3 days, 3 belted sweaters

As you've likely noticed I am a fan of belts. I wear them all the time at my high natural waist (very rarely at my pants waist) with dresses and t-shirts and tunics. But what I very rarely do is wear them over sweaters. However inspired by FLOTUS and Lesley of Fatshionista I decided to give it a go and once I started I couldn't stop. All of these outfits are from Thanksgiving weekend and I ended up rocking the belted sweater 3 days in a row. We were having gorgeous fall weather that allowed me to spend the weekend running around town in nothing heavier than a sweater coat, so it helped enable these outfits.

The first time I belted a sweater I wasn't planning on it. I was actually planning on wearing the top I wore the very next day, but for some reason I just couldn't make it work. It was driving me crazy and I was staring at my closet when I saw Saturday's sweater that I hadn't yet worn this season. I bought it a year or two ago from Brooklyn Industries, quickly became obsessed and kind of wore it to death which is probably why it has languished in my closet this season. I grabbed the sweater and finally my outfit worked. This may also have been the first time I've ever worn a belt with the buckle to the side.

Saturday's Outfit

Purple t-shirt is a hand-me-down from JLR
Leggings are Danskin
Sweater is from Brooklyn Industries
Belt is Primark
Boots are from some random store in Camden


Earrings are a hand-me-down from Ateqah and I'm kind of in love with them. They're crotched from a very fine string and I keep wearing things in this color palette which perhaps isn't as quite a surprise, but I keep being amused at how many outfits these earrings match.



On Sunday I ventured into Manhattan to meet my best friend who was in town for Thanksgiving and her family for the Jane Austen exhibit at the Morgan Library. I'd been wanting to go to the Morgan ever since they opened from their renovations a few years ago and while the building itself is stunning and worth the entrance fee, the exhibits themselves were not worth my time or money. I however was fabulous. I think you've seen everything I'm wearing on Sunday, but never in this combination.

Sunday's Outfit

Leggings are Danskin
Button-down is some random brand via Re/Dress
Sweater-coat/cardigan is from Banana Republic
Purple cowboy boots of my dreams
Belt is Primark
Headband is from Goldy Mac
Necklace is from Peacocks

I rocked the belted sweater look again on Monday once we had to head back to the office.

Monday's Outfit

Dress is from B&Lu, a small plus size retailer that you should check out if you've never heard of them
Cardigan is Old Navy via Mirka
Belt is from Accessorize
Tights are Old Navy
Shoes were purchased at the Fat Girl Flea
Headband is from Ross
Pretzel necklace was purchased at last years Bust craftacular

Saturday's photo credit goes to Nicole, Sunday's photo credit goes to Karen and Monday's photo credit goes to one of my lovely co-workers that I cannot recall at the moment.

I always dress up for the polls

I think it has already been well established that I'm a passionate person. And there isn't much in the world that I'm more passionate about than voting. I mean I truly love everything to do with voting. I love protecting the right to vote. I love helping enfranchise folks so they can vote. I love voter education and registration and empowerment. So as you can imagine, Election Day is my favorite holiday of the year. Even more than Halloween or Thanksgiving or Sukkot, I love Election Day. Shutting the curtain, ticking the boxes, pulling the lever {sigh}, it's perfection. Ok, apparently I'm passionate and a geek.

Sadly as much as folks seem to think it is, voting is not a right in this country. I wish it was, but it isn't. There is no affirmative right to vote in the United States, rather the Constitution merely says that you cannot be barred from voting due to your race or gender or age. Nowhere does the Constitution say voting is a right. Plenty of Americans of sound mind and legal age cannot vote and in honor of them I strongly encourage every last one of you that is able to do so, to exercise that right. Ok, I've now dismounted from my high horse.

All of this is a prelude to the fact that in my book Election Day is a reason to get dolled up. This doesn't mean nearly as much to me as it does to others as I sometimes feel the need to dress up when I go to my bagel shop, cause otherwise I disappoint the lovely men who work there who have dubbed me "hot pink lips" but an excuse is an excuse.



I think I mentioned that when I was on my sojourn down South in October I did a bit of thrifting. Thrifting in NY is both expensive and a bit of a headache and heartache as there's not nearly as much to go through when your size hits the double digit. That is very much not the case in Charleston where I picked up today's dress as well as 2 others for a grand total of $20.

