Aussie Curves - Sequins

Top - Made by Mum!
Skirt - Target Moda
Sandals - Target
Headband- Diva
Clutch - Secondhand

I nearly did not participate this week as I really don't have a lot of sequins in my wardrobe. I am not keen on them on clothing as I generally don't want to have a lot of hand wash only items in my wardrobe, and sequins are very delicate.

However, as I was getting dressed this morning I spied my headband with sequins. I realised that you don't have to wear a whole dress made with sequins, you just need to be inspired by them in some way. I find sometimes if you like a trend, but don't want to go all out, just having a little accessory can be a great nod to a style without wearing it head to toe.I also added a glomesh handbag, which I figured added to the sequin look.

I really love the print and colours of my top. After I purchased a similar top at Supre my Mum and I looked at the simple cut and decided we could easily make it ourselves. The benefit of doing it ourselves was that it could be made a little smaller, so the top wasn't quite as baggy.

My Mum has made me 3 tops, but in different prints. They are really beautiful. I am hoping that I will get wear out of them through winter too. I can see them layered up with a long knit top underneath and a blazer or jacket on top, or just a scarf.

I wore this outfit to Yum Cha with my Sister and her partner. He had never tried Yum Cha so we decided we must introduce him to the joys of this Asian cuisine. I find it is best not to wear anything too restrictive and tight when going for a marathon Yum Cha session. What I love best about Yum Cha is that you get lots of little dishes, so you can try different tastes and textures. We usually go at 11am, having it as a brunch. My favourites are Pork Buns, Asian greens with Oyster Sauce, and Pork Sui Mai. We also love the desserts, with Hubby and I sharing Mango Pancakes and Mango pudding at the end.

I am pleased to say my Sister's Boyfriend really enjoyed the food too!

What is your favourite cuisine to eat, and what are you 'Must Try' dishes for the uninitiated?

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Aussie Curves - Military

Military? What the heck?

That was my first thought when I saw military on the list. I was stumped. I tried to think of what I could wear. Cargo pants and I are not friends. They do nothing for my already wide thighs.

Military jacket? Years ago I owned the most DIVINE military style coat. It was a full length, latte colour, with a high neck and double breasted brass buttons. Sadly, I put on weight and can no longer squeeze my arms into it. My mother gleefully claimed it, and I must confess it looks better on her than it ever did on me. She loves it because during winter she can pop it on over anything she is wearing and pop into the shops and look chic and stylish.

I do however love the colour 'army green'. As a matter of fact, I refer to my eye colour as being 'army green'. It is the closest colour that matches the shade of green in my eyes.

Top - Avella by Big W

Skirt - Target

Boots - Williams

Hat - Sportsgirl

Necklace & Bracelet - Lovisa

After some thought I came up with this look. I think that is what is so exciting about Aussie curves challenges. They make you rethink fashion, and put together different looks. I always try to shop my wardrobe, and have never gone out and purchased anything other than accessories to fit in with a theme. It may help that I have a huge wardrobe, which no matter how often I downsize still seems to be bursting at the seams.

For this week's look I used my top as the starting point. I was going to pair it with skinny leg jeans, however it was a sunny day and I was going to wear the outfit while grocery shopping. I swapped the jeans for a denim skirt, popped on some boots, a military style cap and some some accessories. I actually really liked how the whole look came together and think it has a definite military feel to it.

Do you have a piece of clothing that you adored, but can no loner wear? What was it and why did you love it?

Be sure to check out what the other AC ladies are wearing this week!

Aussie Curves - Retro

Oh dear....

I have been really quite behind in updating and taking part in the Aussie Curves challenges lately. I have no real excuse other than time running away from me each week. Never mind, I have managed to get this weeks theme done by the skin of my teeth!

I found this dress during the New Year sales and knew that it would be perfect for retro week!

The cut of the dress is beautiful. The tie up bust is really flattering for my small chase size. The length is also perfect. I love the cherry pattern as well.

My only problem with the dress is the back. It was a lovely cut out back, however I am a little short-waisted and so the stretch panel at the back does not sit right. It sort of folds out a bit.

