Most Wanted: Jumpsuits

Nothing makes me feel more put together than a jumpsuit.

When in said jumpsuit, I feel flawless; it's just one of those pieces, in my eyes anyway, that sensuously says: "I've got my shit together." Honestly, if I could, I'd probably get away with wearing one every day. Being as curvy as I am, I find a hard time finding clothes that fit just right. If it fits my chest, it sure as hell won't fit my waist. And if it fits my legs, it won't even making it past my butt. But with a jumpsuit? Everything is accentuated in just the right way, giving me the most flattering figure. In a jumpsuit, I can tuck away my insecurities - no need to shave my legs, worry about "whale tails", or feel underdressed. Sure, you might experience some trouble going to the bathroom, but that's a sacrifice you make for an air of confidence that cannot be replicated, even with the highest of heels. You can dress a jumpsuit up or down, pair it with almost any shoe or accessory, without a care. No need to worry about matching your top to your bottom - getting dressed just got that much easier.

I really would like to stock up on a few more of these. So far I own two; one in full Diesel denim, the other, a belted satin black number from Armani Exchange. Paired with a blazer and some booties, I'm ready to face/rule the world. I'll admit, I am partial to the deep-v styles in classic black, but you can always find high necklined varieties to suit your business needs, and patterns to add a punch.

Here are my top picks from a casual browse (mind you, they're not the most realistically priced for my "budget", but a girl can dream):

Trina Turk - Iona Strapless Fitted Sateen Jumpsuit in Black ($434.92)

3.1 Phillip Lim - Draped Colorblock Jumpsuit w/Judo Belt in Ink ($1027.64)

Roland Mouret - Verona Double-Crepe Cutout-Back Jumpsuit in Black ($3275.20)

Jason Wu - Gabardine Tuxedo Jumpsuit in Black ($920.24)

Rachel Zoe - Shiloh Leather-Waist Jersey Jumpsuit in Black ($322.22)

Michael Michael Kors - Chain-Neck Matte-Jersey Jumpsuit in Black/Silver ($80.00)

Michael Kors - Eyelet Silk-Jacquard Bustier Jumpsuit in Suntan/Black ($2295.00)

Betsey Johnson - Tuxedo Jumpsuit in Black ($189.00)

Topshop - Metallic Snakeskin Jumpsuit in Gold ($68.94)

Topshop - Velvet Wrap Front Jumpsuit in Black ($49.02)

Ella Moss - Stella Jumpsuit in Black ($326.21)

d. RA - Anemone Jumpsuit in Navy ($154.25)

Indah - Tenno Fringe Flounce Jumpsuit in White ($104.94)

Alice by Temperley - Alice Jumpsuit in Black ($316.10)

Kimchi Blue - Wide-Leg Bustier Jumpsuit in Black ($29.99)

Halston Heritage - Draped Jumpsuit in Black ($625.87)

Faithfull - Shutterbabe Jumpsuit in Navy ($153.88)

As you can see, I wasn't exaggerating my partiality towards low-cut black "powersuits".

As always, I promised myself I wouldn't spend any money, but what do you know, I had a $10 award on my Guess List card. So I did what any fashionably adventurous girl would do, and invested it in a piece that was classic, but impractical. It came out to just under $45.00 with my discount (tax included), and despite my initial apprehension (it's a little more than I wanted to spend, and my cleavage is um, there), I couldn't be more pleased with my (somewhat impulsive) purchase.

Guess - Sleeveless Deep V-Neck Jumpsuit in Boho Blue ($49.00)

It's incredibly sexy, but in an almost elegant fashion. To be quite honest, it made me feel like a trophy wife. It's just one of those pieces that you keep in the back of your closet for that "what if?" event. And yes, it's blue. See, I CAN accept other colours too! This jewel tone is unexpected and refreshing when head to head against its black compatriot, and I think that's what I appreciate most about it.

Sometimes, you just gotta let go of your inhibitions, and jump right in.

What's a purchase decision you've made, where you chose to eschew a cautionary/realistic approach?

-Shopaholic

Most Wanted: American Apparel

This past holiday season, my family and I took advantage of an amazing Groupon for American Apparel. You could either pay $20 and get $40 in store credit, or pay $40 and get $80 in store credit.

Obviously, I pounced on the $40 deal. And my family was kind enough to purchase a second Groupon for the absolutely necessary expansion of my closet (just did a HUGE purge... rather not discuss it, too depressing).

But what to get?

I'm kind of in-between sizes at the moment (10 lbs-ish away from fitting perfectly into all of my clothes - damn you five holiday dinners in a row), and so I'm a bit hesitant when it comes to purchasing anything that's going to attempt to keep my "rolls" in check. I tried on a few things, but none of them fit like I'd hoped.

The long coveted Disco Pants that supposedly work miracles on everyone else, looked awkward on me; the pockets sat too high. The Riding Pant was my next go-to, but even it disappointed me by being too long. I know I could've hemmed them, but the construction of the pants would've given me away. Finally, after over an hour of deliberating, I settled on a pair of super comfy and stretchy Dark Wash Indigo Easy Jeans, which made for a perf buttox. With my second Groupon, I purchased two bodysuits - The Nylon Tricot Micro-Mesh Gloria-V Bodysuit in Black that I've been fawning over for more than 3 years, as well as The Fiona Bodysuit in Black.

