Fatshion Faceoff - Floral Skirt

Floral Skirt

So this weeks Fatshion Faceoff was chosen by me and thinking about what I have in my wardrobe but avoid wearing because I find it hard to pair and my my floral skirt came to mind.


I love dresses as they are easy to style without to much effort, but I find separates difficult to wear, but I am always up for a challenge and love seeing what the other fabulous ladies come up with.


So this skirt is quite a few years old but is worn so little that it is still in good condition, and really needs to be worn, it is my favourite colour, and it seems I have a thing for floral stripes.


As the skirt has vertical stripes running down it, I decided to try it with my new Striped top from Tesco's which is also striped, but it is blue and white so though hell i will give it a go.


so this is how it all looked, this beautiful sunshine gave me the chance to pop on my wedges and get some sunshine to my tootsies.

hahaha, I managed to close my eyes in both photos, but my teeth are still so sore, I didn't have the energy to go try again, so sorry. xx


Go check out the other fabulous ladies in the group they always look amazing! 

Hanna – http://thewardrobechallenge.co.uk/

Dani – http://diyfatshion.blogspot.com/

Olivia – www.waituntilthesunset.com

Molly – http://molly-pocket.com

Mouna – www.brusselsfatshion.com

So do you like florals or do you steer clear?

Mhairi

xxx

Fertility Problems Suck!

This post has been swimming around in my head for a while now, I was unsure if I should write it at all for fear off offending people or making anyone uncomfortable, but ultimately I have realised the reason I started blogging was for me and I will write what I need.

My fertility has been an issue for a long long time, me and my Husband Marc married in 2002 and decided to try for a family fairly soon after, we decided that we would just let it happen naturally and not worry about it, but after 2 years and no joy, we began to worry, so we started testing with fertility doctors, I was a size 12/14 at this point with no real health issues, but I was told I needed to loose weight and then I would be considered for IVF, this really frustrated me as I was comfortable with my size and happy with my life and I couldn’t get pregnant as a size 8/10, so my weight was not an issue then, so why is it now?

This blog post is for me to get out of my head the thoughts and feelings that are constantly swimming around and to show how my mind works, I know there are other women out there with similar issues and we all have different reactions to our situations but I wanted to not feel so alone in it, so thought I would share.

Trying to get pregnant is supposed to be an exciting time for a couple, planning a family takes a lot of courage and trust in a relationship (for me at least), When we started trying it was exciting each month waiting to see if there would be a missed period? Would we need the tests we had stockpiled, just in case?

For a couple trying that wait is agonising and every month when that period arrives, at fist it is ok, just have to keep trying, its all part of the fun, no? but when that happens month after month it begins to feel like a kick to the stomach every time it arrives, we have now been trying for nearly 10 year, and month after month it is slowly wearing me down.

I want to be able to say yeah lets not bother trying anymore lets just get on with life but, even though everyone has a story about how they have a friend who this happened to and as soon as they stopped they fell, seriously it is easier said than done, and I do know someone who this worked for, my own sister and she now has 10yr old Twin boys.

The fertility doctors have never given me a definitive answer, it is always you probably cant conceive on your own, you have lots of issues but no definite cause! if the just said you can NOT have children at all, it would be able to let go and live life, but right now all I want is to be a mummy, I love being a step mum, and my stepson Joshua is seriously my little man, I love him more than anything, we want to give him a sibling here, and for me, I want to be a mum to my own son or daughter in the biological sense. 

Now at the moment, I am in a very bad place mentally and have been told they will not give me any help until me BMI is in their recommended range, which is the NHS’s rules and thats fine, but as I am currently in a place where I am accepting my body as it is, and learning to love myself having to loose the weight sucks, I fear being ostracised from the plus community I love because I have gone on the dreaded Diet, but I also need to do this so I can try the IVF and know I have done everything within my power to make being a parent again possible for me and Marc.

So what this boils down to, is that I will be loosing weight in the future and would love support from those able to give it, and hope I don't inadvertently upset people in the plus community, I am not loosing weight because I hate myself or because I feel there is something wrong with my size, because I really don’t, any health problems I have, I had as a size 8 and they are no worse for being the size I am now, but this is something I am going to have to do.

This post really is a mess and I apologise but my thoughts are so allover the place at the moment, which is why I am on a bit of a twitter silence, I needed time to get my head around things. 

