boden | Frocks & Frou Frou

There’s so much more choice for plus size women than there was in 2008 when I first started my blog! It’s wonderful but definitely dangerous too, because I find myself wanting to try, well, everything! Society Plus has been on my radar for a while because of their amazing looking tutu skirts, but I’ve never taken the plunge (because I’ve never had the kind of occasion that warrants a tutu skirt, alas).

At the recent MFW+ celebrations I spotted one girl wearing an amazing midi skirt with a graphic grid print and bailed her up only to discover that it was one of Society Plus‘ signature pieces; the Kate Midington skirt. Designed by blogger and co-founder Jessica Kane, these skirts have been specifically designed for plus-sizes, and it shows.

With a narrow (but not too narrow) waistband, a full (but not too full) skirt, and pockets (hooray!) it fits like a dream. Part of the reason it fits so well – and part of the reason I’ll definitely be ordering from Society Plus again – is the brand’s ‘honest sizing guarantee‘. Every product that they sell has been personally hand-measured, so the size guide given is genuine. So much shopping for plus-size women is online only, and size guides can be all over the place, making every purchase a gamble, not just in whether it’s going to suit, but whether it’s even going to fit in the first place. As an international customer, knowing that something I’m ordering is actually going to match the size guide means half the battle is already won.

I ordered the Kate Midington skirt in navy, but it’s also available in black and white, and I’m seriously tempted to go back and buy the whole range. It’s made of a thick polyester fabric that holds its shape well, and has a great fullness without too much weight. The fabric doesn’t crush at all – I took these photos after a fairly strenuous day out in the city, and it looks as fresh as when I left the house. Do watch out for that size guide though – there’s no stretch to the fabric, so if you’re between sizes you might like to size up for the sake of comfort. If you sign up before ordering you’ll get a 20% off code, too.

I was impatient for my order, so I paid the fairly substantial shipping charge for priority shipping ($42!) but I placed my order on the 29th September, and it arrived on the 6th October which was faster than I’d hoped. Next time I’ll see if I can band together with a friend to split shipping – goodness knows there’s enough on there I’ve got my eye on! There’s the universally flattering skater dresses, the stop-traffic sequin skirts, and of course those tutu skirts… it just so happens that I might have the perfect upcoming occasion for it after all:

Been a while since I last did a Two-ways Tuesday post, huh? Still, what better way to bring it back than with this divine Sohomode dress?

I spotted the peony fabric in Louise’s shop a couple of months ago, and knew it had to be mine. The full-blown peony print is highly detailed, with defined petals and stamen, and even the ribs on the leaves cast into relief. It reminded me a little of antique Chinese cloisonné enamelware, so after deliberating over it for about seven seconds (‘Surely you don’t need another Sohomode tea-dress, Lilli?’) I realised that if the fabric got snapped up by someone else – which it would – I would have missed out, and I’d be sad foreverrrrrrrr.

Louise made me the same slimmer sash that she sewed for my most recent bark-cloth dress, and knowing my penchant for yellow she picked up the yellow at the heart of the flowers for the piping details. Dress: Sohomode

Shoes: Seychelles

It’s a lovely party dress, the Sohomode tea-dress. If you’ve been reading long enough you’ll probably remember that I loved the dress so much I dressed my best friends in it as bridesmaids. One of the reasons I did that was because it was going to be HOT, and a cotton sundress seemed like a much nicer thing to wear outside in the Australian summer than some strapless synthetic thing. The tea-dress is also great, because it’s so versatile. I wear mine to fancy events and weddings, but I also wear it to work, to the farmers markets, on picnics, at birthday parties. I wear it in hot weather, and I wear it in cold:

Dress: Sohomode

Cardigan: Boden

Belt: Princess Highway

Tights: Sonsee

Shoes: Hush Puppies

So, my best friend Fiona got shortlisted for a major literary prize earlier this month, which is totally wonderful and not even a little bit of a surprise to those who know her and how remarkable she is (really remarkable). Last weekend we went out frock-shopping for something special for the awards night, and she decided on this gorgeous jacquard dress from Leona by Leona Edmiston. She looked amazing in it (of course) and someone told her she looked radiant (which she did), and even though I’m absolutely 100% sure she’s got lots of awards nights ahead of her, I’m really hoping she gets lots of wear out of her new dress, rather than just saving it for super special occasions.

See, I reckon you can dress almost any kind of dress down with a leather belt and a cardi (and in this case, a pair of tights, because it’s nearly winter). Adding a contrast belt to a frock immediately makes it seem less formal, breaking it up from one ooh-la-la ensemble into two pieces that just happen to match each other. Add a cardigan, and you’ve got immediate day-wear.

And THAT’S my two-ways Tuesdays!

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Two-ways Tuesday – Sohomode Peony dress