Aussie Curves Black and White

This week's theme is Black and White. Now anyone who knows me knows I have a lot of black and white in my wardrobe. It is born of necessity because for ever and ever plus sized clothes have been very limited in the palette to black, black and black. Because, after all, black is considered flattering. And it is flattering to lots of people but mainly people with a winter colouring to their skin and I am more of a summer girl. So White with a splash of red brings my blacks to life.

I even planned a whole travel wardrobe around black, white and red during a trip to Europe 2 years ago which made a very functional travel wardrobe.

Yes, it's the Colosseum.

Herculaneum

But not many photos of that time have me in them for other reasons. It was a great trip but not a great time in my life. And I wasn't too keen on getting in front of the camera. I had many lessons of self acceptance to learn.

On to today.

I love pops of colour now and will take the chance to wear them frequently but there is still the drift towards the black and white when I am out shopping. They can be relied on to look good and not too out there for work.Combine them in a stripe and you could say " you had me at Hello.

So when this chevron stripe skirt came out from City Chic I knew I had to have it.

 I already had the peplum top from Asos but hadn't worn it yet.

I love the combination.

Still need to work on my poses though.

Check out this necklace from TS. I was shopping today and had gone into town to get something specifically from the Virtue catalogue. Unfortunately it wasn't in yet but this necklace spoke to me and said it would finish off my Black and White outfit for this week.

Just one final comment. I applied some pretty significant eye makeup for tonight's shoot. I cant believe how much the lights wash it out. You can hardly tell apart from the brow shaping courtesy of the benefit brow bar earlier today. Gonna have to work on this in the future.

This is a blog hop and as usual I am skipping in at the last minute. Now go and check out the other wonderful Aussie and New Zealand curvettes.

Aussie Curves: the swimsuit edition

Well I have to admit, like many of the other Aussie curves bloggers, this one was the one I faced with most trepidation. I have no problem getting into a swimsuit and in to the water. It is much easier now that I have a backyard pool but even before then, the experience of being in water is just too good to miss out on.

One of my favorite pastimes as a young person was to get into the surf and jump up and down in the waves. The feeling of cold salt water on the skin so refreshing on hot summer days. Of course, with my fair skin it had to be at either end of the day but I was lucky enough to live VERY close to the beach so heading down twice a day in the holiday was not an issue. And I NEVER had a bikini body. So I had to deal with it. Once you are in the water who cares anyway?

But putting it out there on the internet. That is another thing.

I have been bullied in a swimsuit. At our local public swimming pool I would go past young men as I kept an eye on my children and hear comments about whale and fat. It did upset me quite a lot. But then I thought who are you to stop me and my children from being in the water? In my line of work I encourage many people to enjoy the healing power of exercising in water and have heard so many times of the shame of exposing an overweight body in a swimsuit to the world. My answer? It's their problem. They can choose not to look at you but how dare they stop you from enjoying being active in water.

So even though I do not set a good example by keeping my weight under control. I choose to engage in life and not let my weight make that life any smaller than it has to be. So here it is. If you have got this far in my blurb you can now see the pics.

swimsuit Target, sunglasses Equip

I love a colorful suit. They are hard to come by in plus size but I like the crossover feature of this one. It is my favorite style because it feels secure in the surf.

A pashmina for a sarong goes double duty for sitting on the sand and keeping covered up at the beach.

But I have another cossie that makes me feel glam. So I decided to bling it up and channel the retro glamour that a cruise inspires. This Tankini from Citi chic is gorgeous. Even though I am not extremely well endowed in the bust department it gives a lot of shape. The bottoms are from Ezibuy the Sara range.

Swimsuit City Chic, necklace and hat Eumundi Markets. lipstick Maybelline

A nice wide brimmed hat and my lovely red shell necklace which I have worn before on Aussie curves and we complete the picture.

I must say I never wear red lipstick in the pool but this suit kind of demands it. Makes my backyard pool seem like it is somewhere dreamy. Now all I need is the lounge chair, the cocktail and the partner to share it with.

Phew, that's done. Now be nice in the comments and check out the other brave, gorgeous Aussie Curves women in our blog hop.

Aussie Curves Purple

Once again I am going right up to the deadline for a theme post. This week's Aussie Curves theme is Purple. Now I love purple but I find it hard to wear. There are so many different shades, some pinker than others and it is hard to match them or to layer. The purple I like is the very royal almost blue purple so imagine my joy when I recently walked into Autograph and found this little beauty.

I've styled it with a belt here to dress it down a little. This way I think it will be great for work.
But take the belt away and use a black background because the daughter says the yellow background washes me out and we get this

I dont even mind showing my arms in this dress. And I have to say I am still loving these Evans glitter toe cap shoes.

This outfit makes me smile.

Excuse the funny look but I am trying to show you I played with some purple eye shadow. Sephora in New York had a coffret with 100 shadow and blush colours. I bought one each for my girls. At $50 a pop I thought it made a good gift. So I borrowed one to play for myself. I am usually just a natural brown shadow girl so it was nice to be playful today.
As usual, this is a blog hop. And lots of the Aussie Curves girls have put together some great outfits. Check them out

Aussie Curves Second Hand

So this last week's theme has been second hand. Some of the other ladies on Aussie curves swear that some of my local second hand stores are great for opshopping but that kind of luck has never shone on me. I think if you are on the plus side of plus sized the pickings are pretty slim.
But having friends whose weight fluctuates can be a blessing and we often help each other out with cast offs as we go up and down.
One of the benefits of receiving your friend's cast offs is that you try items of clothing that you might not have picked off the rack.

 And so it came to be that this blue slightly see through off the shoulder top came to be in my wardrobe. A friend has lost weight and thought this might suit me.

