By now every girl knows that if her wardrobe has nothing else she must have a Little Black Dress (LBD). The LBD is an essential item for every girl’s closet. It can be dressed up or down and worn to just about any occasion. Depending on you shape your perfect LBD may be below or above the knee, sheath or a-line, long or short sleeved or even sleeveless if that’s your preference.  The real problem isn’t finding the dress because there are many LBDs out there even for plus size women, the problem is finding the best ways to accessorize your LBD.

So today I’m going to show you the best ways to accessorize your LBD for several different occasions. The LBD I’m going to use as our foundation is the Black 3/4 Sleeve Dress from Yours Clothing. This LBD will be flattering on just about every body shape because it is v-neck, 3/4 sleeve, between a-line and sheath and it has empire waistline which is flattering on most figures.

For a meeting at the office one doesn’t want to be too glamorous but not shabby either. The best thing to do is keep it simple and classy and nothing says classy like pearls. Pair pearl stud earrings and a pearl necklace and you’re good on the jewelry front. For shoes you can never go wrong with basic black heels that will keep your look polished. And for a handbag a classt black tote or something similar will do nicely for work. Below is a pearl earring, necklace and bracelet set from Very; black block heel court shoes from Evans; and the black patent snake effect bag from Yours Clothing.

For a night out there is no such thing as too glamorous. LBDs are the perfect foundation for being sexy and sophisticated. Spice up your outfit with a pair of lacy tights that add a lot of sexiness to otherwise bare legs. Next, time for some bling, I would suggest some shiny earrings and depending on how big they are a necklace as well. If you are wearing really big earrings then forget the necklace. I would also say to add a cocktail ring or a blingy bracelet keep in mind that it may be better to have them on separate arms. For shoes, breakout those gorgeous platform pumps you’ve been dying to wear, they are sure to be a hit. And since this is a night out travel light and carry a clutch. Below are flower lace tights from OneStopPlus.co.uk, and jewelry, sequined platform shoes and a crystal interlaceclutch all from Simply Be.

Finally for a weekend outing its time to make your LBD more casual. Pairing your LBD with a denim jacket and some colorful sneakers is just the way to do it. Add a girl headband for a feminine touch and a tote or hobo bag that will work for you weekend errands. Below is a Tallissime denim jacket and red Converse sneakers both from OneStopPlus.co.uk; and a Glass bead motif headband and Body Star tote both from Simply Be.

When it comes to accessorizing I like listen to Coco Chanel who used to say “When accessorizing, always take off the last thing you put on,” now if you feel you’ve got a great thing going on then don’t worry about it but if you think you may have overdone it or have a habit of overdoing it this is definitely a quote to live by.

Buying shoes can be very difficult if you have large feet. Shopping for shoes doesn’t have to be a trying experience if you remember these few things:

Know your size

Most places that sell shoes have a way to measure you for your size. It is very important that during measurement you keep your foot relaxed and if one foot is slightly bigger than the other go with the larger size instead of the smaller. Make sure to account for how wide or narrow your feet are because this will impact the fitting of your shoe.

Never go shoe shopping in the morning

The best time to go shopping for shoes is always in the afternoon because your feet will have reached their swelling peek at this time. If you go shoe shopping in the morning and buy shoes they may fit pretty well at first but when you wear them out your feet will be begging for mercy.

Make sure to do a test run before wearing out.

If you’re in a store make sure to try on both shoes and walk around the store for about 1-2 minutes so you can get a feel for the shoe. What you put on your feet is a serious thing, so do not allow any salesperson to rush you. If you ordered shoes online try walking around your house even walk into the kitchen if the rest of your house it carpeted. Carpet absorbs a lot of the shock your feet would feel if on the street, that’s why so many shoe stores have carpet. If the shoes don’t fit exchange them for something that does, your feet and back will thank you in the long run.

