The Curvy Girl's Guide to Boxing Day Shopping

Good Morning Everyone!

I hope those of you celebrating had a wonderful Christmas! I know I did. Peter and I spent a lot of cherished time with family and made lots of happy new memories; I hosted my first ever turkey dinner, which was a great success and a lot of fun; my nieces were so full of joy all day, and it reminded so much of my own childhood Christmases. All in all it was a lovely celebration. And there is still more celebrating to do! I have a party to attend tonight, and of course there is New Year's Eve coming up in less than a week.

But before all that we have Boxing Day. "What's that?," those of you from the US might ask... Well, it's sort of like Canada and the UK's version of Black Friday. Epic sales abound for those whose pile of presents under the tree did not yield the goodies they so desperately coveted. Shoppers sometimes line up for hours outside of electronics stores hoping to score awesome prices on things they want or need. But luckily for us, we are tech savvy divas on a dime, so there is no need to brave the insane crowds of the malls (and the resultant headaches from parking, food courts with no seats left, or families of ten who decide it's a good idea to stop right in front of you and block the whole corridor when you are walking briskly to the next sale behind them. Grrrr...

Boxing Day sales are a good way for retailers to liquidate what they didn't sell over the holidays, and a great way for shoppers who are still craving some things from their lists to bag them at a bargain price. Here is a quick run-down of all the sales being held online that I think are worth checking out. I've put the links in order of how good I think the sale is.

City Chic - Lovely, youthful plus size stuff (I especially like their dresses/tunics and jackets). 60% off sitewide. Epic.

Dorothy Perkins - Pretty good sale going on right now!!! Yup, gonna have to do some shopping on this site. Gorgeous dresses and tops. Free international shipping on orders over 30GBP for a limited time. This link will bring you to the items they have left in sizes 14-18US (18-22UK).

Forever 21 - Wow. F21 almost never has sales. At least, not ones that are worth bothering over. So, this is pretty big for them. Free shipping, no minimum; Free duffle bag with orders over $50; A large and extensive range of items are BOGO free; A few "yellow tag" deals. Check this one out.

Lane Bryant - Buy two bras, get two free (and I swear by their bras). Up to 60% off in the "After Christmas Sale."

Torrid - Up to 75% off everything. Clearance is marked down an additional 50%. Also, get 10% off your entire order by using this link and entering code 12AF11OFF at checkout.

Ashley Stewart - Some items up to 75% off. I see a couple of items from my wishlist in the sale! =D

Alloy - I like their tops best, but they also have really good jeans if you're tall (I'm only 5'4"). Inseams up to 37". Up to 80% off on clearance items, plus $15 off orders over $75 with coupon code 5AFFNA. Sweaters 40% off, and outerwear 30% off.

Queen Grace Collection - I've worn a Queen Grace Dress before (check it out) and I think they are absolutely gorgeous. They also have lovely skirts and blouses. Get a unique and surprise coupon code for 40, 50, or 60% off your order by liking their facebook page.

Svobada - Looking for some killer new jeans? Look no further. Some of the best looking plus size jeans on the market (no, really!) on sale today for 50-75% off.

Eshakti - Absolutely gorgeous dresses that you can customize to your measurements and preferences (sleeve length, hemline, neckline, etc.). $20 off your order when you register for their email distribution list, and 40% off their overstock section (but these dresses can't be customized).

Hips and Curves - Online Lingerie retailer offering $20 off orders of $100 or more. Enter code "holiday20".

Swimsuits for All - Online swimwear retailer with 30% off the "best of 2011" with code "best123" and up to 80% off clearance section. Not all great, but there are a few gems.

Always For Me - A swimwear and lingerie e-tailer. These guys are similar to Swimsuits for All, but have a few more fashionable pieces. There is not coupon code, but their sale section is full of some really good stuff right now.

Eliza Parker - A plus size online store that specializes mainly in dresses. 25% off your order today only with coupon code "santa25".

Happy shopping to you all, and have a happy and safe remainder of the holidays.

Cherry Velvet Plus

Hey Ladies,

I recently came across a new line of plus size vintage-inspired dresses from a Canadian company called Cherry Velvet Plus. I absolutely adore their designs, so I contacted someone there to see if I could try it out for myself! I asked for the Charlotte Dress in Love Letter print because I am such a hopeless romantic, and I love anything to do with writing, so I thought it would be the perfect dress for me! I know it's a bit summer-y, but I love pieces that can work for all seasons, and with a little cardigan, this dress can be worn whenever you like.

