Ridiculous sizing strikes again!

I have had two horribly crap parcels full of clothes today. The Dorothy Perkins one was just so disappointing that I couldn't even muster the will to photograph it! Dress was SO SHORT and 'Royal blue' jeggings were purple (didn't even take them out of the package to try them on). Going back.

My forever 21 order was unsurprisingly rediculous.

The 3XL (UK 24 apparently) leather look skirt was tiny - sorry no pic, sold out now (until I return it!).

I could get into the size 3XL (UK 24 apparently) trousers, but they were too small on everything but my knees & ankles.

This is the item I'm really pissed about though.... look how massive it is on the model! It is huge, so I thought I'd be safe with it at a size 2XL (3XL wasn't available) and the last jumpsuit I got from Forever 21+ that looked massive on the model was sized down to 2XL and the fit was perfect on me.

Back to reality.... seriously people, this is supposed to be a UK size 22. Are they fucking kidding me?! How can they advertise a massive oversized jumpsuit and then it's this tight in real life?. 70% of my clothes are a size 22. This item is beyond missleading in the photographs!

Scary picture Just so you can appreciate how tight this was. So the situation is this. Either the jumpsuit was supposed to be more fitted but the model is wearing something that is WAY to big for her, or the style was supposed to be that baggy and your size 22 is actually a size 16 in disguise. I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall here. If your UK size 24 is actually more like a 18 then your plus size range is bullshit (take note H&M). If your models are 4 sizes smaller than the clothes they're wearing you are misleading your customers. Big clothes need big models, I genuinely don't understand why this concept is so hard to grasp?!

The reason I'm so angry about this one is that I LOVE IT! I would have kept this for sure if the sizing had been better (The 3XL might just have worked, but still wouldn't look anything like the images on the site) and I'm so sick of the plus size fashion industry and its utter stupidity! How dare they pretend to cater to plus size women and then only go up to standard high street big sizes. That or be so contemptuous of fat girls that they won't use models who fit the clothes!

This is it forever 21, I give up. I'm not even going to attempt shopping with you again because it's too depressing. And to think how excited I was when I found out it was coming to the UK.....

Bodycon-tastic

Another day, another ASOS curve bodycon dream dress! They are smashing the plus size bodycons, and I really do think that no matter what your size or shape these are great dresses. For one thing they are so comfy, they often have long sleeves, are super stretchy and look super foxy. If you don't like wearing such tight clothes then they go so well underneath blazers, cardis, waistcoats and shirts. I think a figure hugging dress can some in very handy and can be very versitile.

I tried a 22 & 24 in this amazing dress (£25 available here) and it's a lovely shape. This is the 24. I think it will be great for big busted ladies because the skirt is quite fitted but the body is more generous.

 

The colours are lovely. The fabric is thin and very stretchy.

This dress doesn't hide my lumps and bumps, but I'm not really bothered about that kind of thing!

Here is my final look - this is the size 22, I decided it was a better fit and becuase of the fabric I feel sure that it will stretch out a tiny bit after a few hours wear so I want to start out with a nice tight fit. Basically I advise you to get your normal size in this!

So as you can see my camera really isn't wanting to focus at the moment, but whatever! I managed to snap up the last one of these in the asos sale, size 24 (I don't think this needs to be super tight so the fit is fine) and I think it'll come in handy! I love a low scoop neck!

Rock Diva

'Tis Dress like a Diva Friday again. Frankly the weather has been playing havoc with my diva days. I'm so sick of having to wear boots, big coats and hoods. I have so many spring coats and lovely shoes but I keep having to dress according to what I have to put on my feet! It's annoying frankly.

Having said that I do so love this ASOS curve swing dress (available here) which I have taken to calling my 'Matrix' Dress.

I figured that if I had to wear man boots that I had better go for a bit of a grungy look, so I decided on smoky green eyes. This is a Mac shadow from a delicious pallet I bought years ago. I hardly ever wear eye shadow nowadays, but I used to so I have every colour you could ever think of. Should use them more, especially the mac pots that were £15 each!

I also scrunched my hair up a bit to make it wavy (and scruffy!).

