#48 Fashion Faux Paus & Happy New Year

I'm sorry to do it, but I am about to commit a major fashion blog faux pas: post the same outfit worn on a different day, within just a few weeks of one another. I absolutely love this wiggle dress that I bought from ASOS and I had to wear it to this 1920's party I went to on New Years Eve. It's a lot more Joan from Mad Men than '20s flapper, but it was the best I could do for our last minute NYE plans.

I love my new sparkly flats from Nine West. They are this beautiful iridescent glitter, full of dark blues, purples, and silver.

2012 was a challenging but exciting year.

I accomplished one of my lifelong dreams: I finally moved to NYC. I said goodbye to all my friends and family, and my amazing students who mean the world to me, my old school and all my wonderful coworkers, hopped in a Uhaul and moved to the Big Apple all by my lonesome.

It's been one of the hardest but also most exciting years of my life. It's been lonely sometimes, yet also filled with joy and love. I've seen much beauty but also darkness. However, no matter if I've been up or down, I have boundless gratitude for all the wonderful blessings in my life and there are many. Happy New Year!

#46 Wallflower

Oh... hey. I didn't see you there. Good to know you're still reading. Merry Christmas by the way. Remember that time I moved to New York and things were really hard and usually fun but especially hard? Remember that time I had a terrible situation with my landlord and four months after my move to NYC I had to move to a different apartment? Yeah, that was fun. Don't ask.

Excuses aside, it has been a very challenging first few months in NYC. I don't regret for a single second making the move from Ohio --> NYC. I love my job, my students, and the opportunity to experience new things, culture, art, and amazing food every day. But it isn't easy. Definitely not easy. Thanks to everyone who kept up with my little blog and asked about my whereabouts. You are awesome.

I wore the following outfit to a Holiday party for work. I'm obsessed with these ASOS line of wiggle dresses. They elegantly accentuate curves and you may know about my affinity for dresses with pockets. I'm not one for below the knee length dresses that aren't maxis, but there's something so classy and regal about it. I got a lot of comparison to Joan from Mad Men that night. Pardon the bags underneath my eyes-- these photos are not photoshopped and wow, it's been a challenging month.

DRESS Wallpaper Wiggle Dress, ASOS | BELT Golden Bug Belt, ASOS Curve | SHOES Red Suede Wedges, ALDO

Happy holidays & happy New Year!

#27 Namaste

I had a truly incredible inexperience this weekend... I got to go to my very first Indian Hindu/Christian wedding. The saris and the outfits: jaw dropping. You would not believe! I need to invest in a smaller camera to hide in my purse for fancier events (my giant Nikon wouldn't fit in a clutch!) so that I can take more photos to show you of the events I get to go to. Everyone from both sides of the family were so colorfully dressed and inclusive of everyone.

I had a blast dancing to Lil John and Indian pop, eating incredible Indian food and funfetti wedding cake, sipping on mango lassis, watching two bea-you-tee-ful ceremonies (Hindu and Christian), watching one of my favorite co-workers in a tradition Indian outfit riding in an Indian horse and carriage, and spending much of the day outside on one of the most beautiful days we've had all year, being a witness to two people uniting together who are very much in love. We definitely made some lifelong memories last night.

Although I wish I'd been able to wear a sari, I am pretty happy with this vintage reproductive dress I wore.

DRESS Alika Pencil Dress, Bettie Page Clothing | SHOES Leather Asymmetrical Wedges, Urban Outfitters | BRACELET Ribbon Crystal Bracelet, The Limited

I stole my hairstyle from a link on Little Chief Honey Bee's blog from the Oh So Pretty Diaries. Mine doesn't look is cute/neat in the picture, but for a 5 minute updo I'm pretty pleased with it. I also LOVE this dress! It comes in a pencil skirt and flared options, up to size 4X, and it also comes in red, black, navy, cream, and patterned. I definitely plan on getting another one, probably in navy or red. Gorgeous! One tip: the sleeves are pretty tight. If you have bigger arms like me, you might want to size up and then get it tailored if the rest of the body is too big.

Finally, I just want to say that a year ago I would have never worn this dress. You can definitely see my round belly in it and the sleeves really accentuate my bigger arms. After getting into plus sized fashion and reading so many beautiful blogs (special shout outs to Nicolette Mason, Gabi Gregg, Tiffany, Gazel, and Jay Miranda), I now have the confidence to wear what I want to wear, to shed self-hatred layer by layer, and I have learned to love myself more than I ever have, even when I was 50 lbs thinner. Thank you so much to all the bloggers out there, and for showing me what it really means to love yourself!

#25 Electric Prep

Allow me to make this metaphor: I think some colors are like new albums by your favorite artist. Sometimes at first, you aren't exactly loving it-- in fact, maybe you're not into at all. But, you decide to be patient and with each new listen, you find yourself understanding the intricacies and nuances of their new sound. Over time, as you listen and listen again, you slowly come to love their work.

That's exactly how I feel about acid/electric yellows and greens-- strong dislike at first, but over time, I'm coming to love the unusual acid tones that are currently very on trend. They come with a challenge because they aren't exactly flattering on all skin tones and hair colors, but I'm really into the way neon contrasts with my red hair. I think neons look especially gorgeous on women with beautiful dark cocoa skin-- something about how the colors come together is so breathtaking. Clearly, I am quite the opposite of beautiful dark cocoa; I'm more say... white chocolate.

