Great Buy!!!

Ross $22.00 (Steve Madden) Purchased: 8/27/2010

I am so in love with this great buy from Ross. They are in my opinion a great pair of stilettos, they are comforable, sexy, fashionable,inexpensive, and anything else you can think of. This is the type of shoe that you build an outfit around. I can't wait to try mixing and matching it with different colors like yellow, purple, green, and red (to be continued).

If you have a great buy and would like to share please send all posts and pics to Curvygirlfashioncents@yahoo.com

Curvy Girl's "Chic Confidence" of the week

Curvy Girl of the week: Serena

This curvy girl likes to look her best, especially on her University of Maryland campus.

She does a great job of fusing her West African culture into her personal style.

Q&A with Serena:

What inspires your "chic" confidence?

My mother is my inspiration behind my "chic confidence". She dresses in African Wear when she goes out for an evening with my dad. She is a reminder of how important my culture is in addition to looking good and having fun with the various prints and colors.

How do you mix/match your colors? I tend to add my "pop" of color to my shoes, purse, or make-up because it stands out more in the accessories.

Using a budget of$60.00, where could you buy a nice outfit for a night out with your sweetheart (accessories included)?

Clothes: Macy's (clearance section), Target

Shoes: Rugged Wearhouse

Accessories: Forever21 or NY&Co.

Accessories anyone?

Ladies, Ladies, Ladies,

We need to go back to our closets and review our accessories before stepping foot inside another store (that goes for e-shopping too). I was online creating a wish list of various clothing items I wanted to purchase in the near future and then it hit me...why bother! First off who has the money and secondly I can create and re-create new outfits simply by changing up my accessories. So I did what every woman only dreams of doing. I cleaned out my closet and separated my accessories into seven categories (Shoes, Scarfs, Bags, Belts, Hats, Jewelry, and then coats/jackets/blazers/cardigans."Whew." Tedious but so exciting, especially when all of these mixing and matching ideas come to thought.

One plain, bland, outfit can easily become glamorous with a belt that accentuates your curves, or a purse that says "hell yeah I got it going on". I am big on jewelry, in fact I love it because it makes a great statement. I love big earrings (great chandelier pair at Dots for $8.00) sorry I had to digress b/c that was such a nice buy.

In addition to jewelry I collect hats and I love wearing them with random outfits. Shoes are another great accessory and I often buy them when I'm not looking for them, I just see a great pair on sale. For me a sale is usually anything under $30.00 and in good quality. The purchase also depends on the "vision" I have for the item, if it's a good one I will buy it to wear at a later date (translation: when the rest of the items in the vision are frontal lobe).

Bottom line: Please do not think you need to buy a new outfit every time an important event comes up or your having a bad hair day. First organize your closet this way you know what your working with. Second, if you must shop, look for accessories, buy a pair of colorful shoes/pumps, get different colored and textured belts, and jewelry. Ashley Stewart has beautiful ring's on sale...I just bought one for $6.00 (refer to the pic). Try adding a bright colored scarf to your outfit and pairing it with the new colorful shoes you bought on sale from_________(fill in the blank). Also, don't be afraid to buy a purse that is not black or brown. Forget about safe and venture out, after all...you want to look fabulous while staying within budget. I purchased a beautiful cherry red scarf from my local thrift store for $3.90, it's the perfect accessory!

Challenge: for every outfit you see on the street, in a magazine and on television determine if it's the actual garment you like or the accessories that make the outfit. Pay close attention to the color of the shoes, bags, belts, and the gaudy jewelry.

Begin to think outside of the "department store."

Fashionable Quick Pics Under $40.00

Ashley Stewart

$39.00 $20.00

$4.98 Fashion Bug$30.00 Fashion to Figure

Curvy Girl's Guide to Shapewear

**Cupidintimates.com** use the website as a guide to the various types of shapewear and then go rummaging!

Last night I was asked a fabulous question "How does one hide their muffin top?" and this lead me to post a few tips. Now back when I was a stubborn teenager I would have suggested pulling your pants up over your stomach (yeah I used to do that) but...seriously who wants to do that? It's unflattering, uncomfortable, and draws more attention to the muffin top because the "forced" high waisted pant is literally dividing your stomach into two sections.

If you are like me, a woman with a whole lotta stomach then you are in luck. Shapewear is the perfect solution to taming the tummy and masking the muffin top. Some think that the best shape wear will also be the most expensive but I disagree. Please note that the best stores to buy shapewear at a discounted rate require a bit of work. Why? Because you will need to rummage through the intimates department. Keep in mind it's good to have a variety of different styled undergarments. I personally have 2 tummy controlled briefs purchased at Walmart for $10.00 (Cupid Intimates) in addition to a Cami, Body Brief(Burlington Coat Factory $13.00), and high waisted thigh slimmer (perfect for skirts and dresses). If you go to the website the price is doubled so be smart in how you shop.

