TCF #OOTD

Can't believe how fast the TCF Style Expo came and went!! I am definitely going to do a roundup of the vendors I visited, goodies I bought, and share the runway action, but I received so many inquiries on what I wore, that I wanted to share this asap!

DAY 1 OF THE EXPO

I have been creating my own suiting of sorts, and this bomber/pant situation from Lane Bryant was the perfect look for Day 1. I fell immediately for these wide leg pants. I love the Allie fit, they just work for my body type. The wide waistband stays in place and accentuates my waist, and the length is perfect for my 5'5" frame. In the Allie I wear a size 18 which gives me enough room in the thighs without having a gaping waistband. For a fun twist, the matching jacket wasn't a blazer but a bomber. I am wearing a 18/20. 

Has anyone checked out Target's New Brand Wild Fable? If not, you should. It's an ode to all things 90's and I feel that there are pieces out there that a myriad of people would like. What's also great is that the brand carries plus and most of the plus is in stores! A couple week's back I tried on some pieces on my Instastories (are you following me on IG, if not, you need to). One of the items I picked up was this cute striped crop top. I am wearing a 2X, and its a great fit. Comfy, and stretchy! When it comes to florals, I always like to mix in some stripes or polka dots to keep it fun. It's also a very chic and easy way to mix prints. 

To finish out my look I went with my Steve Madden Debbie block heel shoes and my Fossil Finley bag. When walking around an expo, I went with a pair of shoes that I can wear for several hours without wanting to throw them out and run away in the other direction. Any shoe that I can wear for more than 5 hours is a keeper in my opinion. I wanted an easy going bag that can hold all my essentials without being bulky, and my Fossil Finley bag was perfect for the weekend. Cute, and comfy is the goal while checking out panels and talking it up to the vendors. For the party to celebrate Marie's 10 Year Anniversary, I rocked a cute pink maxi dress from Eloquii (which is on sale, so check it out before it's all gone).

DAY 2 OF THE EXPO

For the last day of the expo, I went with another suit, this time from Premme. I've had this suit in my closet since it launched earlier this summer, but I was waiting for the perfect time to wear it. The expo was it. This is sold out, but they should be dropping some new items completely worthy of being in your closet. With the suit being a pink plaid- a'la Cher from Clueless, I thought it would be cool to wear a mesh tee from Simply Be and matching bra from Elomi.

Elomi is one of my go to brands for bras. They make beautiful bras that accommodate a large bust. I am a 38K in their bra's so finding something that provides comfort, support, and looks great will keep me as a repeat customer. The Anushka  is a pretty pink and black lace bra. This style comes in a plunge style, but plunge bra's are not my speed so I am wearing the version that is more of a full coverage. 

I ended my look with some sneakers to give it a cool girl vibe. These are the Nike Blazer and I must say that they are the lightest, comfortable sneaker I own. Since I was running back and forth between panels and talking to vendors, these sneakers definitely came in handy.

Now that my #ootd's are out of the way, stay tuned to my recap of the expo, and 3 reasons why you need to attend! Later lovers!!

Etoile

My younger self would tell you suits are terrible and boring. They are for bank managers, and government officials. Now in my thirties, I view suits in a completely different way. They can mean business, but you can also have fun with them. There is no wrong way to wear a suit these days, and I am proving it by rocking an all white suit in a fun casual way. 

I am a blazer addict- they are a great way to spruce up a look without a lot of effort. I am wearing a tee shirt and shorts, but the blazer pulls everything together and makes it chic. The Bryant blazer from Lane Bryant has been my go to this year. They have made several different versions (ponte, lace sleeves, off the shoulder), and the fit it perfect. I wear a 18 or 20 in blazers due to my arms and chest, and these give you the room to move around. Nothing worse than feeling restrictive in your blazer. Since this one is lined, I went with a 20. I love the nautical vibes with the gold buttons. Even though this blazer is white, you will definitely see me in it way after summer is through. 

