Happy Saturday everyone, I hope your weekend is off to a great start and the rest of your weekend is full of whatever makes you smile! Today I am happy to say that I have a special treat in store for all of you because the #HolidayDoubleSlay has a bonus instalment this year with a very special guest. So I officially welcome you to this very special and last instalment of my 3rd annual #HolidayDoubleSlay. 
Christmas has always been my favourite holiday and I used to go crazy buying gifts and wrapping etc. But as the years have passed and I have gotten older I don’t have the same enthusiasm that I used to. But at the same time I never want to lose the spirit of the season and why I have always loved it – the chance to do something nice for those you love and be grateful for their presence in your life. This is definitely the reason why I came up with the idea for this bonus edition and thankfully when I reached out to my friends at Torrid they agreed to help me make it come true. This post is sponsored by Torrid but all opinions expressed are my own (as always!). Thank you for partnering with me on this project. 
So what did I have up my sleeve? Well if you are long term reader than you probably know my photographer Rebecca. Rebecca is an amazing talented photographer with a heart of gold. She puts her heart and soul into her craft and you can see the beauty she creates behind the lense all over my page. I really appreciate all the hard work that she puts in to help me create awesome content for you. 
Rebecca has also become a good friend as we have gotten to know each other while shooting. She is very active in the local plus size community in Toronto and she captures many of the events. Rebecca is originally from England and moved here to be with her hubby. She has the cutest accent and there is always some British sayings or phrases that she will use that need deciphering but we get a good laugh out of it. And something else that has brought us together is our size. 
Being larger than a size 24 can sometimes still be isolating even within the plus size community, particularly in real life. I love all of my babes but it is nice to have someone that can relate to the specific challenges and frustrations I face. And Rebecca loves to shop my closet lol. Rebecca shares my passion for having more options in extended sizes and by working with me she helps me advocate for change. 
On a lighter note we both share a love of Torrid and both our wardrobes are full of Torrid pieces. So when Torrid agreed to partner with me again this year I realized that the perfect person to be my double for this post was Rebecca. I wanted to thank Rebecca for all she does and give her the opportunity to shine in front of the camera with me. Two strong confident beautiful extended size babes slaying it. I think we accomplished that goal, don’t you?
Do you want to see the moment I surprised Rebecca on the day of our shoot? Be sure to head over to my Instagram account and watch the video clip on my IGTV. Thank you Rebecca for being the amazing person you are and doing all that you do, I am proud to call you my friend. And a special thanks to her husband Mark for stepping behind the camera to capture these photos. 
Here is a sneak peek of Rebecca’s look, doesn’t she look AH-mazing? Not to toot my own horn or anything but since I did choose this head to toe look I think I did a pretty good job and for the full details on what Rebecca thinks and more pics you will have to head over and check out her blog post here.
Since I was surprising Rebecca I chose both our looks and styled her from head to toe. I knew her basic size and I did some undercover research to get the additional info I needed. We are both dress girls so I knew that was definitely the route I was going to go. I am really excited about how both our looks turned out and I alway told her that I needed to borrow hers lol. 
Because I wear so many dresses there has to be something that makes me stop scrolling when I am shopping for new ones. It could be the colour, the print, the style or a combination. And I am picky so often I can scroll a lot before I stop! This dress had me stop scrolling the instant I saw it, like I am talking I only saw the first inch of the picture and I was done, I had to see more. In this case it was definitely the colour that got my attention. I think you tell by my blog theme that I love teal and this was such a deep rich shade of it that I was instantly in love. It’s perfect with my platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. 
The other thing that immediately grabbed my attention is that it was part of Torrid’s latest “Retro Collection”. I am a huge fan of these collections as they always have pieces that play to my feminine flirty style. And this dress certainly doesn’t disappoint! 
So where do I begin with this dress? Besides the colour it is my favourite fit and flare silhouette that is perfect for emphasizing my waist and overall shape. It is also a midi length which I love. And then there is the beautiful lace from head to toe. It’s delicate and intricate and provides an air of softness and sophistication to the overall dress. 
What I wasn’t sure about but ended up living was the high neckline. I am always concerned with how they will fit but this one has plenty of room. And even though it is high, the bodice has a sweetheart neckline and is sheer to still keep some understated sex appeal. But the back of the dress is also a total show stopper with its low cutout and corset detail. I am wearing the size 28 and the fit was great but just be aware that the corset isn’t fully adjustable as the panel of the dress underneath is still a fixed length. That is the one thing I would change on this dress. 
Torrid also has a fabulous selection of outerwear, particularly for those of us who need an extended size. So since we are Canadian babes and it’s cold outside I thought it would be fun to showcase this with our looks. I love to make a statement if I am going to wear a coat so I naturally gravitated towards this bright pink brushed hacci style a-line coat. This material is like a light fleece that keeps you warm without adding bulk. 
I got a size 6 in the coat which is a 30 because I wanted to be able to wear layers underneath and I find I need the 30 to accommodate my hips. I was really happy with the fit on this and felt it was even generous compared to some other ones I have from Torrid. I would say that this is a medium weight coat, it’s perfect for what I like to wear but if you trek through cold weather to public transportation then this is not your everyday piece. The shawl colour, slanted pockets and buttons are the perfect finishing touches. 
I love how this pops against the teal dress and makes a statement. Your outerwear doesn’t have to be boring ladies! This would also look super cute with a casual look, I would totally wear it with leggings, a tunic and a cute hat, scarf and gloves. 
With these colours you knew I had to style it with some eye popping accessories and thankfully Torrid is a one stop shop and offers a great selection of shoes and accessories. These block heel pumps with the sparkly bow were perfect for adding a festive feel while still keeping that retro vibe. They are definitely higher than what I can normally handle but for those of you who love wearing heels they are a good fit and very supportive. I then added these beautiful rose gold earrings and bangles for an elegant touch. And the bag is from my personal collection and finished off the look perfectly. 
Overall this look has all the things I love – bold colour, texture, unique details, fun accessories and a bit of the unexpected. It’s the perfect ending to this year’s slay! This brings the final instalment of the 2018 #HolidayDoubleSlay to an end. I hope you enjoyed it and the entire series. This project is a labour of love for me and such a great way to start the holiday season. I already have thoughts for what I am going to do in 2019! Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below, I love hearing from you guys!
Special thanks to Rebecca of Rebecca Northcott Photography (and hubby Mark!) for capturing these images and bringing my vision for this year’s project to life.
Special thanks to Petula of Image Makeup Artistry for the amazing make up look.
Special thanks to Christina of Makeup by Christina for the amazing hair style.
Shop Lisa’s look:
Dress by TORRID | Coat by TORRID | Shoes by TORRID | Earrings by TORRID | Bracelets by TORRID | Bag by ALDO | Lipstick by MAC |
Shop Rebecca’s look:
Dress by TORRID | Coat by TORRID | Shoes by TORRID | Earrings by TORRID | Bracelets by TORRID | Bag by ALDO (alternative here) |
