Now that I’ve moved to Springfield quasi-permanently, Deluxemom and I have lots of conversations — and plenty is said about plus size fashion. DM is older, and when we talk about the current offerings for plus size fashion, it’s clear that PSF is missing the over-35 group completely.
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I work from home. I’m a marketer, and I manage to keep the lights on day after day doing it. As I move around online, I’m always stopped by people asking me, “Should I get dressed up like I’m going to work? I mean, after all, it’s a work at home job.”
Well, it depends. If you have a work at home job, then I suppose you should do whatever you feel peace about. However, if you’re building a professional image, and a business that truly gives you the freedom to move about, then I suggest this thinking be altered just a bit.
When I get up in the morning, I’m a businesswoman. I’m meeting with clients, emailing people, calling shops on my phone… you get the idea. I might even have to run to the FedEx Kinko’s to pick up a big print job - do I really want them to see me in a t-shirt and jeans?
It’s not just about image though - think about how you feel when you dress nicer, and people actually notice - doesn’t that change how you feel? I know it does for me. It’s hard not to look pulled together in something business casual like.
Working from home doesn’t mean you can automatically throw out everything those friendly recruiters told you about in high school - their advice still carries weight in the self-employed world. If you’re a consultant, you still may have meetings - people to see, things to do.
Ladies, if you’re reading this blog, you know how much image is a factor. We’ve already got the world looking at us because we dare to look feminine, why make them do a double take because you look sloppy? Taking care of your hair and nails, minding your outfits, and putting on a professional attitude does make a difference.
Business cards, business wear, business attitude — now that’s what’s going to make the difference. Leaving the 9-to-5 world doesn’t mean rules fly out the window - you just get more leeway…and more rope to hang yourself with.
Make smart decisions and stay luxuriously deluxe,
Isabella Murphy
Working at home isn’t a cakewalk — and Isabella Murphy knows this from experience. If you like what she had to say about fashion for work at home women, why not join her mailing list? You can get special deals, more tips, free mini e-courses, and announcements on her new books for women just like you! In fact, if you join her mailing list before October 30, you will be entered in a contest to win a $100 gift certificate to ObeyYourBody, a site that sells Dead Sea Cosmetics! For more information on why Dead Sea Cosmetics are important, check out what Isabella has to say about these great skincare products!
Contrary to popular belief, I do like Lane Bryant. In fact, I like them so much that I make sure to run over the store and the company with a fine eye, to make sure that I don’t do them a disservice. Remember - your dollars are important, spend them wisely and everything else will fall into place!
I spent roughly $83 yesterday, and felt satisfied with my purchases. I picked up a pink cami for $13, and a nice kimono (I mean, it’s nice - whenever my camera gets off the slow boat from Siberia, I just might be able to take pictures for once) for $15. The rest of the purchase went to a nice pair of black slacks, done in the Chelsea style. “Chelsea” in this case, only needs to mean one thing: relaxed wide leg pants. I snagged one of the five remaining on the rack, and grinned like a fiend.
This blog is me pretty much cracking open my head and pouring all my juicy fashion tips and secrets out to you — and this tip is no exception! I tend to divide many items into categories. Variations are like side topics in that book you saved your nickels and dimes to get from Borders that make you smile, but aren’t the reason why you bought the book. Outfit, in this case would then be the main event — you don’t generally go to Vegas to eat, but you do go to gamble - eating is the side, gambling is the main event.
I’m sure eating and gambling (if you’re going to Vegas) are both important. In this manner, variations — and the outfits that love them — are part of every fashionista’s balanced breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
For this outfit, the variations can be anything from a contrast-colored skirt or pair of slacks, to a solid career-style blouse (of any color, really) to go with the nice black shadow-herringbone pants. Top it off with a jacket and maybe a string of pearls, and it’s all up from here, ladies!
Creating a central outfit — with variations to go around it — makes me think of flowers. You’ve got this lovely outfit in the center, and all the variations that go with it are the petals. Are your petals open?
What outfits do you use as a ‘base’ for your wardrobe? I’m sure I’m not the only one out there that shops like this. Considering that fashion is cyclical, building outfits and variations saves you time and money — leaving you to stay luxuriously deluxe year round!
Don’t let December be the only time you’re actually social - while the holidays are important, your loved ones still want you to be happy, safe, and well year-round! I went to see my father, which was exciting in of itself, but it got me thinking about social engagements, dressing up, and meeting new people.
I’m not a social butterfly, but I do like to dress. I stick to the same rules in fashion as I do in writing, speaking, or anything else - “be yourself!” If you’re a schoolmarm that wears turtlenecks and coveralls, don’t feel pressured to become a cocktail dress wearin’, Cosmo sippin’, couture-aware jetsetter. There’s so many styles of dress out there, why not stay true to your style instead of trying to completely reinvent yourself?
I learned this lesson the hard way over the last few weeks. I’m a conservative dresser — I like flowy kimono style tops, long black skirts, and just a touch of skin showing. This isn’t always 100% the case, but overall, that’s me. As I grow more comfortable with myself, I may throw on a tank top and a skirt and walk clean out the door.
