His & Hers - We Are The Champions

So me and the boyfriend are back with another collab. My goal with these collabs are to showcase brands that both a plus size woman can wear as well as the man in her life. Next up for us is Champion. I’ve always loved the brand (cause it was a major mainstay in the 90’s), but outside of me wearing clothes from the men’s section, there was nothing else that would work for my plus size body. Happy that has changed.

When I was looking for items, I knew I wanted a sweatshirt. Come on, its what the brand is known for. At the time when I was looking, it was hard to find a sweatshirt that had a pair of matching joggers in plus. Straight size, no problem, but it was tough finding a whole sweatsuit (especially if you wanted color). I decided to forego a colorful sweatsuit at this time, and look for a neutral one instead. Now you know I love cropped items, so when I saw this cropped sweatshirt, I knew it had to be mine. Here is the good and bad news; bad news: this doesn’t come in plus size. The good news, its oversized so I was able to give the XXL a try. As you can see, it still looks oversized on my size 18/20 upper half. Champion, you need to roll this out to plus, I know sooo many women that would rock this.

For the joggers, I went with the fleece jogger. When I ordered, I thought they would match perfectly, but as you can see the grey’s are off. Hey it happens. When I ordered these joggers from Macy’s these were the only ones on the site that came in plus. Perhaps the other ones sold out, cause now I do see more pant options in plus. In these fleece joggers, I went with a 2X based on the reviews. I will say, these run small. You would think for a jogger, they would be loose, but not so much. I did recently order the Powerblend Fleece and these fit a lot better. I still went with a 2X, but they give you that ideal jogger look. I ended out my look with one of my favorite sneakers, my Air Max 95’s, and my fanny pack from Eloquii.

The mister has been rocking Champion since he was a kid. He always had a pair of sweats to go play ball in. So it was a no brainer for him to get the joggers for the collab. Kay Jay is wearing the Logo joggers in his favorite color. What he liked most about them was the fact that the material was soft, and stretchy, but they kept him warm. Definitely check these out for the man in your life for two reasons- one it’s grey sweatpants season, and two they are on sale for less than $20! Instead of getting the classic sweatshirt, he opted for the Logo Long Sleeve Tee. In both items he is wearing size L. Footwear is one of his favorite sneakers, the Nike Revolution.

Nowadays, we are getting more brands that carry plus, but the ratio of plus to the total women’s assortment at best is around 25%. For Champion, there are 30 items that are labeled plus on their site. The collection for plus are their classics items such as the sweatshirts and joggers. Now that athleisure is a mainstay, I would love to see some of their fashion based pieces offered in plus. I want color, stripes, or cropped options. There is always a market for fun pieces, but the key is telling us. The only reason why I found out about Champion Plus was that I was scrolling looking for athletic items that come in plus on a department store website and the brand was listed. Now where I am willing to do some research, others may not. Spread the word Champion- work with some bloggers (cough cough like myself) to showcase what you have. It’s easy to say plus doesn’t work because people don’t buy it, but most of the time we don’t buy it cause we don’t know it exist.

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t think I would get that many chances to rock His & Hers looks. Growing up, the best I could do is just wear the same color. Now I can actually where the same brand and similar items. Definitely the times have changed, but there is definitely more work to be had for us plus size gals. We have more options than ever before, but this does not mean brands can say ok, here is some plus, we did our job and move on. Brands have to continue to offer a variety in order for us to keep coming back. Have a wide assortment and tell us about it, I’m sure we will give you our coins.

Are there other brands you want me and Kay Jay to tackle? Definitely let me know, cause he is always up to dress up and take pictures. Until next time lovers…muah!!









The IG Wives Get Fall Ready With Stitch Fix

Thanks to Stitch Fix for sponsoring the IG Wives, we are serving some Fall goodness. What is Stitch Fix? It’s a personal styling service to help you build your wardrobe specifically for you. When you sign up, you are assigned a Stylist that uses your Style Profile to curate you a box that is based on your fit preferences, style, and even budget. One of the great things about Stitch Fix is that the clothes are tested on real women, so they know how an item will work on different body types. Any brand that takes the time to use real women to understand how each items looks on a different body is definitely a brand one should check out. Also, the brand carries some of the top names not just in straight sizes, but plus as well!! Stitch Fix carries over 150 brands in plus alone (say what?!?!) such as Eloquii, City Chic, Rebel Wilson x Angels, Good American, JCrew Mercantile, Nike, Calvin Klein, the list goes on and on.

