I love clothes, and despite the fact that my clothing choices are limited because of my “plus size,” I pride myself on dressing as fashionably as possible. I have tons of clothes – more than any one person needs, really – and I feel a point of pride when I write that I have not repeated an outfit yet this school year – that’s 5 weeks (25 days) without a repeat. Well, except for Fridays when we’re supposed to wear our school pride colors, and a girl only has so much blue and gold gear. This is during the week, mind you; on the weekends I often wear the same comfy workout clothes when I’m just hanging around the house or, well, working out. But if I’m going out with friends and family, I definitely dress to impress whenever possible.
With that said, I thought it was high time to start a new tradition around this blog on Fridays – OOTW (Outfits of the Week). I’m inspired by Heidi‘s Fashion Friday posts, but since I didn’t want to completely steal her idea, I figured I’d feature the outfits I wore throughout the week. The side bonus of these posts will be that they’ll serve as a visual record of my weight loss through the weeks.
Sound fun? I think so, too. So let’s get started.
Sunday – yin yoga outfit. The reason I’m featuring a weekend workout outfit is that I’m trying to wear more fitted clothes when I workout. I tend to wear really baggy workout clothes because they’re safer and I can “hide” in them. But again, as Heidi pointed out, wearing baggy clothes makes me look bigger than I really am. I should start embracing my curves even when I’m moving and sweating. With that said, I wore a much more fitted shirt to yoga on Sunday, and I felt great about it. The shirt is one that I had purchased well over a year ago and when I first bought it, it was much too tight. As you can see, it fits much nicer now.
Top: Lane Bryant; Yoga Pants: Avenue; Workout Bra: Champion (Target)
Monday – I love the animal print top in the unexpected colors. I guess all these Jersey shows I’m watching (Jersey Shore, Jerseylicious, RHONJ) are starting to influence my fashion.
Top: Macy's; Necklace: Dress Barn; Pants: Avenue; Shoes: Reef (Zappos)
Tuesday – It was super-hot this week (in the 90s every single day), and I wanted to be as cool as possible. These palazzo pants are very thin and flowy, so they’re sooooo comfortable. I feel like I’m wearing sweats to school when I wear them, yet they’re really dressing looking. The shoes are flat sandals, but they’re patent leather, which sort of dresses them up a bit, I think. I’m not sure if these pants are very flattering on me because they’re so wide-legged – they either camouflage my big thighs or accentuate them – what do you think?
Top: Torrid (2-3 years ago); Cami: LB; Pearl & Silver Necklace: gift from my mom; Pants: Target; Shoes: Avenue
Wednesday: I looked in my closet and saw nothing that felt cool and looked cute (do you ever have those days?), so I went next door to my sister’s closet and borrowed this top. One of the many perks of having her right next door and being almost the same size.
Top: Mervyn's; Cami: LB; Necklace: Silpada; Cropped Jeans: LB; Shoes: Reef (Zappos)
That’s it for this week because Thursdays are college tshirt/sweatshirt days (to promote a college-bound culture) and Fridays as I said are pride days (blue and gold).
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In keeping with fashion, last Friday my mom and I went shopping for some new shoes for me. Since I’m on my feet all day long, I need really supportive shoes, and since I have wide feet with a high instep, I’m not the easiest fit. I’ve fallen in love with Clarks! My last pair lasted 3 years and I wore them almost every single day during the week! They’re still “functional,” but they have seen better days. Since the time of sandals and open-toed shoes will soon be gone, it was time to buy a new pair of Clarks.
The 1st Pair is called UnMemoir: I found this pair right away and knew they’d be perfect because they’re very similar to the pair that lasted 3 years. They’re incredibly soft and comfortable, and they have amazing support. Plus, they come in wide width, so I can get my real size (7 1/2) instead of having to size up (which often causes blisters at first). They very cute with pants/crops and I’ll wear them all the time.
You can almost feel that soft calfskin, can't you?
I think they're adorable for "comfortable" shoes.
The 2nd pair is called UnNotice. I got them because they were a bit dressier, because of the heel. They’ll be perfect with dresses and skirts. (The other ones look a bit too “orthopedic” with dresses). When the weather gets cooler, I’ll pair them with tights and they’ll be ideal. I originally wanted to buy knee-length boots, but because my calves are so large, I just can’t find ones that fit/zip to the top. I’ve given up trying to find them, at least for now. They’ll be something I buy when I get to my goal weight, because I’m sure the width of my calves will decrease, along with everything else.
They don't look very impressive from this shot, but when I have them on, they're adorable.
I like that they have sort of a retro feel to them.
Each of these pairs was $115, but they are well worth the money for the comfort and support they provide. Especially considering the fact that I’ll wear them day in and day out. (I also have a pair of brown Hush Puppies that I’ll wear when I’m wearing outfits of that color scheme).
These shoes (and a couple of pairs of comfy ankle-length boots) are the reasons that I can’t wait for the cooler, crisper weather to arrive. Well, that and the fact that I am so sick of this heat! I love fall fashion and can’t wait to start putting pieces together.
Bella on the Beach 