So you’ve heard how some girls can go boy crazy? Well, in preparing for my cruise I went maxi crazy. I’ll level with you. I love a reason to shop… and my little ocean trek seemed the perfect reason to update my education on long beach friendly frocks.I scoured page upon page of flowing fashion and in doing so I noticed some major commonalities. Since sharing is caring, I’m spilling all the things I learned about this season’s sassiest maxi dress trends. It’s time to take fashion… TO THE MAX.
Kimono Realness
This plus size maxi style is perfect for the lady who wants a more modest, but still sizzling look. The kimono sleeves add a fresh take to the maxi, keeping your look fresh and far from dowdy. This Eloquii Kimono Sleeve Maxi is a great example, made of soft jersey and available in multiple colors.
Bright + Bare Shouldered
Bare shoulders and bold colors are continuing into the summer season. Choose a sassy print to create an even bigger statement, like this Michael Kors variation. Off the shoulder flounces add coverage for those uncomfortable baring their arms, while still allowing your shoulders to get their tan on. This mellow yellow treat is available at Macy’s.
Whimsical Pastels
Pastels can often be perceived as overly cutesy, but this season I am seeing all sorts of numbers that feel like Liza Frank grew up and started designing for adults. These whimsical styles are perfect for that sassy lady that’s not quite ready to give up her girly pastels, but also wants to feel grown up. This Rachel Roy dress at Nordstrom, was fashion love at first sight.
Boho Babe
It wouldn’t be summer with a little bohemian print in the mix. Look for all-over, colorful geometric prints that give the piece an earthy tribal feel. Tassel details and ties can add an extra punch while keeping the piece decidedly on trend. This plus size maxi from Target is every bohemian girls dream dress.
Scandinavian Floral
This summer’s florals remind me of when I lived in Scandinavia. The same blossoms that detail these dresses would decorate towels, linens and even furniture! I love the earthy traditional feeling these styles evoke. Paired with a breezy fit, these dress scream multi-cultural vacation chill. This example comes from JCPenney.
Comfy Crochet
Simple dresses are getting a handicraft touch with the incorporation of crotchet. The crochet touches elevate the dress by adding pattern and dimension to a basic silhouette. I love the simple yet casual elegance of this Avenue plus size maxi dress. The dress comes in three colors and I simply adore the peach shade.
Political Punch
Some people wear their heart on their sleeve, others where their political calls to action on their dress. This season brands have combined pop art designs with political calls to action. It’s a new way to make a fashion statement. I simply adore this plus size maxi from Modcloth for its ability to be as earth minded as it is tropically relevant.
Ruffled + Relaxed
Get in touch with you girly side by adding a little ruffle to your maxi. Front ruffles add a breezy feel to the bust while the maxi style clings every so slightly to your hips. This style is especially great for pear shapes. Made of a soft jersey fabric and and priced at under $20, this Forever21 maxi dress is too good a steal to pass up.
To Tie Dye For
Tie Dye has come back with a vengeance this season. The typical blue variations can be seen popping up left and right. However, to truly rock this trend, look for an unusual neck line and a unique color combination. This will make sure the dress feels decidedly now, rather than just another a 70s style rehash. I like this bold maxi dress from BooHoo.
Striped Surprise
Stripes have been everywhere this season and even I have fallen victim to their rebellious charms. After years of being told, ” no, no that’s not for you,” it seems like the plus community has raised a giant middle finger to the expected norms and begun creating amazing striped pieces. This stunning ASOS patchwork striped maxi dress takes the trend one step further by piecing rosy stripes into a truly eye catching piece.
Sea Glass Goddess
Lastly, there seems to be an infusion of washed out jewel tones. To me these dresses are like little reflections of water worn glass- stunning variations of their bright original colors. Washed out hues tend to scare most people because we don’t see them as often. But fear not! These colors have the magical ability to perfectly highlight tan skin. I like this example from Torrid; The simple neckline and accentuated waist line add structure and elegance to this beach glass beauty.
On some links I earn affiliate commissions that help support my blog.
Everybody get your hands ready because we are about to drop an amazing rough of applause for @Mariiagiimena! Maria, is Torrid’s 2017 model search winner and the new face of the brand for this year. You can watch her amazing journey below and celebrate another woman kicking ass and making their dreams come true. Those are the types of stories we should celebrate more.
