Tag: curvy girls

Maternity Style ~ Rachael Weaver

I recently got to style the beautiful Rachael Weaver of Denver’s Rachel Grace Photography for a fun and surprising (snow!) session with Meghan Valentine.  Rachael has so much natural beauty and is a no fuss kind of gal, so I loved doing her hair and makeup with a neutral smoky eye and curled soft waves into her hair before putting it up into a top knot.  She looked so gorgeous it took my breath away!    Baby Weaver is due any day now and I can’t wait to find out what they’re having!  My guess is a girl and I hope she’s born on my birthday – February 13th.

For Rachael’s first look, I restyled her baby shower outfit, adding a more ornate belt from her closet and matching boots.  The second look is a wonderful tube dress by Heidi Klum from A Pea in the Pod Maternity.  The wrap is from H&M and earrings from Claire’s.  You can’t see her boots very well, but they are amazing Frye knock offs from Target.  I have the real harness boots from Frye and they look exactly the same for only $59.99!  I brought along a sweet elephant from India to place on Rachael’s bump since the Weavers have decorated their baby’s nursery with items inspired by elephants – the belly photo is going to look so cute in the baby’s room!  The last look is a bright tee from A Pea in the Pod paired with Rachael’s own jeans and a sweater borrowed from my closet from the Missoni for Target collection last Spring.

Here she is… The woman all other pregnant women are jealous of…

 

And here comes the surprise SNOW.  It was actually so wonderful because Rachael had pictured her maternity shoot surrounded by white and a light snow fall.  This has been one of the driest winters I’ve seen in 35 years so we never thought it could happen.  But it did. :)

Rachael, you’re going to such an incredible mom.  Good luck and I can’t wait to hear the happy news!

Jill

 

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February 11th, 2013
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Beauty and Style Secrets
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My Stylish & Talented Friends
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Styled Photo Shoots
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It’s Party Time ~ Are You Ready?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s the eve of my husband’s Christmas party, a.k.a. “Holiday Party” to be P.C.  I’ve known what I was going to wear for about….. 3 weeks.  That’s how I roll.  And it’s how you should roll too.  We’ve all had those horrible last minute shopping trips where we’re racing around desperately – it’s no way to go into an event!!!  My man works his a$$ off and he deserves to have me prepared and focused on him and his company’s success on the night of his party.  Not whining that I can’t find anything to wear and griping that nothing fits and being selfish in general.  (Yes, that’s happened.  More than once.)  This black dress is my pick for most versatile, can be worn by anyone, most flattering, most appropriate, most affordable for what you get, most likely to be worn again dress.  From Anthropologie, of course!  And with Pantone’s announcement, how could I not pair it with these gorgeous emerald earrings?

Planning ahead is crucial to having fun at a party.  And my gosh, if you’re like me and you rarely get out and dress up, you deserve to get out and have some FUN.  The key to planning ahead is knowing what to expect.  If you know the hostess of a party, simply ask her what she’s wearing, it’s the easiest way to make sure you’re dressed appropriately.  If an invitation is nondescript, take your cues from the venue and the time of the event.  An evening party will always be dressier than an afternoon one.  A party at a Mexican restaurant will always be much more casual than one at a hotel ballroom.  And remember that it’s ALWAYS better to be OVER dressed than UNDER.  If needed, you can say you have to stop by some fabulous event after the one you’re overdressed at.  :)

My goal in dressing my clients for special events is to make sure they are 1. appropriate, 2. comfortable, and 3. confident.  Allowing yourself time to be thoughtful in your dress choice is just kindness!  Expecting yourself to find something that fits the above criteria in one afternoon of shopping is not realistic, so don’t set yourself up.  Finding a dress that’s perfect in almost every way is why God inspired people to become tailors.  If the dress you love is too tight in one area, buy the next size up and have it taken in.  Do NOT shop for a number or a size, shop for what you love… most things can be made to fit by a tailor that ends up being YOUR size, not a 6,8,10, or 12.  You are not a number and a size 8 will look different on you than your other size 8 friend… and it should.  Because we’re all different!!!  (Okay, I’ll stop lecturing now)

Once you find your piece, make sure you try it on with the proper undergarments.  If you don’t have the proper undergarments, don’t say, “oh, I think I have this one old strapless that might work” and then wait til the night of to try it.  Just don’t!!!  Undergarments are as important as your outfit.  Make sure you have the correct fit of spanx, hosiery, bra, etc.  And remember to try your outfit on with the shoes you plan to wear.  I had to have my strapless black jumpsuit (yeah, you heard me) hemmed up so that I can show off my gold platforms (yeah, you heard me again) and have the right shape to my outfit.  An $18.00 investment.  So worth it!  And remember to be thoughtful about your outerwear.  It’s not okay to wear your fleece or ski jacket over your cocktail dress!  With even Target putting out cute faux fur coats, you can find something, I promise!  Beg, borrow, or buy!

When I’m hired to personal shop, my clients have to fill out a questionnaire for me that asks details like sizes, venue, color preferences, and even metal allergies for jewelry.  The details matter so much!  This is how I decide on where to shop.  Most often, I find special event wear at Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack, Anthropologie, White House Black Market, ModCloth, or LOFT.  The best deal on dress shoes is Nordstrom Rack, hands down!  They also carry larger sizes that can be difficult to find elsewhere.  Accessories are what I scrimp on if need be, finding deals on costume jewelry at Francesca’s or even Forever 21.  If something is truly going to be worn once with one special dress, let’s not spend our hard earned cash on it!

