Bold Black & White

 

 Dress from Buffalo Exchange

Jacket from Addition-Elle

Belt from Le Chateau

 

 I scored this adorable dress at a thrift store in the states called Buffalo Exchange. I love the empire waist (always flattering - especially on curvier shapes) and I think the vertical stripes work in my favor as well. I added the belt for even more emphasis on the smallest part of my body. I'm crazy about belts. So many women I come across in my store are so opposed to wearing belts but what they don't realize is that when they are worn appropriately they can completely transform your figure. They create an hourglass shape even if you don't think you have one!

I've also mixed prints (as you have seen before) for a bold, trendy look. I love taking old pieces from my wardrobe (like this dress) and changing them up with something new. This is also a great way for me to recycle my clothes and get more wear out of them - a challenge when your wardrobe is as large as mine!


 

 

A Twist on the Demin on Denim Trend

 

 

 

 

Marilyn Tee (old) from Winners

Denim Top from Reitmans

Jeans from Penningtons

 

 

These funky acid wash jeans are one of my favourite pairs of pants. Though they are definitely out-there and not for everyone (I know for a fact that some of my customers have hated these jeans) I absolutely love them. I love how fun and unique they are. For this outfit I styled them with my Marilyn Monroe tee-shirt (LOVE her!) and a denim top. I have been very iffy about the denim on denim trend this season but I feel like it works with this outfit. The denim top matches the patches on the knees perfectly, but I'm not wearing head-to-toe blue denim (which I don't think I could pull off).

 

I'm so glad I invested in a denim blouse. I've been impressed by how versatile it is and have worn mine a few different ways. This look is very fun and casual, but I recently wore it with a beautiful maxi dress (you'll see that outfit in a future post). It's just a good go-to piece to have in your wardrobe and even though these tops seem to be particularly popular this year - they never really go out of style.

 

Just a side note - Spring is on it's way (slowly but surely) and it's no longer snowing here in Vancouver so you'll have to excuse the winter-like scenery. These pictures were taken a while back as it's hard for me to find the time in my schedule to do these shoots! Gotta love that blue sky though, it was a gorgeous day!

Floral and Stripes

 

Jacket (old) from Dynamite

Blouse from Forever 21

Pants from Addition Elle

Boots from Torrid

 

I absolutely love mixing prints, as you will see. Especially mixing florals and stripes like I've done with this outfit. I don't know what it is about the combination - maybe its because they are my two favourite prints - but I just feel like they always look so wonderful together!

 

I feel like certain fashion gurus out there might have some specific rules for mixing prints, but I don't know what those are, nor do I care! I usually just go for it. If I look at it and feel like it works, it usually does. However I do typically follow a few guidelines for mixing prints/patterns:

 

1. Don't mix prints that are too similar (i.e. stripes and stripes)

2. Go with patterns that are either similar in size or vastly different in size.

3. Do mix colours - but try to pick ones that flow, and it helps if one of the pieces is a neutral colour. I've picked up the blue in the floral with the navy blue stripe in the jacket.

4. Keep the rest of the outfit subtle and neutral.

5. Carry it with confidence! This is the most important piece of advice when taking any fashion risks!

 

I have to make a quick point here. Though my blog is called Keeping it Kurvy and I am generally gearing my posts towards curvy or plus-sized women and I do work for Addition-Elle - I often get slack for being so 'small' and not 'plus size' by definition. A lot of my outfits will feature pieces that are not available in plus sizes and I will wear things to work that certain customers would not be able to fit into. I am smaller on top and I can still shop in "regular" stores for a lot of things - but that doesn't mean I don't understand the struggle. I find being in this awkward in-between size to be the most frustrating at times.

 

For as long as I can remember I have always had really large calves, and was always so disappointed that I couldn't find boots to fit them. Even when I was a smaller girl like in high school, I had no luck. Torrid was the first place I was able to find boots that fit me (and I now own like 6 pairs from them that I love!!! Check out their website here). These boots are similar to the Steve Madden ones that people were so crazy about and they have the red zipper detail in the back, which I feel finishes this outfit perfectly. It's so nice that stores are starting to catch up and accommodate women with larger calves without the burden of getting them custom made (which costs an arm and a leg, as you could imagine). I went a bit crazy with the boots and probably need another pair like I need a hole in the head - but it's nice to know I have the option!