Buying plus size underwear can be quite a chore if you are unsure how to go about it, especially when there are so many different items to choose from. When it comes to dressing, it’s like building a house, without a great foundation it will fall apart. Here are three tips to keep in mind when buying underwear:

1. Know your size.

Your underwear should never be too small or too big. When underwear is too small it can create lumps, bumps and bulges in all the wrong places. When underwear is too big can cause the rest of your outfit to gape and look very ill-fitting. When it comes to bras make sure you go to a professional to get measured. Most lingerie stores and big department stores usually keep a trained bra fitter among their ranks. When going to get sized and buying just remember that the most important thing is that you’re comfortable and you feel good in what you’re wearing.

2. Shop for your body type

This is a very important step in buying underwear. If you have a large bust, try a minimiser bra. It will give you great support and it won’t look like the girls have a mind of their own. If you have a more full tummy try briefs or high waist panties instead of boy shorts or hipster panties because these will cause bulges whereas high waist panties add a little control.

Shapely Figures Minimiser Bra and Gok Wan Printed Brief both from SImplyYours.co.uk

3. There’s a time and place for everything…Including underwear!

For special occasions where you might end up stripping down to your undies (wink wink) try underwear that is lacy, sheer, and in lush colors. As long as you feel amazing in it then there’s nothing to worry about. But for the everyday try to be more sensible and stick to things that are comfortable and practical.

Seven Til Midnight Paige Lace-up Corset from SimplyYours.co.uk

All lingerie shown here are from Simply Yours (website: SimplyYours.co.uk)

Buying clothes for your wardrobe is usually a fun task for most women but it rarely is fun for your wallets. For most the least fun part of shopping is handing your hard earn money over to the cashier. This can be a little daunting but if you know how to spend your money, shopping can be a much more pleasurable experience. Here are five tips to stocking your wardrobe for
less.

1. Whenever looking for a specific item in a store go to the clearance rack first. 

You would be surprised how many times I’ve been in need of a particular item like a dress for a special event and I buy the dress at regular price then when I’m in the same store maybe a day or two later browsing, I find a similar dress, that would have been better or just as good as the dress I bought, on the clearance rack for a fraction of its original cost.

2. Check your store’s price adjustment policies.

Many stores, even though they don’t blatantly advertise this, have some sort of price adjustment policy. Meaning if you buy something for the original price one day and within a given period of time (usually two weeks for most stores) that same item goes on sale, you can just bring your receipt back to the store and get the difference back. Sure it may be a small amount but over time small amounts add up to large ones.

3. Always buy seasonal items off season.

More likely than not you will be able to find the best price for items like coats, sweaters, swimsuits and winter boots during the season when they get the least amount of use, that’s just basic supply and demand. Prices for swimsuits generally are lower in the winter because no one is going swimming. It’s the same with buying winter boots and coats in the summer.

4. Finally, when it comes to the clothes you will be wearing the most (jeans, work trousers, blouses etc) it is best to invest in these items.

The reason why is this, if you invest in these items now you won’t have to keep replacing them later. When it comes to clothing you usually get what you pay for (unless we’re talking clearance which is a totally different ball game) if you invest in a good pair of jeans you will thank yourself later. The quality will be better and they will last longer which will lead to a lesser need to replace them,

Many of us watch the trends that come from the many fashion weeks quite religiously but few of us know how to correctly translate those trends to plus size from our straight sized counterparts. These straight trends whether they be polka dots, mixing prints and patterns, or even wearing monochrome colors can translated to fit plus size style. The key to this is in understanding that translating fashion is like translating a language, it isn’t about translating word for word, but instead it’s about making sure the message gets across.

When seeing a trend you want to capture in your wardrobe think about what the trend says to you. Does it come off as sexy, classy, laid back or some other adjective? This will help in deciding what you want to say when wearing the trend. For example this fall a lot of designers have been doing a lot of 60’s fashion which could be defined by being classy or mod, but mostly classy and ladylike. Take this coat from designer Jil Sander it looks very nice and it brings across 60’s style very well. As you can see below I have picked the Camel Piped Edge Duffel Coat from Evans and the Smock Dress with Embellishment from ASOS Curve. The coat and dress combined give off a very 60’s feel and still remain classy and ladylike. Even though it isn’t an exact copy of the Jil Sander outfit the point is still made and the burst of color is still there.

