Prom is for Every Body

Prom season is upon us, and even though I never got the chance to go to prom, I can only imagine how hectic it can be trying to find the perfect dress for anyone. A lot of times, I hear plus size women and plus size girls talking about how hard it is to find formal dresses that really appeal to them. I was super excited when I came across Chastisty's  blogpost over on her blog about a project that she had worked on geared towards this exact issue.

Chasity is the blogger over at GarnerStyle, and teamed up with Cece of Plus Size Princess, blogger, Model and Fashion designer Allison McGevna and Alissa of Stylish Curves to create a video lookbook full of awesome ideas and beautiful formal wear looks courtesy of Modcloth and SimplyBe. Check out the video below:

She is also giving away four $100 Modcloth giftcards and one $200 SimplyBe giftcard so head over to her blog to enter the giveaway and get all the information on the looks from the video!

Barefoot Tess: Shoes Size 11+

Being a plus size girl, we already know the struggle to find great clothing at affordable prices... however, I have a double whammy in that I also wear size 11.5 or 12 shoes so I also have a hard time finding great shoes! Finding cute shoes that are also comfortable is hard enough, but finding cute comfy shoes past a size 10 is a whole other story.... But they do exist! Barefoot Tess is an online store that specializes in shoes size 11 to 15, in addition to wide width shoes. They also carry some designer brands such as Steve Madden, Nine west and Jeffrey Campbell. Whether you are looking for a great pump, playful summer wedges, classic flats, and everything else in between, Barefoot Tess has a few options for you to play around in! Below are some of my favorite picks:

 

Aren't they awesome! And theses are just a few of my picks... Make sure to head over to Barefoot Tess and pick your favorite shoes for whatever occasion!!

Short Hair + Lupita Nyong'o Inspiration

At the beginning of this year, I shaved my head.... and although I loved the short hair, I am starting to get a little frustrated. Tomorrow I have to go to the Leadership Awards Ceremony at my school which is pretty much like the Oscar's on a smaller scale (no kidding). I have the dress, I have the shoes, I have the accessories but I am stuck on one thing.... what do I do with my hair?!

Having a Teeny Weeny Afro (TWA, for short) can have it's struggles, but on top of that I have 4C hair (Kinky Coily hair). This limits me in what I can do to spice up my fro and not having that much length to work with doesn't help at all. After wallowing in my misery for a little bit, I got a bright idea.... who is the one natural girl who also happens to rock a TWA, who is rocking the entertainement industry? LUPITA NYONG'O!!!

After trolling the internet for a while, I found some amazing pictures of her that have left me quite inspired for tomorrow:

Isn't she beautiful!? I don't know what I am going to do yet, but it will definitely be one of these styles.

GabiFresh X SwimsuitsForAll - Round 2

Note: Image courtesy of Gabifresh.com

Gabi Gregg has done it again! She has teamed up with Swimsuits For all for a second time to create the ultimate Fatkini!

I don't know about you guys but I'm loving it! It is set to be available on April 16th and I know it is going to sell it in a matter of seconds.

What do you guys think? Are you feeling this bathing suit?

Boohoo Launches New Plus Size Collection

Boohoo entered the US market a little over a year ago, and since then I had quite a few friends that were raving about their products. They offer both menswear and women's clothing, and feature everything from dresses, shoes, accessories, coats and even onsies! The one thing they didn;t have though was bigger sizes.... but that is no longer the case. As of early March, they officially launched their plus size collection, and what a collection it is!

With all the bright colors, playful patterns, midi skirts, leather moto jackets, all white ensembles and jersey dresses, the collection is very much on trend for the spring! And what more, nothing is over $60!!!! if you are looking for great pieces for this coming season at an affordable price, I would definitely suggest boohoo.com as a one stop shop. In addition to this, they offer free shipping to the US and ship all over the world for pretty reasonable prices. T

Take a look at some of their pieces below:

All images courtesy of boohoo.com

Shop BOOHOO PLUS here... Let me know what some of your favorite pieces are!

Sip and Swap: The Curvy Edition

Oftentimes I hear women say that there aren't any events in the Boston area that cater to plus size women.... my response to that is LIES!!!!! You just need to know where to look and who to follow. From now on, I will be posting any upcoming curvy girl events right here on the blog so that you will always know what's popping in the Boston Curvy Girl World.

The first event that  am spotlighting is the Sip and Swap: Curvy Edition. This event was put together by Ty-Juana Flores, Boston's own curvy girl stylist. She is working with Your Desired Dream to put together a swapping event for Boston area curvaholics. This is an event that no curvy girl should miss! Check out the details below:

Date: Sunday, 26 January 2014

Time: 1pm - 4pm

Venue: Scholar's, 25 School Street, Boston, MA 02108

Here is a more in-depth description form their eventbrite website:

Bring your 12+ curvy apparel and lets get swapping!!

