#jeansdujour: What to Wear on Casual Friday, with Curvy Jeans from Addition Elle

Hey Guys!

It's #jeansdujour time again, and this week, I thought I'd write a little bit about what to wear on casual Friday at the office. Jeans are a total staple for casual Friday, and Addition Elle is the destination for plus size jeans this season! The ones I am wearing in this outfit are Pashu by Parasuco skinny jeans, and I totally adore the pockets on the back. They are a really interesting shape, and I made sure to get a shot of them in there so you can see for yourself. Admittedly, this outfit is a little "safe", but that's sometimes good for the workplace! I like to pair a cute top underneath a blazer so that the outfit can work for after-work drinks or a date. :D

Jeans - c/o Addition Elle/Headband - Your BIG Sister's Closet/Blazer - Tahari Woman/Camisole - F21/Booties - c/o Penningtons

So, what do you all like to wear to work on casual Fridays?

#Jeansdujour - How to Style your Jeans for Curvy Women

Hey Guys!

It's #jeansdujour time again, and for this post, I will be giving you some advice on how to style your plus size designer jeans! The key to styling denim jeans is to make sure you are balancing your lower and upper halves (if you're wearing fitted jeans, a looser top is recommended, and if you're wearing a relaxed cut, a fitted top is recommended). It is also SO important to make sure that you feel like you in whatever you're wearing. Style is such a key form of self-expression! You can tell the world how you're feeling, where you're going, and even who you are without ever saying a word.

I've created a few polyvore boards so you can see some fabulous outfit combinations using Addition Elle jeans as the wardrobe staple that they can be! Check out some of the looks below to see which look suits you most!

Romantic - Shades of pink, lavender, cream, and other pastels as well and light, gauzy fabrics abound. Florals are a go-to for you. You are a hopeless romantic.

Romantic by karenward featuring antique jewelry

Sexy - Damn Girl! You definitely like to turn some heads. You choose bold options that are likely to get you some attention.

Sexy by karenward featuring bootie boots

Hipster - You are the epitome of Geek Chic. You love thick framed glasses, whimsical prints and jewellery, and adore things that are a bit eccentric.

Hipster by karenward featuring a peplum jacket

Bohemian - You love long, flowy skirts and crochet anything. Big gold jewellery is your favourite, and you love headbands.

Bohemian by karenward featuring boho hair accessories

Trendsetter - You love to be fashion forward, and are right on top of all the latest trends in fashion.

Trendsetter by karenward featuring a lip stick

Punk - Black, leather, spikes - you love it all!

Punk by karenward featuring alexander mcqueen handbags

Preppy - You're a conservative dresser, who loves button down shirts, pastels, cardigans, and pearls.

Preppy by karenward featuring a cotton cardigan

Glam - If you were a Spice Girl, you'd be posh! You love things with a bit of shine, a lot of polish, and a subtle, sophisticated sexiness.

Glam by karenward featuring sport necklaces

So which of these sets resembles your own style? I'd wear all of it!!!

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!

Plus Size Denim, Addition Elle and #jeansdujour!

Hey Everyone!
So I was recently contacted by Addition Elle to see if I'd like to work with them on a project. It's called #jeansdujour and it's all about denim. You all know how much I love jeans, so of course I said yes! Denim is such an important wardrobe staple, it can be dressed up or down, and there are so many different colours and styles. Addition Elle will be launching some amazing designer denim collections in the Fall, so you'll be able to get designer brands of denim, like Pashu by Parasuco, Second Denim Yoga Jeans, Levi's, Love & Legend, Buffalo David Bitton, Foxy Jeans, Apple Bottoms, Angels Denim, Silver, DKNY Jeans, Suko Jeans, and Makers of True Originals, in their stores and online. This is a very exciting development, and I hope you'll follow along for my coverage of the launch and the different brands over the next few months. I can't wait to try out all these jeans!

For my first #jeansdujour post, I thought I would give you guys a little walk down memory lane, and show you how jeans came into popularity and how they have become an important part of North American and global pop culture. I'll give you a brief look at denim in fashion history so you can see the different eras and styles, and where we've come from. It's always fun to incorporate a little nostalgia into your looks as well, so I hope this post will give you some fashion inspiration!

In the 1930s, Western films were popularized and this facilitated the emergence of denim into mainstream fashion and pop culture. The cowboy figure was a symbol of North American culture, one which people began drawing all kinds of inspiration from, a phenomenon which continues to today.

In the 40s, not much denim was made as a result of the war, but some American soldiers would wear denim while they were off duty, which led to the internation popularization of jeans.

In the 1950s, the American rebel figure emerged. James Dean appeared in a pair of Lee jeans in the 1955 movie Rebel Without a Cause and fashion has never been the same. This was the beginning of the widespread popularization of denim. Here's the iconic picture that started it all:

In the 1960s, more women began to wear jeans and trousers, the bohemian/hippie style was born in the latter half of the decade, as well as the mod fashion we know and love which developed during the first half of the 60s.

The first half of the 60s...

The second half of the 60s...

In the 1970s a new cut of jean became popular - the bellbottom.

In the 1980s, there was a  designer denim boom, with brands like Calvin Klein and Guess? launching multi-million dollar ad campaigns with supermodels like Claudia Schiffer. The rises tended to be high, and the washes light to medium. Designers started branching out and using denim fabric to make jackets, shirts, skirts, and dresses. Denim became a very important part of North American culture.

In the 1990s the grunge style became popular, and teenagers everywhere started cutting up their jeans for a more raggedy look. Plaid was everywhere.

This style was reflected in the extremely popular TV show Beverley Hills 90210, which aired from 1990 to 2000. This show served as fashion inspiration for many teens in its time.

After 2000, really "anything goes" (embellishments, whiskering, a variety of washes, rises, styles, etc.) and designers feel free to work with denim in a variety of different ways. Everyone from pop stars to royalty feel comfortable wearing jeans in the public eye, and they become a "casual friday" staple in offices all over North America. Celebrities begin their own denim lines (Nelly with Apple Bottoms, Victoria Beckham, and P. Diddy with Sean John, amongst others).

Denim has come a long way over the past 80 years, and we continally revisit some of the awesome styles. There are so many different and beautiful ways to wear denim, and I hope we continue to find new and unique ways to design and wear denim!

Make sure you check out Addition Elle for the most up to date plus size denim fashion. Their new designer collections and in-house brands are really amazing! Also check out my Pinterest board for denim styling inspiration!

Check out my Pinterest board here