Pop of Plaid

Happy Friday! I gave you a little preview of this #OOTD yesterday in my #HonorMyCurves post. After deciding to fully embrace me and all of my awesomeness :) I was feeling empowered. I paired my black ASOS midi bodycon dress with my peplum ASOS belt, the already abused Iman Global Chic capelet, last year's H&M scarf and my new Shoedazzle Claudine plaid pumps.

 

Although the plaid from the scarf was slightly different than the plaid in my shoes, they added a great pop of color to my all black ensemble. How do you rock plaid?

 

xoxo-

 

 

<3 Parker S.

 

 

#HonorMyCurves

For the past few months I have been following the Honor My Curves Movement on Instagram. In a nutshell it's a body acceptance movement that encourages women to embrace their bodies and love themselves as they are. I have seen all of the posts and pictures but the gravity of what #HonorMyCurves really means didn't hit me until today.

While getting dressed this morning, I had an epiphany. I tried on outfit after outfit and just didn't feel satisfied because everything seemed to accentuate my stubborn LHF (low hanging fat). I found myself thinking that if I could just get rid of that one thing, everything would be perfect. But the reality is that everything wouldn't be perfect. I would just find some other "flaw" to obsess over and complain about. What is perfect anyway?

As full figured women I feel that we are always on a quest to achieve the societal ideals of beauty and perfection. We see all of the positive reinforcement our svelte counterparts receive by way of praise and accolades, and we somehow feel that we are less appealing because of our size. However, the one thing that we fail to realize is that the very "imperfection" that we want to fix is the thing that makes us perfect.

We are designed to be vessels filled with beauty and life and to spread that to others. No matter what size you are, how old you are, how tall or short, you have to embrace what makes you uniquely you. No one is perfect. Even the most world renowned super models and the best athletes are critical of themselves, and they, are considered to be the pinnacle of perfection.

So today, I choose me. I choose to Honor My Curves, low hanging fat and all!  I'm not saying I don't want to be healthier and in that quest my body won't change, but I will no longer beat myself up. From this day on I will truly embrace me and all of my perfect imperfections.

You are the only person that can be you! If you don't love yourself, no one else will. How do you plan to honor your curves?

xoxo-

<3 Parker S

@ASOS dress, belt & ring, @Shoedazzle shoes

How To Rock Fall Florals

A couple of weeks ago I scored an amazing floral pencil skirt from Talbots. If you follow me on Instagram, you may remember it from a look that I styled my mom in back in September. As you already know, my style range is very broad and I can find fashion inspiration anywhere. I'm guessing you're probably pretty shocked that I shop at Talbots, but what I love most about the clothing there is that it's timeless.

My mom styled in all Talbots

Whether I'm styling myself or a client, it is important to be able to derive several different looks out of a single piece of clothing. Although my floral skirt is a pretty bold piece, it is surprisingly versatile. I fell in love with it because not only can I wear it this fall, but it will also carry over to my spring wardrobe. Florals are usually atypical for fall fashion, but this one is definitely the exception. It not only encompasses some of this fall's most popular Pantone colors like Emerald & Koi, but it also grabs some of spring 2014's as well with Freesia, Placid Blue & Sand.

Fall 2013 Pantone Colors

Spring 2014 Pantone Colors

For this post I'm going to show you how I rocked my "Fall Florals".  I need to be able to make my look go from day to play with just a few switches, and when I rocked my skirt yesterday, it was no exception. For the first look I told a vibrant #ColorStory by pairing my skirt with a sleeveless blue shirt, also from Talbots, Gap cardigan from last year, and my fave green Just Fab pumps. To round out this office chic look I added my Iman Global Chic bag, a skinny belt and my vintage Just Jewels 4 U necklace.

After work, I decided to do a little holiday shopping and wanted to change into something a little more comfy. I switched things up by adding a cream long sleeved Gap tee, my #StyleSteal Wal-Mart denim jacket, last year's scarf from Banana Republic and my amazing riding boots gifted by Lane Bryant. 

How do you rock fall florals? I hope you found my looks inspiring and that they encourage you to step out of the box and embrace fashion without boundaries. Until next time…

See you on the front row!

