Outfit August | ASOS Curve night foil metallic leggings

Hi loves,

OMG, I've bought the best leggings in the world. I'm basically living out ALL my childhood dreams as an adult because when I was a child/teen there was never any fun clothing in my size.

I'm not stranger to 'out there' looks - blue lipstick, undercuts, hell I even shaved my eyebrows off once. (No you can't see the photos, I looked like an alien!) But this might be my most out-there post of them all. Tank Girl and Mad Max are being channeled in this look.

Terracotta & lace up shoes + spring trends

I wore this outfit for a walk around St Katharine's Dock in London and the surrounding area whilst James and I were visiting his parents. It was a rare day warm enough to go without a proper jacket, which now seems like a million years away as the spring weather has turned wintry once more.

I bought two of these vests on Yours Clothing's two for £14 offer - this terracotta one and a black one. I love this terracotta shade and it's one we'll see a lot this spring/summer. The vests have a cross back as you can see in the stock photo here which elevates it lightly from being a plain vest top. These days I look for details in my clothes and accessories - I want comfort, but I also want a little more to draw the eye. The cross back detail on the vest top and the lace up shoes add interest to an otherwise boring outfit. I'm wearing a size 30/32 in the vest as I wanted an oversized look and length in the back.  It's slightly dipped at the back, long enough to cover my bum, which James says is a bad thing as he wants to look at it. Hah! It bobbled on the first wear as it's a really thin material, so do be aware. I wanted really lightweight tops for summer so I can live with a little bobbling.

I'm wearing:
Necklace, Jewel Street
Sheer jacket, bought at UKPSFW similar here
Yours Clothing Terracotta Red V-neck Vest With Cross Back
ASOS Curve jersey peg leg trousers 
Red satchel, birthday present
Lace up shoes, Primark

I absolutely adore these lace up shoes by Primark! They needed no wearing in at all. They aren't wide fit so I'm wearing an 8 instead of my usual 7 and they fit perfectly. They also come in burgundy and I hope they'll bring out more colours. I have my eye on a couple of other pairs of similar shoes from ASOS and New Look. Those tan ones are the sex! I love lace up/ghillie shoes as they're so comfortable, they look completely sexy and they're the big thing in flats for spring and summer. If you only buy one pair of shoes this year make them lace up/ghillies to be on trend. I'm pleased terracotta is going to be big this year too, and I love it as it looks great on tanned or dark skin.

Thanks for reading,
L xoxo

All the new things feat. ASOS Curve, Boohoo & Yours Clothing

I normally like to space out new things into a few different outfits to get the most bang for my buck, but I'm actually wearing a few new things at once here, and they're all SO COMFORTABLE.

I'm wearing a hanky hem dress from Boohoo Plus, a denim jacket from Yours Clothing and some peg leg jersey trousers by ASOS Curve. This is like my dream outfit as I feel like I'm wearing my pyjamas but I feel reasonably stylish. My necklace just elevated the look out of nightwear into something more.

So, let's talk about the clothes, shall we?

I'm wearing the Yours Clothing black denim jacket in a size 24 (£29). It's the most gorgeous high stretch denim and so comfortable. I've worn it every day since I bought it. It goes with everything and I'm pretty tempted to buy it in white as well, although realistically I'll never be able to keep it white. Size down a size or two unless you want a very oversized look as fit is generous. I've been told the blue denim and white jackets aren't made of soft stretchy denim so be aware of that if you order.

I'm wearing the Boohoo Plus Moira hanky hem dress in a size 24. (£12). It's such a lovely thick fabric and generously sized as I'm a size 26/28. I also have it in black. The black one is a thinner material, so it's bigger and hangs longer. The grey is tight across my boobs and arms but I still think it looks OK. The hanky hem isn't at all noticeable - it's just dipped slightly longer at each side. If they did this dress in 10 colours I'd buy them all. It's a massive bargain! If you're up to a size 28/30 a size 24 should fit you. Smaller sizes I would advise to size down one size unless you love the oversized look. I'll be wearing these on holiday without leggings.

Lastly I'm wearing ASOS Curve peg leg jersey trousers and they're like wearing PJs! I'm wearing a size 28 but I could've managed with a size 26 (£18) as they're generous in fit, even with my very full bum, tum and hips. I can pull these right up under my boobs (WIN!) and they're the softest jersey you could imagine. They are a dream to wear. I'd say size down one size unless you're very bottom heavy.

I'm also wearing past season Primark sunnies and a past season New Look necklace. When you think about it, 3 items for £59 is amazing value.

Thanks for reading!
Leah xoxo

ASOS Curve Floral Gem Crop Top

I bought this crop top last summer from ASOS Curve and I only recently got around to wearing it. It has diamonds and flowers printed on it, a couple of a girl's best friends. You might be able to pick one up on eBay. Actually, everything in this outfit is past season.

