Cape Me Away!

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I've decided to stay home today to avoid any crazy situations.  As I don't believe in any Mayan predictions, I do believe that people are crazy.  And in a state where gun rights are running around all willy nilly, I think it better to sit myself at home today (my husband and the dog aren't allowed to leave either).  I have never done crazy well.  Anyways,  yesterday I was flooded with questions about my winter cape, so I decide to a quick blog on my cape and where you can find one for yourself. I bought my cape from La'dan's Closet.  They are a company that carries plus size coats.  If you ventured over to the website you also see a lot of the items were out of stock.  This particular coat was priced at $435, as I know that may not be in budget for some I went on the look for capes to recommend to you that were a full range of styles and prices.  Check out other styles of capes by just searching for them on 

Etsy.   

First off, when looking for any vintage-esk item, I always turn to Etsy.  They would be your best bet on finding something you want and maybe even getting a good deal.  Second,  the great thing about this item is that for the most part it is a one size fits all deal.  When looking for your cape, the seller will list the shoulder, bust, or hip width of the cape. If the coat has structured shoulders, the main thing I would concern myself with is the shoulder width.  You want to consider if your shoulders are wide, medium or narrow build, so that the coat isn't ill-fitted.  Past that, it should be a really easy fit.  Some of the capes below don't come with a belt, feel free to add in your own belt.  Just bring the belt through the armholes and around the waist for a more structured look.  

Starting Top Left: Princeton Orange nuno felted Cape $434, 70s Ferragamo Cape $135, 60s Houndstooth Cape $85, 60s Gemini Dark Gray Wool Cape $120, Starting Bottom Left:  Vintage Black & Grey Tweed Cape Coat $270, 60s Plaid Cape $185, 40s Hollywood Glamour White Cape Coat with Fur Mink Detail $168, 60s Cape Tailored Boucle Wool Cape $42, Wrap Tie Wool Cape $220

Modcloth's Blogger of the Moment

I was so honored to be featured as Modcloth's Blogger of the Moment.  As long time fan of the site, I have always coveted and shopped many of their vintage inspired looks.  Modcloth carries sizes up to a 4X.  The best part of the feature is getting a dress of my choosing named after me.  Of course the signature dress included leopard.  Check it out below.  It's a fun dress/jacket combo.  It's called the Garner Style Dress.  #squeal.  

I also wanted to share with you an upcoming model casting with Modcloth.  This is for LA aspiring models.  Modcloth is currently casting plus size models size 16 and up.   If interested send the following to modelsla@modcloth.com:  A headshot and full length photo, your measurements, and your contact information and location.  Good Luck!

Outfit:  Dress - Garner Style Dress Modcloth $125, Necklace - H&M $25, Shoes - Shoedazzle $39, Belt - Asos (soldout)

All I want for Christmas...

The fashion gods bestowed me this dress from the Maison Martin Margiela Collection for H&M.  I must say that I am great at spotting things that I know were not meant for my over size 14 body.  With my finely tuned shopaholic eyes, I can spot a dress that will fit.  I bought this dress in the biggest size they had, which was a size 12.  I was actually on my way out of the store and then saw this in the window and was like, "wait, wait, wait, I can wear this!"  I had eyed this dress from a distance in the magazine ads.  I shimmied over to the dressing room to give it a whirl.   Sidenote:  Zippers are the bain of my existence  without help you can never get the blasted things up.  I got the dress up and over, but didnt get it zipped.  I had to drive home and ask my husband to zip it to make sure that I could wear it.  I can't remember how I conquered them as a single girl.   What's even better is when I got the register, I was ready to dish out the $200 that was displayed on the price tag.  Then, what do my ears hear, "50% off, only $99." Oh sweet baby Jesus!  I'm not sure if it's appropriate to thank God for epic fashion finds, but you know what? I'm thanking him just in case it is.  

In the case that you go looking for pieces from this collection, here are a few things to know.   Quite a few of the pieces are over-sized, so there is a good chance that you will be able to fit.  Know that the piece will probably not fit or look the way the designer intended.  I actually like this dress better on me, than I did the model.  Also, this collection did not do so hot, the items are on sale.  I bought this dress a few weeks ago, so this and the other items maybe even more deeply discounted.  Finally, the shoes from this collection are insane!  They are definitely worth the trip.  

