Spotted At BlogHer

I attended my first BlogHer in LA back in . That was a fun trip that I had with the IG Wives. Due to scheduling, I wasn’t able to attend last summer, but this year I was back to learn as much as I can at their Creative Summit in Brooklyn.

When planning looks for conferences, I look for pieces that are

  1. Comfortable- you will be standing and sitting at different points throughout the day. Wearing something that is not comfortable during a conference will have you more focused on how you feel like crap cause a look is too tight versus the great information being presented.

  2. Fun- I look to wear bright colors, or a fun print. When you are in a room full of people it’s easier to spot your friends when you are wearing bold colors and/or prints.

  3. Looks great with flats- I do not, repeat do not wear heels to conferences. You can be walking around all day and the last thing I want to deal with is foot pain. For those women that can wear heels for 6+ hours I salute you. I am not that girl…lol

So keeping those rules in mind when I was planning my outfit, I went with the leopard sweater and matching pencil skirt from Eloquii. It’s comfy because it is sweater based knit. It has some stretch, so it moves with your body so no restriction. I am wearing a 18/20 top with a 14/16 bottom. The reason why I sized down in the skirt is due to the stretch waistband. If an item has a stretch waistband, if I get a 18/20, majority of the time it ends up being too loose around my waist. The 14/16 was perfect. Not tight at all.

Backpacks come in handy while at conferences, all your stuff in one place, and you can be hands free.

Let’s get into the print and color. When I saw this on the site last month, I was immediately drawn to it. I love a good animal print (it is definitely the print of the season- whether it is snakeskin, tiger, zebra, or leopard) but with the red base it stands out. I have a lot of leopard pieces, but hardly a leopard piece with a unexpected color. If you are into bold color, I definitely recommend this set. Another great thing about this look is that I can wear each piece separately and play around with either more color, or add in more neutrals to make the print the focal point. Now the set is currently sold out, but make sure to add your name to the waitlist so you can pick it up when it is back in stock (or you can call the stores to see if there are still some pieces available).

Lastly, for my footwear I decided to wear some combat boots. I love mixing girly pieces like a dress or pencil skirt with something tougher like a moto or boots. I have been wanting some Dr Martens for some time now, and while browsing online, I found these glitter platform versions. I always go for fun or unexpected twists on classics, so the Dr Marten Jadon’s were the ones for me. For me they were not heavy and I wore them all day without a care in the world.

First Day of BlogHer was good. I snapped some headshots, laughed and tried Kombucha for the first time. I can actually say that I have two flavors of Kombucha that I would drink on a regular basis. I listened to some amazing panels (Keke Palmer, Sarah Jessica Parker), and caught up with my fellow IG Wives. I even got to see some bloggers from out of town. You can definitely say I was spotted at BlogHer….hahaha get it…Later Lovers!!!

D.A.R.E.

Sorry I haven’t been posting, my personal life has just been super hectic the past month. I used to be on this posting schedule, and somehow I got away from that. I was contemplating about whether or not should I continue to blog, because I just always felt that time was getting away from with all that was going on. I felt bad- I was beating myself up because I was trying to do everything, but the reality is, I am not superwoman, and it is ok to take a break, but I can’t stop creating. My friends made that clear to me. This blog started out as a creative outlet. A way for me to share my thoughts on fashion and my style. Throughout that process, I have met some of the most amazing people, and have supporters that tell me how much I mean to them. I still get very humbled when women stop me on the street to tell me that they love my style, and to keep going. So I will keep going. Doing my best to give you my most authentic self. During Fashion Week, I was inspired to keep it going. When Black & Brown Women get in a space together our power is undeniable.

I was invited to attend the Essence Fashion House. It was a day filled with panels and fashion shows. I got a chance to sit on June Ambrose’s panel. She has always been a person I admired for her work in the industry. She truly is the epitome of being true to one’s self. Two takeaway’s from her panel, first- she is hilarious. She has a great sense of humor, and her smile radiates. Second- “Don’t stay stagnant”. I need to practice this more. When I am comfortable, I will continue that path until something bad happens. I need to make sure that I am taking more risks, while still be in a position where I’m enjoying something steady. How can I do this? I have to make an effort in taking opportunities to learn (whether its at work, or going to events to learn how to become a better blogger). When it comes to my style, I try new trends all the time. Some look great, some not too much. It’s funny how I am willing to try things more when it comes to style, but when it comes to my life, I rarely want to rock the boat. Gotta do better on that front.

