Plus Size Style- Everyday Bombshell

I had one of those moments a couple weeks ago where I realized that I'd completely forgotten about one of my favorite plus size retailers - City Chic.  I wore a lot of City Chic clothes after meeting their executive team at the Curvy Revolution back in 2010.  I liked the quality of the clothing, the fresh trendy styles and the fact that their sales are frequent and fantastic. 

And that's exactly how I came to add this pretty, emerald green dress to my wardrobe - on sale for $17.  And the best part?  Free shipping both ways, so shopping online with City Chic is a total no-brainer.  Love that. 

The Outfit:
Green ruffle dress- City Chic
Black cardigan - Avenue
Jeweled buckle belt - Gap Outlet
Teardrop necklace- Patinastores.com
Missoni-print flats- Report

Plus Size Style - Belts

Last week, I asked you guys to send me questions over Facebook, Twitter, email (wherever!  however!) that you'd like me to answer or topics you'd like me to address in upcoming YouTube videos.  I received lots of great ideas that I'll be incorporating into my YouTube channel, but had to pick one to get started.  So I went with the most popular question that was asked...How do I make belts work?  Here you go!



So...what are your thoughts?  How do you make belts work for you?  Where do you find great belts?

Plus Size Style- Everyday Bombshell

I'm wearing not one but TWO mythical, baseless -but -widely- accepted fashion taboos today...can you spot them?

Do I look like  a  taboo? 

No.  Of course not

 

 

Stripes on a plus size woman!  Mixing black and navy blue...the horror!  You know what?  It feels great to go against the grain.  Although I really have to wonder if many people still abide by those fashion "rules," anymore.  Do you?  If you don't follow these two "rules" - are there others that you just can't get yourself to break?

 



 

The Double Taboo Outfit:

Navy blue and red striped dress- Old Navy

Black leggings - Lane Bryant

Black kitten heels - Payless Shoe Source

Mixed metal necklace - gift from  Lane Bryant

Limoncello necklace- Lia Sophia

Crystal cocktail ring - gift from my friend, Jenn

Plus Size Style- Everyday Bombshell

I've said it before, and I'll say it again (probably every time I wear this dress...) but I hope you have something in your closet that makes you feel like POW!  Check me out, world!

I don't know why, but this dress is it for me.  Something about the way it fits over my curves without clinging...I don't know.  I also don't question it - I just enjoy the way I feel when I pull this baby on.

The Outfit:

POW-inducing dress- Avenue

Open cardigan - TJ Maxx

Pink skinny belt - Old Navy

Triple strand of pearls - QVC

Kitten heels - Payless

Plus Size Style- As Seen on Twin Cities Live

Happy Earth Day, everyone!  I hope you had a chance to show your appreciation for our wonderful planet in some way, today - whether it was taking an extra moment to recycle something, choosing to buy something made locally or grown organically, or sitting outside and enjoying what nature has to offer.  I celebrated with an appearance on Twin Cities Live, where I shared a few of my favorite beauty products that are committed to Earth-friendly ingredient and/or sustainable sourcing.

I wanted to wear something a little springier for the appearance, especially since we were talking about Earth Day...but with snow STILL falling here in St. Paul, it just felt a little unseasonal.  I know.  How is that possible? 

Anyway I chose to layer a striped tee shirt from Talbots underneath an Alfani Woman sheath dress.  Heavy metal acccessories, including a layered necklace from Lane Bryant and a bunch of bracelets, completed the look.   I'll be on again with the month...so let's pray I'll be wearing sandals and a few less layers next time! 

Plus Size Style - Everyday Bombshell

Today's outfit made me happy for two reasons.  First, I pulled this LucieLu dress out from under the best yesterday and was excited to wear it after a short hiatus.  I've owned the dress for a couple years and it got a little stale last summer.  So I stashed it under the bed...and when I pulled it on today, the dress felt like new.

