Outfits of the Year: Pinup fun with Holly West, Deadly Dames, and new friends!

Kali by Holly West
Kali by Holly West. Makeup and Hair by Rockwell DeVil.

Most of you probably know that I’ve lost around 150 pounds over the last several years. I’ve battled with crappy body image for much of my life, and medically influenced massive weight gain in my mid-twenties certainly didn’t help. My goal has never been to get “skinny” or hit some sort of arbitrary weight goal. I’m happy just to feel comfortable with my body again, and the photo shoots in which I’ve participated this year have definitely helped with that. My most recent shoot happened this September at a custom car shop in Sacramento, with the superlative photographer Holly West. Continue reading “Outfits of the Year: Pinup fun with Holly West, Deadly Dames, and new friends!”

The wonderful world of PANTS: Part Un

Lately, a lot of my friends have been talking about pants. For me and for many others, pants are a touchy subject. My crazy waist-to-hip ratio makes it hard for me to find pants that fit comfortably and attractively. As I’m roughly 42-32/3-48″, a pair that fits in the hip is almost always too big in the waist. Sometimes, pants are fine in the thighs and WAY too baggy in the knees/calves. Continue reading “The wonderful world of PANTS: Part Un”

UPDATED! Pinup and Plus: Black Friday (Week) Sales!

But wait! There’s more! Edited on Wednesday, November 21 to add more sales!

Kiyonna Luna Lace Dress
Kiyonna’s Luna Lace dress, available in sizes 0x-5x (plus sizes 10-32).

For those who love clothing, shopping on the internet, and epic sales, Thanksgiving week is your dream come true! Here’s a smattering of online retailers offering excellent sales on plus and retro styles this week:

 

Q & A: Readers ask about size and shapewear

Lorelei Dress
Lorelei Dress from Pinup Girl Clothing, worn over Spanx Slimcognitos and What Katie Did’s Morticia corset.

I don’t get a ton of email from readers, but I do get enough useful questions to merit an irregular feature on the subject. Since a large part of the blog involves fashion, fit is an obvious concern. To consider how an item or style might fit you, it’s important to know the circumstances of my photos and reviews. With that in mind, I’ll address my first two questions: Continue reading “Q & A: Readers ask about size and shapewear”

Outfits of the Season: A very vintage autumn!

1920s Dress
Embroidery detail: 1920s cotton dress

When the 100+ degree weather finally subsides, I suddenly remember why fall is awesome:

  1. I don’t have to run the AC at night
  2. Halloween is coming
  3. Christmas isn’t far behind it
  4. I can wear nifty dark colors and heavier, fluffier, more luxurious fabrics

I just so happen to have a crap-ton of spiffy fall fashions from some of my favorite vintage purveyors. Continue reading “Outfits of the Season: A very vintage autumn!”

Autumn colors, autumn wishes: Fall 2012 Pantones and more!

Yeah, it’s that time again. With autumn starting…tomorrow…the moment’s arrived for me to dig up the official Pantone fashion color report for fall, 2012. You may remember my dismay at last year’s muted, somewhat muddy palette. This season’s colors are a welcome change, incorporating clearer, cooler, crisper colors:

Pantone Fashion Color Report Fall 2012
Pantone Fashion Color Report Fall 2012.

Continue reading “Autumn colors, autumn wishes: Fall 2012 Pantones and more!”

Outfits of the Month: August vintage fashion finds

Blue Taffeta and Velvet Dress
1950s blue taffeta and velvet dress from Sneaky Tiki Boutique in Long Beach.

From time to time I like to raid my favorite vintage fashion shops to see what I can find. Since I’ve lost enough weight to fit into common 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s shapes and sizes, the endeavor’s become easier and tons more fun! On a foray to Long Beach’s Fourth Street vintage district, I discovered a gorgeous taffeta and velvet dress at Sneaky Tiki Boutique (left).

On my last visit to the Haight in San Francisco, I found several beautiful pieces at my two favorite stores, Relic Vintage and La Rosa. Both shops feature beautifully-curated selections in wearable women’s sizes up to at least 34″ in the waist. The staff is super-helpful at both stores and the quality is amazing! Continue reading “Outfits of the Month: August vintage fashion finds”

Outfits of the Season: Blue and white wiggles!

Custom Mad Men dress by Morningstar84.

While not as comfortable in super-hot weather as their swing-skirted cousins, wiggle dresses can still look sharp in summer colors!

My current favorite is this stunning version of the blue and white linen dress worn by Christina Hendricks as Mad Men‘s Joan Harris, created for me by Esther of Morningstar84 on Etsy: Continue reading “Outfits of the Season: Blue and white wiggles!”