Happy Tuesday my wonderful blogger family! I hope your week is off to a great start! I am working on getting my last deadlines for the month done and then I am headed to NYC on Thursday afternoon to attend the Full Figured Industry Awards on Saturday. This is the first year for this event and I am honoured to be a finalist for Female Blogger of the Year. I still can’t believe it.
I have an extra special treat for you this week as today is the beginning of a 3 part series I am doing in partnership with Catherines. That’s right, you are going to get 3 blog posts in 3 days and I am going to show you how I put together 3 amazing dress looks from their latest collection of new arrivals. So while this series of posts is sponsored, all opinions are my own and always will be.
If I had an analogy for the thrill I get from styling a full outfit, it would definitely be hunting. Now you might find that odd since I actually don’t really like hunting or guns but its the idea of being clearly focused on a target and a goal and the sense of accomplishment when I complete it. Its definitely the thrill of the hunt for me. And I love it even more when brands like Catherines make it even easier for me by offering shoes, boots and accessories. Now if they would only make a bag collection… Wouldn’t it be fun if I designed it? That is definitely one of my bucket list items.
The last few months I have been wearing a lot of pants, culottes and crops in my every day life. There was so many great options out there that actually fit that I actually abandoned dresses for a little bit. But I have to admit that I have been missing wearing dresses and I have been stocking up on new ones. So of course when Catherines asked me to do this series specifically on dresses, I was definitely up for the challenge.
Catherines has long had a reputation for being “an old lady store” and I think its time that it lost that stereotype. While it may not offer the hottest fashion forward pieces, it does offer pieces that are stylish and on trend. And they have certainly been upping their game and I appreciate that. I can’t tell you how many times that someone will ask me where my outfit is from and when I say Catherines, they are shocked. So if you have been passing them by I am telling you that you are missing out and you need to check it out. And don’t forget its all about how you put an outfit together that will allow it to reflect your personality and sense of style. I always say that I can rock anything!
And for my extended size babes who are looking for options, then look no further! Did you know that Catherines is offering some of their pieces in sizes up to 6x which is the equivalent of a size 38? And their standard size range goes up to a 34 or 34/36? I love that they offer such a variety of pieces from special occasion wear to pajamas to outerwear. Often brands that carry extended sizes don’t offer certain selections like this and it can be challenging to find them when you need them. The one thing that is on my wish list is extra wide calf boots, they have great boots but the calf doesn’t fit me.
So you might be shocked that I chose a black dress for this first look but you can always use a great black dress in your wardrobe and when it has an unexpected twist like this one then it totally becomes a Lisa dress. I love short sleeves all year round so I was super excited to see this dress pop up when I was searching the website. It can be hard to find them in the colder months! And for my all my peeps who love pockets, you are in luck because this has them. And they are on the side seam so they lay properly. (You know that is my pet peeve lol)
This dress has a beautiful full A-line silhouette that gives you an amazing shape and the movement is sublime. I love the full skirt and the way the handkerchief hem falls with the striped hem. The striped hem is the wow factor on this dress for sure. It is a great combination of fall colours which allows you to pair the dress with so many different options. There is also a keyhole detail in the back. I am wearing the size 4x which is my standard size and I found this dress to be really roomy, I definitely could have sized down.
As the weather gets cooler, I like to have an arsenal of light layering pieces in my closet since I pretty much avoid wearing a coat until I absolutely have to. I mean I am still holding onto my crocs for dear life, thank goodness it has been unseasonably warm this week! A kimono is a great layering option because they are often very lightweight and come in a one size fits all sizing. What I really like about this particular kimono is the combination of the grey base colour with colourful stripes that mirror the hem of the dress and its raised woven texture. And it also has short sleeves so it worked perfectly with the dress. If you want some more definition at your waist I would belt the kimono. And if you wanted to really brighten up the dress, you could opt for something that was a solid coral or burgundy.
My never ending saga of finding comfortable closed in shoes that I can wear to work continues as I have worn out my pair from last year. So I decided to give these comfort Mary Janes a try. I have to say I am really glad I did because they are super comfortable. They have a velcro strap, rubber soles and an elastic edge that gives to the shape of your foot without pinching. I am wearing the size 8 1/2 and they are true to size. They also come in brown and I will be getting them too.
To complete the look I added these simple leaf earrings and silver bracelet that are also from Catherines. I wanted something easy and classic that didn’t compete with the dress and kimono. For the bag, I had to go with my signature pop of colour and chose my classic Coach coral satchel. As we move into the colder winter months I would also pair it with my burgundy or navy satchels.
Well that is the low down on the first look in this series, let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. And stayed tuned tomorrow for look #2! Lisa xoxo
Special thanks to Rebecca of Rebecca Northcott Photography for capturing these images.
Dress by CATHERINES | Kimono by CATHERINES | Shoes by CATHERINES | Earrings by CATHERINES | Bracelet by CATHERINES |