Sophisticated Harem

 

 

 

 

Pants from Forever21

Top & Necklace from Reitmans

Jacket from Winners

Heels from Payless Shoes

 

 

I have recently developed a love for harem pants. I have two pairs now (stay tuned for a future outfit post featuring my other pair) and they are both fabulous. I got mine from Forever21's Plus line. I find that so many people don't know that Forever21 carries plus sizes because you can only get them online. I have a hard time resisting their adorable and affordable clothes! Harem pants have been a major trend lately and I know some people are afraid to wear them or don't know how to style them. I wear mine on cozy casual days with a simple tank and some flats, but for work or going out, they need to be dressed up to avoid looking sloppy.

 

This time I have paired my harem pants with a simple black blazer and black pumps and I added a pop with the bright orange-red tank with the detailed neckline and a statement necklace. Bold necklaces are great because they bring your attention upwards. For me, because I have a 'pear' shape and am much larger on the bottom than the top, adding a lot of detail up top helps balance me out quite well. Wearing my pants around the smaller part of my waist defines it and creates a nice hourglass shape!

 

 



A Subtle Mix of Prints

 

 

 

 

 

Top from Bootlegger

Jeans from Winners (by Silver brand)

Scarf from Addition-Elle

Ankle Boots from Reitmans

 

 

This outfit is a recent favourite cute and casual look. The jeans were a score at Winners in the clearance section (if you know me, you know Winners is my kryptonite - I always find good stuff there!). I love how from far away the sweet polka dot print is almost hard to notice - the perfect kind of print to wear if you are afraid of prints. My other favourite part of this outfit is the infinity scarf. The mix of leopard print and floral is such a feminine combination, and the soft colours work so well in this transition from winter to spring. I've collected a few infinity scarves, and they have quickly become my favourite way to accessorize. The top is a soft and comfortable rayon and I love the way it hangs - covers the areas that some of us may feel self-conscious about!

 

The boots are not only adorable but also so comfortable. With the low heel they can be worn all day long - and this is coming from someone who just can't do heels! I never knew how to wear an ankle boot but these are so easy and always look awesome with a rolled up jean.

If Words Could Talk

 

(see my puppy make a cameo in this photo :))

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dress, Necklace & Sunglasses from Addition-Elle

Black pumps from Payless Shoes

 

This dress definitely makes a statement. Originally on the hanger it didn't look like much but once I tried it on I fell in love with the way it hugged my body and accentuated my shape. I used to always hate the fact that I had these curvy hips and pear-shaped body, but over time and with learning how to dress it I have really embraced my shape and I love showing it off in this outfit. It's definitely a look that needs to be rocked with confidence, and I feel so great in this dress that I have no problem doing so! Of course there are certain shapes that will look better in a dress like this than others, however I'm a huge believer that having the right attitude and being comfortable in your own skin can contribute to pulling off a statement look like this one.

 

 

 

I love that this dress can be worn different ways. Here I've paired it with some black tights, simple patent heels and my Audrey Hepburn-esque sunglasses for a more classy, 60's inspired look. This dress could easily be worn without the tights with some heeled boots and a red lip for a more exaggerated night out look or with a blazer and a simple flat shoe for a daytime conservative (yet still bold) look. I also like that the shape of the necklace is sort of a play on the shapes of the letters on the dress so I thought the simplicity of that pairing worked well. This has quickly become one of my favourites!

 

 

 



The outfit that kicked me into gear

 

Swim dress from Addition-Elle

Cardigan from H&M

Belt(old) from Le Chateau

Flats from Payless Shoes

 

 

 

So this outfit kind of sparked my motivation to actually get going with my blog. This little polka dot dress is actually a swim cover-up sold at my store Addition-Elle. (I was going to avoid advertising where I work, but I think it will become pretty obvious as a lot of my clothes and accessories are from there so I'll just put it out there.) As soon as it came in I loved it and thought it was super cute but I wasn't looking for swimwear so I didn't give it another glance for a while. Then one day I thought, why couldn't this be worn as a dress? So I threw it on with the leggings, a belt and the little cardigan and BAM - a super cute outfit! Everyone absolutely loved it and customers started trying it on and recreating the look.

 

Then something even more awesome happened.. I posted this look on Instagram (follow me on instagram here) and tagged Addition-Elle because every Friday on their Facebook page they do something called "Fan Friday" where they share a photo of a fan in Addition-Elle clothing. Anyways, they asked me if they could use my photo and of course I said yes and so the following week my photo was on Addition-Elle's Facebook page! I felt like a mini celebrity for a day. You can view the Facebook post here.

 

All this excitement of having my look spread publicly made me realize how awesome it feels to have my sense of style recognized. It also reminded me of how passionate I am about fashion and that I need an outlet to showcase that passion! And what better way than via this blog - the stage for my creativity.