<3 Parker S. 

Beads by Aree

Hey gang, how's your week going so far? I'm off to LA later on today, but I wanted to leave you with a little Hump Day inspiration. A couple of weeks ago a FAB brand landed at Twelve 24 Boutique. Beads by Aree is a collection of hand crafted accessories created by Areeyal Godwin. The self taught jewelry artisan began creating pieces during her sophomore year of high school. As the years passed by, she honed her talents and launched her inaugural collection in 2011 called "Love for the Congo".  Inspired by the Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize winning play "RUINED",  Aree created earrings and donated a portion of the proceeds to humanitarian organization Women for Women. 

Fast forward a year later, Beads By Aree jumped on my radar. I fell in love with the creative genius that is Areeyal Godwin at the opening night fashion show of the first Style Bloggers of Color Conference. Her pieces adorned the models and were absolutely breathtaking.  The piece that immediately caught my eye were the most amazing peacock plumes encased in golden coils. I knew immediately that I had to have them. After a little bit of stalking and a whole lot of groveling, I was able to call those beautiful earrings mine.

Aree rocking the the Peacock Broomstick earrings

The simplicity of her designs yet the complex range of emotions the pieces evoke when you experience them is almost overwhelming. What I love most about Beads By Aree is the spirit and love that goes into each piece. While some artist pour their heart and soul onto a blank canvas, Aree breathes life into otherwise innocuous items and paints the the human spirit.

Me rocking Beads by Aree "Spike Swirl" earrings & "Huge Swirl" ring available at Twelve 24 Boutique

Thanks to my friends at Twelve 24 Boutique, you can experience Beads by Aree with a special capsule collection they will be carrying in the store. I encourage all of you to pop by the boutique and experience Beads By Aree. Because of the uniqueness of her pieces, quantities are limited. Be the first of your friends to rock her amazing designs, I promise you won't be disappointed. 

xoxo-

<3 Parker S. 

How to Wear Biker Chic to Work

Happy Tuesday! I hope your week has gotten off to a great start. Today I wanted to give you a little fashion inspiration from one of my favorite followers, my mom! I have featured her in previous blog posts and in numerous Instagram posts, but for those of you who are new, my mom is a very fashionable 60 year old woman. As you already know, I believe in fashion without boundaries and style at every age. No matter what size you are or your age, you can look fab!

Yesterday my mom totally surprised me when I saw her outfit. While out shopping together on Saturday, she scored the most amazing Vince Camuto boots from Nordstrom. Initially I was taken aback by the style, because it was way out of the box for her. She said she wanted something "edgy", and these boots were just that. I do occasionally style my mom, but she usually get it right all on her own and yesterday was no exception.

She created the perfect high/low biker ensemble by pairing her new boots with a #StyleSteal houndstooth dress from Ross, 15 Denier tights from ASOS, and vintage Chico's leather biker jacket. She added a color chic color pop to her look by wearing the same Banana Republic baubles that I wore on Friday with her ensemble. By adding these more delicate jewelry pieces to her look, she perfectly balanced the edginess of the boots and jacket. This instantly made what would have been 2 otherwise office inappropriate pieces acceptable for work.

That's her Sexy Look ;)

As you can see, getting older doesn't mean you can't still be fashionable and sexy. I love the fact that my mom has an amazing since of style and the confidence to own her age and rock the hell out of it. I hope her look has inspired you to embrace your inner diva and realize that style doesn't come with an expiration date! 

xoxo-

<3 Parker S. 

Iman x HSN

As a plus sized woman, one thing I know unequivocally is that all fashion is not created equally. You may remember when I shared my opinions openly to Target a few weeks back to voice my disappointment about the lack of a plus size items in one of their latest designer collaborations, well I'm not one to beat a dead horse to death, so I moved on to explore brands that offer "Fashion Democracy".

Nearly six years ago, world renowned supermodel & style icon Iman Abdulmajid, launched her Global Chic collection on HSN.  Originally a collection of artfully curated, inspired accessories, Iman stated in the original press release that, "It is important to know fashionable accessory trends, but it is more important to know how to properly incorporate them into your world and your lifestyle. You are never fully dressed without them." I couldn't agree more with that statement. Accessories can completely transform your look, as I have shown you in my Two-Way Tuesday & Thursday Three-Way posts. You can easily take your look for day to play by doing the accessory switch-up.