We were driving into town, a bit lost and confused when we passed a thrift store and I made Ash pull over so I could do a quick "pop." I really like to "pop" into stores and within 15 seconds ascertain if there will be anything I want to buy, can afford and will fit me. I have it down to an art and a favorite bloomie saying when you're walking down the street with me is "can we pop in for a minute?" So we pulled over, Ash gave me 10 minutes and as I jumped out of the car I dropped my guide book in some sludge in excitement...oops. I then ran inside where I experienced a strong sense of deja vu, realizing I had been in the same store 8 years earlier on a post-college graduation road trip. I'm telling you people, the store spoke to me for a reason.

It was in that quick 10 minute "pop" that I found today's gem. A bright, ridiculous, beautiful dress. It is vintage Chadwick's and it was the first time I had worn it. The tights are from Old Navy and the wedges are from Payless, a store I don't really shop in but I was walking past it one day and saw these shoes in the window and I just fell in love. Patent, hot pink wedges, how could it not be love at first sight. The belt is from Primark and the headband...well that also has a story.

The headband was another purchase I made on my Southern trip, this one acquired at an arts and crafts fair outside Savannah. It was kind of hysterical because I got the headband at this booth labeled "bows for little girls" or something along those lines. I actually went a bit mad at the booth because their hair accessories were so much cheaper than in New York that I bought 5 for less than I would for one. It was also hysterical because the proprietor of the booth kept wanting to help and offering up suggestions about how "it looks real cute" when you put your hair in a ponytail and stick a barrette with a huge bow right in the center of your head. I kindly explained to her that it wasn't quite the look I was going for.

Headband detail


Belt and print detail. Perfectly matching nail polish is just a happy coincidence.

Photo credit goes to Ateqah, who among many other titles is my voting buddy. Sadly it is likely to be our last time voting together since she moved a few days after Election Day (just a few neighborhoods over, not to a whole new city). We started voting together last year on Election Day (which was just ever so slightly more exciting than this past one) because we were phone banking swing states for that one and we were supposed to tell folks to bring a friend to the polls so they didn't get frustrated with waiting and walk off. So last year we voted together and I was done in less than 5 minutes while she waited for over an hour and it turned out to be a good thing that she had a voting buddy. Sadly this time around turnout was waaaay less and neither one of us had to wait at all.

Apple bottoms jeans, boots with the fur...

As I've already discussed, I have a booty. A big one. Which is probably one of the reasons I love dresses so much. They are much easier to find and to fit my body than pants. When I do buy jeans/pants I often have to deal with the problem where to get pants to fit my ass, it is too large in the waist. Do not take this as a complaint as I both a) love my booty and b) hate when people complain about their bodies. It is merely an explanation of where I'm starting from.

But sometimes a girl wants to wear a pair of jeans and guess who came to my rescue? No, it wasn't Earl or Diesel or 7 for all Mankind, all of which I'm sure make lovely jeans that I'll never come close to fitting into. I have Nelly to thank. Who you ask? You know, the rapper from the early 2000's who inexplicably wore a band aid under his eye all the time and gave us hits like "Hot in Here." Yeah, you remember him now. Nelly's music hasn't survived so well, but he did create the line Apple Bottoms jeans and for that I am eternally grateful.

To quote urban dictionary apple bottoms are a line of "fashionable denim for women with voluptuous, curvaceous posteriors." They are amazing and have been immortalized in song. Many (or really most) of their designs are not what I would ever call fashionable, but they are indeed a line of jeans for women whose ass is way bigger than their waist and for that I love them. Plus, they have a plus size line. Woot woot!!!

One of most amazing things about these jeans that you can't see in the photo and that I really wish I had taken a separate picture of, is the blinged out belt and belt buckle that is built into the jeans. A built in belt with skinny jeans that have stretch to them is actually fairly smart and practical as the denim stretches out throughout the day and a belt will hold them up. But this belt has an enormous gold plated buckle that reads Apple Bottoms in script and it's not so much for form as it is for ghetto fabulousness. It's amazing, but not in a way that I would ever show to anyone, unless it was for a laugh.

What was interesting to me when I took this photo was that it made me realize I wear a fair amount of western/cowgirl themed outfits. Considering that I own both pink and purple cowboy boots you would think this wouldn't take me by such surprise, but just like my laundry, it does. I have had both these boots and shirt for years so I guess it's a long standing interest of mine.

Outfit details

Jeans are Apple Bottoms
Tank top is Old Navy
Cowgirl shirt is from Torrid
Boots are from Dorothy Perkins and I got them in the sales for 13 pounds, a fact I still brag about 5 years on.

The necklace is from the Bust craftacular which is happening THIS SUNDAY and if any of you live in New York you must go as it's my go to accessory shopping event of the year. Seriously probably any accessory of mine any of you have ever liked/coveted/wanted to rip from my body was likely purchased there. Check it out and then brunch with me and my friends afterwards.