How to Wear White in Winter

Hey Babes!  How are you getting on these days? It’s been a bit challenging on my end- I've received a series of bad news within the past week or so. 
Life is full of the unexpected, as I tell myself time and time again. Realistically speaking, there is never an opportune time for bad news. I took some time to reflect on the facts. Most importantly, I reflected on my core values and how I want to move forward. I spent time with friends. I remembered the things that truly matter. The end result: I remain vigilant. I remain undeterred. I am still smiling. I am still focused, perhaps even more so. 
I am determined.
Today’s look features a so-called fashion “Don’t”, that is wearing white in the Winter! I’ve never been a fan of rigidity or unnecessary rules. Actually, breaking fashion faux pas has becoming a fulfilling hobby- LOL! I’m no stranger to white in the Winter (see another example here) but this look is especially close to my heart. You see I recently won a contest hosted by Monique over at Curves and Chaos, and this dress is a direct product of that 😃 Thank you Monique!!! ---> Check out her blog and Instagram page Babes!
You’ll notice that I opted to pair this white shirtdress with black, which is in my opinion the perfect balancing act. To top it off, I can easily picture a black trench coat, a knit black shawl, or a black faux fur over-sized wrap. Getting dressed is all about wearing what makes you feel good and look your personal best. Don’t be nervous to experiment with the unexpected or to stick with your tried and true color palettes when it suits your fancy!

Until next time,
XO

Hat: Nordstrom, similar here & here| Earrings: Here| Dress: Here| Boots: Here| Handbag: Vintage

Feeling Some Stripe of Way

Striped shirt dress: c/o ELVI Clothing| Jeans: c/o Lovesick, worn here| Straw bag: Vintage| Jeweled pumps: Kelley & Katie, worn here

It’s no secret, I cheer for ‘Team Stripes’ in every single way, all day, everyday! PSA: Diagonal, horizontal, whatever- I’m rocking stripes, and I don’t care whether or not it is deemed so called ‘flattering’ or not on my full figure frame…{insert appropriate emoticon}…

Yes Babes, I love stripes, and although a season change is upon us, I will continue to roll with stripes, in varied colors and in the classic form of black & white :) When ELVI reached out to me to try a few pieces from their AW collection, I was so happy! And wouldn't you know, I saw stripes? LOL!

ELVI says that they: 'design clothes that flatter and enhance the fuller figure - not hide it. At the heart of elvi, our core philosophy is to create statement contemporary fashion that is attractive, accessible and affordable to all women ranging from sizes 14-26. with our focus being on providing exceptional quality, expert tailoring and all-around personal customer experience every time you shop with us.'  Sounds great right?! I thought so too!

To be completely honest, there were a number of standout pieces in this AW collection! I selected 3, all of which will be making appearances here on le blog in the near future- but it would have been easy to select 10 or more... Additionally, ELVI just launched a new collection with Hayley Hasselhoff, it is dreamy!

Now this striped shirt dress is very well made (always a concern I have when trying out new designs), and is totally Fall ready with a color combination of beige, black, and maroon. It has side slits, is light weight, and comes with its own belt. The ease and flow of it is marvelous, I enjoyed wearing it out and about. 

Tip: Size up for added drape & flow, the fabric is very lightweight- you might add a top underneath, rock it with your favorite skinnies, or a tube skirt and open toe booties!

Until next time,

XO

Whiteout

I'll start with a story: When we lived in Michigan (which is starting to feel like something I once dreamed), practically every winter we'd make a drive to Chicago. Generally temperatures would be fiercely cold, and inevitably there'd be snow. One year in particular stands out, as we experienced a full whiteout on the way back home. For those who may be unfamiliar, a whiteout occurs when blowing snow obstructs your view. Literally we could not see past the front bumper on our car! That was the scariest driver ever, and there were many accidents. We slowly drove out of it (at about 10 mph) and eventually made it home safely.

Why the story? For some reason, today's look reminded me of that scary drive home. Fittingly I titled this post: Whiteout :)

For soaring summer temperatures, linen is totally ideal. This linen shirtdress is a favorite, I especially like this style in white.

The only thing that drives me batty about linen, is that it wrinkles like crazy; Next time I'll be sure to take pictures at the start of my day, versus mid-way through it!

What I'm wearing:

Linen shirtdress: Liz Claiborne

Tote: Coach

Studded sandals: Calvin Klein (worn here)

Have a great day lovlies!

Thrift Store Score: Chambray by Day

Today's Thrift Store Score features this classic chambray shirtdress that I scored at a shop just outside of Hollywood.

I love that it fits a little large on me, because that ups the coolness and comfort factor. 
It's 100% cotton, and has one of my favorite features on dresses: 3 quarter inch sleeves!

I added a classic blue paper fedora, because at times, I like to follow the rule: Wear Hat When Possible. 

This enables me to utilize the 365 hats in my personal collection (sarcasm reigns-LOL)! I'm totally kidding- but no, I do have  a lot of hats...

Actually, hats provide an excellent accessory for my protective hair styles. I have worn my hair naturally (without a relaxer) for over a decade. 

Oftentimes I lather it up with my favorite oils/butters, put it in a low bun, and pop on a hat.

The white vintage doctor's bag that I'm carrying is another fantastic #ThriftStoreScore ! It was in pristine condition, and is just the perfect size to hold all of my stuff. For close up shots, go here.

For a hint of fun and color, I went with a pair of printed wedge sandals.

 And that my friends, concludes today's edition of Thrift Store Score!

Hat/fedora: Nordstrom

Jewelry: Vintage, thrifted (also worn here)

Chambray dress: Merona, thrifted 

Handbag: Vintage, thrifted (detailed here)

Wedge sandals: Steve Maddan