My Magical Tanya Taylor Dress

Let me tell you the tale of my magical Tanya Taylor dress and everything it represents. 

A few months ago, Tanya Taylor had a Instagram giveaway and offered anything from their site for someone worthy. I nominated my little sister (she's 44 to my 46) for taking care of my Grandma Rhoda for the past few years until she passed at 97 last summer. If not for my sister, my Grandmother could have ended up in a home and we probably wouldn't have had as much time as we did. While we would all call and check in during the pandemic, it was my sister who was hands on and doing everything we couldn't do. So long story longer, she won. And then she gave them my address with my size & picked this dress for me. When I opened the box I cried. 

While I'm relatively new to plus sizes, my sister has been plus for her entire adult life. Growing up she didn't have a lot of options. So she never fell in love with clothing like I did. (I've spoken about my sister D and our relationships with plus sizing before here.) I hoped to share my joy with her with this Tanya Taylor win so she could choose something beautiful in her size...and she just gave it to me. 

As for fit, I'm wearing the 14 Cynthia dress (which my sister decently guessed as my size). I wish it had a little more room in the hip but I couldn't have sized up as it's a little large on top—but it might have needed to be tied tighter in the back. As a style hack Ella looped the ties around my bra to keep it hidden. Overall I love the colors and the poof sleeve. So perfect for summer! 

If you need it too, it's available in sizes 0-22 and it's now on sale! I just ordered some matching TT face masks on the new app The Yes (apple only) which I strongly recommend trying out. They offer $25 off $50 your first purchase if you complete their style quiz. They have lots of plus and size inclusive brands—and they have high and low like Anthroplogie, Balenciaga, Prada, Staud, and even Zara. You create a wishlist and make recommendations of other similar styles and let's you know when your favorites are on sale. Feel free to splurge and treat yourself or just grab the Zara dress you've been eyeing for $25 off. Click here to download. 

Dress: Tanya Taylor, c/o

Bag: Ange Libby, c/o 

Scrunchie & clips: Belle Fixe, c/o (Ava loves their silky ones!)

Shoes: Ann Taylor, c/o

For 2021 I've made it a mission to discover more colorful designer, sustainable, and women-owned brands (bonus points if it's all of the above) in larger/size-inclusive sizes. I actually just started a new hashtag #fatincolor for my colorful looks. I keep seeing smaller sized women in colorful streetstyle blowing up all over Insta and Tiktok but I don't see many larger bodies doing it. My bestie @greivy is actually a genius at that game and can make anything look expensive. But feel free to join in by tagging me and using the #fatincolor hashtag :) 

My message is that we are all worthy. We deserve beautiful clothing in our size—whatever size or shape we may be. When I first started gaining weight a few years ago I didn't know what to do. I was nearing the top of straight sizing and not quite plus yet so I focused on my designer accessories and worked it in with fast fashion. And lots of kaftans. Kaftans are awesome but they represented me needing to hide and cover my body instead of finding things that celebrated it. Celebrated my 40+ years on earth and celebrated carrying & delivering 3 healthy children. Speaking of which, shoutout to mini-me @missellasophie for taking my pictures. 

And as much as I love my new dress, I wish my sister would have tried to push herself outside of her comfort zone and picked a Tanya Taylor piece for herself. Love you D!

XO

Twinning With Mini-Me, NYFW Edition

Fashion Weeks of the past have included a parade of shows, events and parties. This year there were exactly three in-person NYFW shows—and Ella and I were fortunate enough to be invited to the Rebecca Minkoff Spring/Summer 2021 Presentation. Months ago I spotted these Selkie rainbow puff dresses and I immediately envisioned a magical mother-daughter matchy-matchy fashion moment...and I have to say these dresses delivered. 

Now say that five times fast :)

I love that Selkie cuts their designs in a decently inclusive size range of XXS-5X, and I'm wearing the 1X and Ella the XS. Honestly I'm not sure who would fit the XXS as it was snug on the super tiny Ella, but then again Ella does have my broad shoulders. With the puff dresses you select your size based on your bust measurements—otherwise they have lots of room for all your curves. It might not be the most traditionally 'flattering' design as even Ella looked like she was several months along, but if you're looking for colorful and impactful as I do, these dresses are a dream. Selkie does have several dress silhouettes that give you a defined waistline and Ella already has her eyes on a few of those. Another note, even at 5'2" Ella's puff runs super short and biker shorts, leggings or tights are required unless you're comfortable sharing your nether regions with the world. For a little more coverage go with my midi length French Puff or their maxi styles. If you want to see our dresses move, check out our Tiktoks (here and here).

