Squatting Like Tom Hardy Is Watching

I am currently in a really weird place right now that involves me going to the gym for FUN. I'm not going because someone is holding a gun to my husbands head, or because I've heard that Tom Hardy is going there, (pretty much the only man in the world I would do squats for) I'm going because I'm bloody enjoying getting stronger and pushing myself more each time. (See? Weird) I have a routine of sorts, mainly cardio with some throwing around of medicine balls when the mood takes me (ok, I slam that medicine ball every damn time) and some free weights when I feel that no-one is watching or judging me. (Not so often)

And that's the shitty thing about going to the gym as an overweight,  mid forties female because you genuinely think that EVERYONE is judging you for being there. A bit like in the old western films where a stranger would enter the bar, the music would stop and everyone would stop talking and swivel to stare at the stranger who had dared to enter. Even now after going to Pure Gym regularly for a few months I still feel that as I go through those air lock doors,  everyone is going to stop and stare and mutter under their breath something about not being from these parts (which I'm not, but hey, that's a whole different story)

Now being the absolute contrary bad ass that I am, I could play this one of two ways. Either cry and refuse to continue going, (I've thought about it) OR, I could look to buy the brightest, funkiest leggings in the world.....


So I have been looking for funky leggings.

I've had some great recommendations, loads for Lucy Locket Loves, some for Marks and Spencer's new active range as well as Fabletics and Sweaty Betty. Currently I'm using pretty basic Primark finest. You know how they like to shame you into going to the gym by putting their gym gear RIGHT at the front of the store? Yeah they got me good.

But I want to invest in the FUNKIEST pair of leggings I can find.

I'm loving THESE from Lucy Locket Loves

 My basic requirements are,

Not hideously expensive (Looking at you Sweaty Betty)

Not so thin that when I do squat in front of Tom Hardy he can see my underwear (Looking at you, Primark)

And loud enough so that if anyone does want to stare I can imagine they are looking at my funky leggings.

Give me your best recommendations for funky leggings please.




Big Fashionista

Christmas Party Ready With Simply Be

So Christmas party season is now creeping up on us fast and I don't know about you but I am at that point in the year where I am so cold, my idea of party wear is a onesie, slippers and a hat.

So, if I am going to dress up, I am going to need to feel a BILLION dollars in my outfit or I am not even playing.

Luckily, Simply Be have got a fantastic party wear section and I am now completely ready for my Christmas party in a Little Mistress dress that is not only Christmas party perfect but can stay in my wardrobe ready for that summer garden party or spring wedding.

Don't forget, when you are browsing for that perfect dress, take a look at the Simply Be beauty section,  I was pleasantly surprised to find brands there such as Clarins, Pixi, MAC and Nars.  If I am creating my whole look from one website, then finding high quality brands such as those fills me with confidence.

I love the wrap over style of this, the pattern is bold and beautiful and the dress is surprisingly heavy for a floaty dress.  Everything you would expect from a Little Mistress dress from Simply Be.

The cut-out arm detail is a great touch too. It looks good and really fits in well. I hate it when a dress has unnecessary detailing, this works.

If you love the dress, IT IS STILL AVAILABLE, (I hate it when you see dresses that you love and then when you check, it is out of stock) I would say it is very true to size. No need to size up or down.
You can buy it HERE -> Simply Be, Little Mistress Floral Wrap Prom Dress

What do you think of my choice of a Christmas party dress? What are you going to be wearing this Christmas party season?


Let me know.

*This post contains PR Samples

Not #AllGirls Boohoo, Not even close

Inclusivity is such an important thing in 2017. We all deserve to be included, it shouldn't even be an issue but here we are, in 2017, still picking up brands for their lack of inclusivity.

And then along come Boohoo, saying "Hold my Diet Pepsi, While we try to make the most god-awful commercial of the 21st century whilst claiming to be all about inclusivity and girl power"


Boohoo, are you fucking kidding me? Using the word inclusivity as if it is an accessory you wear around your neck is one thing, claiming inclusivity whilst being anything but? Well that's just spitting in the face of people who are not included.


What is inclusivity to Boohoo? Because it doesn't include, Plus size women. It doesn't include disabled people, Trans women, all people who have every right to see themselves represented in an advert that claims to be inclusive.

Oh Boohoo, you included a pregnant woman, a woman with tattoos, how EDGY are you?

Let me tell you, if you want to claim inclusivity,  INCLUDE PEOPLE.