As Maria steps into her new role, I felt I should offer my expert model advice. I am obviously ver ver experienced from my 2-3 professional photo shoots and am obviously the best and only one fit to give her such critical advice. Maria, listen up. These words are going to be life changing.
Two Words: Leaf Blower. Make sure your hair stylist has a leaf blower and awkwardly crouches delicately underneath you at all times. AT ALL TIMES, MARIA! This is how Geo gets her perfect breeze blown coif and you can and will have it to.
Bring a big bag. Word to the wise. There is excellent candy in craft services and you’re going to want to take that ish home. Who doesn’t want to wake up to a purse filled to the brim with Swedish fish and snickers minis? No one. That’s basically the culmination of all my dreams coming true right there.
Announce to everyone that you are a model. Because now you are, Maria. You’re a cat walk killer… a powerful print princess… a bodacious billboard babe. You’re kind of a big deal. Maybe it will get you free cheesy fries. And we all know cheesy fries are worth any embarrassment blatant self-promotion might create.
Lean against things. One thing I observed while watching top models at my Torrid shoot is that they were always leaning on things. Cool people lean on things. Models are cool. Therefor you need to lean on things. It’s required. It’s your duty. See photo for a suggested lean to master.
Do You. Be yourself, have fun and most of all- go out and celebrate. You just killed the damn thing and that means screw the prosecco, you deserve that Champaign lifestyle.
Welcome to the Torrid family, Maria! I can’t wait to be surrounded by your smiling sassy face while spending all my money on pretty things. It will be like BOOM! Maria’s lounging in lingerie. BANG! Maria’s acting up in active wear. BLAMO! Maria’s keep it real in casuals. Dreams come true, Maria. Dreams come true.
So I kind of decided this week all my future jackets will be faux fur, because wearing them is like wearing a cloak of teddy bear love. I actually loved them so much that for the last look I got stuck between two vests, before choosing one for the look book. So I’ve decided to provide a little round up of all the affordable plus size faux furs I got my beady eyes on. Because like Pokemon I want them, I want them all.
As an FYI, both furs I am wearing here are shown in the options below. Most of the below furs cost $75 or less, some are as cheap as $15! There is 100% an option for every fashion obsessed lady killer at every budget!
In My Shopping Cart Right Now
So let’s start with the furs in my shopping cart right now. Because I can never have enough of this stuff. In fact, before finishing this post I purchased one- can you guess which one is starting a new life at the house of Glitter?
Classic Plus Size Faux Furs
If you are buying your first faux fur, I’s start with a basic staple piece you can wear again and again. I love the styles below for their timeless relevance.
Fun & Funky Plus Size Faux Furs
Have you graduated from the house of fur basics? Step up your fuzz game by rocking one of these quirky and bold faux furs.
Plus Size Items Trimmed in Faux Fur
A little nervous to take the full fur plunge? Check out these amazing items sprinkled with fur for a more subdued look.
On some of the above links I earn affiliate commission. This helps support my blog, but does not influence what products I select to showcase.
I posted a video on YouTube about plus size sizing, where I showed 4 pairs of jeans, all different sizes that all fit me. I mainly addressed Plus Size sizing in this video, because well I don’t know much (if anything) about straight sizes. After an overwhelming display of comments from straight sized girls saying this was also an issue for them, I decided I wanted to do some investigation. I decided to explore sizing through two stages of analysis:
Compare various size charts to see what stated variance there was for a sizes between stores
Compare those measurements to actual products in store and see how much they differed
This is part one of that analysis and will be followed by part two next week. In this part of the investigation I analyzed the actual size charts provided by 12 major straight sized brands and 12 major plus brands. I tried to include several stores that had both plus and straight sized lines to see if there were any unusual differences. Let’s see the results.
Size 8 size charts plotted for 12 major brands. Data collected Sept 18, 2016
Size 20 size charts plotted for 12 major brands. Data collected Sept 18, 2016
I think it’s fairly easy to see right off the bat, that plus size size charts were significantly more varied when compared with the non-plus sizing. In order to make this difference a little more clear, I created a chart showing just the variance (smallest potential measurement subtracted from the largest) for each size. Plus sizing had a variance of 6,6.5, 6.7 for bust, waist and hips respectfully. The size 8 measurement variance of 5.5, 2.5, 3 for the same areas.
For straight sizing, the only significant variance is in the bust measurement. This makes sense as some brands are likely targeting a younger, less well- endowed target market. However, the variance is extreme for each of the plus measurements- with the hips toting a nearly 7 inch difference in measurement between the brands with the largest and smallest measurement.