Feminine Funk Dare Tee

For the Fashion House, I figured it would be fitting to wear these amazing Drama Pants from Eloquii. I call them my shimmy shimmy pants cause there is so much movement when I wear them. I always gravitate to items that I love with a twist. These are wide leg pants, but the fringe takes them to a whole new level. I am wearing a 18/20 in these, and they do have a stretchy waistband. I wonder if I could have fit into the 14/16, just so that I could have the pants fit tighter in the waistband. All in all, I am still happy with them. The quality is great because I wore these all day, and no fringe fall out.

Moto Jacket

I paired my pants with one of my favorite tee’s from Feminine Funk. If you have not heard of them, they are a plus size tee shirt company based out of Atlanta. They come up with fun graphic tee’s that are for showing off. This one is called DARE- an ode to the 90’s Dare campaigns. Instead of it tackling the war on drugs, this is daring those to love themselves unapologetically. In their tee’s I wear a 1X. I have so many tee’s from them, and the quality is on point.

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To top off my look, I grabbed my red moto from Eloquii, and I was ready for a day of shows and panels. When it comes to events that last all day, I don’t want to have to worry about my feet hurting from standing long periods of time, so I go with a cute pair of flats that can keep up with me. My go to brand for a good flats is Sam Edelman.

The fashion shows were soo good. I got to see the amazing collections from Fe Noel & Tongoro in person. Ahh, the colors and textures. Make sure you are following me on IG, so that you can always see what’s going on with me in real time. Until next time lovers!!!

Cozy Time

Once the temps start to drop, I go on the hunt for the perfect sweaters to wear. From embellished, to unexpected twists, when it comes to my sweater collection, it is curated to not only fits into my style, but above all else keep me warm. There is nothing worse than having the thinest of sweaters on a cold NYC day.

Jibri Skirt

I have been gravitating towards prints, and super chunky knits this season, but there was something about this sweater that had me wanting it immediately. It’s definitely your classic black knit sweater, but what drew me to it was that it was slightly oversized and cropped. It totally gives me 90’s vibes. Its not a super chunky knit but trust that it does the job on the warm front. I am wearing a 18/20, but I could have sized down to a 14/16.

Eloquii Cropped Sweater

The combo of the season that everyone can pull off is the sweater-skirt combo. It’s a great look that can be easily dressed up or down just by switching up your accessories. When I saw this skirt from Jibri, I instantly fell in love. What solidified the deal for me was when Jibri was in NYC for Curvy Con, and I got a chance to see it in person. I love me some animal print, and add in my favorite color grey, she had to come home with me.

Skirt & Sweater Combo

I’m a firm believer that when you have great pieces in your closet that are effortless that when you have to get dressed, it’s easy and you look put together. Animal print has been all over the runways, but it still is a great neutral that pairs well with other neutrals or color. All I had to do to end out my look was to add some glitter booties (these are oldies but goodies, but I linked something similar here), and my trusty handbag, and I am out the door.

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When it comes to the holiday’s you can always go all out festive with sequins, or brocade, but if that is not your thing, go with an animal print. Holiday dressing is what you make of it, and as long as you look and feel your best that will shine through. Merry Merry Lovers!!!!

Thanksgiving Ready Y'all

Usually for Thanksgiving I’m home lounging watching the parade followed by the dog show. Yeah the dog show. My niece and I started watching it some years back and its become somewhat of a tradition for us. We pick our favorites and guess who is going to win while in our pj’s. Going out is not on the menu, but this year I was invited to Kay Jay’s for the festivities and then I have Friendsgiving that Friday with my bestie. So what to wear? 

