Plus Size Fashion- LuLaRoe Edition from Let the Good Times Roe!

LuLaRoe is known for their
Buttery Soft Leggings in fun prints! 

I'm very excited to share this haul with you guys, because it is from one of my absolute favorite clothing companies- LuLaRoe (aka LLR, or Lula)!  For those of you that have never heard of LuLaRoe, it is a Direct Sales company, with clothing being sold by Independent Consultants. They carry a variety of clothes, mainly for women, but they also have a nice selection of children's clothing and some men's shirts as well.  They are most well known for their leggings, which are buttery soft- and seriously ladies, these leggings are magical!  I literally pet myself, ALL THE TIME when I'm wearing my leggings (which, let's be  honest is almost every day...)  I also hold my leg up to most of my friends and force them to touch the leggings to feel the softness... ok, yeah, sometimes strangers too... not creepy at all...
The softness and comfort of the leggings alone are enough to make me love this company, but let's add on some additional bonus features.
1. The sizes run from XXS to 3XL, yep, that's right curvy girls- you can shop at the same place as your skinny friends, and as your short friends- and you don't even need to go to the separate "plus size" or "petite" section!
2.  COMFORT, man oh man, is this stuff comfortable! The fabrics are soft and stretchy, which basically means you feel like you're wearing pajamas all the time.  Except, you don't look like a slob- you look beautiful!  Plus, since the fabrics are so stretchy, that means you can often wear many different sizes.  For example, I can wear the Perfect tee or the Carly dress in an XL, 2XL or 3XL.  (and, let's be honest, when you're a size 24 and can fit into an XL, that's a pretty good feeling)

Julia Dress with Perfect Tee
in Classic Navy and Stripes

3. Prints- This is the really fun part of LuLaRoe (and maybe also the frustrating part, lol), the colors and patterns are amazing.  In my opinion, one of the most important aspects when making fashion choices is finding clothing that allows you to express your personality.  In order to feel beautiful and confident, you want your clothing to reflect who you are, to make you light up from the inside when you put it on.  With Lula, there is truly something for EVERYONE- if you like bright bold patterns, they've got them, do you prefer neutrals- yep, you can find those too.  Anything you can imagine- animal prints, food prints, paisley and butterflies and geometrics, holiday prints, jacquard, lace, tie-dye. Prints are limited edition,  they make a set number of each print, and when they are gone- they are gone.  Each consultant gets to choose which styles of clothing they carry, and which sizes, but they don't get to pick the prints- they get a random selection.  You never know what you're going to get. The frustrating part, is that if you see a pattern you love, you may not find it in the style or size you want.  But the really fun part is that new prints come out all the time, it is so exciting to see the new colors and prints.
4. Flattering- LLR has styles that flatter all different body shapes, and once you find a style that you love- new prints come out all the time- WIN!
5.  They use lots of curvy girls in their marketing materials.  I'm not talking about the size 10 "plus size models" that we often see, I mean real life, beautiful, curvy women. They also have short women, and tall women, and women with all different body shapes.   There's not one slightly bigger model among numerous tall thin models, there are lots of real looking people- women we can look at and think, "hey she looks like me, and she looks amazing!"
6.  You know who you are supporting.  With Direct Sales companies, you have the opportunity to get to know your consultant.  When I buy LuLaRoe, I know that my money is going directly to the consultant, and that feels good to me. Many LuLaRoe consultants are stay-at-home moms, husband/wife teams, or families- real people are directly benefitting from my purchase, not some big corporate entity.  You also get to choose which consultants you want to shop from.  Which brings me to the haul....

