New Line: Attitude Jay Manuel for Sears Canada

Hey everyone,

If you are as avid a fashion magazine reader as I am, you will have seen the new campaign for Jay Manuel's new line, Attitude, with Sears Canada - Sorry to the US peeps on here, it has launched in Canada first, with possibilities of expansion into the US stores at some point in the future - when does this ever happen? Usually it's the other way around!

For those of you who didn't know, Jay Manuel (also known as "Mr. Jay" on the show America's Next Top Model), is actually Canadian - born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario. Gotta love homegrown talent!

Anyways, I've seen a picture of this amazing coat in a campaign in this month's Flare, Elle Canada, and Fashion magazines, and I was like, woah, that's an amazing coat.

But like I do with most things I see in fashion magazines, I looked and passed over it, assuming it would not be available in my size and be way out of my price range. Well, I was wrong on both counts. For once, I am happy to admit it! The line actually goes up to a size 18. The most expensive piece in the range is actually this coat, which retails for $229.99, and is currently on sale online for 40% off (until tomorrow). Trust me when I say I am having the hardest of times not breaking out my credit card right now.

How did I find all of this out, you might (not) wonder... Well, I actually was fortunate enough to win tickets to an event where I got to preview the line and meet Mr. Jay himself, courtesy of Fashion Magazine Canada! I have been very lucky through twitter! Up until now, I have not won many things, but I keep getting goodies by retweeting things! I love it!

Jay talked about how he was pleased that he could offer the line to a wider size range of women, and explained that if a piece wasn't going to look good on women at any size, then he simply wouldn't put it in his collection. He also reiterated one of Coco Chanel's oft quoted design principles; that fashion is not about size, but about proportion, and that a woman can be stylish at any size. Have I mentioned that I <3 him? The presentation of the collection was really wonderful, and a montage began before a short (5 look) runway show. The montage showed Jay working with other designers, models, etc., and Billie Holiday's song, "I'll be Seeing You," set the mood for the nostalgic collection, which evokes 1970s luxury. I was very excited to see the collection, especially after finding out the garments would fit and hearing Jay talk about it. The collection is really lovely and I am hoping I will get to see a full fashion show of the collections Spring 2012 looks at LG Toronto Fashion Week in October.

Here are a few pictures I was able to snap while watching the show...They are a little unclear since I was a bit far back and because the models were moving... But you get the idea.

Aren't all of the looks pretty? I really love that Winter white suit, and I am also loving the pink and black jackets! After the runway show, I actually got to meet Jay and get his autograph. He is such a nice, down-to-earth person! We talked about the line, and how I was really happy to see a designer step outside of the ends-at-size-14 business model. He was really receptive to everything I had to say and he was totally nice. The first thing he did when he saw me was say "look at you! So chic!" and said he really liked my outfit, and that he especially loved my hat. I was totally blushing, because that means like, a lot, you know? Coming from him...! Anyways, I did put a bit of extra effort (read: I pulled every piece out of my closet mixing and remixing and ended up with clothes strewn all over my room) into my outfit that day because I knew I was meeting Jay, and the fashion context allowed me to be a bit more bold with my choices. I decided to go with a monochromatic look because monochromatic dressing was quite pervasive on the Fall 2011 runways (and is actually carrying over into the Spring 2012 collections). Think of it as the antithesis to colour blocking! You can see some pictures of what I'm talking about from Lanvin's, Blumarine's, and Michael Kors' Fall 2011 collections. You don't have to worry about being all "matchy-matchy" anymore - it's in this season!

I was a bit nervous to try this look out for myself, because it is kind of dramatic, and I was wondering how people on the streetcar would respond to it. It was fine. I think I added the touches of brown because I couldn't fully commit to everything being one colour. Baby steps... LOL.

Hat, Belt, and Earrings - Thrifted/Dress and Bracelets - Forever 21/Purse - CBX/Shrug - Dots/Tights - Addition Elle/Shoes - Payless

And I finally got to meet Jay, which you can tell from my expression in the picture below that I'm really happy about... LOL. It was a great event. Thanks to Fashion Magazine for giving me the wristband!

Six Take: Film and Television - Mad Men!

