One of my favourite brands is Lane Bryant. As a busy professional woman I find that they carry the right mix of work appropriate, “after hours” and weekend attire which suits my needs and taste. And not to mention that they are one of the few brands that carry a size 28!
In 2014 they rebranded the “Lane Collection” to “6th & Lane”. Per their website, this line is “A Fashion Collection Designed Especially for You, With Direct-From-The-Runway Inspiration”. There has been a lot of discussion on social media as to whether this collection has hit the mark. My personal opinion is that it has – I have been very impressed with what they have put out and I consistently purchase pieces from this line. Now I will admit I am not a super edgy girl but I find that the pieces are unique and fashion forward and offer an alternative to everyday basics. They tend to have extra little details that make them pop. The quality of the garments is very good, you can tell in the fabrics, trims, and craftsmanship and I have also found the fit to be generous and consistent.
I will admit that I pretty much look at the new arrivals section of the Lane Bryant website on a daily basis to see what has come out. Sometimes there is one piece or look that immediately jumps out at me and I know I must have it. This was the case with this 6th & Lane outfit – a high waist flounce skirt in lava red and a cropped bustier top in a black and white print.
To me this is the perfect night on the town or date look. It is sexy and edgy and can be dressed up or down. You could also wear this to the office during the day by adding a cute cropped blazer over top and switching out the statement necklace, bangles, sandals and clutch for work appropriate heels, a more subdued necklace and a chic bag. Then after work, it would be easy to transition this to night by changing up the shoes and accessories.
And believe it or not it is super comfortable! The skirt is made of a wonderful jersey fabric.
The one caution that I would make is that although the colour is called Lava Red, it is definitely more of an orange red.
The bustier is extremely versatile, it has a zipper so you can choose to reveal as much cleavage as you want, has a flattering sweat heart neckline and adjustable straps.
Since I am a busty gal I like the comfort of straps but if you want that little extra sex appeal, strapless is the way to go.
And it has great boning for extra shape and support. I also liked that it was cropped because I found it hit me just right and I didn’t need to worry about it rolling up on me.
I chose to pair this outfit with metallic accessories – a great silver statement necklace, some black and silver bangles, petwer sandals and a grey metallic clutch.
The other thing that I wanted to do with this look is demonstrate that this can look just as good on someone like me who is a size 28 as it does on the size 14 model. So here is a side by side comparison of the pictures from the website of the model and me:
I’m not here to debate the issue of whether brands should be using models that are on the “higher” end of the size range but rather to show that what I believe is most important is knowing your body and what works for you and what doesn’t. I was able to look past the size 14 model and know that this outfit would work for me.
This is because I look at the cut of the clothes, the type of fabric it is made from, the length etc. to make my decisions. For example, I know that I am likely going to have problems with a shirt that is made out of a chiffon fabric which has no stretch due to the difference in my waist to hip ratio. I also know that because I carry more weight in my lower half that if something is less than a certain length it will be too short for my comfort zone. And you know what, sometimes I even surprise myself and something I think wouldn’t work totally does, because the only way to truly know is to try it on!
The bottom line – yes, I would love to see a size 28 model grace the ad campaigns and website of Lane Bryant but for now I don’t let that stop me from trying things and ultimately buying what I love.
So… I’m ready to spend a hot summer night out on the town, care to join me?
A very special thank you to Karen (aka my Burlington Mom) for the photos
Bustier & Skirt by LANE BRYANT | Shoes by AVENUE | Necklace by ADDITIONELLE (OLD) | Bangles by AVENUE | Clutch by YOUR BIG SISTER’S CLOSET