Global Chic City Tote, Anniversary Ring and Gold Ribbed Cuff, all from the Inaugural Global Chic Collection

Now let's fast forward to this summer. Over the years, the Global Chic collection has expanded to carry not only fabulous accessories but also amazing clothes and very chic luggage. Although I was always a lover of the Global Chic brand, I never actually purchased anything until one fateful day back in May. I fell in love with the Summer Crush Convertible Jumpsuit! Of course when it came down to the color choices, I chose the leopard. Like I told you in my Style Me Friday post, leopard is a neutral and will pretty much work with any color. This jumpsuit took me all throughout the summer and I definitely will be winterizing it during the holidays. 

Me an the Fabulous Shanda Freeman at Bloomingdale's NYC during FFFWeek

#Selfie w/ TV Personality Marcy Guevara having an intense conversation in the background ;)

Now, let's jump to present day. Because we have truly been having fall weather here in Atlanta,  I have really been able to step up my outerwear game. Over the past couple of weeks, I have dawned 3 fabulous & different looks thanks to Iman. I totally shut the game down in my cognac colored Iman Platinum Rock The Runway leather coat with matching bag. I must admit, I totally owned this look ;)! The leather is very soft and supple and the construction of both the bag and the coat rival that of my high end designer pieces.

Date night look w/ vintage Dolce & Gabbana pumps

Casual Saturday look in Cole Haan oxfords & Banana Republic argyle socks

If you follow me on Instagram then you've seen me rock 2 other fab pieces from the Iman Platinum/Global Chic collections. My faux fur vest is fast becoming one of my new faves and the black capelet I rocked on Friday adds a polished look to any ensemble. I love them so much, I'm considering grabbing the vest in black because it would totally slay my winter white pants and turtle neck and also the burgundy capelet.

As you can see, my Iman pieces totally take my looks to the next level. The best thing about the collection is that no matter you size there is something for you. All of the clothing pieces come in sizes XS-3X and the shoes (which I don't have any yet) come in sizes 5.5-11 in both medium and wide widths. To view more of Iman's styles, check out www.hsn.com . Also mark your calendars for November 23rd to check out the new Iman Cashmere Collection.  Once you check out the line, I'd love to know your favorite Global Chic pieces. Leave a link in the comment section. Until next time...

See you on the front row-

<3 Parker S. 

Style Me Friday

Happy Friday! I am so glad it's the official start to the weekend! I am really loving this crisp, fall weather and what it is doing for my wardrobe. For the first time I decided to participate in fellow blogger, Eboni Ife' of The Fashionista Next Door 's, Style Me Friday challenge. The item to style around this week was leather pants. 

Eboni's look was inspired by Olivia Polermo

After seeing a pic Eboni posted on Instagram earlier this week of the green Just Fab Luxe shoes we both have next to a leopard scarf, I was immediately inspired to create a look around my new leopard & faux leather leggings from Twelve 24 Boutique. When these leggings came in to the boutique I was super excited and knew I had to have them. Of course they all sold out before I could get mine, but thankfully Angela & Melanie reordered them and I was able to get a pair. 

 One thing a lot of people don't realize is that leopard print is a neutral if styled properly. It works with pretty much any color and if you're really creative it makes for some amazing #PatternPlay. For today's #StyleMeFriday look, I decided to keep it relatively simple, for me anyway :). I paired my leopard leggings with a crisp, white shirt from Talbot's. To ward off the cold, I topped off my look with my new Iman Global Chic Blazer Capelet & added a color pop with my green JustFab Luxe shoes & Banana Republic necklace & ring. To round out the look, I decided to carry my new Isabel & Ruben Toledo x Lane Bryant tote I was gifted from Paul Wilmot Communications on behalf of Lane Bryant. 

What do you think? I hope you enjoyed my spin on things & this look inspires you to go forth, be fashionable & make the world your personal runway! 

See you on the front row! 

<3 Parker S.