Style: A Backless Bodycon Birthday

A couple weeks ago I headed down to Newport Beach to celebrate my mom's birthday.  I hung out on the patio with my mom and dad drinking wine, and then dined at The Cannery Restaurant overlooking the bay.

Now, this dress is usually one I'd save for a night out with the girls or a hot date, but I couldn't wait to wear it so consider it a birthday gift to my mother.  You're supposed to shake what your mama gave you, right?

When I saw this dress from Tart on Hautelook, I wasn't even sure my eyes were registering what I was seeing.  Backless AND Bodycon AND the perfect length AND long sleeves.  SOLD... ten times over!  I'm pretty sure this dress was made for me and though I must admit that the backless bra/lower rise Spanx combination was a bit tricky and slightly uncomfortable, it was worth ever tug and tuck.

Because this dress is so va-va-voom, I chose to keep the jewelry simple.  Even though the dinner wasn't very dressy, I threw on some cascading gold earrings from the luxury designer known as Target.  Please forgive the following deer in headlights phenomenon...

It was a wonderful night of celebration and there may have been one too many bottles of wine involved but who's counting?  It is so wonderful to have my parents living so close and I will certainly miss that when I make the big move to New York next year.  But hey, the career calls and I refuse to be left behind.  I've got myself some big dreams and by God I'm going to chase them!

Happy Birthday to my beautiful mother!

Dress- Tart; Shoes- Dolce Vita; Earrings- Target

Style: Flying High

A couple years ago, I wouldn't have dared wear this outfit in front of anyone besides my bedroom mirror.  Two huge trends in the last couple years have been lace and crop tops, and though I was fashionably prepared with this top on hand, it remained on its hanger.  I've grown a lot as a person in the last year and my confidence has exponentially taken the first place ticket in that race.  I can now genuinely say that I love my body and the curves that I have, and I am ready to share them with the world after years of being told otherwise.

I talked about crop tops before here, and there is no reason a plus size or curvier woman should miss out on the trend.  Try one with a high waisted skirt or jeans, or even layer one over a basic form-fitting dress to give it a different look.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where I got this top.  I'm pretty sure a friend left it at my house years ago and time passed and I forgot who it belonged to (and fine, ok... I didn't try TOO hard to return it).  Maybe they'll claim it now though after this post.  However, I'm going to need to see valid identification and proof of ownership if the emails start flooding in...

Photographer: Stefan Brysha

Location: Lido Island, Newport Beach, CA

Lace Crop Top- Vintage (no tag or anything, sorry) but here is a similar one at Torrid; Black High Waisted Skirt- Zara; Tan Lace Up Heeled Booties- Michael Kors; Brown Stone Ring- Forever 21; Coral Beaded Earrings- Target

And finally... Here are your PHOTOS THAT ALMOST MADE THE CUT (Because nobody is perfect)...

*Note: I will never photoshop my Style/Personal photos in order to alter the size, shape, firmness, smoothness, etc. of my body.  I think it is important that we see people as they truly are, and if I can do my little part to help promote a better body image, then I am fulfilled.

Style: Party in the Back...

I was out on my yacht the other day... kidding.  I mean life has been good to me so far but not that good.  Why or how I got on this boat is not important nor legal.  As I was saying...

When it comes to plus size shopping in Los Angeles, I’ve found that the best option has always been to stay at home and shop online.  It is unfortunate but there aren’t a lot of options if you want to try on clothing before purchasing.  Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised on one of my most recent Forever 21 trips.  I went into the store with the usual intention of trying to squeeze myself into their size "Large" and was ecstatic to see that not only did they have a somewhat decent sized plus section, but it was also featured in one of the front window displays!... in Beverly Hills!  Baby steps my friends!  I tried on tons of stuff and was excited to finally leave that store with something that wouldn’t tear upon the first Dougie I tried to teach.

This coral top really stood out to me and I loved the sheer patterned design on the back.  I also liked that it was light enough for summer but still had sleeves.

I had originally planned on wearing it buttoned and loose, as it was meant to be, and pairing it over this basic short-sleeved, black dress.  But when I put it on I realized it would better flatter my hourglass figure if I could cinch it at the waist.  And though I’ve previously harped on my love affair with waist belts, I thought this tied-up-yet-relaxed style was a nice change.  Hey Boys!!!

I like to mix things that are tight and loose together.  Wearing two baggy pieces can look frumpy and unflattering, so with this flowing top I chose to wear a tighter dress underneath to show off the shape of my hips and butt while still being comfortable and not too revealing.

I threw my hair up in a messy ponytail to showcase the unique back pattern, and kept things simple by accessorizing with black shoes, a black purse, and this white plastic chain bracelet.

Photographer: Stefan Brysha

Location: Newport Beach, CA

Coral Blouse- Forever21+; Black Short Sleeve Dress- H&M; Black Caged Sandal- Halogen; White Plastic Chain Bracelet- St. Eve Jewelry, Black Studded Fur Purse- Street Level

Style: Lace Face

Every so often I shoot something at work that I know I need to add to my wardrobe.  I guess that is a perk about modeling as you get to try on tons of different things, many that you may not normally try yourself, and learn what works best on your body.

