Pre-Full Figured Fashion Week Fun in NYC, Part 2

Hey Guys!

What a whirlwind week it's been! I am back home safe and sound in TO after a very eventful week in NYC. I wanted to post about all the events as they happened, but I was just way too busy while I was there, and more often than not, I would end up nodding off in front of the computer with little more than a sentence or two, so I decided I would just wait until I got back and give you all my coverage from Full Figured Fashion Week.

On Monday morning, I had a meeting with Jovani (who've dressed a slew of celebrities from Paris Hilton, to Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, Amber Riley, Miranda Lambert, Adriana Lima, Carrie Underwood, Keri Hilson, Natalie Cole, and Selena Gomez, amongst others). I was totally excited for them to dress me as well! They had an absolutely stunning array of gowns to choose from, and the hardest part was picking my favourite!

Dress - ASOS Curve/Belt - Redress NYC/Necklace - Laura/Earrings - Vintage Alfred Sung/Purse - c/o Penningtons/Shoes - Wal-mart's G21 line

The last two pictures are the dresses I chose, the first one for the Indie Designer's Showcase on Friday, and the second for the Runway Finale and Awards Show. All the dresses were in sample size 4, so sadly, I wasn't able to try them on before committing to them, but since they both looked so lovely, it wasn't a problem. Jovani ordered both for me in an 18, but the first one didn't fit (which was devastating since I fell in love with it at first sight) and so I had to find an alternative for the Indie Showcase (which I also ended up loving). The trip to Jovani was definitely a highlight of my trip, and I recommend that anyone looking for formalwear, whether it be for prom, your wedding, a gala, or if you're the mother-of-the-bride, check out Jovani. They have stunning gowns that are available in sizes 0-24, and can be custom-made up to size 32.

After the Jovani fitting, we spent the day with Peter's family in the Bronx, and they made us steak and lobster (yum!). We spent the night grabbing a few drinks with my cousin Steven at the bar he works at, Pianos. He told us he got the male lead in a new movie coming out called Wallabout. We were so excited to hear about it, and I can't wait to go see it. I hope it comes to TIFF!

The next day we woke up a bit late, but went into the city in time for lunch at CARNEGIE DELI! The portions were absolutely massive, and we couldn't finish (not even Peter!)

After a ridiculously enormous lunch, even though it was totally rainy all day and I wasn't dressed for the yucky weather, we decided to head over to FAO Schwarz on 5th and 59th to explore and act like the big kids that we are:

"Come out with your hands up!"

Dress - c/o Cherry Velvet Plus/Purse - c/o Penningtons/Shoes - Walmart's G21 line

This drawing board uses no actual colours (chalk, markers, etc), but only pressure... Really cool. This guy was a total pro at it and was giving demonstrations. There might be a couple of these in the suitcase for the nieces when I visit in August...

Toy Soldier! This guy actually scared me after we took the picture and popped out from behind a sign and yelled "BOO!" LOL. I love to play!!! I am a really big kid on the inside, if you can't tell!

After FAO Schwarz, we headed over to Bergdorf Goodman next door, where I ogled a lot of amazingly beautiful stuff of which I had neither the intention or the financial capacity to purchase. Then we stopped into Tiffany's, where I saw a lot of stuff I also couldn't buy. I like to call it "fantasy shopping." We stopped into the Trump Tower to get a cup of coffee at the Starbucks there and warm up after being out in the rain for a while. 

We were scheduled to have a blogger meet-up at a hotel in mid-town at about 7, so we headed down there to check in with the other Full Figured Fashion Front bloggers. We ended up heading down to H&M on 7th and 34th for a bit of shopping afterwards. I am so bummed we don't have H&M+ here in Canada. I found several pieces I absolutely adored and bought a few. I got some polka dot shorts, a white linen button down with a charcoal floral print on it, a bikini (!), and a black and white tunic which I ended up wearing later in the week. It was good to catch up with old friends (Sarah from Queen Sized Flava) and finally get to meet bloggers I know from the community (Jess from TOO Many Sequins) in real life! I had a blast shopping with you ladies! I wish we could do it all the time. 

Stay tuned! Tomorrow I'll be recapping the private press reception and the All-White Sunset Cruise!

Oh, and while we were in NYC, the Fashion Front was introduced to a new wishlist software for fashion items called "Have to Have" - you can vote on which items you have to have below, and create your own account to share your wishes with your friends and followers. Check it out:

"Show Us Your Style" with Lands' End

Hey Guys,

So awhile back, I was contacted my Lands' End, who were seeking to work with a group of bloggers on a project called "Show Us Your Style," where the bloggers use a piece from Lands' End's Summer 2012 collection and style it according to their own aesthetic. I was eager to try Lands' End clothing because I have heard so much about their swimwear through the Swimsuit Confidence campaign, so I jumped on board.

I chose a sleeveless knit seersucker dress because it looked really pretty and beach-y. Perfect for the summer. I was drawn in by the cut of the dress, as well as the fabric (100% Peruvian Cotton). When I got it in, it was a bit larger than I anticipated, so if you're smaller on top like me, I would recommend sizing down. I requested the 2X and I typically wear an 18/20. Here are a few pictures of me "Showing My Style" in the Lands' End Peruvian Cotton Seersucker Dress.

Had to pet this puppy, so cute!!! Her name was Lucy.

Dress - Courtesy of Lands' End/Linen Wrap - Joe Fresh/Sandals - Target/Jewellery - Tiffany & Co./Purse and Sunglasses - Courtesy of Penningtons

PS - What do you think of my new hair?

Outfit of the Day - Teaching in my new Torrid Boots!!!