Second, I really like the peplum trend that's cropping up everywhere.  It's really flattering on plus size figures because the peplum defines and enhances our natural curves.  I don't own anything with the peplum detail designed into it...so I decided to create the effect on my own.  Belting this cropped sweater did the trick. 

The Outfit:

Open cardigan - From TJ Maxx

Belt - Gap Outlet

Party dress- LucieLu

Black kitten heels - Payless

Limoncello necklace- Lia Sophia

Bangles - Karma boutiqe

Plus Size Style - Everyday Bombshell

I'm so happy the denim shirt trend is popular again this season.  I'm not sure how many seasons something has to be popular before it ceases being labeled a trend and is just kind of accepted as something that's universally and timelessly cool...but whatever.  I'll take it. 

I'm putting more effort into wearing heels instead of flats.

This pair will either make it or break today...it's their last test run

before heading to Goodwill.

I love the look of infinity scarves because I'm inept when it comes

to tying a scarf.  This, however, is just a standard scarf that I tied together

to create the illusion of an infinity.  Fashion DIY!

 

The Outfit

Denim button-down shirt- Talbots plus line

Black knit dress- Old Navy plus line

Jeweled belt - Gap Outlet

Strappy heels - Jessica London

Faux infinity scarf- Old Navy

Plus Size Style - Everyday Bombshell

I don't often make purchases that I'm not 100% sure about...but today's dress falls into that category.  When I ordered it online from Avenue, I was 90% sure I'd want to wear it on Valentine's Day.  When it arrived and I took it out of the package, that dropped down to 74%.  And when I tried the dress on?  It dropped to about 40%.  I, instead, wore something else.

The fabric is thin - you know what I'm talking about.  Every bump and lump and line shows in this sucker.  And I'm not one who willingly pulls on a pair of Spanx, especially for a dress that I got on super clearance.  The dress came with a belt that I would, typically, never even give a second glance.  It's black with gold hardware and some kind of tassle thingy. 

However, today I was standing in front of my closet - absolutely sick of everything I've worn all winter - when I realized that the dress needed to either earn its keep or quit taking up valuable hanger space.  I decided to wear it today and see how things go - tassled belt thingy and all. 

I'll let you know if the dress will be making its way back into the closet or into a bag bound for Goodwill.

How many chances do you give an article of clothing before giving up and moving on?

Oh, hiii leggings. 

Yep, the leggings phase continues on.



I've been wearing the heck out of these double drop earrings

that I picked up at Len in Minneapolis.

 

The Outfit:

Red dress and belt- Avenue.com

Gold bird necklace - Target

Teardrop earrings - Len

Leggings - Lane Bryant

Black kitten heels - Payless



Plus Size Style - Everyday Bombshell

Yesterday, I mentioned over email to my good friend, Stephanie, that I was wearing leggings.  She was aghast at my fashion decision...which really surprised me.  So I took to Twitter to find out what you guys think about leggings these days. 

The reactions were split between, "Yeah, I wear 'em.  Why?" to "No one under 8 should wear leggings!"

Clearly, I fall in the, "Yeah I wear 'em" camp.  I wear leggings for a couple of reasons. 

1. I like the way they look on me
2. At 6' tall, a lot of 'dresses' are more like tunics on me

I wear leggings, mostly, to work or other places where flashing a lot of thigh isn't appropriate.  Leggings bridge the gap between 'too bare' and pulling on a pair of tights - which (optimistically speaking!) are just about unseasonal.

 

So what do you think - do you wear leggings or do you leave them to the toddler-crowd?

 

The Outfit:

Black blazer - Talbots

Pink dress - Old Navy Plus

Leggings - Lane Bryant

Kitten heels - Payless

Triple strand necklace - Patina

 

Everyday Bombshell - Glam Glasses

*Links included in this post are sponsored by SmartBuyGlasses.com

I slipped on my first pair of glasses when I was in the 4^th grade, so I was about 9 years old.  I’d spent several months squinting at the chalkboard in my classroom and, when my teacher let my parents know about it, they realized I’d inherited my dad’s terrible eyesight. (Love you, Dad!)

