The Em Edit

Jumping into Spring with Navabi

Saturday, March 25, 2017

It's that time of the year where we start to see brands' Spring/Summer ranges hit the streets and I'm FULLY ready to embrace them. Top of the Pops (Remember Top of the Pops?) for 2017 have got to be yours and my favourite premium plus-size retailers Navabi. Think floaty florals and chic tailoring mixed with fabulous colour pops of Summer brights. it's genuinely a pleasure to behold.

Jumpsuit - Manon Baptiste at Navabi
Bag - Simply Be (Similar)
Shoes - Topshop (Similar)
Sunglasses - MONKI

When I saw this jumpsuit I audibly gasped and can only assume that my eyes turned into love hearts. As a sailor girl at heart (Fake News; The biggest sea-faring vessel I've ever controlled was a pedalo) the deep navy blue, gold buttons and flared leg spoke to me on a whole new level. The chiffon split-sleeves soften the look and keep the jumpsuit from being too tailored for a warmer day, while the zip back means you can zip in even the most voluptuous of bosoms/stomachs/thighs.

The only part of the look I was initially dubious about was the cropped length. I have a strange relationship with my lower legs in that they anger me because no matter how tanned I may get, they remain the same colour as something that has never seen sun. My ass potentially. This said, think they fall to the perfect length - It's the length I'd wear a dress to so why not trousers...?

In the SS17 lookbook, the jumpsuit is styled with red shoes, red lips and a black clutch and it is just the most effortlessly chic outfit I have ever seen. Genuinely. I've played it mega safe here with tan accessories and my new MONKI sunglasses to prove that cropped jumpsuits don't have to be dressy. I can see it looking equally as magnificent with some flat clogs or even ankle boots (in fact I'm going to check this out tonight)

Now the sizing with this jumpsuit is a bit odd. I'm currently a 16-18 and went for a size 18 with it being a fitted item. It's FAR too big on me. Like two sizes too big. I've just ordered a 14 in the hope that it will fit better because I genuinely need this jumpsuit for my Summer wardrobe and I'll feed back on how much better the fit is. Until then, my recommendation would be; SIZE DOWN.

I'm thoroughly delighted to be back out in the sun again and am doing my upmost to absorb some of those vitamins that stop you from feeling like a human slug, so fingers crossed I'll be less Casper and more sun kissed and energy-filled by the next time I post. WATCH THIS SPACE.

Em x

*Denotes gifted item - All views are my own

Delightful Denim with Simply Be

Sunday, March 19, 2017

A couple of weeks ago, I had a day out with my beautiful friend Steph. We drank some drinks, ate some food and attempted to take some decent pictures. Despite inadvertently dressing as each other, I think it was a successful day. Not least because Steph is an awesome woman and I had chips twice.

Bardot Top - Simply Be
Jeans - Simply Be
Sandals - Simply Be

We'd been sent some items from the "new in" section of Simply Be after getting involved with their London Fashion Week Instagram takeover and had both managed to go for a lil bit o' gingham. I went for this Bardot top and Steph was wearing a peplum blouse in the same fabric which I have to say, looked utterly banging. I have to be honest, I'm not certain I love gingham on myself, I prefer a bigger, bolder print. This said, with a blue denim, I think I could do a lot worse.

I'll always be a big fan of a Bardot neckline, they stop me overheating (Have I ever mentioned how sweaty I am? I'm really sweaty) but are incredibly easy to wear. This particular top is loose and light with a fabulous addition of tie details on the sleeves. I'm wearing a 16 here and it's perfect - The neckline is the ideal width, even on my broad shoulders, meaning that there is no digging in or the dreaded "hoik".

These sandals are fab - perfect heel height, good and sturdy and SO comfortable. I could have easily worn them all day no beef. I'm never without a pair of tan coloured sandals, they make warm weather outfits so much easier, whether it be jeans, a midi dress or tailored jumpsuit, they seem less dressy than a black sandal but more versatile than flip flops or the such (My toes are too long for such frivolities...)

Thank you Steph for a thrilling day despite the epic rain - Here's to many more cocktails, accidental twinning and dry pies.