Want to avoid “Bitch Stole My Look”?  My favorite trick to make sure my clients are not wearing the same thing as their co-partiers is vintage or separates.  Vintage is a no brainer but requires more time for acquiring and tailoring.  If you’re limited to off the rack, finding an amazing skirt at one store and pairing it with a blouse from another, with jewelry from yet another is a surefire way to set your outfit apart and show that you put effort into your look.

Easy links to fabulous dresses are here:  Anthropologie, Nordstrom, LOFT, ModCloth, Francesca’s, White House Black Market, Spanx, and in case you walk on the wild side like me… Linda the Bra Lady’s got you covered.

Remember, there’s really no excuse to not being prepared, especially because you have me!  :)

Jill

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December 6th, 2012
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I Don’t Wear Short Shorts

Girls, it’s HOT outside!!!  Even though I have a phobia of shorts, (somewhat induced by society’s demand for flawless legs, partially due to scars from knee surgery, and mostly because of cellulite), when it gets this hot, the shorts must go on…  So here’s my little survival guide to wearing the right shorts for your gorgeous legs (whether you think they’re gorgeous or not!).  We might want to show our legs from respect, they do get us where we want to go.  :)

The cut and shape of shorts is the most important thing to identify when you are looking for the perfect pair.  And as long as the shorts are longer than the largest part of your thigh, you’re gonna be just fine.

Since my body is a pear shape, I carry weight in my butt and thighs – therefore, I look for an A-line short that is tighter at the waist and flows out from the hip…  Here’s an example – I bought these shorts from Anthropologie this Spring and I have actually worn them in public which means they are as perfect as shorts are going to get for me…

If you have very thin thighs, you’ll be able to get away with “short shorts” as long as you don’t go too crazy – mind your modesty and make them age appropriate!  If you’re only comfortable in longer “walking shorts”, there are some really stylish ones out there.  I love a “DO” and “DON’T”, so I’m indulging myself here…  DO wear body-conscious shorts like Beyonce that fit well and balance her curves.  DON’T wear shorts like Kate Moss’s too short shorts (unless you’re Kate Moss, in which case you can do whatever you bloody well like).  Here’s a good rule to follow:  If your pockets are showing below the hem, THEY’RE TOO SHORT!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few tricks to making wearing shorts a more comfortable experience…  If it helps your confidence to have tan legs, use some self tanner if you can’t get a natural tan.  Skin (cellulite) looks better when it’s tan.  Wear undies that are going to cover you, if you know what I mean.  Shave, wax, or Nair your legs.  Wear a shoe with a heel to bump your booty up and make your legs look longer and more toned.  A nude or tan shoe will also help elongate your leg.  Paint your toe nails a fun, summery color.  Head out the door and don’t doubt yourself!

And some pics of shorts I love this summer…

Whether your style is denim, distressed, clean, sophisticated, casual, comfy, military or cargo, there is a perfect pair of shorts out there for you.  If you don’t believe me, let me know and I’ll find them for you!

Love, Jill

 

 

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July 9th, 2011
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The Body Image of a Coke Bottle

Here we have 4 different Coke bottles…  The “coke bottle figure” being the one most sought after and thought most attractive to the majority of men (perhaps the more shallow and honest ones, but yes, they are the majority).  Yet these Coke bottles are all different shapes and sizes – enjoyed equally for what is inside.  Now, I know this is already sounding cheesy and obvious, but really, what the heck is with this shape issue we all have?  Myself included!

I’m trying to playfully illustrate a point here that YOU are YOU and always will be YOU.  And you have been many different shapes and sizes in your life.  What is inside has remained consistent for the most part, and your true loved ones have accepted you in any form, child, teen, pregnant, overweight, underweight.  If only we could extend ourselves that same grace!  When I am working with clients, I share lots of ways to “create a shape” and always teach women how to showcase their best attributes.  There are many tricks you can pull with clothing and accessories, but when you’re naked in that changing room you need to love what you see as well…  And you need to follow my “self talk” rule:  Never say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to a friend.  Examples:  ”Oh my God, I’m so fat”  ”I’m disgusting”  ”I look ridiculous”, and so on.  Just don’t do it, it’s not okay!!!

Oh, to be Coca Cola, bubbly, sweet, and happy in any shape it’s poured into.  Unfortunately we can’t be poured into the shape we’d most like, we have the body we have and the sooner we accept that the happier we will be!  If you wish you had Jennifer Aniston’s body, join the club!  Too bad we commoners don’t have 5 hours a day to devote to Pilates and we don’t have a personal chef to prepare only the best, most healthful food.  Aniston is super-human, living on a super-size salary with super-sized expectations – what she has is unrealistic and unattainable and I wonder how happy she really is with all of that “superness” going on and if we would be happy if we had it?  We do what we can, some of us need to do more, some of us need to let stuff go.  I’m writing this to encourage anyone with body issues to look in the mirror and ACCEPT what they see.  If you should work out more, find a friend who likes to work out and get to it!  There are so many different ways to get a work out, there’s really no excuse.  If you work out too much, give yourself a break!  If you eat too much, it’s time to ask yourself why and if you don’t eat enough, you’ve got some answering to do too.  And lastly, if you LOVE YOUR BODY, you are my hero and I would love it if you would comment here and tell us all how you got there.

Love, Jill

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June 30th, 2011
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Why I do what I do...
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