Anyway, fingers crossed next week I'll get good enough weather to forgo big clumpy boots!

Looking rough in new stuff

Hi All, I thought I'd show you some new bits and bobs I have. I don't feel ill at the moment but I look ill! Not feeling quite as fabulous as usual thanks to my skin suddenly going bonkers, but for me 'not quite as fabulous as normal' is still quite fabulous so I posed my big ass off anyway!

 First up I went to Primani to get some essentials (for me and the boyf!) and came back with a couple of bargains. First one was this cardi on sale for £5 - I don't have any pale cardi's so this should come in handy.

It's tricky to photograph but there are little flecks of turquoise, pink and silver sparkles in it. It's really soft and comfy!

My camera is having real focus issues tonight. Whatever, you get the jist right?! Another £5 sale bargain from Primark. I desperately needed a massive super warm cardi because it's so cold in my bedroom (where I'm typing this now) and I keep going to bed shivering. This is amazingly warm and I love it!

Theres something of a vintage feel to this print I think. In love!

Yes I look in-fucking-sane, but you know what? This is a size 20 body suit with bright orange fringing and I'm in heaven! Utterly cool. It's actually very generous size-wise and would fit a size bigger than me - considering that I'm a 22 -24 that's pretty awesome for us bigger gals. It's long enough in the body for me (a MIRACLE!) and is super stretchy. I wanted it to wear with patterned trousers and skirts that I find it hard to match tops to. I'm tempted to get some other body suits from Primark for the same reason.... handy, and would keep my tights up!

 Next up is this cute lipstick print dress from Forever 21+. I decided to try it out for size (this is a 3XL, their biggest size) because I love the print. It's too short for me sadly so I have to send it back.

I don't know how to describe the fabric, it's much more slinky and stretchy and shiny than I was expecting. It's also ever so slightly sheer but as it comes with a slip that doesn't matter.
If your interested you can get it here.

I'll be back with a review of a delicious new ASOS dress as soon as it arrives!

Pin-up Diva

It's Friday! That means it's dress like a DIVA day. I decided today would be a pin-up style day.

 

Dress - Queen of Holloway

Cardi - Primark

Leggings - Primark

Shoes - Clarks

 

I'm not at works today, but I have worn this dress to work before (there are very few clothes I wear away from work that I wouldn't be happy to wear in the office - I'm not self concious!). Today I'm waiting for a guy from Ikea to come and look at my broken sofa and then I'm off to the post office for another mammoth ebay posting-fest. Doesn't mean I can't get overdressed! I would normally wear tights with this outfit but at home I'm a leggings girl!

I often wear pin-up style dresses with short cardies, or I tie them up like above.

 

This cherry print. They are a very pink shade of red, so my perfect accompaniment is this lippy....

I have 4 of these delicious glittery lip crayons. I'm a lip stain / crayon fan. I don't like dry or greasy lips (or sticky) so these provide intense colour and shine, with insane amounts of glitter but don't make my lips feel icky!. This is no.2.

See? Glossy lips without the sticky gloss. Yey!

xx

South-East to West

Oh the utter joy of being back in London! Had to go to my home town for a few days, and one of the good things about that is that it means I can go to a few shops I normally can't get to. I'll show you what I wore, and what I bought!

In my home town I wore a vintage dress with some pixi boots from Primark.

 Love the pattern!

 On the shopping day I wore my trusty old Ruby Rocks mini skater dress and some Nike trainers (gotta be comfortable if I'm shopping!).

My first trip was to New Look - I know I can go to New look in London and find Inspire range, but in my home town they have a much better selection of the inspire range. In addition people there don't want to wear the interesting pieces they sell, so I always get good sale stuff! Anyway, I'm super happy that I managed to find some chain linked double stud earrings, which I've been trying to find for ages. I though I was going to have to make some! These are £3.99 per ear.

Ahhhhh home sweet (messy) home! I'm wearing the trousers I got in the Very sale a while back, still available here in a few sizes but you can get something similar by so fabulous here for a bargain price, or from simply be here if you want to get fleeced! The top is actually a maternity top I got in the George sale at Christmas (out of desperation to find a plain black top to wear with my numerous patterned trousers / skirts!).