Suits can be fun just by adding items with cool detail, like these Allie Scallop Shorts. Suits can read serious, but with pairing the blazer with shorts with cool detailing it makes it casual. I have been a fan of the Allie since their debut last fall, and with them adding new silhouette's, there is an Allie for everyone. The waist band prevents gapping, and these are one of the most comfortable shorts I own. Wearing shorts this length for me was a no no when I was younger, but I am at a point in my life that why should I not wear something I like cause of what someone might say. These are my thighs, and these thick thighs are enjoying their summer in shorts, dresses, and whatever else I want. 

My collection of graphic tee's continue to grow with the addition of the Etoile tee from Asos. Etoile means star in French, and I feel quite Parisian in this outfit with my red lip and cool shades. Asos has so many cool items, and the Daisy Street brand has some gems. 

I ended out my look with my new sneaker of the summer, all white Nike Blazer low tops. My summer sneaker for the past two summers has been the Adidas Stan Smith, but when I went to get a new pair, they were sold out in my size. So when I was browsing Footlocker for another white sneaker these popped up on sale. They are extremely lightweight and they are very comfortable. Just to avoid a sold out situation, I may buy another pair for next summer...lol.

So lover's what do you think of my casual summer time look? 

Radiant Orchid

Purple has been definitely reflective in a lot of the Spring looks this season all due to the color of the year being Ultraviolet. When it comes to the purple family, I tend to stay away from the classic shade, but I am loving lavender, lilac, and my new favorite radiant orchid. 

The pink and fuchsia undertones makes this a shade that flatters all skin tones. It's definitely a color that can be paired with tons of other colors and will look amazing. Also, orchid colored makeup looks great against my skintone. I am wearing Yoshi from Colourpop and for $7 its a great liquid lipstick. 

To pay homage to this cool shade, I went with this great dress courtesy of Lane Bryant. This dress was from one of their Lane Style collections which is a curated group of on trend items. The Off the Shoulder dress was from one of their earlier collections dedicated to dresses, but with the weather in NYC not being the warmest, I waited until now to wear the dress. The material is made of a stretch cotton. Its great for warm days since its lightweight. I am wearing a size 18, and it has a stretchy waist which helps cinch you in. 

When Target announced that they were adding new brands to their assortment, I was curious, but not expecting much. Boy did they prove me wrong. Not only are the clothes amazing, but the shoe selection has stepped up as well. I have wide feet, so the options for cute and affordable wide shoes can be hard. I was already loving the A New Day collection from Target, but then they added wide width shoes, and now I am hooked. I am still rocking my block heels, and these orchid wide width pair called the Michaela from Target are a must have. First you can't go wrong with the price- they are $25, and they carry whole & half sizes in medium and wide widths, and with the heel being only 2.5 inches, I can wear these all day with ease. 

With all the monochromatic goodness going on, I wanted to add another pop of color by wearing my neon pineapple belt. This is a goodie from Eloquii last year. I soo wished they brought it back this season with different fruits because it was such a fun belt. For my accessories, I went with my tassel earrings from Sugarfix by Baublebar. 

Are you rocking more purple? Loving it, or still feel like it's not for you? Share below!

Getting Skinny With It

Now you know I'm a denim addict, so I had to try #TheNewSkinny from Lane Bryant. While I'm all about their boyfriend jeans, I wanted to give their new jeans a try. Finding a good pair of skinny jeans at times can be hard. Some of my struggles with skinny jeans is either the jean looks more like a straight leg jean, it's too long or it stretches out. 

The New Skinny comes in several washes, and different hems. I am wearing the step hem in medium wash. I am wearing a size 16, and the jeans fit like a dream. The stretch in these are definitely different than the jeans they carried before, and the recovery is on point. I wore these all day, and with me sitting and then standing, I didn't feel that droop. If you are not familiar to what I am talking about, it's when you are sitting or moving for a while and then jeans stretch out. I love that they come up a little higher on me so that I was able to tie my shirt. I love the seam down the leg and the step hem. 

Since I am wearing a twist on the classic skinny jean, I figured I should wear a twist on the classic button up. I love the flounce sleeves on this striped top. Lane Bryant button up's have been a go to of mines for the past year or so all because of one little thing - extra buttons. When you are busty, wearing button ups can cause tug of war. Even when I sized up, I ended up somehow looking like the incredible hulk or the button would pop open. Their new button up's have a smaller hidden button in between to prevent such. Sometimes the smallest things make the most impact. 

