Jenny skirt

Peasant Tops

There was one wardrobe staple from Pinup Girl Clothing that I was reluctant to try…the peasant top. They’re very popular, and available in some amazing colors (which conveniently coordinate with the various beautiful Pinup Girl skirts), but I was hesitant. Why? Well, let’s be honest…my arms aren’t my best feature. But I also really dislike being overly warm in the spring and summer, so I’m not going to be wearing long sleeves. I figured if I’m going to be wearing tank tops and short sleeves that show my arms, I may as well also try out the Pinup Girl peasant top!

I’m very happy with them. The construction of the shirts is amazing, as is everything else I’ve purchased from Pinup Girl. The quality is outstanding, and the colors are amazing. As for my arms…well, yes, you can see them. And elastic and arm fat aren’t exactly best friends. But who cares? Covering them up isn’t actually going to change anything about them, and I love the way these shirts look with my skirts, so it’s a price I’m willing to pay!

Inspired by the Italian Riviera

I’ve paired this Italian Landscape Jenny skirt from Pinup Girl Clothing with a striped shirt before, but I knew I wanted a top with a bolder stripe (and a longer sleeve). When I saw this off-the-shoulder, striped, Jailbird top on Pinup Girl’s website, I knew it would be the perfect pairing. I feel like I should be visiting the Italian Riviera when I wear it…and I also think I would be right at home in the “grape-stomping” episode of I Love Lucy!

I love the way my Starlite necklace and earrings, from Meteor Jewelry Co., go with this outfit…the blue is a great choice to bring out the accent color in the skirt. I’m really hoping I can save up for the matching bracelet while it’s still available, because I think it would look great with the 3/4 sleeves on this top!

Belted

Would you believe that prior to a few years ago, I never wore belts? Never, ever. I figured that as a plus-size woman, they would never be flattering on me. And I still think that’s true of the traditional, through-the-beltloops-belts that go with pants. But, I have discovered the benefit of wearing a wide belt with skirts and dresses, especially my full skirts from Pinup Girl Clothing and The Oblong Box Shop!

Because a nice, wide belt, when paired with something that doesn’t have set loops, can be worn where you want it to be, you can position it at the narrowest part of your waist, which is slimming. Now, that’s still a relative term for me, as my waist is, well, hard to find (for the record, I blame the five c-sections), but it really does help, plus, it’s visually interesting, especially when you have belts in different colors. I wear a basic black belt the most often, because it goes with almost everything, but I have found that a green belt that came with a dress, and a coral belt I bought specifically to go with another dress a few years ago, are really fun additions to my outfits. I’m also experimenting with a new white belt I bought at Pinup Girl’s last sale, and while it fits a bit tighter than I would prefer, I think it, too, will become a wardrobe staple!

Jenny Skirts

My love affair with Pinup Girl Clothing began early in 2015, when I bought my first Jenny skirt…the pink castle print. Since then, I’ve added many more Jenny skirts to my wardrobe:

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I’m sure there will be even more beautiful Jenny skirts in my future!

Royal Dressing

So, you may have heard that today, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II surpassed Queen Victoria as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. This is a big deal, and as is the case will any special occasion, I wanted to wear a special outfit. I deliberated a bit over my options. Jewelry was easy…my (fake) pearls and a replica of one of The Queen’s most famous brooches, the Williamson Diamond Brooch (although mine is set with Swarovski crystals instead of diamonds!). I considered wearing my Pinup Girl Clothing Amanda dress, as it is in the colors of not only the U.S. Flag, but also the Union Flag, but then I realized I had something even more perfect in my wardrobe for a day celebrating Her Majesty…my pink Jenny castle print skirt!

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I also had a moment seeing this outfit today. I’m overweight…that’s obvious. Pictures don’t lie. And so while I have nice clothes, and put together many nice outfits, usually I think to myself, “I would actually look pretty if…” and the end of that sentence has something to do with some amount of weight loss. But today, I looked at myself, and simply thought that I looked pretty. Period. No if, no when, no maybe somewhere down the line.

Now, I know there are people who would say that an overweight person can’t be pretty. Period. A daring few might even say it to my face (although I wouldn’t recommend it!). But they’re wrong. Women can look pretty, be beautiful even, at any weight. I’ve heard it said before, but I think maybe I didn’t truly believe, not about myself anyway, before today.

So, this was a monumental day for The Queen. There is no question about that…we witnessed history being made by Her Majesty. But, in a much smaller way, it was also a monumental day for me!

Stripes and Circle Skirts

I recently realized that I have worn my one and only striped shirt with four of the five circle-ish skirts (since they have gathers, I’m not sure that I can really call them circle skirts) I own…I guess there’s something about that combination that’s irresistible!

Stripes and Trains

So far, with my Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirts, I’ve played it safe, pairing them with solid-colored tops. I decided that my prized Mary Blair train print skirt deserved something a little more special today, and what goes better with trains than stripes?

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I really like how this combination turned out, and I’ll definitely be wearing it again!

Pinup Girl

OK, so I’m totally not claiming to be a pinup girl myself, but I do love shopping with Pinup Girl Clothing, and that’s what this is really about…their amazing, well-designed, well-made, made in the USA clothes, which are available in a large range of sizes, so every woman can dress with a cool, retro vibe!

My love affair with Pinup started last year, with the purchase of a petticoat, because I had a skirt that needed a little extra oomph. I was nervous about buying a petticoat, because it was my first real jump into retro fashion, but I love it, and I really love the way it makes my skirts look!

My favorite thing I’ve purchased from them is the gathered Jenny skirt…but, of course, one wouldn’t do…not when they have so many amazing prints! So, I have four Jenny skirts, in different patterns (including one highly-prized Mary Blair train print), that I wear with regularity, because they’re so amazing.

I have to admit, Pinup shirts and I don’t seem to get along. I’ve tried two different styles, in different sizes, and I’m just not comfortable in them. They were both beautiful shirts, however, and well made, so that’s more my issue than theirs. Because of the difficulty I had with Pinup shirts, I was reluctant to try one of their dresses…and then I saw the Amanda dress in red, white, and blue. Something that special was worth taking a chance on, and I’m glad I did! The fit is still not quite right, but I can get it taken in if I decide to.

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I’ve even branched out, and tried an awesome, space-themed skirt from the Oblong Box Shop! I’ll admit, the fact that it’s a polyester skirt scared me a little…one of the things I like best about Pinup Girl is that everything I’ve purchased from them so far has been made of cotton…but the print is so quirky and vibrant, I don’t even mind the material!

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I also have a pair of Crescent and Aurora SparkleLux lucite earrings from Pinup Girl, the Starlite necklace and earring set, which is available from Pinup in a gorgeous retro pink color, but I went straight to the source (MeteorJewelry), so I could get it in blue instead, an Eiffel Tower brooch from Tangerine Menagerie, and a cool flying saucer brooch from Luxulite. I’m really loving vintage-inspired jewelry done in modern ways!

I’m not going full-on pinup or anything, because I don’t have the talent to do retro hair and makeup, or the money to have a full pinup wardrobe. I would eventually love to add another dress or two, like the Mary Blair Nancy dress, or the Mary Blair Lydia dress, and some more jewelry like the SparkleLux Crescent Drop earrings, or the antique-inspired Enchantress Bow earrings. I love including the items I already have in my regular rotation that have a vintage look, but in a totally modern way!