Frocks & Frou Frou

Wandering past today (on the hunt for non-trashy looking Maneke Nekos) I spotted another very cute looking piece in their window:

I have to say - this has been one of my favourite seasons from City Chic in a long while!

Dress: Barkins

Top: Giordano

Shoes: Zensu

Stockings: We Love Colors

In case you didn't notice I'm really into statement socks and stockings this winter, so it was only a matter of time before I got my hot little hands on a pair of coloured stockings from We Love Colors. 

They've been one of the most recognisable brands for plus-size (and regular size) stockings online for years, and when they contacted me to see whether I'd to give them a whirl I leapt at the chance. 

With over 50 colour choices available, not to mention fishnets, patterned tights and stripy stockings , the hardest choice was which pair to try, but in the end I went for the regular plus-sized nylon tights in Olive Green. Fabulous!

The verdict? The colour's amazing, and spot-on for what I expected. They don't sag or bag at the ankles, even by the end of the day. I had my usual short-waisted issue of wearing the waistband around my ribs, but it didn't have that annoying habit of rolling down. 

The exciting news? Shipping to Australia and New Zealand is free until August with the code WELOVENZAUS. Keep you eyes peeled with their Facebook and Twitter pages as well for special offers (like the Curvy Girl of the Month competition).

I'm thinking that I might have to taken them up on the free shipping offer myself. Next on my wishlist? Striped tights.... I just have to chose a colour.

Top: Dorothy Perkins

Dress: 8Inkerman

Leggings: Ambra

Shoes: Zensu

Belt: Dorothy Perkins

I know I promised on Twitter to reveal my brand-new Sohomode dress, which I love so much I might just have to marry it. But on a whim The Sophisticate, one of his best buddies and myself have decided to take the weekend off and stay in the country.

In anticipation of spending the next few days curled up in front of the fireplace with both knitting and marshmallows within arms-reach (and also in the interest of not freezing to death) I've donned my most snuggly cashmere sweater dress. Layers upon layers are the way to go.

Hope everyone's enjoying their weekend.

Top: Barkins

Skirt: DIY

Shoes: Zensu

Dear, oh dear. Best laid plans and all that.

Of course, as soon as I decided it was cold enough to do a boot feature Melbourne decided that actually, no, it hadn't had enough of summer yet, and we're back into the high twenties, so I'm back in skirts and short sleeves.

I'm actually not sold on this outfit, but I'm SO SICK of my wardrobe that it probably has less to do with the look not working, and more to do with the fact that I just desperately want to pack all this warm weather stuff away and not look at it again for a few months.

Dress: Igigi

Belt: Portmans

Shoes: Zensu

Yay! Trivia Night tonight!

It's one of the highlights of my week, Trivia Night; I try to go every Tuesday for a giggle with a troupe of much-smarter people (the kind of people that can actually answer the questions, instead of just thinking of stupid alternative possibilities) including The Sophisticate, my Scrumptious Housemates and fellow blogger Fiona's also Scrumptious other half, Chris.

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter Weekend - I'm feeling very refreshed after a Whole Four Days Off.

Jacket: Dream Diva

Jeans: Piper Woman @ Myer

Singlet top: Kmart

Shoes: Zensu

Business meets pleasure in this awesome curvy jacket from Dream Diva.

I remember how excited I was when I saw it - finally, someone was doing business-wear in plus sizes that weren't all about boxy shapes and shoulder pads.

Of course, I don't work in an office, so it took me a few weeks to convince myself that it would a be a Good Investment (and I've barely worn it since then, so it looks like I may have been fooling myself after all) but I know a few curvy office girls who were over the moon when this popped up on the Dream Diva website who no doubt have been wearing it regularly since then.

Sadly Dream Diva seems to have gone somewhat the way of City Chic, and aren't doing that much professional-wear anymore.

What is it with Australia's Plus Size labels and party clothes? Every shop for curvy girls seems to cater exclusively for either older women with a penchant for hanky hems and random dangly bits or party girls in their teens and early twenties who like nothing more than strapless party dresses, boob tubes and denim mini skirts.

Do we really not have the market to sustain plus size labels that have something that falls in the middle? Something like a Witchery for girls that don't have the proportions of a twelve year old boy? Any ideas?

Top: Ezibuy

Vest: Barkins

Jeans: Sussan

Shoes: Zensu

Oh dear. You can tell I'm really struggling wardrobe-wise now because I've donned my What To Wear When You Have Nothing To Wear outfit of stripy-top-under-Barkins-vest-over-denim-jeans.

