My Favourite Things » » Tops

Wrinkle Free & Eco-Friendly

Wed, 25 Dec 2013 06:51:31 +0000

Looking for a little eco-friendliness in your clothing? Allistyle is a Canadian shop offering clothing from bamboo and organic cotton. They boast that they wash well and never wrinkle. You can shop for their line in person in Toronto at Gussied Up (Bathurst) or shop at their official website. At the moment there is not a large selection, about three bottoms, twelve tops, and fifteen dresses; each having two to five color options to choose from. Here are a few of my favorite pieces:

The Cowl Neck Top ($125): I love the color blocking and the bright block of blue with a subtle cowl neck.

The Full Cowl Neck Tunic ($165): I like the longer length both in the sleeves and the body. The diagonal ties are an interesting visual feature.

The Short Vest ($85): I love vests and this is a simple piece that can be put over camis, tanks, tees, blouses, dresses, etc.

The Wrap ($118): Love the color, love the style. Looks great with tops or dresses.

The Sweater Dress ($205): I love cardigans that are dress length. They are fabulous with leggings or left open for layer. They have a wonderful movement about them. I love the ripple effect on this one.

The Little Black Dress ($110): I am a fan of pleats so this is a winner. I love the wide neck with matching banded sleeves and hem. It is a bit short so I’d probably wear it more like a long tunic than a dress.

Here is a look at the fashions in motion:

They offer their clothing in sizes XS to 3X. Prices are above average but some of the pieces are pretty reasonable considering they are made in Canada.

Their website is a bit finicky to shop at so be patient with it. For some reason they don’t show all the colors for each item. The images look blurry at first but when you click on them the extra large view is sharp and gives a good view. They ship throughout North America using Purolator so you know the shipping won’t be cheap. [FYI: The lovely blonde/brunette in images 1, 3, 4, and 5 is America’s Last Top Model Whitney Thompson by the way.

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Topic Links
* Get your plus size eco-friendly clothing from Allistyle

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Houndstooth Jacket

Tue, 15 Oct 2013 05:27:49 +0000

One of my favorite fall patterns is houndstooth especially if it is in classic black and white. I love this cute little houndstooth jacket from Ulla Popken which comes in a great size range from 12 to 34 for $69.

This would be a great piece to dress up your little black dress or over a cami and trousers. Or dress it down with a pair of black denim jeans or your favorite leggings. Having a jacket style gives the option for completely different looks; it can be left open as shown and layered over lighter pieces or it can be buttoned up to the neck and belted to give it contour.

How are you incorporating houndstooth into your fall and winter wardrobe?

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Topic Links
* Get this plus size Houndstooth Jacket from Ulla Popken

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Kaleidoscope Top

Wed, 29 May 2013 19:24:41 +0000

I know if I spent any length of time looking at this top my eyes would go wonky but I just love it. I love the mixture of colors especially the grey and pink but the white really brings it all together to give the pattern texture. It is also a pretty good price at $24. This top is from City Chic Online and they do deliver to Canada — they have some nice swimwear if you are looking too.

This Kaleidoscope top is cute on its own with coordinating peek-a-boo bra straps for a casual summer day in denim shorts or dressed up with trousers and a summer blazer (dig out the grey suit).

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Topic Links
* Get your plus size textured cami top from City Chic Online

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Plus Size Gauze Tops

Wed, 01 May 2013 03:52:56 +0000

The days get longer and warmer as we head toward summer. Some parts of Canada will be incredibly comfortable while others (hand up) will be hot an humid. Going in and out of air conditioned places seems like a constant battle. In their latest video, Ulla Popken suggests gauze tops as an option for layering in warmer weather (FYI: gauze is generally made of cotton). Have a look:

Ulla Popken has a few different styles of plus size gauze tops in their store that I like.

There is the Cotton Gauze Tunic Blouse shown on the spokes model in the video which also comes in five solid color options. It is a pretty reasonable price at $39.

There are beaded and embroidered gauze tunics ranging from $49 to $59. I absolutely love the black one with the turquoise beads (has turquoise ever been as hot as it has the last few years?).

