It's time for my second review of ASOS Curve and this time it is something completely out of my comfort zone.... BODYCON!   Apart from an unworn black lace bodycon dress that I bought last Christmas that disguises all my lumps and bumps I haven't really experimented with this style before because I am quite conscious of my tummy area and wobbly bits! I decided to steer away from my safe choices and review some clothing that I wouldn't normally choose to wear.  This makes for impartial reviews rather than everything being perfect all of the time.

 

 

Bodycon dress in mirror floral print: ASOS Curve, currently reduced to £31.50,
Necklace: Unknown, Bracelets: New Look & Unknown, Heels: Next

What I particularly liked about this bodycon dress, apart from the print which is absolutely gorgeous and unique, was the length.  A lot of the bodycon dresses are cut very short and I think that the extra length gives it a bit more class.  I think that I would need a lot more confidence to wear this dress out in public without some sort of jacket semi-covering myself up.  I am wearing shapewear underneath the dress from Marks and Spencer (£29.50) to smooth out my lumpy bits.  

The reason I decided not to wear a jacket or cardigan for this review is so that you can get a full view of the print of the dress.  I am wearing a size 18 which fits perfectly and is quite tight (this also helps with smoothing out any love handles!).  The dress is made very well in a soft, stretchy jersey fabric and is available on the ASOS website in the sale currently reduced from £45.00 down to £31.50, however only a size 20 and size 28 are left in stock. 

 I think that this dress is worth the price tag as it is well made and beautiful but I think I need a bit more experience in bodycon and confidence to be able to rock it as well as the model on the ASOS Curve website (Mr FH doesn't agree with that statement and he absolutely loves it!).  I have one more item to review for ASOS Curve but I am very impressed with the quality of their items and I aim to make them a regular on the site :) If you haven't already checked out their ever changing range of clothing made especially for a size 18 to 26/28, you won't regret it... it's awesome!

Not long after I wrote an article about the new range of ASOS Curve jewellery that is due for release in August 2013 I got in touch with ASOS Curve and they were lovely, they sent me a few items to review.

I must admit I was very excited about this *insert squeal here* because although I have ordered accessories from ASOS before and one dress from their main range, I had never experienced ASOS Curve and I really love their fashion forward pieces.  For these reviews I decided to be a little more adventurous and instead of choosing things that I knew would suit me straight away I chose three items that were very different to my style even though there were three dresses I loved.  I have the opinion that if I always choose things that I am guaranteed to fall in love with it doesn't make very impartial reviews.

The first item I was sent to review is the ASOS Curve Quilted Jacket in Floral Print.  I was very unsure about the sizes since I've never tried any of their products before so I opted for a size 18.  I was delighted when it turned up - it fit perfectly, no gaping on the bust line due to my massive back.

This jacket is black with a multitude of different coloured flowers on it.  Pink, blue and orange are the other main colours that stand out on this jacket. It is very striking to look at and super comfy - made from polyester and a cotton lining it feels really smooth on your skin and although it isn't a lightweight jacket it doesn't pull you down with its weight and feels like it is a really high quality jacket.

When styling this jacket my first thoughts were to pair it with some skinny jeans and a black tank top however I noticed that this was how the model wore it on the website.  I took photos of this look anyway to show you all what it looks like on my frame/shape.  This jacket can be worn as both a casual jacket and a smart one though and is very versatile!  Try wearing it with a pencil skirt and the whole look changes completely just from changing one item of clothing (and shoes of course!).  

ASOS Curve Quilted Jacket in Floral Print *: ASOS Curve, currently £36.00,
Skinny Jeans: George @ Asda, £8, Tank Top: Select, £3, Cross Necklace: Select, £5.99, Ring: Unknown, Shoes: George @ Asda, £6. 

