Candy Stripes

June 05, 2019 by Jami Jaye

There has been some big announcements over the years with brands launching plus, but one that I was excited for was Anthropologie. Over the years, I have admired their clothes from afar, but now that they have plus, I was able to get my hands on a piece or two and I must say that I am hooked.

I was fortunate enough that one of the stores near my job had plus so I was able to try on some pieces just to get a feel of the fit. I will say that the sizing is consistent with what I normally wear. In most items I wear either a 16 or 18, and I was still able to wear my size. I tried on several pieces, but decided on getting a pair of jeans. My reason for such was the cost per wear. On average, I wear skirts and dresses 2-4 times in any given season, but a good pair of denim is worn 8-10 times. With that in mind, I did not mind spending a little extra money on a pair of jeans that I knew I can get a good amount of wear out of. When it comes to pricier items, I look to see if they are worth the investment. Quality is definitely important to me, especially when it comes to jeans. My jeans go through a lot due to these thick thighs so I will invest in a good pair of jeans, or a coat or a leather jacket because I know they will be a part of my closet for a while.

I have been in the market for a good pair of high waisted jeans, so when I saw the Pilcro High Waist Leggings, I grabbed them and headed to the fitting room. I tried on a 16 which was way too tight for these thighs, the 18 was still snug, but the 20 was way too big in the waist. So I went with the 18 with the hopes that I can break them in. Over the years, I have read that your jeans should be snug and then you break them in. Key word- snug, not tight to the point of cutting off blood circulation. So when I finally wore these they were snug for about an hour, then I was able to break them in and they were great. I definitely stretched these out cause at the end of the night I felt like I needed a belt. When you have thick thighs and a big butt high waisted jeans are not that high, but these come to my natural waist which is what I wanted. The denim is made of a medium weight, which is my preference cause they are not too thin which can rip easily due to chub rub, but not too heavy to the point that I can’t wear these in the summer.

Since it was such a gorgeous day, I felt it was the perfect day to wear my striped off the shoulder top from Eloquii. I love showing off my shoulders, so you have been warned. You will be seeing them- A LOT! I am wearing a size 18, and its quite stretchy and lightweight. I love the versatility of the top, I can wear this with a great pair of wide leg pants, or a cute pencil skirt to dress it up. I’m just waiting for the white version similar to this to come back and stock and it’s a wrap…lol.

I have been all about that sneaker life and I have no desire to really go back to wearing heels. There are so many great options for women these days that there is no real reason to go back to the heel life. I remember when I was younger, womens sneakers were not the wave. Either the colorways was eh, or the style was solely for mens. I lucked out that with my feet being on the smaller side (size 7.5-8) that I was able to wear kids sneakers growing up which were soo much better. Now, I can get great sneakers either from the women’s dept or kids. When the temps warm up, I look for a good all white sneaker, but when I saw the Puma Cali trimmed out in pink & red, I had to get her. I love mixing pink and red, so I knew I will get a lot of wear out of these. Caution- Puma’s run a bit small, so I sized up to a 8.5. Biggest mistake you can ever do is get a pair of sneakers that cause your toes to bunch up and feel scrunched.

For my accessories, I have been finding some gems on Amazon. I have been obsessed with heart shaped sunnies, and I found a great pink pair for $10. They come in a myriad of colors, and for $10 you can get every color of the rainbow without spending all of your coins. I ended out my look with my cute little bag also from Amazon.

Who has tried Anthropologie Plus? What are some of the pieces you like? I also linked some other items from the line that I am feeling. Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Until next time, muah!!

LifeStyled 2019 Lewks

May 31, 2019 by Jami Jaye

For the past three years, I have met with my blogger boo’s in ATL for LifeStyled Honors. It’s a two day event, that honors amazing people within the plus size community. There’s two events, an all white party, called Curves en Blanc on Friday night, and the Awards Ceremony & Fashion Show on Saturday. With two big events, the hardest task is finding the right outfits. Thank goodness CoEdition came in for the save.

CoEdition was super amazing for dressing me for the weekend. If you have not heard of them, they are an online plus size retailer. They have some of the coolest brands, and their site is super easy to navigate. I’m all about one & done dressing, so I chose two great dresses to wear to the event. If you are on the hunt for some new lewks, definitely check out CoEdition, they have some amazing pieces from brands such as City Chic, Junarose, Rachel Rachel Roy, Volcom, and they have shoes, & accessories as well for a one stop shopping experience.