The lowest, highest and average measurement for a size 8 and a size 20. Data collected Sept 18, 2016.
The chart above provides further clarity about a few things about both the size 20 and size 8 variance and helps us better understand why the variance occurs. In the size 8 lines we can see the average lines matches more closely with the high measurement for both bust and hips. On the other hand, we see the average line aligns better with the low line on the waist measurement. What does this mean? In each of the measured category (bust, waist and hips) there is likely one to two brands with outlier measurements. What’s an outlier? It’s basically a fancy numbers way for saying an out of the ordinary occurrence. Like me, I’m probably an outlier. So in short, these outliers creates a greater variance than generally exists in the market place. So in short, thestraight size charts vary much less if we were to remove those pesky outliers (Asos + Forver 21). Plus, and this is just for those super data nerds out there, the median and mode which fell inline with the average, ensuring those pesky outliers were not in fact also skewing the average.
Notice how the average for the plus size brands sits right smack damn in the middle? It’s because the variance is real. When we reference the chart previously shared of each individual brands sizing we can see huge amounts of visual space between every line. The scale of the variance isn’t inflated, it’s the reality.
The difference between a size 8 and size 20 in inches for each retailer that offer both plus and straight sized clothes. Data collected Sept 18, 2016.
So then I took a deeper look into the stores that offered both plus and regular lines, how did they compare? Big shocker here but some of the brands had variance that was just too consistent for words. Meaning for plus size clothing they have simply taken a size 8, added a uniform amount of inches to each measurement, and declared it fit for a plus size women. In fashion this practice is called grading. However past a size 8 plus women do not gain weight uniformly, so grading a size 8 to a 20? That’s kind of a no-no. Most plus brands use size 18 fit models to establish sizing, so they are grading the product from a size relatively close to the actual wearer. Asos, Old Navy, and Modcloth while I love your designs, grading a size 8 to a size 20 isn’t just ridiculous, it’s disappointing.
So what does this mean? Plus size clothing is designed with a greater scale of variance than straight size clothing. Some of this variance may be a result of brands who offer both plus and straight size clothing grading up, instead of fitting and sizing off of a plus model’s measurements.
However what remains to be seen is if this variance is actually translated into the physical clothes themselves. How consistently are clothes made against these measurements? Do these size charts really hold up? There are so many interesting and valuable questions left unanswered. So this weekend I am going to the mall to hand measure several size 8s and size 20s from a few retailers. And I’ll analyze those measurements to see how they stack up against sizing charts. I’ll share the methodology, process and results of that analysis next Monday. I have this sneaky feeling that these measurements are going to explain the real reason why every body is frustrated about sizing when buying clothes.
There’s no doubt in my mind that living in Texas as a plus size woman Texas has reignited my passion for denim. I just want to be clad in a cornucopia of jeans, drizzled in delicious denims, and deck out in dungarees. It’s versatile, comfortable and reliable. So when I saw this season that denim on denim was a trend, I leaped for joy.
This fall denim isn’t just around, it’s rocking the main stage. It’s denim or denim on denim with a touch of denim. I couldn’t be happier. I’ve seen a resurgence of the oversized, zip up denim work suit, pieced denim dresses, and amazingly reconstructed jeans. Gimme Gimme. But as a Texan, I couldn’t be more excited that the Texas tuxedo is really the star of this catwalk trend.
Rocking this trend is pretty simple. Denim pants, denim shirt and a denim jacket are what this honky tonk tuxedo are all about. But to truly nail this look, consider varying the shades of denims you use.
The denims should contrast, the Texas tuxedo is not about being monochromatic. That’s another trend and so last season. So look for denims in a similar color palate. However avoid denims that contrast too much as this can be jarring and make the look lack cohesiveness.
An easy way is to look for the same hue of denim, but in different washes. For example , all three pieces in this look are a light color- except the jeans have a traditional blue wash,the shirt a more modern gray wash, and finally the jacket’s wash has a slight greenish hue to it. Instant contrast baby! Add a pop of color with a bold bandana and you’re ready to bring the rodeo to rodeo drive.
Want to rock this look? Check out these items from Torrid I used to create this style:
So the 90s were awesome and I 100% support any touches of their style flair Ive seen creeping into fall wardrobes. My personal favorite? Dress over shirts. The easiest of these flourishes to rock being, pairing a summer swing dress over a turtle neck to create an adorable fall look that no one can argue is out of season.
