Wide Calf Boots Y’all!

How excited am I to finally find a pair of knee-high boots that REALLY fit my calves? BEYOND THRILLED. These beautiful leather boots are from Ted & Muffy – a UK boot brand that offers CUSTOM calf sizes on their boots. Additionally they offer sizing up to US 12 and wide shoe widths as well. I am so excited to see so many options for folks of all sizes. 

It’s been so long since I’ve had a pair of wide calf boots that was big enough to wear OVER a pair of jeans, that I just had to try this Demeter Boot with a pair of skinny jeans. Weekends are made for a casual look of skinny jeans, boots and an oversized top. But this style of boot could be dressed up quite well too – I love the versatility. 

OUTFIT DETAILS
Dip Hem Black Top – City Chic – L (special sizing)
Skinny Jegging Jeans – Torrid – 18 – available here
Parka – Old Navy
Demeter Boots – Ted & Muffy – available here
Black/White Bag – Rebecca Minkoff
Glasses – SEE Eyewear

Products provided by Ted & Muffy. All opinions are my own.

Beauty Thief: LastCraft’s Amanda Stilwell Has A Shocking Beauty Sleep Secret | Autostraddle

I had so much fun chatting with Aja at Autostraddle for this piece on my favorite skincare and beauty tips.

 

A little sample…

AA: I know our readers are curious about others’ skincare routines. Tell us more about yours!

AS: My regimen is to wash with a no-soap product, Melee Facewash by Brazen Bee, apply a tiny bit of jojoba/almond oil and then apply some sunscreen before my makeup, which I keep really simple during the week (concealer, mascara, lipstick). At night, I remove makeup with the jojoba/almond mix and a warm washcloth.

Beauty Thief: LastCraft’s Amanda Stilwell Has A Shocking Beauty Sleep Secret | Autostraddle

InTheThickofIt – Best Outfits of 2015

These were the most popular posts on InTheThickofIt in 2015. It was a fun year for me that included my first trip to Tulum Mexico and I was in a @proudmaryfashion Fashion show. 

Thanks as always for the love!

Outfit 1 – Greetings from Chicago Anna Scholz Dress

Outfit 2 – Transitional Stripes Eloquii Dress

Outfit 3 – Plus size Beach wear in Tulum by Asos

Outfit 4 – Lace for Spring

Outfit 5 – Proud Mary Fashion Show

Outfit 6 – How I rock a Crop Top

Outfit 7 – Winter Tunic and Leather Jacket

Pop Art and a Polkadot Dress

Happy 2016 friends!  I started the year off with a BANG! with a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art’s POP ART show. I’m in love with so many of the artists in the exhibit but I especially love the intense graphics all over the exterior of the building advertising the show.  Just look at the geometric red bars and the newly redesigned MCA font – perfection!

I felt right at home in my very graphic outfit of this polka-dot Carmakoma sweater dress (they are one of my favorite plus size brands) and black/white Rebecca Minkoff purse. I have been absolutely lusting after this plus size sweater dress for a year and it finally went on sale via Gwynnie Bee so I snatched it up.  Other reviewers complained that it was sack-like and see-through but neither of those things seem like downsides to me.  I love the tunic shape and bold print and I just paired it with leggings and a cami so it doesn’t matter if it’s sheer.

I’m still trying to grow my hair out as you can see, but it’s getting longer! I’m really looking forward to some fun styling this year once I get some overall length. 

My goals this year aren’t quite solidified yet, but I’m getting there. I hope to have up a post once I have some downtime in Los Angeles next week.

OUTFIT DETAILS
Carmakoma Polkadot Dress – Sz L (this is special sizing – Sz L = US Size 20)
Leggings – Lysse – Sz XL (I’m in LOVE with these wide-waistband leggings)
Cami – St Eve – Sz XL
Necklace – Forever 21
Booties – Lucky Brand
Bag – Rebecca Minkoff

Eloquii Party Dresses

LastCraft lapel pins

Oh look I got dressed and hung out with my favorite femme and went to an actual party. I haven’t done that in ages. Nothing like gossiping with a small gaggle of femmes in a bar. Seriously. 

It’s busy season for me my loves – I’m deep in the weeds of small business holiday shopping for my little shop LastCraft. 

I am hoping for lots more outfit posts in early next year and perhaps a few small holiday party posts. There are SO many good plus size holiday party dresses available this year. My favorites so far are from Eloquii (seen above). Any favorites you can share?

For those that are interested, I’ll be doing a few upcoming markets in the Chicago area – I’d love to see y’all! We’ve got some amazing new totebags and enamel pins! 
Show of Hands – Nov 20-22 at Architectural Artifacts
Renegade Holiday Show – Dec 5&6 at Bridgeport Art Center

Outfit Details (on me – on right)

Black Body-Con Dress – Dorothy Perkins sz 20
Petite Black Leather Harness – Zana Bayne
Porcupine Earrings – Etsy
Glasses – SEE Eyewear

Greetings from Chicago!

This Chicago Postcard mural by @greetingstour I found a few months ago is just PERFECT. I couldn’t wait to show it to you guys with the right outfit. Oh also I have these new orange creamsicle glasses which i just adore and they go so well with this lovely plus size body-con (ish)  Anna Scholz dress from Gwynnie Bee and this rad mural. 