Thank you for reading, if you are in a similar situation with fertility and need someone to talk to email me, I am very open about it. xx

Mhairi. x

Outfit Ideas

Simply Be Belted Jersey Dress.

Being on a tight budget means I have to think long and hard about purchasing a new item for my wardrobe, I have to consider, will it work with what I already have, is it versatile enough to have multiple uses, and travel across seasons.

This Jersey Belted dress from simply be fits my list perfectly, I find florals like this can be used year round as it isn't so ditzy a print as to be considered too trendy, i love prints like this and wear them year round to brighten my days.

here are how I  see it working for me and my wardrobe.

Jersey Belted Dress - Simply Be - £45

Denim Jacket - Simply be - £60

Fred Perry Plimsoles - Schuh -£42

Black sateen Jacket - Dorophy Perkins - £45

Black Wedge - Dorophy Perkins - £35

I love the details the belt and peter pan collar are great.

Do you, regardless of personal budget, take these things into consideration when you buy a new item for your collection?

Mhairi. xx

Kelsey Arif

A couple of days ago I read a blog post over at Fullerfigurefullerbust about the fabulous Kelsey Arif and her entry into the Miss British Beauty Curve Pageant, some of you may remember Kelsey who won the Plus Size Tall Model Search, to help her in her pagent endeavours I offered a posst on my blog, as I love to see a gorgeous plus woman making a name for herself.


Could you please introduce yourself for the readers who do not know you?

Well I'm Kelsey Arif and I am in my second year at Hertfordshire University studying Marketing with Advertising. I've been on / off modeling for around a year now but due to work and study constraints I have been finding it hard to dedicate enough time to building my portfolio.

When is the pageant and why did you want to enter?
It all started last January when I entered the Plus Size Tall Model Search and won! I entered believing I wouldn’t get very far and certainly didn’t think a trip to Vegas would be on the cards! I decided to go for the competition in a bid to help boost my self and body confidence and it most definitely worked! Modeling will always be a part of my life now I have had a taste of it; it's something I can only dream of doing full time!

Its  another way to get myself out into the plus size industry, last October I entered the Miss British Beauty Curve. I have made it to the finals as ‘Miss Hertfordshire Curve’ which is being held this Saturday the 25^th February so my nerves are riding high! Another reason I entered was to see if pageantry was for me and if there was anything I could learn and use when modelling. It is also a great way to celebrate the fuller lady and a fun opportunity to be a part of!

What is involved?

The pageant consists of rounds just like a standard pageant and Miss British Beauty Curve has an opening round, fashion wear, swimwear and eveningwear. There will also be a personal interview before the pageant begins.

I am really excited for all of it! It’s something I have never done before so I’m obviously nervous for things like poses and the walks but I’m sure with all my practicing I will be just fine! All I can do is try my best and I feel amazing in all of my outfits so that always helps and I’m happy to just have got to the finals so as long as I do my best I can hold my head high no matter the outcome!

Has being involved helped your confidence in yourself or are you naturally confident?

I have always been quite a naturally confident person really. I did get to a stage when I was at my heaviest where I felt myself becoming more self-conscious but I also felt so un-healthy which didn’t help. That was one of my reasons for losing a lot of weight last year and since I’ve lost the weight and started modeling my confidence has been boosted again. There is a big difference in being confident and being arrogant and I make sure I don’t come across as a big head as I find it extremely distasteful.

What a your plans for the future? (more pageants, competitions, modelling)

Modeling isn’t just a past time for me. Next year once I have finished my university degree I am going to spend the time hitting agencies with my portfolio, attending more castings, following up on all that essential networking and doing whatever I can to boost my presence in the plus size industry. I have also got a big interest in Marketing and Advertising so that will hopefully play a part in my life as well.  As for the pageants…. I will have to let you know once the shows over and done with on Saturday!

As you can see kelsey is stunning, and deserves all the support in her modelling and pageant venture we can offer. 


I will have everything crossed for the 25th. 


For more info go to Miss British Beauty Curve


Mhairi.


xxx

Mens Clothing - Jacamo Review

Jacamo

Flintoff Jeans and Ben Sherman longer length shirt review

My husband has been watching me blog for these past 6 months and began to think, it isn't just women who struggle with plus clothing and he has the added hassle of being tall, so he asked if I would show some of the clothing he buys to show what there is to offer. 

After chatting with the lovely charlotte of Simply Be she suggested I talk to Jacamo about reviewing some menswear for them, we knew the name, but hadn't really looked at the before, but Marc was very happily surprised by the clothing on offer, he is my monkey man with a long body and arms and not so long legs for a 6'2" man.