Em x

*Denotes items gifted for review. All thoughts are my own from my own brain.

Plus Size Plisse - The Elvi Pleated Top

Monday, March 06, 2017

I've said it before but I love plisse; It's light, loose and so lovely to wear whilst still looking dressy. This Elvi top is no exception to the rule and I'm already a huge fan.

Plisse Top* - Elvi
Jeans - Simply Be (Customised myself)
Sandals - Primark (Similar)

Isn't this colour to die for?! Burnt orange is so my bag, I just can't wear it head to toe or I look like a lost tangerine... With that in mind, there are matching culottes which I've seen other people looking incredible in but that are just a bit too cool for me and my middle of the road sensibilities.

A top like this is a wardrobe staple, as good tucked into a skirt as it is worn over skinny jeans. These particular jeans are the Simply Be Chloe Jeans which I'm a big fan of - in fact, SB have recently changed their "recipe" and they've improved even further - I'd just recommend sizing down (I'm generally a 16-18 in skinny jeans but am a 14 in Chloe).

I need to apologise once more for looking so surly in my blog photos; I'm absolutely shattered right now. It was my birthday last week (33 HOW HAS THIS HAPPENED?!?) and despite having a marvellous time, it really took it out of me. I can only assume it's a combination of old age, late nights and a veritable smorgasbord of alcohol...

I'm not going to lie - I hate my ass in this picture but that's just life, sometimes your ass is amazing and sometimes it looks like a sack of squirrels...

Em x

* Denotes items gifted for review - All opinions remain my own.

A Plus Size Bridesmaid - Part 2: Joanie Clothing

Saturday, March 04, 2017

How fortuitous for the Plus Size Bridesmaid series that one of my absolute favouritest of all of the brands in the whole entire world should choose this year to launch a wedding shop. Not only this, but they asked whether a fabulous, not to mention GORGEOUS, group of bloggers (and me) would be willing to join them for a photoshoot to launch the range. This means that not only can I show you the dresses but I can actually tell you in a bit more detail how they fit, feel and move which is the whole entire point of fashion blogging and therefore means I am providing you with the top notch fabulous service you have always hoped for from me.

The Dresses:

You'll see from the pictures, the dresses seem to fit into two clear aesthetics. The first is romantic and ethereal, with rose gold highlights, floaty chiffon and satin bows. For me, this is the more traditional bridesmaid dress, albeit with a modern twist via a stunning colour-way which makes it accessible to bridemaids of all skin tones. Pastels with the added bonus of an extremely versatile navy blue. All at a length to suit all heights.

The other highlight of this look is the embellished capelet in two colour-ways. I'm a big fan of the old cleavage but also like the option to tone it down a little (You know, so I don't burst into flames on entering a church) and this addition allows a small yet beautiful amount of coverage without taking away from the line of the dress.

The next theme screams vintage glamour, vibrant reds with structured skirts, eyelash lace and Bardot necklines. These dresses change the mood from sweetness and light to snogging the best man and doing the worm on the dance floor. I LOVE THEM. Plus, these dresses bring in the options of sleeves which is something so utterly rare in bridesmaid world.

As someone who had never considered red as a bridesmaid colour; Just look how fabulous the pictures look, the bride (Sade - Not only is she bloody gorgeous but she is super mega intelligent and one of the nicest most considerate people I've met - It was an honour to be her maid of honour and I hope she doesn't mind that I'm going to gatecrash her real wedding at some point and resume the role...) is still the centre of attention (In a Joanie dress no less) but the pop of colour creates such a vivacious and fun look.

Models: Karen, Chyaz, Sade, Donna

All Dresses and caplets - Joanie Clothing

Hair & Makeup - The Vintage Beauty Parlour

Flowers - Venus Flowers

Photography - Tanzaro Studios

Cake - Time for Sweetpea

The Sizing:

All dresses above currently go from an 8 - 22. If you are busty, I would suggest sizing up where possible. The midi lengths are ideal on most heights - Models on the day varied from 5"2 - 6".

The Prices:

The dresses above range from £22.50 - £55 for fully embellished. This means you could dress four bridesmaids for under £100. ISN'T THAT RIDICULOUS?!?

