If you’re in the Bay Area, you might have heard about this event. If you haven’t, you’re welcome.
This weekend the fabulous Sarah of NotBlueAtAll is hosting A Fatty Affair in San Jose, California. Here’s the details:
A Fatty Affair – Body Positive Fun and Festivities!
Saturday, January 28, 2011
3:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Billy DeFrank LGBT Center
938 The Alameda, San Jose, CA
Sponsored by Santa Clara University
Women’s and Gender Studies
There will be lots of activities and events – a clothing swap, body positive art and vendors, photo op’s and various speakers like – Marilyn Wann, Sarah, Virgie Tovar and… me. I was honored to be asked to speak about fashion with Virgie. Thanks Sarah! <3
That’s just a quick summary of all that is planned – you have to visit to see and hear it all!
If you attend, please come say hi. Hope to see you there!
If you’ve noticed, I’m a bit of a color nerd. I blame it on being an art student but if we’re being honest – it started way (way, way) before that. This week, our Five Take theme was primary colors – red, yellow, and blue. Can you guess who chose it? ;) Though now I can’t help but think… Wonder Woman.
In 2011, I took a step back from the color roller coaster and added more neutrals to my wardrobe to try something different. Even after my experimenting, I still feel like some pop of color is always needed.
Most of my outfits with color tend to utilize the color wheel. I’m not kidding when I say that I used to carry one of these babies in my purse:
Yes, I am completely serious. Actually I have two, a mini (purse sized) color wheel and one that was with my school stuff. Hey! They come in handy. Over the years, they have gotten put… who knows where, but color theory is now ingrained in my brain.
Top – Simply Be, size 28, here.
Skirt – Avenue, 26/28
Jacket – Torrid, size 4
Tights – We Love Colors, size EE in Gold, black patterned tights from Avenue.
Boots – Fitzwell, “Syrup” via 6pm.com
Bracelet – F21, here.
For me, it is almost impossible to resist the urge to add color to anything. Almost physically and mentally impossible to resist adding color to my outfits, makeup, interior decorating, the food I cook – yes, I add different vegetables for color (okay, sometimes flavor). Usually, I’m drawn to a bright color. Surprise, I know.
Not that I always follow “the rules” (because they are meant to be broken) or have an entire rainbow (and then some) of clothing to choose from (despite my best efforts) but the thought is there.
For this challenge I had originally planned to keep it simple and wear just one primary color – I was thinking blue. The last several days work has been really busy and this weekend I spent most of the time in my snowman pajamas. Alas, they are not primary colored – otherwise you might have seen them. Since I try to not play “dress up” for the blog, you get this a few days late!
This morning I realized, that it was already mid-week and I needed to take pictures but a simple outfit no longer appealed to me. So here we are – two colors and lots of “stuff” or texture – sheer, floaty sleeves, houndstooth, cut outs, beads, patterned tights. Well, you can’t actually see the sleeves since I forgot to take a picture with the coat off! This outfit definitely has a lot going on.
I thought it might be too much, especially the coat & tights combo… but I like the effect. Though I don’t like the fact that the black tights scrunch around the knees – making it nearly impossible to see the pattern without hiking them up every two minutes.
My closet is well-stocked but the dominant primary color in my wardrobe is this bright, cobalt blue. A year ago, it would have been red. Yellow is definitely lacking… but I have a few pieces. 2011 was a great year for blue… and it’s a good thing because Pantone named Tangerine the color of 2012.
Guess what goes well with that? ;)
Don’t forget to check out how the others wore their primary colors!
Ever have something you really want to do but the universe moves mountains to keep you from doing so? That’s what happened to me and taking pictures of the dress that IGIGI sent me to review in December. I’ve worn this dress four times. Yes, four times – with plans to take pictures each day and something happened the first three.
When given an opportunity like this, I attempt to move outside of my comfort zone and try something I wouldn’t normally buy. IGIGI has a fantastic range of clothing but many of their pieces (or the ones that always catch my eye!) tend to be cocktail & evening wear.
And lets face it – I telecommute for work and I’m a student. There are not a whole lot of opportunities for fancy party dresses but they do have several casual dresses that I would jump at the chance to add to my wardrobe – so I did.
Enter the Cate Sweater dress in Truffle, which challenges my usual style in two ways – it is maxi length and a sweater dress.
Last spring was the first time I bought and wore a maxi dress. The experience was good but maxi length still feels a bit awkward to me – not to mention very warm (this is a problem because I tend to run hot). But my favorite method for challenging myself is immersion – overcoming through doing.
First, a little about the dress. The fabric is lighter than I expected – in a good way. It is a heavier weight, heathered knit fabric but not what I think of when “sweater” dress is mentioned. Which is probably because I’m a knitter. It is lined in the bodice and skirt, with a light polyester but not in the sleeves.
After wearing this dress so many times, I can tell you that it works in all kinds of weather – I wore it from 80℉ to 45℉! This was a surprise to me, on the warmer days I thought it might be too hot but I was pleasantly surprised when I did not melt. I think the key was the unlined sleeves and breathable fabric.