Hey Guys,

This is just a regular outfit of the day post. I wore this to school to teach in. It was a very comfy outfit to wear, but I got a couple of compliments on it (on my lipstick and my new boots, courtesy of Torrid), and I felt pretty good in it! I noticed my students checking out my style too, so that was nice! What do you guys think?

Tunic - Winners/Tights and Bracelets - Forever 21+/Boots - Courtesy of Torrid/Briefcase - Liz Claibourne via The Bay/Necklace - Tiffany & Co.

These are the fabulous new over-the-knee suedette boots Torrid sent to me. The colour looks a little funny in this picture. It's just the light. They're black... See below.

I added this one so you could see my new lipstick shade - So Chaud by MAC. Love it!

Many thanks to Torrid for the awesome boots! What do you guys think of the lipstick shade? It's really orange-y and awesome. I saw another blogger, Fat Aus, wearing it, and I just had to grab it, so when I had my 6 empties, I went down to MAC and traded them in for this! It's not a shade for the faint of heart, that's for sure! Stay tuned for a post on where to find awesome hallowe'en costumes in plus sizes! I should be writing that in the next couple of days.

Happy Thanksgiving, my fellow Canadians! Check out my new dress from Queen Grace Collection!

Hey Everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving! And Happy Columbus Day to my US readers! Here is the outfit I wore to Thanksgiving Dinner at my Mom's house. We like to dress up ;)

Marina, owner of Queen Grace Collection (Facebook/Twitter), sent me this stunning Elise dress, which I received about a week ago, and I was so excited about it that I just had to wear it at the first possible occasion! It is a beautiful, sophisticated dress, that is SO well made. The quality of the fabric is just amazing (and I always find fabric quality to be lacking in plus size clothing). The dress is cut beautifully for my shape, and it has a very subtle sexiness to it. I don't normally wear things with this much decollatage, but with this dress, it didn't feel scandalous at all, probably because of the long lace sleeves and the modest length. I absolutely adore the lace on the sleeves (again, the quality of the lace used is impeccable), and the sleeves' blouson shape really balances my pear shape out (because I am bigger on the bottom than on the top). I really love this dress and I am just waiting for another occasion where I can wear it! They have so much stuff that just looks fantastic, and you should definitely check out their website if you have a special event coming up or holiday parties to go to. They have something that will work with every shape (pear, apple, hourglass, and strawberry), which I also love! I was lucky to have the privilege of seeing Marina's collection debut at Full Figured Fashion Week in New York this past Summer, and I was blown away. My favourite (other than the Elise, which I have on) is the Victoria. The shape is amazing, and I love the sequins and satin!

Dress - Courtesy of Queen Grace Collection/Peacock Feather Hair Clip - Urban Outfitters/Necklace and Earrings - Tiffany & Co./Clutch - Vintage/Shoes - Torrid

A close-up shot of the beautiful lace on the sleeves

I love Thanksgiving because it means I get to get together with family and celebrate everything I am grateful for in my life, and that is so much! I am so lucky to be as blessed as I am! This year, I really committed myself to this blog. I started writing in May of 2010, but I wasn't really focused on it at all, and I was WAY too embarrased (still really ashamed of my body) to make my fashion blogging public to my friends and family. One night in March after a couple of glasses of wine (aka liquid courage), I posted my blog URL on Facebook for everyone who knew me to see. I woke up the next day kicking myself - but honestly - it was the best decision I could have made. It forced me to stand up for my own body and my place as a fat woman in the world. It was not an easy task, as some people were not as supportive in the beginning as I would have liked.

In some ways it was almost like a coming-out experience. I was talking to my blogger friend Queen Sized Flava about this, and she was like, "how can you come out as fat? That doesn't make any sense. Everyone sees that we're fat!" And I was like "I know, but no one can tell just by looking at us that we're proud of our bodies, and that we're not ashamed of the way we look." I think then she understood. You can't come out as fat. But you can come out as proudly fat. People won't like it. They will want to shame you into losing weight. No one cares if you're fat or not. They just don't want you to feel okay with it. That's what they feel uncomfortable with... But I am a healthy, happy, and proud human being. We all deserve respect. And we should constantly adopt a position of shame just because it's what others expect of us. Be proud. It's okay. I promise. Once you stop letting other people make you feel inferior, you will begin to hold your head up high and the sky is the limit.

I think that's one of the main parts of blogging that I am thankful for. It's almost like scripto-therapy. I have finally been able to let go of all the shame that I've been holding onto and it feels great. I no longer seek validation from others to make me feel better about myself, because deep down, I love myself. It took a long time to get to this point, but I am so glad to finally be at peace.

I am also so thankful for the wonderful community I am now a part of. We're all such strong, beautiful, and confident women! And I feel so happy to be surrounded by all of you. You are fantastic!

I am thankful to all the contacts I made this year, and the businesses that constantly strive to provide us with fashionable clothing that makes us feel great and allow us to express ourselves. Thank you for all your hard work. I promise it is more appreciated than you'll ever know.

And of course I have to thank my wonderful support system. My family and friends have really been great about my blogging. They have been especially good listeners to when I am constantly blathering on about something fashion or blog-related! Thanks guys! I promise I'll try to talk more about other stuff!

And then there's Peter. I'm not sure if you all know this, but I really don't think there would be a blog here if it weren't for him. He is always there to take pictures, to drive me to obscure locations to cover photo shoots or fashion shows, to support me emotionally and to give me honest (and actually quite insightful) opinions about my outfits. I am, above all, thankful for him... I love you, sweetheart.

So what about you, my dears, what are you thankful for this year? And what do you think of my beautiful new dress from Queen Grace?