Flowered Coat From Jil Sander, Camel Coat from Evans, Blue Dress from ASOS Curve

Lastly, when translating never try to outright copy a trend piece for piece, most times it doesn’t come out right because how clothes are worn on a runway is a whole different thing than how the same clothes should be worn off the runway.  For instance right now fur, faux fur and feathers are a very big trend this fall and many designers have place some show of fur on their runways. Below is an outfit from Louis Vuitton which in my opinion is very over the top, it is a basically all fur dress and this is a prime example of what not to copy outright to your wardrobe. When looking at runway shows especially those from European designers we have to acknowledge that some of it is mostly there for the artistic value. In other words my point is don’t copy piece for piece because it might turn out looking ridiculous anywhere but on a runway. Plus it is really hard for anyone plus size or not to pull off a full fur dress and not look like some sort of circus animal. Instead try a jacket or coat that is a little edgier than the traditional faux fur coats like this Anna Scholz Feather Coat from Simply Be. It definitely translates the edginess of Louis Vuitton especially when paired with this Black Lace Dress with Mesh Skirt from ASOS Curve.

Outfit by Louis Vuitton, Anna Scholz Feather Coat from Simply Be, Black Lace Dress with Mesh Skirt from ASOS Curve

Main Photo:  Johnathan Saunders, Louis Vuitton, and Antonio Beradi

This season one of the trends seen on most runways is fur, and a lot of designers are even using animal friendly faux fur. A lot has changed since the days when faux fur looked like something the cat dragged in. Now fashionistas can get luxurious fur without damaging their wallets to do so. Faux fur is definitely one of the hottest trends right now and we’re going to show you how to rock it.

The key to faux fur is not to overdo it. Stay away from wearing a bunch of fur at the same time instead treat your faux fur like an accessory, use it to accent your look. There are many styles of wearing faux fur and the first we’re going to show you is the faux fur jacket.

There are many faux fur jackets and coats out there and pairing them with the right outfit doesn’t have to be a hard task. If you’re not ready to wear a bright colored or leopard print faux fur take this black faux fur jacket from Yours Clothing. It is definitely a jacket to be worn with a dress because it stops a bit above the hips, which if worn with pants and a regular top can chop up the body in an unflattering way. Instead wear a colored dress and dark leggings or tights to balance out the look. Add heels or a nice pair of flats to complete the look.

Coat from Yours Clothing Dress and Shoes from Simply Be

For the next faux fur item we have a longer, lighter colored fur from ASOS that goes perfectly for day or evening wear. It is very versatile and can be paired with a dress or jeans. For a nice daytime look, we would suggest wearing the coat with a nice tunic blouse, skinny jeans or jeggings and high boots.

Coat from ASOS, Blouse and Boots from Evans, Jeans from Yours Clothing

And finally for those who have an aversion to fur in general, we suggest a light dosage of fur by adding this fur scarf from Simply Be. It is an added touch that will liven up practically any outfit. We think that wearing the scarf under a jacket or blazer so that it gives a mock fur collar would work very well. We have compiled an outfit of black skinny jeans, a printed blouse ankle boots and a biker jacket to go with the fur scarf.

Fur Scarf and Ankle boots from SImply Be, Blouse and Jacket from Very, Skinny Jeans from Yours Clothing

Over time there has been quite a stir of what what plus size women should and shouldn’t wear to enhance their look. Today I going to shed some light on some of the style myths that have been spread around the plus size fashion world. Many of these myths are untrue and under the right circumstances easily proved false.

NO PLEATED SKIRTS

Stylists used to say that pleats almost never look good on a plus size figure. Now this isn’t completely untrue, the key to wearing pleats is to stay away from wide and stiff pleats like those reminiscent of a schoolgirl uniform, because these types of pleats do in fact make you look wider than you actually are. Instead try shallow, softer pleats that are in chiffon like fabrics like the midi and maxi pleated skirts that are really on trend right now. These skirts will glide over your curves and give a hint of romanticism to an outfit.