I still can't get enough of crop tops. The ASOS ones are a little too short for me - I'd prefer a little more length at the back to encompass my back squidge - but I've worn my skirt up a little higher to compensate.

I'm wearing:

Necklace, blog sale
Crop top, past season ASOS Curve
Skirt, past season Yours Clothing
Shoes, past season Very

The lipstick is Serpent by Makeup Revolution if anyone is interested.

If you want to wear crop tops but aren't comfortable doing so in public just yet, ease into it gently. Knot a t shirt at the front or side to expose just a hint of skin, or wear a kimono over the top of a proper crop top. I've been out wearing crop tops several times now, and trust me, no one bats an eyelid. And if someone did stare or say something, so what? It's a couple of inches of exposed flesh on a fat person. Anyone who's threatened or offended by that is a pillock, and who cares what pillocks think? I only care about the opinions of people I like. Everyone else can go sit on a cactus.

I've been trying to do different poses in my photos recently. I look like a fool in some of them but at least I have a good giggle when I look back through my photos. :) I've tried doing that arch-fashionista death stare down the lens (which some people do so well and look so glorious doing) but it feels wrong on me. My resting bitch face has too much bitch in it, lololol. I've also taken a few sets of outfit photos out and about recently and look forward to doing that more now the days are getting longer. I've seen more than enough of that wall unit behind me - I want to replace it with one of these, but there's no point doing it until we move. Spring will be here soon, and that'll mean more walks and more opportunities to take photos outside - and less of that wall unit. ;)

Have a great week.
Leah xoxo

Outfit Post || The ghost with the most

Hello lovelies!

Another week has whizzed by, and here in the UK our clocks have gone back meaning it's getting dark at 4pm now. James and I got out of the house on Friday, Saturday and yesterday to top up the Vitamin D and I feel so much better for it.

We took photos of a couple more Halloween outfits, this one being the one I was most looking forward to - the one with the ASOS Curve ghost dress. James loves me spending money like most people like having teeth pulled - not a lot! But when I showed him this dress he said 'You should buy it!' so I did. :)

Of course I wanted to take photos in a cemetery. It's rather fitting, don't you think?

Cardigan, from Mookie

Dress, ASOS Curve sold out

Skull bag, eBay

180 denier bamboo tights, Donatella's

Boots, past season New Look wide fit
Scarf (in last shot) eBay
Cadimhe star necklace, Missguided
Bracelet, Bluebirds and Daisies
Lipstick, Serpent by Makeup Revolution

I won't rave on too much about how soft and comfortable this dress is because it sold out in lightning speed and doesn't appear to be coming back. Boo. But it is very soft and comfortable and comes to just above my knee at the back, even taking into account my shelf butt, which steals inches like cute dogs steal food under the dinner table.

These tights! I've been wanting thick ribbed tights in my size for ages. And now I have them, yaaasss! Cosy, warm, totally opaque tights which are so warm I never want to take them off. You can't make me. Top tights tip - if you're wearing boots and want to wear socks, put them on under your tights. That way the socks don't yank your tights upwards and cut off the circulation to your toes. Especially important when wearing fishnets or you'll garrotte them little piggies.

Glowing ghosts. Oo-ooh-ooh-oooo!

Thanks for reading!
Leah xoxo

Asos Curve Beach Maxi Dress In Cheesecloth

Hello lovelies,

I snapped this dress up for £15 in the ASOS Curve sale, knowing how airy cheesecloth is in summer. I love to wear khaki in summer as it suits me once I've picked up a bit of a tan.

It's totally see through, so do bear that in mind, and the V at the front is so deep I'm wearing a vest top underneath to protect my modesty. I'm also wearing another pair of Wingz.

Beach Maxi Dress In Cheesecloth, ASOS Curve
Vest, old Simply Be
Wingz, FatPhrocks
Earrings, Primark
Shoes, old Evans
Bracelet, eBay

Other than hubby's sperm making facilities going into shutdown next week and my poor uncle's cancer battle, life is shitting on us further. Some absolute shit smashed the rear windscreen on our less-than-2-week-old car yesterday. They say when it rains it pours, and they're not wrong.

I'm trying really hard to stay positive, but it's difficult to dredge up optimism for posting right now. Visiting my aunt and uncle on Saturday was one of the most awful things I've ever experienced. He is fading away. I took one look at him in bed and tears sprang from my eyes. I held his hand and rubbed it for about 20 minutes and told him I'm so sorry this is happening to him. He's a bag of bones and my poor aunt is inconsolable. All I could do was hold her hand, rub her back, hug her or let her lean on me for comfort while she cried. We also did a small food shop as she wasn't eating well (and who could blame her?) It's awful. I just want to drop everything and be there. I've been shocked by how draining worrying is. I feel so tired, so God alone knows how my aunt is feeling.