How It Works

• Please bring 5-10 carefully selected clothing items. if you are bringing coats please bring them on hangers IF possible. Sorry no accessories at this time.
• Give what you hope to receive: Think current and clean. The best items to bring are things you love but just happen to be too small, too short, too long, or no longer “fit” you in some way.
• Clothing should be in good to like-new condition: No holes, stains, missing buttons, broken zippers, etc.
• Vintage is okay but please mind quality control. Five seasons ago does not count as vintage…yet.
• If it’s been sitting in your closet with the tags on for over a month, bring it. Chances are you’re never going to wear something that’s been sitting there collecting dust.
• Only things in good condition (washed and/or ironed) should be welcome. 

Swap Day

Clothing Drop Off: 12noon-1:30pm ONLY. Style Your Curves and her team needs time to organize and lay your threads out for a great swapping experience. If you purchased a 12 + Swapper ticket and you have items to swap this would be your arrival time. 

Sip and Swap: 1:00-3:00pm. Enjoy mix and mingling with your fellow curvy colleagues over your complimentary cocktail and appetizers (for purchase). This is a perfect time to network, discuss wardrobe war stories and much more!

Swap Time: 3:00pm. Each 12+ Swapper has the chance to SHOP!! Detailed rules will be given before the swap begins.

The other great thing about this event is that all the clothing items that are not swapped will be donated to Dress for Success Boston. This is an organization that aims to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. So you could end up updating your wardrobe and also helping someone else do the same!

This is an event that no curvy girl should miss so make sure you head to the ticket site and purchase your tickets while you can! Make sure that you also head over and like Ty-Juana's Facebook page, Style your Curves because she posts updates about the event and trust me, you don't want to miss anything! It's also just pretty great page, lol...

I will be at the event as well so I hope to see a few of you readers, and if you can't make it, keep and eye out for my review of the event.

Stay Succulent!

2014 Style Resolutions

Last year was a great year for me, but I know 2014 is going to be AMAZING! I definitely found out a lot about myself and stepped out of my fashion box quite a bit.... but in 2014 I really want to push myself even further and explore my style and fashion sense. For that reason, I have decided not only to come up with my general resolutions, but to also come up with some style resolutions for this new year.

My resolutions may seem to cover a broad spectrum of things but that's just because for me, style not only refers to the clothes you wear, but encompasses a whole lot of things. From the way you style your hair, to the nail polish color you choose to wear to the accessories you use and how you use them.... but this is just how I define style.

I have already started working on one of my style resolutions, which was to take better care of my hair and figure out what works best for it. In an effort to start fresh and not to hinder my efforts, I decided to... 

SHAVE MY HEAD!!! Some of my friends think I look like a boy, and some say I look a lot younger now, but oh well. The choice was mine and I like it! Which is another one of my style resolutions..... 

Here is a list of some of my style resolutions:

• Buy cute gym clothes
• Get my eyebrows done regularly
• Invest in some good shape wear
• Wear more colors
• Experiment with patterns
• Take more pictures
• Shop somewhere new
• Buy a pair of running shoes
• Thrift more
• Invest in some amazing signature pieces
• Get my tragus pierced.... again
• Play around with length.... whether it be shorts, skirts, tops or dresses
• Do more with my nails
• Get more accessories, especially necklaces
• Wear actual pants.... not leggings
• Don't get scared away by the price, especially if it is a versatile or signature piece
• Practice accessorizing
• Believe that there are no rules
• If I can't find it, i will learn to DIY it!

I think my biggest style resolution that I think everyone should add to their list, no matter who they are, is to wear whatever you want and feel good in the process.

Did you come up with any style resolutions this year? Send me an email if you can think of any good ones that I should add to my list. Feel free to share them down below as well.... and remember:

Stay Succulent!

UNABASHED: Chardline Chanel Faiteau

This week, I am introducing a new segment!!!!! The segment will be called "Unabashed" and every week I will feature a plus size person who I think epitomizes the phrase "big and beautiful." Through this segment, I want to share with you some of the people who inspire me, and hopefully inspire you all in the process. I will feature everybody and anybody from bloggers, models, plus size industry prifessionals and even the girl next door! Inspiration comes from various sources, and you can be inspirational in many ways so there will be a wide variety of features... :-)

Now that I've introduced the segment, I would like to introduce my first feature, Chardline. She is one of the most inspirational people that I have met since moving to Boston. I don't care what anyone says, this girl is my best friend in my head, and i look up to her in so many ways. She is a 24 year young plus size fashion and health enthusiast who has been inspiring people through her amazing fitness journey.

She describes herself as a LIFE ENTHUSIAST who loves all the blessings that GOD has put in her life and, as a person who loves to encourage people to reach their fullest potential as well as find what makes THEM special.