When Stitch Fix reached out help me, Sandra, and Darlene get ready for Fall & Winter, we knew that they were up to the task. We may like the same things, but overall, we have three different distinct styles and shapes, so this was going to be a fun experiment.

In your box you receive five items across different categories such as tops, bottoms, denim, outerwear, shoes or accessories ranging in prices from $28-$298 (don’t worry, you can let them know your budget for items). In my box I received the following:

  • A great pair of black booties

  • Crewneck sweater with cut outs

  • Pair of high waisted black jeans

  • Cardigan sweater

  • Faux suede trench coat

For my first look, I paired the booties, jeans, and cardigan wrap to create a cute and easy look that I could wear anytime. I don’t have to get dressed up for work, so this is something that I would wear to the office, or on the weekends. The sweater can be worn open, but I opted to belt it (had this great belt in my collection for a while now), and paired it with the jeans and booties. The sweater was soo cozy, and it was in my favorite color grey. I’m into prints, so when I was filing out my profile, I let my Stylist know that I love stripes, and polka dots.

The jeans in my box were A1- these are stretchy and ultra high waisted. These are the type of jeans that are so soft and comfortable that it doesn’t even feel like they are jeans. I didn’t want to take these off they were soo comfortable. This was my first time trying Warp + Weft denim, but with the way these fit, I am going to check out what else the brand has to offer.

Another major hit were these Sam Edelman booties. I have always been a fan of this brand, and the fact that Stitch Fix has you covered from head to toe, makes getting dressed in a snap. I really think the Stylist knew I was in need of a new black bootie, because when I opened the box and saw these I was super excited. They are not wide width, but the fit was perfect that I didn’t need to size up (I wear a size 8.5). My first look was definitely all me. When the temps drop, it’s all about cozy layers that I can easily dress up or down. What do you think??? Darlene of course is a Mom on the Go, so she had items that she could easily dress up or down, and Sandra ‘s look is definitely what she would wear to work.

For my second look, I decided to keep the jeans, but swap the open cardigan for a crewneck sweater (it’s funny, Sandra received the same one) with cutouts along the neckline, and this faux suede trench from Rebel Wilson x Angels. I love the neckline on the sweater. I’m a sucker for an updated basic. Now this trench is everything and then some. The amount of pink items in my closet has skyrocketed, but nothing compares to this trench. My Stylist really had me in mind when she picked this. The fit is amazing, and I can wear this with so many other items in my closet. I ended out my look with my favorite leopard block heels to give the whole look a little more oomph. The ladies also took used statements pieces to show how you can elevate denim.

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Ok, as you can see, the IG Wives are definitely ready for Fall & Winter. So my question to you, are you? If not, put Stitch Fix up to the challenge to get you ready. Sign up at Stitch Fix. With size ranges from 0-24W and XS-3X, there is definitely something for everybody. There is a $20 Stylist fee, which is applied towards anything you keep. If your Stylist hooked you up and you loved everything in your box, you get a 25% off discount! Items didn’t work out, no worries, they have an easy & free return policy. Another cool feature is that Stitch Fix does not require a subscription, so you can set your Fix when you want it (monthly, every season, or on demand). Love what you see from Darlene & Sandra, then head to the blogs for details of their looks. Definitely let me know your thoughts. Muah lovers!!!

Shout out to Milli, our wonderful photographer for this collaboration. You can follow her here.

*Thank you Stitch Fix for sponsoring this post, but all opinions are my own.

Omen II

Happy Halloween!! Now I may not be the costume getting partying gal, but I bring my own flair to the holiday. How? By wearing an ode to the NYC palette of choice and Damian from the Omen- an all black look. If you know me by now, this not going to be simple all black look, I gotta add a little something something to it.

I love me a good leather item, whether real or faux- especially when it comes to a skirt or dress. I have a good deal of faux leather skirts, but this one here from Ashley Stewart is different from anything I have in my closet. It’s a wrap skirt which shows off the gams in a fun and sexy way. This skirt can be worn as a showstopper piece for date night, or you can wear it casually on the weekends. For a casual vibe, I would wear it with a super chunky turtleneck sweater with my Adidas Superstars. I went with a size 18 in the skirt, and it was a great fit.