I received most of these clothes for review (some were items I purchased previously) from an absolutely AH-MAZING Consultant- Rachel Newlon of Let the Good Times Roe.
(https://www.facebook.com/groups/LetTheGoodTimesROE/) This is actually a family team.  The team consists of "HR" aka "Mom and Dad" aka Rachel and Michael, and their three sons, the "Newlabros"- Newt, Nathan and John.   I first discovered Let The Good Times Roe when I was searching for Halloween print leggings, and I joined a ton of different consultant groups.  I remember watching a Facebook live sale, and seeing three young guys selling LulaRoe (not a common occurrence), and they were a riot!  They danced, they sang, they did amazing Wookie calls (Newt seriously sounds just like Chewbacca), and they sold their hearts out.  I've gotten to know this family more as time has gone by, and they are without doubt one of my all time favorite consultant teams.  They truly get to know their customers, they find styles and outfits they think you will love, they encourage you to push your boundaries with fashion, and they are just all around good people.  I find myself eagerly waiting for the live sales so I can chat with them, find out what's going on in their lives, and see what new clothes they've gotten in.  Shopping for clothes should be fun- and with this crew, fun is guaranteed.

Madison Skirt

Rachel picked out some awesome clothing items for me to share with you guys, including styles I have never tried on before.  As I mentioned earlier, I typically wear a size 24, or a 3XL in most clothes.  I am pear shaped and 5'4".  I did receive these clothes for review, but I will give my 100% honest opinion (I may be a bit biased though since I already love Lularoe, lol)

Madison Take 2

First up, we have the Madison Skirt in a 3XL.  This skirt has a pleated waist band and POCKETS!  Gotta love a skirt with pockets- more women's clothing needs pockets.  This one runs true to size, so stick to your normal size.  This is my first experience with a Madison, and I was quite pleased with it!  I personally am pear shaped, with a big booty and hips.  I found the Madison worked best for my body shape when I brought the waist up to just under my bust line.  If I put it at my waist, the back hitched up and the pleats spread out over the booty, lol!  But under my bust it flowed down perfectly, and accentuated my curves.  This is a white skirt with a soft gray pattern over it, which made it very versatile!  I was able to dress it up for a classy look with a green top and scarf belt, but also able to dress it down for a fun and funky look with an off the shoulder rock and roll top, and a fun belt.  This style would also be very beautiful and flattering on women that are apple or rectangle shaped, and will give you more of an hour-glass shape with the pleats.

Amelia- note the pockets!

Next, is the Amelia dress, in a 2XL.  This is basically the dress version of the Madison, so, again, it has pleats and pockets. It also has a zipper on the back.  I can wear the Amelia in either a 2XL or a 3XL.  This style is one of the dressier styles that LuLaRoe carries, and is perfect for weddings or holidays.  When I first tried on an Amelia, I was worried that the pleats would make me look pregnant or bigger- but I actually haven't found that to be the case.  This style hits me just below my knees. I really love the print of this dress, it is very fun and summery, and perfect for me since I live on Maui!  This style works very well for ladies with an hourglass, rectangle or pear shape.  If you're more of an apple shape, you may want to try this one on (find a local consultant so you can try the different styles on and see what you love) to see if you find it flattering or not.  It is not a very long style, so if you are really tall, and don't like to show off your gorgeous gams, then, you may want to try this one on before committing.

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Next up is my FAVORITE top style that Lula carries, the Perfect Tee, and yes- it really is perfect! This shirt is soft and stretchy (like a nice soft t-shirt material usually), it's fitted through the arms and chest, and then it flares out over the hips, with a slit on either side.  It's a nice length, perfect for wearing with leggings.  Personally, I find this shirt to be so so flattering- it really accentuates my curves in all the right places.  I think this style works on any body shape.  I typically wear the Perfect tee in an XL, but can also do a 2XL or 3XL.  My chest is a smaller size than my hips, which is why I am able to size down 2 sizes, but in general this top does run large so most women can size down at least one size. The Perfect that Rachel sent me was a 2XL, and in colors that are different from what I normally choose (but it's always good to branch out), so I didn't have any matching leggings.  But, as you can see, it also goes really well with jeans!  This is a bold, fun print, so I thought it went really well with my distressed, skinny jeans.  It is a 2XL, which is a little larger than I typically wear, so I used a little rubber band to make a fun little knot and add some flattering ruching.

