Great Style at Every Size

As a truck-stop waitress, it's safe to say I get asked some pretty random, if not disturbing at times, questions.

From the ever-popular, "Are you on the menu?" (Ummm yeah sir, gonna go vomit, will be right back to take your order), to the even weirder, "Have you ever heard of dog jaw?" (What does that even mean?), at the end of the day, I'm never at a loss for stories to tell my friends.

However the most common, and thankfully more normal, question that I get is, "Are you working here to pay for college?" My answer is usually the same: "No, I'm working here to pay for my shopping addiction." Of course, I'm only kidding (well, for the most part). But in truth, I am lucky to have a job that not only pays the few bills that I have (thanks Mom and Dad!), but also allows me to put a little aside to save, go out when I want to, and partake in one of my favorite hobbies...shopping.

Although I do enjoy "getting my fash on" (ha, get it? ok, lame joke), everyone knows that isn't always the easiest for those of us who are...ahem...thicker then the rest. Many stores only carry trendy clothes in smaller sizes, leaving the rest of us to choose from frump, frumpier and frumpiest. As a result, many bigger women seem to "give up" on their appearance all together. Of course, I'm not putting every overweight women into this category (umm, hellllo!). Still though, many women "settle" for whatever they feel makes them less invisible. Whether it be walking through campus, going to the store, even taking public transportation, I can't tell you how many girls my age I see dressing like women 20, even 30 years older than they are. Maybe they don't have the time, confidence, or even money to put in the effort. Maybe they just don't care. But all of them should know that there are options out there. It is possible to look good and feel good about yourself at the same time.

Despite being on a college student's budget, I've become a master of putting together great outfits at even greater prices. Such great prices, in fact, that my stepmom would be proud. And when it comes to me spending money, she's rarely proud. It's all a matter of knowing where to shop, and what works best with your body, complexion, and hair color.

What works best for me? I'd say my personal style is a mix of feminine, chic and classic pieces, all of which can be interchanged amongst other items in my closet. I'm on a college student's budget, therefore I only buy items that can be adapted to each season, i.e. a sleeveless dress that can be paired with a cardigan for fall, or sweater for winter. My favorite colors are darker greys, and I do own plenty of them, as I've found them to really compliment my blond hair color and dark eyes.

I'm addicted to wearing dresses over leggings and dark skinny jeans. All of my dresses I've gotten for less than $30 on http://www.forever21.com/. Classy and functional, this is my
go-to look for not only day, but going out at night as well, as the dresses can easily be taken up a notch with black tights and heels. Sure, ordering online is always a risk, as far as fit goes. I've had plenty of no-fits, which in turn resulted in plenty of returns. However, being that the nearest Forever 21 isn't exactly in close proximity to my university, it's a risk I'm willing to take. I've had plenty of successes, such as the one pictured, which happens to be a favorite of mine. One hint that I've found though? Make sure that the dresses are over 33" long. That way they are flowy and comfortable enough, without you feeling the constant need to tug on your top. BTW...Forever 21 will be debuting their new plus size line, Faith 21 on May 1! Who's excited? This girl right here!

All of my leggings, I've picked up at Walmart and Target for under $8. My favorite are the Danskin ones (which can be seen in my first post), as these ones are thick enough to keep you warm and also can be pulled up for somewhat of a tummy control.

I always told myself that when I lost 30 lbs, I'd buy myself a pair of skinny jeans. However, one day at the end of last summer, I caved and bought some anyway. The result? One of the best fashion decisions I've ever made. Why should you have to wait until you're thinner to do something? Why should we constantly be looking towards the future? You are beautiful the way you are now, and if a pair of pants can make you feel better about yourself, then you should damn well work them. Prior to last summer, I had never even considered wearing skinny jeans, let alone trying them on. After all, skinny jeans are for skinny people, right? Wrong. My skinny jeans are the most comfortable and flattering jeans I've ever owned. The dark, almost black, color works to slenderize less than tiny legs and the ankle fit puts the focus on your shoes as well, rather than just your legs. No, I've never studied fashion. No, I've never worked in fashion. These are just amateur observations made by an everyday skinny jean devotee. No, not every pair of skinny jeans is flattering. The darker the better. The stretchier the better. I swear by my 4 (yes I'll admit it) pairs of Xhilaration jeans that I got from Target. Not only are they comfortable, but versatile as well (can ya tell I'm big on versatility?). During the day, I'll often wear them with my Chuck Taylors or black flats. At night, I wear them with heels. Another advantage of dark color is that it can be easily dressed up. And the best part?? Only $20 at Target!

No, that's not the greatest picture of my jeans...bad lighting combined with my lack of touch-up skills . But you get the idea.

Many times, all it takes is a few key accessories to pick up an outfit. Some that I rely on?

Pashminas- so inexpensive, yet they ad a touch of polish to anything. Oddly enough, if they're worn right, I've found them to be pretty slenderizing as well. I'm pretty conservative when it comes to color, so I only own the basic black, ivory, and one black and grey pashmina. They have a million colors out there, however these three go with any outfit and any color scheme. One of my biggest things is owning pieces that I can mix and match.

Cardigans- I love the old grandpa-style ones. Everyday I wear them over sleeveless dresses and shirts to camouflage my less-than-toned arms. My favorites? Grey ones from Target and H&M. Grey really goes with almost anything.

Black Ballerina Flats- so simple, yet so classic. Whether wearing them with jeans or leggings, they make any outfit more girly and feminine.

Here's one of my favorite outfits I've created. And pretty inexpensive to boot! I found the dress on the clearance rack for $19 at Target, the cardigan for about $20 at H&M, the boots for $30 at Forever 21, and the scarf for only 4 euros from a street vendor in Italy.

Some recent finds?

This great shirt, which I bought at the Gap the other day for $18. I couldn't resist...next to grey, purple is my favorite color.

Love these pants...chic and classic enough to wear for upcoming (hopefully...) interviews, and on sale for $36! Also from Gap.
Contrary to what media outlets, people in your life, even passerby tell you, it is possible to look good at any size. The key is knowing what works for your body. Not everything that works for me will work for someone else, and vice versa. However, the one rule that stays the same for everyone is that you can't wear something that you feel uncomfortable in. If you feel uncomfortable, what's the point of wearing it? Last but not least, when you find something that works for you, stick with it. It's always best to go with classic, rather than trendy pieces. There's plenty of options out there that will make you feel feminine, comfortable and confident in yourself. Why settle for less than you deserve? Experimenting is the key to knowing.