We headed to the local spectacle shop where I picked out a sweet pair of semi-clear plastic frames.  The engulfed my entire face.  I thought they were sooo cool.  In fact, I was pretty convinced that my one-sided celebrity boyfriend, Joey McIntyre, was going to see me in them (How?  I can’t explain it.) and think I looked smarter and older.  Because that’s pretty much all I cared about in frames when I was 9.  That Joey McIntyre would like them.

Now,  I mostly wear glasses at home in my yoga pants.   That doesn’t mean, though, that I’ll wear just any old pair.  Oh no.  They must be cute. They must make me feel a little glam and look great with my pajamas. 

When I was 9, my face was round.  So, too, were my frames.  Not good.  Not something I want to revisit because, frankly, my face is still round.  I prefer frames that are longer than they are tall.  (I know, length versus width or height or something…Geometry was not my favorite class).  Basically, I want my face to look elongated from left to right.  Here’s what I mean:

I wasn't sure how to pose in my glasses...finger by face just felt right. 

Oooh, this time let's actually touch the frames!

All right, let's just take this one - no posey shenanigans.

I’ve tried on the cool, geek chic frames that are so popular among designer brands, celebrities and other bloggers.  They just don’t work for me.  Or maybe they remind me, a little too much, of my early days as an eye glasses wearer.  Either way – I love the look on other women but can’t see myself pulling it off.  I’ll stick with my basic formula and have fun choosing frames that go perfectly with my pajamas. 

As for sunglasses?  For some reason, I throw the whole "elongating face" thing out the window.  Which is strange, I know, since I wear my sunglasses waaay more often than glasses.  What can I say?  See previous comment about being fickle, I suppose. Anyway, these are my favorite sunglasses at the moment. 

This pair came in a swag bag I received 

at a fashion show three years ago. 

Picked this pair up at a gas station somewhere in Iowa.

I know a lot of you wear glasses - and most everyone wears sunglasses.  So let me know what you think about the selection process.  Do you have a set of rules or do you just go with what you think looks fun? 

As Seen on Twin Cities Live

After almost a year of doing this,I think I'm getting the hang of dressing for television.  There are a few guidelines that govern how I choose what to wear for my appearances as the Twin Cities Live Beauty Guru:

• Darker, more saturated colors - bright colors can look too warm on camera
• Fitted pieces - this is especially true with layers; less-fitted clothes look especially ill-proportioned on TV
• Large jewelry - dainty jewelry is virtually invisible on TV, so larger necklaces are my go-to

Last week, I did a follow-up segment on BB Creams.  The very first segment I did on TCL introduced the audience to the very first BB Creams on the market.  So I came back to talk about all the new BB's that are available now, and to share my thoughts on which are great and which are not.

 

The red dress that I wore is one of my favorites.  I bought it a few months ago at an Old Navy Outlet near the Twin Cities.  It's a little shorter than most of my dresses, so I usually pair it with dark tights - although this spring, I'll probably treat it more as a tunic and wear the dress over leggings.

 

The blazer is a piece I got from Talbots a couple years ago.  I don't wear it very often because I sometimes feel a little too buttoned up in blazers.  But I thought it added a polished feel to a somewhat whimsical, bird-patterned dress. 

 

The necklace is another favorite.  I bought it from mark a few years ago and love how sparkly it is.  

Plus Size Style- Everyday Bombshell

I can feel it, everyone....winter is on its way out. And to help it along its way, I've officially stopped wearing tights! I'll pull them back on if the temperatures plummet below 20 again, but (fingers crossed) that's not going to happen.   The necessity of layers isn't completely eradicated, of course.  Today, I traded in my ever-present long cardigan for a favorite striped tee shirt. 

 

I get compliments on this dress every time I wear it. 

This teardrop necklace has become one of my favorites -

I work it into an outfit whenever possible.

 

Have you begun the transition from winter to spring wardrobe? 