Here are a  pieces that I think would work for plus sizes - Photo from Fashionista

Outfits:  Dress - Maison Martin Margiela Collection for H&M $99,  Fur Muff -BlackLodgeVintage via Etsy $56,  Shoes - Nordstrom Rack, Caplet - Vintage JIBRI sold-out (similar here), Necklace - QueenGrace

2Chainz!

I've been looking for a long necklace forever.  Jewelry is one of those things that I take a lot of care in selecting.  It's so easy to get wrapped up into buying a bunch of junk that you won't ever wear.  I came across this necklace at H&M.  I was told it was supposed to be a belt.  I won't get into my personal pet peeves with chain belts.  I saw this and said this is the perfect combination of "rapperific" glam and statement hardware.  I will say that while wearing, I do feel the need to spit rhyming lyrical knowledge and to ride dirty or at least a little dusty.  I can't find my tag renewal sticker, so eat my dust Mr. Policeman.    

I wanted talk about some of the things I think about when selecting jewelry.

• Don't overbuy.  Working with clients, I see that a lot of people overbuy.  I've seen bags and bags and bags of costumes jewelry spewing from everywhere.   Half of the items the person will never wear, which results in needless clutter and wasted money.
• Buy through estate sales, thrift & vintage shops.  Looking for jewelry is one of my main goals in secondhand shops.  It's where you can find one-of-a-kind pieces, heirlooms, and jewelry that doesn't look like it was made on the assembly line in China. 
• ❤ it!  This goes for anything you buy.  Stop buying things that you are in limbo about.  If you love it, buy it! If you only sorta kinda like it, leave it.  You'll save yourself money and space.  
• Know what you have.  I generally focus on a particular item that I don't have and keep looking until I find the piece that is perfect for me.  I've been looking for a long statement necklace for over a year now. Now that I've found it, I'm checking it off and moving on to the next thing that I want to add.  
• Be patient.  You ever just buy something because you haven't found the piece that you really want, but you feel you want to fill the void until you find the perfect thing.  This is how people end up with junk that they never really wanted in the first place.  Be patient.  It may take some time, but getting what you really want beats wasting money on a lack luster substitute.  
• Price tag conquests.  You have come across the perfect piece of jewelry and the price tag is just too steep.   You can conquer this issue several ways.  I often wait out the pricing.  The necklace that I bought was originally $129 and I got it for $40.  I definitely didn't want to pay $129, so I waited.  The sales clerk informed me that all items were going on sale.  I just needed to wait a few days.  I waited a year to find this, so what's a few more days.  Use the money you saved from overbuying to buy the piece that you really want.  I hear clients say, "It was only $3, $5, or whatever."  Now you have over $100 worth of junk that you are never going to wear.  You could have bought that piece you really wanted with the money you saved from practicing jewelry buying abstinence. 

Outfit:  Sweater - H&M (plus size section) $30, Necklace - Anna Dello Russo for H&M $40, Boots - Torrid,  Jeggings - Torrid $40, Boots - Torrid $68, Lipstick - MAC Girl About Town $15

Boutique to Know: LUCY

Canada based boutique LUCY, (Love. Uniquely, Curvy, You) has most recently started offering pieces from their brick and mortar boutique, online.  Owner, Sonya Perkins, has filled this boutique with fabulous frocks for your curves.  I'm loving the fun and vibrant colors. LUCY is definitely a boutique to remember when trying to figure out where to get that perfect party dress.  My favorite is the teal gown.  I've been digging full length dresses lately.  What's your favorite piece?

Shopping Tip:  One of my shopping secrets is to frequent the pages of boutiques.  If I let a piece slip past me and it sells out from the original retailer, a lot of the time with a little google search, I can find that item at a boutique.  

Check out LUCY here:

101-20565 Fraser Hwy

Langley, BC V3A4G3

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Plus Size Shopping Tips

I wanted to share this segment on plus size shopping that I did with CBS Channel 11 KTVT Dallas.  I like that they focused on internet shopping.  I hope this helps shed some of the light on making online shopping easier.