Shopping My Way Through Memorial Day…

Well not the whole weekend.  Saturday I spent the whole day doing yard work and cursing at my bushes for becoming so over grown.  I have two particular bushes that I detest and told my husband not to be alarmed if he sees me wrapping a chain around both bushes and attaching the other end to my car and driving down the road to remove them. 

But I digress…

Sunday I had a lovely time shopping.  I found a fantastic purple patio dress from Gap that I just may live in all summer.  The dress comes in several shades and is very flattering.  I also added a lace racerback tank with my dress as my “girls” no longer ride as high as this 20 year old model. Best of all, my shortie friends can join in the fun because it comes in petite too!

I plan on taking this dress with me to Chicago this weekend, but I discovered that it’s going to be cold.  So now I need to go find a blazer to go with it.  Too bad I forgot that H & M’s Friends and Family was this weekend.  I have to say, I owe you all an apology.  I have had that coupon for the past several weeks, but wanted to give it to you just before the sale date, so you wouldn’t forget.  Instead, I forgot.  Sorry about that.  H&M did have quite a few really cute pieces though, so check them out nonetheless.

Here’s a look at my purple dress and some options to go with it for warm or cooler weather. (click on image for shopping details)

 

I also took a swing by the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale.  I have been on the hunt for a pair of black capris and I was thrilled to discover a line of pants called Claudia Ev by Tribal Contour Waist Capris.  These pants are perfect for someone with an apple shape.  The pants taper in around the lower thighs and knees to show off an Apple’s thin legs, and then have a slight flare at the calf for proportion.  Here’s what I liked the best, I have a butt!  The stitching on the rear has a sort of rounded heart shape at the top to give the appearance of a round bottom.  Something all apple shapes need.

The Tribal pants also boast a “flatten it!” feature that is supposed to minimize your tummy, however, I didn’t notice a dramatic effect.  But every little bit helps in the battle of the bulge.  Oh, and I almost forgot, they are on sale!  (Click on the picture for shopping details.)

Keep an eye out for more sales as stores are unloading all their spring lines.  To get your shopping motors running, I received word today that Blue Fly is offering an extra 10% off today only.  Happy hunting!!

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to SUBSCRIBE via RSS or EMAIL now so you don’t miss a thing!

Fashion Lesson #3 Apple Shape

Hi there everyone, happy Friday to you.  This week in our Fashion Lesson series, I will be covering the Apples Shape.

A classic apple shape has the following attributes: large bust, thicker torso, narrow hips and thinner limbs.

As with any of the figure types, proportion is key.  There are several things that you can do to conceal those figure challenges and look great. One way to do that, is to add a little volume to your lower half without adding bulk.  You can do this by wearing a dark color on top and a patterned bottom such as an A line skirt.  You can also add proportion to your bottom half by wearing wide leg trousers, not too wide mind you, just enough to get the job done.

Another aspect of being an Apple Shape is that you tend to be larger on top.  Many women may be jealous that you have been blessed by the “Boobie Fairy”, but Apple gals know it’s not always easy to find a proper fitting blouse.  To compliment your shape, wear a V or U shaped neckline, to draw the eye down and break up the focus on the bust.   Additionally, the trapeze style ( like the one shown below), is still around this spring and it does a nice job of concealing your tummy. 

One other essential that you should consider is a well fitting jacket. When looking for a jacket, you want to find one with one or two buttons, curves in at the waist line and hits over the top of your hip. These features will give you more of an hourglass shape and add proportion to your hips. In my example below, the V neck line brings the eye down and the pockets at the hip also draw the eye away from the chest.

Finally I pulled a few pictures from the Spring 08′ shows that would compliment an Apple Shape. 

Daryl K

Celine

Daks

Sari Gueron

I hope you found this informative and useful.  Next week, by popular demand, I will be discussing the Petite and Hourglass woman.  If you have any other requests, be sure to leave a comment.

Photo Sources: Neiman Marcus and Style.com

Apples & Pears Fashion Lesson #2

I will be starting a series of fashion lessons on body shape over the next several Friday’s.  This week, I will cover the Pear Shape.  A Pear Shape is sometimes defined as having a defined waist, curvy hips and rounded thighs. 

There can also be many variations.  Some women with a Pear Shape may have rounded shoulders and a smaller bust.  Consider that as the trade off for your amazing abs and tush!

When you have this shape, you want to be aware of a couple things.  Accentuate you assets and maintain proper proportion. First, you want to highlight  one of your biggest assets, your waistline. Wear belts, cinched dresses or jackets and even high waisted jeans.

Next, you want to make sure that you maintain proper proportion in your overall look.  We have all seen someone who is wearing a pair of painted on jeans or skirt that just makes their thighs look too big.  A prime example are the skinny jeans.  A big fashion trend, but not for Pear Shapes.  Another example for a Pear Shape don’t, are the high waisted tapered leg pants otherwise known as the “Mom Jeans”.

Opt for something that drapes from your thigh.  The wider the line horizontally, the more structured the material you need.  Here are some great examples of some flattering outfits for the Pear Shape.

 Outfit #1 (left) 

Here, I have an adorable jacket from Forever 21. This selection adds volume to the bust and the ruffled collar and sleeves adds dimension to the shoulder to camouflage a narrow shoulder.  It is also cinched at the waist to bring you in at your smallest point. 

The jeans are a trouser fit from the Gap.  This fit will create proper proportion with the wider cut.  The back pockets are flat.  As Pear Shaped gals know, you must be careful with back pockets.  A pocket with a flap will only add volume to an otherwise ample backside. 🙂 (I’m jealous, I am in the flat tush catergory)

Outfit #2 (right)

I have chosen a Boat Neck Sweater which will make your shoulders look wider with the horizontal line. There are also buttons on the shoulder of this sweater which adds to the effect. I have included a belt to cinch in the waist and the A line skirt will hide your thighs without adding bulk. It’s all in proportion.

I have added a pointy toe shoe to elongate the leg. If you have a thick ankle, be sure to avoid an ankle strap shoe.  You will only accentuate that area. 

I hope that this information is helpful. If you have a figure challenge that you would like me to write about, e-mail me at shopwithapplesandpears@comcast.net and I will include it in this series.  For more information on the items discussed in this post, please click on the Polyvore image.
Bad Fashion Photo Source: Glamour.com

Move It!

I decided to do a post on fitness fashion to motivate myself to get to the gym in the morning.  I have been trying to get back to my regular workout schedule and going to McDonalds $1.50 Happy Meal Night did not help my waistline. 🙂

One other thing to note, February is Heart Health Month and lucy will be donating 10% of all Pump It Up Tee sales to WomenHeart.  I have included the cute little T-shirt in my post tonight, so I hope you check out the site.  lucy has a lot of really cute fitness and casual wear.

So now that I have put this in print, I have you to hold me accountable.  Right?

Anybody else work out?  How’s it coming along?

Polyvore.com

I have been fooling around with this site and I love it!!  You can create your own sort of collage with items in Polyvore’s database or import your own.  I will try to use this more often here in the blog.  This was my creation.