All types of people, not just the people that YOU think deserve to be included,

You want to be inclusive, BE INCLUSIVE, don't just say you are.

Just because you finally included some women of colour, do you think you can wear inclusivity like a badge of honour? THAT ISN'T HOW INCLUSIVITY WORKS.


Boohoo actually have a plus size collection, you wouldn't think they did by the advert that they have just released. There is not one plus size woman in the advert.


I cannot find the advert on Youtube to link it here, but here is a link to the Boohoo Twitter page where they are throwing this bullshit advert around like a child doing it's first piss in a potty. Ever so proud of the mess they have created. Here is the link if you want to have a look. https://twitter.com/boohoo/status/894477980151537664



What are your thoughts on the Boohoo advert? Are you thinking like me? To truly claim inclusivity you have to actually be inclusive? Or do you feel it is a step in the right direction?


Let me know.

Spring/Summer Transition With Chums

Yes, I know we are barely into Spring but trust me, you will blink and before you know it, it will be 90 degrees and you will be sweating like Jimmy Carr in his accountants office.

So my friends at Chums have created a handy infographic to help you sort out your S/S style.

Now I REFUSE to tell you what you can and cannot wear. If you like it, WEAR IT, I don't care whether the RULES tell you that you shouldn't wear something, WE DO NOT PLAY THAT WAY. You want to wear the front fastening bra from chums the horizontal stripes, the tight fitting jeans? WEAR THEM. As the infographic says, 53% of respondents don't bother to follow fashion trends, and I want these people to be my friends. Who needs to follow the RULES?

My main tip for the Spring/Summer transition?

Wear what makes you HAPPY.


Don't you agree?


Let me know your thoughts.

*This post created in conjunction with Chums.

The Mannequin Challenge with The White Rose #WRose20Years

I think we have all, at one time or another, wanted to have the opportunity to style some mannequins, haven't we? (Tell me it's not just me) and for the White Rose Shopping centre in Leeds, to help them celebrate their 20th Birthday, I was given the opportunity to do just that.

(I'm totally adding stylist to my Twitter bio and no-one can stop me) 


The Brief.


As The White Rose Shopping Centre was born in '97 I was given £97 per mannequin and asked to create style three mannequins, a male, a female and a child.

What I want to do was find a theme to tie all the mannequins together, without making them look as if they were all wearing the same outfit. For me, that had to be denim. I do love a good pair of jeans.

I do love a man in ripped jeans and a smart jacket, don't you? To me, it is just the nicest of outfits.

Look at him, he knows he looks glorious.


I took my youngest daughter along to help me get some style inspiration for the child mannequin.

The jeans actually have Mickey Mouse on them, so we teamed them with the headband to soften the look of the jacket a little. You cannot look threatening or 'ard when you have a pom pom headband, can you?

And we absolutely loved this backpack from New Look, we added the birdcage keyring from Claires Accessories because, why not?


The female mannequin was quite a challenge, I wanted it to complement the look of the male and female mannequins, without making it too samey, plus, who can resist a powerful female slogan T?

This TopShop T says Female Of The Future. Boom

Teamed with a bag from Primark no less.

Each outfit cost exactly £97, and I absolutely LOVED putting them together, I want to do more. I want to dress up random mannequins everywhere, it was so much fun. But it just goes to prove how you can get EVERYTHING you need from The White Rose shopping centre, I am a huge lover of doing all my shopping in one place. IN THE DRY.



Also, check out Lucinda from The Fashion Fictionary's mannequins.

and Bee from Queen Beady's mannequins too, HOW COOL ARE THEIRS!!!!!!!! 

What do you think of my looks? I had great fun putting them together and I know Bee and Lucinda did too, 

Let me know. 

I Believe In (Sinead) Pink Fairies with Lindy Bop

When this dress was first released, just a couple of weeks ago, I am not ashamed to admit that I purchased it just 15 minutes after receiving the email. Look at it, it is stunningly different. I like a style of dress that stands out and the Sinead really does that. 

The top half of the dress is a matte finish poly fabric rather than being stiff, which means it has quite a bit of give in the size. 

Unfortunately it doesn't come with wings, guess the secret is out, I am a fairy. 

The dress is currently still in stock in certain sizes and if your size is out of stock, hopefully it will be back soon. 

You can find the dress here -> Lindy Bop Sinead Pink Fairies Swing Dress and it is just £30

What do you think of the Sinead dress from Lindy Bop?



Let me know.