We've come a long way since Ella's first fashion week which you can check out here. Ella and I had multiple photos make it to Getty Images (see a few here, here and here), and made New York Fashion Week roundups in both InStyle and Huffpost. And while we've been photographed before, we've never had that that paparazzi experience where we were surrounded by flashing cameras and people asking us to look their way—and it was a little overwhelming. If I'm ever lucky enough to have that experience again I plan on living in the moment and having a little more fun with it. I may have frozen a little. Ella told me she felt famous. 

My formula for NYFW street style usually involves a whole lotta color and a focus on a statement coat or dress. We left our coats in the car because it turned out to be a beautiful day. And in NYC anything over 50 is pretty much summer. But we were prepared. Ella layered her Selkie Puff Dress with a turtleneck, plush nude fleece lined tights with both lace tights and lavender biker shorts for extra coverage. She also had on wool socks to keep her feet extra warm (one of my Fashion Week winter hacks). Just the day before was a good 20-30 degrees cooler and as a mom I make sure we are always prepared. I even gave her my furry knit fingerless gloves just in case. I kept it simple with my Selkie French Puff Dress, my white boots (that literally make an appearance every fashion week) and a mask that I DIY'd the night before because I couldn't find the perfect mask that I envisioned in my head. I love the fit and comfort of my Jill & Ally masks and I stocked up when I found them on clearance at TJ Maxx so I knew it would make the perfect base for my project. I wanted it to be a little bling-ier but I couldn't find my good glue (I needed E6000 for this project but my Target was sold out and my old one disappeared—thanks kids!) so I had to make do with dollar store glue which is basically garbage. Broke out a needle and thread and voilà!

Read about some of my past NYFW looks and experiences including my first NYFW as a blogger, one of my favorite OOTDs, and my controversial How to Sit Front Row at NYFW post that may have ruffled a few feathers.

Note some links are affiliate links and some are not. All it means it that I may make a few cents every time you click & purchase. Thank you for your support!

My look:

Dress: Selkie Rainbow French Puff, c/o

Choker: Shein, $1

Mask: Mask by Jill & Ally, with DIY Dollar Tree Flowers 

Gloves: Shein, $3

Bracelet: Stella & Ruby, c/o

Boots: Daniella Shevel c/o (seen here and here) *I did see a bunch available on The Real Real and they have a 20% off coupon right now too

Ella's look:

Dress: Selkie Puff Dress, c/o

Mask: Shein, $4

Gloves: Amato NY, older sample sale find (similar here and here)

Nails: Impress Manicure x OPI, c/o

Bag: Nina Hauzer c/o (seen before here)

Tights: Shein plush nude tights and lace tights, $5 & $3 

Biker Shorts: Charlotte Russe, $6 (these were next to impossible to find because kids cuts are too wide for her and adults are usually too big)

Boots: Daybreaks by Nina, c/o

Safety measures were in place at Spring Studio and even stricter than last round. You had to wear a mask, you were given a time slot to enter, and had to pre-register and complete with a health and safety survey—as well as wait on numerous lines inside. Social distancing was in place every step of the way. They did let Ella & I share a waiting spot together with my argument being that we were clearly together and basically the same person in the same dress. Even inside our dresses caused quite a stir with numerous compliments. One women correctly identified our dresses as Selkie and told us about her Selkie dresses. Several people asked to take pictures of us with their cellphones. I think I was most impressed with one street style photographer actually knew our dresses were Selkie and even included it in our Getty photo description. 

I typically don't share smaller coupon codes but if you're in the market, use code LEHOARDER for an extra 10% off your Selkie order. Selkie does have occasional sales and surprise bags that sell out in minutes, but if you have a specific piece on your wishlist, just go ahead and treat yourself. Puff dresses have a bit of a cult following and are at a premium even second-hand...when you can find them. Most dresses are available for pre-order on the Selkie site so you have to wait a few months for your dream dress to arrive. 