Availability :

The Joanie Wedding Shop is online so you can have a good old browse together no matter how far apart your bridesmaids are HERE.

Summary:

This is an incredibly considerate range that was an absolute delight to wear. At no point was I uncomfortable, all of my body parts fit into the relevant areas. The price range is frankly phenomenal for what you're receiving and with Joanie also selling petticoats, stockings and shrugs; You can buy everything you need for the big day, all from the same place.

I can truly say that I had an absolutely wonderful day with some of the best people I know, please be sure to check out their blogs/websites and if you're considering the big day yourself I can wholeheartedly recommend every single person involved in the making of this shoot. Thank you Joanie! x

Em x

Five Minutes On Being Too Much

Friday, February 17, 2017

I haven't been sleeping well lately. I don't know why, it's just one of those things that happens every now and then, but lying awake at 3am this morning I started thinking bad thoughts. You will know the ones, the ones where you remember every negative thing said to or about you from the age of two onwards... One thing each of these thoughts have in common for me is the word "Too"; You're too big, too lazy, too nice, too clever (The latter is less of an issue for me personally...). but it's incredible how putting this one word in front of another can turn it into an immediate negative. Try it: think of the adjective you'd most like to be described as and put the word "Too" in front of it - Weird isn't it? This word is used by other people to take away any control we have over ourselves and how we present to other people. GRIM.

Stupid Cupid - A Joanie Valentine

Sunday, February 05, 2017

With their romantic vintage prints and styles, Joanie Clothing seem to be just like me in that they were positively made for Valentines Day. Alright, so I only go to Morrisons for sausage, chips and beans (minus the beans), it's still nice to know that every year, there is a day put aside purely for getting mushy - whether this be with your partner, your friends or family (My Dad has sent me a card every single year as far back as I can remember which means more than any others) I'm all for the hearts, kisses and declarations of love.

Stupid Cupid Jumper* - Joanie Clothing
Pussy Bow Dress - Primark

Ankle Boots - Dorothy Perkins

Heart Bag* - Joanie Clothing

As someone who isn't big on accessories it's somewhat controversial that I start a post by singing the virtues of a handbag BUT LOOK AT THIS BAG. Isn't it just sublime?!? I managed to fit all of my usual handbag things (Purse, phone, makeup, keys, crisps, hair brush, 7,000 receipts, wet wipes) and still fit a jumper in there too. It's a novelty bag without being too OTT, to the extent that even I can pull it off.

Joanie are the Queens of jumpers, from Maybe Baby to Brunch Club; fashionistas across the country are going wild for the kitsch colours and sweet slogans. The Stupid Cupid jumper is no different and I think you will concur, incredibly apt for this time of the year. The fabric is lovely and soft and the chain stitch embroidery is such high quality. I'm wearing a Large here which is a 16-18, be aware that the jumpers aren't very long so I don't tend to wear them by themselves but they're the perfect length for layering over a shirt, or in this case, a pussy bow dress - the cropped sleeves make it ideal to show off a bit of cuff.

I'm off to see the ladies at Joanie this week, so keep your eyes peeled on my Twitter and Instagram for some sneak peaks!

Em x

* Denotes items gifted for review - All views are my own

Keeping It Casual with Pink Clove

Friday, February 03, 2017

February is such a slobby month for me. I try wherever possible to stay in bed at all times and when I do eventually leave the house I'm all about the oversized jumpers and elasticated jeans. I basically channel Waynetta Slobb at all times...

Rollneck Jumper* - Pink Clove
Joni Jeans - Topshop
Marc Ankle Boots - Topshop

With this in mind, I was extremely pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon this rollneck jumper from Pink Clove. With its sweatshirt material and slouchy fit, it ticks all my slob boxes, but that's where the similarities end; The high neck, raglan sleeves and longline length take the jumper from oversized PE kit to chic, casual Sunday.

