Clothing for the work place...is your attire appropriate?

Having a professional wardrobe can be tricky for a plus woman, right? WRONG! All stores that cater to plus size women offer pieces that are suitable, yet stylish for the work place. In this addition of the Big Girl Blog, I will offer tips and tricks on how to add affordable yet stylish pieces to your professional wardrobe. Or, if you have a few basic pieces in your closet already, you may be able to use this post to maximise what you already have! As always, feedback and questions are welcome!

The key to having a great professional wardrobe is to have several pieces that can be mixed and matched....a few basic bottoms with stylish tops, a few accessories, and shoes....you can literally turn one item into several different looks.


(the look below can be found at Lane Bryant and Ashley Stewart)
For example....take these basic black pants:

Pair with this top:  

add a simple pair of black pumps, wedges, or stylish flats, with simple accessories, and you have the perfect work outfit.

Now, take those same pants, and pair with something like this, which can be found at Lane Bryant...

also pair with simple black shoes, and simple accessories, and you  have another great look for the office.

                                                                 
Does your office do casual Friday?  If so, the main thing to remember is that this does not give you license to go to work in your PJ's, sweats, or anything of the like. Also, stay away from the skinny jean, leggings, and short anything...lol. Because you're in a professional environment, you should dress as such..even on casual Friday. With that said, something like this would be perfect: (the shirt and trouser jeans can be found at old navy, the shoes at target)

or, for the girl who  prefers a bit of  height...this would be a great alternative...

                                                                    
                                                    
again, pair with simple accessories, and your good to go!

In short, the moral of the story is...working in an office, or professional environment does not give you licence to be frumpy or sloppy. With these helpful hints, there is no longer any excuse!

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Now, go forth and keep it classy!
                                                        
                                                             

My Review of Swimdress with White Side Bow

Originally submitted at OneStopPlus

Chic - pure and simple. Our plus size black swimdress is accented with a pretty bow at the top left. Plus size swimwear. Machine wash. Imported.

• Bandeau-style black swimdress with contrast white band and bow at the top of the bodice
• Removable/adjustable white strap, soft mo...

Swimdress with White Side Bow

sexy and comfortable!

By Brenda from Fayetteville, NC on 6/14/2012

 

5out of 5

Waist: Feels true to size

Cup Fit: Feels true to size

Pros: Attractive Design, Slimming, Good Fit, High Quality, Comfortable, Flattering

Best Uses: Swimming, Tanning, Beach, Boating

Describe Yourself: Classic, Stylish

Was this a gift?: No

I purchases this for the cruise I just took. And while I bought 2 other suites with me, I lived in this one. I love that the straps are removable, and I wore it strapless every time. The lining has great support, and smooths out all of my bumps and bulges.It also gave me great breast support, even with out the straps (but at a C cup, I'm a bit small as plus sized girls go)...and Bonus! No tan lines! I got in blue, and the color is exactly as pictured. All in all, I highly recommend this suite.

(legalese)

Hair...what does yours say about you?

Hair styling is very much a personal choice...whether you choose to keep it long, or short...chemically processed, or natural...it makes a statement about you, and your personal style. In this particular blog, I will give no specific do's or don'ts...but I will highlight some things that I have seen that are just wrong! With that said, this will probably be a fairly short post...but as always, questions and comments are more than welcome!

Multi colored hair...as in rainbow bright...why? No, seriously, why? Unless it is Halloween, there is no need for any person to walk around with the rainbow in their hair. It looks unprofessional for any job, and it sends the message that you don't really care about your appearance...which if you spent the time and money to do it, we know that couldn't be further from the truth! I'm all for the unconventional colored rinses (on DARK hair), and/or highlights...I have my own hair rinsed with red or plum(depending on how I feel when I get to the salon), but I have dark hair. So unless I'm in the sun, or really good light, you can't really tell. So basically, my question is, why would anyone want to walk around looking like this?

Hair Weaves...I have zero problems with weaves. However, I do have a problem with poorly done/kept weaves.  If you have kinky hair, but your weave is silky straight...and you didn't think to relax your hair before getting said weave, this is a problem. If you can see your tracks, because your natural hair was not blended properly, this is a problem. And lastly, if you can not afford to maintain your weave (i,e getting the tracks tightened, having it properly washed/styled, etc), then PLEASE don't get one to begin with! The last thing you want is to be walking around looking like this:

                                                   

The "natural look"...this will mainly apply to my African American readers...if you are going to do it, do it right! Make sure your hair is healthy, and you're using the right products for your hair. For tips and tricks, check out my girl Mznaturallife at https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/MzNaturalLife.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read the Big Girl Blog! Now go forth, and keep it classy!

So, I'm back from vacation...

and I have to say, I am NOT happy about it! lol... I had an amazing week, sunning and funning in the Caribbean. There was lots of great food, and cocktails, and I couldn't have asked for better company. We took a cruise (Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas) to Jamaica, Cozumel, and Labadee. There were beautiful sunny days, amazing beaches, and gorgeous night skies...with the moon and stars in all their glory! But now that I'm back to life and reality, it's time to blog about what I wore on vacation! Now, I will admit that I was terrible about having myself photographed everyday, but I did manage to get some decent pics. I will also admit that there were some hits and misses...I know what I think they are, and I'm interested to see what you all think. As always, feed back and questions are welcomed!

This was my "formal" look. The dress came from avenue.com, the shoes and Jewelry from payless.com, and the clutch from lanebryant.com.

                                    
          This is my swim suit cover, which I purchased from oldnavy.com. I love it! Very Comfy...

             This was my "smart casual" ensemble. The outfit came from onestopplus.com, the shoes from Oldnavy.com.

               I could not wait to wear this dress! I purchased this from Catos....and if your wondering what the big deal was with this look, scroll down a bit further, and check out the back!

           Ok, so it was pretty cloudy, and foggy when this picture was taken...but I loved this look too. Over all, it was super comfy, yet stylish....the whole look, from head to toe, can be found at oldnavy.com

            This was my absolute favorite outfit of the entire vacation. You can't really tell in the pictures, but the bottoms are "cargo" crops, in a dark olive green. I paired this look with the red ankle wrap sandals, which I featured in my summer events blog. I felt sassy and sexy in this look, and received several compliments....the best one, was that I "looked like a ray of sunshine"...lol.  The entire look, from head to toe, can also be found at oldnavy.com

As always, thank you for taking the time to check out my blog. Now, go forth, and keep it classy!