6pm « A Well-Rounded Venture

Posts Tagged: 6pm

Events / OOTD — 14 Comments
10
Feb 12

OOTD: Fatty Affair

As promised, here is my outfit from Fatty Affair! If you missed the event post, you can find it here and you can see the whole set of pictures up on Flickr.

Dress – ASOS Curve, UK 26
Jacket – Joanna Hope, Simply Be, US 28
Tights – We Love Colors, EE in Scout Green
Belt – Torrid
Boots – Fitzwell, “Syrup” via 6pm.com
Bracelet – F21
Bangles – Torrid

For this event, the “dress code” was on the fancy side. Since I was speaking about fashion, I wanted to pick an outfit that was sparkly, special and something I felt comfortable in. Movement, comfort, warmth (or lack therof) and if possible, something I had worn before, were all concerns.

Being nervous (public speaking!!!) and experimenting with new clothing combinations is a recipe for disaster, in my experience.

This jersey dress from ASOS certainly fit the bill on all counts! I’ve worn it before with my favorite black and white cardigan, but it is one of those OOTD shoots that never made it to the blog (yet). Lately I love the idea of pairing bright pink with teal… so with my color palette set, I picked out a couple of coordinating accessories.

Here are a few more awkward pictures for the road!

When wearing ASOS Curve clothing, I’m constantly reminded that while they can obviously find suppliers to make clothes that fit my size 28 body (UK 26 is a US 22) but have “no plans to extend their line”. Grr.

Part of my awkward speech was about giving companies feedback. Fight for your right to be able to find the kind of clothing you want, in a size that fits your body – which I’ve wrote about before. You don’t know how many times I’ve been told the two solutions of – lose weight or learn to sew. You don’t have to do either!

More and more companies are listening to the growing demands for plus size, fashion forward clothing, extended sizing, etc. and with my purchasing power, I try to support the ones that are.

It is important to give constructive feedback and give it often. Don’t like what you see? Give feedback. Don’t see what you want? Ask for it.

Check out Kath’s great post – YOU have the power to drive change. She has written a great post on how to engage with these companies and do it effectively – as she’s worked with two companies in Australia already.

We all have the power to instigate the changes we want to see in plus size fashion. Now it is time to speak up!

Five Take: It’s my party

This week for Five Take, our theme was a party dress. Perfectly timed because Claire, Becky and Gina were busy at Plus London and Rebecca was celebrating her birthday.

What about me? Oh, just at home… working.

At first I thought I could cop-out and post my outfit from Fatty Affair. Between the computer issues and work, I’ve slacked off on writing that post (obviously). And I already posted the images to the Facebook group, thus fulfilling promises made. Ha! But in all seriousness – photos are uploading to Flickr as I… type and the post will follow this one.

Back to the party dress. I decided to not go the easy, cheater route and started to think how the hell I was going to pull a party dress off on Super Bowl Sunday, when the highlights of my day were going to be cleaning the bathroom and work. I wanted to stay in my pajamas!

Dress/top – Collection by OneStopPlus, 34w
Vest – Apt. 9, Kohl’s, 3x
Jeggings – Old Navy, 28
Shoes – Bass, “Chrissie” via 6pm.com, 11M, $22
Bracelet – Necklace from Claire’s

I started wracking my brain for ideas and a dress to wear… Do I wear a party dress and dress it down? Go full party fance, and go to the grocery store at 3pm looking silly? The first won but pulling it off? Not so simple.

How do you dress down a party dress? Is it possible? I started to panic a little when all I could think of was adding a slouchy cardigan and/or jeggings. Which I guess would succeed in dressing down but not in a fashionable or creative way, which is part of the purpose for this challenge.

On my dress rack, I had this sequin number from OneStopPlus. I picked it up for a song and could never think of how to style it. I remember showing Chris and we both decided it looked like a sparkly night shirt. There was no shape whatsoever.

It was one of those things that I should have sent back but the return shipping wasn’t worth it. Today I thought… maybe I’d try it out. Now that’s a challenge!