Jacamo have jeans starting  from a 34inch waist and go up to a 56inch waist in lengths 29 to 36inches, the also do tops up to 5XL.

One of his biggest problems is jeans, he finds on the high street if the do stock his size he cant get them up his legs and if he gets the size for his legs then the waist is far too big, the other issue is length, most shops stock 3o, 32 and 34 inch lengths, but Marc has a 33 inch leg length so a 32 means ankle swingers and a 34 means ripped jeans.

His other big issue is shirts, a standard length shirt means he has to roll the sleeves up as down they are usually too short, we can get longer lengths in some dress shirts from the high street, but not often a more casual shirt for a day out of just for general wear.

Above is an example of a casual high street shirt, he loves the colour but this is his arm raised about 12inches from his side, if he goes any higher the cuff strains so much it pops the button, so not a good length for him.

Jacamo asked him to select a pair of jeans and a shirt from the site, whilst looking he saw that they had a new range becoming available from Freddie Flintoff, and whilst he isn't a huge sports fan he loved the look of the clothing on offer. 

He originally chose a pair of Jeans and a longer length shirt from the range but the shirt was not yet available so he went for a pair of jeans from the Flintoff Range and a longer length shirt from Ben Sherman.

The Jeans.

The Jeans he chose were the Flintoff by Jacamo Jean  33" length, the fact the did a 33 inch leg was a huge selling point for him, he also loved the Colour which is called Denim Blue but it isn't your usual blue for a pair of jeans it is a bit darker.

When they arrived the fit was lovely, and a great length, but he decided he wanted to wear and wash them a couple of times to give as good a review as possible, and this is what Marc had to say - 

They are very comfortable even after they have just been washed, and after a couple of wears, and the rarely need ironing, even straight from the clothes horse, the colour has also stayed nice and dark, the pockets are great nice and deep wallet feels secure in them.

They have a button fly but they aren't too stiff as I have found with some jeans, and they don't go saggy after a couple of wears, I plan on trying some of the Flintoff cargo trousers to see if the quality of them is as good as my other pairs.

So as you can see he likes them, here are some photos of them on.

For the Shirt he went for the Ben Sherman Long Sleeve Check Shirt Long in Olive it arrived and the colour was really nice, it fitted well and looked really nice on, it also looks great tucked into jeans and with a jumper on top to smarten it up.

Marc said - It makes a nice change to find a casual looking shirt in a longer length, its nice to lift up my arms without having to unbutton the sleeves or have them rolled up all the time so I don't look like I am wearing my sons shirt. Just need to persuade Mhairi to order me the red one now too!

My Iron decided to stop working so the shirt was really rather creased in the pictures from today as you can see below

But I do have a dodgy phone picture from tonight when it was ironed :) 

And as you see it has great length in the arms, even when he holds his arms out straight.

He looks pretty good to me, I dont mind being seen in public with him :) 

Go take a look at Jacamo, we were very impressed! x

Marc and Mhairi

By Caprice Lingerie Review

Dianthus Black/Purple Gel Bra and Brief Set

A while ago I had @bycaprice follow me on twitter which is the official account for Caprice Bourret, she regularly posts photos of her lingerie collections on twitter for us to all drool over.

When the picture of the Dianthus in black/purple came up on my timeline I was instantly attracted to it, I replied to her that it was a beautiful set, and continued on with my day, but a short while later she approached me to ask if I would like to review it for her on my blog, I gave her my contact details and was quickly contacted by her PR team to ask what set and size I would like to review, as this was the set the caught my eye I went for it, and after a bit of a delay due to a change in staff members I received the gorgeous set in the post.

Now I would like to first point out that the sets are available in sizes 32A-38G and at the moment I am being measured into 38GG and 36H cups, so was slightly out of the cup sizes available, but felt this bra still needed to be reviewed.

Image from www.bycaprice.com

Well as you can see I definitely do not look like Caprice, but I have pretty perky boobs for a larger lady and have an excellent cleavage with the right bra, with the cups on this bra being a little bit small for me, I couldn't get the lift and shape I really like but they also do not look bad at first glance, but on closer inspection i did have a bit of quad boob when I breathed in and the central gore will not lie flush with my chest.

Front View

From the side the shape was actually pretty good too, it was fairly rounded and not pointed, a look I can't pull off very well.

