I recently took a quick inventory of my basic wardrobe staples and found my leggings to be rather sad and in need of replacing.
I shopped around and found that leggings are super expensive these days! You can get a deal if you join various clubs online, but it is a hassle to skip month after month or endure a long “hard-sell” phone call to cancel that membership. So, I did some shopping on good ‘ol Amazon.
Now, Amazon clothes shopping can be a disappointing experience. The picture vs. reality can be a real let-down. But, I found some great leggings, so I had to share this great find with you!
I took them on a test drive, and I am happy to say that they stay put all day long. They keep their shape. They pass the bend-over test! Last but not least, they are true-to-size and size inclusive! So, I cannot recommend these highly enough!
When you are prepping a new dapper look for a convention or just trying to accessorize a new dress, one key item you need to think about are shoes to complete your look.
Here are a few styles that will work with vintage-inspired fashions. All the choices are reasonably priced with shopping links below as well as photo examples.
The Ballet Flat
This style is perfect for not only dresses, but pedal-pushers or capri pants as well. I’ve never been a big fan, because they have a tendency to give me a blister on my heels. However, I just found this flat from Skechers that stays put. The shoes also have more cushioning than the usual ballet flat. Buy your Skechers ballet flat here.
The Oxford
This shoe has a few different types as far as heel styles. There are flat, block heeled and traditional heeled options. I really love this block heeled version I got from Amazon. They have padding on the inside and the block heel gives me lots of support. Buy your Block-heeled Oxford here.
Classic Converse Chuck Taylors
This shoe is not only great for 50’s looks, but for 80’s, goth, punk or rock looks as well. It is the ultimate casual shoe. Now, while it is not padded on the inside, you can get insoles that provide support if you need it. Chucks come in every color imaginable, and a high-top version as well. Buy your classic Chucks here.
Saddle Shoes
Besides the Chuck Taylors, the other shoe that leaps to mind when someone is thinking about vintage 50s fashions is the saddle shoe. Named because the contrasting stripe resembles a saddle on the shoe. You can get saddle shoes in a variety of colors and even high heel versions, but the classic black and white flat-heeled version is the best way to go. Get your saddle shoes here.
Saddle shoes aren’t the best for long days on your feet, so I created a comfy version from a white sneaker. To create your own, will only take a few minutes of your time. Click here for the how-to instructions.
If you have any go-to styles for your dapper looks, please leave us a comment below. We love to hear from you!
I recently purchased some new biker shorts from a new company that I kept seeing on my Facebook and Instagram feeds, Snag Tights.
They claim to be truly-size inclusive. They also claim for maximum comfort. They were honest in both of these claims.
If you are plus-sized, like me, you are familiar with the struggle. You get hosiery that claims to be plus-sized, and it just plain isn’t. You followed their size guide with current measurements. You are so full of hope, but you have to give yourself a hernia getting them on, then they slowly descend down your legs all day long. Then you throw them in a drawer and never wear them again. Money down the drain!
When I received the shorts, I took them out of the package and audibly groaned. Not again! But, they really and truly do stretch. The fabric stretches in all directions. The shorts are pretty thin, so my next skeptic thought was, “OK, they fit, but will they stop chub rub situations?” I wore them all day at Disneyland, and I am happy to say that they didn’t budge, no chub rub, I forgot I had them on. Really.
With a $13 price tag, which is way cheaper than Spanx, I cannot recommend these enough.
One thing to note, unlike Spanx, these are not shapewear. They alleviate VPL and chub rub, but they do not hold you in or smooth you.
One more positive thing to point out, they use all sizes, shapes, ages, abilities and races to advertise their products. They take inclusiveness to a whole new wonderful level.
As I take Benji to register for the 8th grade today, in addition to coming to grips with the fact that I have an 8th grader, I thought that I would post some great items for back to school. Click on the links to buy.
Backpacks
Benji’s favorite band is Panic! At the Disco, so I found a new Panic! backpack from Hot Topic. The Loki backpack is also from Hot Topic by Loungefly. Finally, love this new Cap backpack! Also from Hot Topic.
Woven Button Down Shirts
Benji loves to rock a good woven button down! Here are a few I found:
Her Universe just released a whole Harry Potter line that really knocked it out of the park! Most items are also available on Hot Topic’s and Torrid’s websites as well. The prisoner shirt above is also from this collection.
One of the big trends right now is the chunky or “Grandpa” sneaker.
This look is great for several reasons. One, they are super comfy! Two, they come in a variety of colors so you can match any outfit. Three, they look great with everything, dresses, skirts, pants or shorts. Finally, they come in all price points, so everyone can enjoy this trend!
For example, I bought a couple of pair from Amazon, which were inexpensive. I also bought a couple of pair on sale at Skechers, which after the markdown, were also inexpensive. See below for some examples of some sneakers with shopping links. I’ve started with the designer sneakers with the price to match and down to inexpensive. To be honest, since this trend may not last, I would go with the inexpensive ones. So far, I’ve worn them frequently and they still look great.
I don’t know about you, but I do love to save some money. Problem is, I also love to shop for new nerdy-themed wardrobe items. The good news/bad news in that is that now, more than ever before, we have really good choices!
But, let’s say there’s nothing new catching your fancy out there on the interwebs, but you still have an event coming up. You need to put on something new. What is a nerd to do?
Well, try shopping your closet. I recently had WonderCon coming up, and I wanted to dress in dapper/pin-up styles the whole Con, but I didn’t have enough pieces. I couldn’t find anything I liked really, so I decided to shop my closet. After all, I have a ton of pieces, so maybe I could put together something with what I already had. Guess what? I did just that, and now I have a new go-to fave, this Black Widow bound!
The best way to do this is to take something you really like and challenge yourself to find something in your closet you’ve never paired it with before. If you usually wear something with jeans, then try pairing it with a skirt and vice versa.
I put together pieces that I didn’t buy to go together here, for this Tony Stark bound…
Recently Her Universe released a whole line of clothing for “Avengers Endgame” at Torrid and torrid.com.
I was lucky enough to nab two of my favorites, this dress…
This dress fits perfectly, and I absolutely love the print on the skirt.
And this jacket…
This jacket is also perfection! The jacket is a bomber-style jacket, but windbreaker weight, which is perfect for LA. I want to wear it until I just can’t wear it anymore!!!