LAST DAYS OF SUMMER

Hey curvy girls all over the world,

Labor Day signifies the last days of summer. While the weather is still fairly warm you can feel that fall breeze in the air. This weekend I was in Baltimore helping out my mom who just had knee surgery.  I swear for the month of August I've been running like crazy. My office move really wore me out. I was glad to take a mini break and visit my Baltimore family because I don't get to see them that much. Whenever I hit up B'More I must get a sub and crabs before I leave. This weekend I gorged on both and it felt great.

While visiting I decided to get the most out of some of my fave summer pieces. One being this white full skirt. I bought this skirt last summer at the Gap and it never lets me down. I decided to wear it with my stripe 3/4 sleeve top from H&M and my perforated sandals I bought at Lord & Taylor.

 To spice it up, I wore my tan large perforated belt that was gifted to me from Ashley Stewart during their blogger event. Oddly, I don't wear this belt alot but I thought it would go well with the skirt, top, and shoes.

I will definitely be trying to get a few more wears out of this skirt before it gets too cold.
What pieces are you wearing during these last days of summer?

What I'm Wearing

Stripe Top-H&M

Skirt-Gap

Heels-Enzo Angiolino

Belt-Ashley Stewart (Gifted)

Earrings-Ashley Stewart (Gifted)

Bracelets-Mix of Ashley Stewart & Lane Bryant

Cuff-Loft (Gifted)

PLAYTEX SECRETS PERFECTLY SMOOTH T-SHIRT BRA REVIEW

Hey curvy girls all over the world,

We all can use a little expert advice when it comes to finding the right bras and keeping them in good condition, right!? Well, last month Playtex sent me into the Macy's store on 34th Street to meet their fit expert for a bra fitting.  I get my bust measured at least once a year and the last time I had one was in August of 2010, so, I was due for another fitting.  During my fitting I learned a few new things. One of them was that I went up a cup and band size.  I wasn’t too happy about that but what can you do?

It’s important to get a professional bra fitting because as you all know there are a myriad number of women who are walking around wearing the wrong bra sizes. You’ve seen their cups running over when the bra is too small or their girls hanging down to their stomach because the bra is too big and unsupportive. A professional bra fitting is not only just about finding your right size but finding the right style of bra that works for you. Every bra is not created equal.  For instance, I like demi style bras because they give me a nice round shape and make my breast look smaller. A professional will be able to suggest a variety of styles that will work for your shape.

The Playtex fit expert also gave me a few of her tips on maintaining the life of your bras. Here’s what she had to say:

-When putting on your bra always put it on arm to arm. Hooking it and then turning it around will only stretch it out and possibly pop a seam in the cups. (Raise your hand if you’ve been hooking and then turning. Both of my hands are raised).

-To get the longest life out of your bra’s, when washing, always hook them closed and let them air dry. It helps maintain their shape.

After my fitting, I learned about Playtex Secrets.   Playtex Secrets bras are what I like to call the fun and flirty bras. They offer a variety of styles for the woman who likes to wear deep V-necks or plunging necklines. Playtex Secrets even offers t-shirt bras.  In my opinion, every girl should have a t-shirt bra. It makes a remarkable difference. Your light and sheer fabrics look much smoother.

I was very happy when I received the Playtex Secrets Perfectly Smooth Underwire bra in the mail. The main reason was that it had a fun and stylish print, Blue Leopard! I’m all for the classic white, black, and beige, but how many of those colors do you need? The t-shirt bra was cute and colorful. Most important, it gave me full coverage. I wore it with one of my favorite cotton summer dresses and everything looked smooth.  I even wore it with a few of my silk tops for work and there was no bunching or bulkiness.  The straps were soft and cushiony and did not slip off my shoulders. The bra was practically invisible under my clothes. I loved it so much that it could quite easily become my everyday bra.

To figure out your bra size check out Playtex's Fit Guide Here
For more information on Playtex Secret and their t-shirt bra's check it out HERE

Are you fans of the t-shirt bra? If so, check back tomorrow for a Playtex Secret Perfectly Smooth T-shirt bra giveaway.