Curves En Blanc

Curves En Blanc is the kick off party for the weekend. It’s an all white affair, so that is the time to find your baddest white lewk and strut your stuff. I love seeing all the shades of melanin in white, it just looks amazing against our skin. I wanted something fun and flirty so I went with the City Chic Fancy Free lace dress with nude underlay. I love fit and flare dresses (no Spanx needed) and it was perfect for the warm Atlanta weather. When I say I was asked by so many people where did I find this dress, and I told them City Chic- their eyes widened. That look of “Well Ok City Chic” and they headed to bookmark to check it out later is proof that is definitely a dress you need in your closet. I ordered this in a size M cause I wanted to ensure enough room in the bust area. I did have some room, so am curious if I could have sized down, but I had my trusty white belt so I was good to go.

For my accessories, I went to my go to as of late- Amazon. I found these clear block heel sandals for less than $40. Lucite shoes though super cute, do not provide much padding, so I suggest adding an insole for additional comfort & support. I was also on the hunt for a cute clear bag that I can wear with everything, and Amazon had tons of options. I went with this off white I will say that I get my money’s worth with my Prime Membership. If you don’t have Prime, I suggest it. Not only do I find great clothing and shoes, I get my photography equipment, and watch movies and tv shoes!

Lifestyled Honors Event

For the main event, I wanted something sexy, so when I saw this striped sequin mini from Volcom, I knew this would be the perfect dress for the evening. I love pieces that instantly elevate, and an outfit with sequins does just that. The inside of the dress is made of a tee shirt type material so wearing the dress is not only sexy but comfortable as well. The final sell- the price, this dress is less than $55! That’s right, this little show stopper is affordable in addition to being super cute. I paired the dress with these great mules from Zara, and added my trusty black tassel earrings and my look was complete.

For the past three years I have attended the event, and I must say each year it keeps getting bigger and better. I am not only proud of what Maui (Phat Girl Fresh), has accomplished, but to see so many women and men come together to celebrate and uplift one another takes it to another level. It feels good getting a chance to see my friends and just catch up and laugh, while serving lewks. It’s those little things that can never be taken away.

If you have an event this summer, and are looking for something, definitely check out CoEdition, I am sure you will find that special item that gives you all the feels or just something to wear to work, there’s so much goodness on the site! Until next time lovers! Muah!!

Pastel Love

March 15, 2019 by Jami Jaye

Usually in the winter I am wearing nothing but black, but this winter I have been gravitating to a lot of color. My outerwear this season definitely reflects my switch from mostly black to color. This season there has been an explosion of great coats in plus- especially in colored fur!

This lilac number is a cutie. I was eyeing it for a while, but was telling myself that I have a lot of coats and maybe I don’t need it. Then something happened….the coat went on sale for $43 dollars. Like who is going to turn down a coat that went down from close to $200 to less than $50? I ordered it immediately. I ordered the 18/20 and it fits well. Note, the coat just has a hook closure in the middle so make sure you have a good scarf for those chilly days to wrap around your neck.

I was having brunch with my bestie so I kept it cute and casual with my 80’s inspired sweatshirt from Target and a pair of denim. When it comes to my weekend wear, I keep it low key. Sweatshirts have been a go to for me as of late. Since it is still Winter (Just a couple more days!!!), I wear sweatshirts since they are warmer than wearing tops and you can easily layer them. Also, you can wear them all year long. I definitely suggest investing in a couple of sweatshirts. One of my favorite combo’s is wearing them with a cute skirt, or some ripped up jeans with pumps. Just add some white accessories like these cute sunnies (less than $10), and you are good to go!

There is no secret that I am sneaker girl. Growing up, I lived for sneakers. I wore them with everything. It drove my mom crazy. Now that I am thinking about it, I was ahead of my time. There were plenty of times I was rocking a cool pair of sneakers with a dress or skirt. There were not too many shoes I liked growing up. In the 90’s everything was a platform of some sort, so when it came to shoes, I only wore them when it was necessary. Now that I am in casual work environment, I can play around with color more, so I have been doing so with my sneaker choices. When i saw these Puma’s in my feed, I fell in love. Colorful like an Easter Egg, these work with so many things in my closet. Now The Puma Toy RS-X run a little small, so I went with a size 8.5 instead of my normal size 8 in sneakers. Not ready to go full on color? These do come in other colorways that can definitely work with your comfort level.

