable of dressing girls with major curves.

    I’m here to tell you it’s legit. It looks and feels exactly like the original. This color red is not as bright as the one the person who inspired me was wearing. It’s a little bit of an understated red which is totally me.

    I haven’t exactly figure out how I will style it, but here it is simply paired with a black sweater dress, black suede flats and my favorite black Coach Carter tote.

  • Still a Heels Girl

    Still a Heels Girl

    I used to be a 3.75″ stiletto heel girl religiously. My life changed and I no longer wore heels. Today, I would die in a 3.75″ heel. Walking in heels is the kind of thing that you lose if you don’t use.

    The thing is I still love heels. I like the added height on my 5’6″, bottom-heavy frame. I think I’ve finally figured out how to do that.

    I have a pair of wedge boots from Lands End. I wore them recently and realized how comfortable I felt and how much I felt like my old “high heel wearing” self. I have another pair of block heel boots that I wore recently and I could not wait to get home and take them off. The difference? .25 inches. I’m most comfortable and confident in a 2.25″ heel, preferable a wedge. I can still wear heels as I have always loved, but at the right height and heel style. I’m sure my stiletto days are over and I’m fine with that. But that added 2.25′ makes a world of difference in how I feel.

    Now I’m on the hunt. Actually I’m on a shopping diet, but I know what I need for future purchases.

  • Plus Size Brand Review: New York & Company

    Plus Size Brand Review: New York & Company

    Recently I learned that New York & Company has plus size clothing. Years ago, I shopped with them when I was straight/standard size. Remember Lerner’s? The good ole’ days.

    It’s a decent size line with about 200 pieces and reasonably priced. NY & CO always had markdowns and this line is no different. I didn’t see anything over $40 (markdown price).

    There is lots of color. I don’t have much color in my wardrobe. I didn’t buy anything on my initial preview of the site. The thing that I do like about the line is the assortment. There are suits, jeans, sweats and party dresses. That’s promising because newer plus size brands tend to fall on one side of the spectrum or the other – work wear and non-work wear. I also like that it’s not too trendy. There are classic pieces and shapes.

    Thus far, I’ve shopped with them twice and purchased three items:

    • Wide-leg Printed Pants – I initially bought these in a 2X because I often need to size down in wide-leg pants. The 2X fit, but was too tight in the thigh and I would not be comfortable wearing them, especially sitting. I returned them and purchased a 3X, which is my normal pant size and they fit perfect and need no alterations. I searched all of spring ’23 for printed pants and came up empty-handed. While I prefer a jersey pant, the polyester will do. I like the trouser shape with the zipper and hook and eye. Often printed pants are pull-on. These with a white tank are going to be on repeat spring ’24.
    • Plaid Skirt – I bought this skirt for two reasons 1) the shape and 2) to take Christmas photos. I think I could have sized down in the skirt. It feels a tiny bit too big in the waist. I don’t like the gathers at the back of the skirt. They make my butt look bigger which I don’t need. The material is very nice. It’s a mid-weight and is unlined. There is a bit of sheen to the skirt which is nice.
    • Fleece Leggings – The leggings were on sale for $7 so why not? Also I wanted to try out fitted clothing. The size guide clearly shows they fit up to 240 lbs. I’m over than weight and the leggings did not fit my thighs, but the fleece felt great on the inside.

    The skirt and the leggings are likely going to be returned. As far as fit, two out of three is not bad. I doubt that I will shop frequently with New York and Company, but I think this is a good spot for what I call filler – pieces beyond your foundational wardrobe like a bright colored blazer, semi-sheer lace top for a date night, or cute event dress.

    Beware that exchanges cannot be done online at this time. Be sure to use the size chart and measurements to get the right size. When returning an item, a handling fee of $9.95 will be deducted from the refund. This is becoming common with a lot of brands.

    As I try other items from this brand, I’ll update the review.