I'd forgotten about these Topshop jeans but have worn them non-stop since I found them - For such thin denim they have a lot of life in them. The ankle boots are also Topshop - Now I have to be completely honest with you: Topshop's size 9s are a 42 - This is actually a size 8 in my eyes, HOWEVER, some of the 42s are actually a good size 8, so they fit me. These ones are pretty tight but with them being leather, they'll give bit, plus they look banging. Topshop are my fave high street store by a country mile, so it regularly breaks my heart that in most cases both their clothes and shoes are just that bit too small.

I've just started with a cold so there's a strong chance that I'm going to be living in sweatshirts, pyjamas and big coats for the next month (Sounds overdramatic but trust me when I say that I am NOT good with colds!)

Em x

* Denotes items gifted for review - All views are my own.

Five Minutes on What Now...?

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Trigger Warning - This post mentions fertility and motherhood

I’m going through this thing right now. An internal debate if you will. Not a particularly fun or fluffy one, so If you’re reading this post in the hope of clarity or a deeper understanding of a woman who has her life together READ NO FURTHER.

I saw a quote recently that really stuck with me - it said something about there being two kinds of childless women; A loving and caring Auntie type and the other a drunken old floozy. Luckily I can’t find the exact quote again because I’m in exactly the kind of mood where I’d find the Earth mother who wrote it and kick their face off... Child loss broke my heart, there’s no doubt about it. MPW and I went from knowing exactly who we were as a couple, to getting our heads around the fact that there would be new element to life as we knew it, to actually looking forward to having another little dude to knock about with and take to McDonalds. Despite this, as a couple who had never formally written the “Along came a baby” chapter into our book, it’s since been very difficult to work out what exactly it is we grieved for.

Northern Lights - Plus Size Winter Warmers

Sunday, January 22, 2017

January can be grim can't it? It plays havoc with the weather, the light and more annoyingly our moods. My new job means that I literally don't have a moment to think about anything except all of the long words I need to learn (HELP!), but I'm still longing for natural light, warmth and a bit of extra brightness to my days. Hence this scarf.

Dress - Primark (Similar here and here)
Coat - Marks & Spencer (Similar)
Scarf - River Island
Ankle Boots - Dorothy Perkins

I bought the scarf just before Christmas in a "Treat yo'self" moment on a particularly bloody freezing cold Yorkshire day and have worn it constantly ever since. I honestly thought it was green but I have since realised that it is definitely yellow. VERY yellow. It's also the softest thing I own and the perfect addition to an otherwise quite gloomy outfit. It certainly seems the case that wearing something flamboyant (even just a scarf) can really up my mood.

Dress - Primark (Similar here and here)

The dress is a really cheap one from Primark, bought last year and worn very occasionally - I'm not sure how I feel about the proportions of it. In the past I've lived in vintage look mini dresses and ankle boots but I think my style and body shape are evolving and this dress may become a top very soon. I just feel more put together with a longer dress or trousers AND I NEVER THOUGHT THIS DAY WOULD COME. ALSO, I don't like flashing my knickers as much any more - This must be what being an adult feels like...

The coat, however, is a different story. This is my work coat and I LOVE IT. The joy of having a coat that you can throw on over pretty much anything and still look smart is a feeling I can very much get along with. I bought this double breasted woollen coat at the end of 2015 in lieu of being able to find a camel coat that I felt strongly enough about, Marks and Spencer very much provided on the navy blue front (I've since bought a camel coat but it's not to be worn until my birthday - Yes I am just that skilled at depriving myself of joy).

I would like to thank lovely Violet for sharing a rather lovely afternoon with me in Hull (My hometown and the UK City Of Culture in 2017 "YORKSHIRE! YORKSHIRE! YORKSHIRE!") and taking these fabulous pictures - Violet has just been named as one of the Yours Clothing Bloggers so you'll be seeing a lot of her in 2017 and quite rightly too!

Em x

Jumping into Spring with Navabi

Delightful Denim with Simply Be

Plus Size Plisse - The Elvi Pleated Top

A Plus Size Bridesmaid - Part 2: Joanie Clothing

Five Minutes On Being Too Much

Stupid Cupid - A Joanie Valentine

Keeping It Casual with Pink Clove

Five Minutes on What Now...?

Northern Lights - Plus Size Winter Warmers

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