If you want something with a collar then there are the plus size hankie hem gauze shirts. I especially like the print (shown on one of models and video) and purple ones. These shirts are $39.

Ulla Popken offers sizes 12 to 34 and ships in and outside of the U.S.

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Topic Links
* Visit Ulla Popken for plus size clothing

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Tunic Love

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:07:10 +0000

Love, love, love this tunic from Making it Big. I love the color, the length and that it has some elastic in the back to give it even more shape. This is one of my favorite tops from them that I have seen in a while. It is a bit pricey though at $109 to $119. It looks great with the cotton pants but the length would work great with leggings or skinny jeans too.

If you are not familiar with Making It Big (MiB) they are an American company that offers sizes 2x to 8x. That is right, nothing below 2x. Something almost unheard of in the plus size clothing industry.

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Topic Links
* Get your plus size clothing from MiB

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Mint and Black

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:52:32 +0000

For me, mint on its own is a pretty bland color but add some black it and really begins to sizzle. Addition-Elle has this cute sheer mint top with black accents on their site in sizes 14 to 26.

Plus Size Roll-Sleeve Shimmer Blouse, $60

Personally I prefer the “roll-sleeve” rolled instead of unrolled like they have in the first photo.

The cami you see here does not come with the blouse and is sold in the same color or many others — black would look equally fetching.

Adjustable Tank, $25

Do you have any mint in your closet?

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Topic Links
* Get your plus size mint top from AdditionElle

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Remember Dusters

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:42:40 +0000

If you remember “dusters” then you are getting to be a certain age. Guess what, you can dust off the ones in your closet and start wearing them again. For those who may not be familiar with dusters, basically it is a long jacket, the most common ones these days are sheer.

If you got rid of them long ago then you can find pretty ones like this one at Ulla Popken in sizes 12 to 34.

The one shown here is actually a three piece set that includes the coordinating cami and duster and a pair of pants, all for $159. If you do not want a three piece Ulla Popken has a few other duster sets that do not come with pants to choose from.

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Topic Links
* Get your plus size dusters from Ulla Popken

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Print Tops from MiB

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:00:06 +0000

Making It Big (MIB) has been around for many years. When they started out their clothing was what I would call boxy but the last few years they upped their game and started bringing things in in the right places for a more tailored look. Their new spring line of tops is a bit iffy, though. The cuts are good but some of the pattern choices are not, they are something I would expect for a different price point. That being said, MIB is not without merit as I did find two tops I really like.

The plus size Lola Crossover Top with cross hatch pattern is available in sizes 3x to 7x for $99:

The plus size Milan Tunic is a nice mixture of patterns and solids available in sizes 3x to 7x for $95:

As you can see the sizes at MIB are unique, one of the reasons I love them is because they offer a higher size range for a market of women that are often ignored by retailers. Have a look and maybe you will find a gem or two that speaks to you.

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Topic Links
* Get your plus size tops from MIB

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Oh-So-Pretty Plus Size Tops

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 06:34:13 +0000

I do not know why but when I think of Kiyonna three words come to mind classy, sexy, and oh-so-pretty. Kiyonna has been producing figure hugging designs for a decade and they keep doing it with style. The same holds true for these cute plus size Kimono Sleeved Tops which have been an ongoing trend that has been rocking our world for the last year. Kiyonna offers a few options to bring out your girly side available in sizes 10 to 32 for $62.

I am not usually a huge fan of rose print but I am totally crushing on this one.

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Topic Links
* Get your plus size kimono top from Kiyonna

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Romancing Peplum

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 03:19:38 +0000

City Chic Online (CCO) is having a romantic liaison with peplum, one of the hottest trends for fall and for the most part I am loving it. Specifically their Scoop Peplum Top which comes in black, mandarin, aquatic, iris, and strawberry. I think the iris and the black would be the most versatile this season.

The top looks great on its own or layered under a cropped jacket. It is a flattering cut that works with a pair of dark jeans or a pencil skirt. CCO offers sizes 14 to 24 (read their size charts) and are not a bad price at $48.

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Topic Links
* Get your plus size clothing from City Chic Online

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