Shop Talk - Boutique Zekara

After my last post/rant I knew I had to further explore my clothing options.  As a six foot tall, size 20 woman I'm used to not finding anything that fits in a store.  So much so that I guess I gave up on boutiques.  Eventually it becomes a heartbreaking experience to see beautiful things that were never meant to be yours.

I'm sure many of you know what I'm talking about. In fact, I know you do because I've talked to some of you, commiserated with you.

Then Donna from Boutique Zekara sent me an email...

Donna has started to carry two plus sized lines in her Rothesay shop; Cherry Velvet & Diane Kennedy! I'm not going to lie... my excitement level was high!

If you are not familiar with Boutique Zekara or are not in New Brunswick, it is an amazing shop. Shoes & make up in the front, clothing & salon services in the back!

Make up counter above, shoe selection right



Clothing with items from the Diane Kennedy line in front

 I tried on all kinds of the Diane Kennedy line to discover some of the comfiest clothes I've had on in ages! It is an organic bamboo line with some amazing cuts.  But I'm going to have to tell you all about them some other time, and this is why;



ignore the bruise on my leg

I'm in love.

This dress in a simply perfect cut from Cherry Velvet, a Vancouver based dress company focusing on retro inspired plus size dresses.  Boutique Zekara is carrying this style in X to 3X in several different patterns.

                 Hanging on the rack does this dress no justice. Trying it on made me want to twirl!

The length is great for my 6ft tall frame. The sizing is appropriate (I normally wear a 2X or 3X depending on the designer... i wear a 1X in this dress - gotta love that feeling!).  It is fitted in all the right places & it shows of just the right amount of cleavage.

Cleavage I won't be disowned for

I thought for sure I was sold on ordering from eShakti for my brother's September wedding, but the idea of supporting a local business AND buying Canadian feels so much better!

 

My dilemma now is.... which one?

The polka dot one draws me in with the tiny detail of lace on the neckline, and because who can EVER resist polka dots??

But once I tried on the damask it just 'felt' right for the occasion. A simple but gorgeous dress for the outdoor wedding of one of my favorite people in the whole world...

Also I'm picturing finding the perfect hot pink shoes & clutch for it.

So I'm turning to you readers for some help.  Which one do you like better? Which one would you choose for me?

Leave me your vote & if you are out in Rothesay make sure to stop in and say hello to Donna & check out everything this one shop has to offer!

The shoes that must be mine



Oh Canada! OOTD

I miss my part of Canada today, my Utopia.  Seriously - that is the name of the village I lived & yes, I do think it is rather perfect.
What I don't miss are the crowds on holidays though! Today we were actually able to park, walk, & attend several different Canada Day events, watch the parade & bump into people we knew. These things always felt slightly impossible with the insane crowds back home.  There is something truly wonderful about living in a small city that is big on personality.


Man I live in a great part of a great country....



Top; Torrid, Skirt; Winners, Watch; Urban Outfitters, Sunglasses; Ray Bans

A few things about asking your significant other to snap your photos for you... although it isn't nearly as socially awkward as throwing up a tripod in the middle of a busy street, he will apparently not tell you when you are squinting or put up with multiple poses.  You will in fact get only two pictures & they will pretty much be the same thing.
Good thing he is adorable & I love him so.


purchased at Urban Outfitters in Toronto this spring



Zoya matte nail polish in Mitzi, Paul Frank iPhone case

Three cool things in one photo.
This ring was made by a jeweler back home in Ontario (whose name I don't know & I don't think she is still designing).  It reads 'To Thine Own Self Be True'. It is probably one of my most treasured possessions.

So my husband thinks this nail polish looks like I painted my nails with whiteout & highlighter. And yes I took this picture, sitting in my car while he was pumping gas.

Earrings; Forever21, Necklace; Darling Dilemma, Sunglasses; RayBan



Aaaaahhh look at that zombie girl in the bottom left hand corner!!
I love these wooden sculptures that are all over uptown but that girl just freaks me out!



For my Love of ‘Fashion Find’ txting with Em & For my Hate of Online Shopping Fiascos

I have the most bizarre body type. No, really. I do. I’m 5’8. I’ve been blessed with a long torso (though cursed with a spare tire around the middle) which, I’ve discovered, makes it somewhat easy to fit into long, snug fitting, tunic style tops from ‘regular’ size stores. As you found out in my intro, I worked within the ‘regular size’ fashion retail industry for over 10 years and that gave me the perfect opportunity to inspect fabrics, textures, makes, models and styles in my down time to ‘cheat’ the sizing system and find clothes labelled L or XL to fit my so-called ‘plus size’ shape. This ability or ‘skill’ (as the Fabulous in me prefers to call it) has gotten me through the last few years and allowed me to fill the need for something new to add to my closet whenever the shopping bug has hit.