I have been all about the slide life this summer. I have been wearing slides and mules and will continue until there is snow on the ground. I first saw these at Lane Bryant's fall preview, and I had them on must have list. The heel height is perfect for all day wear and you can't go wrong with a shoe in navy. 

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Have you tried #thenewskinny yet? If not, well you are in luck, they are giving $15 off your purchase of a pair. With $15 off and their monthly coupon you can get a new wardrobe that you can wear now and well into fall. Well lovers, I'm off to enjoy the last days of summer. Muah!

Crazy Sexy Cool

Sexy these days for me is not always about wearing the highest of heels and the tightest dress. It's about wearing things that make you feel good which gives you that extra pep in your step. I will always be a tomboy at heart, but what I notice about my style is that I can mix feminine with masculine and make it look effortless. It's something about the juxtaposition of the two that speaks to me. 

Hey, how you doing? G is for Glamour and Griggs.

Lane Bryant's collaborations over the years has brought us some great fashion. So of course the latest between Glamour Magazine and Lane Bryant is no different. We are getting magazine-runway-streetstyle pieces in plus size and your girl is happy. The latest in their collaboration is all about athleisure. Thought to be a passing phase, athleisure has been going strong and shows no signs of slowing down. It went from just wearing your gym clothes as clothes to becoming a lifestyle. Sneakers that we wore growing up are back with a vengeance and we all can benefit from a break from our heels and still look good.

Yes, you rang??? 

This collection features pieces that you can mix and match to play off the fun vibe. My favorite piece from the collection is the Lena wide leg pant. As a big girl, we are told to stay away from white, and stripes. These are definitely not on the so called 'approved flattering' clothes for plus size women and I love it!!. I have always loved the thought of wearing a wider leg pant with a good pair of sneakers to give them more of a laid back vibe, but up until now I could not find the right wide leg pant. The wide leg on these allows me at 5'5" to wear them with sneakers or shoes depending on my mood. There is something about this stripe that just makes these pants super cool. They are lined, so I suggest sizing up to find your right fit (especially for my fellow #teamthickthighs). I am wearing a size 18 which still keeps them on the fitted side but in no way tight. 

 

I also picked up the G hoodie. I know that the G stands for Glamour but my last name starts with G so in my mind this jacket was made for me. Before my love of bombers, hoodies were my go to. They are great for layering. I wear mines under denim jackets, under vests, so many things. Back in the day hoodies massively oversized so wearing them with dresses and skirts were a no no. 

Now hoodies are long, short, cropped, fitted completely oversized, and just all around a piece that you can wear with everything. I definitely see myself wearing this hoodie to work with a button up, jeans, some cute flats with the sleeves rolled up. 

Becky and I enjoying this wonderful afternoon.

This season there has been a lot of great options in tops. You have cut-outs, off the shoulder, one shoulder, flare sleeves, lace, you name it, there is top like it. With the laid back vibe of the pants, I figured a cute cutout top can give me a little edge. Cut outs placed on the shoulders are a great option for those who want to show a little skin, but are not ready for an off the shoulder look, but to be honest, cutouts were a gateway to the off the shoulder tops for me. Another thing that I love about this top is the choker. Chokers have hit the big time, but I love the fact that this is an all in one item. You don't have to worry about additional accessories because you are all set when you wear this top. It's loose shape at the bottom is tummy friendly and with this length you can wear it with a nice pair of leggings, or tuck it into a full skirt. 

Stripes in my pants calls for stripes in my kicks, so my shoe of choice is the oh so classic Adidas Superstar. I love these sneakers. There is something about a fresh pair of sneakers on a gorgeous day in NYC. It just changes how you walk, how you feel. Lane Bryant is having a 40% off sale, so definitely check it out and get your Spring wardrobe ready. Spring is almost here (30 days and counting!!!), and I can't wait to share all the goodies that I have been waiting to break out. So lovers, what is your one item you are the most excited to wear this Spring???