 I teamed it with a white glomesh bag bought from the south end of Newtown where the prices are a bit more reasonable. I actually gave this bag to my youngest daughter for Christmas because she looks so good in the retro shape but I borrowed it for this shoot. The jeans were a purchase in New York and I love them. They were not cheap but Macys prices are still much better then Aussie prices for NYDJ jeans and I do rather like the indigo skinny look.

Excuse my daughter's bedroom but the light in there is too good and I don't have a full sized mirror in mine.

My necklace from Collette matches the top very well I think.
I have to dress quite smart casual for my job and always struggle to get the right kind of modern casual if I am going out to a pub or something like that. Never was my scene when I was younger but now that I am more relaxed about myself its nice to have some outfits that fit in better. I think this would be great for a drink with the girls or a night of pub trivia. Could even be fun to dance in.

Now where is that dance partner I could be looking for?

This is a blog hop. See what the other clever girls can do with second hand finds

Aussie Curves LBD

I'm just in time again but couldnt miss the little black dress theme. Being plus sized there are a few black dresses in my wardrobe. You have already seen one of my favourite black dresses here.
 Sometimes that's all you can find. But the concept of the special LBD is that it is one dress suited to all occasions. So of all the black dresses I own, this bodycon dress from Asos most fits the bill.
Yes you heard me. body con dress. That means it clings to all my curves whether I want it to or not. But here goes.

Styled with a hat and a necklace and sandals and I am ready to go to the beach, or at least a pool party or a picnic.

Dress ASOS
Hat bought in Queensland last year
Necklace Christmas gift
Sandals Saimon brand from Shoes on Scarborough. ( great little independant shoe shop for thodr of you who live near scarborough beach.

To be honest, I'm really not sure if I have the body confidence to show ALL of my curves like this.

But look at the difference by adding a cardie and different shoes.

Now all of a suddden I am ready for work. 

Cardie from Autograph a few years ago. Necklace from the Eumundie markets. Shoes from Evans.

I have a terrible habit of looking over my glasses at my clients. I really have to concentrate on not doing it.

Thats better. I love these frames.

But, imagine it's not a 30 degree day and you are going straight from work to dinner with that special someone or perhaps to a show. That's where the LBD comes into its own.

Lose the cardie, add a sparkly top, change your jewelry and shoes and we are ready for a night of dancing or a night at the opera.

Top from Torrid

Shoes Evans UK

purse Collette

Ring Lovisa

Can I just say how much I love these shoes from Evans. I dont really do heels but these are so comfy and stable yet pretty and sparkly, I could walk or dance in them all night.
So that my friends is my LBD. Pretty versatile and a very good buy. What do you think?
Check out the other Aussie curves women. This is a blog hop

>>

Aussie Curves Bling

The girls at Aussie Curves have been at it again. This week's theme is "Bling"
Now I'm not opposed to a bit of bling but it can be tricky. Work in the wrong place it can emphsise curves we may not particularly want to emphasise. But I had no trouble choosing an outfot for this week's post.
I've already work it to two Cristmas parties this year.

17 Sundays are on a winner with this Melon Sherbet cocktail dress. The sheer overlay with the glomesh type insert is gorgeous and brings the right ammount of bling to an occasion but the dress itself is on a natural fabric so that it breathes. You have no idea how comfortable it is. Feels like you are cheating by wearing a sun dress to a cocktail party.

It was nice to add my Pandora bracelt to the outfit as a necklace just takes away from the bodice.

Now "Tis the season" and all that so DD and I did a little artistic Christmas portrait play the other day. And my dress was the perfect outfit I think. She really is a talented amateur photographer in my mind and you should have seen how excited she was setting up my clothes line with fairy lights to give us this background.

Just in case you didnt get enough bling, try wearing fairy lights as your necklace. They burn if you are not careful enough.

 Just love this dress. Going to get my moneys worth here.

We tried to get my pretty sparkly shoes from Evans but the grass ate up the sparkle.

Heres to wish anyone who reads this blog a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New year. I have a lot of change ahead for me which will take a lot of energy but I am looking forward to some new beginnings. I hope the new year brings blessings and growth, Peace and Happiness.

Aussie Curves Orange

I have to say that some of the Aussie curves challenges seem impossible to me. And orange is one of those themes. I have never worn orange successfully in my life! It is simply not a "cool summer" colour. I had decided that the only way to participate was to colour my toenails orange. They would be far enough away from my face to get away with it.
Somehow I felt I was chickening out. After all we are supposed to be pushing the boundaries right?

So yesterday I went shopping to my local Myer. I love the TS girls at Hurstville and had a nice chat. But wandered off into the rest of the plus size section which has been improved recently. And what did I spy?

Is it orange enough? This beautiful dark corally, watermelony, orangey fabric?
Did you know that Leona Edmiston makes clothes for plus sized ladies now? And they are just reworked dresses from her normal collection rejigged for our more generous bodies?
I had to try it on.

It drapes beautifully and feels cool despite today's humidity. The detailing of the pleats in the front is lovely.

I had to pair it with my pearl necklace. I know retro right? But a pearl necklace was just the present every girl wanted when she turned 21 in the 1980s. Mine doesnt get work by me that much anymore although the oldest DD with the retro touch in her fashion choices drags it out every now and then. She however is not sure of the colour on me.
What do you think?
I can see this being a good work dress or even nicer, a dress for being a lady who lunches. Can you?

dress Leona Edmiston for Myer It was on special and doesnt seem to be on their web page anymore.

Shoes Target.

Watch Emporio Armani mens collection

This is a blog hop. See what the other awesome women of curve are doing with the theme. And be generous with your comments to all.