Feline Fine In Lindy Bop Fashion,

I think it is safe to say that I have developed my "style" over the last few years. Give me a night out and a little while to get ready and I will come out looking good, smelling great and wearing a vintage-style outfit guaranteed to make you go, WOW.

I have been shopping more and more with Lindy Bop lately, (There is actually another post coming later in the week featuring MORE Lindy Bop-I'm not even sorry) Everything from their NEW IN section to their SALE section is full of such amazing show stopping pieces that I could go back to the website every day and I would still find more things to buy. I am loving all the full skirts on the site at the moment, there are so many different styles and colours to choose from. I usually wear them with a petticoat underneath, just to give them even more fullness, but they can easily be worn without.


Todays outfit is the "Cara" Pink Cat Border Print Swing Dress It is also available in a skirt, (I'm tempted) and if cats aren't your thing, then the Cara comes in different prints too. Check them out in the NEW IN section of Lindy Bop here -> http://www.lindybop.co.uk/new-products/

Linda Bop,  "Cara" Pink Cat Border Print swing dress. £40 available in sizes 6-26.






Let me know what you think.

*This post contains a PR Sample

Just Be You, With Lisa Riley-From Ideal World

Have you heard of the brand, Just Be You?


Created by Lisa Riley,  (yes, THAT Lisa Riley) the name came from her mum, who when Lisa told her how worried she was about participating in Strictly, told her "Darling, just be you."  Lisa used the name in memory of her mum and it just really works, doesn't it? I love it.


Firstly, can we talk about this jumpsuit. I have NEVER worn a jumpsuit before in my LIFE. I didn't think I would find one that suited my style, or worked for me. I take it all back. This jumpsuit GIVES ME LIFE, and the embroidery motif is so perfect for Spring. I am seeing embroidery everywhere so far this year. FINALLY, I AM FASHIONABLE, at the RIGHT TIME.

This jumpsuit is comfortable, and pardon me if this sounds boring but it WASHES so well. Yes, I am pretty sure that is not something a lot of bloggers would consider to be important enough to put in a fashion post, but trust me, I need to wash and go, and this is easily washed, dries like a dream and does not require ironing. (I may live in it) 

This jumpsuit is so easy to dress up or down. Wear it with heels and you can go out, wear it with flats and you can trot down to Asda (Other supermarkets also available) and do the weekly shop.
Currently, this is available on the Ideal World website here -> Just Be You, Floral Jumpsuit
Available up to a size XXL  (8-26) it is £39.99.



The second outfit I want to show you is this Just Be You, Oriental Print Wrap Dress
As the weather gets warmer, my eye turns to more floral prints like this. Bright and eye-catching, this wrap dress is not wrapped from the waist, the wrap actually comes from the neck, giving a cheeky little flash of leg occasionally.

 

Once again, OMG, it washes up like a DREAM! Yes, I am old, I'm not sorry.

This dress is also available NOW from Ideal World, usually £34.99 it is currently only £29.99. BARGAIN. trust me on this.

You can check out more of the Just Be You Collection on the Ideal World website here

Ideal World, Just Be You

I am tempted to buy the jumpsuit in another colour.


What is your favourite item from the Spring Collection?



Let me know.

Masquerade with Lindy Bop

If you asked me what style I am most confident in, I would reply, skirts and tops. Every time. Sure, I love dresses. What's not to love? But skirts? Skirts that stop traffic and give me a chance to wear a bit of my personality are my absolute fave.

This Masquerade skirt from Lindy Bop is the latest sale purchase that I have fallen in love with. Linda Bop fans will know that there is also a dress in this print as well but I wanted to snap up the skirt as the shape of it is just so beautiful.

I especially love this skirt when worn with a petticoat underneath, I need to buy more petticoats in different colours, I love the flashes of colour they can bring to an outfit.

I teamed the skirt with a plain top, but I really want to try it with a crisp, fitted white shirt, (when I can finally find one that actually fits.) 

Close up of the print. Isn't it just stunning? 

You can find the skirt and dress still in the sale HERE. The sizes are limited but Lindy Bop have SO many different styles available that even if this one is not available in your size, I am pretty sure you will be able to find a style that you love. Check out their NEW IN section as well. Lindy Bop, NEW IN

Are you a fan of Lindy Bop?  Is there anything new in that you have your eye on?


Let me know in the comments.

*Disclaimer, this is not a sponsored post nor does it contain PR samples. This skirt was purchased by myself and blogged about because I love it.

