Tag Archives: Fashion

Plus Size Shopping at Torrid | Dressing Room Diary

Fashion 42 Comments

This week I took my camera into the dressing room at Torrid. We seem to be having fun with my dressing room videos on YouTube so, I’m going to make them a more regular thing on my channel, subscribe here!

I usually have one specific thing I like from each plus size store, when it comes to Torrid I adore their jeans. The fit is perfect for me and they last through my chub rub for a very long time (win!).

Normally I shop on Torrid.com, but since I was near a store I made sure to pop in and have some fun in the fitting room.

 

I tried on a few pairs of boyfriend jeans and honestly, I think they might be a fail on me– let me know what you think in the comments!

Striped Sweater | All Distressed Jeans | Denim Shirt | Black Cocktail Dress

Click the Pics Below to shop my faves

Check out last week’s Dressing Room Diary at Ashley Stewart: Click Here

How to Create a Boudoir Photo Shoot | Tips for Every Body

Fashion 207 Comments

 

1.) Find Lingerie that makes You Feel Beautiful

Tip #6 don’t take yourself too seriously How to Create a Boudoir Photo shoot, right now on the blog (link in bio)

The most exciting part of this shoot for me was ordering my Lingerie! I chose to customize a three piece set from Impish Lee, a woman owned start-up based in Brooklyn. I was able to go online and customize the lace for my skin tone, the fabrics and prints and even the little embellishments. They make beautiful items for women of all sizes (girls, you’re in for a treat, I’ve got a gift card up for grabs down below!)

 

Robe: Impish Lee | Bra: Impish Lee | Lace Pencil Skirt: Impish Lee

I wore a high waist panty with this lace skirt, but you can pair it with whatever you want to (or not!)

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Event Recap: Speaking at Refinery29 Celebrating Kelsey Miller’s Book, “Big Girl”

Curvy Conversations Fashion 3 Comments

It’s pretty exciting to watch my internet friends do amazing things.

It’s even more exciting when they ask me to be a part of it.

Kelsey Miller has just released a book called, “Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting and Got a Life” and I am so incredibly proud of her. I’ve read the book and it is so open and honest… I feel like there’s a little piece of all of us inside of her storytelling.

If you don’t know Kelsey, she’s the creator of the Anti-Diet project on Refinery29. She’s been super supportive of me in countless ways, so when she asked if I would be a speaker on a body image panel during her book launch, I immediately said yes.

Check out my video recap below and order “Big Girl” here

The Panel

Kelsey hand-selcted four powerful female voices from around the internet…

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From left to right:

What I wore…

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Jump Suit: Jibri | Cropped Coat: Old/Sold Out | Shoes: (Similar) Zappos

The Woman of the Hour…

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Kelsey is the best! Soon after joining the staff of Refinery29, she created The Anti-Diet Project, one of the website’s most popular franchises. She is currently a Senior Features Writer and lives in Brooklyn.

The Conversation (Video Recap)…

The Book…

Big Girl Book kelsey miller

 

Order Here

If you’d like me to come speak at your school, sorority, event, etc. click here to contact me!

Ice Cream Cone Chic

Fashion 30 Comments

I just want to take a minute and give props to my girl, Chastity for her GarnerStyle for Rebdolls collection.

I’m so proud of her!

She has an amazing eye for fashion and it’s so exciting to see her ideas for plus size fashion come to life. The line has a lot of sold out items, but here are a few pieces that I love and you can still find on the website.

Dress (Similar) Here | Bag Here | Boots Here

I paired my camel brown accessories with this pale pink and I felt like a chic little ice cream cone! This dress has pockets and you can also wear it simply without a belt. Chastity styled it with black accessories, but I’m all about pink and brown.
Photo Dec 27, 7 42 00 PM

Dress (Similar) Here | Bag Here | Boots Here

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Top Here

garnerstyleforrebdollsleoparddress

Dress Here

cheetahmidiskirt_6e3a1c12-7aa4-4e31-986a-3f0b5a5b4a14

Top Here

#GoBestFriend!!!!

Let’s Talk Travel: 9 Things to Do in San Diego, CA

Travel 36 Comments

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to explore more. I love to travel and I really want to start making the most of the cities and countries that I visit in 2016, so I’ll be taking you along with me!

I’m from Fresno, California and my family often vacations in Oceanside, CA right outside of San Diego. When we’re all together, we pretty much hang by the pool and enjoy each other’s company, but this Christmas I decided to take in San Diego more than I usually do. I spent a couple of nights on my own, then I met up with my family for more adventures.