The dress also kept me warm in Tahoe, where the pictures were taken but it was a little chilly without the coat! It was 45-50℉ where we were staying, but down by the water it was so cold that the rocks around the lake had lots of ice built up. Brr!
As far as fit goes, I fall somewhere in between a 22/24 and a 26/28 in dresses at IGIGI, so I opted for the larger size. The fabric is very stretchy and I think the smaller would have been a better fit. It says to buy based on your bust measurement, so I think this dress runs a little big in that area. In my experience, most IGIGI styles are for someone bustier than I!
The skirt looks relatively straight but is much fuller than expected. Is it just me or is there a learning curve to wearing so much fabric!?! I’m a klutz but I wasn’t stepping all over the dress too much. But it made getting in and out of the car… interesting.
The length is on the long side – as a maxi dress should be, right? I’m 5’6 and it is almost too long for me (my only “complaint” and easily dealt with). With flats, the dress is too close to the ground. With boots, it is just fine! Considering that I will be wearing this dress when it is cooler, it is pretty much a given that I’ll be wearing boots.
The verdict? If you’re looking for a fall/winter maxi dress that can transition into spring – this dress is for you! I love that it keeps me cozy in the cold but still lets my body breathe on warmer days. The Cate Sweater Dress also comes in a black/red colorway – it was tempting but I’ve been craving more browns in my wardrobe lately. At $160, the price is a little steep for my budget – college student and all, but over the last few years I’ve found that IGIGI pieces are worth investing in, especially the classics.
If you’re curious, I washed the dress (instead of dry cleaning, as recommended) and it came out perfect. On delicate, of course. The only dry cleaning I do is once a year for my wool winter coats!
Completely unrelated but here is Chris in his preferred state – hiding!
Okay, okay… now for the part you’ve been anxiously awaiting – the giveaway!
IGIGI is kindly offering a $50 gift card for A Well-Rounded Venture readers.
Open internationally.
There are a few different options for entering, you must do the first (comment on this post) to be eligible; the rest are optional/extra entries. I’m trying out this widget to keep track of things – let me know if it’s a pain! You can “log in” using your Facebook account OR your name and e-mail.
The winner will be selected on January 31st, 2012 and announced via the blog and Twitter. I will also contact the winner via e-mail. Thanks for entering!
What is your favorite IGIGI piece? If you won the giveaway, what would you buy and how would you style it?
Opinions – I have them and they are my own. This dress was given to me by IGIGI to review.
This week for Five Take, our theme was the 1960s. So far, this is the first time we’ve paid homage to a specific time period and it made me a little nervous! There is so much to draw inspiration from. How is a girl to choose?
When I think of this time period, one of the first things that comes to mind is a dress. Surprise, right? I’m talking about a sheath dress. When you think of “mod”, what pops into your mind? For me, it’s a dress shaped something like this:
A simple, classic shape that stands the test of time. In the 60s, there were many, many dresses of a similar style – usually in bright colors, bold patterns or even color blocked.
Turns out that the above doesn’t describe anything in my wardrobe (need to remedy this asap?), so I made it work with what I had in my closet.
Dress – Avenue, 26/28
Cardigan – Lane Bryant, 22/24, here.
Tights – We Love Colors, EE in Scout Green
Belt – Torrid
Earrings – Vintage screw-post earrings from my grandmother
Boots – Ros Hommerson via 6pm.com, 2010, $60
The 1960s were a turning point for fashion in a variety of ways and it is one of my absolute favorite decades. Mini skirts, go-go boots, short dresses, stripes, bright colors – right up my alley! Unlike other decades, the styles worn changed dramatically from year to year or even based on political affiliations.
I’m from California, people call me a hippie or tree-hugger all the time, does that make me an expert? Maybe my childhood obsession with tie dye and bell bottoms? Probably not.
The first dress I planned to wear was a cute black sheath dress with a little twist – but it’s a secret for now! I had planned to get it altered (before this challenge) but it didn’t happen. I’ve been searching high and low for a tailor in the Bay Area without much luck! Found a seamstress who has done plus size clothing/alterations but she couldn’t take anything until February. (Psst, do you know of one?)
I was going to wear the dress anyway because I didn’t remember it being that bad… but oh boy, was I wrong. The result was comical. It turned out looking more like a baggy hospital gown than a sheath dress.
Next up? Classic sheath dress from my closet. This dress is nearly identical to one I wore last month and it’s a very similar outfit too, oops. When thinking of the 60s within the context of my closet I thought bright colors, stripes and the highest pair of boots I own would be the best to pair with this classic silhouette.
Maybe I’m already subconsciously inspired by the 60s? Or in my last minute panic, I went for what’s comfortable and familiar for me. Ding, ding, ding.
Not there’s anything wrong with that… but I feel like this outfit is a bit of a cop out. I wish I would have planned a bit better this week, so I could push myself into doing something a little different, not back into over well charted territory. But there’s always next week!
Makeup attempt. Someone teach me, quick! Or loan me a pair of steady hands.
After coming out of “vacation” mode… and considering today was my first day back to work, we’re lucky that I didn’t take pictures of 1960s inspired pajamas.
Don’t forget to check out how the others styled their 1960s outfit!
