Floral Fashion with Matalan

Happy Bank Holiday Everyone!
Instead of going out and having a fabulous time with my mega cool friends, I've decided to stay in bed today with a stomach bug. WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE. 
Luckily, I was well enough yesterday to pop out for a cheeky bank holiday glass of wine and decided that even though the sky was grey, it didn't mean I had to be (I'm green today).

www.terribletumbles.co.uk
Longline Embroidered Blouse - Matalan
Ripped Black Joni Jeans - Topshop
Ghillie Sandals - New Look (Similar)
 I brought the brightness into my life via this Longline Embroidered Blouse* from Matalan. Guys, firstly let's have a little chat about the embroidery. It is REAL embroidery - Not just a drawing of some sewing. The detail is so very beautiful and the colours are incredibly eye-catching - In fact, because of bedazzlement, a really cool young person in H&M asked where it was from and I basically tried to marry them because THEY HAD NOTICED ME and made them wish they'd never said anything. It is just THAT good a blouse.

Normally longline isn't longline on me, it's just a normal length (Particularly when my bubble butt gets involved) but this blouse goes all the way down to my knees HURRAY. It buttons from top to bottom but I quite liked to have it open to the waist so that it flapped a bit in the breeze - I'm a modern superhero.

www.terribletumbles.co.uk

I'm genuinely surprised this shirt isn't 100% cotton because it is so light and soft against the skin; I actually spent a lot of time stroking myself for just this reason. I didn't get a good picture of the back of the shirt but it's gathered at the middle of the shoulders  (You can see this better on their website) which, coupled with the waist-height side splits, gives it a lot of movement and makes it ideal for over skinny jeans or leggings - it's such an easy look to wear.

www.terribletumbles.co.uk

Some advice on fit: I'm wearing an 18 here and although there looks to be a bit of gaping on the bust, it's actually really roomy. I think the gaping was more to do with it needing a quick iron and I could have definitely sized down with this if it wasn't for the sleeves; they're not tight exactly however, with the fit of the shirt, I think they would sit a bit better if they were maybe two inches more generous. The same with the collar, a 16 would have fit better on the torso but I would have struggled with the top button. If anyone else has this shirt, let me know what you think in the comments below.

www.terribletumbles.co.uk
You'll have to excuse the white dust on the picture above - I'd had a chip butty, the breadcake flaked onto me and my "photographer" didn't make me aware...
Matalan have some fab seasonal stock coming in at the moment (I'm WELL into this Ditsy Print Blouse) and with such low price points as £20 for the blouse I'm wearing, it's worth a look for your early Autumn wardrobe.
Em x
*Denotes Items Gifted for review - All views are entirely my own.
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A Plus Size Bridesmaid - Part One: David's Bridal


Last month I was asked to be a bridesmaid. Well I say "asked" - My sister got engaged and I just assumed. Even if she says not, I'm still going to wear a bridesmaid dress and walk down the aisle in front of her so she might as well give me the job to be honest. This is all of the following: Wonderful, magical and HARD WORK. 

There are going to be five of us bridesmaids. What we have in common is that we're cool as f*ck, drop dead gorgeous and generally just a pleasure to be around. What we don't have in common is our sizes, heights or body shapes - Hence this being the first in a series of "A Plus Size Bridesmaid" posts. 

What I want to do in this series is to source as many potential dress stockists as possible, not only to help you guys but also to try and help Our Kid in ensuring that we are all appropriately dressed on her special day and don't look like a mismatched bunch of bridesmaid wannabes. For this reason, I'm going to be looking out for size 6 - 20 floor length coral-toned dresses, in keeping with (this week's...) theme of her wedding. 

I'm sincerely hoping that I'll get the opportunity to try some of these brands in real life but guys, it is difficult. So many stockists are available purely online and in most cases you're forking out over £100 for a dress that may or may not fit. When you factor in the fact that most brides have at least three bridesmaids, it's no small change. If I do manage this, I'll be sure to post updates on the blog and my Social Media feeds. Likewise, if you have any brands/styles you've worn yourselves which I can feature I'd be over the moon - Nothing's better than the recommendation of a wonderful woman!

The Dresses:

  

The dresses above are all "White by Vera Wang" and I think they're utterly stunning. I'm pleased that there is a range of styles within the maxi dress category, also some sensible yet attractive straps for us bustier bridesmaids who don't want to give the congregation a coronary. 

The Sizing:
All of the dresses above are available in sizes 4 - 30. David's Bridal also have petite and extra length options in other styles which you can see on their website.

The Prices:
All dresses above range from £160 - £186. These aren't budget prices at all BUT when you think about what you'd pay for an occasion dress, it seems reasonable for what I'm assuming would be a well made dress. 

