Skater dresses.....not just for the ice anymore

I remember being a little girl watching ice skating on the television.  The ladies were so graceful and seemed to float across the ice in their beautiful dresses.  I would then pretend to skate like them while alone in my room, and I would put on the closest thing I could find to the beautiful dresses worn by those female skaters.  I felt, if only for a moment, like I was really skating.  I was graceful and I was beautiful in my dress.

Now, cut to soooooo many years later.  I am still watching ice skating on the television.  I still look in awe at their beautiful dresses.  The only thing that has changed is I no longer pretend to skate around my room.  It's funny how growing up changes things like that.  

As luck for people like me would have it, one of the big fashion trends is now the skater dress.  Win!  Skater dresses come in as many varieties as skaters themselves.  They can be dressed up, dressed down, worn with sandals or boots.  They are pretty much the perfect dress!

They say a girl should always have a little black dress in her closet...this one from ASOS.com fits the bill pretty well.

Thinking ahead to the holiday season...this skater dress from loveculture.com will make you the hit of the party.

Pairing the skater dress trend with the houndstooth trend for fall, this dress from Lane Bryant is perfect for the office.  Throw on some jewelry and some boots to make this an easy conversion to evening.

When the fall weather turns chilly, stay warm and stylish with a knit skater dress from Macys.  

There you are ladies!  Snap up one of these great skater dresses and imagine yourself floating across the ice..or at least down the street....and You're Beautiful!  

Hot for Fall.....Houndstooth

The weather has taken a cooler turn, and today marks the official beginning of Fall.  It's hard to imagine the carefree days of summer are behind us.  The kids have gone back to school, the leaves are changing into their fall spectrum of color.  It's time to pack away the shorts and flip flops and replace them with sweaters, boots and scarves.

Along with the new season comes new trends in fashion.  One of this year's trends for fall is houndstooth.  This design has been updated and transformed from the sports coats of Bear Bryant, and they are now manufactured in multiple colors, shapes and sizes.

The first example is a wrap-style dress from Ashley Stewart  This style dress looks fabulous on most body types, and it is easy to wear.  Pair it with your favorite pair of heels and some basic jewelry and you are set!  If you are feeling dangerous, throw on some bright red pumps!

The second example is this great houndstooth jacket from Macys.  Pair it with jeans or black pants tucked into boots or dress it up with that little black dress.  The possibilities are endless!!

For a slightly retro look, try this dress from www.eshakti.com.  This style would be great for work.  If your body shape is larger on the bottom, this dress is for you!  Pair this with some retro hose to complete the look.

When the weather calls for a coat, give this poncho from Lane Bryant a try.  It pairs a bold purple color with the houndstooth trend.

If you are a little more reserved with your style and you want to ease into this trend, start from the bottom....quite literally.  Try these rubber boots from www.dhgate.com.  They are just as cute as they can be, and they will keep your feet warm and dry in style.

So ladies....it's easy to stay on trend even if you are a woman of "real" size.  Don't forget to try clothes on and take a good, honest look at yourself.  Do not settle for just OK.  Make sure you look as good as you deserve to look.

Boots for plus size women

Fall is right around the corner, and that means we give up the comfort and ease of the sandals and flip flops.  Boots with varying heights of heel are on trend, but for those of us who do not have toothpicks for legs, the thought of trying on boots can be frightening.  Even before I became plus size, I had very muscular legs and I have always had trouble finding boots to fit.

Luckily for us, designers have now embraced those of us with juicier legs and have launched lines of extra-wide calf boots.

"Jackie" from Comfortview found at Woman Within

Lace Shoe Boot found at Simply Be

"Tanya" boot by Ros Hommerson found at widewidths.com

So, as you can see, wide width boots can still be on trend.  Go ahead and pair them with your favorite outfit!  

Points of interest:  

**  to elongate your legs, choose a boot with a pointed toe and a bit of a heel.  

**  try on several types of boots and look at your whole body in a mirror.  Are the boots hitting your

      leg in a flattering spot?

**  if you are wearing boots with a bold color, be sure to pick your outfit to complement the boots

      and not compete with them.

Now, go ahead ladies.  Embrace those legs of yours and get boot shopping!