The world of plus size fashion is making an important transition: bringing the runway to the everyday woman with curves. Since the majority of you who took my personal style quiz came out on the high side of “Fierce,” here are seven perfectly bold trends for you to...Rock Right NOW!
Runway to Everyday
Shopping Event: Ashley Stewart's Grand Re-opening in Harlem
If you've ever wished you had a stylist to help you shop for the perfect outfit, then this is your chance with me...The Curvy Stylist. It's your time to shine from the inside out! Plus Model AsiaMonet will share tips to help you look as confident as she does in her Ashley Stewart campaign ads.
So, join us for this very special shopping event at the newly renovated Ashley Stewart store in Harlem on 125th Street near Adam Clayton Powell. (Free style consultation and Facebook photo with purchase.) You are going to love the new floor plan and fabulous upper level. On a recent visit I was truly impressed with their new holiday collection! Can't wait to help you find the very best look for the holidays.
Let's get this party started now! Take my style questionnaire, count up your answers and bring your results to the store.
runway to the everyday: mixed seasoning
"A woman must have body attitude."
- Eunice Johnson, founder EBONY Fashion Fair
l love to flip the runway to the everyday for curvy women who need a little style inspiration. This week I was inspired by this editorial in a past issue of Vogue to put together this "wear to work" look available at Lane Bryant's New York Flagship or at www.lanebryant.com.
Okay, let me first get on my soapbox....
All women, including plus sizes, want to feel we can look extraordinary, like the women in fashion magazines. Commercials and talk shows give us plus size women who feel trapped in their bodies and unable to live their dreams. This message is so misleading. Contrary to what is seen in the mainstream media, 67% of the population of women in this country are a size 14 or larger...Plus Size.
I started to wonder...If the majority of the women in this country are plus size, doesn't it stand to reason that we are doing a heck of a lot more than waiting to lose weight before we can truly participate in life. O-M-G! We are judges, elected officials, designers, stylists, businesswomen and so much more. We are WORKING IT!!!!
...stepping down off my soapbox.
This pinstripe suit jacket and pencil skirt is cut to compliment your curves and comes in sizes up to 28. There is lots of stretch in the fabric and vertical stripes are our streamlining friends. Don't think you can wear a pencil skirt?
Click here to check out my tips for wearing one on ivillage.com.
The beauty is in the styling. Wave bye-bye to looking boxy and frumpy in your suit jackets. Don't think you're hiding anything either. Show off your curvy assets by cinching in that suit jacket with a skinny belt. My tip? Put on the belt where you think it should go and then slip it up just a bit higher toward the narrowest part under your rib cage which enhances the appearance of curves, even if you don't have any. Okay I took a little creative license with the colorful bangles but the rings and satin flower pin complete the look. All accessories are available at Lane Bryant too. Scrunch up your sleeves a bit and work it!
I must admit this is not my favorite time to shop. It's still so cold outside and the stores are stocking their shelves with ice cream colored clothes candy that give you a craving for the warmth that just isn't coming fast enough. To appease myself I often have a spring fling: mix some of the new spring items with my cold weather wardrobe. Mixing patterns is a fun trend that can help you do a spring fling with style. In this case I paired LB's new floral blouse with the pinstripe suit, and the black straw fedora I bought for $2 from a church flea market in Harlem. Cute, huh?
Did you know Lane Bryant had such trendy and edgy shoes? These strappy zipper platform heels made me feel like spring while the charcoal gray tights made me not feel foolish in the cold weather. Black tights would be fine but the gray just felt so chic, like the looks I've seen in the magazines. (And don't you forget to take the tag off the bottom of your shoes after you buy them...that's just tacky, girl.)
That's all for now. You better WORK curvy girls!
runway to the everday: coco for curves
"How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone."
- Coco Chanel
I love to flip the runway to the everyday for curvy women who need a little style inspiration. I was inspired to put together this look for my first look available at Lane Bryant's New York Flagship or at www.lanebryant.com.
This week I'm obsessed with this chic Boucle Jacket with frayed trimming. I couldn't stop thinking about this Chanel ad I saw in W Magazine. "The traditional tweed Chanel suit with a nipped-at-the-waist cardigan jacket remains one of the most popular—and most copied—fashion staples," says nymag.com.
This fabulous LB pale grey top caught my eye too. I didn't expect it to feel so comfortable to wear. It's basically a cotton stretch tank top with a chiffon overlay and paillettes or sequins. It really can stand on its own with jeans for a cute first date look, but I love how the silver paillettes (discs) make a jewelry statement under this jacket. I paired the jacket with a beautiful Right Fit Wide Leg Pant. These are my favorite pants and they look great on most everyBODY's curves.
These new Cut Out Strap Peep Toe Heels and grey socks are from Lane Bryant. The runway inspired this trend. Socks are now a chic and more sensible way to wear your peep toes sandals when it's cold outside, and keep your toes toasty. Just make sure you don't stretch out your shoes. I was okay because all of LB's shoes are wide width.
The right accessories always pull a look together - My own patent and matte long leather gloves that I found at The Brownstone boutique in Harlem; in honor of Coco's beloved France I wore a black beret. Lane Bryant has gorgeous jewelry. I picked out a luminous long strand of pearls, because what's a Chanel look without them, and added some blinged out bangles.
I know the real Coco Chanel was anything but curvy. In fact she's described as flat chested and thin hipped in one of my favorite books, "The Gospel According to Coco Chanel" by Karen Karbo. But I don't care, she made it possible for us to be Chanel chic.
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