Eddy and Bri..totally understands me!

I have been accused of being frugal..okay the word that was used was cheap. I have 3 children, all boys who are either growing, eating or doing both simultaneously! I need to find clothing bargains whenever possible. I have to admit what orignially attracted me to Eddy and Bri, was the promise of affordable fashion without having to sacrifice quality. They have nothing on the site over 100 dollars! According to their own mission statement, they want "plus sized women to be fashionable and feel good about what they are wearing". I believe they have accomplished their goal. They sell new and resale clothing. I was able to get an Ashley Stewart tank and an Old Navy Sweater for a combined total of 18 dollars! Both arrived exactly as promised! What really made me a believer was their customer service. The site offered a flat rate of 15 dollars for international shipping. When I paid, I was actually charged 16 dollars. When I pointed that out to their customer service department, thinking they just had not updated the site recently, they apologized and then refunded me the dollar difference. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased that they want their customers to walk away from the shopping experience happy. I thought that I would include some of their fashions but go and check it out for yourself!

Terry Wrap Cardigan
12.00

Neon Colorblock Shirt
20.00

Virtu...Australia knows how to rock the clothes!

When you live in a small community where your choices for plus sized clothes are limited, I like to explore all possible options for fashion, and that has taken me to Australia via the world of online shopping. I love the attitude of Australian designers and the products they offer today's woman. They seem to understand that curvy women need clothes that fit their bodies, not just larger clothes. Today I want to mention Virtu who understand the need of a plus size gal!
Virtu, by the company's definition means "rare and beautiful" and they believe every women is just that regardless of size. They offer different versatile pieces from everyday wear, business casual and some standout pieces that are truly stunning. They carry sizes 12-24 (USA sizing equivalent would be size 8-20) If you are unsure of your size they have a chart you can use for a proper fit. Shipping world wide is $30 dollars. My favourite is the Tahlia tunic top. My guilty pleasure is the top has pockets, so I have place to store my cell phone! I like the quality of the material as I wore it all day and it did not wrinkle. I have included some pictures of me wearing the top. You can see that the top lasted the day much better then I did!

Talhia Tunic from Virtu
Jeggings from Forever 21                                                                
Shoes from Silhouettes
Right now Virtu is having a sale!

One Day Only - 25% off all full priced styles!
Saturday 17th March - Available In Store & Online!

Plus Size Clothing - Virtu - Promotions

www.virtushop.com.au

Plus size clothing in sizes 12 to 24, for your life after work. Shop online for a range of plus size clothing including tops, pants, dresses, sleepwear and much more.

These boots are made for walking, that's just what I'll do..if I can find a pair that fit

I love boots, unfortunately the love is not reciprocal. I am challenged to find a pair that fit and are in my price range. These two requirements are rarely met because I have wide calves. 18 inch calves to be exact which is where I have run into difficulty. I live in a very small community so I have turned to the internet and the world of on line shopping to attempt to fill the void in my closet. This has been met with so/so results.  What I have learned is every site has their own definition of what a wide calf boot is. I have made the mistake of ordering  boots that were "wide calf"  that I could not get the zipper up past my ankle. To insure that this does not happen again and to avoid my disappointment, I have learned to properly measure my leg. Many cites include video tutorials to show you how to find a boot that fits. Duo boots  in England have an excellent teaching tool (just remember UK sizing is different)to help you find a proper fit. I did find a pair of the exact boots I wanted at Torrid in their clearance. I ordered them, but had a terrible time getting the zipper done up by myself  (cue sweet husband yanking up the zipper) every time I wanted to wear them. Once on, they felt great but it also mean't they stayed on all night.Then the worst thing happened, I broke the heal. I tried to find another pair but either the boots were too much or the shipping was 3 times the cost of the boot (don't get me started on the duty). Then a friend suggested that I just get them repaired. Not only was the cost of the repair cheaper then ordering new ones, they were able to add an inch to the zipper area and I gained my independence doing up my own boots.  If you have a pair of boots that are maybe a little tight or need of minor repairs, try having them fixed before throwing them away. If you know of any other online stores that might have reasonably priced boots (that ship to Canada) please leave a comment. My closet always has room for one more pair!

Teach by Example

For a very long time, I waged war against myself. I called myself names, usually names full of hate such as fat, ugly or obese. I believed that the only person I was hurting was myself. What I failed to notice was the lesson I was teaching to my children. I was showing them how to damage their own self esteem. We struggle to protect our children from the world around them, to keep them safe, to guide them, to love them, to help them grow.  We don't want to hurt them, but when we show them how we don't value ourselves, they can begin to question their own self worth. And if you think it only impacts girls, you would be wrong. Boys have just as many body issues and develop their own battles with self hate. I am the mother of 3 boys. I watched my eldest struggle with concerns about his weight and the fear of being fat. Some of it was peer pressure, but some he learned from me by hearing me say hurtful things about myself based only on my appearance.  Let's strive to teach our children to be healthy in body, mind and soul by example. Teach them tolerance, acceptance and self respect.  Teach them self esteem. Have a healthy view of yourself, have a sense of self worth, have a positive outlook, feel satisfied about yourself (most of the time) and set realistic obtainable goals. Be the person now you would want your kids to grow up to be.

One of my biggest regrets was not learning to sew. I remember be in Grade 8 and being told girls had to take home economics which translated to cooking, then sewing. Boys got wood working and machine shop. So I got out my soap box and began preaching about the misogynistic society in which we lived trying to keep this woman in her place. My righteous indignation took over my common sense and I promptly failed the sewing portion of the class, but  felt justified  because I was a strong independent woman teaching society a lesson. Truth is no one cared, my grade point average dropped and my mom has the ugliest, misshaped pot holders ever made. The point I am trying to make is that I wished I had the skills to alter clothes to fit my body properly. Too often I see plus sized or for that matter, any woman, wearing clothes that are too big, too tight and poorly fitting their body. Plus sized designers have a unique challenge when it comes to making their clothes work for a variety of women. This is because we curvy women have a variety of shapes and sizes and despite designers best efforts, one 2x blouse will not properly fit all 2x women.  Because I cannot sew (bless my sweet husband for sewing on my buttons), I have found a seamstress who fits my clothes to my body shape. If you don't want the expense of altering your clothes, I suggest a good thing to learn is your proper measurements.    

When shopping for clothes on line, you can use your measurements to help you choose your correct size. Most clothing stores have sizing charts that tell you what measurements each of the sizes are made to. If you need to know more specific measurement, contact the staff's site for more information. Quick tip - Remember that international sizing is different. If the site does not have a conversion chart, here is one you can use, http://www.onlineconversion.com/clothing_womens.htm.
When shopping in store, make sure you try on the clothes. I know some women who are embarrassed and just want to get in, get out and not have to talk to any clerks. But when you take the time to try on the clothes, you can see how the fabric falls and what the cut feels like. Walk around a bit in the garment to see how it moves with your body. That way you can avoid clothing that clings were you don't want it to, becomes shapeless and does nothing to flatter your curves.