Dresolution with Marisota

I was approached quite a while ago now to take part in the Marisota Dressolution challenge, due to items not being quite right size wise and then my camera breaking again, I have taken a while to get this post up and running.

Marisota challenged us to make a change to our wardrobes this year and make a Dressolution, mine is to master casual chic, I have two outfits to show you but I am putting them in 2 posts this being the first.

I asked for three items to be sent out to me, these were the Floral Print Skater Dress, Floral Print Dress and the Biker Parker Jacket

The first item I have to show you is the Floral Print Dress

Spring is hopefully not to far away, we have had a crazily wet winter here in the UK and it is taking its toll on my mental health I love winter, but i like it to be clear and bright so i still get some sunlight.

This dress makes me think of spring, but it is still fabulous not slipped on with some leggings and layered up with a cardigan.

I have this dress in the tartan version as well and it is perfection, as is this floral version, it has little pockets  which are always a bonus on a dress and the blue is gorgeous, I teamed it with some ankle boots and bare legs, which is how I intend to wear it come spring.

I highly recommend this dress, and at only £35 it is perfection for your wardrobe.

Take a look at whats new at Marisota HERE

What is your Dressolution, more colour, tackling trousers, more dresses or something completely different, let me know. 

Mhairi

xxxx

The Fat Fabulous Four

Tonight is the launch of another fabulous challenge collaboration between myself and three other amazing plus bloggers.

Becky of The Ramblings of Mrs BeBe, Toni of The only way is Toni, Rosie of A rose like this and myself will be bringing you a new post every two weeks on a saturday with our own takes on some of the seasons top trends, starting this week with lace.

Lace is often associated with going out and dressing up, but I wanted my take to be more casual this time so when I spotted this lovely jumper in Tesco I snapped it up, it is only £12 and is so comfy and lovely, I am looking forward to getting some nice jersey trousers and having a gorgeous relaxed outfit for the spring.

Lace panel Jumper - Tesco £12

Jeans - Old pair from Dorothy Perkins

Boots - Next old Season

I love the lace panels on the sleeves and it is lovely and soft, I have just realised it is quite see through though so maybe a vest under would be a good plan.

Go and visit the other gorgeous girls, I know they will look gorgeous! 

Becky - The Ramblings of Mrs BeBe

Toni - The Only Way Is Toni

Rosie - A Rose Like This

Mhairi

xxx

Charity Shop Challenge

Good Evening, A little while ago the lovely Sarah of Sarah Smiles asked if anyone would like to take part in a little charity shop challenge with her, I thought it sounded fun and asked if I could come along.

Our budget was £15 and we needed to put together an outfit from our local charity shops.

No I found this challenge a total nightmare but totally fun, my local charity shops can be amazing, I live in a fairly affluent town and I often spot some fantastic bargains often with there original tags still on, typically though when I needed something they were pretty useless but they finally came through literally with only a day to spare.

I managed to pick up this lovely black Evans maxi, its is pretty simple and looks to be hardly if ever worn, it is perfect for the spring summer season ahead and I will get quite a bit of wear out of it I am sure. The dress came in at £7

The shoes were my best charity shop find ever! they are brand new Newlook shoes, the soles are spotless, and for the bargain price of £5 I am very happy to have found them.

The cardigan is from Gap and still had the shop tag in it, I bought it for the fabulous price of £2.50

So I actually came in under budget, but didn't have quite enough to get any accessories so I teamed it with my own globe watch and I am also wearing a vest I already owned under the dress.

Charity shops can be so much fun, my local Mind charity shop had a pair of Louboutins in a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't even bring myself to check the price of them, just in case I wanted them :)

I am a natural born bargain hunter and seeing the number of clothing items that still have there original price tags, they can be well worth a look, and it feels good to give something to charity.

Go and see Sarah, I know she will look fabulous!

Mhairi

xxx

Fatshion Faceoff - Red Dress

This weeks challenge is a red dress and I decided not to go for the traditional bright red but a darker panelled dress from IGIGI.

With my creased studded jacket from Curvissa and my rocket dog boots.