I think we all know about the San Diego Zoo and the other theme parks, but here are 9 things that I’d suggest doing  in San Diego:

1.) Stay at the Grand Hyatt, Manchester

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The Manchester Grand Hyatt, was an awesome mix of “staycation”, walking tourism and adventure. The property has a spa, multiple pools with cabanas and a really friendly staff who made me feel taken care of. My corner King suite had breathtaking views of the water and the city. It was awesome to wake up to bright sunny views every morning, it was the perfect alarm clock. There are a few other reasons you’ll want to stay here, but I’ll get to that in a bit…

2.) Eat Breakfast

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One of my favorite meals while traveling is breakfast. When I’m on vacation, I can actually take time and enjoy a meal that I normally rush through during my regular life. My first morning at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, I ordered breakfast in bed. The next morning I went to their Sea View restaurant.

Tip: If you use the hashtag #LivingGrandSD on social media, the hotel will send you a link to unlock some cool deals, including a discount code for breakfast at the Sea View restaurant.

Even though I was there for breakfast  on a Week day morning, the Sea View was pretty packed, so I wasn’t able to get a table with an actual view of the sea. If you’re in a regular booth, it kind of feels a little more like a cafeteria, but the food is sooooo good!

At the end of my meal, my waitress brought me a coffee to go, which I thought was really sweet. (Coffee is my love language lol).

3.) Get a Workout In

 

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The gym at the Grand Hyatt is one of the nicer hotel gyms I’ve used. The room has windows on all sides with views of the water. The machines and equipment are in great condition and there is so much space to move around. One lady was doing lunges across the floor, while a couple was on medicine balls together and no one was in the way.

There’s also some great hiking trails in San Diego, some of which will take you right to the beach!

4.) Walk to Seaport Village

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Seaport Village is shopping right on the water (two of my favorite things). Living in NYC, I’m fine with or without a car. I like to visit cities that encourage walking and Seaport Village was a cute little walk from my hotel.  They also have little restaurants with live music. There are lots of friendly tourists and since I was traveling solo for the first part of my trip, I handed my camera off to two adorable girls who didn’t speak english and between the three of us we got this photo to happen.

5.) Sunset Drinks at Top of the Hyatt

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I grew up watching the sun set over the Pacific ocean and that’s one of the main things I miss about California. There’s nothing like it. The Top of the Hyatt is the highest view in San Diego and watching the sunset from 40 floors up is pretty sweet.

I curled up in one of their comfy chairs with a glass of Malbec and just took it all in. I happened to have my laptop with me and the views were so inspiring that I wrote this post.

6.) Coronado Island

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I’ve already been snorkeling in La Jolla Cove, so this time when my family arrived we drove over to Coronado Island for the day. Being there in December, I loved seeing the ice-skating rink they had set up on the beach. The water wasn’t warm enough to get into the ocean but we had a fabulous time on the beach. We had high tide, but most of the time you can catch a glimpse of little sea creatures in the tide pools.

7.) Visit the Sandcastle Man

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I’d seen the Sandcastle Man of Coronado Island on YouTube, so I was really hoping to run into him and on Christmas Eve, there he was! His name is Bill and he’s so sweet, its really adorable to see how happy he is to watch everyone taking pictures with his creations.

He was even calm and gracious when a little kid got loose from his parents and tried to climb on the castle… eek!!!

Everyone around the castle takes photos of each other which is how my family was able to get this postcard-worthy pic of my family. Hooray for nice people!

8.) Moo Time Creamery

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Best. Ice-Cream. Ever.

9.) Photo Booth

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Before we left Coronado Island, my sisters and I jumped into a photo booth. Its actually right outside Moo Time Creamery, so you can snap a pic and then sit outside with your cones… a perfect way to end your day!

Living in NYC, I hear people talk about visiting LA and San Francisco all the time, but don’t discount San Diego. The weather is amazing and there are lots of cool things to do… In San Diego you’re also close enough to do a quick jaunt over to Mexico which is also on my list of things to do.

If you’ve got even 48 hours and the desire to explore San Diego, this list is a good place to start.

Sponsored by the Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego. All opinions are 100% mine, of course.

4 BODY POSITIVE NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

Fitness 6 Comments

The past few years, I started noticing an unfortunate trend in my new year’s resolutions: They were all steeped in negativity. “I’m going to lose weight” (because I’m too big). “I’m going to stop eating after 7 p.m.” (because I need to lose weight). “I’m going to hit the gym more” (same-old, same-old). What I’ve basically been saying is: “My body sucks.”

So, although focusing on my health is undoubtedly a huge priority for me, I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way I’m going to reach my goals is if I possess a positive body image. For the New Year, that means out with the negative resolutions and in with the encouraging and uplifting ones.