The shape of this dress is so elegant and nostalgic, and totally reminds me of Mad Men (which you all know I love). The fabric is really high quality, and you can tell a lot of effort has gone into the design and making sure it's a piece that will work well on plus size women. The straps are cut wide enough that you can easily wear a non-strapless bra underneath. The sizing of the dress is generous (I usually wear anywhere between a 1-3X, but most often I am at the big end of a 1, or the small side of a 2 - I only wear 3 sometimes at F21... What's with their sizing? It's way weird!), and they sent me a 1X, which had a little bit of room to spare in the bust and waist (and as you can see, the dress is free fitting around the hips). If you like a snugger fit, size down when ordering, but if you like a looser fit, stick to your norm. I think this dress is really beautiful, and I am actually considering bringing it with me as an outfit choice for Full Figured Fashion Week if I end up going this year. High praise, as I only bring my A game to stuff like that!

To accessorize, I put on my pink suede pill box hat (why not?) and my nude button-back pumps. I added a petticoat underneath to emphasize the fullness of the skirt (but it still looks really full and amazing even without a petticoat), and a skinny belt to make the skirt look even fuller. I added my Miu Miu bag, a pearl pendant (which was a gift from Peter, years ago), and a wicked awesome pair of leather moto gloves I found for $8 in a thrift store. What do you think? Make sure you check out Cherry Velvet Plus. They have lots of beautiful dresses!!!



Dress - Courtesy of Cherry Velvet Plus/Hat and Gloves - Vintage/Shoes and Belt- CBX/Purse - Miu Miu/Bracelets - Lane Bryant and Forever 21/Necklace - A gift from Peter (I think he got it at People's)



(Very Late) Six Take: What I'd Wear to a Holiday Party

Hey Guys,

So my six take post is almost 3 weeks late, but I figure better late, than never! The holidays are so busy! So this month's six take theme is what to wear to a holiday party. I put together a couple of looks for you guys. I'd love to know what you think!

Dress - Courtesy of Addition Elle/Shoes - Guess/Clutch - Thrifted from Double Take/Bracelets - Lane Bryant and Forever 21/Necklace - Ardene/Earrings - CBX

This dress was sent to me by Addition-Elle. As you can see, the top part can be worn in several different ways. You can make it a strapless, cap sleeve, halter, or you can even wear it as a skirt. You just need to get creative with the tying, and you can find so many different ways to wear it. It makes it a great choice for travelling as well, since you can pack it without it taking up too much space and wear it a couple of times and get away with it! It's also almost impossible to wrinkle it, which is perfect for travel. I would like this dress even more if it came in a few more (bright or bold) colours, and perhaps if it was a touch shorter. I like the versatility of the top, and would love if Addition-Elle would carry this multiple-way dress with a more fitted, body-con, (pencil-type) skirt as well. I jazzed up this simple LBD with a houndstooth clutch and my favourite pair of brighly-coloured heels. This is a great outfit for a ladies' evening out having cocktails and sharing gossip!

These next photos are shots of an outfit I wore to a friend's holiday dinner party. I love incorporating festive green or red into my holiday outfits and playing with texture during the colder months, which is a bit more difficult to do in summer. SHINE is also a big factor in holiday dressing, and it's always nice to have a bit of that going on as well... I mixed my leatherette skirt from Forever 21+ with an embellished collar, jewel-toned, green satin blouse (which means I didn't need to wear a necklace). I put on lace tights at first, but it just looked like I had a little bit too much going on, so I took them off and put on some flat black opaque nylons instead. I added to the shine factor with my silver bracelets, and put on my really-high black suedette hidden platform pumps with a block heel to finish it off.

Blouse - Lane Bryant/Skirt - Forever 21+/Tights - Hue Brand from The Bay/Shoes - Rainbow/Earrings - CBX/Bracelets - Lane Bryant and Forever 21

So what do you guys think? What are you wearing for the holidays?

Make sure you visit the other Six-Takers' blogs to see what they're wearing over the holidays!

Jessica of Too Many Sequins
Yoli of Diva in Deep Thought
Jessica of Chic in Every City
Rikke of Sticky Sweet Danish
Sarah of Queen Sized Flava

A Relaxed Birthday Outfit of the Day...

So my birthday was a few days ago, and I celebrated by having my family over for a potluck on the weekend, and relaxed the day after and got a mani-pedi. I love getting mani-pedis. So relaxing. But since I'm still in school, I can't afford to get it done as often as I would like, and I usually do my own nail-care. This was a special birthday treat. My feet look so pretty! This is just what I wore to the nail salon I go to... I had to pick bottoms that would allow me to put my feet in the tub, so I wore this skirt with leggings that I could roll up easily. I wore flip flops out of the salon. People were staring at me like I was crazy, LOL. It was a really nice birthday and I felt really special and loved all weekend. As I write, I am actually just about to meet up with a few friends to celebrate some more! Can't wait...!

