The Secret Garden

Warm weather has begun to ease in all over the States, and with that comes the inevitable: Summer Weddings! I’ve already received my very first invitation for Summer 2016 which brings us to the ever burning question: What am I going to wear? 

More and more brides are opting for less traditional weddings, not only in terms of bridal attire, but also in terms of location. My absolute favorite wedding venue is outdoors and garden side.

Sometimes attending an outdoor garden wedding can be a tad tricky, especially if you’re like me and you want to dress elegantly, but have some concerns about being comfortable and remaining cool. When I saw this dress over at Shabby Apple, I immediately thought how perfect it would be for a garden side wedding! 

The lace overlay along with the maxi length is effortlessly elegant. The fabric is lightweight with just enough give (although sizes run small, I'm wearing a size 16); you can sit and or stand without worrying about pulling at and or damaging your dress. Even when temperatures tip past 80 degrees Fahrenheit, I think you'll still feel comfortable because this dress breathes.

Next up comes the really fun part: Accessories! Maxi dresses offer guaranteed versatility; you can go mega dressy with jeweled accessories, or mega chill with a denim jacket, chunky heels, and so on. I think I settled for somewhere right in the middle; Can we call it, bohemian meets elegant?!

First off, I knew that I wanted to sport an up-do along with my DIY floral crown (details here). Next I added in a touch of gypsy by way of earrings that I scored at an event hosted by IAmSheGlobal. Golden bangles were an easy addition, and for cohesiveness I added in gold sandals with jeweled assets. My final touch was a vintage clutch from my collection. 

By the way, I teamed up with globe loving Beauty Sheena of @IAmSheGlobal to style this dress. How do we look?! 

Until next time Loves!
Xx

Floral crown: DIY, see here| Earrings: From India| Dress: c/o Shabby Apple| Sandals: Victoria’s Secret Catalog| Clutch: Vintage, thrifted

My Sweetheart

Today’s style story features a dotted delight in the form of chambray and vintage charm. The weather has been simply beautiful here; I’ve decided to enjoy it to the fullest by seizing every possible opportunity to indulge in summer fashion.

You may recall that I previously confessed polka dots as my very first pattern love. A gal never forgets her first love! I still feel some kind of way every time I wear the dotted charmer.

It was a pleasant surprise when Bailey Blue Clothing (dress line based out of LA) reached out to me to sample a piece from their new plus size line. Although there were several tempting options, something about this beauty felt so… well... me! Let's say it was the sweetheart neckline that completely sealed the deal :)

As an active member of the mixed prints committee, a pattern toss up in the form of subtle pinstripes were required. This vest not only provides additional coverage, but also comes in handy to throw over my shoulders when temperatures cool down in the evening. Vintage inspired socks came next, topped off with silver oxfords which always serve up a 100% comfort factor.

Guess what? My buddies over at Bailey Blue Clothing are graciously offering a special discount of 30% off to all of my readers, remember to use code “InMyJoi30” at checkout!

This plus size chambray vintage dot dress, (I’m wearing a size 1X) is totally versatile, from a barnyard swing dance, to a casual evening stroll. It's cotton, lightweight, and airy- a fab addition for Summer 2016. Until next times Babes!
Xx

Sunnies: Steve Madden| Vest: Ralph Lauren| Dress: Bailey Blue Clothing| Clutch: Vintage| Oxfords: Nordstrom

That's the Bomb

Today’s post marks a second collaboration of #UnitedlyPlus and the theme for this game is ‘Rock the Bomber Jacket’. What exactly is a bomber jacket?  Well according to freedictionary.com, it is “a short sturdy jacket traditionally made of leather and having a fitted or elastic waist, a zippered front, and often a fleece or pile collar.” Oh, and sometimes it’s called a flight jacket too!

Bomber jackets are by no means new, but they have most definitely experienced a fashion revival as of late. Currently you can find them in just about any fabric, color, size, and price range. I wasn’t too keen on bomber jackets back in the day (although I had a few with matching silk jogging pants), and to be honest, I wasn’t entirely convinced that I truly wanted to go down that road again. 

Herein lies yet another perfect example of how I personally benefit from blogger collaborations! Sahily suggested that we rock the bomber trend this go round for #UnitedlyPlus, which prompted me to go outside of my comfort zone, and to actually consider and try out/on bomber jackets. And boy am I glad that I did! I heart the little number that I snagged for today’s post, and was surprised at all of the possibilities that sprung up while trying it out with various pieces in my closet.

There are a number of ways to rock out the bomber trend; I went the feminine route, opting for a smaller cut jacket in a satin finish with dainty details.

If you’re not sure about flossing a bomber, try snagging one from the thrift shop like I did, you just might be surprised ;)

Note: This post is part of a blogger collaboration between Sahily of Pretty in Pigments (Instagram), Sheena of I am She Global (Instagram) and myself. Check out the #UnitedlyPlus hashtag to learn more about all of us and our collaboration!

Until next time Babes!
XO

Sunnies: Forever 21| Bomber Jacket, thrifted (Size medium) $5| Faux leather skirt: Soprano, size L
Sandals: Sam Edelman, also worn here| Handbag: Vintage, thrifted

The Cold Shoulder

I’m serving cold shoulders in today’s style story, featuring this beautiful number that I’ve taken way too long to wear. You see, last Summer I went a little crazy with several shopping hauls, all with one common theme: dresses. Last time I counted the number was over 25…and then… I stopped counting...