I’m going to hit the gym because I love my body — not because I hate it.
Okay, so my thighs touch, and the backs of my arms jiggle — but my body is still an amazing instrument that I literally couldn’t live without. So, instead of spending 20 minutes on the inner-thigh machine trying to shrink myself, I’m going to spend that time making my thick thighs stronger, so they can hold me up well into my old age. And, the next time I lose grip on my cell phone and it falls into my lap, I’ll be thankful for the non-existent thigh gap that did not let that phone crash to the ground.

Related: How to Get Fit with Bad Knees

If I like it, I’m going to wear it.
I spent all of high school following fashion rules that I didn’t believe in. Spoiler alert: Our bodies don’t change when we wear all black. In my opinion, plus-size girls are subject to random fashion “rules” because people want us to hide our bodies. If you’re not a perfect size 4 or 6, you’re not supposed to wear this or that.

Yeah, no. I’m not going to conform to someone else’s subjective opinion on what I should and should not wear. I’ve learned to bare my arms and show off my legs, and I think this year I want to try crop tops and horizontal stripes. Each time I’ve let a part of my body show, I’ve felt empowered, liberated, and beautiful — so why stop now?

I’m going to move it, move it.
There is something amazing that happens when I move my body. Long walks on the weekend, an evening swim, or even my one-song workout videos have the power to change  my mood. I need to not forget how much I love that, because the more I keep myself in a positive head space, the more I look at everything (including my body) with positivity.

I’m going to buy cute pajamas.
I wear cute pajamas to bed, even when I’m sleeping alone. This is because my relationship status doesn’t change my value — so the way I treat myself when I’m alone should be no different than how I treat myself when I’m in a relationship. If putting on nice pajamas before bed makes me feel good and happy about my body, it’s worth doing.

It’s easy to work out because people say you should, wear the clothes that people say you should, and judge your body the way people say you should. It’s less easy to embrace a positive body image — but I’m going to make it happen. This year, I propose that you do the same. Instead of saying you’re “not going to buy that dress until you lose 10 pounds” or that you’re “going to do as many sit-ups as it takes to get a flat stomach,” take some fashion risks, find a class at the gym that you love, practice moderation in your food choices, and be happy with how you look right now. It doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement — I’ll never stop challenging myself — but it means finding peace and contentment with who we are and who we’re becoming.

Next: A Year of Loving Myself, Click Here

Model or Me: Eloquii Gown

Fashion 63 Comments

This Fall, I brought “Plus Size Model or Me?” to the blog with this post.

Some of you asked: “Why make it a competition?”, “Why ask us to choose?”, “Is this even body positive?”

Here’s my answer:

As plus size women, many of us automatically think our bodies are a hindrance to wearing certain items. Big girls often feel they aren’t even in the same “league” as a smaller girl. I do think there’s some body positive affirmation that comes when you can root for the fat chick. I think it’s body positive to see that items can look just as good on a big girl with lumps as it does on a model with a perfect figure. So, these posts are just my way of leveling the playing field a bit and opening our eyes that we can wear whatever we want. The main point is comparison and seeing that different can be good, not competition.

Hope that makes sense… now, on to today’s post!

I’m going to show you an item on a model, I’m going to explain how I made my purchase (what size I chose, color, width, etc.), then I’ll show the item on me and you can decide if you like it on the model… or on me.

Eloquii Long Sleeve Petal Neckline Gown

 

www.plussizeprincess.com model or me CeCe Olisa Eloquii Gown

Here’s the dress on the model.

The only long dresses I own are summer maxi’s, so I was really excited about this gown. It seemed simple enough to wear for any occasion where I want to step things up and I knew with the right accessories this dress could be super glam.

There is a long sleeved version of the dress here, but I chose the short sleeve version

  • so that I could pull it out during any warmer months too.
  • Because the long sleeved, floor length dress looked like I was trying to cover up my body
  • I think if you’re wearing a floor length gown, you should show a little skin 😉

Normally, I order maxi dresses a size larger to get some extra length, but with this one I ordered the dress in my normal dress size 18, because I didn’t want it to be baggy at all, that would kill the fun of this curve hugging dress. I just crossed my fingers that it would be long enough (I’m 5’10).

www.plussizeprincess.com CeCe Olisa Model or Me? Eloquii Gown

Here’s the dress on me. 

The dress was more than long enough (yay!). The only thing that’s a little awkward is how the fabric clings in the tummy area, but that’s nothing a little shapewear can’t fix. Styling the dress was super easy. I found a fur stole at the goodwill (yessss!) and the clutch and shoe combo is something I’ll probably use with other Little Black Dresses, its unexpected and fun.

www.plussizeprincess.com CeCe Olisa Model or Me: Eloquii Gown

 Clutch Rebecca Minkoff | Shoes: Here | Nails Etsy | Stole (similar) here or here

www.plussizeprincess.com CeCe Olisa Model or Me: Eloquii Gown

 Clutch Rebecca Minkoff | Nails Etsy | Stole (similar) here or here

CeCe Olisa PlusSizePrincess.com

www.plussizeprincess.com Model or Me? CeCe Olisa

So, here it is on the model and on me.