I absolutely love the lace trend, especially for the summer.  I think it can be so elegant and feminine, or it can be styled in a way that almost contradicts itself with a leather jacket or biker boots.  I fell hard for this trend and though my closet is quickly becoming a lacey landmine, I knew I had to add this Torrid dress to the collection.  As you can imagine, trying on a ton of clothes all the time isn't the most helpful tool for somebody who tends to shop a little too often, so I forced myself to wait a couple weeks before purchasing.  But when the weeks passed and I found myself still thinking about this dress, I knew my desires were valid.  Having the luxury of knowing it fit, I went online and ordered it.  Contrary to popular belief, models don't often get free clothes... but Torrid, if you're reading this, I'm happy to take some off your hands.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE waist belts.  Because my waist is smaller in comparison to my hips and butt, belting something at the waist tends to give a little more shape to any dresses that I wear.  I'm usually more of a fan of thin belts but I thought this thick-to-thin wrap belt actually worked better with this particular dress.  It also happened to match my favorite worn-out wedge boots!

One of the things that really drew me to this dress was the deep "V" in the back.  I love when something appears classic and somewhat neutral but throws in little design details like this.  I am also a huge fan of this knee length lately.  I think it is a really flattering cut and that it really outlines the curves of my body in a nice way.

Though I live in Los Angeles, I feel very lucky to have my parents and one of my brothers just about an hour away in Newport Beach.  It's not too shabby to have as an option for a weekend getaway and it definitely provides tons of gorgeous backdrops for shooting.  I usually don't post so many photos but I couldn't narrow down any further so I hope you're enjoying the bonus shots!

Photographer: Stefan Brysha

Hair: Style inspired and taught via YouTube- "Sleek High Bun Hair Tutorial"

Location: Lido Island, Newport Beach, CA

Lace Dress- Torrid; Brown Leather Wrap Belt- H&M; Brown Wedge Boots- Steve Madden; Gold Oversized Watch- Michael Kors; Gold/Brown Stone Ring- H&M; Earrings- Nordstrom

Style: In The Jungle

And when I say "In The Jungle" I actually mean "In the upscale, suburban, grassy park of Lido Island residential community"... But let's just use our imaginations for the sake of this post...

The first thing I must address is that these are my favorite jeans.  I found them at H&M over a year ago and they are called HI SQIN.  They are high waisted skinny jeans and they fit me unlike any pair of jeans I've found before.  I have a butt and hips, but my waist is relatively small in comparison, so I've found that wearing things that sit at my waist tend to be most comfortable, don't cut me off in unflattering places, and usually stay put.  Not to mention these couldn't have cost more than $30!  Unfortunately I can't seem to find the style in any store anymore so if you happen to come across this fit, PLEASE let me know. Or buy them and resell them to me at an astronomical price.  Either option is fine.

Now, I've been seeing a ton of crop tops over the last year or so and although they look really cute and summery, I found that most of them weren't particularly flattering on my body type.  I wasn't about to pass up all these cute styles though, so I found my own way to make them work.  By pairing them with higher-waisted jeans or skirts, I was able draw attention to my waist, rather than the lower, lets say "squishier" part of my stomach, that low rise jeans often highlight.

I found the leopard top on Hautelook and it is made by designer Annalee+Hope.  This is my first piece of clothing from them but it definitely won't be my last.  Leopard print can be tough as it can teeter on the "cheesy vs. chic" border very easily.  I really liked this print though and I thought the sheer black panels on the shoulder gave it a little extra flare.  Of course, because I am no professional stylist, I wore a nude bra with straps for this shoot that you can see quite clearly through the sheer.  If it means my boobs are a couple inches higher though then it's all worth it.

With neutral colors like browns and blacks I usually like to add a little touch of color.  The turquoise in these St. Eve bracelets added just the right amount when mixed with more gold and brown toned bracelets.

Photographer: Stefan Brysha

Hair: Lindsey Carter

Location: Lido Island, Newport Beach, CA

Shirt- Annalee+Hope; Black Jeans- H&M HI SQIN; Nude Pumps- Vince Camuto; Turquoise Cross Bracelet, Turquoise Skull Bracelet, and gold chain triangle necklace (worn as bracelet)- St. Eve Jewelry; Braided Brown Leather Wrap Bracelet- Marc by Marc Jacobs;  Brown Multi-Strand bracelet with Gold beads- Unknown (gift)

Style: White Bodycon Dress

I think one of the greatest things that a woman with curves can do is flaunt them.  Years ago when I struggled with my body image and size, I did my best to cover the parts of my body I saw as "imperfections".  I'd often wear baggy dresses that had no shape and I felt self conscious regularly.  It took me a while to get to a point when I really started loving the body I was given, and gaining confidence in the fact that though I may not have seen women like me in the magazines and on TV, it didn't mean I couldn't look beautiful or sexy.

When I saw this dress I remained hesitant but forced myself to try it on anyways.  I had been shopping for a dress for a party and though I knew this wouldn't be for the event, I loved the shape and style of it.  Something that you should know about me is that I'm in love with Spanx.   The particular pair I am wearing in this photo is nude colored and goes from right below my bra line to just above the knee.  One of the best things I can recommend for a curvy woman while shopping is to Bring.Your.Spanx.  I often wear heels too.  If you can love something in that horrible dressing room lighting then you can love it anywhere!

My style can be all over the place but with something as classic as this all white dress, I prefer to keep things simple.  A dress like this definitely calls for the "less is more" attitude.

Dress- Reality, Shoes- Woodies by Jeffrey Campbell, Necklace- St. Eve Jewelry, Lip Color- MAC Russian Red

Photographer:  Stefan Brysha

Location:  Lido Island, Newport Beach, CA