Outside of my eBay obsession from years ago, I’ve never shopped online for clothing. Ever. Fear of the unknown scares me. (Will it fit when I get it? What if it’s hideous when it’s out of the plastic? What if their sizing is off? What if MY sizing is off?) Shipping prices are outrageous and so is having to wait up to one month for your impulse buy to arrive via mail. Travelling throughout the summer and moving from one big city to the next has given me enough shopping opportunity that I haven’t had to worry about it … until now. Here I am in little Saint John, NB. I relocated less than 2 years ago from Ottawa (My job at the time had me commuting to Montreal every 2 weeks. Note: My Fabulous shoe collection WILL be featured in an upcoming post, that’s a promise!). My closet is officially tired. I rotate through the same 15 ‘work appropriate’ outfits and the same 20 ‘out and about’ outfits over and over again and I. Am. Bored.

It’s time to shop and there is nowhere in Saint John to do so. Online is my only option (Until we’re on the road this summer to Mississauga, Arizona and Boston of course!).

Finding a young, hip, trendy online ‘plus size’ store that carries the style of clothes I like with prices that aren’t ridiculous and ships to Canada is as close to Mission Impossible as it gets. When I come across one, my reaction resembles a 6 year old getting the new puppy they’ve been begging for for months on Christmas morning. Picture LOTS of shrieking, jumping up and down and all around disbelief. (Now that I think about it, this would also be the exact same reaction I would have to getting a new puppy on Christmas morning at 29 years old. HintHintHintHint)

Here is the text conversation I had with my FoF Co-Star as I stumbled across online retailer Loop18 (a division of plus size giant Lane Bryant) earlier this week:

Em's proof of the texting madness!
(note the Em to Dom ratio)

Me: OMG!!!! Have you heard of Loop18? Click on it from the Lane Bryant website!

Em: At work now but will check!

Me: Omg Omg Omg. On Loop18 everything is BOGO 50% off and then you save $40 off $100 or $15 off $60!

Me (again): Wait til you see the dresses!!!!!!

These are the dresses: (Stunning, right?)

Strapless Jacquard Dress from Loop 18

Strapless Dress from Loop 18

Me (again): My next blog entry is going to be these crazy txts I send you when I find an amazing site!!!!

Em (Yes, sometimes I give others the opportunity to respond): Aaaahhhhh you’re killing me!!

Em: AHAHA! Yes! Best blog ever!

Me: (Picture shrieking, jumping, txting crazy lady) doing ittttttt!!!! And dying!!!! I want EVERY dress and I haven’t even clicked on any other categories!!! Kinda pricey but bogo!!!!

Me: (No longer jumping) Ok. Clicked on the other categories and I am slightly disappointed now, no as amazing as I suspected based on ‘new arrivals’ but I still love A LOT!

Em: This is killing me! lol I’ve miss our frantic fashion texting!!

Me: (No longer jumping OR shrieking, about to remind myself why I don’t shop online) Put 2 dresses in my cart and my freaking total is $94. I need 100 to save $40!!!! Nothing else I like!!!

Em: (She’s the best!) Ok I will see if I can top that up for you!!

Me: (Also trying to be the best) I’m wiling to cut down to 1 dress if whatever you get puts us at 100

Em: (Crushing my dreams) Loop18 doesn’t ship to CAD…

<Insert frowny face>

Me: ARGH! (Actually, I said ‘Assholes!’)

Em: Lane Bryant doesn’t as a whole, so I was wondering. Could ship to Calais I suppose?

Me: That makes is SO frustrating and almost not worth it. I hate the hassle!

Em: Frankly.. Me too.

Me: I’d rather wait and go somewhere that I can buy it in person. I’ll keep my $100 and spend it locally on shoes and accessories thankyouverymuch.

<The End.>

What’s the deal, retailers? I FINALLY find what I’m looking for and you make it impossible for me to purchase. Don’t you want my money? I can assure you if my first experience is great, if what I order fits as it should and I’m happy with my purchase, there is a WHOLE lot more $ where that came from!

<sigh.>

I’m sorry, closet.

Sincerely,

Dom

Pleased To Meet You

Welcome to the first post of our brand new venture, Full of Fabulous!
We are a couple of plus sized slaves to fashion from East Coast Canada who love to live life boldly!