But back to the show, Rebecca Minkoff did not disappoint. Another East coat meets West Coast mix of bohemian rockstar glam. Once again lots of prints with matching face masks and a few new bag shapes that were most definitely drool-worthy. And the best part is that the collection is instantly shoppable and you can head to her site to start grabbing some of your favorites. Must haves for me include the Edie Fringe, Edie Maxi and Love Too Small crossbody. Check out my coverage of Rebecca's last NYFW September 2020 presentation here.

After the show I met up with my girls Greivy and Wendy who I had not seen in months. If felt good to feel normal-ish, even if just for an afternoon. I'm so thankful for all the brands that support me and for all of you for your love and support. A huge thank you to Greivy's husband for taking all my pics and Wendy for jumping out of the car with me and taking that shot by the water. It takes a village...

It's been just under a year since quarantine began and I've come close to losing my mind several times. I'm grateful for my family and our health and other than losing my Grandmother (not Covid but we couldn't be with her in the hospital for her last days due to Covid) we've been pretty fortunate. Ella's 14th birthday next week marks the last time we went out freely sans masks and before the world shut down. I'm looking forward to celebrating with mini-me and enjoying my last year with just two teenagers—which multiplies into three next year. 

It's crazy what a difference a year makes...

Stay safe everyone! 

XO

Not Fat Enough?

A couple weeks ago in my Instagram stories I started asking if size 14 is considered plus—and in my most voted poll of 2020, it came out to nearly a 50/50 split. So here's my question, if you voted size 14 is not plus-sized, WHY?

A few people answered they thought plus started at 18 (and some people seemed to get really angry about it) but riddle me this, how is that ALL my clothing pictured here—my Eloquii jacket, and Betsey Johnson x Torrid shirt, bra and dress, all come from traditionally plus size stores? 

My jacket is a 12 from the Eloquii collab with Refinery29 (Note, most Eloquii starts at size 14) and all my Torrid pieces are a size 0, which is a 12 plus as well. Pro tip: if you're a straight size 14/16 you're probably gonna have to size down to a 10/12 in plus.

Sunglasses: Amazon, $10

Earrings, top, bra & dress: Betsey Johnson x Torrid, gifted (More about that collab here.)

Jacket: Eloquii, gifted (Shop similar here.)

Gloves: Amato NY, sample sale, $10

Boots: Sergio Rossi, sample sale, $25! (Read about that epic sample sale here.)

Personally I don't care if you call me plus, midsize or "not that big." As a 46-year-old woman, I've been around the block a few times and I've heard it all. Once you hit your 40s you really don't care about other people's opinions as much. 

But I also get that I didn't grow up plus so I have a completely different experience with the word/space than someone who did. I may not have the same triggers or trauma, but as someone who struggled with her relationship with food and body image her whole life, I can identify with other women who use any of the aforementioned terminology. 

Ironically, growing up, my younger plus size sister was way more popular and accepted. But I get it, I was a weird kid with my own laundry list of bulliable offences (short, skinny, buck teeth, not a lot of $, learning issues...) and I didn't have the confidence to stand up for myself—whereas my sister and most of my siblings clearly did. And honestly it wasn't just the kids who were mean back then, it was the teachers who were the worst offenders. But that's a story for another time...

So now, at 5'5", short-waisted, 230 lbs. with a pear/hourglass shape, I'm gonna carry my weight differently than someone taller, shorter, apple-shaped, etc. In some ways I'm lucky that I can straddle the line of straight and plus, but I'm left confused when both sides seem to push back and I find myself in this space where I'm not fully accepted by any of the above. Again, why? Now I'm not skinny enough, not fat enough...where does that leave me?

And I really don't get why the plus size space is so quick to exclude women and push them into yet another category (midsize or not-plus) in a community that fought so hard for inclusivity? 

What I love most about my life as a creator/influencer or whatever you want to call me is the community. I love connecting with other women (of all ages, sizes, ethnicities, and life experiences) who all share a common love of fashion and shopping. For the first time in my life, I finally feel like I've found my people. And I don't feel so alone anymore.

So how about for 2021, how about we think about ways to connect instead of focusing on our differences. Don't get me wrong, differences are what make us special and beautiful. But instead of using them to exclude, let's find ways to celebrate them TOGETHER. After the last year, I think we all could use a little more love, tolerance and acceptance. That's the lesson I want to pass on to my kids.