Prep'd Picks will be posted tomorrow. I'm going to take today to discuss a few things.
I've been a fashion blogger since 2009. While I have loved most every minute of it there do come times when I get a bit burnt out, sort of how I've been feeling lately (this is mostly due to work demands, though).
It's gotten worse as I've moved into solely focusing on plus sizes. I know many of you have this same complaint, but it feels like season after season I'm seeing the same thing.
Take for example this pretty lace dress:
I know this dress--or a version of it--has made its way into more than one or two Prep'd Picks. It's a super pretty dress and I do love it. This particular dress is from Nordstrom, who currently has it available in fall colors. I know come October I will be able to buy it winter colors. Next spring I should be able to pick it up in a sunny lemon yellow or maybe coral. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the lack of selection in plus sizes is really starting to get to me. Truthfully, there's more choice than ever when it comes to plus sizes but at the same time it feels like the same thing, just in a new color.
Every new hyped clothing line is just a copy of what's already on the market. Why, new clothing line, should I buy your jersey maxi skirt and ponte blazer when it's already offered at a dozen other stores for a similar price?
I've been dissatisfied with my wardrobe as of late. I need to replace a decent chunk, as a lot of it was purchased around 2012-2013 and I've worn everything to the point beyond repair. On top of that, I've been wearing a ton of neutrals. As much as I love color, wearing neutrals has been a lot easier for me than trying to coordinate outfits. This is especially true when I have to jump out of bed to go cover pipeline explosions where the only directions are "look for the glowing fireball in the sky." True story. One part of me is saying "buy ALL the neutrals!" and the other part is is all about these plaid pants.
I'd also like to address a few reader questions that I really haven't able to answer in other posts:
A lot of people have been asking about Lilly-A-Likes, probably the most popular part of the blog. Firstly, there's been a lack of items that I'd deem worthy of being a LAL. There few things I've found I've just been putting in Prep'd Picks. On this topic, Lilly Pulitzer is suing Old Navy for copying their prints. This is the pair I featured earlier this summer with the beachy print and a Fourth of July-inspired print. I remember the first time I saw the beachy print shorts and thought to myself "Holy s#!t that's a deadringer for High Tide Toile."
Speaking of burnt out and Lilly, I'm burnt out on Lilly Pulitzer. Me, who loves color and fanciful patterns so much, is really just not into them right now. I keep going over their new arrivals and can hardly muster up a "meh." I totally think my current attitude about Lilly comes from the Target debacle three months ago (read about that here). It's not really the brand's fault, but I think I gave that experience too much attention.
Another question I get is how much money I make off this blog. Last year I made right under $300. 30% of that went towards taxes, $100 went towards domain renewals, hosting, and the designer I hired to fix a major code screw-up. The rest was used to help replace my laptop which died last October. This year I've already made another $300 with most going towards taxes and the rest being saved. At some point I'd like to hire a professional designer and have something professional made, and not just mess around with free templates I get online.
Looking out, I think the rest of the year looks interesting for fashion. Fall and winter are my favorite seasons (no or low sweat!) and a few of the collections that have already come out are nailing it. Old Navy's collegiate-inspired looks are fantastic and I want it all. Even just quick glances at Lands' End and Lord & Taylor are promising.
If you have anything you'd like to see, features that you might enjoy, etc., please leave me a comment below or shoot me an email ker [at] theplussizeprep.com and let me know.
I've been a fashion blogger since 2009. While I have loved most every minute of it there do come times when I get a bit burnt out, sort of how I've been feeling lately (this is mostly due to work demands, though).
It's gotten worse as I've moved into solely focusing on plus sizes. I know many of you have this same complaint, but it feels like season after season I'm seeing the same thing.
Take for example this pretty lace dress:
Every new hyped clothing line is just a copy of what's already on the market. Why, new clothing line, should I buy your jersey maxi skirt and ponte blazer when it's already offered at a dozen other stores for a similar price?
I've been dissatisfied with my wardrobe as of late. I need to replace a decent chunk, as a lot of it was purchased around 2012-2013 and I've worn everything to the point beyond repair. On top of that, I've been wearing a ton of neutrals. As much as I love color, wearing neutrals has been a lot easier for me than trying to coordinate outfits. This is especially true when I have to jump out of bed to go cover pipeline explosions where the only directions are "look for the glowing fireball in the sky." True story. One part of me is saying "buy ALL the neutrals!" and the other part is is all about these plaid pants.