Ana and Joy 

The last outfit contains an Ana dress and a Joy vest. This was my first time ever wearing an Ana, which is a maxi dress.  The Ana is very similar to the Nicole (my favorite LLR dress style) but is full length.  The Nicole hits me just below the knee, and is a very flattering style, that accentuates my curves.  I wear a 2XL or 3XL in the Nicole.   With it's long length, the skirt on the Ana is heavier, so it ends up being a bit clingier than the Nicole.  The Ana I received was a 3XL, but I found it clung to my belly more than I liked, so I used the same knot trick I used in the Perfect tee, and the ruching helped the dress to fall nicely.  I added a lace Joy vest (full length dress) in a size L over the Ana for some extra style, and also to cover up any spots I was less comfortable with.  Now, I am actually fairly confident and comfortable with my body, and don't mind too much if you can see my curves, but if you are uncomfortable with things being form fitting in any way, then I recommend you size up in the Ana.  Personally, I love the way a long dress or skirt feels on, the way it swirls around my ankles.  I just feel so feminine and pretty!  This particular Ana is not a print I would have picked out on my own, but I ended up really loving it.  The flowers on it remind me of the Truffula trees from the Lorax, and I am a huge Dr. Suess fan, so it makes me smile to wear it.

Anna, Joy and Sarah

Rachel also sent me a gorgeous blue and black striped  Sarah Cardigan (the stripes are very thin stripes, so it looks like a solid grayish blue from far away), which went perfectly with the Ana and Joy.  Sarah is a full length duster style cardigan- and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!  Being on Maui, I don't have many occasions to wear a full length sweater (although it does come in some pretty light weight fabrics)- but whenever we have rain or chilly days, I always throw on a Sarah.  It literally feels like you're wearing a soft bathrobe, but is way cuter (oh yeah- and it has pockets!) The fabric is flowy and fun and long, so when you walk fast it kind of flies out behind you- I feel like a super hero or vampire with a cape, or like a bada*s old school cowgirl in a duster jacket.  I find myself walking with long confident strides, and my head held high anytime I have a Sarah on.

Overall, I really do love this clothing line, and have found that almost every style I have tried has been both comfortable and flattering.  I have heard a lot of women say that LuLaRoe has gotten them excited about clothes (some for the first time ever), and I whole-heartedly agree with that.  I plan to do many more LLR blogs,  so please let me know if there are any styles you would like me to try on for you all, if you need sizing tips, want to know what styles will be most flattering on your body shape,  or if you want me to show you any specific styling tips (different ties, layering, pattern mixing, etc.).

I want to send a big Mahalo (Thank you!) to Rachel and the Newlabros at Let The Good Time Roe for sending me these products to share with you all.  You can find them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/LetTheGoodTimesROE/) and Instagram @letthegoodtimesroe

Also, big thanks to Morgan for doing my make up and taking photos(find her on Instagram @myl_makeup)!

Curvy Fashion- Some of my Personal Tips and a few Stores and Brands that I love!

One of the biggest complaints I hear from my fellow curvy girls is that it is they have a hard time finding clothes.  Many stores don't carry plus sizes (although I have noticed more and more stores starting to expand their sizes! THANK YOU).   Plus, a lot of plus size clothes currently on the market are not very flattering- I cannot even count the number of times that I've heard women say everything they've tried on was either a shapeless tent or "frumpy".

Even worse, many BEAUTIFUL curvy women hate shopping because they don't like the way they look.  For many many years, magazines, ads, movies, etc.  have been telling us that thin is beautiful, and people with extra weight are shamed and criticized.  All of this can result in shopping trips that are frustrating, disheartening and sometimes completely depressing.