I am not too worried though, as I love everything else about this dress.

Dress - City Chic

Shoes - Rivers

Bangle - Secondhand

Earrings - Handmade

I put this outfit on and headed out for lunch with some friends when tragedy struck! My shoes broke! The stitching on one of the buckles popped off, making hte shoes completely unwearable. My Husband was sent off to find me a pair of shoes as I could not walk in them. There was a multipurpose discount shop nearby so he dashed in there and picked up a pair of sandals. They were not really he kind of shoe I would normally wear, but they were only $3 and definitely better than walking shoe less!


So tell me, have you been out and had a wardrobe malfunction? Were you able to find a solution?

Aussie Curves LBD!

I'm baaaacccckkkk!!

Oh dear, what a long hiatus that was! I have missed out on FAR too many weeks of Aussie Curves. It was not intentional. Life just seemed to get in the way. I am now understanding the true work and dedication that my favourite bloggers show when they are able to deliver weekly, sometimes more, posts.

I was determined to get back into the groove with my LBD! When I saw that wardrobe staple on the list I figured it would be easily done. Until I opened my wardrobe. Whilst I have many dresses that are majority black, I was amazed to realise I only owned one completely black dress. It is a lovely black lace dress that I wore to my daughter's baptism. It was perfect at the time. Soft. Stretchy, covering a multitude of post baby body sins. Yet, ad I looked at it I realised I wanted something more modern. More edgy.

Luckily for me I found the perfect dress in the post Christmas sales at City Chic. It is this skater dress, but all in black. The dress is really a dream to wear. The thick material makes fit wonderfully. The cut out design on the front and back makes it look very modern, while the length is just spot on, sitting right on my knee. Best of all? It was a very budget friendly $40.

Really, with a good black dress you can do anything. That's why they are universally loved by women around the world. I wore this outfit to a night out with my SIL's. I have not had a night out drinking cocktails in a long while. I wanted something that I felt classy and fabulous in. This outfit certainly made me feel sexy and modern. I picked up the stunning necklace for $8 at Diva, and the matching bracelet was $5. My shoes were also a bargain at $10 from Kmart. The divine clutch was a bargain buy from Sportsgirl dating back to  my university days. It is a beaded number that just makes me happy looking at it.

Dress: City CHic

Necklace & Bangle: Diva

Shoes: Kmart

Clutch: Sportsgirl

So, all up the whole look cost me $63! Which is nearly half the price that the dress itself usually retails for. BOOYAH!

I think you can expect to see a lot more of this dress. I have already seen a girl wearing a similar dress but with a fabulous twist to make it look casual that I am VERY keen to try.

UPDATED: This is Nerida's take on the LBD

This is a classic all black look but dressed up by a bright belt and a pretty headband. It really shows how simple it can be to make a black dress look a bit more special.

Dress - City Chic

Wedges - Kmart

Belt - Autograph

Headband- Diva

To see how versatile the LBD really is; check out these other wonderful posts by my fellow Aussie Curves ladies.

Aussie Curves - Polka dot

I quite like the classic polka dot combination of red, black and white. Polka dot just screams retro, and I love the retro look.

I did have a particular top in mind for this weeks challenge. It is a nice white with black spot top. However while I was out shopping I spied this scarf at a $2 shop! I just loved the colour and the pattern (and the $4 price tag).  One of the aims of this blog is to show that you can still look great as a plus size woman, while on a budget.

Scarf - Hot Dollar

Top - Dorothy Perkins

Dress/Skirt - Crossroads

Shoes - Rivers

Bracelet - Gifted from a boutique shop

Sunnies - Target

Buying a cheap scarf from a cheap shop may not be everyone's cup of tea. However I really believe in not spending a lot of money on things like accessories so you can spend more money on great statement pieces or good quality staple items. I felt this scarf was a great example of not spending a lot on something small.

Budget Tip: Spend less on accessories or fashion trend pieces so you can spend more on other items

I loved how the pop of orange looked with the navy blue peplum top I was wearing. I also loved the fun mix up of the spots with the stripey 'skirt'. In fact, it is not actually a skirt, but a dress with my top worn over it. I find putting a top over a dress often works really well, and it adds a bit of versatility to the piece when you are able to mix it up a bit.

