Happy Wednesday blogger fam, I hope your week is going well. If you saw my Instagram post last night then you know that I officially survived tax season and April 30th. We had the day off today thanks to my great bosses and I snuck in something fun for here and caught up on errands that I have been putting off. The first four months of 2019 have been absolutely crazy but I am excited to keep things going!
So I have been telling you that my Mom was coming to visit and she finally arrived last week and has been putting up with all my stressed out moments and late nights. Thanks Mom! And when I asked if you wanted to see her on the blog the answer was a resounding yes! Well your wish is my command and I am happy to share that this is the first post where my Mom Angela is my partner in crime. When I reached out to my friends at Woman Within they were equally excited and happy to send my Mom some looks to feature. This post is sponsored by Woman Within but all opinions are my own, as always.
It was also perfect timing to talk about their new campaign, #EveryBodyIsBeautiful, a campaign that I fell in love with the minute I saw it. The campaign is meant to be an authentic celebration of the brand’s customers and includes women of different ages, sizes, and ethnicities. The brand also collaborated with 6 diverse influencers who I know and love to help spread the word – @GlitterandLazers, @AllisonKimmey, @SuitsHeelsCurves, @ThePlusLifeBlog, @MaxeyGreene, and @CarineC83. The influencers and real customers featured in the campaign range from ages 25-75 and sizes 14-34 to represent the brand’s commitment to serving ALL women.
Did you know that Woman Within has been making sizes 12-44 for over 100 years? I can say that even though I partner with the brand that I didn’t! And it all stems from their core belief that every body is beautiful (way before size-inclusivity became all the rage!). The brand is considered to be the true industry expert in fit, comfort, and value. I believe very strongly in promoting body diversity, size diversity, age diversity and inclusivity. So campaigns like this that walk the talk are exciting to me because they are changing the landscape of what we see in advertising and main stream media. And it is showing women from all different backgrounds that they are worthy of representation no matter what.
I also love that Woman Within is a truly affordable brand. I hear from many of you that you can’t afford certain price points and that plus size clothing is more expensive in general and I here you. My Mom is also on a budget so finding affordable options for her is something I always keep in mind. So in the spirit of their new campaign I thought it was perfect to showcase my Mom who is a different size, shape and height than me. For reference so that you can determine how things might look on you – she wears a size 18/20, is just over 5 feet and an apple shape. But I will say that she loves colour and prints as much as I do.
Mom and are like sisters in a lot of ways. She had me at a young age and we have always had a special bond. And we often get mistaken for sisters when out in public. This afternoon in the drug store was a prime example. I was getting some prescriptions filled and the pharmacy assistant pulled up my file and said oh your birthday is May 9th that’s coming up soon and I was like yes and then she said you were born in 1975????? Of course she thought I was way younger which honestly I am so used to now. But when my Mom told her she was my mother the reaction was hilarious. Like I said I got good genes lol.
My Mom was definitely someone I looked up to style wise growing up but I think in the last couple of years she has fallen into a bit of a rut. She has been dealing with a knee injury and several surgeries and in the process she also lost a lot of weight. I think she is admittedly still adjusting to her new body and adjusting to a new chapter in her life.
Well thankfully she has me lol (yes I am the favourite, just kidding!) to help her get out of this style rut and rebuild her wardrobe. I decided to start things off with some casual style dresses since she isn’t working right now. I know that she likes to be comfy but still look put together. And like me she prefers wearing dresses.
For my Mom’s look I decided to put her in a classic T-shirt dress in a beautiful shade of pink/coral. One of the things I love about Woman Within is that they typically make their styles in multiple colours and or prints. So if you really like something you can get a different colour or print and instantly change up your look and know it will have the same great fit.
This dress is perfect for every day and easy to wear. I love that it has pockets and the ruffle hem is a really cute detail that gives it a little bit something extra. I like the scoop neck but it would also be nice to see a v-neck version of this dress. It’s made of a great polyester/rayon blend that washes great and is sure to last. This dress is supposed to be a midi length but since my Mom is petite it hits her just below mid calf which she quite liked. She is wearing the 18/20 and it has a nice relaxed fit which is what she wanted.
I decided to pair this dress with sneakers and I knew that she was going to be surprised when I suggested it. But since I learned to embrace this trend I thought she could too. These simple white sneakers from Woman Within are a must have for your wardrobe. I introduced my Mom to the Comfort View line a couple of years ago and she loves them as much as I do. It’s too bad we don’t have the same shoe size so we could share. Mom wears a 8W typically but she sized up in these to and 8 1/2 W. I also size up in my sneakers too so I recommend taking that into consideration. Since she is still recovering from knee surgery these are a perfect choice that offers stability while still being cute.
To pull the look together I gave her these fun multi coloured tassel earrings, a simple bracelet and this super cute floral print tote bag also from Woman Within. That’s right, did you know that Woman Within offers a great selection of accessories including bags, hats, scarves and some jewellery? This tote comes in a set of 3 with a smaller pouch and wristlet. It’s perfect for running errands or a trip to your local farmers market.
For my look I decided to go for what I consider to be a cult favourite for any long term customer of Woman Within, the crinkle dress. This is definitely a Woman Within miracle fabric, I don’t know how they do it but it is breathable, lightweight, doesn’t need to be ironed and comfortable. I love this dress because it is a more modern style with its v-neck, empire waist and tiered skirt. And I couldn’t resist this soft turquoise colour. I am wearing the size 26/28 in this, I found the fit to be more true to size than other WW pieces I have tried.
The crinkle dress is another wardrobe staple that comes in so many different styles, colours and prints. You can get short or long, sleeves or no sleeves, solids and prints. And all are available up to a size 40. They are also super versatile and can easily be dressed up or down. And I will definitely be taking one on my next vacation as I am always on the look out for pieces that will travel well (i.e. no ironing needed).
You know I had to make sure my Mom and I were colour coordinated right, lol? I chose my fave flat form gold sandals from WW that yes are no longer available (please bring them back!) because I love them so much. But I did give you the link to a super cute alternative that I have had my eye on. I added this fun vibrant striped tote that is also from Woman Within and a punch of contrasting colour with these yellow earrings.
Overall I was so happy with how these looks turned out. We are cute, comfy but casual and stylish all at the same time. We were ready to take on a day of shopping! Make sure to leave me a comment below on what you think and if there is anything you want Mom and I to tackle next. Lisa, xoxo
Special thanks to Rebecca of Rebecca Northcott Photography for capturing these images.
Shop my look here:
Dress by WOMAN WITHIN | Sandals by WOMAN WITHIN (alternative here)| Tote by WOMAN WITHIN | Bangle by WOMAN WITHIN | Earrings by ALDO |
Shop my Mom’s look here:
Dress by WOMAN WITHIN | Sneakers by WOMAN WITHIN | Tote by WOMAN WITHIN | Bangle by WOMAN WITHIN | Earrings by ELOQUII |