I am fortunate because I have always LOVED shopping and fashion.  While many shopping trips were frustrating, and occasionally ended in tears (not gonna lie!), for the most part, I was always able to find things that I really liked.  Over the years, my personal style has changed and morphed, but one thing has always remained true- I love bright colors, and I love to stand out!  No shy little flower here.  Through my many many shopping trips (including online shopping of course!) I have come up with the following tips and suggestions to help make shopping and finding clothes a bit nicer (hopefully!) Who knows, maybe you will also soon start to love shopping as much as I do!

1.  Find your own personal style.  Your clothes should be a reflection of your personality.  You want to look at your clothes and be excited to put them on!  If you are an upbeat, fun person who loves bright colors and patterns, but end up always wearing black and navy because "it's camouflaging" you're probably not going to be very excited to put your clothes on every morning.
Ask yourself the following questions:  What do you like?  What colors speak to you, what sort of patterns do you like, what kind of fabrics? Are you a casual jeans and t-shirt kind of gal?  An elegant dresses and heels lady?  Are you sporty chic?  Comfy in leggings and tunics?  A free spirit in flowy skirts?   Knowing what style you like will help you narrow down the stores you shop at.

2.  Find styles that flatter your shape/silhouette.   This requires first determining what your shape is! Are you an Apple, a Pear, Rectangle, Triangle, Inverted Triangle, Hourglass?  Absolutely no idea what I am even talking about?  Certain styles really flatter your shape, while other styles don't do much for you at all.  There are some really good guides online to help you figure out both what shape you are, as well as providing tips for which styles are most likely going to work well for you.  These are usually pretty accurate and can help if you are unsure of what styles to try, but think of them more as guidelines and not hard fast rules.  Here's a link that explains body silhouettes and styles:  http://www.joyofclothes.com/style-advice/shape-guides/body-shapes-overview.php
 (P.S. Let me know if you guys are interested in a blog post dedicated to finding your shape and what styles work well)

3.  Do not get stuck on a size! This one gets a lot of people, especially with the negativity around "going up a size".  It is mentally challenging to put on something that is a size bigger than what you normally wear.  The problem with this is that different brands size things differently!  While you may be a size 20 at most stores, there may be one store that you need to wear a size 24, and another where you wear a size 18.  Further, different styles may fit you differently based on your shape.   For example, I am pear-shaped (smaller in the chest, and bigger hips, booty and thighs), so in a peplum top that flares at the waist I can probably size down, but in a tunic style top that goes straight down, I am probably going to need a size (or two) larger to fit over my hips.  If you are fixated on only wearing "your size", you can either end up wearing clothes that are ill-fitting, OR miss out on a style that would work really well because you don't want to size up.  This is not an easy thing to get past, trust me, I know, but do yourself a favor, and stop looking at the size on the tag as some sort of a magic judgemental number.

4.  Avoid wearing clothes that are too big or too small.  This tip seems pretty obvious, but our mental trips can really get in the way with this one too.  Many people mistakenly believe that wearing something really big will either make them look smaller or will hide them.  The truth is that most of the time if you wear something that is too big, it's just unlikely to be flattering and isn't going to do much for you.  Now don't get me wrong- some styles are meant to be oversized, and this can be very comfortable!  I am not totally opposed to oversized clothes, but as a general rule, try to find clothes that are well fitted. Similarly, things that are too small can be uncomfortable and unflattering.  We can get caught up in the desire to fit into a smaller size, and get excited if we can.  This can result in wearing clothes that don't quite fit simply because it feels good to get into that size (similar to tip #3).

5.  Find Stores that carry clothes that fit your style and flatter your shape.  This is HUGE!  Once you find stores or brands that you know work well for you, it becomes so much easier to find things you love.  At the end of this post, I will list a few of the stores and brands that I personally like best!

