I thought to myself, haven't we come a long way from the simple dog lead? Dogs can now have their own wardrobe of delights and trainers to enable them to ride a scooter!
And what has that got to do with me and my blog I hear you ask? Well, it got me to thinking about different fashions that have come a long way. Now not to compare us to dogs (even though dogs are the best) but the first thing that springs to mind is the plus size fashion industry, which in recent years has gone from strength to strength.
I'm not sure why it has taken so long to see such a step forward in the industry. Throughout the decades there have been women of all shapes and sizes strutting their stuff. We have always had the right to dress in bright colours that hug our sexy curves, but a few years ago all that seemed to be available was smock tops in 50 shades of black.
However, fast forward to 2017 and the plus size community is thriving and fabulously fierce! This is thanks to some women who put themselves out there to say 'hey I'm plus size and I'm sexy' which made designers and retailers stand up and realise there was a need for a better curvy range of clothing because they knew that we, the plus size and fabulous ones, deserve better.
One of my favourite retailers that has been at the forefront of this is Yours Clothing.
For anyone who prefers to shop online the website is super easy to use and has some excellent features. My favourite is the ‘What’s Hot’ section which shows you exactly how to ‘shop the outfit’. Yours has done the hard work for you and put together some fabulous looks which you can pop straight in your basket!
I went to my local Yours store the other day with my friend Abby and her little girl Lila and took a few snaps of my favourite looks.
Now me and Abby are totally different shapes. Abby is tall and slender whereas I'm the little teapot, short and stout but what's amazing is we could both find clothes we loved with ease.
This was the first thing that caught my eye...
The splits in the side of this shirt blew my mind, I cannot tell you the amount of times I have been unable to buy a longline shirt because my bottom half is a good size bigger than my top half and if I get a size to fit my bottom, I end up being too big and baggy on the top. Thanks to these splits my mismatched body was no longer a problem, and as you can see from the picture, I'm excited!
This shirt goes perfect with leggings (which I'm wearing in the picture) but I would also pair this with jeans and either pumps or boots.
Whilst shopping I spotted these black dungarees and had to try them on! It was getting late and Lila was getting bored of our fashion show (she's only 3 and doesn't appreciate the greatness that is shopping just yet) so I chucked these on over the striped shirt.
I think dungarees are an investment as they are timeless and mould-able to all seasons and occasions. In the colder months you can team them with a jumper, and in the warmer weather a t-shirt. You can turn the cuffs up and wear a pair of trainers to keep it casual or you could throw on a pair of heels and dress them up. Dungarees can be a staple item in your wardrobe.
Abby was looking for a fancy frock to wear to a wedding and she found this beautiful fit and flair dress by Hell Bunny, which is just one of the many brands Yours sells in store and online. We also added a petticoat to really enhance that bounce in the skirt.
This is such a beautiful dress and Abby looked absolutely gorgeous in it with those killer heels. Once I saw Abby in the dress, I couldn't let her have all the fun and decided to try it myself.
As I said we are both totally different body types but I think we both rocked the socks off this dress. Even Lila loved it and in her words "I want a picture with auntie Jess in the pretty dress!"
She's very excited!
She’s a litter cracker and so full of beans! The girls that were working in the store were absolutely brilliant with her. There were a couple of times when Lila tried to make a break for it (clearly protesting against the length of time we had spent shopping) but we were half-naked trying on clothes and scrambled to chuck something on to run after her. The girls quickly noticed our predicament and managed to stop Lila leaving the store and helped entertain her while we finished.
Not only were they great with Lila but they were so helpful and knowledgeable on the latest trends which I have always found with the staff when I shop here. If you’re not a confident clothes shopper and need that little extra help to put an outfit together, the staff are always on hand and happy to help.
I remember one time I was trying clothes on in the fitting room, really not loving what I looked like in the things I had chosen for myself and the sales assistant could see I was getting distressed. After a chat about what I was looking for she left me for a few minutes and came back with a selection of clothes to try. Every single one of those outfits was spot on and I had to have them all. Now, usually when I go on a shopping spree I feel like I’m waiting for a phone call from my bank manager or a telling off from my husband, but I had nothing to worry about this time as the prices are so reasonable, they really don’t break the bank.
The clothes featured in this post are just a sample of the variety of fabulous clothes that are on sale now and I cannot wait to see what Yours Clothing has to offer for the rest of 2017!
I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you to Yours Clothing, and all of the other plus size clothing brands who continue to make this industry mainstream. You help remind us curvy girls that we are worthy of beautiful clothing, because no matter what shape or size you are, you deserve the opportunity to express yourself through the power of fashion.
Watch out world,
We're here,
No fear,
Get used to it!
Much love beauties ❤️
* All of the clothes featured and many many more are all available on the website www.yoursclothing.co.uk