MINIS ARE NOT FOR PLUS SIZE WOMEN

Now this is definitely a complete myth. Miniskirts and mini dresses, of course when worn for the right occasions, are completely acceptable for a plus size figure. If you have a great pair of legs don’t hide them. When it comes to minis keep this rule in mind, If the mini is at or below the longest of your fingertips when standing then you’re good to go, if the mini is shorter than your fingertips add a pair of leggings. Peek-a-boo moments never did anyone any good. If you’re still unsure about the length you can always wear tights or pantyhose underneath.

SLIMMING SHAPEWEAR IS A PLUS SIZE GIRLS BEST FRIEND

Now I know what you’re going to say, “No not my slimmers, they’re a godsend!” Actually slimming shapewear can hurt more than it can help. It can make you look bigger than you are and put lumps in the wrong places if not sized properly. The key to this problem is investing in smoothers not slimmers. You will actually look a lot better in your clothing if you focus concern on how much your underwear smooths instead of how much it slims you.

PRINTS AND PATTERNS ONLY MAKE YOU LOOK BIGGER

This is one of the biggest myths that faces plus size women today. Many women feel this way because they haven’t met a pattern that flattered them. Well I am here to tell you that the key to prints and patterns is balance. When wearing prints and patterns it is better to use prints to balance out top and bottom if you don’t have an hourglass figure or to show off curves. Prints like polka dots are great especially if they are woven in fabric instead of just printed on top. This will give a more natural feel to the dots so they aren’t too loud. Horizontal stripes were once believed to be unflattering on wider figures but the key to overcoming this faux pas depends on the width of said stripes. Thinner stripes will be much more flattering than wider stripes.

BAGGY CLOTHES WILL HIDE YOUR SIZE

Wrong. Baggy clothes are very good at doing one thing, making you look bigger than you actually are. While baggy clothes don’t make you look as big as wearing clothes that are too small would, baggy clothes still are not a good staple when it comes to your wardrobe. If you are conscious about your size and unsure about wear proper fitting clothes remember that nothing will look better on you than clothes that fit. Everyone has something about their curves that they like, so when dressing, dress to accentuate that part of your body. You will look much slimmer and more fashionable than wearing oversized clothes.

This fall as cooler weather approaches, the fall jackets and coats must come out as well. Many of us have at some point invested in a biker jacket for our ‘Rebel without a cause’ moods. But the biker jacket is a major fashion staple to be dressed up or down and for day or night. I am going to show you 4 ways you can wear the biker jacket for different occasions. Most of these items are from my own wardrobe but I am going to let you know where you can find items similar to these.

Firstly, the office party, with holiday season coming up many of us will face that challenge of how to dress for that occasion. For this, to wear with your biker jacket, I would suggest pairing a leopard print top and a pencil skirt together, along with a sexy waist belt and classy necklace and earrings. I picked this because it’s still work appropriate but says that “Hey I am a professional but I am not a party pooper.” As for shoes, a pair of black heels would fit perfectly. A similar pencil skirt and tube top can be purchased from Very.co.uk.

Tube top and pencil skirt from Very.co.uk

Second, brunch with the girls, this look definitely adds some class to the biker jacket. I’ve decided to pair the jacket with a very pastel pink draped dress and pearls. I chose this combo because it adds some girly-ness to such a rugged item. It also allows for some great daytime wear as well. Similar dress can be found at OneStopPlus.co.uk, the sleeveless draped dress by Ellos. Nude pumps would add the right touch for your girl gathering.

Ellos sleeveless draped dress from OneStopPlus.co.uk

Next up we have the party look, which for this outfit I have decided to combine two very popular staples, lace and leather, with the leather obviously being our handy biker jacket, this gaga sleeve dress from YoursClothing.co.uk will be the lace. Since there is so much black I decided to break up the color with a vintage metallic waist belt which definitely puts this outfit at party central. For shoes I would add a sexy pair of booties to complete the outfit.