 

 

SHIRT Acid Yellow Silk Button Up, Ann Taylor | SWEATER Honeydew Light Wool Sweater, Ann Taylor | JEANS Dark Skinnies, Eloquii | SHOES Men's Leather Sperrys, Vintage | BRACELET Ribbon Crystal Bracelet, The Limited

I know neon and neutral is not news but I love the contrast of the shirt with my brown Sperrys (which I got for $10 at a vintage store!). I also love the preppy look spiced up with neons-- I think it all plays really well off of my green glasses, too. Finally, I can't say it enough: I heart Ann Taylor. It's true. I used to think that it was a store that would age me, but they actually have some very trendy stuff in beautiful colors, which helps me be more stylish for work and still look youthful and fashionable. It doesn't hurt that they have 40% off sales all the time, too! I think there's one going on now, coupon code: April40. 

My favorite neon color right now will still be blue-- I have a similar shirt that is blue that I can't wait to show you (also from my love Ann Taylor). What about you? What's your favorite neon color this season?

#20 Dream Weaver

Long time, no outfit post! :) That's back-to-school life for me. And now that I'm no longer staying with my boyfriend, I rarely have an excellent photographer around. Thankfully, last weekend my friend Ellie and I shopped 'till we dropped, and luckily I was able to convince her to take a few shots of my outfit on top of the parking garage. Pardon the squinting... it was such a beautiful sunny day!

JACKET Rouched Sleeved Jacket, H&M | TOP Black Snakeskin Ballerina Tunic, Urban Outfitters | JEANS Black Skinny Jeans, Old Navy | SHOES Black Strappy Wedges, Target | NECKLACE Dream Catcher Necklace, Vintage | EARRINGS 7/16" Jade Plugs, Body Art Forms | PURSE Studded Metallic Clutch, Marc Jacobs

I love this necklace. It's such a huge statement piece and I think it really makes the outfit. I bought it at a vintage/thrift shop in New York City a few years ago. I rarely wear it, but ever since I've decided to try to wear more of what I own and buy less, it came back into my regular rotation. However, I always feel conflicted about "ethnic" pieces like these: is wearing them a celebration of a beautiful and rich culture, or simply exploiting an oppressed racial group? What do you think?

The wedges from Target are amazing, too. They are a blatant rip-off of Dolce Vita's wedges (which most likely are runway rip-offs), but they are so comfortable and only cost about $30. Sadly, as the weather seems to be getting cooler and cooler, this will probably be my last outfit post featuring open-toed shoes! On the other hand, I can't wait for fall fashion...

Finally, I really want to thank everyone who voted for me in the Talbots contest. Sadly, I didn't win, but I really appreciate everyone who took a few minutes out of their day to vote! Thank you so much!

#15 A Formal Affair

I love getting dressed up for formal galas and gatherings, though I rarely have the opportunity to do so. I always really look forward to putting on fancy dresses and gowns and the educator's gala I went to on Thursday evening was no exception. I love the vintage feel of my dress and was really trying to evoke Christina Hendricks in Mad Men. Did I succeed? :)

DRESS Green Ava Dress, Pin Up Girl Clothing | SHOES Black Patent Peep-Toe Pumps, Nine West | NECKLACE Garnet Heart & Gold, Vintage Jewelry | PURSE Studded Metallic Clutch, Marc Jacobs (not pictured)

I'm a bit frustrated that I forgot my Nikon D40, which takes much better quality photos than my regular point and shoot. The only problem is, a huge Nikon does not fit in a cute Marc Jacobs clutch. I'm not a huge fan of name brands or designers, although thanks to fashion blogs and to Gilt, I'm getting more and more interested in designer clothing. This Marc Jacobs bag was a gift from my dad's girlfriend and it's absolutely perfect. I love the gold and silver metallic combination, which means you can wear it with any jewelry. The studs add a rocker/bad girl flair that resembles my personality and it's the perfect size, not too big or small. It's one of my favorite accessories and I use it all the time.

I must admit that after a long week of professional development, I was pretty pooped and wasn't interested in grooming myself for several hours. I got ready for this event in about 30 minutes. Side pony tail, a few bobby pins for my bangs, slip on the dress, some quick makeup, slide my shoes on, and I was ready to go. I wish I would have hit the dress with an iron for a little bit after it was in my suitcase, but I'm still pretty pleased with how it turned out. If you like the dress or vintage/vintage reproductions as much as I do, I highly recommend you check out Pin Up Girl Clothing, with sizes up to 3x. However, buyer beware: prices can be high and quality of their garments is inconsistent.

#1 Welcome to NYC

First post! I'm excited to finally begin my fashion adventure via blog. I've been reading tons of fashion blogs, most especially for "plus-sized" women, as well as tons of blogs about body image and fat acceptance. These incredible female writers have brought out so much confidence in me and have inspired me to to post my own fashion photos, as well as photos of my travel and experiences. I will definitely be giving these stylish ladies shout outs in future posts.

To explain the title: I'm currently in New York City for the month of July, enjoying the summer with my boyfriend and contemplating my potential move to NYC someday in the near future. I have some great professional development opportunities (I'm a teacher) here for the summer, and I'm looking forward to learning more and seeing some fantastic schools in NYC. Right now I'm chilling out in Sunnyside in Queens and we're eventually going to be subletting a place in Brooklyn. Can't wait! And now, on to the outfit!

DRESS Purple & Yellow Striped Dress, Lux from UO | SHOES All Caps Strappy Wedges, Jeffrey Campbell | BAG Vintage Vietnam-Era Gas Mask Bag | BRACELETS Gold Bangles, Forever 21 SUNGLASSES (Not pictured) Gold Prescription Aviators, Ray Ban

I think these photos are very appropriate for a first post because I think they do my fashion persona justice-- they show how my style is bright, eccentric (with a penchant for the weird/strange), playful, and inspired by travel! What's your fashion persona?