Ashleystewart.com

Extra Thought: If you also have that annoying fat on your back that has a tendency to ruin a good outfit due to the extra attention to the bulges look into Jill Scott's Butterfly Bra. It offers great support for "the girls" in the front and back of you! I honestly got annoyed ever time I would put a nice top on and see all of the back fat just hanging out. I bought two Butterfly Bra's and fell in love for a third time in my life. It smoothed my back out and gave my breasts a nice rounded perkiness. The cost was $40.00 two years ago when it first came out but it now runs for $24.00 at Ashleystewart.com.

Recommendations: Burlington Coat Factory, Ross, Conway, AJ Wright, and Marshalls. Each offers the same shape wear you would buy online at an affordable price.

Sealed With A Kiss (S.W.A.K) Designs Sophisticated and Sexy Fall 2010 Collection

I'm listening to Madonna's "Do you know what it feels like for a girl" and once upon a time I could seriously relate to this song in a solem kind of way but now i'm thinking about Sealed With A Kiss Design's (S.W.A.K's) new fall 2010 collection and I can honestly say yes I do! I have lived for 28 years on this earth and have never came across a thin day in my life. As a teenager I had to resort to using oversized shirts as blazers, have my mother sew dresses for me, and wear a size above my regular shoe size because I have wide feet and this was only ten years ago. After seeing S.W.A.K's fall collection I as a full-figured female that does not like to spend a great deal of money on fashion but, would still like to look good have discovered another beautifully made clothing line that caters to my needs. The clothes are not only affordable but they also look amazing and I'm excited! I would like to keep within the theme of "sexy and sophisticated" and I believe S.W.A.K can help me do just that. "Strong on the inside but you don't know it" - Madonna (What it feels like for a girl).

Ladies, I'm challenging you to be confident enough to show who you are starting from the inside and working your way on out. Feeling good inspires the looking good, let's get inspired!

***Notice the colors are aligned with the fall 2010 color trends***

Saturday Wardrobe

This was my "Saturday wear" out with the family!

Red/White striped shirt short sleeve shirt w/red flowers at top red collar: $8.50 Walmart
Thin Black Ruffled "Cozy Cardigan": Fashion Bug $19.99 (I absolutely love it) I'm thinking about getting this one for $24.99:
Rhinestone Leggings: Rainbow: $15.00
Black peep toe flat: Pay Less $9.99
Pearl Chain Necklace: Ashley Stewart (buy 1 get 1 50% off) $6.00
Silver (colored) hoop earrings: Local beauty supply store: $1.00

The outfit was fashionable and comfortable; especially for a toddler birthday party at petting farm filled with hayrides and porta-pottie's. I wanted to feel like a "hot mama" and I accomplished that goal!

Fall 2010 Color Trends

Monif. C and IGIGI: Pre-Fall 2010 collection

For those of you that love adding a pop of color into your wardrobe the fall 2010 color trends are here! The great thing about color is you can chose to have a lot or a little either way color can truly make your outfit stand out in a good way not to mention it speaks volumes of confidence. For the diehard shop-a-holics you may have already began to see fall colors previewing in local retail shops and online fall collections but in case you have not, colors to pay attention to this fall are:
1. Rich Purple: perfect for adding a pop of color to a dark or dull outfit and if worn properly will not require many accessories b/c the color can speak for itself.

2. Camel: While I’m not a big fan of this color I do enjoy pairing a nicely cut Camel blazer with a great pencil skirt or fitted pair of skinny jeans/boots or booties. I recently bought a pair of Camel kitten heels from Target for $7.00 and wore them with a green wrap dress.
3. Mixed Green: another beautiful color that may not require many accessories or could be the accessory. I’m seeing a lot of olive colored jewelry and scarf’s (Conway emerald green scarf $9.00).

4. Pale Blue: I’m not a big fan of pale blue but if it looks good and has a nice fit I can work with it! For this color I would again go with a blazer/jacket with a pop of red or pink, accessories (including pumps) or a nice ruffled button-up to compliment the Camel blazer.

5. Bright Red: I love this color! (So again I am biased) But don’t you always seem to notice the person on the other side of the street wearing the amazingly colored cherry red dress, or stilettos? Bright red is a stand out color, one that exudes a tremendous amount of chic curvy confidence.

6. Modern Metallic: I cannot wait to go shopping to add additional metallic’s to my wardrobe. Metallic’s are like using black, white, or grey, you can pair them with all sorts of colors and your outfit will still look incredible.

COLOR TIP: Color is a great way to distinguish your style from the status quo especially those of us that work in a black or grey suit environment. It never hurts to try something different. Try mixing dark and light colors together, or adding colorful accessories that compliment your outfit. For colorful ideas try using the website http://www.colorschemer.com/online.html . This will give you an idea of what colors work well together. All in all, don’t be afraid to be confident!