Gaga sleeve dress from YoursClothing.co.uk Belt from SimplyBe.co.uk

Finally the date night outfit, for this I thought to pair a bit of femininity to our biker jacket. I selected a multi-floral print dress with a vintage neckline. The key with this print dress is making sure that the background of the print is darker, that way the dress is still girly but it doesn’t look like you’re trying to hard to be stylish. I added a locket necklace just for a last touch. A similar dress to this one is available from Taillissime, the voile dress and can be purchased from OneStopPlus.co.uk.

Taillissime dress from OneStopPlus.co.uk

Next Time: How to Wear It – Neon Brights

Summer beach holidays can fill a big girl with dread. I know when I moved to the coast it was a year before I braved the beach with a swimsuit. But I also realised that the beach is full of all shapes and sizes with no one sitting in judgement on how we look. However, we all want to look our best so her are my 5 tips for looking great on the beach.

1. Choose a good fitting swimsuit
There are lots of different styles of swimsuit to choose from. Flattering pattern look great and take the eye away from any areas you are trying to hide. Many suits now come with tummy control to help you appear slimmer. Choose a costume with support for the bust. Halter necks look fantastic on women with larger breasts and full coverage suits with a low back also give you a feminine look whilst providing support.

2. Tone up
A Big girl can still look toned. If you know you are going on a summer beach holiday then start doing some toning exercises on the stomach, arms, and thighs six months before you go.

3. Accessorise
Accessories will make a big girl feel great. Choose a pair of trendy shades, a sarong or cover up, and flip flops that match the outfit. A fashion beach bag will finish the look. Marks and Spencer [site: www.marksandspencer.com] has a fantastic Beachwear shop with a fantastic range of sarongs, cover ups and accessories.

4. Grooming
Painted nails and toes look fantastic on the beach. A tan disguises many faults so try and get a base tan before your beach holiday. However, don’t forget to keep safe in the sun and use appropriate sun protection at all times. Keep your skin moisturised too to avoid dry sin. And of course wax your legs, underarms and bikini area a few days before going to the beach (or shave the night before if you prefer). It is best to wear long hair up as it can get straggly with the sand and salt.

5. Have fun
Go to the beach and enjoy yourself. Don’t think everyone is looking at you because they are not. As soon as you stop feeling self conscious you will look great, what ever your size.

Source: Look good beach

Whilst the UK may be experiencing some rain after the heatwave, temperatures are still hot. Many people are also heading off for hotter climbs for their summer holiday. In such hot weather it is hard to keep cool and this even more so for plus size men and women. Here are 5 tips to help you stay cool this summer.

1. Choose the appropriate fabrics and clothes
Plus size men and women often do not feel comfortable showing off their body in the hot weather and as a result may wear more clothes than they should in the heat. It is important to choose fabrics that are light weight and breathe so that moisture is pulled away from your skin. Cotton, linen and cotton/polyester blends are the perfect choices for summer weather.

As dark colours attract and absorb heat it is best to wear lighter coloured clothes such as whites and pastels.

Wear clothes that fit properly and that are not tight. Wearing the proper clothes in the hot weather will help keep your body cool.

2. Drink plenty of water
Water is essential in the hot weather in order to keep yourself hydrated. Drink plenty of water even if you do not feel thirsty. Water should be cool but not too icy as iced water will make your body use more energy to make it body temperature. Wherever you go, make sure you take a bottle of water with you.

3. Avoid direct sunlight
Stay in the shade as much as possible. This will help your body regulate its temperature. Try to stay indoors in the midday sun and just go out in the morning and evening. If you need to go out then wear a wide brimmed hat.

4. Cool off in water
If you are by a pool or the sea, then jump in to stay cool. Just remember to stay in the shade when you get out. If you do not have a pool or are near the beach then get under a cool shower. Alternatively, place your wrists under cool running water. You could also try placing a wet towel on the back of your neck and on top of your head.

5. Use Mint
Mint cools the skin so you can stay cool. You could try some minty products to cool your skin: slap on some lotion with peppermint, shower with peppermint soap, or even use a minty foot soak. Mint refreshes the skin and leaves a nice cooling sensation.

Source: How to keep yourself cool in hot summer