Review: Beautiful Gown from IGIGI by Yuliya Raquel‏

A while back, I got sent this beautiful gown from IGIGI by Yuliya Raquel‏. I've been so busy these past few months that I didn't get a chance to review it right away, but I thought I would share it with you all now!

The fabric of this dress is SO luxurious! The lace is a lovely, heavy-weight stretchy fabric, and the velvet feels amazing. I absolutely adore this burgundy colour (which I think works especially well on fair-skinned brunettes - hey, that's me!). I felt like old-hollywood all night long wearing this totally glamourous dress! I often chose IGIGI for formal events that I'm attending because I feel that the style and quality are exceptional and the dresses are cut with plus size women in mind (but avoid the usual dowdiness of plus size formal wear). You should definitely check them out if you have a formal event coming up!

Dress - c/o IGIGI by Yuliya Raquel/Coat - ATTITUDE Jay Manuel via Sears Canada/Earrings - Can't Remember!

Blogger Dinner Party with Addition Elle in Toronto

Hey Guys!

So this past Tuesday, I was invited to celebrate with Addition Elle at a blogger dinner party commemorating the grand opening of their new flagship store at Queen and Yonge in Toronto. I wanted to wear an outfit from Addition Elle to the dinner, and I picked out this gorgeous coral lace bodycon dress and some great accessories. I also picked out my very first pair of designer shoes! I tried a bunch of different shoes that I really liked from Vince Camuto, Sam Edelman, and David Dixon, but I ended up falling hard for this pair by Ivanka Trump that came home with me :D

Dress, Jewellery, and Belt - Addition Elle/Shoes - Ivanka Trump from Town Shoes

I got a chance to meet/reconnect with some of my favourite blogger idols - L to R, Nadia Aboulhosn, Gabi Gregg from GabiFresh, and Marie Denee from The Curvy Fashionista

The stunning supermodel and star of many of Addition Elle's ad campaigns Ashley Graham, left, and fellow Canadian blogger in from Montreal, Sarah St. Fleur from Queen Sized Flava. Ashley announced that she is coming out with her very own lingerie line to be sold in Addition Elle this coming November. Very exciting!

All of the lovely bloggers and ladies of Addition Elle...

Sasha from Flaws of Couture and Ashley Graham

Check out all the fab outfits! Definitely some very fashionable ladies...

Many thanks for Addition Elle for the lovely dinner with some of my favourite fellow bloggers!

Plus Size Denim: How to Find the Perfect Fit

Hey Guys!

So for today's #jeansdujour post, I am going to help you learn how to find the most perfectly fitted pair of jeans for your body type. Not all plus size women are the same shape, and we all face different challenges when looking for the perfect fit and style for our bodies, so I hope my tutorial will demystify some of the issues we all face when looking for the perfect pair of plus size designer jeans.

The first step to finding the perfect pair of plus size fashion jeans is determining your shape. Check out the illustration below to see which figure your body resembles the most: diamond, triangle, rectangle, circle, hourglass, inverted triangle, or pear.

If you're a diamond, you are fuller through the mid-section. High-waisted jeans will work well to elongate your legs and will ensure a good fit and comfort around the waistband. Look for jeans with lots of stretch. This will show off your gorgeous legs and ensure that the seat of the jeans doesn't sag. Try this pair.

If you're a triangle (like me!) you are fuller in the hips, butt, and thighs. Look for a pair of jeans with simple back pockets, and especially avoid flaps and buttons like this:

Pocket flaps add extra volume and emphasis to the butt. Ensure the back pockets are not too small. This creates the illusion that your butt is a lot bigger than it actually is. Make sure the pocket size-to-butt ratio is always in check! Another fit issue for triangles is the gaping waistband. In order to find a pair of jeans that fit in the thigh and hips, triangles often have to go up a waist size. One way to avoid this is to look for a pair that offers a lot of stretch in the thighs and hips, like these awesome skinnies by Second Denim. They're called Yoga Jeans because they look like jeans but feel like yoga pants. I could live my life in them. SO comfy and cute.

If you are a rectangle, your bust, hips, and waist are all balanced, and you have a straight body type. The key to dressing this body type is in defining the waist to create a curvier-looking shape. Mid or low-rise jeans look great on you, and jeans with wide waistbands or worn with belts help define the waist. Bootcut or wide-leg jeans are highly recommended, as they will add volume to your lower half and create great lines for you. Check out this pair.