  • Style Hack: Layer with a Sleeveless Button-Down (Fall Edition)

    Style Hack: Layer with a Sleeveless Button-Down (Fall Edition)

    In the fall, I love layering. One of my favorite ways to layer is to wear a pullover sweater over a button-down shirt. Although I love wearing the combo, I also love wearing the separates. But whenever I wore my sweater separately, I’d notice that the sleeves were stretched out and loose fitting. I hated that I was ruining my sweaters. But I would soon discover a hack. The sleeveless button-down. This has been my go-to ever since. I still get that preppy, buttoned up look without stretching my sleeves.

  • Uber Connect Review

    Uber Connect Review

    I’m car-free. Since I don’t have a car, it’s difficult to run errands such as returning packages when I have multiple places to go. It can also be expensive. Recently I had to return a package to the postal office and the trip to the post office and back home cost me $25-$30 including the tip. Imagine having to spend that kind of money when you have 3 or 4 or more places to go. As I was scheduling a ride recently, I discovered a new to me service called Uber Connect. Basically you can pay an Uber driver to pick up your package and deliver it to UPS, USPS or FedEx. You can even pay them to go and pick something up for you. For example, I picked up my dry cleaning last week, but forgot to get my coat from the dry cleaner. I could pay Uber to go and pick up my coat from the dry cleaner and bring it to me.

    I tested out Uber Connect today. I had eight packages that I needed to return, two to FedEx, two to UPS, and four to the post office. According to Uber app, the service should cost $3-$5. I started with the two packages that needed to go to FedEx. I scheduled the pickup and the cost was $3. I wanted a no-contact pick up and left the packages on my doorstep. The driver arrived within eight or nine minutes, picked up my package, dropped it off at FedEx and sent me a picture once it was delivered. At the time that the pick up is scheduled, Uber does not allow tipping. However, once the delivery has been made, it does give me the opportunity to tip. I proceeded to schedule my UPS pick up, as well as my USPS pick up. There is a maximum of five packages that a driver can pick up. All packages have to have a prepaid label attached or you can send the QR code to the driver. In total, I spent $28 returning the eight packages to the three delivery services. That’s $14 for the service and $14 in tip. This service saved me $75-$90 because I didn’t have to take Uber or Lyft to each location and back home which would have been $25-$30 for each trip.

    Prior to setting up the service I tried to do some research on Uber Connect. As someone who uses other delivery services such as DoorDash and Instacart, I was concerned about what would happen or who would be liable if my package did not make it to the delivery service or back to the retailer. It’s very easy to walk into a UPS, FedEx or USPS location, snap a photo of a package on the table, and walk out with the package. I’ve seen instances of that with food deliveries. So if I’m returning a pair of shoes to DSW via USPS, but the package never arrived at USPS or DSW who’s liable? I wasn’t able to find that information, but Uber does advise to limit this service to packages with a value less than $200. There are also restrictions about the types of packages that can be delivered similar to what you might see in a post office where they list prohibited items like alcohol weapons, etc. I am going to do some additional research on this because I plan to continue to use the service and I wanna make sure that I understand my options if a package is lost.

    The only thing that I did not love about the service was that there were predetermined UPS, USPS, FedEx locations, and in some cases they were far away. I have often used the drop off locations such as Walgreens for FedEx and CVS for UPS. I didn’t have the option to select those locations and actual FedEx and UPS stores are far from where I live. The driver had to go to the other side of town to deliver those packages. I could actually see why a driver would not want to take a pickup/delivery job because of that and that could affect effectiveness/efficiency of Uber Connect.

    Although UPS, FedEx, as well as USPS offer pick up services at my home, there are certain instances where prepaid labels from retailers are not honored for those services. Also, the post office has flat out said that they picked up an item that they did not attempt to pick up. So Uber Connect offers me an alternative to those services if they do not work as well as allowing me not to have to rely on finicky services.

    Uber connect is a really good service for people who do not have a vehicle. It’s convenient and affordable. I doubt that I will be visiting FedEx, UPS or USPS anytime in the near future.

    Note: This was my first time using the service. As I continue to use it, I will continue to update this review so that it is well-rounded.