Now I haven’t been about the heel life in a while. There has been so many great options in a low heel or flat, that I have not missed wearing heels at all. Then I saw the Amelia on Eloquii’s site, and and that was the end of my no heels strike. A sequin over the knee boot that goes up these 17.5 inch calves, stays up on my thigh, and under $100- adds to cart. I went with a size 9W (I wear 8.5 on average) so that I have enough room when the temps drop so I can wear my fleece lined socks and stay nice and toasty. This boot has a 3 inch heel, and I must say these were very comfortable. I wore these for an entire afternoon and had no problems. Since I have some room, I may throw in an insole to make them even better. If the sequins are not more your speed, these do come in black faux suede.

For the rest of my look, I went with a classic mock neck turtleneck. This one is great because it uses your body heat to keep yourself warm. I found these last year, and I have some more in my cart to stock up for this winter. This top goes up a XXL, which can fit up a 22. I wear a 18 and I am able to fit a XL. To keep the baddie vibes going, I went with my leather jacket from Fullbeaity and Rebecca Minkoff handbag.

Are you into dressing up for Halloween or are you about chilling at home enjoying the all day showing of Hocus Pocus? Sound off in the comments. Muah!!!

Ruffling Things Up

As a Fall aficionado, having a great sweater in your arsenal is key. When it comes to my sweaters, I love pieces that are fun, and functional. I have to be able to wear them with everything in my closet. While browsing Nordstrom, I stumbled across this cute striped sweater from Halogen. Halogen is Nordstrom’s brand that gives you contemporary items that you can wear to work and for play for straight & plus sizes. Over the years I have several different sweaters from them, and the quality is great. Do I or you need ruffled shoulder sweater? No- but look how cute it is. Now the sweater has a pleasant surprise- the sleeves are detachable. I can zip off the sleeves, and wear this as a shell underneath a blazer, or as a vest over a button up. A piece like this is definitely worth the money. Since this one is sold out, I’ve linked a different striped sweater that comes in plus.

I wanted to show how you can have fun with work wear, so I paired the sweater with this great faux suede skirt from Loft. Since their launch, I have purchased several items, and they all garner tons of compliments. I bought the skirt in a 18 since its lined, to make sure I have enough room in the hips. I love the skirt, but it is a little loose on my waist (nothing a tailor can’t fix). I will say that Loft Plus items give you ample room in the waist.

I decided to step a bit out of the box, so instead of wearing navy shoes, I went with with my white booties (also from Halogen). These are another great pair of booties to own because the heel makes them easy to walk in and white goes with everything. Unfortunately this boot is no longer available (which I am shocked by since it is a great boot, I figured it would come back in stock. I have linked similar styles in different heels heights so you can find your perfect white bootie under $50.

Well lovers, what do you think of my look? I think it’s a fun twist on classics. It incorporates color, but keeping the palette in the navy family, with pops of white and wine makes it totally wearable in any environment. What are some of the ways you are ruffling things up this fall? It could be anything- career, wardrobe, people…let me know below. Muah lovers!!!

Best High Waisted Skinnies Ever!

As promised, I wanted to work on a denim roundup and I was given some great suggestions on brands to try. The first one up, Charlotte Russe. They have been on my list to try for while, so when they reached out, I immediately asked for a pair of jeans. On their site, they have two types of high waisted jeans, the Refuge and the High Waisted Skinny. I went with the Refuge.

Now in denim, I wear a 16, but with Charlotte Russe being a junior plus brand, I sized up to a 18. The jean is a great addition to your closet. They are stretchy and made of a good weight. They were thick thigh friendly, and I was comfortable in these all day. These are definitely a true high waisted jean, and there was no roll down. I have encountered that some jeans are not a true high waist, or the jeans roll down throughout the day. Another pet peeve is when you get a pair of jeans and by the end of the day they stretch out and become slouchy. Not these. They passed all of my tests! Here’s the best part, denim is buy one get one for $12.50! You can get two pair of jeans for $50!! Can’t beat that deal.

With a great pair of black skinnies, you can wear anything, so I wanted to show some love to this great houndstooth moto. I’ve never shied away from a good moto, and in a plaid- this was a must have for me. Since I want to wear this deep into the season, I opted for a 3X so I can layer with a great chunky knit. It was nice warm day in NYC, so I opted for a cropped tee to show off the jeans. The best part, the jacket is on sale for $25!!!

With both of these pieces, I can create so many looks. Versatility is key these days. For example if you work in a more conservative office, the moto would look great with a pencil skirt. For date night, you can wear the moto with a pair of leather leggings. Heading to brunch, these jeans would look amazing with a sweater. There’s definitely no wrong way to wear these items.

Are you a fan of high waisted denim? Love to know yay or nay!! Later lovers!!!

*This post is sponsored by Charlotte Russe, but all opinions are my own.