Availability:
David's Bridal is available online as well as instore:
London - The Street, Westfield Stratford City,
Watford - Waterfields Retail Park, 
Glasgow - Braehead Shopping Centre,
Not good news for most of us - I'd really like to try before I buy. However, delivery appears to be 5 - 11 days in the UK and as long as your item is not bespoke, there is a 14 days return policy. It seems a pretty safe and clear policy to me, unlike many other online vendors I've looked into.

Summary:
I like David's Bridal - The pricing is reasonable for an occasion dress, the items look incredibly classic, well made and I love that they have a "Real Bridesmaids" gallery which allows you to see how the dresses look on a range of gorgeous shapes and sizes. It seems likely that I'll be making an order from here, so expect pictures!

Have you tried David's Bridal? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below...
Em x
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A Plus Size 70s Dream - The Navabi Faux Suede Midi Skirt

Have you ever tried something on and not been able to think about anything else since...? Well this Faux Suede Midi Skirt from Navabi was just that for me.

 Faux Suede Skirt* - Manon Baptiste at Navabi
Black Body Suit - New Look Plus
Tan Sandals - Topshop (Similar here)
Rose Gold Shopper - Primark
Tassel Earrings - H&M
Cagney and Lacey eat your hearts out - This is so my aesthetic it is RIDICULOUS. I first tried this skirt at an utterly wonderful night with Navabi and my heart was lost until the moment their glorious team offered to send me one (If I could do emojis there would be roughly 75 hearts here). The skirt is a true button up from bottom to top, is incredibly soft like a bunny and guys: Pockets. Big pockets.


The length is spot on for me, it sits perfectly mid-calf, meaning it looks fab with both heeled sandals and blocked ankle boots. I'm positively DESPERATE for a pair of burgundy clogs to wear with this and my maroon cowl neck jumper, the more I think about it, the more it inspires my Autumn wardrobe. 

This is a 16 and it fits absolutely perfectly, which makes me think it may be a generous fit across the stomach. I'm generally quite nervous with anything that buttons up due to the potential for gaping but the cut of this skirt means that it hangs perfectly and I didn't flash anyone, not one bit. 


The plan was to style the skirt with a bell sleeved 70s size blouse but I love how it looks with a plain black body suit SO MUCH I just had to share it - Sometimes you need to let the statement piece do the talking, right? This body suit is a New Look Plus/Curve/ Inspire/Whatever they are right now and I have three of them because they fit incredibly well and I don't want to risk being without. The sandals are my old faithful Topshop ones and the earrings are some little beauties from H&M which go with utterly everything. 
Navabi are absolutely owning it right now, the Manon Baptiste range alone blows my mind - I would happily wear any/all off it and be chicest damn woman that ever there was. Please don't just take my word for it - They have 20% off their five biggest brands right now so it's the perfect time to give them a go!
Em x
* Denotes gifted item - As always, all views are entirely my own. 
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New Plus Size Brand - Want That Trend

 NEW PLUS SIZE BRAND ALERT
Introducing for your delectation and delight: Want That Trend

www.terribletumbles.co.uk
Adolphe Floral Skater Dress* - We Want That Trend
Shoes - New Look (Similar here)
Want That Trend have recently taken a foray into the plus size world with a HUGE range of dresses in sizes 16 - 24, Seriously, there are more than 100 to choose from, all of which are chic, feminine and if they're anything like this one; incredibly easy to wear. Most importantly, they're all priced at around £23, which is unheard of for the majority of PS brands. I decided to go for the Adolphe skater dress due to the rich Autumnal print. GUYS I AM READY FOR AUTUMN NOW. Frankly, I miss my tights and am sick of having orange ankles THANK YOU.

www.terribletumbles.co.uk

I’ve said before that I’m not a fan of the skater dress shape but I honestly think I need to re-evaluate because this is the last in long line of dresses in this style that I’ve fallen for; Especially when they have an interesting sleeve like this one. These cap sleeves have some REAL height to them - Proper power shoulders, which is always a winner for me.

www.terribletumbles.co.uk

TALL LADIES, I was actually sent five dresses from Want That Trend and this was the only one which maintained my modesty, so I would very much suggest you check the length on the description (I didn’t do this – When will I learn?!?) WTT state the length of most items and I’ll definitely know for future that the 93cm+ dresses = Yes and the 90cm- dresses = Not unless I want to be arrested.

Other than length, the fit is fine; this is an 18 and although the fit is snug, (I’d say size up wherever possible) the arm holes, shoulder and back are accommodating, plus the scuba material allows for a bit of give if required - Just remember that patterns can fade when stretched! I also like that this is a dress I can just pull on over my head with a pair of tights and I'll immediately look work ready without messing about.

www.terribletumbles.co.uk

It’s always nice to be able to add another brand to the plus size list, especially when they're offering something that I've not seen anywhere else. I can't wait to see what's coming next from Want That Trend.

Em x

* Denotes items gifted for review - As always, opinions are my own. 
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