Side View

This bra could have almost worked for me if I could have shortened the straps more, I do not have very deep shoulders and add to that very heavy boobs, I need straps to be of a width to be able to withstand this combination, and this was the one true let down of such a beautiful bra, they are far too thin for a lager cup, and I don't just mean at the top end of the band sizes either, because believe me a girl with a 32G cup is going to need some support from her straps too.

I just found that if I was to tighten them to the length I need to get the cups in the right position for optimum support I would have cut myself in half with the straps, it is something I often find with pretty bras, strap widths are not taken into account for a heavier breast.

Straps

Oh but the details are what truly still make me love this bra, I loved the vividness of the purple against the black and the pretty flowers embroidered on the fabric. 

Pretty Bras make my heart sing!

Embroidery/ colour detail

It also has a pretty bow on the central gore which is very pretty indeed!

All in all I will give this bra a positive thumbs up, and I know some women cope very well with thinner straps, but the weight of my breasts means my shoulders just cant cope with it, and I hope that one day caprice and her team manage to extend there cup sizes and also make there band sizes in both 28 and 30 backs and also in larger back sizes than a 38 as they are missing out on a hole market of eager women looking for beautiful bras.

I also recieved the matching briefs pictured in the official photo and I have to say they are also beautiful, and fitted me well.

If you would like to look at where to purchase lingerie by Caprice then please visit her website.

Please also note that all the photos have been lightly photoshopped by me as my skin is blotchy at the moment due to an allergy.

Disclaimer: this set was sent to me as a gift from Bycaprice lingerie from review, but I have not been paid to give a favourable review and all words are my own.

Company Casting Call, my reasons for entering

My Reason for entering the Company Magazine competition.

My reasons for entering are many, but some of them include -

Pushing myself - I have suffered so long from a serious lack of self esteem and agoraphobia that this year I am aiming to push myself to try new things go new places and even enter crazy competitions that I just cant win! 

Real Women -  This is a term I am not that comfortable with I believe that every Woman is real wether it is physically or mentally, We are all Real women, but this competition is supposedly for real women but the main prize is a photo shoot with River island who I love might I add, but who only cater to a market of women size 18 and under if you want to wear there clothing which is fine by me, but where does that leave every other women over a size 18 or under a size 6 because they do exist (and it doesn't automatically mean they are anorexic either).

I have found myself in the past jumping on the, when did this become sexier than this type pictures and liking them automatically, but it ISNT sexier we are all sexy and every one has different tastes.

But I want to at least put myself out there, I love fashion and although I am just beginning to experiment and get my mojo back, and I know it is not even remotely possible that I will win I still find it liberating to at least put myself out there.

Fun - Sometimes it just time to have a little fun and do something crazy, and I love that so many of us plus size lovelies are joining the fun, below are the links to all of us who are entering, you can like more than one person, so vote for us all if you are feeling generous.

Mine is 

Lilybobomb

BoombandsEm - The reason we are all entering read her post about her reasons why here!

Toni22 -  her reasons for entering can be found here!

MissKathryn - her reasons for entering can be found here!

Rosieroundface - her reasons for entering can be found here!

Ceri - her reasons can be found here!

Sara - Her reasons can be found here! 

Thank you

Mhairi, xxx

Festive Party Dresses

Christmas Party season is well underway, and I have been looking at all the fabulously festive offerings available to us plus size Ladies. 


I saw this picture on the simply be tumblr this morning and instantly fell in love with this dress, I love the draped material at the front, the shape of the bust line.

Sequin Shoulder Maxi Dress £68

Next on my festive list of lovelies is this gorgeous purple dress from Style 369 with stunning pearl collar detail, The colour looks so festive and warm.

Lovedrobe Purple Pearl Trim Skater Dress £40.00

 I have been really liking some of the dresses from yours clothing and I particularly love the gorgeous bright blue of this one, it is a nice midi length which at only 5'2" I find hard to pull off, but would be gorgeous on some of you lovely ladies.

Blue Embellished Waist Midi Dress £35

I love this dress so so much it is so festive and sparkly, Dorothy Perkins have got many beautiful outfits for the festive season and this can work well for so many shapes and sizes I still want to buy it for myself! 

Purple 50's Circle Dress £42 

Another offering from Yours clothing, this dress is very simple and flattering great for many occasions.