6.  Be Confident and wear your clothes with pride.  This is much easier when you find things that are flattering, comfortable and suit your personal style.  If you feel uncomfortable, you will look uncomfortable.  If you feel happy and confident, it will show in your smile, your eyes, your walk and yes, your clothes.  Personally, I think this is the most important tip, but also one of the hardest because it has to come from within.  Learning to love yourself is not an easy task for many people (and this has nothing to do with size, shape, age, sex, etc.- I know so many phenomenal, beautiful people that do not like the way they look and judge themselves harshly- this is not limited to plus size women!).  We are taught from a very young age to be self-critical and to find our flaws.  This is so ingrained, that learning to love what you see can feel impossible.  To start with, I suggest making a list of the things you love about yourself- this list doesn't have to be all physical traits but should include at least one physical trait.  I know, it may be hard at first, but force yourself to do it anyways.   If you are having a hard time making a list, ask your best friend, your mother, your partner- I guarantee they will have some great things to add!  Then, whenever you hear that negative judgmental voice in your head, look at your list.  This will help you start to build up confidence.  Over time, add to the list, I bet you will start to notice more and more of the phenomenal things that make you special.  Great clothes can also help to build your confidence, so finding a few pieces that make you feel amazing can really help you on your way.     (I plan to do many posts on body positivity and learning to love yourself, so stay tuned).  


A few Stores and Brands that I LOVE
Note- at the time of this post I am not sponsored by any of these companies, just sharing some of what I've found works great for me.

Lularoe- This is my current personal FAVORITE!  About 70% of my wardrobe consists of Lularoe.  This is a consultant based business (I will be doing plenty more Lularoe posts, and will be sharing information from some of the Consultants that I have found to provide excellent customer service!)
What I love about this brand is that the clothes are all really really comfortable.  They are most well known for their buttery soft, super cozy leggings (see several of my pictures above for samples), but they have tons of different styles- shirts, dresses, skirts, kimonos, etc.  I have found several of the styles to be very flattering for my particular shape, and they have clothes that flatter every possible body type.  The clothes run from XXS up to 3XL, and most are generously cut with stretchy fabric.  This means that if you find a style you like, you can often wear it in multiple sizes.  The patterns are limited edition and constantly changing, so the variety is amazing!  The best way to find consultants for this brand is to go on Facebook and do a search for it.

Torrid- I have been a fan of Torrid for at least 15 years!  Unfortunately, there is no Torrid on Maui, so I do most of my shopping online.  This is a store that is exclusively plus size, with sizes ranging from 10 to 30.   Torrid has a lot of fun and funky clothes, which is something that I personally love. They are a sister store to Hot Topic, so, if you enjoy alternative fashion (punk, goth, retro, etc.) Torrid is likely to have items that you will like.  This is a great place to get pop culture items (Disney, Marvel, Dr. Who, Barbie, Hello Kitty, Harry Potter, etc.)  They also have plenty of classic and popular styles, so don't be intimidated if you don't like bolder styles.

Maurices- When I was in High School and College, Maurices was one of the stores that I loved to shop in, but rarely found clothes that would fit.  Fortunately, they expanded their sizing and now carry up to size 26!  Maurices has a lot of good basics (jeans, leggings, tanks, tees, etc.) and carries current popular trends.  I think that most people can find something that they like from Maurices.    I have always had good luck with the fit of items from Maurices, and they are one of my go-to stores.

Old Navy- Similar to Maurices, Old Navy has a lot of good basics and appeals to a wide audience.  Another great thing is that their prices are pretty reasonable, and you can often find some really great clearance deals.  Old Navy plus sizes are only available online, but stores carry up to an XXL, and the clothes are typically generously sized.

Lane Bryant- Lane Bryant is another exclusive plus size clothing store.  I don't shop from Lane Bryant that often anymore because there are no stores on Maui, but when I lived in Minnesota I used to shop there quite a bit.  Lane Bryant is a bit more expensive, but the quality is great.  I find Lane Bryant to be really great for professional and dressy attire (something that I don't really need to wear much these days).  I also really like their undergarments.

I hope that these stores give you a good starting place to begin searching for new clothes and that my tips are helpful.  There are many many more awesome stores that cater to plus-size ladies, and I hope to explore more brands and stores in the future.  Please let me know if you have any favorite stores, I would love to check them out!