STYLISH CURVES OF THE DAY

Hey curvy girls all over the world,

We are back with Stylish Curves of the day.

This week we have a really good stylish curvy girl of the day, Linda from Miami. When it comes to embracing her curves, here's what Linda has to say:

Self acceptance is being loving and happy with who you are NOW. Some call it self-esteem, others self-love, but whatever you call it, you'll know when your accepting yourself cause it feels great.

Its an agreement with yourself to appreciate, validate, accept and support who you are at this very moment, even those parts you’d like to eventually change.

I have learned to accept my curves every inch of it and my confidence and self love has given other women the ability to know that they have every RIGHT to be confident, sexy, and most of HAPPY.

FASHION TIP!: I read a quote from Kimora Lee Simmons and I believe she summed it best "DRESS LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE YOUR WORST ENEMY!" fierce isn't she!

Yes Linda, you are definitely fierce. I love the cute little party dresses. you wear them well. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Linda does have a blog. Check it out here ” www.afatgirlsblues.com.

If you would like to be featured on Stylish Curves Of the day, send in 3-6 full body pictures of yourself with a blurb about how you embrace your curves and a fashion tip to live by to stylishcurves@gmail.com

SC'S LABOR DAY COUPON: GET $20 OFF ESHAKTI

Hey curvy girls all over the world,
If you're doing some online shopping this Labor Day checkout Eshakti and get $20 off your order with SC's exclusive coupon code SC0811.

Checkout the new arrivals at http://www.eshakti.com/

SC'S HOT LINKS OF THE WEEK

Hey curvy girls all over the world,
I hope everyone is having a great weekend. If you need some Sunday reading then check out this week's hot links

Saks in The City shows us what she wore to a summer wedding
The Budget Fashionista gives us the scoop on back to school shopping on a budget
The Curvy Fashionista is giving away a $1,000 giftcard from Simply Be
A Diva Moms Journey shows us how to rock denim on denim
Who What Wear shares with us their September obessesions
God's Favorite Shoes shows us her after wedding vintage style

STYLISH CURVES FEATURED ON ESSENCE AND SKORCH MAGAZINE

Hey curvy girls all over the world,

For those of you who don't follow me on Facebook or Twitter, I wanted to share with you my feature on Essence.com. A couple of days ago, I was featured on Essence.com as one of the top 40  black style bloggers. I am beyond excited and elated.You can check out the feature HERE

I was also featured on Skorch Magazine as a blogger to watch. Two features in one day. So happy! you can checkout the September issue of Skorch HERE

MIXING IT UP

Hey curvy girls all over the world,
I know I have been missing in action lately, but work has me swamped. We are almost completely moved into our new office so things should be back to normal after labor day. I am officially ready for fall. The cooler days in NYC have me yearning to breakout my leather pants from Anna Scholz as well as a few cool blazers. I couldn't resist when I spotted these wool shorts from Faith21 Plus. I love shorts and these wool tweed trouser shorts just screamed chic to me. I thought it would be cool to mix things up a bit and wear the shorts with my sheer polka dot tie neck blouse that I also bought from Faith21 a few weeks ago. I can't wait to wear these shorts with a pair of patterened tights when the weather gets cooler and this blouse has already been worn to death.

I love both pieces because their is an element of sophistication to them although they are trendy pieces. Are you ready for fall?

MONIF C. FALL COLLECTION

Hey curvy girls all over the world,

Monif C. is back again with a fab fall collection. This woman knows how to dress plus size women and she knows how to push the limits without losing her core customers. A task that a number of other plus size brands seem to fail at. This season Monif has created styles that slightly stray away from her usual aesthetic of convertible dresses. While the convertible dresses are part of the new collection we would like to focus on the newer styles.

We love that Monif is doing heavy ponte knits for plus sizes. The soft fabric is great for hugging curves. We also love the arrow print that graces a body skimming ponte knit dress. Arrow prints accentuate curves and is very flattering. The line also offers asymmetrical cuts, a draped tulip charmeuse dress, ponte knit jumpsuits, and the leopard print swoop dress. We find that the fall collection is chic with a sophisticated edge. A collection that truly allows you to make a statement.

