Happy Wednesday my loyal blogger family, how is everyone? I hope you are all doing amazing! I am in the middle of crazy season at the office so unfortunately the blog has to take a bit of a back seat till the end of April but I do have some exciting content coming your way. And even though April is busy I think I am going to be crazy and do something fun so stay tuned! 
For today’s post we are going to start a new monthly series featuring a brand that is near and dear to my heart – Woman Within. Woman Within is part of the Full Beauty suite of brands and I have been working with Full Beauty almost since the beginning of my blog. I really love that they focus on offering a much larger size range than most plus size brands. In particular, Woman Within offers up to a size 40! 
In my opinion each brand under the Full Beauty umbrella offers something a little bit different. Woman Within is my go to for wardrobe basics and easy classic styles that you can build your wardrobe on. With this monthly series I am going to highlight how your wardrobe basics can easily be turned into a complete outfit that looks polished and put together but with minimal effort. I will also share with you my top must haves that I look to Woman Within for including their amazing Comfortview shoes. So while this post is sponsored by them, all opinions expressed are my own and always will be. 
As we are transitioning to spring I thought for this post that I would talk about an essential layering piece that is perfect for all year round – the cardigan. I used to own so many cardigans back in the day because like so many women I know I used to hate showing my arms and so I always had one to coordinate with whatever I was wearing so I could be covered up. Now that I could care less about covering up my arms I still love a good cardigan to be that key “third” piece that really makes an outfit. 
They also became an essential part of my wardrobe when working in a professional corporate environment became more business casual and a suit was no longer required. I don’t know about you but most of the offices and buildings I have worked in have temperature control issues so having a layer that I can take off or put on has been key for my sanity because it is hard to be productive when you are too hot or cold. 
I also love that they carry a variety of different options including your basic long sleeve, elbow length, short sleeve, boyfriend, shrug, buttoned or open. I think any option you can think of they have. And they don’t come in just a couple of boring colours like black and navy, they come in over 15 different colours and they also have some fun ones that have patterns. 
I think that something you will really love about their cardigans is that they are made of 100% cotton. That’s right ladies, completely breathable and lightweight. It’s really hard to find pieces that are made of 100% cotton these days. They have also taken the time with a ribbed neckline, cuffs and waistband. They definitely have called it the “Perfect” line for a reason! 
So let’s talk about these two looks I put together. I think its important to show you some versatility because I know not everyone necessarily has to get dressed up for work or they wear a uniform etc. and I also like to appeal to everyone’s different sense of styles. On that note I have an office look and a casual look for you. 
I think it’s pretty clear these days that I have an obsession with yellow so when I saw this lovely creamy shade in this long sleeved version I knew that it was going to be a must for my wardrobe for spring and summer. I am wearing a size 3x which is a 30/32 and I could easily size down to a 26/28 if I wanted to. They have a lot of stretch in them and for those of you who are always on the hunt for arm length, this ones are good. 
To create an easy casual look I chose these dark blue girlfriend style chinos. I have to be honest and say I haven’t worn a traditional chino style pant for a long time but I wanted something that wasn’t denim or a legging, my typical go to’s. I am wearing the size 34 which means I did have to size up significantly but that is partially due to my lipedema and the narrow cut of the leg in a girlfriend style and also because of my wide hips. The fabric doesn’t have a tonne of stretch either. I think if you are an apple shape these pants would be a really good style for you. I rolled up the cuffs to add to the casual vibe I was going for. 
I then added in some unexpected colour with this pale peach floral tank blouse. A funny thing happened with this one actually, I thought I had ordered a completely different print and so when I saw this in my package I was like ooops. But it has a little bit of yellow in the print and I ended up likely the combination of the two pastel colours with the blue. This blouse has pintucking at the neckline which I really like and a tie to help define your waist. I am wearing the 3x (30/32) in this as well and given that is rayon and doesn’t have any stretch this would be my normal size. I really like the fact that the side hems are curved because they give more room for my hips. 
To pull everything together I kept it pretty simple by adding a clean white sneaker from Woman Within and my white Coach bag that just so happens to have yellow trim. A fun pair of coral tassel earrings played off the print in the shirt perfectly. This looks is perfect for the weekend and easy but still fun and a reflection of my personality. 
The office look was totally focused around my love of the colour red and this elbow length version of the cardigan. I totally love a strong vibrant colour and this red fits the bill for me. Wearing something like this always adds a spring to my step and makes me confident to take on the day. Again I am wearing the size 3x and could have sized down. The elbow length sleeve is my personal favourite style. 
Instead of doing a traditional matching twin set which is also an option, I decided to break things up and chose the layering tank in sand. If you are afraid of adding colour to your wardrobe this is one way to try doing it by having one colourful piece and keeping everything else neutral. I am wearing the 3x in the tank too and I would definitely size down in the future. 
To complete this look I chose this simple knit a-line skirt with a black base and subtle print. This skirt is super comfortable, doesn’t wrinkle and is perfect for everyday. I love the length and the flow and I am definitely going to pick this up in more colours. Again I got the size 30/32 because I usually have to size up in Woman Within but I would also size down for this, it is a very generous fit. 
Mules are a must have shoe trend for spring and this red suede pair I got from Woman Within in the fall were perfect for this look. Unfortunately they are sold out but I gave you a link to a red sandal and if you just want to wear a neutral shoe, Woman Within has a lot of great mule options available. My cream Coach bag with gold studs added a little visual interest but was still neutral along with black tassel earrings and a gold cuff. 
It’s important to remember that looking and feeling great doesn’t have to take a lot of effort, its all about having the right pieces in your wardrobe. I hope you enjoy this new addition to the blog and leave me a comment if there are any specific styles you would like me to feature in upcoming posts.
This post contains affiliate links which I may earn a small commission from if you choose to buy any of the items featured. This allows me to continue to bring amazing content to you so thank you.
Special thanks to Rebecca of Rebecca Northcott Photography for capturing these images.
Shop Look #1:
Cardigan by WOMAN WITHIN | Pants by WOMAN WITHIN | Top by WOMAN WITHIN | Sneakers by WOMAN WITHIN | Bag by COACH (alternative here) | Earrings alternative here |
Shop Look #2:
Cardigan by WOMAN WITHIN | Skirt by WOMAN WITHIN | Tank by WOMAN WITHIN | Shoes by WOMAN WITHIN (alternative here) | Bag by COACH (alternative here) | Cuff alternative here | Earrings alternative here |