Black and Silver Trim Mesh Dress £30

 And finally Asos have made me so happy with this dress, I may find the neckline difficult with my broad shoulders but this can be solved with a simple shrug and I am willing to give it a go just for its spotty gorgeousness!

Asos Curve Skater Dress in Spot Lace £45

Do these dresses set your heart all a flutter or have you chosen something else let me know what your perfect party outfit is. x

Mhairi. xxxx


Tomorrow the second of my Reviews for Simply be will be up, come back and have a look at that too :) xxxx


The images for this post were taken from the ASOS, Dorothy Perkins, Yours, Style 369 and Simply Be Websites. I have not been asked or paid to suggest these items. 

Review - Simply Be 1

Navajo Knitted Shrug Cardigan


Simply Be very kindly offered me the chance to pick three items from the current catalogue for review, I was ridiculously excited!


I wanted to choose three completely different Items one for casual, one for daytime and one for a night out.


The first Item I am going to review for you is my casual choice, I have 2 adult dogs and 2 puppies so spend a lot of time over parks in heavy coats trudging through the mud, but get far too warm in my coats so I was looking for something that would be warm and comfortable.


This is what I ordered - The Navajo Knitted Shrug Cardigan £40

This looked so gorgeous on the model I knew I had to give it a try.

I ordered it in a 22, but I am notorious for believing I am bigger than I am, and probably could have easily got away with a 20, but I love how cosy it feels and know if I needed to be warmer I could fir a knitted jumper under for an extra layer.

The pattern I feel, does make me look bigger than I am, but I just don't care, I popped it over my sheer blouse and a cami top and i was so warm and snuggly.

This Cardigan is going to be a lifesaver when it comes to the christmas shopping as I always get hot and frustrated lugging a big coat everywhere, this is fabulous as I can leave it loos when inside shopping centres but pull it round close when on the high street!

See snuggly and warm! 

And who can resist a swirly item of clothing!

look out for the crazy lady in the park!

And just one more picture as it made me laugh!

yes I am mildly insane! 

My overall verdict of this cardigan is it is lovely, the colours are gorgeous and it feels nice, it isn't itchy, this is very important to me as I can be incredibly fussy about knitwear, if it is even a little scratchy I just cant wear it!


I think for me it is a very useful item, for everyday use, popping to town walking my dogs, shopping and lounging happily at home, and would happily pay the £40, but would order it in a 20. 


please excuse me looking so pale and my extremely bad hair day, sometimes I just like to be as nature intended :) 




Mhairi. xxxx




Disclaimer : This item was given to me free of charge from Simply be for review, but all comments are my own and I have not been asked or paid to give any items a favourable review.

My Christmas Wish List Pt1

These are some of the thing I wish I could afford and would love to buy but cant right now, so I am making my dream list for christmas.

It is a bit photo heavy, so sorry about that.

Some of these are realistic some are highly unlikely, but I like to dream and spend my imaginary millions!

Laura Ashley

Mirrored Bird Wall Art

Just because it is so pretty and would look gorgeous in my bedroom when I finally get around to decorating it!

Laura Ashley

White Owl Book Ends

Its funny, my obsession has always been butterflies but recently I am loving Owls so much!

Spirithoods

Tiger Spirithood, I am in love with them all but my 3 favourites are on here.

Spirithoods

Grey Wolf, so yummy!

DrMartens

Purple Triumph Floral Boots

They are purple and floral inside, and I want them very badly, one day they will be mine.

Spirithoods

Husky Spirithood, I love Huskies so it was a must :)

Anna Scholz For Simply Be Longline Jumper

I love a great longline jumper to wear with leggings and skinnies and I love the horse on this one.

Simply Be Bespoke Grand Finale Tunic Dress

I like this one for a more dressed up look for lunch or a quiet night out.

Gotham by Andre 

The Cat by Andre

Both of these shoes and the rest of the collection were brought to my attention by my friend who knows me far too well, I am a total geek at heart and would love these shoes, need to visit paris with some cash to get these gorgeous shoes!

He sent me this LINK 

Funtasma Steampunk shoe with octopus buckle

Kates clothing have some amazing shoes, but I love the fact with these you get shoes and boots in the same pair!

Manic Panic Hair Colours for when I fancy a change!

I need to dye my hair soon, I am so bored of how it looks. 

Black and Pink Bones Skeleton Socks

And who doesn't need socks, the crazier the better!

So do you fancy any of these or is there something your truly lusting after right now? Let me know in the comments below.

Mhairi. xxx