Thankfully she has a lot of help. My mum and step dad are there almost every day, my other aunts and uncles are visiting and she also has visitors from a local hospice every evening (until morning) so she can try to rest. There will be carers coming in every day from now on to help wash and dress him, and he'll also be having day care at a local hospice to make sure his pain is under control and that he eats. They're also waiting for a hospital bed to be delivered so he doesn't have to navigate the stairs any more.

Do me a favour? Next time you see your loved ones (even the ones who you may have a difficult relationship with) give them a hug if you can, and if they ask why, say 'Just because.' Most of us dare not show 'too much' affection to people until it's almost too late. I don't know why we're scared of revealing the softer parts of ourselves until someone is desperately ill, but I feel it's often the case.

Thanks for reading.
xoxo

Fatshion Feb Day 6 - Be seen in green OOTD

Hello pickles!

I have a lovely jade green top on here from Asda, which I snapped up right after Christmas. I was shopping with my mum and step dad with Christmas money burning a hole in my pocket when I came across this bobby dazzler with its daisy burnout pattern. (See photo at the end with a close up of the pattern.) Oops, forgot to include the close up!

I found myself going round Asda clutching at everything green and constantly saying 'Green is going to be SO big next year!' I think my mum thought I was demented, and it illustrated how much of my time is taken up with fashion!

I'm wearing:
Top, Asda
Necklace, Sister Vintage (out of business it seems)
Jade bracelet, gift from my mumma
Belt, ASOS Curve
Skirt & shoes Simple Be - old

The top I'm wearing is a 24 and a very big 24 at that. When I picked it up and held it aloft my step dad said 'If that don't fit ya, girl.....' then trailed off as I gave him side eyes. Hahaha. I should hasten to add being called 'girl' at my age was welcome, so I'll let him off. ;)

Sister Vintage do a lot of really cheap jewellery so they're well worth checking out. They get new jewellery in all the time. I bought two necklaces about a week ago and they've already gone, so if you see something you like, get in there.

The belt from ASOS is almost corset-like - it's hard to manoeuvre in. Because the curve from the small of my back to my hips is so steep (it's like a black ski run, hahaha) it's impossible to get such a wide belt to fit me correctly - it doesn't quite sit right under my boobs or lower down towards my hips. It looks grand but if you have a big bubble bum like me it might make for an uncomfortable wear. It looks great but I'm always pleased to take it off, so maybe it's better for flatter tum/bum girls.

I'm almost menstrual, which is why I have a ghostly pallor about me. I used about a kilo of blush to try to make me look alive but it's not quite worked. Every month like clockwork a couple of days before I look like all the blood has been leached out of me. Maybe it's time to crack out the black and do something gothic to make the most of my just-drained-by-a-vampire pallor.

Thanks for reading.

Dotty Blue OOTD & Fatshion February

Hello pickles!

I hope you all had a good weekend. I had a great weekend - Saturday was spent with fellow plus size blogger Mookie and yesterday was spent reading and commenting on everyone's Love EVERY Body posts.

I have an outfit post today which was taken outside in some trying conditions - the cloud was in and out every 30 seconds which meant there's a different quality of light in every photo, ha.

I'm standing in front of an old well in Winchelsea, which is a quaint little town about half an hour away from us. It lies mostly flat, which is a great help for me to walk around as I'm gradually trying to build up some lung capacity and muscle strength after 6 months of Fibro flare up.

I committed a fashion faux pas by teaming tan boots with a grey handbag. Eek. There are too many colours going on here! It's great to learn by looking back.

Coat, c/o Simply Be
Dress, ASOS Curve via Lolly (last year, check eBay.)
Leggings, Simply Be
Boots, c/o Fashion World
Necklace, Black Heart Creatives
Earrings, Primark
Handbag, British Heart Foundation

I didn't actually realise this dress is as long as it is before. It's really flattering and I'd like to get hold of the teal polka dot one ASOS were selling at the same time. The handbag was one of the Heart Foundation's many new lines they sell. I got it a couple of years ago for Christmas and I think it's suede. I'll use it in another outfit post soon with better photos as it's really a bobby dazzler! The coat was sent to me by Simply Be in the autumn last year and has got so much wear. It's £89 at the moment and worth every penny as far as I'm concerned. I can't remember if I've ever had a coat of this length before, but I'm sold on no longer having cold legs.

Fatshion February is a thing where you do an outfit post a day for the whole of Feb. I'm going to attempt (health willing) to do an outfit post every day of Feb. If there are a lot of other things going on, rather than clogging up the blog I may post a couple of outfits in one post.