For more of the fall collection visit Monif C.

Check it out and tell SC what you think

JENNIFER LOPEZ FOR KOHLS

Hey curvy girls all over the world,
The lookbook for Jennifer Lopez's line for Kohls has been released and we are quite impressed. J. Lo is no stranger to creating clothing lines. Back in the early 90's her urban street style line J. Lo was popular in the beginning but quickly lost it's thunder due to unrealistic and sometimes tacky styles for young girls. When she decided to let that line go, she came back with Sweet Face which we thought was more true to J. Lo's stage and everyday life style. The line actually received rave reviews from fashion critics. We were quite skeptical when we heard she and Marc Anthony were doing a line for Kohls. J. Lo has amazing unapologetic style that captivates her fans and critics. However, like most celebrity designers, what they create for their clothing line never seems to quite live up to their own personal styles. To be honest, that's what people want from celebrity lines. They want the chance to wear something that that celebrity would wear. The celebrity turned designer exception to this is Gwen Stefani. Lamb is all about her personal style.

After seeing a few pictures from the lookbook, we are kind of excited about the line. I think out of all her clothing lines this really speaks to J. Lo's current style whether she's on the red carpet or just going to lunch. The dresses are sexy and curve skimming and have a bit of elegance to them. The tops are shiny and well tailored. There is a casual glamorous feel to her Kohls collection. These outfits really look like something Jennifer would wear, even the way they are styled looks the way we would see her waring it in a paparazzi photo.

The line is affordable. We're hoping that she goes above a size 14. Even Vera Wang's line went to at least a size 16. I think when designers and celebrities do these lower priced lines it should be the perfect time to experiment with making plus sizes. Even going up to an 18 would be nice.

The collection also includes home, shoes, accessories, and intimates. Check out more looks over at InStyle

The collection will hit stores in September 7th. For more information check out www.kohls.com

Checkout Jennifer Lopez summer 2012 looks http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/ourbrands/jenniferlopez.jsp
 
Tell us what you think of the collection.

TREND ALERT: STAR PRINTS

Hey curvy girls all over the world,
Looks like everyone is seeing stars. From Kim Kardashian to Solange Knowles, everyone is getting in on the black and white star print trend. During their fall 2011 runway show Dolce & Gabbana sent models down the runway in sexy star printed dresses. While the print is refreshing, it kind of looks like you're wearing a night gown. We actually liked the way Kim K. and Solange embraced the trend. Star printed leggings are fun and can be chic, a la Solange. The print doesn't have to look like you're prepped and ready for bed if it's on a sexy body con dress that hits above the knee. Just take a look at Kim.

If you are fans of this print SC has found a few pieces for your plus size curves that are budget friendly. Anna Scholz for Simply Be has dabbled with the star print trend with a sleeveless maxi dress and cut away sleeve top. Dorothy Perkins offers a navy and white star print flare dress and the Cutie brand from DP offers up a super cute chiffon dress with the print. ASOS has also added their version to their regular women's collection. Crossing our fingers for it to be added to plus sizes.

Will you be rocking this trend?

Anna Scholz Star Print Maxi Dress

Anna Scholz Star Print cut away sleeve top

Dorothy Perkins Navy Star Fit and Flare Dress

Dorothy Perkins Black Star Chiffon Dress

ASOS Belted Star Print Dress

IS AMERICAN APPAREL CHANGING THEIR TUNE ABOUT PLUS SIZES?

Hey curvy girls all over the world,

I don't know whether to praise American Apparel or throw them a side eye. I want to praise them for their Next Big Thing Contest where they are looking for curvy women to model their best-selling Disco Pant and 10 other styles that are available in size XL. On the other hand I want to give them a side eye and throw a little shade because back in May of 2010 American Apparel found themselves in the midst of controversy when plus-size adult star April Flores asked an American Apparel showroom rep if they’d ever make plus-size clothing. The representative replied, “That’s not our demographic.” Read about it here.

I know the contest doesn't use the word plus size, but the contest submissions clearly show curvy plus size women entering. Is American Apparel changing their tune?  Are they trying to make plus sizes part of their demographic now?

