Happy Tuesday my loyal blogger fam, I hope you had a fantastic October and November is off to a great start! It has been a crazy time for me with starting at my new Firm, having my Mom in town visiting and recuperating from all the traveling I did in the last few months.
I was feeling really guilty about not having time for the blog like I normally do but honestly I was exhausted and needed a break. And it just didn’t feel right working on it at night and on the weekends with my Mom here when I was working all day and longer hours to meet some client deadlines. It’s funny because not posting regular content would be a super scary thing for me in the past because I worry about maintaining the standard that everyone is used to. But thankfully you guys are the best at telling me its okay and that you understand. The over achiever in me thanks you!
So I shared a sneak peek of this look over a week ago and I finally am going to share all of it. And as I mentioned it does feature a new brand that entered the plus size market this year, – Loft. Many of you may think I am a little late to the party on this one as they launched plus sizes months ago but I have to be completely honest and say I dismissed them initially as a brand I wanted to try because they only went up to a size 26. When I see that I am always disappointed and nervous the clothes won’t fit me so I just don’t put the effort in.
But when I saw that Loft was going to be a sponsor for The Curvy Con this year including hosting the platinum lunch and the runway show I thought I should get to know a little bit about them and try some pieces so when I had the chance to speak to them in person I would have the opportunity to use my voice to give them my honest feedback. And if anyone knows me then you can expect that they got an earful about extending their size range!
So prior to going to NYC I checked out their website and decided to order a couple of dresses to wear while I was in NYC. When a brand doesn’t carry a size 28 I will always start with a dress to see how the fit is as that is what is most likely to fit me. I also stuck to fabrics that had stretch and silhouettes that work with my pear shape.
My other tip for trying new brands without investing a lot? Start with the clearance section! You can usually get a great deal that allows you to try the fit without feeling like you spent a lot if it doesn’t fit. This is especially good if you are like me and horrible at returning things lol.
The other great thing about Loft is that they have their own Canadian website where everything is priced in Canadian dollars and you can easily ship to Canada. My only complaint was that I noticed they had much better sales on the US website, often 50% off that they didn’t have on the Canadian site so I chose to ship to the US. So Loft – please give us the same great sales in Canada too! We love a bargain too!
I chose a long maxi wrap dress and this cute little striped number in classic black and white. I got each of them for $29.99 US. I have to say when I took them out of the package I was really impressed with the quality of the fabric, they are both jersey and it was so soft to the touch and a great weight. My next pleasant surprise was that the maxi actually ran big, I could have easily sized down to a 24. That dress was so comfortable, I wore it on one of the hottest days while I was in NYC and I it was perfect.
This dress is a sassy little number with its bold horizontal stripes and flounce hem. It is definitely more form fitting but I love the fit on it. It felt great and it does wonders for my booty! I knew when I saw stylist Goo Goo Atkins wearing it at the Platinum brunch at Curvy Con in plain black that I had made a good choice. I am wearing the size 26 in this dress.
So some of you might look at this dress and listen to that little voice in your head that says plus size women shouldn’t wear horizontal stripes. Well I say forget it! First of all I always subscribe to the notion that you should wear what you love regardless of your size. But secondly if a dress is designed well and fits well, the stripes won’t matter because everyone will just notice how great you look.
True to my signature style, I decided to add some pops of colour to this look with this red peep top flats from ASOS, a statement earring from one of my Instagram friends, a chunky bracelet and a little yellow in this floral cut out clutch. I love how all the primary colours work together and reflect my personal style. I would also like to style this dress with a classic all black and white palette. This dress is a great versatile piece that can be worn all year round, all you have to do for the colder months is add some tights and a sweater or blazer. A pair of booties would look really cute too.
Loft is one of those brands that I have wished had plus sizes for years so I am glad to see that they finally put some skin in the game and that they are willing to listen to our ideas. It is a great brand for adding quality basics to your wardrobe combined with some punchy trendy pieces. I love that the majority of their pieces are also totally office appropriate which can be a challenge to find these days. Bottom line – they have my attention and I am looking forward to trying more.
Special thanks to Rebecca of Rebecca Northcott Photography for capturing these images and bringing my vision to life.
Dress by LOFT | Shoes by ASOS | Earrings by EDA FASHION | Clutch by DIA&CO (alternative here) |