Also, as if posting an outfit every day for 4 weeks isn't enough, for half of that time I'm going to be wearing the SAME dress. Yes, for 14 of those 28 days I'll be wearing a plain black dress and trying to make each outfit as different as possible with the use of different coloured leggings, cardigans, jumpers etc and oodles of accessories. It should be a lot of fun and will make me really dig deep into my accessories and jewellery stash, as well as wearing some clothes you haven't seen for a while. I'm not sure if I'm going to do the 14 days of the black dress concurrently or not. I might mix them up every other day so it doesn't get boring.

Laura is also taking part so feel free to check her posts out. I love her outfits - they're all so fun. If you're also taking part in Fatshion February let me know.

Thanks for reading!

Punky trews OOTD

Hiya pickles!

I've got a bit of an eccentric outfit post for you today.

I bought these tartan/leopard leggings in the Yours sale. I have a dress in the same print which I blogged here. I love red, tartan and leopard print so they're right up my alley. They're pretty full on, and I'm good with that. I love the zips at the ankle too. I think I'll wear them with ballerina flats next time as I don't like them with these shoes. Photographing outfits definitely helps decide what looks right.

Hat, Primark (years ago.)

Necklace, Black Heart Creatives

Dress, ASOS Curve (limited sizes left.)

Belt, ASOS Curve

Leggings, Yours Clothing sale

Shoes, Rocket Dog

What 'big' plans have you got to look forward to this year?

Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend!

OMCZ 23 - Pretty pencils OOTD

Hiya pickles!

EDIT: I POSTED THIS ON TUESDAY THINKING IT WAS WEDNESDAY. Oops!

Happy New Year's Eve.

This fortnight the challenge was picked by Betty:

'Pretty Pencils'

Betty Wrote: I absolutely love pencil skirts but I've never had the confidence to wear them, what with the VBO and all that jazz. However, I've just ordered a beauty and I could really do with that push in order to wear it...let me see all you lovely ladies rocking your pencil skirts, get those pins out and share your style tips (as I also have no idea what to wear with the damn thing)! Betty x

I'm wearing my old faithful ASOS Curve pencil skirt and a blouse which only arrived a couple of hours before I started taking these photos. It's fresh out of the bag and thus a little creased. It's from Everything 5 Pounds.

I like it because there are 2 layers of fabric over the boobs for modesty, but there's only one panel below the boobs, giving a lovely sheer look. I sized up to a 30/32 as I have a problem getting things with no stretch to fit over my bubble butt. It's too big in the boobs but I don't mind a bit. It has lovely loose flowy sleeves which are see through. The sleeves are too long for me, but they act as hand warmers. 

I'm wearing my Wonder Woman necklace from my friend Lisa. It's funny because I often joke about not being Superwoman any more, so now I'm Wonder Woman as in 'I wonder which body part is going to play up today?' Hahaha. My sense of humour gets me through. :) I love the necklace, and I had the biggest crush on Wonder Woman when I was a child.

Necklace, from Lisa
Top, Everything 5 Pounds.
Skirt, ASOS Curve
Tights* Big Bloomers Company
Shoes, Rocket Dog

Do you wear pencil skirts? They can be a tad unforgiving on my ample hips, but I say sod it!

Thanks for reading.

Jolly OOTD

Hello you!

I have a casual festive look for you today. I bought this 'jolly' t-shirt from New Look online. It was only £7.99 and I had a 25% off code at the time so it was a no-brainer.

Give it a few days and it'll probably be half price! ;)

I'm wearing my Christmas pud necklace from Black Heart Creatives which was half price at £7.50. Yes for bargains! I talk about BHC so much you might think I'm sponsored by them, but I've bought all my necklaces myself - I bloody love them!

You can see my re-shaved undercut here. I attacked it just before I went to bed a few nights ago. There's a scary amount of grey coming through, including a coin sized chunk by my temple. Henna time!

T-shirt, New Look
Necklace, Black Heart Creatives
Cardigan, Primark
Skirt, ASOS Curve (past season.)
Shoes, Very (past season.)

Thanks for peeking!

I hope you're all ready for Christmas/Yule/Giftmas/Wednesday (if you don't celebrate.)

I'm actually not a vampire OOTD

Hola!

Insomnia is kicking my arse so hard right now I've got toenails in my colon. It's always with much relief when I make it out of bed before the sun dips past the horizon.

Photographic proof of upheaval from my pit before daylight ends:

I'm wearing:

Dress, ASOS Curve, which is about a year old.
Leggings, Rogers & Rogers at Matalan (they aren't on the website at the moment.)
Shoes from Mr Price, no longer available.
Belt, ASOS Curve.

I love this print. Even though it's aztec print, if I squint I can pretend it's fairisle, which I absolutely love, especially at this time of year.

Do you favour any particular prints near Christmas?

Thanks for reading.