One of the main reasons this looks so fresh is the child like concept making a nod to that saved by the bell fashion favorite, but the more structured layers saying- ” Hold up I’m an adult now. I got this.” Want to make a style flash back? For a more casual look, you can try rocking a more informal variation by wearing ringer t-shirt under a strappy summer sundress.
Another key fall trend is purses you wear.. yup bring back those fanny packs. The trend is actually much larger than just that. Models this season were wearing purses as necklaces, anklets and capes. Many of these bold stunners aren’t practical, but an upscale fanny pack has the right flair to acknowledge this fashion time while at the same time not being too out there or conceptual. This isn’t a trend, but let me give a shout out to brogues. Ladies if you don’t own a pair, you should. This is the one style of shoes I’ve seen endure years of love and always remains relevant. Brogues are darn comfortable, can be a little edgy and just awesome. Invest in a pair, they’re worth it.
Want to rock this look? First explore your closet, that’s what I did. Many of these pieces are items I’ve loved and worn many times before. That said, if you’re in need of a few of these pieces, here’s some items to help you rock this
Leather waist bag: Etsy is a treasure trove for such things, and most designers will custom make it for you regardless of your waist size. These particular mini waist bags caught my eye.
Check out parts one, two, and three of this series for more plus size fall fashion inspiration!
So you’ve heard how some girls can go boy crazy? Well, in preparing for my cruise I went maxi crazy. I’ll level with you. I love a reason to shop… and my little ocean trek seemed the perfect reason to update my education on long beach friendly frocks.I scoured page upon page of flowing fashion and in doing so I noticed some major commonalities. Since sharing is caring, I’m spilling all the things I learned about this season’s sassiest maxi dress trends. It’s time to take fashion… TO THE MAX.
Bare shoulders and bold colors are continuing into the summer season. Choose a sassy print to create an even bigger statement, like this Michael Kors variation. Off the shoulder flounces add coverage for those uncomfortable baring their arms, while still allowing your shoulders to get their tan on. This mellow yellow treat is available at Macy’s.
Everybody get your hands ready because we are about to drop an amazing rough of applause for 
So I kind of decided this week all my future jackets will be faux fur, because wearing them is like wearing a cloak of teddy bear love. I actually loved them so much that for the last look I got stuck between two vests, before choosing one for the look book. So I’ve decided to provide a little round up of all the affordable plus size faux furs I got my beady eyes on. Because like Pokemon I want them, I want them all.
There’s no doubt in my mind that living in Texas as a plus size woman Texas has reignited my passion for denim. I just want to be clad in a cornucopia of jeans, drizzled in delicious denims, and deck out in dungarees. It’s versatile, comfortable and reliable. So when I saw this season that denim on denim was a trend, I leaped for joy.
This fall denim isn’t just around, it’s rocking the main stage. It’s denim or denim on denim with a touch of denim. I couldn’t be happier. I’ve seen a resurgence of the oversized, zip up denim work suit, pieced denim dresses, and amazingly reconstructed jeans. Gimme Gimme. But as a Texan, I couldn’t be more excited that the Texas tuxedo is really the star of this catwalk trend.
Rocking this trend is pretty simple. Denim pants, denim shirt and a denim jacket are what this honky tonk tuxedo are all about. But to truly nail this look, consider varying the shades of denims you use.
The denims should contrast, the Texas tuxedo is not about being monochromatic. That’s another trend and so last season. So look for denims in a similar color palate. However avoid denims that contrast too much as this can be jarring and make the look lack cohesiveness.
An easy way is to look for the same hue of denim, but in different washes. For example , all three pieces in this look are a light color- except the jeans have a traditional blue wash,the shirt a more modern gray wash, and finally the jacket’s wash has a slight greenish hue to it. Instant contrast baby! Add a pop of color with a bold bandana and you’re ready to bring the rodeo to rodeo drive.
So the 90s were awesome and I 100% support any touches of their style flair Ive seen creeping into fall wardrobes. My personal favorite? Dress over shirts. The easiest of these flourishes to rock being, pairing a summer swing dress over a turtle neck to create an adorable fall look that no one can argue is out of season.
This isn’t a trend, but let me give a shout out to brogues. Ladies if you don’t own a pair, you should. This is the one style of shoes I’ve seen endure years of love and always remains relevant. Brogues are darn comfortable, can be a little edgy and just awesome. Invest in a pair, they’re worth it.
Photos taken by the awesome