I’m totally thrilled that it’s fall. This is truly my favorite time of year. I’m also super excited that Gwynnie Bee is coming to Chicago next week – I’ll be share more of that in coming days.

OUTFIT DETAILS

Digital Print Dress – Anna Scholz Sz 18, via Gwynnie Bee
Waxed Denim Moto – H&M Plus
Necklace – Forever 21
Black White Handbag – Rebecca Minkoff 
Glasses (sunnies and orange creamsicle specs) – SEE Eyewear
Divine Enamel Pin – from the perfect @youwereswell 

On Plus Size Advancing Style

Lately I’ve been drawing inspiration from some of the women of Advanced Style. Now I realize I’m not in the Senior Citizen category, but I so greatly admire women older than me – as mentors, as icons, as wonderful friends. 

I am solidly over the age of 35, which still feels like a surprise to me. As a queer person, I never really knew what my life-path would look like, but I knew it didn’t have a lot of roadmaps. The folks I knew growing up that were older than me fit a very heteronormative path. They got married, had kids, wore J. Crew, strived to be a certain size.  I never felt those people were my people. I have known for a long time that I have a different path. It’s been such a journey! In my late teens, I found new role models like drag-queens Divine and Leigh Bowery and oh goodness the fun I had experimenting with all sorts of pieces of me.  It took me a really long time to learn to accept  myself in the body I have and get over a plethora of self esteem issues.

Oh and what does that have to do with fashion? Well a lot really – in that I always assumed  when I was younger that women in their late 30s dressed in frumpy shit – I mean there’s a reason why the term “mom jeans” exists. And frankly most of the options for plus size women women of any age were just embarrassingly bad and frumpy up until very recently. Posting photos of my outfits has always been to fight against those assumed norms.  

So here I am, a 36 year old plus size woman. I have no kids. I am (queer) married. I love fashion. I hope that my life can be a marker of what is a possibility. Now on to the clothes…(and my sweet little pixie hair cut that i’m just loving this summer) 

OUTFIT DETAILS
Cricut Plus Size Maxi Dress – via Gwynnie Bee – Sz 2X
Black Faux Leather Belt – Forever 21 – 2X
Black Faux Suede Shoes – Urban Outfitters
Glasses – SEE Eyewear
Clutch – Vintage
Bar Necklace – Dana Rebecca

Summer Road Trip – Detroit/ Ann Arbor

Why not a road trip? Why not the sheer maxi dress that has become my summer uniform this year? 

I needed some art and some fun, so S and I headed to Detroit to see the Kahlo Rivera exhibit at the DIA. What a perfectly fantastic museum experience!!!! It was breathtakingly beautiful and I could have spent days there. I was just overwhelmed with the Dutch Masters rooms and the Contemporary spaces specifically. After many hours of looking at art, we drove around Detroit spent some time at the John K King book store after our museum visiting. Since S had to do some work in Ann Arbor, we stayed there, visiting several of the great indie coffee shops (we loved Roos Roast) and we had a great vegetarian dinner at the Arbor Brewery. It was such a good time.

Oh and how can I forget our side excursion to middle-of-nowhere Indiana to stop at Albanese CANDY FACTORY – holy moly! 

OUTFIT DETAILS
Sheer Floral Maxi – 3x – Proud Mary Fashion
Denim Cut-off Shorts – 20 – Ava & Viv (destroy wash)
Tank – 1x – Forever 21
Dr. Marten Boots
Nail Necklace – Redbud Jewelry 
Sylvie Rose Diamond Necklace – Dana Rebecca
Glasses – SEE Eyewear

Watery Print Dress

One of my favorite american artists is

James McNeill Whistler – his “Nocturnes” specifically are so evocative of a specific space. His color palette is often quite muted, in lots of greys and blues – with wispy weird light sources that seem to really glow. When I saw this dress on Gwynnie Bee, it immediately made me think of Whistler’s work.  I love the tunic shape and subtle drop hem. I wore it to work with a sweater and dark blue wedges. I wore it this weekend with my favorite birkenstock sandals and a belt (seen above). 

This weekend was so humid and I wanted to be by the water – isn’t chicago just so pretty in the summer? Watercolor print clothes are just perfect for a nod to summer.

OUTFIT DETAILS
Jete Watercolor Hi-Lo Tank Dress – Size 2x – via Gwynnie Bee subscription
Birkenstock sandals
Turquoise leather and gold belt via Asos
Long Necklace – Forever 21
Short necklace – Dana Rebecca
Glasses – SEE Eyewear

ProudMary’s Plus Size Fashion Show – Fashion on the Fringe

This week was super fun for me. I spent a lot of it with Jessica the owner of the perfect online plus size boutique Proud Mary. She held an amazing fashion show and shopping event Friday night at Fringe Salon (this is where I get my hair done BTW – by the amazing Patrick McAfee). 

Seriously I am almost without words about how cool this event was.  It was filled with my people –  gorgeous wonderful fat women 🙂 I honestly have never had such a positive response from walking a runway – everyone was so kind and generous. It was also great that there was so much shopping and this amazing photobooth by GlitterGuts

Above are all the outfits I wore – and they’re all available now at Proud Mary

My nails are by gigi at fringe salon find her on her tumblr thegigijigglesnails and IG @thegigijiggles 

Makeup is by Liz find her on IG @itslizmedaris