Purple Reign: How to Royally Rock Velvet
So this weeks plus size outfit theme is velvet! Velvet has long been viewed as the royalist of fabrics. This is because it had 3 of the favorite attributes of the royal family- expensive, hard to make, and imported from a far far land (Cairo to be exact). Originally velvet was made of silk, but modern technology allows us more affordable options made from cotton and synthetic fabrics. So us plebs can now rock the royally renowned shroud like the everyday queens we are.
Today’s dress is a special type of velvet- called crushed velvet. Basically they take an iron and press the hell out of the dress in a variety of different ways leaving the velvet ” crushed” and super shiny. Obviously it’s ultra reflective so I love it. This dress is available from Club L on Asos. Swish swish glean swish. 
A dress like this is kind of a show stopper itself, but I live by the rhinestone creed which basically means when something shines- make it shine even more. More sparkles. More glitz. More light. So I added a lovely necklace gifted to me by an old boss that is basically the jewelry equivalent of a disco ball. Shine bright like a diamond I shall.
I believe in flats. I don’t think you need to have the perfect heels with a dress this bold. So I paired this look with my favorite basic flat. It comes from a collaboration Target did with Sam & Libby. Amazingly there are still pairs available. I am actually in the process of purchasing some back ups for when the two pairs I already have bite the dust. I wear these darlings so much- it’s worth it.
The coat is a staple from last years closet and just ties the black color in through the outfit. The mini buns, they felt like a nice reference back to the 90s when velvet was on top of the fashion hit list. Lastly I am rocking my favorite bangles to add just a little nod back to that so much of a statement necklace.
Some days you just want to look like a 1960s bombshell. And for those days, this is the the outfit. Or as the cool kids say THE outfit. They go on and accentuate things and then something that’s called “a dab” where they stick there elbow to their forehead. I don’t get it. Enough about cool kids, lets focus on the clothes.
This raspberry cardigan makes what could be a pretty run of the mill outfit a show stopper. The bright color brings out the warmth in my face and adds a playful flirtation to the look. With a few buttons undone at the top and the added belt I created the illusion that I have the perfect hourglass shape.
I could pretty much talk for about an hour about what this skirt does for my butt. It’s made of a magical material that somehow gives it the perfect curve and I feel like I am going to close on both a merger and an expensive date at the fanciest restaurant in town with a good-hearted financier named Carl. I love how covered up and yet super sexy this look is. You don’t have to be naked to flaunt your curves.
This look is easy achieve using staples in your wardrobe. Pair a pencil skirt with a blouse that has visual interest- like a ruffle or a fun pattern- and top with a bright cardigan of your choice. If you want to accentuate your figure, add a belt. There you go, instant office bombshell.
Want to recreate this exact look, because you just HAVE to have it? Item details below are here to help you out!
I am so proud of this look because I made this jacket. Did you hear me? I MADE THIS JACKET!! And by made I mean like dip dyed it and sewed a million and one tiny sparkly butterfly patches to it’s back. So call me the Martha who rocked Stewart’s world. The Joann who upgraded her fabrics. The Hobby that got lobbied into a full force fashion trend. I have never been more proud of myself. I am a craft queen, and this denim jacket is my portable thrown.
Also the technological whimsy of this room has a most excellent backstory. See we were out hunting for a space to take some snappy snaps, and the lighting options were grim. Everything was look absolutely terrible. So just as we had given up we discovered this hidden, tucked away mystery space in my building. Littered with someones left over lunch, a giant soda, and crumpled baby ruth wrapper, all I could see if that the light was some how perfect. In the words of the almighty Tim Gunn, we were going to use this ragtag space and make it work.
And with the internet of the entire building clutched between my freshly styled hands I modeled the hell out of that crawl space. After reviewing the first few photos, we knew the discovery was serendipitous. This outfit was unusual and the quirky retro vibe of the room suited it. Neither the closet nor the look was your standard fare and they belonged together- like the two big lovely unexpected fantastic weirdos they were.
It’s funny because I found this look almost the same way I found the place we shot the photos. My original styling hadn’t panned out, and forced with a situation where I just had to made it work. I approached my closet like a 5 year old approaches their dress up box. I put everything and anything on until I felt beautiful. The moment I donned yellow top and scarf and added the jacket I knew I had stumbled on something special.
Want to rock this look? To nab this cranberry inspired plus size outfit check out the items below:
Today’s fruity plus size outfit inspiration is plucked fresh from the vine and ready for your fashion tastebuds to explore. This sassy and currant look gives a purple punch to the day, with rebellious undertones and an artsy flair.
I like taking inspiration from life when I plan outfits. Instead of trying to dress up like the celebrity do jour, I think about what faces me that day. So for example, if I need to be creative I’ll make sure my outfit is inspiring. If I need to be professional, my look will be reaffirming. If I need to feel sexy, my threads are my fashion pheromones. Every day I think about what I need to be, and my clothing supports me in my journey.
As soon as I opened this rich currant peasant blouse from Ellos, I knew I wanted to do an plus size outfit that riffed on the beatnik scene of the 60s. The shirt spoke to me of injustice and rich, dark coffee. It spoke to me of Jack Karouac conversations and the down trodden misunderstood youth of the world. One could argue the millennial perspective is just a re-envisioned display of gritty exploratory nature of our parents/grandparents generation’s subculture. Whoa, I am rocking some deep thoughts this Tuesday morning. Deep. 
I may have never said this before, but every girl should own a statement vest. I was so pleased the camera actually captured the chiffony, semi-opaque realness this vest boasts. It provides a nice peak of not only the the bold grafitti prints pants but also the berry beautiful blouse below. The seaming provides a nice visual interests that elevates the look.
Just a reminder to tag your instagram and twitter posts rocking this week’s berry beautiful theme with #lazersquad. I’ll be featuring some of my favorites next week. Want to rock this look? Here’s where you can find all the pieces featured in this style.
I am really excited because I came up with a theme this week. Mostly because I needed something to help me keep focused in my posting. I seem to neglect this lil blog sometimes, and I am trying to be better about it. Please oh please forgive me? Anyways, back to this theme shenanigans. This week- is straight up juicy, berry juicy. I’ve been noticing all the amazing berry tones in the stores these days and I couldn’t help but riff on it for the week. So this week I’ll be rocking threads drenched with a lil tart berry pucker. Today I kick it all off with a little pomegranate (that’s kind of a berry, right?) promenade.
There is nothing that says fall more to me than an oversized duster sweater draped over a jersey dress. It’s the look of the season in my own humble opinion. Dusters allow us to transition and to begin the process of heat swaddling before packing on the extra thermal layers. Plus a good duster makes a sassy sexy dress feel work appropriate. The pomegranate lace up dress on it’s own is basically a man trap- catching all the men with the power of accentuated curves and exposed cleavage. However paired with the duster it becomes almost homey- still adorable and flattering- just more approachable and seemingly modest.
The length of the duster allows the dress to just peak out below. I have a special place in my heart for duster/dress combinations that fall this perfectly. Why can’t everything be this seemingly easy? Lets talk about why adore this peak a boo affect so much. The red dash at the bottom causes the eyes to really acknowledge the striped details in the sweater and creates comfort and cohesion for the brain. Too much and it seems disjointed, too little and it feels unresolved. This my chickadees, is a perfect amount of peak. The orange belt also offers visual comfort, making a subtle nod to another line of striping in the sweater.
You can find the 