So I mentioned that the weather has been all over the place here; On the day that I shot this look, it felt like it was 85 degrees! Fast forward to yesterday, it was chilly, raining, and gloomy. I won’t complain because sporadic weather serves my wardrobe well in some ways. For instance, it gives me the chance to play in wear for every season, sometimes all in one day!

Going shoulder-less in some way or another has been encouraged by multiple runway shows, and I'm here for it! Not only does this dress hit the trend target but it totally has the best bonus: a classic floral print! I go for classic over trends 75% of the time. This number is easily dressed up or down, superbly made, plus it has vibrant, saturated color. I can honestly say: I am looking forward to wearing it again and again.

Just for the fun of it, I decided to add in a subtle print toss. My jumbo clutch was just the pattern mix that I needed. I love this combo, and guess what? My husband says that he really likes it too! When I pull off something that we both like, I’m winning!!! You see hubby's style is quite traditional, think black, grey, and navy or pinstripes and solids. Of course, my style is very different and all over the place! But as the saying goes, opposites attract- and Honey is stuck with me (18 years and counting)!

Until next time Dolls,
XO

Sunnies: Nordstrom| Dress: Adrianna Papell, size 14| Booties: Aldo, also worn here| Clutch: Zara

Checkmate

So the calendar says that it is officially Spring, but the weather in my neck of the woods has been all over the place (as crazy as it can get for So-Cal)! I hardly know how to dress, one day it feels like Summer, and the next like Fall, and then finally almost like a So-Cal Winter day O_O From what I’ve read, weather is on the flux all over the world, and that’s a sad thing…Heard of global warming anyone?

Today’s #ootd really came together based on the inconsistency of the weather! I figure if the weather doesn’t have to make up its mind, why should I? LOL! Insert summer scarf worn as a head-wrap, scuba sweater, leather skirt, white sandals, and a white fringed bag of course =)

Let’s start off with this peplum sleeved sweater from UK retailer Boohoo. So I’ve admitted time and again that I am not really crazy about online shopping. Not only do I find better deals in-store, but I enjoy the experience of brick and mortar shopping and all that it entails, versus scrolling and clicking and waiting on the mail. Nonetheless, there are times when I do peruse online retailers, and one day while doing so this baby caught my eye. 

So they say that peplum is out, but I say that it stays - and that it always has a place in my wardrobe. This sweater lingered in my virtual basket for several days, because let’s be honest: Boohoo’s quality is not the same as let's say Ralph Lauren... I kept debating whether or not it would be worth ordering. As it happens a coupon code started, and I decided that deduction actually took off the price of shipping plus the sweater was already on sale, so I ordered it. Would you believe that it took almost 2 months to arrive?!?! And when it did, I discovered that I probably should have went with a smaller size, but after all that hassle who wanted to send it back and so on??? This is why online shopping, especially outside of the USA, gives me cause to pause…

Moving on, you already know how much I dote on black + white combinations! I actually wore this sweater more casually to a Make-up Forever event over the weekend, but when it came time to dress it up a bit I opted for black & white, my beloved stand-by. It’s been way too long since I last wore this leather skirt (see here), a throwback from Saks in the early 2000's. I love how it looks with this sweater. I actually folded up the bottom of the sweater up to make the fit more appealing to my eye. Popped on my faithful white strappys, grabbed my fringe clutch and hit the door.

Until next time Babes!
XO

Scarf: Souvenir from Iraq| Sweater: Boohoo, size large| Leather skirt: Saks Fifth Avenue (Real Clothes, also worn here), size 16
Sandals: Tildon (also worn here)| Fringed clutch: Carlos Santana (also worn here)

Vested Interests

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I had a mini shopping haul over at Forever 21 Plus. Admittedly, I am not a woman that frequents Forever 21, in part due to my age, style aesthetic, and preference for high quality/designer clothing.

With that being said, for some items that I purchase, I understand that my desire is not one for a long lasting 'classic piece'. It may be more so a trendy number, or something that I only desire to wear a few times for various reasons. For items that fall under those categories, fast fashion stops are perfectly suitable, along with thrifting of course! Not to mention, F21 has stepped up its plus size fashion game, like seriously. In addition to the romper that I purchased (blogged here), and the two piece stripe stunner (blogged here), I snagged  two items off of the BOGO rack =) I’ll reference this one as Exhibit A, LOL!

What I love about this vest/Exhibit A in addition to its print is the cut and length. I opted for a larger size so that I can wear a number of things underneath, including a coat if I so desire ;) I’ve worn it a number of ways thusfar, but happily I had a chance to blog this one. Denim on denim never gets old for me, and pairing denim with tan makes for a classic combo.

This look went off well at the office for a casual Friday, plus errands and dinner afterward. Accessories can gear this look in either direction, more casual or not so much. I opted for a dressier approach with a fur trimmed hat & booties.

Note: After wearing this vest several times it has begun to develop a layer of fine lint balls all over. Since the cost for the two items off the BOGO rack (Exhibit B is coming up) was only $14.99 + tax - I am not as disappointed - but still somewhat disappointed. I mean if the fabric is already having issues, what will happen when I wash it? I’m not sure that this vest will make it to next year’s cool weather season, but I will certainly be happy if it does.

Until next time Babes!
XO

Hat: Lord & Taylor| Vest: Forever 21 Plus, size 2XL| Chambray top: Forever 21, size large| Jeans: NYDJs, size 12|Red booties: Aldo