Now, I have no idea why – but I decided to purchase this dress in a 34W. Maybe it was the only size left? Maybe I wanted it over-sized?

The catalog sizing almost always runs big for me, so I hope I wasn’t that dumb. Either way, I tried putting this baby on today… and yeah, so big it was comical. So big that belting it wasn’t going to help. So big that… well, I figured it was going to be a mess. I really meant to take a picture of the disaster but something distracted me – more about that later.

Remember I wanted to stay in my pajamas? What’s just as good as pajamas? Jeggings. Back during 30for30, I started belting my dresses into long tops and I thought it might work for this dress, despite the obvious size issues. Since my other ~~ideas~~ options involved fancy dresses paired with slouchy, casual cardigans I was desperate to make it work.

And also laughing at myself the whole time and fully prepared to do my grocery shopping and errands looking ridiculous. Now THAT is dedication. I even tweeted this:

A cardigan was out of the question because my favorite part of this mess was the arms. And it would hide lots of my shiny glory. So I grabbed the vest out of my closet (still with tags) and decided to wear that to break things up.

I didn’t end up belting the dress in the same way as 30for30 but used a belt to secure the extra fabric (lots, 10 inches?) below my boobs to make the dress look like a top. The result was a little bulky but not enough that anyone (but me) would notice.

As I got ready to leave, something scary happened – it started to grow on me. It started to look good! Nobody was more surprised than me because this outfit building started with me laughing at my reflection in the mirror each glance.

I threw on these super cute (and comfy) shoes, rolled up my pant legs (a la Rebecca), put my hair in a messy up-do, grabbed the “bracelet”, my purse and walked out the door.

Ridiculous or not.

Wondering what my distraction was? I left the car door open as I was taking pictures (smart move). This particular spot is on the side of a busy street and as I was taking pictures, I watched in horror as my knitting bag tipped over and stuff spilled out. Two balls of yarn for the sweater I’m about to start rolled into the gutter… one of which kept going into the storm drain.

Yup. That yarn is gone. I also pretty much needed all of the yarn I had, so knitting the sweater is going to be interesting. Good thing I’m making a cropped version! Thus (hopefully) needing less yarn.

Don’t forget to check out the party dresses of the other Five Take members!

Claire – A Monkey Fatshionista
Rebecca – The Plus Side of Me
Gina – Fat Fit Fine
Becky – The Ramblings of Mrs BeBe

Party dresses are something I wish I could wear more. They are things I rarely, if ever, buy because I have so few opportunities to wear them. But it would be really great to have a few that could do double duty on occasion…

Now a question for you – don’t worry, you can be honest. ;) How’d I do?

What is your favorite party dress? Would you ever attempt to dress it down?

Challenges / Five Take / OOTD — 21 Comments
26
Jan 12

Five Take: Primary Colors

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!

Claire – A Monkey Fatshionista
Rebecca – The Plus Side of Me
Gina – Fat Fit Fine
Becky – The Ramblings of Mrs BeBe

What is the dominant primary color in your wardrobe? Do you use color theory in your outfit choices?

Giveaway / OOTD / Reviews — 43 Comments
22
Jan 12

Review: IGIGI dress & giveaway!

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.

Don’t get me wrong – I was tempted to try one of the pieces I mentioned from the 2011 Holiday Collection but I’m glad I went with the more practical choice.

Dress – Cate Sweater dress in Truffle, courtesy of IGIGI, 26/28
Belt – comes with the dress, detachable and doubles as a scarf
Jacket – INC, Macy’s, $30
Necklace – Style & Co, Macy’s
Boots – Fitzwell, “Syrup” via 6pm.com

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.

IGIGI has great sales throughout the year. I’ve found some of my highly coveted pieces (like this lace skirt) at over 60% off. Right now you can save up to 25% OFF on the Plus-size resort Collection from IGIGI by Yuliya Raquel with the code "RESORT2012" .

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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.

A Well-Rounded Venture

Posts Tagged: 6pm

OOTD: Fatty Affair

Five Take: It’s my party

Five Take: Primary Colors

Review: IGIGI dress & giveaway!

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