Category Archives: plus-size resources
A Netflix for plus-size clothing?!
Hi, lovelies! Spring is sooooooo close I can feel it. It’s still gray and cold here every day. I loved what a friend said on Facebook the other day: “March, you are drunk. Go home.” But the mini daffodils and narcissus in my front flowerbeds are blooming, and the cherry blossoms are out, and hopefully it will feel like spring soon.
I can’t wait to pull out my fun summer clothes and be WARM! There’s a vintage black travel trunk* in my living room that holds my out-of-season clothes and – thanks to the latest northern Virginia clothing swap – it’s full of new stuff I can’t wait to try out.
Speaking of trying things out, ohmygod I have to tell you! I found a Netflix for plus-size clothing! Really! It’s a site called Gwynnie Bee.** You pay a monthly fee and choose from a pretty wide range of good-quality pieces and add them to your “closet.” They send you selections from your closet and you keep them as long as you want.
Yeah, they’re essentially second-hand clothes, but I’m pretty impressed by their FAQ. They check everything for wear and tear before they send it out, and if you accidentally spill on a piece or snag it, they’ll take care of it. Shipping is free both ways and works just like Netflix DVDs.
The monthly fees aren’t super cheap, but it’s mostly higher-end designer clothing, so if you use the service to add fresh things to your wardrobe rather than buying new stuff it may work out better financially.
So I signed up and will be reporting to you lovelies on how it goes!
Also, some jewelry news: I’m working on my independent shop for a while, so I’m currently adding listings to my From Lindley, with Love Etsy shop instead. I’m adding all the pretty spring-themed items first to celebrate the impending warmer weather, as well as some sale and clearance pieces.
*Sounds kind of glamorous, right? I bought it at a Goodwill for $30 to use as a combination storage chest/desk in my first dorm room. I never thought it would be a trendy conversation piece years later!
**Yes, that is a referral link. If you sign up for a free trial and eventually become a paying customer, I’ll receive a free month of service.
Find Your Style in 3 Simple Steps
Ready for some crazy, amazing, inspiring news today?
You have everything you need to put together your own, unique, fabulous style.
That? Is awesome.
There’s a good chance that your style isn’t one reflected in the current offerings at Lane Bryant.
Keep breathing! There’s one tool that makes just about any style you want to create possible, in any size: the Internet. Seriously. There are thousands of stores out there online catering to all kinds of styles in plus sizes. It’s pretty amazing.
Here’s how to move — using your own comfort level and budget — your closet from drab to fab.
{Don’t know what your style actually is? Here’s how to tell.}
Step 1: Use What You Have
Unless you’re independently wealthy, you probably don’t have the budget to dump your entire closet and start over. Instead, you’re going to put together another inspiration collection of clothes in your style and size.
Save the date: Summer Plus-Size Clothing Swap in the DC Metro Area
(via)
The next DC-area plus-size clothing swap will be on Sunday, July 29, from 6-10 pm in Manassas, VA. If you wear a size 12 or up, you’re welcome to attend! Bring some clothes you’re not wearing, try on some different ones, eat pizza and have a great time with us!
If you’re interested, shoot an email to fromlindleywithlove at gmail dot com with “Clothing Swap” in the subject line and I’ll send you more details. Hope to see you there!
XOXO,
3 Plus-Size Style Inspirations
Feeling a little drab? Perk up tomorrow’s outfit with inspiration from one of these websites.
Pinterest is full of gorgeous fashion. If you’re using Pinterest to collect images, click on any image and choose Repin to pin it to your own board. Try these two boards to start:
Where to Share Your OOTDs
Your outfits of the day, or OOTDs, serve as a great way to record your fashion choices and progress, but you can also use them to get feedback from others. Here are three good places to share.
(via)
Use OOTDs to Show Off Your Fashion Sense
The first day you put together a new outfit that truly reflects you, give yourself a hug! Whether you’re wearing it to work, go out or just dance around the house, you’ve done something amazing.
While you’re wearing that awesome outfit, there’s one quick thing you can do that will make a big difference in how you dress: take a picture.
(via)
What’s an OOTD?
An Outfit of the Day, or OOTD, is just that: a photograph of what you wore that day.
Taking OOTD photos does several great things for you. OOTDs let you:
- See your own body regularly
- See how outfits look on you
- Get feedback from other fashionistas
How to Capture an OOTD
All you need to start taking OOTDs is an outfit you like, a camera, and a place to take photos. Your cellphone will work fine for now. So will your bathroom mirror.
How to Accessorize (in 8 Easy Steps)
Today, we’re going to put the finishing touches on your outfit: accessories. Take a look at the list below for eight smart accessorizing strategies, plus one tip just for plus-size fashionistas.
(via)
Use the same principles to choose accessories that you use to choose clothing:
- Do I love this?
- Does this make me happy when I wear it?
In general, the larger your body, the larger your accessories should be, so that they’re visible and proportional on you.
The rules of fashion also apply here, so we’re going to use a few guidelines from this wikiHow article on accessorizing.
Use Custom and Semi-Custom Clothing for a Perfect Fit
Retail and online stores are offering more and more great plus-size fashion, but there’s one more way to get amazing outfits: custom and semi-custom clothing.
Altering Clothes
As you get into fatshion, you might find yourself buying a sewing machine and learning to take in a killer pencil skirt or turn maxi dresses into skirts.
There are lots of resources out there on altering clothes to fit. Here’s a good place to start.
Buying Custom and Semi-Custom
If you don’t sew, don’t stress!
Thanks to Etsy.com, a website dedicated to handmade and vintage wares, custom clothing is now available at reasonable prices. For people who are larger or shorter than the norm, this is absolute magic.
Rock the Dressing Room with 5 Survival Strategies
There are so many amazing plus-size clothing stores online, but at some point you’ll end up in a brick-and-mortar clothing store.
It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by shopping for clothing in person, and it happens to everyone — large, small, and in between. Thin people have trouble finding clothing they love, too.
Once you know two things — that you really do deserve clothing that fits you well and that you love, and that there are other options for finding those clothes — clothing stores should be a little easier to handle. Here are five strategies to keep in mind as you shop.
1. Check the size chart first.
Before heading to a brick-and-mortar store, check its website for a size chart to see whether you’ll be able to wear that store’s clothing.
This is especially helpful for in-betweenies — sizes 12 to 18 — who might fit into clothing from both straight- and plus-size stores.
2. Bring a friend.
If walking into a store alone is super intimidating, bring someone along. Any supportive friend will do fine, but it’s more fun if it’s someone who can also wear clothing from that store.
7 Super-Cute Plus-Size Swimsuits
So, feeling better about hitting the beach with the body you have right now? Awesome. The next question is, where can you find cute swimsuits that are actually going to fit?
Both Torrid and Evans are offering some nice designs in plus-size swimsuits this year. Torrid’s are retro-inspired, which I love, and available up to a Torrid size 4. Evans’ designs are available up to a UK size 32!
Here are seven plus-size swimsuits that will have you dashing for the coast:
Red White Hearts One-Piece Swimsuit, Torrid
