It’s all about the Boots

Really there is nothing better than a statement boot this fall. I fell in love with this suede pair from Simply Be – the gorgeous bohemian-inspired embroidery in such bright colors. Perfect height for me – easy enough to walk around in and they just enhance a pair of jeans or leggings. I paired with a simple pair of “boyfriend” jeans, a waxed denim moto, a luxe but simple shirt and my favorite oversized scarf. A great look for any chilly fall day.

OUTFIT DETAILS
Embroidered Ankle Boots – (available up to size 11) from Simply Be
Catherine Jeans – Kut from Kloth
Black V-Rex T – Universal standard
Waxed Denim Moto – H&M+ (from many years ago sadly)
Lots of pins from some of my favorite makers like Robin Eisenberg and Sara M Lyons

Boots provided for review by Simply Be

The weather outside was terrible this weekend and I wasn’t able to get photos of my new vintage items that I wanted to share with you all.  So in lieu of a fresh post – I thought I’d share some photos from my trip to Berlin and London that I had forgotten to post.

The trip was in Mid-october and the weather was perfectly autumnal – chilly during the day – great for layering. Since I was traveling, I was limited to the amount of things I could bring with me – so there are a lot of repeats, but it’s fun to play with combinations!

Photo 1 is at Kings Cross Station in London at Platform 9 ¾. I’m wearing a stretchy lace-print dress from Primark, leggings from Topshop, waxed denim moto from H&M+, scarf from UO, and wedges from Topshop

Photo 2 is at St. James Park in London.  I’m wearing a velvet blazer from Old Navy and a cross-print scarf from Target

Photo 3 is from Berlin.  I’m wearing a black/white striped dress from Target, a wool sweater from Banana republic, Leggings from Forever 21+ and shoes from Topshop

Photo 4 is also from Berlin.  I’m wearing the same black/white striped dress plus the waxed denim moto from H&M+

Pushing the boundaries – Being Plus Size in 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target

I’m always excited to find out about budget-friendly designer lines.  While these lines are more accessible to the wallet, they’re still not designed for a plus size body.  Straight size XL is the largest size the designer lines for Target go to. Not exactly pushing boundaries. But I don’t mind a challenge – which is to say, I’m not bound by sizes and if something is stretchy, I like to play with the shape on my frame.  It doesn’t always work, but it’s nice to see what comes of fabrics.  I also know this option is super limited – or rather not available to all plus size folks.  But still, a good reminder to not feel completely limited by the number that’s listed on a garment (anyone who thrifts knows this rule!!!)

The new 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target collection is lovely. The materials used included a lot of polyester silky fabrics and non-stretch, which gave me a worry that I wouldn’t be able to find anything to stretch over my curves. When I came across this lovely animal print stretch dress I gasped.  It reminded me of something Peg Bundy or Divine would wear.  Especially when on a plus size body.

I went on a walk with my sweet pups and wore my new dress.  I paired it with sheer black stockings, my stompy vince camuto boots and my new H&M waxed denim moto jacket.  I feel super great in this dress – a great score, right? 

OUTFIT DETAILS
3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Animal Print dress – XL
Waxed Denim Moto Jacket from H&M – 18
Sheer black tights – Hanes
Black boots – Vince Camuto
Glasses – SEE Eyewear

Shopping and longing for more Plus Size Options

Today I stopped by H&M to check out this Waxed Denim Jacket in their plus section that I really wanted for my upcoming trip.  I was also excited to see if they had anything else that might be worth trying out.  My clothing options for fall travel are feeling very limited after my big purge a few months ago.

I’m happy to report that the jacket is amazing and I got it in a size 18 (I find that with H&M I definitely need to size up on fitted items). I can’t wait to wear it EVERYWHERE this fall.

But I had a lot of feelings while I was shopping. There was so much cute stuff at H&M right now.  They just released the Paris Show 2013 Collection and it’s beautiful – lots of delicate materials with pretty details.  They had an amazing cream lace top shaped sort of like a sweatshirt that I was just lusting after.  Just lots of pretty things that I really would love to wear for fall.

I already know that H&M doesn’t carry my size, but they used to carry up to a size 16 in their straight size line.  Not anymore.  The largest size in any of their clothes is a US 12.  TWELVE. And on top of that, a ton of the clothes I was looking at were only in quantities in sizes 4-8. 

This isn’t news. I shouldn’t get upset over these things, but I can’t help it sometimes – I just start to feel sad and angry that despite everything, trendy plus size fashion is still SO HARD to find.

Perhaps I’m just out of sorts – I know a lot of my fellow plus size bloggers are at #NYFW right now and they all seem to be having an amazing time.  I’m happy for them.  But I also know that for all of us, plus size fashion is still a struggle and we all are fighting to remind people that fat people exist and that we deserve to look adorable.  I mean, how hard is that?