MY ASOS WARDROBE BASIC FINDS
ASOS CURVE Floaty Blouse in Mint Floral with Neck Band - Original Price £36.00 - Sale Price £21.50
I zoomed into the front view of this top online and I noticed some gathering around the V neckline. It just didn't seem to lay flat. Also, the white camisole for me was so prominently visible and spoilt what was otherwise a sheer elegant top. I decided that my recently discovered YouTube guru KarenBritChic’s advice to “size up” might resolve both of these issue. Karen’s “How to make Inexpensive Clothes Look Chic” youtube video explains “don’t be a slave to sizing on the labels, don’t be afraid to go up a couple of sizes or even three sizes if you know you are going to look good and it is going to hang properly. The Generous material makes the item look more expensive”.
Sheer material like this needs to skim over my stomach, hips and bum. Karen says before making a purchase think about what flatters your shape. Think about your size and what kind of person you are. Does the item suit your lifestyle, does it suit who you are as a person? These are subjective questions that only we as individuals can answer.
My lifestyle: I travel to and from work on the bus and sit in front of a computer most of my day. Thought has to be given as to whether the top will comfortably accommodate my stomach, hips and bum when seated without any pulling on the seam area. Nothing’s worse than when I stand up and my clothing is hitched up, caught up around my stomach and hips and needs to be pulled down. Any tension on the seams of this delicate fabric is going to cause fraying and/or splitting ruining the top and wasting my money.
The Pros: - I imagine those trumpet sleeves hanging down below one of my new blazers or underneath my new leather jacket (both to be featured in my “shop for Gibraltar Weekend”) blog. Karen also mentioned frills on the shoulder can balance out your frame and can make your waist look “cinched in” I’ll take some of that. The ASOS model has fashioned the top with a pair of PVC trousers. I have always wanted one of these but practically they would only intensify the heat wave whenever I have a hot flush. So I will pair the top with the black straight legged stretch zip trousers I already own.
Buttons: I also zoomed in on the buttons at the back of the neck and I don’t like “fiddly” at the best of times but I have recently overcome this irksome point by doing up the buttons as soon as I put the top over my head and before I put my hands through the sleeves.
Sale Purchase: This top has been in my saved items for the longest while as the sheerness of the fabric online weighed up against the £32.00 steep price tag meant that until yesterday (Sunday 23.07.17) it never landed in my basket. In addition having looked at other ruffle tops online I have found that for my body shape they have far too much ruffle and for a "busty woman" such as myself, I don't want to further bulk up that area. I am a fan of the off the shoulder, or one arm blouses or dresses that are currently out and for me it’s a nice way of keeping cool when that heatwave creeps up on you, dust that glow powder and show off my collar bone. Here’s the thing, I have yet to find a strapless bra that can support my 42E bust with a silicone strip that has the strength of “No More Nails” and “Gorilla Glue” combined that can support and lift my hefty chest and make it evident to any onlooker where my breasts end and my stomach begins. I recall in my youth that as “that time of the month” drew near my breasts seemed to double in size and were very tender. The nights I spent on my knees praying that I wouldn’t “come on” near, during or just after the rave I wanted to attend. Every month I would tell myself that I couldn’t wait until I didn’t see my period ever again. “Be careful what you wish for” as now I wish my hot flushes came monthly and not daily!
Delivery Day: 24.07.2017 – My delivery arrived today. I arrived home at 17:45 with a real buzz, and scurry up to my bedroom with my package under my arm as fast as my swollen feet could carry me. I am not worried about the black tote bag inside as its frame sat comfortably on my knee all the way home which tells me the sizing is perfect. It’s the fit of the shoes and the top that I could hardly feel through the bag that I am worried about.
I place the infamous black and white ASOS bag on my bed and carefully cut along the dotted scissor line just in case I have to return anything. I remove the contents. I instantly see the bright pastel shades of the top through the transparent plastic bag. I remove the top and holding it up in front of me I instantly screw up my nose thinking “this looks huge” but straightaway remember not so long ago when my eyes were literally “too big for my stomach”. I was convinced that because I had lost a couple of pounds that an old favourite white cotton top would fit me. It didn’t. The hem was immovable and could not be pulled down over my stomach without a fight.