ASOS Curve Quilted Jacket in Floral Print *: ASOS Curve, currently £36.00,
Textured Pencil Skirt: Select, £8, Tank Top: Select, £3,
Ring: Unknown, Necklace: Star by Julien Macdonald @ Debenhams, Shoes: Morgan

This jacket is available over on the ASOS Curve section of the website in sizes 18 to 28 and is currently reduced from £45.00 to £36.00.  I would say that even at full price this jacket is worth every penny and will be a perfect addition to any Autumn wardrobe now the weather is cooling down substantially.

So far my experience of ASOS Curve is a very positive one and I actually went to place an order the day these review items arrived but unfortunately the dresses I had been drooling over previously were all out of my size so I am trying to decide what to order potentially to wear in the daytime at Plus North.

I have been a fan of ASOS for a while now and have ordered items from their main brand jewellery, accessories and one of their bodycon dresses before (although I haven't worn it properly yet!) so imagine my excitement when I received an e-mail from ASOS Curve inviting me to view their up and coming collection of ASOS Curve Jewellery ready for Christmas!

Their new collection includes a lot of statement pieces and plenty of gold coloured pieces too.  I think that gold looks so much more luxurious than silver these days so I am pleased they have stuck with this colour scheme.  ASOS Curve jewellery has been designed for ladies like myself who are plus size so everything is made for a comfortable fit.  How many times have you tried on bracelets or rings in high street stores to find they simply won't fit?  Now this worry is gone with a specially designed jewellery range for curvier girls.

The new collection will be available from the ASOS website (Curve section) and prices start at only £6 so now fashionable jewellery is affordable too.  Let's take a look at some of the more unusual and exquisite pieces in this new range.

Gem Clasp Chain Necklace (Available from August 2013: £30)

This necklace is a statement necklace and a half!  I love the colours used and the amount of chainmaille/ring work too.  I think this necklace will be absolutely stunning combined with a party dress.

Lion Bear Bangles (Available from August 2013: £12)

I really like the simplicity of these bangles and at £12 for 2 of them, I think it will be a bargain.  You can wear these bracelets separately or together for a more impact look.  One of the things I love about these bracelets is that they both have a different texture, one looks smooth and the other has a diamond imprint on it.

Cameo Disc Earrings (Available from August 2013: £18)

These earrings are so unusual I had to give them a mention.  I do have pierced ears however I very rarely wear earrings because if they aren't made of real gold my earlobes swell up and go very red.  I have some sort of allergy (that I'm told is really common) to metals which means I'm pretty restricted when earrings are concerned.  That doesn't stop me though and for a special occasion I will wear a pair of earrings and put up with the pain the day after!  These earrings would look fantastic with a little black dress.  Gorgeous! 

Don't forget these items aren't for sale until August 2013 but there are plenty more in the new range that I know you'll fall in love with like I have.  Exciting times for a plus size girl!

I'm terrible at making decisions.  If we eat out, I'll let someone else choose where.  If Mr FH and I are watching a film, I'll let him pick!  So imagine how difficult it is for me to order clothes online...

Generally, I do shop in actual stores because it means I get to try everything on in one go without having to worry about sizing issues or sending stuff back.  Recently I have been more interested in online shopping because of lack of time and also some of the ranges aren't available in stores and I live far away from some stores such as Simply Be, however I am going to make it my mission to get to one before the end of the year!

Anyway, I have found a bunch of dresses that I really like but I can't order them all as it will eat into the wedding fund, so I decided to make a post and see if anyone wants to get in touch with their opinions via comments, twitter or e-mail and help me choose which to order :)

First up, is Yours Clothing.  I've never ordered anything from here before but after reading the most recent post over at What Laura Loves, I too fell in love with the "Cream Bird Print Lace Trim Dress". Laura looks amazing in it!  This dress is £30 and the only drawback is that they are out of stock of 18's and a 20 may be too big... 

Next up, also on Yours Clothing is a beautiful floral hanky hem dress in black, red and beige.  I think this dress would be perfect for summer but also work in Autumn due to the gorgeous array of colours within its print.  This dress is low in stock in both an 18 and 20, so I need to act fast if I want to get it.  At £35, this is slightly more expensive than the previous one.

