#stylehasnosize

Image taken from her official instagram page you can find it HERE [then edited by me]

The 70s look is back in a massive way for autumn winter 2015 and I for one and totally in love with the look. Now I can put my love of this trend down to one person and one person alone, Miss Florence Welch is the style guru for all things 60s 70s and bohemian. Her look is so well put together but so effortless constantly that I can’t help but be inspired by every single outfit I see from her. I mean really I should be calling this post ways in which I am stealing Florence Welch’s style but anyways back to my point. The 1970s look was all over the catwalk and has exploded onto the high street in a big way this season with nearly every store including it in some shape or form with the A/W offerings.

I have had a look around some of the high-street plus-size retailers and put together some pieces which I think really encompass the trend, So starting with simply be who actually have a brilliant 70s edit page HERE on their website.

The coat is my stand out piece from their collection and I think really well priced at £65 however due to the nature of the weather in Northern Ireland i.e constant rain I don’t think I could possibly get the wear from it but layering it over any sort of outfit will just give that slightly more subtle nod to the 70s look, I can really see it working well over skinny jeans and a loose top. The bag and shoes are also both more statement pieces, I feel that if you are not 100% sure about rocking the 70s look head to toe then they are a perfect way to dip your toes into a trend to see if you can make it work with your own style.

A couple of my favorite pieces from New Look ( see the site HERE) include this amazing fringed waistcoat which comes in at just under £20 although they seem to be adding more pieces into their sale on a daily basis so keep an eye. I actually picked up something really similar to this in Primark last week for a night out I was having last weekend and I just loved how easy it was to throw on and it instantly changed what was just a plain black dress into a more 70s look. I also love this little suede skirt and I think alongside a light turtle neck jumper would make a great day time outfit.

If Florence says an all suede outfit is ok then I am totally all for it!

Evans Clothing ( find them HERE) also have a great selection of pieces, from tailored waistcoats to bell sleeves. The waistcoat pictured comes in a variety of on trend colours and prints as well as a staple black version all starting at £35, I recently picked up the berry colour for myself and already I have found a million ways to wear it. I think tailoring pieces can also work for the 70s look as they give a more night out feel to an outfit. The bootcut jeggings are a great update for Autumn is the are a great nod to the very popular flare without being overly flared if you are not sure about how the trend will work on you. I think the key point is that if you want to try the trend but are not sure whether or not it will work for you try it out using accessorys and shoes. You can pick up great pieces really inexpensively from the likes of Primark which is how I have worked the trends into my own wardrobe without investing too much money into pieces which probably wont be as on trend in Spring Summer.

ASOS curve is probably my favourite in terms of getting the trends right at the minute, just looking at the images of the gorgeous Gabby Gregg in the Curve campaign shoot you can totally tell just how inspired they were by the 70s trend. Full of suedes and knitted layers I definitely recommend you check out their site even to just inspire new outfit combinations.

So as I previously mentioned I have being try to incorporate the 70s look into my own wardrobe in the last few weeks as the weather has began to transition to cooler days and chilly nights. The outfit on the left is a new go to for me, the black dress is one I have had for about a year now from Evans which is probably my favourite LBD. The waistcoat is from Primark for £14, the necklace is also Primark at £5 and I think together they provide a great 70s update to any outfit for under £20. The Waistcoat on the right is also Evans clothing and I think that with this pussy-bow blouse ( also Evans but really old) they together become a great 1970s dressy look.

I hope this post is helpful to you guys , until next time…T-j xx

“We believe that style is not about the size you wear; it’s about how you style your
size. Our #STYLEHASNOSIZE campaign celebrates every woman’s shape
and style – a message to challenge preconceptions and bring together
women with a mantra that really matters.”

After writing THIS post at the start of the year and getting such incredible feedback from it I have consciously shifted towards creating more content focused on the areas of self love and feeling good in the skin you are in. As I mentioned previously I have started working in Evans in Belfast and through this I was introduced to the brands latest campaign #STYLEHASNOSIZE which is a campaign in conjunction with the rainbow trust to launch the brands connection to the charity, the launch of the in-store personal shoppers and most importantly to inspire women to feel great at whatever size they are at. This whole campaign really struck something within me because for a long time I have been trying to champion dressing for how you want to dress instead of what you feel you should be dressing. if you you want to wear a crop top WEAR IT if you want to wear skinny jeans WEAR THEM.

I totally understand and respect that for alot of women this will all be easier said than done because we are so used to society trying to tell us how to dress, think and feel in regards to our size. Something I have mentioned before is being sick of being told by society that my body is a before picture, the only time I see women I can remotely relate to in popular publications is when my body is being shown as something to aspire to get away from. I shouldnt look at my body as a finished result, I should have no desire to look like this for a long term thing.

My body is covered in all my lumps, bumps and everything in between but you know what… that’s fine by me. This is my shape now, this might not always be my shape by currently at twenty two years old this is how I look and I will be damned to let other people dictate to me that this body is anything but great. Putting all health queries aside as I know all to well that these are the first questions posed when a plus size girl mentions that she is happy in the skin she is in, I have come to a point in my life where I will not let other people influence my happiness when it comes to my body. This is MY home, MY body, MY shelter MY everything and you cannot try to define me as any different because that serves a purpose for you.

Something which I have really enjoyed recently was the documentary created by channel four Plus Sized Wars which was highlighting the rise of the plus-size industry in the UK and interviewed some of the biggest bloggers in the industry to document their feelings. It also put a big focus onto the signing of Tess Munster making her the first girl her size to be signed to a major industry and the storm that occurred around that. It is definitely worth a watch if you can because even just watching the girls dispel alot of myths that surround plus-size is great viewing.

I decided once we received the t-shirts in work that I wanted to create a series of images showing you guys that above everything else, this is me, this is my body and no one can make me change that. I dress, act and speak as myself and for myself and will not be altered by the constant pressures from society around me. My size is stylish, my style is not measurable by the numbers on a label, my style is not defined by letters, numbers or the opinions of others #STYLEHASNOSIZE