CurvyPlusStyle

Category: Fashion

  • Quick Pre-Fall ‘25 Wish List

    Quick Pre-Fall ‘25 Wish List

    I spent some time browsing brands fall edits and here’s a quick roundup of what I’ve added to my wish list.

    Ralph Lauren Londyn Slingbacks
    Vince Camuto Vinica Mary Jane

    You know I love a flesh-toned shoe. I can’ help it. Last year, I wanted a slingback flat and couldn’t find one that worked. I have these Mary Jane’s in black leather from last fall/winter.

    Universal Standard Callaghan Wool Coat
    Eloquii Houndstooth Column Maxi

    There’s clearly a pattern here. No pun intended. I love herringbone and houndstooth. I wish this coat was floor length.

    The true is I’m trying to pair down my wardrobe. I shouldn’t need to add much, if anything. I have so much that I don’t wear already. Of all of these things, the slingbacks and the coat are likely to end up in my closet, but I’m trying to hold off for a sale. Furthermore, it’s just pre-fall. Who knows what the coming weeks have in store.

    -k

  • Paige Denim

    Paige Denim

    While perusing Anthropologie’s plus size clothing, I ran across a pair of jeans from Paige Denim. I’ve certainly heard of Paige denim, but I’ve never looked at them because I didn’t think they carried plus size. I don’t pay much attention to straight size fashion trends and brands. I added them to my wish list, but knew I wasn’t about to pay $229 for them. A few days later, I decided to google them and found them on Paige’s website site for $90. Of course I signed up for text and got the additional 15% so I paid $81 for a pair of $229 jeans. Score! The catch? They were final sale with no exchanges or returns allowed. I took a chance. That’s the second time in a week that I’ve googled a product and found it cheaper. It’s becoming apart of my shopping strategy.

    Anyway, what drew me to these jeans is the way they were styled. On the Anthropologie site, they have a crease in the jeans which make them look sleeker and I love that. I think I just stumbled onto a style secret for myself. By the way, remember in the 90s how we always starched and creased our jeans? Good ole’ days.

    Anthropologie Screenshot

    The jeans arrived today and they are pretty good. There’s a lot of stretch in these jeans. Since they are wide leg jeans, I sized down to a size 22. I think I could have worn a 20. I love the cut and the raw hem. They are high-waisted which is my favorite. My only issue is with the rise of the jeans. If you are shaped like me, with a smaller waist, broad hips, big thighs, but very little stomach, you’ll be familiar with the issue of excess fabric in the crotch. The plus size industry has always used the apple shape as the model for clothing. I often have the issue of excess space in the crotch and lower stomach area. I haven’t verified this, but I’m sure it’s more common than the pear shape and that’s why there’s the assumption in sizing that a large waist/hip equates to a large stomach. For me, that’s not the case. I’m the opposite.

    I look forward to styling these for spring.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Hoopty-Hoop

    Hoopty-Hoop

    I’ve been looking for a medium size hoop that I can wear everyday. The hoops I have are large and too big for the workplace. That’s my opinion. My workplace does not have a dress code. I don’t wear earrings daily. In the past, I opted for studs but kept losing them so I’m trying hoops this time around. I also have a new hair cut. Hello nature pixie! I feel like hoops or drop earrings complete the look.

    Up until last week, I had not found what I was looking for. I was scrolling Instagram and saw an ad with Tabitha Brown and Hoop Mobb. I took a quick look at their website and saw that they were one of Oprah’s favorite things. I immediately loved the melanated collection because I love a good flesh-tone. We don’t get that a lot on the darker skin end of the spectrum. I bought two pairs and they arrived today.

  • Printed Pants for Spring

    Printed Pants for Spring

    It’s my understanding that New York & Company has carried plus size for a few year now, but I’ve only recently learned of it. Back when I was straight and mid-sized, New York & Company was my jam, especially when they were Lerner’s. As I gained weight, I was no longer able to shop with them, but at the same time the quality of their clothing changed for the worse. So when I saw the ad on Instagram, I immediately checked it out. Frankly, I wasn’t impressed with what I saw, but I loved these pants. In the Spring, I searched for printed wide-leg pants, but never found a pair that I loved. Then I saw these. They are polyester instead of the jersey material I wanted, but I love the design. They are not the typical pull-on. They are designed like a trouser with slant pockets and a hook and bar closure. I really love the bright color. I don’t normally gravitate towards florals, but this comes across as subtle which I like. I sized down to a 2X because lately when I purchase wide-leg pants in my size they are too big. In this case they are a little too tight in the hip and thigh. I would be able to sit comfortably without worrying about splitting them so I repurchased them in a 3X. Unfortunately, you can only return, not exchange. When I return the first pair, I’ll have to pay a restock fee. Luckily, when I repurchased they were cheaper and I got a discount on top of the lower price so as they say ‘a win is a win’

    I love when I find a great buy out of season.

    I’m looking forward to seeing what else this retailer will drop.

  • Voluminous Sleeves

    Voluminous Sleeves

    I loved the original Eloquii, owned by Limited Brands. I learned to like the second rendition of the brand, but I always felt it catered to younger and more trendy dressers. Today, the brand is own by the same company that own’s Catherine’s among other brands. When I learned of the merger, I thought it was odd. These are two totally different populations. I immediately noticed the differences in the clothing, the price (or promotions) as well as the logistics (shipping). Going forward, I don’t anticipate buying much from them, but had a few things I already wanted to try. This is a mini shirtdress. I have never been a mini-dress girl, not even when I was thin. I love the sleeve. My intention was to wear this as a shirt. Since I’ve tried it on, I think that I’m willing to try it as a dress with leggings and booties. I accidentally bought the green and decided to keep it also. What I don’t like about this dress is the weird button seam. For some reason they designed it off center. From the model in the photo, I couldn’t tell if it was on purpose or the way she was posing. It’s weird, but I can live with it.

  • Perfect Chino

    Perfect Chino

    I have been searching for a chino pant since 2019! Let that be a lesson in how long it can take to find a basic item in plus size.

    I’ve tried really hard to stay away from Kardashian brands. I decided that I wanted to test out the fit and never expected that what I found. I love the material. It reminds me of Dickies. The material is nice and durable. I love the length. I used to be a 3.75″ heels kind of girl and loved a long pant that cover my entire show. These are those kind of pants. These days I’m a flats girl so I’ll have these tailored, but still to cover my entire shoe. I originally bought these in a size 26, my normal size, but they were too big. When I’m shopping brands that are new to plus size or new brands in general, I tend to size up or buy my size regardless of their size chart because newer brands tend to run smaller. I’m just realizing the description says loose, oversized wide leg fit so that explains my need to size down. I usually need to size down in wide leg pants. As a plus size person, I miss shopping at places like the Gap and these pants are the closest things to that Gap Chino that I’ve found that actually fit. These don’t really stretch, but I have a feeling that wearing them will “break them in” and they’ll loosen up in the thigh. I didn’t love the price of these pants either, but fortunately I caught a 30% off sale. And since I couldn’t do price adjustments, I had to return and repurchase these a few times. Beware that they do charge restock fee.

    I doubt that I will shop frequently with this brand, but I don’t want to try their blazers. The Kardashians were definitely the ones to put me on to blazers so I’ll try that next.