Now since this holiday is all about enjoying time with loved ones and chowing down, I need an outfit that is comfortable yet put together. I want to make a good first impression, but in no way do I want to look like I’m trying too hard (so no sequins- for now. Lol) so I figured why not wear my pieces from Draper James!! 

Draper James and Eloquii dropped a fall collection earlier on and these pieces are great to wear for all your Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving activities. I paired the polka dot top with denim. Polka dots are always a good idea and you can mix and match them with another print, or just wear it solo. I like mixing mines with a stripe, but today, I mixed it with a buffalo plaid in the same color scheme, and I loved how it turned out. I’m wearing a 18/20 in the top. I can wear denim anytime of the year and I’m always comfortable. The Peach Lift Jean holds it shape without stretching out and in no way does the waistband have me feeling like I’m in a vice grip. In denim, I am wearing a 16.

Now I love a good boot for the fall, so I thought to jazz up the whole look, I will wear my slouchy cone heel boots. They are a great height for walking and the width of these are perfect. I have 17.5 inch calves and I can wear this with or without pants and they fit great. I did size up to a 9 since there are no half sizes so I can have room for super thick socks. If you are looking for a cute boot, definitely check out Kass (also it comes in white).

Now the piece that I feel is the showstopper is this buffalo plaid cape. I love a cape, and this one is perfect for this time of the year. I can layer to my hearts content with a super chunky knit and not have to worry about feeling cold. I’m wearing a 18/20 and this has enough room that I can wear a chunky knit sweater when the temps drop. I love capes cause they give me more room to move around and I just feel so sophisticated in them. If you are looking for “Southern Lady Who Lunches” vibe, then don’t look any further- Draper James x Eloquii have you covered. Check out some more of my favorites below and Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Set Me Up

Temperature's rising, and with that I go for easy pieces that can take me from day to night. When it's 80+ degrees in NYC and the humidity is high, being cool is necessity. I have really been looking for pieces that look good and keep me cool, because what's the point of wearing a great outfit that makes you miserable because you are hot. 

I have been gravitating towards a lot of matching sets- whether its suits, matching tops & skirt, or like in this case, a kimono-short set. Now I have been waiting for the perfect time to wear this set from Eloquii. Ok, full disclosure I have been waiting for the weather to cooperate so I can wear this set. The past month has been nothing but rain or chilly days which called for a hoodie. 

Eloquii Kimono

For the kimono style robe, I went with my normal size of a 18/20. I wasn't worried about the arms being too tight since kimono's usually have a little more room in the sleeves. Since it was hot, I decided not to wear a top underneath and just rocked a cute bra. The kimono provides enough coverage so you don't feel exposed. The shorts, I decided to go with a 18. Even though I wear a 16 in bottoms, I tend to size up in shorts because I don't want them too tight, especially when no stretch is involved. These are the perfect length if you are average height. For my tall gals these will definitely show off more thigh (cause the more the merrier). 

My shoes, yes, let's get into the shoes, cause these are some bangers. I was on the hunt for a cute pink shoe, and these Steve Madden's popped up in my search. Clear details are back again, but what I love is that this heel is a lucite pink. I know at times with lucite people automatically think stripper shoes, but with it being pink it completely takes it from naughty to nice. Now this shoe is on sale, so hurry up and get it before it's gone. 

For those that know me, they know I carry my whole entire life in a tote bag. These days, I am trying to streamline, and just carry what I need. That's when you need a great shoulder bag. I have been eyeing this Fossil bag for a while now, so when I finally saw it for a good price, I hurried up and purchased it. It's a great shoulder bag with tons of room for all my stuff. If you are not a fan of pink it does come in black and brown. 

I have been loving me some statement earrings, so when my booski SkaKera saw these at Charming Charlie she got me a pair. Unfortunately the Charming Charlie store in NYC closed and their website is under construction, so getting your hands on a pair is quite tough these days. Definitely head to their website to see which stores are in your area, because these were only $8 and its a great earring to have in your collection. 

Who else is loving sets this season? Please share your favorites by using the hashtag #styleoversize on Instagram and Facebook, in the comments, or you can always email me! Muah lovers!!