 

So I also went to George this week which is a genuine treat, as I don't have a big Asda anywhere near me in London, and the website is shite because it never has plus sizes in stock. Hooray for superstores! I had to have this mac - I've never had a real red coat (it's not a bright as the flash makes it look!) and this is so cute. I had to get the 24 as the 22 was too tight across my back & bust.

Only £28, happy with this! It's on their site here, but (of course!) not available in most of the bigger sizes.....

One of the things I like about George is that they do pretty bras in my size, and they are both cheap and comfortable! Available for £6 here. Yeah that's right £6! Insane!

On to the rest of my New look Haul. I got these 'high waisted' super stretchy skinny jeans for £12. This picture is just to show you the jeans and the flash does me no favours - I would never wear them like this because the fabric is too thin and stretchy and the lumpyness of my belly looks very untidy! You can get them here. The 22 were too tight on my bum and calves so I had to go for the 24. They're a bit looser on my belly than is ideal but it does make them quite comfy. Top is yonks old from Primark.

Thing is with high waisted jeans is that my big round butt is too big for them, so they are relatively high waisted at the front but not at the back! Shoes from TKmaxx.

The other pair of jeans I got were these cuffed ones. Also in the sale for £12. In New look I think I would be a size 23... a 22 is normally to small for me but a 24 is too big, or at least they will normally become too big after an hours wear and will then be given to charity like every other pair I've every bought from there! These are a 22, but because they are designed to be loose they are actually a pretty perfect size on me, and have already loosened up on the belly a bit. I think these may become a fave which is good as my poor DP blue skinnies are beyond repair now and have to go in the bin... WAHHHHH!!! These particular jeans have sold out on line but they have another pair of cuffed ones in New Look here. Top is yonks old from Primark, shoes from crocs.

See you on 'Dress Like a Diva' Friday! xx

Dress like a Diva

 So I decided that Fridays from now on would be 'Dress like a Diva' day. Not that I don't normally dress like a diva of course, I reserve the right to do so whenever I please, but I though it would be nice to have one day of the week when I really go to town!

 

Hair Doghnut - Primark

Face - Mainly YSL

Double chin - My own

Necklace - Primark

Dress - Marks & Spencers Autograph circa 2006

Diamante cuff - Primark

Stirrup leggings - Primark

Boots - Vintage

Diva face! 85% of my dresses are patterned, but I do actually own some nice plain dresses too. I figured that Divas wear black a lot, so it was time to get (one of my) LBD's out.

 

Luckily it was bright enought this morning to do a non-flash shot, so you can really see the dress. I've had this for so many years and I still love it. It's from Autograph and I got it for £15 in the sale and I just loved the neckline and slinky (but heavy fabric)

When I got it home I didn't like the hem line so I sewed some elastic into thebottom and turned it into a bubble hem. 

Deco baby! A diva has to accessorize, but I have a few jewellery rules, I don't normally wear necklaces with patterned dresses (definitely not long ones), I don't wear earrings if I wear a necklace and vice versa, I don't wear earrings if I have in hair accessories, I don't wear a bracelet and a ring on the same hand & I don't wear gold and silver together. It's a personal thing.... I also won't wear anything other than lip balm or nude lipstick if I have lots of eye make up on, and wear minimalistic eye makeup if I'm wearing lots of lippy. To quote the Mighty Boosh, "There's such a thing as having too much going on in your face, you know. All a bit too busy. All the features jostlin' for position. Yeah? The eyes screaming out, the nose.... very visually noisy." This pretty much sums up how I feel about jewellery and makeup. I look like a drag queen if I try to wear everything at once!

 AAAAAAAnyway, the other annoying thing about me is my inability to wear bracelets. They drive me mad! I have big wrists but I also work with my hands a lot and they get in the way. These little beauties are great because they are fabric cuffs that have been blinged up. I have a few and don't really notice that I'm wearing them.

You can probably tell that these boots are vintage huh?!

Thats all folks, come back next Friday for another OTT outfit!

xx