If you're a circle, you have some of the same fit issues as the rectangle, and you're goal is to help define the waist more. A higher-waisted jean, like this pair, is recommended than for rectangle, with a wide waistband or a belt to emphasize the end of your bottom-half and the beginning of your upper half.

If you're an hourglass, you're a lucky girl! Most denim shapes and styles will work on your body type. Look for pairs that show off your waist definition and make sure you balance your top with your bottom. Check out this pair from Silver Jeans.

If you're an inverted triangle, you have a fuller bust and proportionally smaller bottom half. Look for jeans that will create balance - bootcut or wide leg jeans will help you with this. Try this pair from Addition Elle.

If you're a pear, you have a medium sized bust, a somewhat defined waist, and are fuller through the hips and thighs. My fit tips would be the same as for the triangle shape - avoid too many bells and whistles (whiskering, rhinestones [though I think we should ALWAYS avoid rhinestones], flap pockets, contrast stitching) and look for jeans with a waistband that doesn't gape (high-waisted jeans are great for this, as well as very stretchy pairs). Check these out.

Make sure you check out Addition Elle's jeans this season. They have amazing brands in stock and so many fashion-forward options!

Follow me on Pinterest and Instagram (@curvycdn) for more #jeansdujour!

The Journey to NYC and Day One of Pre-Full Figured Fashion Week Fun in NYC!

Hey Guys,

I'm totally exhausted as I write this because I've been running around Manhattan like a crazy person trying to do and see absolutely everything, but I'll try to give you all the goods! NYC is awesome. I am having an absolute blast and staying with my hubby Peter's family in the Bronx. I also got to visit with my cousin Steven, who lives here in Brooklyn.

We got here on Saturday (the 9th) at around 9:30pm. We made pretty amazing time (only about 8.5 hours from Toronto), and had the sweetest ride, as Lincoln, who lent us a Navigator for the Curvy Girls' Buffalo Shopping Trip, offered to sponsor my trip by providing a 2013 MKS for the journey. Driving in NYC is no easy task (the cab drivers are CRAZY), but the MKS is really responsive and has amazing braking capabilities. NYC is actually a great place to test out what a car can really do! The navigation system is excellent, as are the entertainment, climate control, auto parallel park, blind-spot warning, rear-view camera, and phone syncing features. The car is totally impressive, and we look like big shots riding around town with it, so it's perfect for fashion week! It's very sleek and comfortable, and I love the moon-roof. The fuel efficiency is also really amazing - much better than we expected. The trip from Toronto to NYC only cost about $70 in gas! I thought it would be much more expensive for such a large, luxurious vehicle. I think my favourite feature of the car is that the navigation system provides real-time traffic updates, and if a collision or traffic incident is reported, it will ask you if you'd like to re-route. We have saved SO MUCH time this way!

When we arrived, we went to Peter's family's restaurant, Venice Pizzeria in the Bronx, and they made us some dinner. SO tasty! I got to meet some of Peter's family whom I'd never met before, and they've all given me the thumbs up!

On Sunday, we went to check out GreenFlea market in Manhattan on the corner of 77th and Columbus. Well, I had SO much fun. So many pretty things!

Vintage Platforms

Cute hat!

My family goes to Oktoberfest every year, and I`ve been looking for a reasonably priced beer stein forever! I was so happy when I found this one for $12!

Sewing machine from the 1880s (still fully operations)

Oooh, pretty baubles!

This was a 90's Donna Karan backpack that I didn't walk away with. I am regretting the decision not to shell out the $35 for it. I hope it found a good home somewhere!

A monocle. Yes, a monocle.

After the GreenFlea, we went to have NYC most famous cupcakes, the ones which made all other cupcakes trendy -  SOOOOO YUMMY!!!!

And we finished the day off with a bit of shopping in Times Square, though I was rather disappointed with the collection at F21+ this time around. I had to pick up some foundation from MAC, and I also bought the caviar nail art set from Sephora. I'm looking forward to trying it out!!! So I really have to go to bed now... EXHAUSTED!!! But expect another post sometime tomorrow!

Ciao from NYC!!!

What I'm Wearing...

So this week, I've decided to feature a maxi dress that I got from Walmart's 725 Plus collection. This dress is so cute and comfortable! I wear it with a pair of gladiator sandals and a big beige purse to get that ever-so-popular bohemian look.

The dress was around $20, and the sandals were $35 from Spring.