Without diving headfirst into a church sermon - I believe that you have to have peace about your actions. If wearing skinny jeans doesn’t give you peace, then save yourself the angst and don’t wear them. If a plunging neckline makes your stomach turn, turn towards a square neck or a cute button-up instead. I live on career-style blouses, myself. Ignoring that peace is what lands us in trouble most of the time. It doesn’t even have to deal with how we look, but how we treat others.
This is my “reality call” before everyone gets wrapped up into the social scene during this time - your family will still love you if you aren’t wearing the latest and greatest, and any significant other worth their salt will still crave to be seen with you.
Now, how’s that for “positive body image”?
Isabella Murphy wants each and every one of you to be the best you can be, all year round. As the year draws to a close, however, why not pamper yourself one last time? Enter the Makeup Madness $100 Cosmetics Giveaway today!
So, I’m 24 hours away from flying towards my much-needed vacation. I’ll be flying from St. Louis and landing in San Antonio - of course, if I see something fashionable I’ll let all of you know first. I’ve been thinking on airplane style for a while now - I always need to dash off somewhere, and being crammed into a plane (even on a 747 I feel squished) for X number of hours.
I really tend to get back into the classics when I go traveling. Colorful or monochrome blouse, usually made out of a silky material that won’t wrinkle up too much, and a black skirt of the same material. I wear flat shoes, because when security holds you up and your gate is on the other side of the airplane, you don’t look silly running. Much kudos to the ladies that can run in heels, though!
A plane trip can last for quite some time - it took us 16 hours to go from Germany to the States. Wouldn’t you want to be comfortable too?
I really want to thank each and every one of you for the time you’ve taken to view what I have to say. That means everything to me - I don’t write for you to make a full time income - I write for you because I think every woman deserves to know great information, to feel great about herself, and to make smart decisions with her money. That’s about it - no catches here!
I will be putting out a FREE report for all of you, called “Worthy at Every Size: A 7-Day Wake Up Call for Real Women”. It’s part self-improvement, part “preachin’ to the choir”, and always 100% heartfelt. I mix in my personal experience, words from famous women, and even a second helping of Scripture to bring my points home to you. I believe each and every one of you has unlimited potential in every corner of your life.
Didn’t think you’d get that from a fashionblog? I didn’t either, until I stopped and realized that a shallow take on fashion is similar to a shallow take on a sickness, or a dilemma that’s been plaguing you for months — it only addresses the symptoms, not the root of the problem.
I leave this note with one last quote, one near to my heart: “There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to the one who is striking the root.” — Henry Thoreau
I’ve been taking note of fashion trends, and other issues that I think women in general should be aware of. By January, I hope to release:
Last piece of news before I get back to handling the backlog of information I have for y’all: Aja of Belle Noir has asked me to be her beauty Q&A correspondent! Belle Noir is one of my favorite sites for finding information relevant to BBWs of color. Definitely not going to be a general interest issue, but it’s one that I’m proud to both participate in, and announce to my lovely readers!
Now it’s time to get back to work - if I don’t actually get stuff done, I think my accountant is going to give me a “reminder”!
I can’t wear Juicy Couture yet, but that doesn’t mean I’m sitting on the sidelines looking like a rejected muppet — with the help of the Internet, and the universal power of my debit card (this fashionista has more financial goals than buying the latest plaid skirt, you know), and my new buddy Rosalee.
Plus size fashion has come a long way from the frumpy, floppy swatches of fabric our mothers and grandmothers wore in the past. We have style, we have elegance, and we have outfits that accentuate and advertise our curves, rather than hiding them from the rest of the world. We even have a choice between sexy and conversative, and shades of meaning between modest and not-so-much.
A lot of stores seem to think that no plus size life exists beyond a 22, and sometimes they’ll dangle a few 26’s out for our approval — however, Ms. Rosalee eschews numbers in favor of clean, crisp style that every woman can get behind. In the interest of full disclosure, Ms. Rosalee is one of our site’s sponsors, but we all know how my mouth is. I’ve got no problem endorsing Ms. Rosalee or her site. She blogs, engages in discussion about plus size women and the issues we face, and is all-around a very friendly lady.
Many plus size women want to try other plus size stores besides the usual curvy trifecta (you know who I’m talking about), but are often unsure. Plus size shopping online is always an uneasy process when you start out. Will it fit? Is the fabric what I expected? Will the clothes be so expensive that there’s no way I could afford it?
Ms. Rosalee offers her customers the opportunity to sample fabric before making a final decision — how cool is that? You can also get the scoop on the season’s offerings on her site by just clicking around. Ms. Rosalee has firsthand experience in how hard it can be to find great clothes that actually look good. She goes out and looks for styles in other sizes that can be easily adapted for us plus size ladies. It’s refreshing to find a designer that realizes we plus size ladies still have to go out looking our best and cannot afford to wear oversized paper bags (hyperbole mine).
Ms. Rosalee teases us with mentions of the fabric she has lined up for this season’s offerings: embroidered fabric, crinkle suedes, doe suede, moleskin, stretch denim, and silky satin fabric for soft intimates you’ll love through this season and the next one!
There are so many things I really liked on the site — instead of reading this review, you could be checking them out too! Go on — I’ll still be here!
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dee·lux·GRRL n.An intelligent, dynamic female who isn't afraid to take risks, take time for herself, or create her own unique style!
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