Top and Necklace - Dots/Skirt - ASOS Curve/Leggings - Forever 21+/Shoes - Lane Bryant/Purse - Vintage

Double Take's Second Annual Designer Dare, Benefiting Toronto's Yonge Street Mission

Hey All!

Awhile back, I was contacted by Julia (blog|twitter), a follower of the blog, and she invited me to a wonderful event at Double Take, a great second hand store in Toronto, the proceeds of which benefit Toronto's Yonge Street Mission. The event involved a fantastic group of up-and-coming Toronto based indie designers, who were each given a $50 gift certificate to Double Take with which to purchase items that they were then to repurpose into new and trendy designs. It was a really interesting premise that encourages us to do a number of good things - purchase and repurpose second hand items in order to support those in need and decrease our carbon footprint, support local businesses and independent designers, and donate items from our wardrobe that we are no longer using. It was a fabulous event that supported a very worthwhile cause, and I was so pleased to have been invited and in attendance. Those of you who are budding Toronto designers should consider entering next year... =D

Check out Double Take on your next thrifting adventure or consider donating your gently used clothing/accessories/furniture. According to Julia, they are definitely in need of more plus size items.

Blazer - Addition Elle (MXM)/Camisole, Leggings and Peacock Feather Headband/- Forever 21+/Skirt - Thrifted/Boots - Courtesy of Torrid/Purse - CBX (the houndstooth clutch I am holding was from Double Take... I bought it...)

Check out the video (above) of the fashion show of the different looks created by the designers. To find out more about how you can help, visit http://www.ysm.ca/. You can also follow them on twitter.

An Evening Spent Gussied Up at Gussied Up!

Hey Everyone,

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to attend a mix-and-mingle event at Gussied Up (a fantastic plus size boutique here in Toronto that I have written about on here before). Whitney Thompson, winner of America's Next Top Model Cycle 10 (the only plus-size winner to date), was there to promote a new clothing line with which she is affiliated called Allistyle. So I got to meet her, as well as reconnect with a few familiar faces from the Toronto plus size fashion community, which was great! Here are a few pictures from the evening.

Liis from On The Curve Events, Karyn from KillerKurves.ca, and Mari Grace from Mari Grace Accessories, chatting

Me and Whitney Thompson, winner of ANTM Cycle 10

 

A couple of close ups of my outfit... Dress (which I ADORE) - Courtesy of Damn You Alexis/Tights - Courtesy of Secret/Shoes - Rainbow/Purse - Aldo/Necklace - Ardene/Feather Fascinator - Urban Outfitters

A beautiful bracelet given to me at the event by Mari Grace, from Mari Grace Accessories

Left to Right: Myself, Courtney, Sarah, Liis, and Karyn

All in all, it was a great evening spent with old friends and new, and a wonderful continuation of the affirmation that the Toronto (and Canadian) plus size fashion scene is heating up fast! Thanks for a lovely night, ladies!

Holiday Wishlist

Hey Everyone!

Did you tell Santa what you want yet? No? Friendly hints given by leaving a few choice items up on your computer screen always help him figure it out! I had one friend who would cut out pictures of engagement rings from magazines and leave them on her boyfriend's pillow. My method is a little more subtle, I think...

Here are some things I would love for Santa to bring for me!!!

"Samantha Sequin Party Dress" by Monif C. 

Hips and Curves Red Lace Chemise (lovely for the holidays)

Eshakti Ruffled Cotton Poplin Dress

Queen Grace Collection - Victoria Dress

Eliza Parker Nantucket Dress in Navy

Ashley Stewart Short Sleeve Ribbed Sweater Dress (HOT)

Ashley Stewart Ruffle Sleeve Blouse - Also in Purple and Black

Ashley Stewart Wide Width Brown and Orange Ballet Flats

Dorothy Perkins Tall Stone Taped Dolly Coat

Dorothy Perkins Camel Belted Ponte Dress (If Santa doesn't bring this one, I'm just going to have to pick it up for myself! Comes in purple too!)

Dorothy Perkins Black/Cream Gold Button Dress

Dorothy Perkins Black/White Oversized Dalmation Clutch (I've been wanting an oversized envelope clutch FOREVER)

Dorothy Perkins Taupe Bird Print Jersey Shirt

Dorothy Perkins - Black Dandelion Print Tunic

Dorothy Perkins Champagne Sequin Skirt (Perfect for NYE!!!)

Marks and Spencer's Slash Neck Animal Print Panelled Jersey Dress

Alloy's Aria Crochet Dress in Black (also available in Ivory)

Alloy's Cut Out Tunic in Navy (also available in gray)

City Chic's Vinyl Spliced Jacket (on sale for $30 today only - as day one of their 12 days of Christmas sale, all jackets are $30 today... most are down from around $100-110)