We interviewed each other cuz we are special & just that fabulous! Ha!

So let us introduce ourselves.

Dom

Promotion & event guru who knows how to rock a pouf like nobody's business.
Spends 9 months of the year rink side to hockey.
Hates creepy crawlies, peas & camping

We interviewed each other cuz we are special & just that fabulous! Ha!

So, why did YOU want to start a fashion blog, Dom?

I wanted to start a fashion blog because

a) Everything you do is pure genius and I want to tag along with your fabulousness 

b) Fashion is in my blood. I went to 'fashion school' in Toronto and graduated from a Fashion Marketing and Merchandising program which started my 10 year career in retail and

c) It's time plus size girls and fashions were CELEBRATED! Saint John is quickly becoming the fashion capital of New Brunswick. I am beyond excited, but I feel like in order for us to attain that official title, all shapes and sizes need to be represented. Locally first and then nationally and internationally!

So who would you say your fashion icons are?

My fashion icons change all the time! I don't follow one specific clothing style or trend so this question is difficult. As fashion itself evolves so do my tastes. I adore Kim Kardashian for her always polished look but at the same time, I can't get enough of Snooki's animal prints and of course her pouf! Mia Tyler is certainly on my list of favorite celebs as well, especially from a plus size perspective.



Mia Tyler

I tend to find locals more inspiring than celebrities, I have always idolized those who can walk into a store and find a 'perfect piece' to add to their wardrobes with minimal effort. I'm brand new to the blogging 'scene' and as I discover gorgeous plus size bloggers from around the world I'm sure my list of icons will grow by the hundreds in just a matter of days!

What do you think are the best things about being Full of Fabulous? Any downside?

The best things about being full of fabulous? Inspiring fabulousness in others. Encouraging people to raise the bar. Being the 'go to' within my group of friends for a fun, unique idea that really knocks peoples socks off.

Negatives? Fabulous is HARD work and requires constant upkeep. You can never risk letting your fabulous guard down or having people see you sweat anything besides fabulous. Also, I have to admit, foggy, misty, rainy days truly test the nerves of the fabulous.

*side note from Em - I'm betting when she says 'nerves' she is actually referring to her pouf!

 What can our readers expect from your side of the blog?

From my portion of the blog, readers can expect an honest, quirky, sometimes humorous account of life as a plus size newbie blogger. I can't promise everything I write will be purely fashion based but I can promise that I will try my best. As time passes, I hope to reflect on my posts and view them as an evolution, or, even better, as a revolution. I have been in denial about my plus size-ness for as long as I can remember. I am hoping that in contributing to this blog and letting my walls down even in smallest bit I will renew some confidence in myself and encourage love and acceptance in others.

Em

A 30something woman with a penchant for all things cupcakes,
 too many jobs, a jewelry line &
a rockin ginger for a son.

Alright, your turn Em - why did YOU want to start a fashion blog?

Ummm probably because I am a fashion blogaholic! I can't even tell you how many I have on my bloglovin account that I follow! There are such great blogs out there, local & plus sized but nothing that was local AND plus size! I was starting to feel slightly 'unrepresented'... then I met you - my partner in (not fashion) crime!
Who are your fashion icons these days?

Well one would definitely have to be my blog obsession, Stiletto Siren.  That girl is fierce in her choices & always looking SO put together! Another would have to be Glee cast member, Amber Riley. I mean, did you SEE what she wore to the Golden Globes?? The girl is SO cute & picks the best, most flattering outfits for her red carpet events. I wish I had red carpet events to go to...!


Amber Riley

 What do you think are the best & worst things about being Full of Fabulous?

I have to agree with you - being inspiration or the 'go to' for other's fabulousness is definitely the best part!  I adore being stopped somewhere to have someone tell me they love something I have on, or beg to know where I got it. I used to think that was just a skinny girl's life... but not anymore!

Of course, the downfall is the maintenance.  Affording fabulous is always tough but finding it on the east coast of Canada can be even tougher!! I think that ultimately, every conversation I have with fellow plus sized women comes down to where can we get it? Where is the fabulous?

Cardigan; Torrid, Tank; Addition Elle, Skirt; Winners,
Hose; We Love Colors, Shoes; Winners

And finally, what can our readers expect from you in this blog?

Photos! Outfits! I want to try & get as comfortable in front of a lens, as I am behind it. I want to share my shopping scores, hits & misses! 
And I want to take our readers along on some of our adventures in this life of Fabulous!