It makes a change to take photos in daylight, but Marc didn't do so well with the lighting in this one :) 

This is my more traditionally red dress from Simply Be

Go and check out the other gorgeous ladies in the challenge, I know they will all look amazing!

Dani: DIY Fatshion http://www.diyfatshion.com

Hanna: The Wardrobe Challenge http://thewardrobechallenge.co.uk/

Mouna: Brussels Fatshion http://www.brusselsfatshion.com

Olivia: Wait Until The Sunset http://www.waituntilthesunset.com

Mhairi

xxx

Plus Size Swimwear Challenge - Tesco

Plus Size Swimwear Challenge

Well hello again and welcome to our Plus Size Swimwear Challenge, myself and 3 other bloggers are challenging ourselves to try out some plus size swimwear, and be brave enough to blog about it. 

For me this is a huge thing as I can tell you that it is at least 5 years since I even went swimming, so swimwear has not been a priority for me, but I need to get fitter and swimming is an excellent way for me to do this.

Swimwear for me is doubly challenging, firstly I am plus size, obviously,  but I also have a very large bust at a 36/38H I struggle to get decent fitting bra's let alone swimsuits, I need support and plenty of it!!

The first swimwear I have been sent to try is from the lovely people at Tesco's, I choose the Panache Natalia Fuller Tankini top and bottoms in a 38G which is the largest size they do.

We are all following the same 5 step review to give a consistent report across all the swimwear.

So here goes.

Appearance 

The swimsuit is beautiful in person with vibrant colours and nice thick material.

I love the fold down panel on the bottoms as it made me feel more secure and helped hide my pre menstrual (sorry for the TMI) bloated tummy, this I like, I loved the purple trim on the top but not the bow on the bust so much as because it is round lace like ribbon it just doesn't look nice tied and wont sit right at all. 

It has nice little metal panache tags on the top and bottoms which thank goodness aren't in awkward positions and are just kind of cute! yes I like strange things :) 

Fit

This is where this Tankini fell down for me, the bottoms fitted beautifully, but the top was a strange one!

It has a full insert bra with 2 hook and eye fastenings with 3 rows which I love! I hate fiddling with bikini fastenings and they always snap on me! 

The problem I had is that the Bra fits my bust really well, but the swimsuit itself does not have enough material to encompass my ladies so it pulls down and shows the wires, not I think I am slightly bigger than the cup size of this tankini but I found it odd that the bra section fits so well but the suit is low on material!

I am not sure if Panache themselves make this in a bigger size but it would be interesting to try in some bigger sizes to see if it corrects itself with a bigger cup.

Comfort

The Tankini is very comfortable and if you have a smaller bust than me, I would highly recommend it, the bottoms give a nice silhouette and the material is lovely, I unfortunately can't vouch for it in the swimming pool as I am one too ill to manage walking there and two my ladies would most likely fall right out of the costume as it is. I am thinking of trying a stitch or two to bring the material to the wires so its a bit more secure but wanted to show it as is for the purposes of the review.

Coverage

The coverage for me is excellent, apart from the obvious boobage issue, but the top is nice and long easily reaching just past the top of the bottoms, and the bottoms themselves are tight but not bulgy and cover my amply bottom nicely. the back comes up high enough for there to be no lumps and bumps on show.

Performance

Well I cant give you a review on swimming performance but i performed jiggle tests and laying down tests, and it looks good, my boobs stayed in and it was comfy to lay down in so for a summer sunshine holiday I would be happy to take this with me either with the little stitch in or with the larger cup. 

Excuse the shorts but I am not well enough to worry about bikini waxes at the moment :)

Value

Well the Tankini isn't the cheapest item that Tesco's sell but if like me you have a big bust it might be a good option to look at, the price of £52.50 might be a it high for some, and possibly would be for me if it is only getting used for a one off holiday, but if I can wear it happily at the swimming pool too, then I will pay this happily if it gives me the confidence to go! 

Value is subjective, if you can afford it, go for it if not I would try something from Tescos other ranges. 

Overall I do love this Tankini, and if I can make it work, I would be a very happy girl!

Make sure you check out the other fabulous ladies taking part in the swimwear challenge.

Becky - The Ramblings of Mrsbebe

Gina - Fat Fit Fine

Sara - Confusedbrit