Heaven help me if one of these items ever become unwearable - I'll have to spend days like today in my dressing gown, because I'm utterly incapable of choosing an outfit otherwise.

I think I need help!

Top: Dorothy Perkins - Remixed

Pants: Crossroads

Shoes: Zensu

So I had a very heads-down-bums-up week that culminated in the world's laziest Sunday. Huzzah!

It's come to that part of the year - at the turning of the season - when I'm utterly sick of everything in my collection and hankering for a change in both temperature and wardrobe. I want to get back into my woolies and my boots. I splurged on some new over-the-knee socks and now I feel like I want some new frocks and skirts to wear them with.

But the weather forecast's refusing to play ball, so I'm having to content myself with new shoes and the promise of a much-needed haircut.

Still, I have a list as long as my arm of Things What I Want On Etsy, and I'm in desperate need of a nice going-out dress (honestly, truly, I haven't got a single frock suitable for a wedding or a really fancy restaurant) so I might put up a survey some time this week and let you - my gorgeous, super fashionable readers - make the decision a bit easier.

Dress: Target

Shoes: Zensu

I've been seeing lots of variations of this dress out in the shops over the last month or so - some in satin, some black with white dots, some with larger dots in the middle and littler dots at the hem.

I finally managed to make it to the fabric store today, but was once again half spoiled-for-choice and half disappointed in my inability to find a simple navy and white stripe fabric.

It couldn't be that hard, surely! But I've tried six fabric shops in Melbourne, to no avail. I just was to make myself a great nautically inspired skirt as part of my Frugal February DIY challenge. I can find fabrics with a thin stripe, but I had something more like below in mind:

Anyone spotted anything similar in living memory?

Dress: Jen's Fashion Plus

Leggings: My Size

Shoes: Zensu

Brooch: Pirdy

Jennifer from Jen's Fashion Plus contacted me a month or so ago asking whether I'd be interested in blogging one of the super cute offerings from her eBay store, and I thought that it tied in rather nicely with Frockapalooza so I was delighted when this dress arrived the day I was leaving for Canberra.

Jenifer's got some really nice pieces at Jen's Fashion Plus, and the prices are great.

This dress is very sweet - probably suited to someone slightly less chesty than I, but it's still got an endearingly school-girl feel to it, and the quality's very good.

I'll be keeping Jen's Fashion Plus favourited, and will be dropping in regularly, because she stocks the shop with exactly the kind of classic, stand-the-test-of-time styles that appeal to me the most.

Dress: Dorothy Perkins

Leggings: My Size

Shoes: Zensu

So, what do you wear to sit on your butt for eight hours on the long drive up from Melbourne to Canberra?

This dress has performed the Ultimate Comfort Test several times already, and I probably would have worn it, even if I hadn't been doing Frockapalooza - it's comfortable to sit in and even on hot days looks serviceable when it arrives at the other end.

Now, I'm ensconced in the 'rents house, watching Suki case the joint, enjoying a cup of tea and some home-made Christmas cake.

I finally feel like my holidays have begun!

Dress: Barkins

Shoes: Zensu

Today was my last day at work, hurrah!

As of tomorrow it'll be all about sleeping in, chilling out, reading, relaxing, and - oh! - FINISHING MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!

Usually I'm one of these anally retentive types who get their Christmas shopping done by October (sorry). I even have a spreadsheet. It has names, ideas for presents, what I ended up choosing, whether it's been bought, and whether it's been wrapped. Seriously.

This year - despite not having to shop for the Ex's family as well as my own - I'm completely behind the eight ball.

So this weekend, and into next week I'll be hitting the shops in a fervor with my sister.

Wish me luck!

Dress: City Chic

Shoes: Zensu

Necklace: Gifted

Busy, busy day today. My little sister is visiting from Canberra, helping me with carstock. We had a long and generally profitable day, but I'm absolutely exhausted.

Tomorrow's going to be a hot one, apparently, so stay tuned for something really breezy.

Dress: From Night Markets

Leggings: My Size

Shoes: Zensu

It was actually a bit too cold for this smock frock today, but the dress that I was planning to wear ended up having rather an obvious greasemark on the bodice so there we go.

We've got a few hot days coming, and I can't wait, since my trans-seasonal dress supply is running out, and I'm going to have to start wearing my warm-weather florals.

Wednesday's going to be knocking on 40 degrees celsius. Bring it on.