 

 

Outfit Details:

Dress- Avenue

Tee shirt- Talbots

Belt - Gap Outlet

Black pointy heels (cut off of the picture, of course!) - Payless

Necklace- Patina

Plus Size Style- Everyday Bombshell

It's a rare day that I work jeans into my plus size wardrobe.  I never feel completely like myself in jeans.  For one thing, honestly- I have long torso.  Which means that I, inevitably, have a sweet muffin top whenever I wear pants.  So that's a lot of fun.  But every once in a while, I want to try something different than my usual dress and tights uniform.  And this is how it turns out.

Not bad...just not me.

This pair of jeans is from Avenue.  I topped them with a tee shirt from Old Navy, a cardigan (with girly puffed sleeves) from Talbots, and a yellow scarf from Old Navy.  

These earrings were a Christmas gift from Most Ridic, from Patina here in St. Paul. 

I'm getting to the point in my life where experimentation is less exciting...and spending a whole day feeling unlike 'me' just isn't any fun.  How to find the balance between keeping my style from feeling stagnant and just not being myself...that's the question!

What's part of your everyday wardrobe?

As Seen on Twin Cities Live

I was back on the set of Twin Cities Live yesterday, this time to share a few of my favorite beauty-related pins from Pinterest.  It was one of the most fun hours I've spent there because the entire show was focused on shoes (they unveiled a pair that was created for Lady Gaga by a local shoe design collective - they looked so cool!), jewelry (Pandora came with a bunch of cute stuff...I always think all they have are those charm bracelets, but they actually have a lot more than that) and, of course beauty products (that would be me!).

Didn't hurt that the guest co-host for the day was Keri Noble, a local musician and radio personality.  I listen to her radio show every morning on my way into work, so it was fun to actually put a face to the voice.

I don't know anyone who doesn't love Pinterest...what are some of your favorite fashion or beauty pins?  Link to them in the comments section, or let me know which Pinners you follow.  

Lady Gaga's Shoes

This pair will be presented to her as a gift from the Excel Center, where she's performing here in St. Paul today.  The detail on these heels was amazing.  It looked like the bees were about to fly right off the shoe!  They were created by Hourglass Footwear, which handpaints heels for Gaga and regular gals like you and me.  

Pandora Jewelry

I'm not a fan of the signature Pandora charm bracelets, so I was really surprised to see that they carry so many other (really cute!) pieces of jewelry. The Stella necklace was one of my favorites - and they also have really pretty rings.

Everyday Bombshell - TCL Edition

Last Friday, I wore the cutest dress on Twin Cities Live.  It was sent to me by LucieLu, as a little preview of the springy designs to come, so it's not available for sale quite yet.  The dress is sleeveless, and a really flattering empire waist.  initially, I was uncertain whether or not the waist would hit at the right spot, or if it would be a little short and make me appear pregnant (which I am not).  Lo and behold - it fit my proportions perfectly.

To winterize this springy dress, I layered a black tee shirt and thick black tights underneath.  The necklace is an anchor pendant I bought from the Realia by Jen sample sale a few weeks ago.  This has become one of my favorite outfits, at the moment.

For some reason, Twin Cities Live hasn't updated their home page to include video of my segment on incorporating emerald green into your makeup bag.  I'll be on again tomorrow (Tues, Feb 5th) so hopefully I'll be able to share with you that segment.

Outfit Details:
Blush lace dress with gray accents- c/o LucieLu
Black scoopneck tee- Old Navy
Black tights - Avenue
Black pointy heels - Payless
Anchor pendant - Realia by Jen

Everyday Bombshell

I've been so into my long boyfriend cardigans that I kind of forgot about my once-favorite sailor-inspired cropped cardigan.  Hello, old friend.  Let's catch up again, shall we?