I'd also like to address a few reader questions that I really haven't able to answer in other posts:
A lot of people have been asking about Lilly-A-Likes, probably the most popular part of the blog. Firstly, there's been a lack of items that I'd deem worthy of being a LAL. There few things I've found I've just been putting in Prep'd Picks. On this topic, Lilly Pulitzer is suing Old Navy for copying their prints. This is the pair I featured earlier this summer with the beachy print and a Fourth of July-inspired print. I remember the first time I saw the beachy print shorts and thought to myself "Holy s#!t that's a deadringer for High Tide Toile."
Speaking of burnt out and Lilly, I'm burnt out on Lilly Pulitzer. Me, who loves color and fanciful patterns so much, is really just not into them right now. I keep going over their new arrivals and can hardly muster up a "meh." I totally think my current attitude about Lilly comes from the Target debacle three months ago (read about that here). It's not really the brand's fault, but I think I gave that experience too much attention.
Another question I get is how much money I make off this blog. Last year I made right under $300. 30% of that went towards taxes, $100 went towards domain renewals, hosting, and the designer I hired to fix a major code screw-up. The rest was used to help replace my laptop which died last October. This year I've already made another $300 with most going towards taxes and the rest being saved. At some point I'd like to hire a professional designer and have something professional made, and not just mess around with free templates I get online.
Looking out, I think the rest of the year looks interesting for fashion. Fall and winter are my favorite seasons (no or low sweat!) and a few of the collections that have already come out are nailing it. Old Navy's collegiate-inspired looks are fantastic and I want it all. Even just quick glances at Lands' End and Lord & Taylor are promising.
If you have anything you'd like to see, features that you might enjoy, etc., please leave me a comment below or shoot me an email ker [at] theplussizeprep.com and let me know.
Of course, it depends on how one defines "prep", but in general, preppy clothes have a limited range of colors and styles. Shirts may be more or less boxy, hemlines may go up or down, but anything too different won't feel like prep. So yes, it all looks the same. There are more plus size options than ever, but most of it isn't quite right - the style, color or print seems a bit "off". I too am tempted to find well cut quality basics in solid neutrals or bright colors and get my prep fix from accessories that work for women of all sizes. Sometimes even that seems difficult. It is also a challenging time of year. Much of the fall season has not yet arrived, it is still hot, and sale items are really picked over. I wasn't tempted by much of anything in the Nordstrom sale.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Lilly: I think most of the colorful prints made for us that echo Lilly are in resort/spring collections. I'm not expecting to find much until the Resort 2016 collections start to appear in stores and online. I was completely shut out of the Target collaboration, as were most of us. I refuse to buy on Ebay for 2-3x the price of a genuine "Lilly from Lilly" item. I still hope the immediate sellout of the entire Lilly for Target plus size range will convince the folks at Lilly to consider adding a true plus size range themselves. Like it or not, Lilly prints have become associated with prep style in certain venues to the point where one is almost not properly dressed unless wearing Lilly or a convincing similar cut and print. No solutions here, just echo your frustration.
It's like you're reading the inside of my brain! That damn lace dress haunts me. Like you said, I feel like I see it labeled as "New!" every season, and it's the most frustrating thing in the world.
ReplyDeleteI feel like my closet is a bunch of random items that I purchased on sale (not that sales are a bad thing!) or from stores like Old Navy, and I want to purchase some lasting pieces. It's frustrating to say the least. I was on the hunt for some white jeans, and after purchasing $118 jeans from Nordstrom and $50 jeans from ASOS, I gave up. I ended up finding some light pink pants at the Gap outlet for $25 because that was really the best pair the fit. The irony, huh?
I wish that LL Bean made more plus-size clothing. Some of their pieces are adorable and are great quality. I also feel as though I'm at a bit of a disadvantage living in California too, as really the only "plus-size" store we have out here is Torrid and Lane Bryant. The Talbots in my town doesn't even carry the "Woman" sizes! With that said though, I do hope that Lilly will begin to offer some extended sizes online. I'm with you in that some of their latest patterns aren't my favorite, but I'd be happy to have some more options.
xoxo