Name: Chardline Chanel Faiteau
Location: Dorchester, MA
Occupation: Community Liasion fo Mayor’s Office.
Blog: Plus Size Beausion (www.chardline.com)

Follow me: @itsameechardio (twitter)
                    @fabulouslyfat2fit (instagram)
                     www.facebook.com/chardline



When and why did you start blogging?

I started blogging as a means to express my love for myself in 2011. At first it started out by self-hate and not being able to find ANYTHING to wear…but little by little I found myself growing to love myself and seeing myself in a light I never knew existed. Through finding fashionable clothing I saw that I was beautiful. Then I learned to embrace the IMMATERIAL. I saw that I was more than a pretty face and that when I chose what to wear, a piece of the joyful and effervescent person that I am shines through my style. Then I thought to myself, “if I am going through this struggle, I am sure there are other women who can benefit from this.” It was then Plus Size Beausion was born. I first started on Tumblr then in 2013 I went on to start publishing under www.chardline.com

What amazing experiences have you had because of blogging?

Networking. I love to meet woman like me from all over the world. From Brazil to Cali to right here in Boston I have met some AMAZING women! I’ve also met women who said that I’ve inspired them to come out of their shell. Hearing that was music to my soul because I remember a time when I lived in a shell and didn’t want to look at mirror. From aspiring models, to fashionistas, to health enthusiasts, it is always an adventure!

Who are your fashion icons?

My fashion Icons today are: Rihanna, Solange, Joie Fulani, Angel Wonder, Shainna Tucker, Tamara Wilson, Marilyn Monroe, Marcia Kim, Nadia Aboulhosn, Smallie, and Allison McGevna. They embrace all different types of fashion and I wish I could raid their closets in my size.

Favorite Trends for this season?

My favorite trend this season has to be black and white. I know…very plain BUT I’VE NEVER SEEN SO MUCH LIFE when they are combined. Add a little neon in there and you're good to go.

What new piece in your wardrobe are you most excited to style?

My friend Jeminatu is one of the founders of Afrik Inspired and she is making an outfit for me that I am ECSTATIC about from Ankara patterns. It will be neck tie, earrings, bangles, shorts, peplum skirt and scarf! I can’t wait to do it up!

 Favorite places to shop?

I don’t know if this list will ever end but my top 10 place would be:

• Thift Shops
• Etsy
• Ebay
• Fashion to Figure
• Wole
• Ose Uhseh
• Grandmother’s Closet
• Forever 21
• Instagram Boutiques (there’s at least 60 of them)
• TJ Maxx

What is your number 1 piece of advice when shopping?

If it doesn’t call to you, don’t buy it. I used to be a trend shopper. A trend shopper is someone who loves to shop by whatever is trending at the moment. EVEN IF I DIDN’T LIKE THE TREND I’D BUY IT. But now, I embrace all trends no matter what the season. Vintage has to be my favorite because they are timeless so ALWAYS TRY TO ADD SOME VINTAGE ITEMS TO THAT CLOSET!

So I know you started an amazing fitness journey. Could you tell us a bit about that?

Recently, the doctor told me that I was very unhealthy and that I was on the verge of getting diabetes and other weight related diseases. With the recent discovery of my grandmother’s heart failure, I chose to take back my health a step at a time. I researched different ways to try and get there and I am happy to say I am 40lbs down! I can run faster, breathe better, and I eat COMPLETELY DIFFERENT then how I used to eat. I exercise 6 times a week and LOVE IT! I actually fill incomplete when I am standing still!

What is your current favorite new healthy meal?

My favorite meal would have to be Salmon with Teriyaki Mango seasoning…Multigrain Mixed Veggie Medley and Red Quinoa.

What tips would you give for girls out there who want healthy curves?

Start small work your way up. Talk to people who are on their own journey. Or schedule an appointment to see a nutrionist. Eating is truly 70% of the battle. Make sure you double check all your research and write down EVERYTHING so that you don’t skip a beat and it will be easier for you to figure out why weight was gained or lost.

Any last minute words of inspiration?

Always find that one spark that induces SELF LOVE! Just because you want to lose weight, doesn’t mean you don’t love yourself or how you look IT JUST MEANS THAT YOU ARE TAKING TIME TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY THAT LOVE SO DEARLY! Also, don’t let someone tell you are ugly or you can’t dress that’s just a person imparting their insecurities about themselves in hopes that you’ll feel as nasty as they do! EMBRACE YOUR BEAUTY!!

Everyone needs to head over to Chardline's blog and check it out. She has some great fashion advice on there as well as ideas for whenever you are not sure where to look for certain clothing.

I hope you all enjoyed my first feature, and if you know anyone who deserves to be featured or if you would like to be featured, feel free to email me at forbiddenvanity@gmail.com with some pictures, a link to any websites as well as a short description.

Stay Succulent!