Budget Tip: Make the most of your clothing. Consider turning a dress into a skirt by adding a top over it.

The peplum top is a recent buy from Dorothy Perkins in the UK. I recently sold a bunch of clothing on Ebay with the purpose of making money that I can spend trying some stores from the U.K. I often look at Dorothy Perkins and ASOS but never felt like I could risk spending my money on something that may not fit. By selling my pieces I no longer wear I made a bit of pocket money that I could spend guilt free.

I purchased this peplum top, as well as a stunning red peplum dress (which I am saving for a wedding). I was delighted with both items, and they turned out to only be $35 including postage. One tip I learnt was to go a google search for Dorothy Perkins coupons because you may find coupon codes that can give you a further discount. I put my already heavily reduced items in the shopping basket, then added in the coupon code and received an extra 15% off. Yay!

I was really unsure if peplum would work for my pear shape. However this top is great. It has a soft stretch material. It doesn't stick out too much, and the peplum part starts from the bottom of my rib cage, so it basically glides over my tummy, but stops just below my hips.

Pear Tip: Don't dismiss clothing without trying it on. It is often about the cut of the item, so something may look good, even if it shouldn't suit your shape.

Aussie Curves - Break the rules!

When I thought of this week's theme I was at first thinking of playing it safe. I was going to break fashion rules such as mixing dots and stripes, or florals  with florals etc. However I started to realise that I have many fashion rules of my own. Restrictions that I place on myself because I am a 'fat girl'.

Generally I follow 'rules' for my shape. After all  that is why my Sister and I chose to refer to ourselves as sister Apple and Sister Pear. There are 'rules' you can follow to flatter your shape. Play up the positives and disguise the negatives. I know within the plus size fashion world there is a movement to 'throw away' these rules. Wear what makes your heart sing. I love this idea. I think it is great to see plus size women who are embracing themselves and having some self love and confidence. However, I am still happy to also wear what makes me feel good, and much of what makes me feel good does tend to follow the fashion do's and don'ts for my pear shape.

This is the 12th week of Aussie Curves. It has been wonderful to be part of a community of plus sized women who are celebrating their curves and sharing their own fashion. So, this week I decided to be bold and break some of these rules I follow. I even challenged myself to go out while wearing my outfit.

Two rules I am quite stringent about are :

• Never wear a hemline above my knees 
• Never year a sleeveless top unless wearing a cardigan

Top: Cable & Gauge

Skirt: Autograph (last season)

Belt: ASOS Curve

Shoes: Rivers

Earrings & Bangles : Mix of Diva & Equip

I dug out a denim skirt that I do wear. I honestly don't remember it being as short when I bought it, however it seems to be shorter than what i usually wear. I wore it a lot through Winter with leggings. I often pull the 

skirt down so it sits just on my knees and keep it there with a belt tied firmly in place. This time I let it sit around my waist and let that hemline sit above my knees.

Finding a top was a greater challenge. I didn't want to wear a top with spaghetti straps, yet i really don;t seem to own tops that don;t at least have a capped sleeve or are spaghetti straps. I then saw my lovely floral top. When I put it on it felt right. It was still very flattering with all the gathering at the bust, the asymmetrical hem and the soft gathering. I actually decided the it had a bit of a peplum feel to it. I popped on a new pair of wedge heels ( I so love them, so watch out for a post this week just about my recent shoe obsession!!)

I actually felt really lovely in this outfit. My Husband agreed that I looked great, although he did warm me not to do too much bending over in the skirt! Ha! He is not used to me wearing anything above my knees either!

When I cast a critical eye over my photos I would say that I really don;t know why I cover my arms so much. Yes, they are wide, but they are also smooth and blemish free. You can't really see the silvery stretch marks on the underside. I suspect I may be more daring this summer and not always wear a cardigan over my tops! 

What are your fashion rules? Why don;t you try breaking them sometimes? You may be surprised and quite like it!

While your at it, check out these other rule breakers!