What do you guys think about this?

F3 SET TO RELEASE NEW TRENDY PLUS SIZE LINE IN SEPTMBER

Hey curvy girls all over the world,
Remember last year I told you F3 was created  by styling duo Shuchi and Anjula Sharma, the stylists behind the styling group Material Thangs? If not, read about it HERE. As promised, Shuchi and  Anjula will be releasing their F3 Fall collection in September. The collection boasts affordable prices, quality fabrics, and trendy styles. All the pieces will come in sizes 1X-3X. You can expect soft knits, stretch jersey, sexy dresses, and cool pants.

F3 stylists are very trendy in their personal styles and after talking with them last year are serious and passionate about providing plus size women with clothes that are not frumpy or too buttoned up. I think there is a need for their designs in the plus size fashion industry and can't wait to see the full collection.

Check out their website at www.shopf3.com

Photo Credit: Bella Styles

ON THE SCENE WITH ALISSA: THE LAUNCH OF CAROL'S DAUGHTER MACADAMIA HEAT STYLING COLLECTION

Hey curvy girls all over the world,
Last week I was on the scene at Carol's Daughter in Harlem for the launch of their new styling products called the Macadamia heat styling collection. Yes, a Brooklyn girl actually travelled to Harlem. The event was hosted by The Diva Lounge and Jones Magazine. The event was packed with natural and straight hair beauties all sniffing and touching new and old products from Carol's Daughter.

The Macadamia collection is fantastic for those of you who are already addicted to Carol's Daughter products because it's specific to heat styling. Think about the many times your hair has been damaged from curling and blow drying. The Macadamia has products like the heat styling serum that helps keep your hair strong and it even helps with shine and fly aways. I also loved the Macadamia hold and control smoother. Whether your hair is straight or natural we all have times when our edges are a little rough and that's never a good look. 

The hold and control smoother nips that right in the butt. Instead of slicking your sides down with hard gel (you know who you are) or the other sticky and greasy edge smoother's, the Macadamia hold and control smoother is not sticky and unlike gels and jams it doesn't leave those unsightly white flakes.

While cruising the store I bumped into some of my fellow bloggers Christina from Love Brown Sugar, Carmen from Lipstick Fashion Mascara, and Caprece from Caprece Knows Fresh who were looking very cute and casual chic. Everyone was having a great time. I got there a little late so I only caught a glimpse of Lisa Price who was on her way out. I must say she was looking fabulous with very bouncy and shiny straight hair. 

Thanks to the Diva Lounge and Jones Magazine for inviting me. Please be sure to check out the new Macadamia collection at www.carolsdaughter.com

SEEING SPOTS

Hey curvy girls all over the world,

There is just something about girlie dresses and blazers that just scream chic to me. I think over the past year, I have really gotten into blazers and it all started with this white one from Loft. I've worn it with everything from mini skirts to leopard print jeggings. After falling in love with it, I went on a blazer binge. I've bought a few for this fall season and I can't wait to share them with you guys.

I called this post seeing spots because as I was rummaging through my closet, I saw this blue and white polka dot dress peaking out from the back. I haven't worn this dress in such a long time. This was one of the dresses from the first spring collection from Faith21 Plus. I used to wear this dress to death.

I think it's important to always look through your closets every week or at least every month. You never know. You might spot an old favorite piece of clothing you haven't worn in awhile.

What I'm Wearing

Dress-Faith21

Shoes-Enzo Angiolini

Clutch-Beacons Closet

Watch-MK

Bracelets-Ashley Stewart

Sunnie-Kensie

SC'S HOT LINKS OF THE WEEK

Hey curvy girls all over the world,
It's Sunday and we thought you might want to check out a few of our favorite links of the week to get your day started:

Nadiaa Boulhosn rocks out in a super chic orange jumpsuit

The Budget Fashionista shows us how to make a gold clutch

Plus Model Magazine gives us an inside look at Tara Lynn modeling for plus line S. Oliver

Claire from The Fashion Bomb gives us an inside look into INC's Fall/Holiday 2011 Collection by Anna Della Russo