Happy Monday everyone, I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! The countdown is on till Christmas, I can’t believe its here already (man I am so not ready, eeek!) and to get you in the spirit I have looks this week that are full of sparkle and shine, glitz and glam and yeah maybe a little excess but they are so fun! With New Years around the corner I hope maybe they will inspire you to put your own little spin on something festive and fun, I mean you only live once!
ELOQUII has continued to break boundaries in the plus size fashion arena this Fall as they head into 2018 with the launch of their lingerie collection and the highly touted NOIR capsule collection. This collection is made up of exclusive black tie pieces that were designed to set a new standard for luxury evening wear. The collection draws on the current trends of decadence and opulence that we are seeing in fashion. The pieces are made of high quality luxe fabrics and have details like boned corset bodices, hand-sewn sequins with layered embroidery and rich brocades with velvet piping. There is something to suit many different kinds of occasions with pieces that are more fun and whimsical to ones that are full on glamour and have a high society feel.
To showcase these beautiful designs they brought on Tess Holliday and shot on location in the city of lights, Paris. The look book is breathtaking and Tess brought the garments to life. It was great to see ELOQUII use a visibly plus model like Tess to showcase this collection. It proves that they listen to their customer base. It also strongly dispels the notion that you need to be a size 14 to rock curve conscious, form fitting dresses that are made of non stretch fabrics and have elaborate details. And much to my delight, all the dresses in this collection are available in size 28!
When the collection was launched, one of the biggest debates that occurred through social media was whether the sizing was true to size or if you had to size up, particularly once it was revealed that Tess was wearing a size 26 in the look book. ELOQUII is well known for having a great fit and particularly a fit that is often more generous than many brands. So there was some inevitable concern when some customers thought they might have to size up. And as someone who is a size 28 I have to admit that is something that always concerns me because I don’t have the luxury of being able to size up. But more often than not, I find that if anything I have to size down in ELOQUII.
I reached out to the team to ask them about the fit and they were very responsive. And you don’t have to be an influencer/blogger to get answers to questions you have. Their customer service and responses on social media are top notch. They respond very quickly and will do whatever they can to get you the answers you are looking for. Overall I was told there were a couple of pieces that may run small in the collection but that overall they expected it to be a true ELOQUII fit.
As someone at the high end of the size range who can’t size up I believe it is important to try things out when there are questions on sizing so that I can give you my real and honest feedback. I know that ordering online can be stressful for many of you and I really want to help alleviate some of that stress. Remember that it is very important to know your measurements, compare them to the size chart and choose based on that and not the number you want to see on the tag. Also, they provide really great tips about fit in the description, so make sure you take note of that as well.
Ultimately I would have loved to try one of the fancy gowns because they absolutely took my breath away but I didn’t have any formal events coming up on the calendar and I thought it would be a waste if I didn’t have an actual event to wear it and flaunt it at. So hopefully there will be more NOIR collections to come so I can fulfill that fantasy look. However, I really did love that they had some more cocktail style options that could be worn for any festive occasion.
The Tuileries Dress was the one that grabbed my attention which is maybe a tad surprising for me because it is black and it has long sleeves. But it has that je ne sais quoi feeling for me. The design is sophisticated and dramatic. The velvet is rich and sumptuous, it literally feels amazing to the touch and hugs my curves perfectly. For the record, my butt is not photo shopped in this dress! Magic right? And then there is the strategic placement of the vine of flowers through the middle of the dress in a slight curve pattern that plays to your shape.
The sequin embroidery is so well crafted, it is literally a work of art. I love the choice of colours in the rich teal and purple against the black. It has such shimmer and shine from all angles. And the ruching of the bottom hem provides great tummy camouflage and more visual interest. The details all work together to draw your eye in. The fabric does have a bit of stretch to it which is helpful for such a form fitting silhouette. It also draws your eye up to your face with the design and a small v neck insert.
So what size am I wearing? I am sure inquiring minds want to know! I am wearing the size 28. And while I haven’t tried one of the dresses that is made out of a stiffer fabric like brocade or satin or taffeta I do believe that the sizing is pretty true to size for the brand. I mean this dress is about as form fitting as you can get and with my pear shape I think the fit says a lot. And sure someone is likely going to say it doesn’t fit me because you can see a bit of my VBO (visible belly outline) but that is the style of the dress and that is quite frankly the way it is going to fit my body. So yeah maybe the thought is that I shouldn’t wear a body con because its not “flattering” but I wear what I want and will not let anyone dictate how fashion makes me feel or how it should look on my body. We all have the right to wear whatever we want and love the heck out of ourselves.
I mentioned earlier that this week is all about having fun and doing things that are a little in excess. Being true to that I totally had a blast styling this dress. I added my favourite ELOQUII suede booties with the gold heel to create a more edgy look. I played off of the velvet by adding this purple velvet bag from ALDO. The definite statement makers though are my jewelry. These killer silver drama earrings are from H&M and I absolutely love the movement they have. And my bracelet and rings are by my dear friend Chantell who owns Amadora Designs Jewels. Her pieces are custom made and simply amazing. If you are looking for beautiful unique high quality pieces I definitely recommend you check her out.
I give the NOIR collection 2 very big thumbs up! ELOQUII you have done it once again! I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us for 2018. Don’t you think this would be a fabulous look for New Year’s Eve? I do but stayed tuned to see what other options I have in store for you.
Thanks to Katie of Katiuska Idrovo Photography for these amazing photos.
Dress by ELOQUII | Bag by ALDO | Earrings by ALDO | Bracelet & Rings by AMADORA DESIGNS JEWELS | Booties by ELOQUII (alternative here) |