Let me know what you think in the comments…

Plus Size Fashion: Do You Like it on the Model… or Me?

Fashion 90 Comments

 

If you’re anything like me, you have a bag full of clothes in your closet, or the trunk of your car that you meant to return, but you didn’t (because mailing things is just annoying) and suddenly the 30 day return window is long gone and now you have a collection of awesome clothes that just don’t look right on you.

Or maybe you see a plus size blogger in something you’d seen online, and you said to yourself “I wanted to buy that, but I wasn’t sure how it would look on me…”

I totally get it.

That’s the reason I’ve decided to bring this idea back to the blog, I’m going to show you an item on a model, I’m going to explain how I made my purchase (what size I chose, color, width, etc.), then I’ll show the item on me and you can decide if you like it on the model… or on me.

Sound Good? Okay, let’s begin!

SimplyBe Shift Dress with Detachable Collar

Plus Size Pearl Collar Dress PlusSizePrincess.com

Here’s the dress on the model.

I love it because it’s got that vintage/mod feel that is so much fun! I like that the collar is detachable because I can probably mix it into other outfits which gives me more for my money.

I knew right away that I would have to order this dress in a larger size for a few reasons:

  • I’m 5’10 and I know from past purchases that SimplyBe’s dresses run short. Getting it a size bigger would ensure that my bum wouldn’t show
  • I could tell that the fabric was pretty stiff and so there wouldn’t be any “forgiveness” if the dress was too small
  • I have a large bust and carry weight in my tummy, getting a larger size would guarantee that the dress would cling to my boobs and then flare out perfectly

CeCe Olisa PlusSizePrincess.com Pearl Collar Dress Plus Size Fashion

Here’s the dress on me. (Shoes Here,  Anti-Chafing balm for inner thighs Here)

Normally I wear a size 20 in dresses, but I ordered a size 24 (I figured I could get it taken in at the tailor if it was super baggy). In the end, the dress is baggy in the back, but if stiff fabric is too clingy I start to get that “Incredible Hulk” feeling and that’s not cute. So, the sizing works for me.

Anyway, between my Grandmother Rosa, Tap Dancing and #PSPfit I’ve got strong legs, so a dress like this is a good excuse to show them off before it gets too cold here in NYC.

Now, it’s time for you to vote: Do you like it on the model… or me?

Model or Me- PlusSizePrincess.com (2) (1)

Don’t be a Layer Hater

Fashion 8 Comments

I swear sometimes I have the silliest fashion fears. Although I love the look of layering on other girls, I always thought that too many layers would make me look “bulkier” because I’m plus size. Of course, when I actually tried layering I realized that this is one of my favorite plus size casual looks! I’m not a Layer Hater anymore….

CeCe Olisa Plus Size Sweaters How to Layer

Sweater Here | Turtleneck similar Here | Jeans similar Here | Watch Here | Shoes Here | Bag Here

The trick for layering plus size sweaters for me is not being afraid to buy baggy sweaters. Once I have a thick baggy sweater (ponchos work well) I use more curve hugging turtlenecks and tanks underneath. As the temps drop, I layer a colorful plus size coat under a look like this and I’m good to go!

Here are some adorable sweaters and ponchos that are perfect for layering plus an affordable 3-pack of plus size turtlenecks in different colors.

click each image for details and pricing

How to Wear a Plus Size Tutu

Fashion 100 Comments

When I first got my plus size tutu I knew I loved it, but I wasn’t quite sure how to wear it. With time and practice I’ve learned that its a pretty versatile piece that can be styled up or down depending on where I’m going. This is one of my favorite pieces because even as my personal style evolves, this skirt still makes me feel amazing.

Here are three different ways I like to wear my tutu and if you’re looking for a plus size tulle skirt, I’ve got links for you below!

How to Style a Tulle Skirt PlusSizePrincess.com

CeCe Olisa Plus Size TuTu Tulle Skirt Formal

Tutu Here | BodySuit Similar Here & Here | Belt Similar Here | Shoes Here

Putting a bodysuit on under my tutu creates an instant cocktail dress. I’ve worn this look for singing gigs and for more formal events. I could definitely see this as a New Years Eve outfit. To add color, I swapped out the black satin sash that comes with the skirt for a thick leather belt in burgundy. Continue reading →