If you didn't already know...#AllYours

You may know what I am about to tell you, in which case you will be bored STIFF of seeing pictures of his BUT I AM GOING TO TELL YOU ANYWAY AS THIS IS MY WAVE AND I AM RIDING IT UNTIL I EITHER FALL OFF OR SOMEONE KICKS ME OFF.


Let me start by showing you the following:


Yes, that is me going "pow", it is also me sitting on a chair in my birthday suit like the floozie that I am. But WHY I hear you say! Well I've been bloody lucky, that's why.

I decided early this year to enter the Yours Clothing #YoursNeedsMe competition as part of my "Just say yes" vibe. The competition was to become the face of the Yours Clothing A/W campaign and feature on their TV advert. I am going to level with you here - I DID NOT THINK I STOOD A CHANCE. Genuinely.

To cut a long story short; following photos, videos, a hilarious casting which I hope nobody will ever see, wracked nerves, a lot of disbelief and extreme smacking of my gob, I became one of the chosen four. And that is when life as I knew it changed. The phonecall I received the day after the casting went as follows:
Producer: "Emma?"
Me: *squeak*
Producer: "The director really liked you"
Me: *squeak*
Producer: "Can you come to Palma in two weeks?"
Me: *Is dead on the floor has died from shock but is also saying "yes please are you sure I think you have the wrong number I touched my nose with my foot in the casting how can you want me I'm old and I fall over all the time and oh my gosh yes please please don't change your mind how much did my Husband pay you...."*


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The advert shoot was utterly mind blowing  For a start, along with the four professional models, we were flown out to Palma (The one in Spain) (Is there another one?) Put in a beautiful hotel, taken for delicious meals and then put to work...The shoot day was awesome, the work that Yours, Chief Productions and TBWA put in was enough to make me shattered just thinking about it. We were collected at 6am and taken to the set, from the moment we arrived it was a flurry of hair, makeup, styling, muffins (you can put a girl in nice clothes but you cant make her a model...) and then I was up. I did some dancing, some wiggling about and a sh*t tonne of sweating (in my defence, I was wearing a parka and a woolly hat in 40 degree heat)

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The director was a star, he knew exactly how to get the best out of me...and how to get me to take my clothes off (I'm a sucker for a pretty face). Which takes us to that shot. A lot of people have asked if I'm actually naked. I'm not telling you. All I'm saying is that the chair had to be burnt after filming...

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A couple of months later the girls were back together in a moderately less sticky climate to put together an A/W lookbook and shoot the photos which you may have seen in every window of every Yours Clothing store in the country...(HUMBLE AREN'T I?!)

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The Yours clothing team are amazing. Genuinely. Being around them is like being with friends, they looked after us, supported us and spoilt us rotten (SO better than friends really...I might see if I can keep them...) We got to try on the A/W15 Heritage range, which is SO far up my street - There is not an item I didn't want (Except the parka which I've fallen out with for trying to kill me in the 40 degree Palma heat)

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 My favourite shot from the day with Tia, love this girl <3
All clothes are available at www.Yoursclothing.co.uk
I honestly have not tired of friends messaging me pictures of shop windows in all reaches of the UK - This is a once in a lifetime experience, I am not a model, this will not happen for me again so I am going to enjoy every single second of it (Including opening the Meadowhall store which I will tell you more about very soon!)

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For me, in order to invest in a brand, I need to know that it has integrity and that it truly cares for its customers. So many brands are happy to make money from plus size women, they'll use plus size bloggers in their campaigns and pay lip service to diversity but when it comes to the crunch, the models they fall back on are a size 14-16 (at the most...). Now don't get me wrong, I'm a size 16, and I love seeing women of my size online - Simply, It makes it easier to see how clothes are going to look on me. 

BUT, I am in the majority, I am represented everywhere

Comments on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are testament to the fact that women want representing, and not just in terms of size diversity. Plus size women of colour have gone all this time with minimal representation in the world of fashion at any size (Steph from A Nerd About Town speaks about this HERE). It is something that many of us take for granted. And it ain't right.

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The models used for the ad and the women who won the competition range from a size 14 - 26. They are Yours clothing customers, they come from different backgrounds, have different lives, look different; women of colour, tall women, short women, glamorous women, talented women and well...me... 

I honestly could not be prouder to be a part of this. By no means am I saying "Look, Yours have fixed it all we can forget about under representation now" but they are becoming known for using a diverse range of models, (for example Tess Holliday and the utterly breathtakingly stunning Olivia Campbell). They are making a change and I sincerely hope that other brands will stand up and take notice.

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L- R: Me, Tia, Linzi, Poppy
The experience was incredible but I can honestly say that these three women made it everything it was; Linzi, Tia and Poppy are three of the most beautiful, dynamic and unique women I have had the pleasure to meet. Every minute with them has been like spending time with old friends, I guarantee to you here and  now that this will not be the last you see of them so keep your eyes peeled (and just remember I called it!) 
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I hope that you love the campaign and advert as much as we loved being part of it. Your feedback and support so far has made me weepy on many an occasion and further proves me what a kick ass awesome group of readers this blog has.
Finally, I urge you: When an opportunity arises - Take it. 
Em x

The Navabi Collection - Quality through and through

Now this post is a bit picture heavy for the following reasons:

1.   It was an extremely aesthetically pleasing evening.
2.   I had a wonderful time.
3.   There was a photographer there and he managed to get my good side more than once...