Hey Guys,

It's time for my September six-take post! This month, my fellow bloggers and I decided to interpret the style from each of our favourite fashionable films and television shows. Come on, you knew I was going to pick Mad Men. I absolutely adore the style from Mad Men. The women are so beautiful, and each has their own unique and individual style. While January Jones' character Betty Draper is my favourite, donning indulgent, beautifully full dresses with fitted bodices atop amazingly pouffy petticoats, Christina Hendricks' character Joan Holloway also has amazing style and such voluptuous curves! Her fitted dresses and combination of pencil skirts and colourful blouses give her an enviable style - no wonder she ended up working at Hermes after leaving Stirling Cooper! Elizabeth Moss' character Peggy Olson also has a few outfits that are nice (but, unfortunately, just as many that are awful - I don't think the writers meant for her to be especially fashionable). Even many of the secondary characters, such as Pete's wife Trudy, are the epitome of late 50s and early 60s style, looking absolutely stunning and historically accurate to boot. Janie Bryant, the show's costume designer, is doing a remarkable job ensuring that the women look wonderful and that their style is representative of the era.

Elizabeth Moss as Peggy Olson

Hat and Purse - Thrifted/Dress - Courtesy of Penningtons/Shoes - Penney's (Ireland)/Necklace - Laura/Bangles - Forever 21

 

 

 

 

January Jones as Betty Draper

Dress - Thrifted (I also lopped off the sleeves and added the white trim - it made a world of difference!)/Earrings and Necklace - Thrifted/Shoes - Payless/Bangles - Forever 21/Belt - Taken off a top I got from Dots

Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway

You guys might remember this picture from awhile back, but I felt like it was very Joan Holloway-esque, and thus, re-post worthy. Top - Thrifted/Skirt and Necklace - Forever 21+/Tights - Hue brand from The Bay/Shoes - Dorothy Perkins/Ring - given to my by my mom

Same with this one... It was taken at Lola and Gigi when I visited and showcased their store. This dress is an Anna Scholz

I absolutely adore 1950s and 1960s fashion! So what do you guys think? Do you watch the show? Did I capture Mad Men's style?

Make sure you visit the other lovely six take bloggers to see interpretations of their favourite television series and films!

Jessica - Too Many Sequins - Australia

Sarah - Queen Sized Flava - Montreal, Canada

Rikke - Sticky Sweet Danish - Copenhagen, Denmark

Yoli - Diva in Deep Thought - Baltimore, USA

Jessica - Chic in Every City - Philadelphia, USA

Lane Bryant's New T3 Technology Denim

Hey Guys,

Lane Bryant recently rolled out a new denim collection called T3 (the 3 Ts stand for Tighter Tummy Technology) and they kindly sent me a pair to review! I was super psyched to receive them, since Lane Bryant announced their release at their blogger conference during Full Figured Fashion Week, (which I wrote posts about here, here, here, and here).

I was amazed to find out that the waistband was elastic. You would never be able to tell just from looking at them! On the inside in the front, there is a stretchy black fabric to tame your wobbly bits (should you wish them to appear tamed). A lot of thought and effort has gone into the design of the jeans (trust me, I met the designer and he explained everything), and if you're like me and you have trouble with gaping at the back of the waist, you won't have that in these.

They are a lovely, dark wash, denim, and they are very comfortable. I am about 5'4", and the length of the jeans would be perfect for heels, but I would need to hem them if I wanted to wear flats. They have a nice stretch to them and they keep their shape really well in between washes. The rise of the jean is very high. I guess this helps keep the waist from gaping and with tummy-taming, and rise is totally an issue of preference. I kind of like the high rise because I don't already have a pair of high rise jeans, and it's kind of a fun style to wear with a tucked in blouse and a big belt.

Overall, I think the jeans are great, and they have quickly become a wardrobe staple. I would love to have pairs in different washes (or even black) and also in a lower-cut waist. I hope Lane Bryant continues working on stuff like this. T3 is fantastic. I think Lane Bryant will be sending me a couple of items from their new Cacique Body line (lotions, fragrances, etc) in the next month or so, so keep checking back for a review of that! Also - great news - Lane Bryant will begin shipping internationally in September, so you can get a pair of T3 even if you're not based out of the US!

Here are a couple of pictures of me wearing my Lane Bryant T3 jeans over the past couple of weeks. What do you think?

