I posted a picture on Instagram this past weekend of me crawling out of some leaves. I felt like I was in Narnia! We had gone out to my old family home in the country to have some crawfish soup with my parents and I tell ya- I'm out of practice when it comes to playing in the dirt and leaves.
I have had this post in the "pipeline" for a little while, and couldnt decide which outfit I wanted to use for it so I decided to do a little impromptu photo shoot Saturday to just give an example of how I do casual. Most of the items Im wearing are a bit older and have sold out, but if you want links to similar or details on the look- let me know in the comments!
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Fun fact: My boyfriend/photographer is over 14" taller than I am so if it seems like all my pictures are looking down on me, they really are!
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Here are some of the tips and tricks I've learned so far to do casual but cute.
-If you're going with a t-shirt, make sure it has
shape. I'm simply not built like a man, if I buy a 3x in a t-shirt that was made for a man, it is snug at my hips and way too big in the chest. I know to make sure to buy a shirt that is made with a woman's shape in mind. Fitted is great, but not mandatory. You can do a cool graphic or a slouchy top as long as you balance it with your bottoms.
Example: No T-shirts here (I struggle with the t-shirt game) but I did go with a casual tank that was more fitted in the chest and flowy around my hips and tummy. I was going to eat a
lot, so I knew flowy was the way to go!
-People will look at you and make a decision within mere seconds of whether they like you or not. Give them something to focus on,
something that adds interest. I haven't always been an accessories kind of girl, but Im growing into them. A statement hat, sunglasses, pop of color, interesting shoes or cool necklace can pull a look together without taking a lot of fuss. It can be the difference between looking thrown together and put together.
Example: Since I was just going to visit family, there wasn't much need for accessories so I chose a top with an interesting hemline.
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Balance your outfit. I'm not talking about a full on matching outfit printed in pool balls or palm leaves (you know the ones I'm talking about)- just a fair balance of shape and interest. For example, if you're in a slouchy top, something more fitted on bottom will balance it nicely. If you want to go full slouch, add structure somewhere (maybe a belt) to avoid the homeless look.
Example: I have on the flowy top with a more fitted pair of jeans, but to help balance how wide the shirt makes the hips I put on a cardigan in a darker color to draw eyes up.
-Add
layers to add interest. Careful with this one to not add bulk, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Ive always been a layer girl but I know some arent keen because they also add warmth when you dont really want it. A simple tank under a t-shirt adds a little something interesting to an otherwise simple look.
Example: You can see that I have a floral tank on under the more sheer green tank above. This gives coverage for when you cant show your boobs off at dad's house but it gives that little extra detail to the outfit to show that some thought was put in.
Torrid was once the most raved about in the plus community, but now with other options becoming available, they are falling a bit behind mostly because of quality and what I like to call recycled styles. They do have a lot of good options, amazing sales and they are certainly young and trendy. My personal fav is their Stiletto Skinny jeans. Hands down my favorite jean ever. I talk about them here.
Evans, originally a UK brand, has a pretty good selection to offer. They carry apparel, and a fair range of shoes, jewelry and intimates. Mostly classic pieces, but if you ever need a polished looking dress, the Little Mistress brand they carry has them on lock.
SimplyBe has a lot of clothes to pick from. You definitely have to search for the trendy pieces, but when you find them, its worth it! Oh and can we talk about their shoe selection? If you have super wide feet, they carry EEE fit, which is even a little too wide for my wide feet in my usual size.
Don't wait! I cant stress that rule enough, especially if you're on the higher end of the plus size range. The plus size shopping options have increased significantly the last couple years but we still cant seem to get physical stores to carry them. If you don't want to look thrown together, it is going to take some planning ahead of time. I like to look online first to get an idea of what I want. If I can find that item in store- I then head over and purchase it there to save time and money on shipping. If not, I order online with plenty of time to make returns if needed. Expect about a two week window for any online purchases to get to you.
Everyone's budget is different. Some of you are on luxe-line budgets and others are on shoe string budgets. If you are closer to the shoe string side, I do not recommend buying too much "fast fashion". It can be tempting! That $6 top is cute and... $6?! C'mon! You need it! ... you don't need it. Save that $6 and put it towards buying a more expensive classic piece at the end of the season that will look better, last longer and never go out of style (i.e. LBD, nicer pants, etc). You'll end up replacing that $6 top enough times to more than make up for the one you could have spent a bit more on instead. (Ask the 45 worn out lace tanks in my closet how I know!)
