Happy Tuesday everyone, I hope you all had a fantastic weekend and a great start to the week. I had a fabulous weekend that included some beach time. I can’t believe my summer sabbatical is more than half over and August is winding down, I am so not ready! And so while I suppose I should be transitioning into showing you some fall looks I am not ready. You will have to indulge me a little longer!
For today’s post I am finally getting around to showing you the fabulousness that is the Essie Golden x Rebdolls collection. It’s bittersweet for me when I purchase a look to showcase on the blog and it immediately sells out. But I have to share so you can be prepared for when the next collection drops! And I did try and find you links for some palm tree alternatives. Summer may be winding down but they will also be perfect for upcoming fall tropical vacations you may have planned.
Before I get into the deets on the pieces I want to give a huge congrats to Essie on the design and success of this collection. I strongly believe in supporting women especially those in the influencer community and when one of us has the opportunity to make an impact I am totally there for it. And when you design kick ass clothes that go up to a size 32 then my respect is even greater. I am so happy for you and can’t wait to see what you do next.
The collection was made up of pieces in varying shades of nude and blush and then this extra special palm print fabric. Palm print has been all the rage this year but I have to admit I was having trouble finding something cute that went past a size 24. So when a sneak peek of the collection was dropped I was all over it.
I think Rebdolls is a great brand to partner with and support because they are size inclusive carrying everything in sizes 0 to 32. They are true to their tagline “Sexy For All” as they offer all their pieces in ALL sizes no matter how racy or sexy it may be.
There is a misconception out there that women who fall in the larger end of the size range don’t want to dress sexy or show some skin. I can’t stand it when a brand makes this assumption. And honestly they are missing out on a whole group of customer’s purchasing power.
And I say the proof is in the pudding. A brand might order less of say a 5x but if you consistently look at Rebdolls website you will see that the larger sizes are often sold out. If I hadn’t stayed up and ordered these pieces when they were released I would have missed out. For Rebdolls I would ask the you consider carrying more stock in my size because I miss out on so many great pieces.
So in order to get all 3 palm print pieces I had to order the crop top and shorts which came in a set and then the skirt separately. My only complaint is that I wish the 3 pieces had been sold separately. I wouldn’t have necessarily gotten the shorts if they had but I have to say that I did love them once I tried them.
I immediately knew I wanted to shoot these looks at the beach because they have that I’m on vacation vibe. I imagined the sand between my toes, walking bare foot, the sun on my skin and the breeze blowing in my hair.
The pieces are made of a heavy weight nylon with some stretch. The fabric is not see through at all and keeps its shape. I got the 5x in the top and shorts and the 4x in the skirt. I got the 5x in the shorts because I find that Rebdolls can run a bit small and I knew with the large number of pleats that I would need the extra room.
I was really happy with the fit on the set. The length on the shorts was perfect for me, more of a Bermuda style. There was also more than enough length on the top to wrap it snuggle to support my bust and shape. And can we talk about the perfect cleavage this top gives? I love it but make sure you have your plunge bra on standby!
The nice thick waist band on the shorts also gives you a smooth finish at the waist. And they have pockets which laid flat and hung properly. As a girl with a big booty and hips I really appreciate this because often pockets can be a nuisance for me.
I got the 4x in the skirt because it is a very full maxi skirt. And I will warn you when I say full I mean it! Be prepared for a lot of fabric. The fit is good but I did find the waist a little small. But I wouldn’t have wanted to size up because I certainly didn’t need the room anywhere else. And if you are short, you are definitely going to need to get this hemmed. At 5’6 it was quite long on me. But it would be perfect for the tall ladies out there or those who love to rock a high heel.
I decided to pair the skirt with a simple white cropped tank that is also from Rebdolls for an easy look. I love that it is cropped because there is no extra bulk but still gives you coverage. I am wearing a 5x in this. You could also easily interchange the tops to create two other looks.
For the shorts I decided to add my favourite gold flat forms from Full Beauty. I am so obsessed with these because they give me some height but in total cushioned comfort. I have worn them to several events that involved a lot of standing this summer and they have passed the test. Then it was a simple as adding a gold statement earring and bracelet from my accessory collection.
Finally I had to add this really cool bag with its cross hatched design and bamboo style handles from Full Beauty to complete the vibe I was going for. The big is definitely on trend and was the perfect finishing touch.
For the skirt I decided to go a little more glam by adding a statement necklace and bracelet in silver. I felt so free going barefoot for the pics. To actually wear the look out I would add a very simple metallic sandal or the same shoes I wore with the shorts. If only I could always go barefoot lol.
I then wanted to add a pop of contrasting colour that tied into my necklace through this coral clutch from Aldo. This clutch is the perfect size for holding all of your essentials, has a removable gold chain strap and comes in a variety of colours.
In the end I was really happy with my choices from this collection. I wore the other set I purchased when I was in LA and you can see the pics on my Instagram page. I am so happy I was able to find the perfect looks for this must have trend and tick it off my to do list.
And ladies don’t forget, summer clearance sales are the perfect time to get that piece you have been eyeing but maybe couldn’t afford or to plan for your warm weather getaway. This allows you to save valuable time and money when the options are limited and more expensive because they are resort wear collections. I hope to be going away myself this fall and these looks will be on my packing list.
Thanks to Katie of Katiuska Idrovo Photography for bringing my creative vision for these looks to life.
Wrap Top & Short Set by REBDOLLS | Maxi Skirt Set by REBDOLLS (from my Instagram) | Palm print alternative 1 by ASOS | Palm print alternative 2 by ASOS | Coral Clutch by ALDO (alternative here) |