Jeans - Courtesy of Lane Bryant/Shoes - American Eagle from Payless/Purse - Costa Blanca/Camisole - Forever 21+/Crochet Vest - Dots/Necklace - Dollarama

Jeans - Courtesy of Lane Bryant/Top - Old Navy/Shoes - Target/Earrings and Purse - Thrifted

Conference Day 3 Outfit

Hey Guys,

So this is the outfit I wore to day three of the conference in Michigan. I attended some great panels this day and made some wonderful contacts. The Saturday of the conference is usually a bit more casual, hence, the denim jacket. After the panels were done for the day, I was able to go and do a little bit of shopping. I went to Dots, Target, and Marshalls. Pretty awesome stuff. The manager at the Kalamazoo Dots store was SO helpful, and I found so many great clothes there. And the prices are great! She made lots of suggestions and helped me decide on some items by getting me belts, shrugs, shoes, etc. Such fantastic service for such an economical store! Target was awesome too. At first, I was majorly disappointed because I went to their plus size section and the stuff was the same old blah stuff you find in most Canadian department stores. But then, I decided to go check out some of the straight-size items to see if I could find anything oversized and/or stretchy, and I realized that their straight sizes go up to a 2X! YAY! Again, I found so much that I loved. Their summer dresses are just gorgeous. I was also able to pick up some really cheap colourful tights in my size ($5/pair). Usually I can only find black here, and when I do, they are like $15/pair. So I was really happy to find pink, purple, coral, navy, teal, and even a pair with a floral pattern. They seem really durable and they stay up pretty well, so I would say they are a good wardrobe investment. And the shoes! Wow! So cheap and so comfy. Loving it. I made one last stop at Marshalls, where I was able to pick up a pair of awesomely comfy damask pjs (which, I will confess, is what I'm wearing now) and a nice dress that I plan to wear to a wedding I have coming up (which I got for $20). Physically and financially exhausted, Peter and I then retired to the Olive Garden for dinner (we used to have Olive Garden in Canada, but then it wasn't making money). I love Olive Garden and whenever I am in the states I make sure I get there at least once. It brings back fond childhood memories since it was the place where my family had dinner on my communion day. So all in all, it was a great trip and I am super jealous of our US counterparts for having way better plus options than us. What about you guys? Do you cross-border shop? I am thinking about making a list of my favourite cross-border stores on here along with their strengths. What are your favourite cross-border shopping destinations?

Jacket - Dots/Dress - ASOS Curve/Belt - Forever 21+/Shoes - American Eagle via Payless/Briefcase - Thrifted/Necklace, earrings, and scarf tied onto briefcase - Dollarama/Bracelets - Crafted (beaded) by me

Canadian Plus Size Outfits - Some pictures I took awhile back but didn't post

Hat - BeauChapeau Hat Shop/Jacket - H&M/White Camisole - Forever 21 +/Skirt - Ricki's/Shoes - Payless/Wristlet - Coach (a gift from my friend Suzana)

 

 

 

Dress - Walmart (725 Originals Plus)/Pashmina - a gift from my sister/Shoes - Old Navy

Cardigan - The Gap/Dress - Forever 21/Belt - Voluptuous Clothing/Bag - Value Village/Shoes - American Eagle by Payless

I guess I didn't post these here because they weren't my favourites, but they were on the Facebook page (if you haven't "like"d us yet then please click here and do) and a few people have commented on them saying they liked them, so I thought I might as well. Enjoy!

What I'm Wearing... (or OOTD)

Hey Everyone!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I haven't decided yet what I'm wearing today, but if it's anything good, I'll be sure to post it. I'm sure it will involve something green...   =D

I wore this outfit to my brother-in-law's 30th birthday party. Hope you enjoy!

Skirt, bolero, and leggings - Forever 21 +/Necklace - Tartx Designs (a present from the bf =D)/Shoes - American Eagle brand from Payless/Earrings - Plain studs I've had for ages/T-shirt - Dots/Hat - Ardene

The necklace features an image of Anne Boleyn, one of Henry VIII's ill-fated wives. I really like historically inspired stuff. If you've ever watched the show Ugly Betty, you might recognize the "B" necklace that she wears in this picture of Anne Boleyn. It was a very famous piece of historical jewellery and you can purchase replicas all over the place now. You can even get it made with your own initial.

I really like the skirt because floral patterns are very trendy this season. When I was over in England and Ireland last summer, it was everywhere. It seems like we're a bit behind here... When I look at the UK sites now, it seems to be all about the Aztec prints (which I must say I'm not a huge fan of), so maybe that's next summer's thing for North America. That's my style forecast for today! What do you all think?