What are some of the ways you are incorporating more pastel colors in your life? Are you all about it, or you just keep it simple with a top?

Pink & More Pink

March 12, 2019 by Jami Jaye

As a child I wore my fair share of pink. Ask my mom, and my favorite look was a pair of pink striped Osh Kosh B’Gosh. Then I went through my I hate pink phase in middle school & high school (dark plaid took over my life). In college I started wearing it again. Now, I don’t think twice about picking up a pink item. Hell I got a pair of Air Force 1’s in pastel pink. Most think of pink of girly, but for me its calming when I’m wearing blush, or fun when I wearing a bold bright pink. So when I saw this bubblegum suit from Eloquii, I just had to have it.

I have talked about suiting several times on the blog. As someone who is all about jeans and tee’s. I am finding suiting can be just as versatile as s good pair of jeans. This suit is two pieces from Eloquii, which is great because you can wear both pieces in a myriad of ways. One way is to take the pants, and wear it with a slouchy sweatshirt and flats. Another look is to wear the blazer with tee and jeans. For this look I paired the High Waisted Trousers with this great striped sweater from the Atlantic-Pacific x Halogen collaboration with Nordstrom. What I love about this look is that it looks great with the blazer or it can be worn alone.

Now I have been not been wearing heels for some time. I have been loving all the cute flats and sneakers in my arsenal, but for this look I really felt like a pair of white pumps would really set the look off. When it comes to pumps, Sam Edelman pumps are my go to’s. They make a classic pump in two different heels heights, and a myriad of colors, and even in wide width. I didn’t have a white pair, so when I found these on sale, I snapped them up with the quickness. Since these are not wide width and patent leather (which I have noticed can run a bit narrower), I went with a size 9. The height makes them easy to walk in, and I have room to add extra cushioning because let’s be real, all heels start to bother you after a while.

I will say that the coat of the season has been the Teddy Coat. Not only is super cute, its one of the warmest coats I own. There are several brands that came out with teddy coats in plus, but I went with this belted pink version from Eloquii. It is slightly oversized, so the 18/20 worked perfectly for me cause I can layer up without having to worry about not having enough room. Have you been embracing more pink in your life? Or is there another pastel in your life that you are coveting? Let me know in the comments. Muah!

Happy Valentine's Day

February 13, 2019 by Jami Jaye

Hello Hello Lovers!!

I wanted to share a little red monochrome look for Valentine’s Day. Even though I am not the biggest fan of the holiday, I will say that over the years, the switch from it just being all about romantic partners to opening it up to celebrate yourself, or your best gal pal, has me thinking differently. Now don’t get me wrong, I am still not going out on V-day, I rather do something low-key like have dinner at the house., but this look is definitely something you can wear to work, enjoying some grub with your favorite gal pal, or catching a concert with your boo!

I received this great sweater for Christmas from KayJay. It’s a super chunky turtleneck cropped number from Astra Signature. Astra Signature is a brand created by blogger Sometimes Glam. I own several pieces from her line and I have yet to be disappointed with anything of hers. I have a soft spot for chunky knits and this one is my new fave. I’m wearing a 2X and it fits perfectly. It’s definitely cute with its bold color, but this sweater kept me warm which is major. Shooting in the winter can be tough, but this sweater did a great job of keeping the cold out.

Loving this pink lip with an all red look. Lippie is called It’s Happening!

When one loves and wears a bunch of cropped items, I wear them with high waisted bottoms. Either a skirt that sits high on my waist or high waisted pants. Paperbag pants have been all over the place, and when I saw these bright red ones on sale, I added them to the cart immediately. These came with a belt, but when I tied it a bow or knotted it, I wasn’t feeling . The pants have a bit of stretch to them, so I went with a 16. The pleating around the waist is a nice touch. It’s one of those pants that calls for you to tuck in your top and show it off and if you are not the type to tuck your tops in, they still look good regardless.

Since I was rocking all this red goodness, I went with my white booties and moto. This is definitely a look that wither worn together or separately the pieces play well together or still can be stand out pieces with other looks. I would wear the sweater with a leopard skirt and gold metallic shoes, or the pants with a long line denim jacket belted. You really can’t go wrong. So what are your plans for Vday? Staying home, going out, pretending it doesn’t exist…let me know in the comments!