Ok, so I wasn't expecting to get two bodysuits, let alone two items in the one colour that has completely overrun my winter wardrobe, and I wasn't expecting to put any extra money down on top of the Groupons, but let me tell you - it was worth it. With my curvy proportions, I often find it difficult to find bodysuits (or really any type of clothing) that accommodate my... assets. And so, to find something that not only fit me, but also provided enough lift (Enough to go braless! Eek!), and that wouldn't effectively put my nips on display?

Jackpot, baby. Give me every colour you got!

Still, there were a few other items I considered getting, but that just didn't pan out.

The Wide Leg Pleated Chiffon Pant Preferably in Magenta. I mean, it's a Radiant Orchid-esque, sheer, pleated, wide-leg pant! SO ON TREND IT HURTS. They're actually ethereally gorgeous in person.

The Cotton Spandex Sleeveless Thong Bodysuit in Red. Unfortunately, the only ones they had left in my size had broken or missing crotch snaps. Boo hoo.

The Petite Unisex Long Wool Coat in either Deep Sapphire/Peanut, Oxford, Sunset, or Menthe. I am so in love with this coat it isn't even funny. It looks so warm and cozy, and the colours just take it up enough notches to be a closet staple. I wish I wasn't so broke at the moment, or I would've been all over this one. Still looking for a nice wool coat to carry me through the cold and semi-cold seasons.

The Hologram Leather Circle Skirt in Silver Foil Lambskin. I can't even verbalize my love for this. I am so tempted to just buy the materials and pay my sister to make one. However, circle skirts are rarely flattering on me. So in this case, I think it's best if I just admire from afar...

The Ponte Gloria V Skater Dress in Black, Syrah, or Lapis. The pictures really don't do this dress justice. Just like its bodysuit better-half, this dress suited me like none other. Unfortunately, due to a very open back, I found I had to keep adjusting the sleeves to ensure that I wouldn't be exposed at any given time. I figured fixing the sleeves every 1-5 mins would be bothersome, and a friend's admittance of purchase regret confirmed this. In the end, I put this one down, and slowly (sadly) walked away.

Cotton Spandex Jersey Gloria-V Bodysuit in Poppy/Melange Green/Raspberry. Oh my goodness gracious me, this is the perfect colour combo for spring! I didn't see this one in the store, and it looks to be almost completely sold out online. Still worth a mention though! Just imagining it with the chiffon pants... omgomgomg.


What are you coveting from American Apparel? Or any store, really.

-Shopaholic

Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Binge!

A few days ago I had wanted to put my hair in braids to get wavy hair for the first day of school, but I was totally out of hair elastics (my cats LOVE to play with them). So, I decided to stop by Shoppers Drug Mart to buy a pack, and I am so very very glad I did. It turns out they had a "$1.00 Beauty Clearance Bin" in which I found the hair elastics I needed, on top of a few other goodies. 

My holy haul from Shoppers Drug Mart.

The back of the mirror has extra magnification! Love it.

Although it wasn't in the $1.00 Blowout Bin, I did find a Secret Collection Delicates Mesh Wash Bag for only $3.00. I love mesh bags because I don't just put my bras and panties in them, I also like to use them to wash a lot of my delicate clothing and some of my hand-wash only items. It helps me get away with doing a lot of my laundry in the machine, saving me a hassle and a half. I already had two other mesh bags, but when your closet comprises of so many delicate items, it's always great to have multiple bags on hand.

I bought two packs of really cute and colourful Stylize hair elastics, which so far haven't seemed to stretch out at all, which is a problem I had with my previous elastics. I prefer getting black or dark brown elastics, because they blend in with my hair, but these were just fine for the overnight braid-to-wave technique I was buying them for. And for $1.00 a pack, I really can't complain about the colours!

I also bought a Stylize brush with comfortable rubber grip and I must say, it really is a great brush. It handles my tangles with ease, and although the grip is very "mushy", I actually prefer it over my other, more solid brush handle grips. It really was such a steal for $1.00.

Finally, my favourite purchase - the Stylize magnification hand mirror. I have one of those stand-up, self-supporting, I-don't-really-know-what-they're-called magnification mirrors on my bathroom counter, but sometimes they just don't cut it. I love the fact that the larger mirror is at normal magnification, and on the back there are two smaller mirrors with 5X and 10X magnification too. It fits nicely in my hand, and offers me the convenience and comfort only a hand mirror can provide. If I need to zoom in, I only move the mirror (or my face) a couple inches, and bam! No more having to pause, rotate the mirror to a higher magnification, and losing that one pesky ingrown in the process!

I purchased a few other things that day, and realized that although I spent almost $30, I had saved over $50 and accumulated quite a few Optimum points in the process!

Fortunately, they do have a "Super Spend Your Points Event!" going on this Saturday and Sunday, so my bonus points couldn't have come at a better time! For those of you who don't know, a super spend event allows you to redeem your Shoppers Optimum points for higher redemption values than they're normally worth. Example: If you've accumulated 25,000 points, you'll save up to $50 during the event - an extra $16 more than normal!

For details on the event, visit: http://www1.shoppersdrugmart.ca/en/Home.aspx

Also, I realize that I have not posted a "Back to School Outfit of the Day Part III" today. I'm actually really sick today (battling off an infection), so I wasn't able to make it to school. Wish me all the best so I can make it back Monday!

Love,

-Shopaholic