Heading over to Desire Clothing, another store I've never ordered from, I couldn't help but notice this peacock dress on sale at just £16.  Now, I absolutely love the peacock dress designed by Em over at Simply Be, but I don't think my shape would pull it off.  So this one (although fitted) would probably be better suited and it's in the sale, so can't really go wrong! The only thing with this dress is I am really nervous about which size I would need.

Now over to ASOS Curve where I am also a bit twitchy about their sizing.  First up, a couple of dresses from the Little Mistress Curve range (can I really justify more evening dresses and their prices when I have a wedding to save for?)... Both are bodycon dresses which immediately make me worry about shapewear but both are simply stunning on the model! 

Over at Simply Be there are loads of dresses that I love, so I have narrowed it down to the following although these don't have photos because the website ones are a bit lower quality... See why this is so difficult already? :) Maybe I should stick to the sales for now? HELP!! :)

• Anna Scholz Cowl Colour Block Dress, Reduced to £49.50 @ Simply Be
• Coral Jacquard Skater Dress With Pleats, Reduced to £18.00 @ Simply Be
• Enchanted Print Tea Dress, Reduced to £14.00 @ Simply Be 

I also love the Scarlett & Jo dresses I mentioned in an earlier post.  I would appreciate any opinions at all before my head explodes! 

Xx

You wouldn't really think it was nearly summer here in my part of the UK.  Our weather is very changeable; one minute we have sunshine, the next rain showers.  Normally in summer I live in dresses.  I absolutely love them and my collection is ever growing!  Most of the dresses I own are just above the knee - plenty of floral prints, summer colours and a couple of nautical styles too which I'm sure will make an appearance as "Outfits of the Day" at some point soon...

I also have a couple of maxi dresses.  I have the gorgeous Simply Be one as mentioned in my previous post.  I can honestly say I think this is probably my favourite dress that I own now and it has made me want to order a bunch more from Simply Be!  Best wait until payday though.... lol :)

I decided to take a look at a few online stores which specialise in plus size / curvier girls to see what summer dresses they have on offer this year... Firstly, let's take a look at what ASOS Curve have to offer.  I've only bought one dress from them before - a slinky black lace number at Christmas time... so I still don't really know if their sizing is true to form or not.  I have to say I'm a little disappointed with their lack of Spring/Summer colours but I'd like to start my selection of summer dress picks with a pretty vintage floral style maxi dress. 

ASOS Curve - Maxi Dress in Vintage Floral Print

I really quite like this "Maxi dress in vintage floral print" because it has a very pretty print and has quite unusual colours.  The neckline is flattering with a slight plunge and although most of my dresses that I own have thin straps, I normally cover up my arms with a short cardigan anyway and this dress has slightly sheer short sleeves which I think would be perfect for covering up my wobbly arms!  At a price tag of £48, I do feel that it is possibly a bit expensive for me, but it's one to bookmark in case it comes up in the sale. It's available in sizes 20 - 26 UK, however the 20 is out of stock.  Boo!

ASOS Curve (Bodycon Dress in Mirror Floral Print)

Next up is a shorter dress from ASOS Curve (Bodycon Dress in Mirror Floral Print) which comes just to the knee.  I was a little unsure whether to include this one or not because even though I absolutely love it, I don't think I would be confident enough to wear a bodycon dress without some sort of floaty overlay layer.  Part of me really wants to order it to try it on though!  It's made from stretchy jersey fabric with a round neckline.  This one doesn't have any sleeves so it would definately be one for me to wear with a cardigan - I imagine a really bright pink, purple or yellow cardigan would look fantastic with this dress.  This dress is £45.00 and although again I think it's slightly expensive, to me it looks like you're getting a dress which looks better quality than the previous maxi dress from ASOS Curve.  A bonus to this dress is that it is available from a size 18 to 28 UK.  I'll be taking a look at other online stores offerings for Summer 2013 dresses over the coming weeks...