Spa Time with Boohoo, #MyBoohooStyle

I know it is February, but pretty much everyone I know is now yearning for summer and some warmth on our backs. I know I am.

But, being plus size, I waver between an 18-20, I always used to start to feel uneasy, as it got warmer, about baring my body, either in the pool, on the beach, or just being out-and-about.

You know what? Life is too short. Last week I was invited to Village Hotels in Headingly with Boohoo to experience a Spa evening, which included a dip in the pool. Boohoo very kindly gifted us a swimsuit to wear and I was BRICKING it.

"What do I wear?"

"Am I going to be in the pool with some beautiful bloggers looking like Shamu in comparison?"

"Can I wear a wrap in the pool?"

All genuine thoughts that ran through my head whilst I was looking for a swimsuit to wear. (Side note, CURRENTLY, and I will forgive Boohoo as it IS February, the plus size selection of swimsuits available is not the biggest selection ever. If you are going on a hen do and need a swimsuit, you are sorted but other than that, it is not a HUGE selection at the moment. HOWEVER, Boohoo have told me that they are constantly adding to the swimsuit range and more and more PS swimsuits are coming to the website ASAP.)



In the end, I decided that swimsuits are stretchy for a reason and I went for a size 16 swimsuit with Flamingos on it because if I am going to do it, I AM GOING TO DAMN WELL DO IT AND OWN MY OWN BODY. You can buy the same swimsuit here -> Miami Flamingo Frill Bardot Swimsuit



When it arrived, OH MY GOSH, it is amazing, In fact, it is superb. I have never felt quite so confident in a swimsuit before, and I didn't even take a second to compare my own body to other bloggers because we were all queens in our swimsuits who shine bright in our own bodies and do not need to compare ourselves to others. and I didn't wear the wrap that I had thrown in my bag ONCE

(Emma at http://thelifeedit.co.uk Lucinda at https://thefashionfictionary.com and Dash at  https://www.mode-lily.com )





Look at how wonderful we ALL look.

TOTALLY OWNING OUR LOOKS.


We then spent some time in the Spa area, learning how to give ourselves a facial, using ESPA products. The light in the room was EXCELLENT for facials, not so great for pictures and I was actually enjoying myself so much, that I forgot to take lots and lots of pictures at this point. Trust me, it was a lot of fun and really interesting.

Many thanks to Boohoo and Village Hotels, I had a superb evening and I am really happy to have found a swimsuit that makes me feel so comfortable and stylish.


Plus, this was my FIRST EVER visit to a spa, I think I will have to go again.



What do you think?




Are you looking forward to Summer or do you dread the swimsuit too?

This event was part of the Boohoo ‘Treat Yourself’ Spa Tour

Swimwear by Boohoo | Skincare Workshop by Village Spa | Pool by Village Gym | Food by Village Hotel

For an exclusive 10% discount off treatments or food and drink at Village use voucher BOOHOO10 – For 20% off Everything at Boohoo use voucher BOOHOOXVILLAGESPA20

Let me know,

Valentine's Day with Joanie Clothing

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone out there. Yes, I know Valentine's Day isn't for everyone but  it gave me an excuse to wear this Joanie Clothing dress and style it up with a beautiful red balloon.


What is not to love?

I think we have firmly established that I am a HUGE fan of Joanie Clothing, lately. I own so many of their pieces and I haven't stopped buying yet. I know that a lot of people are incredibly sad that they only go up to a size 22, and I do hope that they look again at their sizing as I know a lot of my plus size friends would LOOK amazing in these clothes and spend a lot of money with them.

This dress is the Joanie Clothing, Ronnie Ney York Collar Dress, perfect for Valentine's Day, Date Night, doing the weekly shop or just putting on to feel amazing in. plus, it is only £35, I don't find that excessive to pay for a beautiful dress like this, do you?

I shared a lot of other pictures on my Instagram of this dress yesterday, you can take a look here if you would like to. https://www.instagram.com/bigfashionista/  I am also going to be wearing this dress today as it is Valentine's Day and I am spending the day with my gorgeous husband. DATE DAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. 

Here is a link to the beautiful Joanie Clothing, Ronnie NY Collar Dress, if you want to see more. https://joanieclothing.com/product/ronnie-new-york-collar-dress/ 

PEACE & LOVE TO EVERYONE. x x x x

What do you think of my new favourite dress? Do you love it as much as I do? 

Let me know.