I cautiously turn the top around to tackle the buttons and I am pleasantly surprised to find there
will be no “niggly” moments as the loops are elasticated and expand easily as they slide over the delicately covered buttons. I put on the top and as it effortlessly glides over my skin like the breeze in a mid-summers night, tears come to my eyes. What looked like a sack flatters my body shape and skims over my stomach, hips and bum. The soft frills on the shoulder do stand up. The sleeves scarcely touch your arms. Only my reflection in the mirror validates to me that I actually have it on. But wait before I get excited can I sit in it. I slowly lower my posterior until it meets the edge of my bed. YES! YES, I exclaim I had nothing to worry about the hem being cut on a diagonal and sizing up has taken care of any reservations I may have had. “Material needs to be drapey and oversized so it has that swing to it, so when you are walking it gives off the vibe of being more expensive, because items which cost more tend to have better performance and by performance I mean it hangs better, swings better, and drapes better when moving” to quote Karen.
Conclusion: This V necked flattering top has ticked every box and surpassed all of my expectations. More importantly, I can't wait to wear it, especially on those warm but muggy days we have been having recently when the last thing you want is your clothes sticking to you.
Update: I am excited to report that I was bombarded with compliments both on my journey to and from the office, and throughout the working day.
ASOS Tote Bag With Ring Detail COLOUR: Black £22.00 (reduced on 25.08.17 20% off to £17.50)
I thought finding an in inexpensive structured black tote bag for a woman determined to create her capsule/basic wardrobe would be easy - it wasn't. Then again it is summer so maybe that had something to do with it. Sheer luck was how I discovered this Tote Bag last Saturday (22.07.17).
I had actually visited Accessorize near my workplace earlier that week and while I love the quality of Accessorize bags I was disappointed to find that there were no black totes in store and the price for any tote bag in Accessorize began at the £39 and upwards. That is a hefty price tag for a staple wardrobe item when it isn't exactly what you want. No, I wasn't prepared to settle. I took the unusual step of popping into the shop because I find that online pictures showing a model holding the bag means nothing to me a plus size woman
because when I receive the item and hold it against my plus size frame that bag can often look like a purse. What did work for me this time was using my new white tote from New Look (soon to be featured in my “shop for Gibraltar Weekend”) blog as a guide. I placed the tape measure up against the white tote bag and found that the white tote bag was a mere 1" inch taller in height so I knew the ASOS black tote would be perfect for me. In an attempt to be what the YouTube fashion gurus refer to as being "put together" I thought about pairing the ring detail of the tote bag with the steel toe cap of the mules above as I have often heard it mentioned that "all your hardware should match".
UPDATE: Despite my paying the full price on Sunday 23rd July only for it to be reduced by 20% on 25th July I am very happy with the size and sturdiness of the tote bag and it is perfect for me.
ASOS MONA Wide Fit Toe Cap Mules £18.00 COLOUR: Black/silver
It was while relishing my compulsory Saturday morning lye in that I came
across these mules on the ASOS website. Propped up in bed with my laptop on the breakfast table, tea cup flask in one hand and the mouse in the other I marked them as a “must have” for my basic wardrobe.
Pros:
They are pointed, elongating the body to onlookers;
they are wide fit – no foreseeable discomfort;
Size 9 was in stock – a rare feat indeed;
The very high front would stop them slipping off my foot;
The textile uppers meant I would escape the painful "wearing in" process;
Another pertinent feature for me is that they have the obligatory scored grip on the sole; and
Last but not least the rock-bottom price of £18.00 meant that I thought they were a steel (excuse the pun).
I also knew that I had to decide quickly to guarantee that were on their way to me by Monday 24 July.
For my feet I find mules that come up this high tend not to slip off my feet when walking and I don't have to do anything like scrunch up my toes to keep them on and I need to feel as secure as if they had straps on them.
Cons: For those of us who find it hard to bend and/or does not have a loved one to undertake this task for you, note that these shoes are a "you got to use your Ped Egg and moisturise the heels of your feet" kinda shoes.
KarenBritChic you are right deep down inside we do "instinctively know what suits us" and my Toe Cap Mules suit me.
Conclusion: It was the end of the day when the swelling of my right leg is always at its worst yet I was able to slide my feet into the mules one by one. Instant comfort relaxes my shoulders, I exhale and could be forgiven for thinking that I was putting on my slippers.