The Outfit:
Striped cardigan- Forever 21+
Silvia dress in jade - LucieLu
Gold skinny belt- Merona brand, Target
Blue teardrop necklace - Patina
Black tights- Avenue
Black ballet flats- Designershoes.com

Everyday Bombshell - TCL Outfit

I've gotten so many questions over Twitter, email and through the blog comments section asking, "Where did you get that dress?"  I think you'll be a little surprised to learn that the little black dress I wore on Twin Cities Live yesterday (in which I felt polished but peppy) is from...Old Navy's plus size line!

I took a risk and ordered a few dresses from their online only plus size collection, and was thrilled to all three dressed worked out.  So you'll see the other two in upcoming posts.

Usually, I cut off my shoes...this time, I lopped off the top of my head.

Winning!

I decided to add little touches of color, like the  yellow/green necklace

and bring pink lips. 

Outfit Details:

Black dress - Old Navy plus size (comes with a pink belt)

Purple skinny belt - came attached to another Old Navy dress that I bought (ok, it's this same dress in a different color!)

Triple strand necklace - Patina

Purple slingback heels - Jessica London

Lipstick - Covergirl LipPerfection in  Spellbound (my favorite)

Everyday Bombshell

Old Navy has been something of a gold mine for me, lately. I have three dresses on their way to me after a nice little online super-sale haul.  Then, I picked up this red dress with white birds on it at the Old Navy Outlet store in Medford, MN - and it's a new favorite.

I'm from Nebraska, where it's requirement of the state that you own at least three red articles of clothing (Go Big Red!)...so it's pretty amazing that this is the only true red piece in my wardrobe.  I love red!  Need more red!

The Outfit:
Black cardigan- Avenue
Red bird dress- Old Navy Outlet
Gold skinny belt- Target
Deco bib necklace- Macy's

Everyday Bombshell - New Year's Eve Edition

Happy New Year, Bombshells!  I hope you had a fun, safe New Year's Eve and celebrated in whatever way you enjoy.  Every year, Most Ridic and I celebrate with our close friends, Zach and Jackie.  Some years we go over to their house in jeans and tee shirts, cook dinner and hang out with their kids.  Other years, we'll dress up and go out for dinner and revelry.  This was a "dress up" year.

The jewelry I wore is a little different than what I normally would choose.  I was rummaging through the sale rack of jewelry at Macy's on the morning of New Year's Eve, wanting something new to wear but not wanting to splash out a ton of money on anything.  I came across the necklace first and immediately passed it over.  But...the $9 price tag had me giving me it a second glance.  I liked the 20's Deco feeling of the piece and decided to go for it.  I found the Deco-inspired bracelet on another rack for only $7.  Sold!  And a good lesson to open my eyes and choose something different once in a while!

The Outfit:
Cold Shoulder dress- Kiyonna (last season, no longer available)
Jewelry - Macy's
Red patent leather heels - BCBG

Bombshell Beauty & Most Ridic wish you a fabulous 2013!

Everyday Bombshell - Ugly Christmas Sweater

Ugly Christmas sweaters are as ubiquitous now (worn as a joke) as they were back in the 80's/early 90's (worn in all festive seriousness).  But that doesn't make it any less fun to pull one on and gather with friends.  Or co-workers, as I did during my office's Ugly Christmas Sweater Day.

I really enjoy working with a fun group of people who do silly things like this.  But you know...I didn't want to just throw on an ugly, shapeless sweater and call it a day.  Oh no.  I wanted to put a Bombshell spin on it.  And so - my take on the ugly Christmas sweater:

I paired my ugly sweater, which is really bulky, with a slim-fitting sheath dress. 

To help add a little shape to my shape, I belted the sweater. 

When accessorizing an over-accessorized sweater, I say more is more.

Big, chunky necklace + big dangly earrings and lots of bracelets. 

The Outfit:

Ugly sweater- Ragstock

Sheath dress- Alfani Woman

Pointy heels - Payless shoes

Earrings- Fred Flare

Medallion necklace- Forever 21

Cuff bracelet- Forever 21

Murano bead bracelets- Red Envelope