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to the launch of the Navabi Collection in London. Navabi are online purveyors of Premium plus size fashion, with Carmakoma, Live unlimited and Isolde Roth amongst the brands available. Their website is utterly dreamy; extremely aspirational and you can lose hours on it (I regularly do...)

Becky and I made a day of it, had some vino and headed to the WGSN offices in London, where we were spoilt rotten with bubbly, canapes and an extremely warm welcome from the whole Navabi team.

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The night just kept getting better, as we were then audience to the following inspirational women:

Chief Merchant at Navabi, Miriam Lahage - Miriam's passion is incredible, she set the scene for the night perfectly with her knowledge, style and desire to get us all inolved with the Navabi Collection.

WGSN's Sara McCorquodale - Sara's CV blew my mind, she has worked with Conde Naste, the BBC and The Guardian amongst others (And she only looked 21 so goodness knows how she fit it all in) She took us through some truly eye opening trend forcasting, looking at current and upcoming style trends and vitally; how inspirational plus size models have become on instagram - And this isn't just a flash in the pan Ladies, plus style is here and it isn't going away (THANK GOODNESS)

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Buying Director Cheryl Coucher explaining how the Navabi Collection was born
Navabi Buying Director, Cheryl Coucher - Cheryl took us through her vision for the Navabi Collection and why she is so invested in it - She was also hilarious and is clearly the kind of woman who won't stand for less than top quality.

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Fabulous Designer Christine Checinska taking us through the Navabi collection
Navabi Designer, Christine Checinska - Christine is someone you want to be friends with: Chic, animated and oh so much fun. Christine took us through the Collection, sharing the influences and thought processes behind each piece.

This may sound silly BUT; Everyone was stylish, talented and fascinating. They were also women, women who want to wear nice clothes, who like to spend time with their friends drinking wine and putting the world to rights. I quite often forget that fashion is dreamed up and designed by people who really aren't that different to me. Getting to know them a bit better added value to what is already an extremely impressive range.

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We were finally given free reign over the collection and were like kids in a sweetie shop. The quality is unlike much of what we have come to expect from a plus size range. For a start, the whole collection flows - The colour palette is stunning and the mix in textures and shapes means that you could put a capsule wardrobe together from this and need nothing else. Take this shirt, it's smart enough to wear to work but the dip hem makes it interesting enough to wear over jeans with a statement necklace to the pub. Each element of an item is put together well, there is no pulling, no hoiking and no sweaty fabrics..

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This jersey shift dress was my piece of the night. The shape is my shape, the sleeves sit in the perfect part of my arm and the quality is utterly magnificent. I feel so mad men in it.

The plan is now as follows:
Wear it to work
Get promoted
Retire at 35

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Being able to try on a range in this way with a group of women with such different tastes and styles was just wonderful. Items which I would usually overlook were utterly stunning on others - Like this Blazer and Culottes on Chloe, I wouldn't have known where to start but I think we can all agree - SHE IS SO FREAKING COOL (and quite a bit gorgeous).
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A squat - A change from my standard deep lunge
Back row: L-R Naomi, Katie, Georgina, Chloe, Danie, Isha, Hanna
Front Row: Becky, Hollie, Christine Checinska, Chloe, Me, Syreeta
There were beautiful faces I already knew and a few who I'd been really eager to meet, so amongst them, and the brilliant Navabi team, the company was utterly perfect. My face doesn't lie, I am genuinely that happy.

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L-R Chloe, Me, Syreeta and Becky
All of the coats above can be found on the Navabi website 
I'm going to leave you with this picture because it sums the whole evening up for me - Gorgeous women having a magnificent time with fabulous clothes. You know what? I didn't just come away from this event loving the clothes, I came away from this event feeling inspired - About fashion, about blogging, about being Plus sized. So a sincere thank you to Navabi - You're making a big difference just by being there. 

Navabi interviewed me about style, blogging and, of course, the navabi collection - You can have a read here.

Em x

Leather and Lace with Bonprix

Do you ever put an outfit on and immediately think YES I LOVE THIS HURRAY! For me it's been happening less of late as I've been rushing about all over the shop and not had the energy to get inside my wardrobe/floordrobe/pile of clothes, meaning that inspiration has been at a minimum. Until now.....

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Lace Sleeve Polo Neck Jumper* - BonPrix
Leather Look Pencil Skirt - F and F
Cut out Pointed Ankle Boots - ASOS
Bonprix were utterly delightful and offered to send me a piece of their plus size knitwear with a view to styling it for Autumn/Winter - I went for the Lace Sleeve Polo Neck Jumper and I could not be happier.

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The knit is just so soft, light and drapy and I really like how the lace sleeves take this away from being a plain old polo neck. It also breaks up an all black outfit, making it just that bit more interesting. Finally, I love a bit of aeration on my elbows.
Who doesn't.

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The Leather look pencil skirt was bought last week from F and F at Tesco and I'm already pretty excited about how else I'm going to wear this. Online it's only available up to an 20 but I can say in all honesty - Size down. This is a 14 which is unprecedented for me with pencil skirts. The Pointed ankle boots are ASOS - Size 9 (Size 8 in the rest of the world...) and are stupidly comfortable. Again, an Autumn wardrobe staple for me. Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm falling in love with fashion again. HARD.

Em x
* Denotes items gifted for review